US20160316996A1 - Joint mechanism, manipulator, and manipulator system - Google Patents

Joint mechanism, manipulator, and manipulator system Download PDF

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Publication number
US20160316996A1
US20160316996A1 US15/205,591 US201615205591A US2016316996A1 US 20160316996 A1 US20160316996 A1 US 20160316996A1 US 201615205591 A US201615205591 A US 201615205591A US 2016316996 A1 US2016316996 A1 US 2016316996A1
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United States
Prior art keywords
distal end
guide sheath
manipulator
swivel
manipulation wire
Prior art date
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Abandoned
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US15/205,591
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English (en)
Inventor
Shingo Nakayama
Kosuke Kishi
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Olympus Corp
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Olympus Corp
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Assigned to OLYMPUS CORPORATION reassignment OLYMPUS CORPORATION ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: NAKAYAMA, SHINGO, KISHI, KOSUKE
Publication of US20160316996A1 publication Critical patent/US20160316996A1/en
Priority to US16/456,320 priority Critical patent/US11497387B2/en
Abandoned legal-status Critical Current

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    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
    • A61B1/00—Instruments for performing medical examinations of the interior of cavities or tubes of the body by visual or photographical inspection, e.g. endoscopes; Illuminating arrangements therefor
    • A61B1/005—Flexible endoscopes
    • A61B1/008—Articulations
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
    • A61B1/00—Instruments for performing medical examinations of the interior of cavities or tubes of the body by visual or photographical inspection, e.g. endoscopes; Illuminating arrangements therefor
    • A61B1/005—Flexible endoscopes
    • A61B1/0051—Flexible endoscopes with controlled bending of insertion part
    • A61B1/0055—Constructional details of insertion parts, e.g. vertebral elements
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
    • A61B1/00—Instruments for performing medical examinations of the interior of cavities or tubes of the body by visual or photographical inspection, e.g. endoscopes; Illuminating arrangements therefor
    • A61B1/005—Flexible endoscopes
    • A61B1/0051—Flexible endoscopes with controlled bending of insertion part
    • A61B1/0057—Constructional details of force transmission elements, e.g. control wires
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
    • A61B34/00—Computer-aided surgery; Manipulators or robots specially adapted for use in surgery
    • A61B34/70—Manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery
    • A61B34/71—Manipulators operated by drive cable mechanisms
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
    • A61B17/00—Surgical instruments, devices or methods, e.g. tourniquets
    • A61B17/00234—Surgical instruments, devices or methods, e.g. tourniquets for minimally invasive surgery
    • A61B2017/00292—Surgical instruments, devices or methods, e.g. tourniquets for minimally invasive surgery mounted on or guided by flexible, e.g. catheter-like, means
    • A61B2017/003—Steerable
    • A61B2017/00305—Constructional details of the flexible means
    • A61B2017/00314—Separate linked members
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
    • A61B17/00—Surgical instruments, devices or methods, e.g. tourniquets
    • A61B17/00234—Surgical instruments, devices or methods, e.g. tourniquets for minimally invasive surgery
    • A61B2017/00292—Surgical instruments, devices or methods, e.g. tourniquets for minimally invasive surgery mounted on or guided by flexible, e.g. catheter-like, means
    • A61B2017/003—Steerable
    • A61B2017/00318—Steering mechanisms
    • A61B2017/00323—Cables or rods

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to joint mechanisms, manipulators, and manipulator systems.
  • a known medical device has a multi-joint bending mechanism in which a plurality of bending segments connected in a swivelable manner are independently and individually manipulated by means of manipulation wires (for example, see Patent Literature 1).
  • the manipulation wire connected to the bending segments located closer toward the basal end is disposed at the inner side, in the radial direction of the bending segments, relative to the manipulation wire connected to the bending segments located closer toward the distal end.
  • the present invention provides a joint mechanism, a manipulator, and a manipulator system that can achieve bendability with a small traction force, reduced device size, and improved controllability.
  • a first aspect of the present invention provides a joint mechanism including a tubular first member having a through-hole extending along a central axis; a second member disposed at a distal end of the first member and swivelable relative to the first member about a swivel axis intersecting the central axis; a flexible, tubular guide sheath extending near the central axis of the through-hole in the first member and a distal end of which is fixed to the second member; a manipulation wire introduced toward the distal end of the guide sheath via the guide sheath; and a turnaround section that is provided in the second member at a position decentered from the swivel axis in a radial direction and that causes the manipulation wire introduced from the first member via the guide sheath to make a U-turn toward the first member.
  • a distal end of the manipulation wire caused to make a U-turn at the turnaround section is fixed to the first member at a position decentered from the swivel axi
  • a second aspect of the present invention provides a manipulator including two or more series-connected joint mechanisms described above.
  • a third aspect of the present invention provides a manipulator including a tubular manipulator body, a basal-end joint unit provided at a distal end of the manipulator body, and a distal-end joint unit connected in series to a distal end of the basal-end joint unit and equipped with at least one joint mechanism described above.
  • the basal-end joint unit includes a swivel member connected to the manipulator body in a swivelable manner about a swivel axis, a tubular guide sheath whose opening at a distal end thereof is fixed to the manipulator body, and a manipulation wire that is introduced via the guide sheath and protrudes from the opening at the distal end of the guide sheath and a distal end of which is fixed to a position decentered from the swivel axis of the swivel member in a radial direction.
  • a fourth aspect of the present invention provides a manipulator including a tubular manipulator body having a through-hole extending along a central axis; a swivel member disposed at a distal end of the manipulator body and swivelable relative to the manipulator body about a swivel axis intersecting the central axis; a flexible, tubular guide sheath extending near the central axis of the through-hole in the manipulator body and a distal end of which is fixed to the swivel member; a manipulation wire introduced toward the distal end of the guide sheath via the guide sheath; and a turnaround section that is provided in the swivel member and that causes the manipulation wire introduced from the manipulator body via the guide sheath to make a U-turn toward the manipulator body.
  • a distal end of the manipulation wire caused to make a U-turn at the turnaround section is fixed to the manipulator body at a position decentered from the swivel axis in the
  • a fifth aspect of the present invention provides a manipulator system including the above-described manipulator, a slave device equipped with a driver that drives the manipulator, a master device equipped with an operation section to be operated by an operator, and a controller that controls the driver of the slave device based on an input signal input via the operation section of the master device.
  • FIG. 1 illustrates the overall configuration of a manipulator system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a slave device equipped with an endoscope.
  • FIG. 3A is a simplified side view of a bendable section of the endoscope in FIG. 2 .
  • FIG. 3B is a schematic side view of a bendable section of the endoscope in FIG. 2 .
  • FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view illustrating a state where a basal-end joint group of the bendable section in FIG. 3A is extending straight.
  • FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view illustrating a state where a flexure joint at the most distal end of the basal-end joint group of the bendable section in FIG. 3A is flexed.
  • FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a flexure joint at the most basal end of the basal-end joint group of the bendable section in FIG. 3A .
  • FIG. 7 is a front view of a link member as viewed along a central axis, illustrating the positions of pulleys, guide sheaths, and manipulation wires in the flexure joint in FIG. 5 .
  • FIG. 8 includes a schematic side view and a front view of each link member, illustrating the positions of the pulleys, the guide sheaths, and the manipulation wires in the basal-end joint group in FIG. 4 .
  • FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a modification of FIG. 6 .
  • FIG. 10A illustrates a modification of the positions of the pulleys in FIG. 7 and is a front view showing the link member located closest to the basal end.
  • FIG. 10B illustrates a modification of the positions of the pulleys in FIG. 7 and is a front view showing the second link member from the basal end.
  • FIG. 10C illustrates a modification of the positions of the pulleys in FIG. 7 and is a front view showing the third link member from the basal end.
  • FIG. 11 is a front view illustrating a modification of the pulleys in FIG. 7 .
  • FIG. 12 illustrates a modification of FIG. 8 and includes a schematic side view and a front view of the link members.
  • FIG. 13 is a side view illustrating a basal-end joint group in which flexure joints with different flexing directions are alternately arranged.
  • FIG. 14A is a front view showing the link member located closest to the basal end in FIG. 13 .
  • FIG. 14B is a front view showing the second link member from the basal end in FIG. 13 .
  • FIG. 14C is a front view showing the third link member from the basal end in FIG. 13 .
  • FIG. 15A illustrates a modification of FIG. 14A and is a front view showing the link member located closest to the basal end.
  • FIG. 15B illustrates a modification of FIG. 14B and is a front view showing the second link member from the basal end.
  • FIG. 15C illustrates a modification of FIG. 14C and is a front view showing the third link member from the basal end.
  • FIG. 16 is a vertical sectional view illustrating a bendable section having a single flexure joint.
  • FIG. 17 is a front view illustrating a modification of segments.
  • FIG. 18 is a front view illustrating another modification of the segments.
  • FIG. 19 is a vertical sectional view illustrating a bendable section having the segments in FIG. 18 .
  • the manipulator system is an endoscope system 1 and includes a master device 2 to be operated by a surgeon (operator) A, a slave device 3 driven in accordance with an input via the master device 2 , a controller 4 that controls the slave device 3 based on the input to the master device 2 , and a monitor 25 .
  • the slave device 3 includes an endoscope (manipulator) 5 according to this embodiment, which is to be inserted into the body cavity of a patient P, and drivers 6 a and 6 b that drive the endoscope 5 .
  • the endoscope 5 is a flexible endoscope having a flexible, elongated insertion part 7 , which is bendable, and includes an elongated flexible section (manipulator body) 8 , a distal end section 9 disposed at the distal end, and a bendable section 10 disposed between the distal end section 9 and the flexible section 8 .
  • a flexible endoscope is described in this embodiment, a rigid endoscope having an elongated rigid section may be used as an alternative.
  • the bendable section 10 includes a distal-end joint group 11 and a basal-end joint group 12 for changing the position and the orientation of the distal end section 9 relative to the distal end of the flexible section 8 .
  • the distal-end joint group 11 and the basal-end joint group 12 are arranged side-by-side in the longitudinal direction of the insertion part 7 .
  • FIG. 3A is a simplified view of the bendable section 10
  • FIG. 3B is a schematic view of the bendable section 10 .
  • the basal-end joint group 12 includes a plurality of, for example, four, flexure joints (joint mechanism) 12 a to 12 d .
  • Each of these flexure joints 12 a to 12 d is provided between a corresponding pair of link members 13 a to 13 e and is configured to change the relative angle between the pair of neighboring link members 13 a to 13 e.
  • the flexure joints 12 a to 12 d can be independently flexed about axes 14 a to 14 d (extending in the Y-axis direction) arranged parallel to one another and spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the insertion part 7 , that is, the longitudinal-axis direction of the link members 13 a to 13 e .
  • each of the flexure joints 12 a to 12 d can be flexed in a flexion-angle range of ⁇ 60° so that the entire basal-end joint group 12 can be flexed by ⁇ 240°.
  • the axes 14 a to 14 d do not necessarily need to be arranged parallel to one another so long as they are arranged side-by-side to allow for flexion.
  • the flexure joint 12 a includes a link member (first member) 13 a serving as an end of the flexible section 8 , a link member (second member) 13 b , and a plurality of, for example, four, segments (intermediate members) 15 a to 15 d connected between these link members.
  • the link members 13 a to 13 e and the segments 15 a to 15 d are connected in a relatively swivelable manner about substantially parallel axes (intermediate axes) 16 a to 16 e .
  • the axes 16 a to 16 e also do not necessarily need to be disposed parallel to one another so long as they are arranged side-by-side to allow for flexion.
  • the flexible section 8 and the link members 13 a and 13 b are provided with through-holes 17 extending in the longitudinal direction.
  • the segments 15 a to 15 d are each formed in the shape of a ring having a through-hole 18 extending in the thickness direction through the middle thereof.
  • the link member 13 b and the segments 15 a to 15 d are each provided with two pairs of connection sections 19 a and 19 b for connecting it to the link member 13 a or 13 b or other segments 15 a to 15 d disposed on the opposite sides thereof in a relatively swivelable manner about two of the substantially parallel axes 16 a to 16 e .
  • the link member 13 b is constituted of a combination of two components 13 b 1 and 13 b 2 .
  • the flexure joint 12 a includes two pulleys 20 a and 20 b rotatably attached to the link member 13 b ; flexible, tubular guide sheaths 21 a and 21 b that extend through the through-hole 17 in the flexible section 8 and the through-holes 18 in the segments 15 a to 15 d , that are disposed along the vicinity of the central axes of the through holes, and whose openings at the distal ends are fixed to the component 13 b 1 of the link member 13 b ; and manipulation wires 22 a and 22 b inserted through the guide sheaths 21 a and 21 b from the basal end of the flexible section 8 .
  • the pulleys 20 a and 20 b are attached to the link member 13 b at the opposite sides of the axis 16 a , which connects the link member 13 b and the segment 15 a , in a rotatable manner about axes 23 a and 23 b substantially parallel to the axis 16 a .
  • the pair of pulleys 20 a and 20 b cause the pair of manipulation wires 22 a and 22 b protruding from the openings at the distal ends of the pair of guide sheaths 21 a and 21 b disposed near the axis 16 a of the link member 13 b to make a U-turn in the reverse direction, thus causing the manipulation wires 22 a and 22 b to return toward the link member 13 a along respective paths near the outer peripheries of the link member 13 b and the segments 15 a to 15 d , which are the most distant from the axis 16 a in the radial direction.
  • Each of the segments 15 a to 15 d is provided with a pair of through-holes 24 a and 24 b through which the pair of manipulation wires 22 a and 22 b , which have been caused to make a U-turn toward the outer periphery by the pair of pulleys 20 a and 20 b , extend.
  • the pair of manipulation wires 22 a and 22 b are turned back in the reverse direction by the pair of pulleys 20 a and 20 b and extend through the through-holes 24 a and 24 b in the segments 15 a to 15 d , the ends thereof are respectively fixed to fixation sections 26 a and 26 b of the link member 13 a.
  • each of the flexure joints 12 b to 12 d has structures identical to that of the flexure joint 12 a described above. Specifically, each of the flexure joints 12 b to 12 d includes four segments 15 a to 15 d between a first member, which is defined by one of the link members 13 b to 13 d at the distal end of the remaining one of the flexure joints 12 b to 12 d adjacent thereto at the basal end, and a second member, which is defined by one of the link members 13 c to 13 e adjacent thereto at the distal end.
  • the guide sheaths 21 a and 21 b , the pulleys 20 a and 20 b , and the manipulation wires 22 a and 22 b in the flexure joints 12 a to 12 d are disposed as shown in a simplified view in FIG. 8 .
  • FIG. 5 illustrates the movement of the flexure joint 12 d , which is located closest to the distal end, in the basal-end joint group 12 .
  • the two manipulation wires 22 a and 22 b that are guided to the link member 13 e by the two guide sheaths 21 a and 21 b extending in the longitudinal direction from the basal end of the insertion part 7 to the link member 13 e at the distal end of the flexure joint 12 d are caused to make a U-turn by the pulleys 20 a and 20 b and are fixed to the fixation sections 26 a and 26 b in the link member 13 d at the basal end of the flexure joint 12 d . From the state shown in FIG.
  • a traction force F is applied to the manipulation wire 22 a , as shown in FIG. 5 , so that the distal-end flexure joint 12 d alone can be flexed in one direction.
  • the manipulation wire 22 b is fed by an amount necessary for the flexion.
  • the distal-end joint group 11 includes a plurality of, for example, three, flexure joints (distal-end flexure joints) 11 a to 11 c .
  • Each of these flexure joints 11 a to 11 c is similarly disposed between a corresponding pair of link members 13 f to 13 h and is configured to change the relative angle between the pair of neighboring link members 13 f to 13 h.
  • the two flexure joints 11 a and 11 b closer toward the basal end are configured to cause the link members 13 f to 13 h to swivel about axes 14 e and 14 f (which extend in the Z-axis direction) orthogonal to a plane that includes the axis 14 d of the flexure joint 12 d at the most distal end of the basal-end joint group 12 and the long axes of the link members 13 e to 13 h .
  • the flexure joint 11 c at the most distal end causes the distal end section 9 to swivel about an axis 14 g (which extends in the Y-axis direction) orthogonal to a plane that includes the axes 14 e and 14 f of the flexure joints 11 a and 11 b and the long axes of the link members 13 e to 13 h .
  • the axes 14 e and 14 f do not necessarily need to be orthogonal to the plane that includes the axis 14 d and the long axes and may alternatively intersect the plane to allow for flexion.
  • the manipulation wires 22 a and 22 b used for moving all of the flexure joints 11 a to 11 c and 12 a to 12 d are introduced to the bendable section 10 from the basal end of the flexible section 8 via the through-hole 17 in the flexible section 8 .
  • the drivers 6 a and 6 b include two drivers, namely, a distal-end driver 6 a for driving the distal-end joint group 11 and a basal-end driver 6 b for driving the basal-end joint group 12 .
  • the drivers 6 a and 6 b are connected to the flexible section 8 of the endoscope 5 via a relay unit 27 .
  • the drivers 6 a and 6 b are equipped with sliders (not shown) that are attached to the basal ends of the manipulation wires 22 a and 22 b , which extend toward the basal end through the interior of the flexible section 8 , so as to pull the basal ends of the manipulation wires 22 a and 22 b and adjust the traction force F to be applied individually to the manipulation wires 22 a and 22 b .
  • the drivers 6 a and 6 b are attachable to and detachable from drive sources 28 equipped with electrically-driven actuators or manually-operated masters (not shown) of the manually driven type.
  • the actuators of the drive sources 28 are, for example, linear actuators, such as linear motors.
  • linear actuators such as linear motors.
  • the actuators engage with the sliders of the drivers 6 a and 6 b .
  • the actuators slide so as to apply a traction force F to the manipulation wires 22 a and 22 b.
  • operation sections engage with the sliders of the drivers 6 a and 6 b .
  • the sliders slide in accordance with a force applied by the surgeon A so as to apply a traction force F to the manipulation wires 22 a and 22 b.
  • the relay unit 27 is provided with an insertion port 29 for inserting a surgical device into a forceps channel (not shown) having an opening in an end surface thereof and extending in the longitudinal direction of the insertion part 7 .
  • the master device 2 is an orthomorphic input device having joints equal in number to the number of joints in the bendable section 10 of the endoscope 5 .
  • Each joint is equipped with a detector (not shown), such as an encoder, for detecting the flexion angle of the joint.
  • the detectors detect and output flexion-angle signals of the joints of the master device 2 .
  • the controller 4 controls the drivers 6 a and 6 b so as to make the flexion angles of the joints of the master device 2 , indicated by the flexion-angle signals output from the master device 2 , equal to the flexion angles of the flexure joints 11 a to 11 c and 12 a to 12 d in the bendable section 10 of the endoscope 5 .
  • a process for inserting the endoscope 5 into the body cavity is performed by attaching a manually-operated master only to the distal-end driver 6 a that drives the distal-end joint group 11 .
  • the surgeon A While holding and operating the manually-operated master with his/her left hand, the surgeon A holds the insertion part 7 with his/her right hand and inserts the endoscope 5 into the body cavity based on a method similar to that used for an endoscope in the related art. In this case, an image of the state in the body cavity is captured by actuating the endoscope 5 and is displayed on the monitor 25 . The surgeon A operates the manually-operated master while viewing the monitor 25 so as to drive the distal-end joint group 11 , and inserts the insertion part 7 into the body cavity until the distal end section 9 of the endoscope 5 is brought close to an affected area.
  • a drive source 28 or a manually-operated master is not attached to the basal-end driver 6 b that drives the basal-end joint group 12 .
  • the basal-end joint group 12 moves by passively following the movement of the distal-end joint group 11 . This prevents the insertion process from being hindered by the basal-end joint group 12 .
  • a drive source 28 is attached to the basal-end driver 6 b so as to switch from the manually-operated master to the drive source 28 .
  • the surgeon A then operates the master device 2 .
  • the endoscope 5 has four flexure joints 12 a to 12 d , which serve as the basal-end joint group 12 and can altogether be flexed by ⁇ 240°. Therefore, the bendable section 10 can be bent into a U-shape so that the distal-end surface of the endoscope 5 can be oriented toward the rear. Moreover, since there is still room for movement of the flexure joints 12 a to 12 d even in the state where the bendable section 10 is bent in a U-shape, the distal end section 9 of the insertion part 7 can advance or recede.
  • this is advantageous in that the distal-end surface of the insertion part 7 can be oriented toward an easily observable or treatable position not only for an affected area located toward the front in the direction in which the endoscope 5 is inserted into the body cavity but also for an affected area located in the opposite direction, such as an affected area behind a fold.
  • a traction force F is applied by the drive source 28 to the manipulation wire 22 a , which is to be disposed at the inner side of the flexed joint, of the two manipulation wires 22 a and 22 b routed toward the basal end of the flexible section 8 via the guide sheaths 21 a and 21 b , thereby pulling the manipulation wire 22 a .
  • the other manipulation wire 22 b which is to be disposed at the outer side of the flexed joint, is fed by an amount according to the path length of the outer side of the flexed joint.
  • the traction force F transmitted to the distal end of the manipulation wire 22 a causes tension to occur in the manipulation wire 22 a between the pulley 20 a on the link member 13 e and the fixation section 26 a on the link member 13 d .
  • This causes the link members 13 d and 13 e and the segments 15 a to 15 d therebetween to relatively swivel, so that the pulley 20 a on the link member 13 e and the fixation section 26 a on the link member 13 d are brought closer to each other, whereby the flexure joint 12 d is flexed.
  • the flexure joints 12 a to 12 c can be flexed in a similar manner.
  • the guide sheaths 21 a and 21 b that guide the manipulation wires 22 a and 22 b from the basal end of the flexible section 8 to the link members 13 b to 13 e located toward the distal end are disposed along the vicinity of the central axes of the flexure joints 12 a to 12 d . Therefore, the radii of curvature of the guide sheaths 21 a and 21 b when the flexure joints 12 a to 12 d are flexed can be maintained at larger values than in a normal case where the sheaths are disposed at the inner side by being set near the outer peripheries of the joints.
  • the guide sheaths 21 a and 21 b are disposed along the vicinity of the central axes of the flexure joints 12 a to 12 d even in a case where the bending direction is inverted.
  • the variation in the radii of curvature of the sheaths is reduced, and variations in the resistance force against bending, which is generated due to the rigidity of the sheaths, can be minimized.
  • the guide sheaths 21 a and 21 b each have a larger diameter and higher bending rigidity than the manipulation wire 22 a disposed at the inner side. This is advantageous in that, by maintaining the radii of curvature during flexion at large values, the traction force F required for flexion can be reduced, and variations in the required traction force F can be minimized.
  • the manipulation wires 22 a and 22 b are turned back by the pulleys 20 a and 20 b to make a U-turn, the manipulation wires 22 a and 22 b move smoothly with low friction when a traction force F is applied thereto for flexing the flexure joints 12 a to 12 d .
  • the traction force F for causing the flexure joints 12 a to 12 d to flex can be further reduced.
  • the link members 13 b to 13 e have identical pulleys 20 a and 20 b disposed at identical positions and in identical orientations in the circumferential direction and the radial direction, thereby achieving commonality of the link members 13 b to 13 e and reducing the number of types of components.
  • the endoscope 5 according to this embodiment having the above-described flexure joints 12 a to 12 d can minimize changes in the traction force F in accordance with the degree of flexion of the flexure joints 12 a to 12 d . This is advantageous in that the controllability using the drivers 6 a and 6 b can be improved.
  • the controllability of the endoscope 5 is improved so that the responsiveness of the slave device 3 to the operation of the master device 2 is improved, which is advantageous in that improved manipulability can be achieved.
  • the pair of guide sheaths 21 a and 21 b that guide the pair of manipulation wires 22 a and 22 b for bending the flexure joints 12 a to 12 d toward both sides are disposed adjacent to each other with the axes 16 a to 16 e interposed therebetween.
  • the pair of guide sheaths 21 a and 21 b are preferably arranged in a single line on the axes 16 a to 16 e .
  • all radii of curvature of the guide sheaths 21 a and 21 b can be made the same so that the path lengths of the sheaths become fixed, thereby eliminating the need to warp the sheaths and minimizing the traction force required for flexion.
  • U-shaped tubular members 30 a and 30 b that are composed of a high-rigidity material and that allow the manipulation wires 22 a and 22 b to extend therethrough to make a U-turn may be used as an alternative, as shown in FIG. 9 .
  • the manipulation wires 22 a and 22 b move smoothly through the tubular members 30 a and 30 b while fixed curvatures are maintained by the tubular members 30 a and 30 b , so that the bending operation can be performed with a small traction force F.
  • this structure that does not have movable components like the rotating pulleys 20 a and 20 b , increased durability can be achieved.
  • the positions of the pulleys 20 a and 20 b are identical among all of the link members 13 b to 13 e serving as the second members.
  • the positions of the pulleys 20 a and 20 b may be varied in the circumferential direction among different link members 13 b to 13 d .
  • the diagonal lines indicate the guide sheaths 21 a and 21 b that guide the manipulation wires 22 a and 22 b to the pulleys 20 a and 20 b of the corresponding link members 13 b to 13 d .
  • the openings at the distal ends of the guide sheaths 21 a and 21 b can be brought close to the pulleys 20 a and 20 b , which is advantageous in that the routing of the manipulation wires 22 a and 22 b from the guide sheaths 21 a and 21 b can be performed without difficulty.
  • the pair of pulleys 20 a and 20 b are disposed at symmetric positions at the opposite sides of the axis 16 a .
  • the pair of pulleys 20 a and 20 b may be shifted in the thickness direction so as to partially overlap each other in the radial direction.
  • the pulleys 20 a and 20 b in all of the flexure joints 12 a to 12 d cause the manipulation wires 22 a and 22 b to make a U-turn.
  • the flexure joint 12 a located closest to the distal end may employ a method of pulling the link member 13 b toward the basal end by using manipulation wires 22 a and 22 b extended toward the distal end from the guide sheaths 21 a and 21 b fixed to the link member 13 a at the end of the flexible section 8 .
  • the guide sheaths 21 a and 21 b can be disposed at positions where they do not bend in accordance with the flexion of the flexure joint 12 a , so that the pulleys 20 a and 20 b can be omitted, thereby achieving a simplified structure.
  • the basal-end joint group 12 is constituted of four flexure joints 12 a to 12 d having substantially parallel axes 14 a to 14 d .
  • a basal-end joint group 12 in which the flexing direction alternately changes in orthogonal directions may be employed.
  • the positions of the guide sheaths 21 a and 21 b may be identical among the link members 13 b to 13 e , and the link members 13 b to 13 e with the pulleys 20 a and 20 b disposed at different positions may be alternately disposed.
  • FIGS. 14A, 14B , and 14 C the positions of the guide sheaths 21 a and 21 b may be identical among the link members 13 b to 13 e , and the link members 13 b to 13 e with the pulleys 20 a and 20 b disposed at different positions may be alternately disposed.
  • Reference sign 31 denotes a channel through which, for example, wires with higher rigidity than the guide sheaths 21 a and 21 b extend.
  • the endoscope 5 having the basal-end joint group 12 with the four series-connected flexure joints 12 a to 12 d is described as an example.
  • the embodiment may be applied to a manipulator 5 having a single flexure joint 12 a.
  • the segments 15 a to 15 d are described as having the through-holes 24 a and 24 b through which the manipulation wires 22 a and 22 b extend.
  • the pass-through sections through which the manipulation wires 22 a and 22 b extend may have long holes 32 a and 32 b or grooves 33 a and 33 b extending in a direction orthogonal to the axes 16 a to 16 e.
  • each manipulation wire 22 a or 22 b extending through the through-holes 24 a or 24 b is bent so as to connect the through-holes 24 a or 24 b.
  • FIG. 19 illustrates a flexed state in a case where the pass-through sections are the grooves 33 a and 33 b.
  • endoscope 5 and the endoscope system 1 are described as examples of a manipulator and a manipulator system in this embodiment, the embodiment may alternatively be applied to other types of manipulators and manipulator systems, such as a surgical device.
  • flexure joints provided in the endoscope 5 in the slave device 3 are described as an example, the embodiment may alternatively be applied to flexure joints provided in a manual endoscope.
  • examples of the manipulation wires 22 a and 22 b include solid wires, stranded wires, braided wires, and plates.
  • a first aspect of the present invention provides a joint mechanism including a tubular first member having a through-hole extending along a central axis; a second member disposed at a distal end of the first member and swivelable relative to the first member about a swivel axis intersecting the central axis; a flexible, tubular guide sheath extending near the central axis of the through-hole in the first member and a distal end of which is fixed to the second member; a manipulation wire introduced toward the distal end of the guide sheath via the guide sheath; and a turnaround section that is provided in the second member at a position decentered from the swivel axis in a radial direction and that causes the manipulation wire introduced from the first member via the guide sheath to make a U-turn toward the first member.
  • a distal end of the manipulation wire caused to make a U-turn at the turnaround section is fixed to the first member at a position decentered from the swivel axi
  • the traction force when a traction force acting toward the basal end is applied to the basal end of the manipulation wire, the traction force propagates through the manipulation wire to the distal end thereof so as to act in a direction in which the turnaround section that causes the manipulation wire to make a U-turn and the first member to which the distal end of the manipulation wire is fixed are brought closer to each other. Since the positions where the turnaround section and the manipulation wire are fixed to the first member are decentered from the swivel axis in the radial direction, moment according to the decentered amount and the magnitude of the traction force is generated, so that the second member can be made to swivel relative to the first member in one direction about the swivel axis.
  • the guide sheath when the second member swivels relative to the first member, the guide sheath whose distal end is fixed to the second member also bends in the swiveling direction of the second member.
  • the guide sheath since the guide sheath extends near the central axis of the joint mechanism and the manipulation wire alone is disposed near the outer periphery of the joint mechanism, the guide sheath, which has relatively high rigidity, can be prevented from being bent with an extremely small radius of curvature, thereby allowing for bending with a small traction force. As a result, reduced device size and improved controllability can be achieved.
  • the turnaround section may be a pulley around which the manipulation wire is wound to cause the manipulation wire to make a U-turn.
  • the pulley when causing the second member to swivel relative to the first member by applying a traction force to the manipulation wire, the pulley is rotated so that the manipulation wire can be moved with a small frictional force, thereby allowing for bending with an even smaller traction force.
  • the turnaround section may be a substantially U-shaped tubular member that allows the manipulation wire to extend therethrough so as to cause the manipulation wire to make a U-turn.
  • the manipulation wire when causing the second member to swivel relative to the first member by applying a traction force to the manipulation wire, the manipulation wire can be moved within the tubular member while a fixed radius of curvature is maintained by the tubular member, thereby allowing for bending with a stable traction force.
  • the guide sheath, the manipulation wire, and the turnaround section may include a pair of guide sheaths, a pair of manipulation wires, and a pair of turnaround sections, respectively, so as to cause the second member to swivel relative to the first member in two directions about the swivel axis.
  • the second member can be made to swivel relative to the first member in one direction by applying a traction force to one of the manipulation wires, and the second member can be made to swivel relative to the first member in the other direction by applying a traction force to the other manipulation wire.
  • the advantage of making the guide sheath extend near the central axis is high particularly in that the guide sheath can be prevented from being bent with an extremely small radius of curvature for both of the two directions.
  • the pair of turnaround sections may be provided to cause the pair of manipulation wires to make a U-turn at positions partially overlapping each other in the radial direction.
  • the diameter of the turnaround sections can be made larger than the radius of the second member so that when the manipulation wires are caused to make a U-turn, a frictional force occurring between the manipulation wires and the turnaround sections can be reduced.
  • the joint mechanism may further include one or more intermediate members provided between the first member and the second member and connected in a swivelable manner about two or more intermediate axes that are parallel to each other.
  • the intermediate members by causing the intermediate members to swivel about the intermediate axes, the positions of the intermediate axes are moved in the swiveling direction, so that a large overall swivel-angle range of the second member relative to the first member can be ensured.
  • each intermediate member may be provided with a sheath pass-through hole that allows the guide sheath to extend therethrough and a wire pass-through section that allows the manipulation wire to extend therethrough.
  • the wire pass-through section may be a long hole or a cutout extending in a direction orthogonal to the intermediate axes.
  • the manipulation wire is moved through the wire pass-through section defined by a long hole or a cutout in the direction orthogonal to the intermediate axes in accordance with the swivel angle of the second member relative to the first member, so that a force applied to the manipulation wire in the lateral direction can be released as much as possible, whereby friction occurring when the manipulation wire moves can be reduced. Consequently, the second member can be made to swivel relative to the first member by simply applying a small traction force to the manipulation wire.
  • a second aspect of the present invention provides a manipulator including two or more series-connected joint mechanisms described above.
  • the turnaround sections provided in the respective joint mechanisms may be disposed at substantially identical positions in the radial direction and a circumferential direction of the second members.
  • the plurality of first members, the plurality of second members, and the plurality of turnaround sections can respectively have identical shapes, thereby achieving commonality of components.
  • the turnaround sections and the distal ends of the manipulation wires, to which a traction force is to be applied are fixed at identical positions so that uniform controllability can be achieved for all of the joint mechanisms.
  • the turnaround sections provided in the respective joint mechanisms may be disposed at substantially identical positions in the radial direction of the second members but at different positions in a circumferential direction.
  • the routing of the manipulation wires from the openings at the distal ends of the guide sheaths toward the turnaround sections can be performed without difficulty while maintaining substantially identical fixation positions for the turnaround sections and the distal ends of the manipulation wires, to which a traction force is to be applied.
  • a third aspect of the present invention provides a manipulator including a tubular manipulator body, a basal-end joint unit provided at a distal end of the manipulator body, and a distal-end joint unit connected in series to a distal end of the basal-end joint unit and equipped with at least one joint mechanism described above.
  • the basal-end joint unit includes a swivel member connected to the manipulator body in a swivelable manner about a swivel axis, a tubular guide sheath whose opening at a distal end thereof is fixed to the manipulator body, and a manipulation wire that is introduced via the guide sheath and protrudes from the opening at the distal end of the guide sheath and a distal end of which is fixed to a position decentered from the swivel axis of the swivel member in a radial direction.
  • the swivel member in the basal-end joint unit located closest to the manipulator body, can be made to swivel relative to the manipulator body by pulling the swivel member from the manipulator body side toward the basal end. Consequently, the number of guide sheaths extending through the basal-end joint unit can be reduced so that the rigidity can be reduced, whereby the basal-end joint unit can be bent with a small traction force.
  • a fourth aspect of the present invention provides a manipulator including a tubular manipulator body having a through-hole extending along a central axis; a swivel member disposed at a distal end of the manipulator body and swivelable relative to the manipulator body about a swivel axis intersecting the central axis; a flexible, tubular guide sheath extending near the central axis of the through-hole in the manipulator body and a distal end of which is fixed to the swivel member; a manipulation wire introduced toward the distal end of the guide sheath via the guide sheath; and a turnaround section that is provided in the swivel member and that causes the manipulation wire introduced from the manipulator body via the guide sheath to make a U-turn toward the manipulator body.
  • a distal end of the manipulation wire caused to make a U-turn at the turnaround section is fixed to the manipulator body at a position decentered from the swivel axis in the
  • a traction force can be applied to a position sufficiently decentered from the swivel axis in the radial direction by causing the manipulation wire to make a U-turn and fixing the distal end thereof to the manipulator body, whereby the swivel member can be made to swivel with a small traction force.
  • a fifth aspect of the present invention provides a manipulator system including the above-described manipulator, a slave device equipped with a driver that drives the manipulator, a master device equipped with an operation section to be operated by an operator, and a controller that controls the driver of the slave device based on an input signal input via the operation section of the master device.
  • the present invention is advantageous in that it achieves bendability with a small traction force, reduced device size, and improved controllability.
US15/205,591 2014-01-14 2016-07-08 Joint mechanism, manipulator, and manipulator system Abandoned US20160316996A1 (en)

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JP2014004376A JP6129087B2 (ja) 2014-01-14 2014-01-14 関節機構、マニピュレータおよびマニピュレータシステム
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WO2015107999A1 (ja) 2015-07-23
EP3095375A1 (de) 2016-11-23
EP3095375A4 (de) 2017-11-01
US20190313882A1 (en) 2019-10-17
CN105899117B (zh) 2018-10-02
CN105899117A (zh) 2016-08-24
US11497387B2 (en) 2022-11-15
JP2015131015A (ja) 2015-07-23
JP6129087B2 (ja) 2017-05-17

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