WO2022223045A1 - Serpentine joint, surgical instrument, and endoscope - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a serpentine joint, a surgical instrument, and an endoscope, the serpentine joint having at least one degree of freedom and comprises at least one joint connector, and the joint connector comprises a first joint, a second joint and a limiting mechanism; the first joint and the second joint are hinged by means of the limiting mechanism and form at least a pair of hinge axes, and at least one pair of the hinge axes are not collinear. The surgical instrument or endoscope comprises an instrument end, and the instrument end comprises a serpentine joint. The present invention shortens the length of a serpentine joint while ensuring that the serpentine joint has a relatively large range of motion, thereby reducing the difficulty of surgical operations.

Description

Serpentine joints, surgical instruments and endoscopes technical field

The invention relates to the technical field of medical instruments, in particular to a serpentine joint, a surgical instrument and an endoscope.

Background technique

With the rapid development of robots, a variety of unique robots are emerging, and among them, the research on bionic robots is becoming more and more prominent, and the research on snake-like robots is also increasing. The fundamental reason for the emergence and development of snake-like robots is that they can perform actions that normal robots cannot. Its movement is similar to that of snakes in nature. It can realize plane twist and space twist, avoid obstacles during the movement, and use it to complete tasks that humans or other machines cannot. Given this feature, snake-like robots for medical surgery have also slowly emerged. Especially in the process of micro-traumatic surgery, due to the small wound, in order to achieve a better therapeutic effect and reduce the damage to other tissues during the operation, surgical instruments of serpentine joints are often used to realize the treatment of other organs during the operation. avoidance. This advantage makes the surgical instruments of the serpentine joint suitable for use in the surgical field.

Existing surgical instruments require a certain movement space to complete a certain angle of joint swing, but when the space is narrow, there is a risk that the operation of the surgical instrument is difficult due to movement interference of the surgical instrument. Not only that, in the existing serpentine joints for surgical instruments, the joints are connected by a kind of short link structure, which can realize bending and torsional motion in three-dimensional space through different arrangements, but in this In the process, there are the following disadvantages: the joint length is too long when bending the same angle, the motion accuracy is low, the structure is complex, and the motion range of a group of snake-bone units is small.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of one or more of the above problems, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a serpentine joint, a surgical instrument and an endoscope to solve the problems of long joint length and small range of motion of the existing serpentine joint.

Based on the above objects, the present invention provides a serpentine joint, the serpentine joint has at least one degree of freedom, and includes at least one joint joint; the joint joint includes a first joint, a second joint and a limit mechanism; the The first joint and the second joint are hinged through the limiting mechanism and form at least one pair of hinge axes, and the at least one pair of the hinge axes are not collinear.

Optionally, the first joint and the second joint are hinged through the limiting mechanism and form two pairs of hinge axes, and the two pairs of hinge axes are not collinear with each other; the two pairs of hinge axes include the first hinge an axis, a second hinge axis, a third hinge axis, and a fourth hinge axis;

The joint has a first symmetry plane and a second symmetry plane, the first symmetry plane is perpendicular to the second symmetry plane, the first hinge axis, the second hinge axis, the third hinge axis, the fourth hinge The axes are all parallel to the first symmetry plane; the third hinge axis and the fourth hinge axis are symmetrical with respect to the first symmetry plane and are located on the second symmetry plane; the first hinge axis and the second hinge axis is symmetrical about the first plane of symmetry and is located on the same side of the second plane of symmetry;

Wherein: the height of the joint joint satisfies the following relationship:

D is the diameter of the joint; θ is the maximum bending angle of one side of the joint; S is the thickness of the reserved structural strength of each joint; H is the height of the joint; m is the first hinge axis or the second hinge axis to 2 times the vertical distance of the second symmetry plane; n is 2 times the vertical distance from the first hinge axis or the second hinge axis to the first symmetry plane.

Optionally, the limiting mechanism includes a first connecting part and a second connecting part, the first joint includes a first hinge part and a second hinge part; the second joint includes a third hinge part and a fourth hinge department;

the first hinge part is hinged with the first connection part and forms the first hinge axis;

the second hinge part is hinged with the second connection part and forms the second hinge axis;

the third hinge part is hinged with the first connection part and forms the third hinge axis;

The fourth hinge portion is hinged with the second connection portion and forms the fourth hinge axis.

Optionally, the first joint includes a first joint base and a first hinge block; the second joint includes a second joint base and a second hinge block; the first hinge block is detachably arranged on the on the first joint base; the second hinge block is detachably arranged on the second joint base, and the first hinge part and the second hinge part are arranged on the first hinge block ; The third hinge part and the fourth hinge part are arranged on the second hinge block.

Optionally, the first hinge block includes a first positioning boss and a first extension, and the second hinge block includes a second positioning boss and a second extension;

The first joint base has a through first central channel; the second joint base has a through second central channel; both the first central channel and the second central channel have stepped surfaces; the The first positioning boss is matched with the stepped surface of the first central channel, and the second positioning boss is matched with the stepped surface of the second central channel;

The first hinge part and the second hinge part are arranged on the first extension part, and the third hinge part and the fourth hinge part are arranged on the second extension part;

The first extension part and the second extension part are arranged between the first connection part and the second connection part, and one end of the first extension part abuts against one end of the second extension part .

Optionally, the limiting mechanism includes a connecting portion, and the first joint and the second joint are hinged through one of the connecting portions and form a pair of hinge axes;

The first joint includes one hinge part, the second joint includes another hinge part, the one hinge part is hinged with the one connection part and forms a hinge axis; the other hinge part is connected with the one and form another hinge axis; the one hinge axis and the other hinge axis are the first hinge axis and the third hinge axis, respectively, or the one hinge axis and the other hinge axis are respectively the second hinge axis and the fourth hinge axis;

The first joint includes a first limit part; the second joint includes a second limit part; the first limit parts are two and are arranged symmetrically with respect to the first symmetry plane; Two limiting portions are two and are symmetrically arranged relative to the first symmetrical plane; the first limiting portion and the second limiting portion are slidably matched in pairs; wherein the first limiting portion One of the position part and the second limit part is an arc-shaped chute, and the other is a spool boss, and the arc-shaped chute moves toward the first joint according to the second joint or the first joint. The trajectory of the rotation in one direction and the second direction is determined.

Optionally, the articulation joint further includes an anti-dropping mechanism for limiting the position of the limiting mechanism.

Optionally, the limiting mechanism includes a first connecting portion and/or a second connecting portion; the first joint and the second joint are hinged through the first connecting portion and form a pair of hinge axes, and/or Or, the first joint and the second joint are hinged through the second connecting portion and form another pair of hinge axes;

The anti-falling mechanism includes a first stopper and a second stopper; the first stopper is detachably arranged on the first joint; the second stopper is detachably arranged on the second joint one end of the first block abuts one end of the second block, and is located between the first connecting part and the second connecting part, and the first block and the The second blocking blocks respectively block the first connecting portion and/or the second connecting portion through side surfaces.

Optionally, each stopper has a wire threading hole that allows the traction body to pass through, the threading hole is communicated with the arc-shaped guide wire slideway inside the stopper, and the wire outlet of the arc-shaped guide wire slideway is at the wire outlet. A transition arc surface is provided, and the bending radius of the transition arc surface is larger than the bending radius of the rest of the arc guide wire slideway.

Optionally, the first joint further has a first motion limiting surface and a second motion limiting surface, and the second joint further has a third motion limiting surface and a fourth motion limiting surface;

The first motion limit surface is used to cooperate with the third motion limit surface to limit the maximum angle when the joint joint rotates in the first direction;

The second motion limiting surface is used to cooperate with the fourth motion limiting surface to limit the maximum angle when the joint joint rotates in the second direction.

Optionally, the maximum angle of deflection of the serpentine joint in the first direction is 140°, and the maximum angle of deflection in the second direction is 140°.

Optionally, the first joint includes a first threading channel, the second joint includes a second threading channel, and the position of the second threading channel corresponds to the position of the first threading channel;

An arc-shaped first guide surface is provided at the outlet of the first threading channel, and the bending radius of the first guiding surface is larger than the bending radius of the rest of the first threading slideway, and/or the An arc-shaped second guide surface is provided at the outlet of the second threading channel, and the bending radius of the second guiding surface is larger than the bending radius of the rest of the second threading slideway.

Optionally, the first joint includes a first positioning feature and a second positioning feature, and the second joint includes a third positioning feature and a fourth positioning feature; the first positioning feature and the second positioning feature One is a protrusion and the other is a groove; one of the third positioning feature and the fourth positioning feature is a protrusion, and the other is a groove;

The first joint is used for cooperating with the adjacent joint joint through the first positioning feature and the second positioning feature; the second joint is used for passing the third positioning feature and the fourth positioning feature Mates with adjacent joint joints.

Optionally, the serpentine joint includes two joint joints, and the two joint joints are arranged in parallel or staggered.

Based on the above object, the present invention also provides a surgical instrument, comprising an instrument end, an instrument shaft and an instrument box connected in sequence, the instrument end including an end instrument and any one of the serpentine joints, the end instrument passing through the The serpentine joint is connected with the instrument rod.

Based on the above purpose, the present invention also provides an endoscope, comprising an instrument end, an instrument rod and an instrument box connected in sequence, the instrument end including a probe and any one of the serpentine joints, the probe passing through the The serpentine joint is connected with the instrument shaft.

In the serpentine joint, the surgical instrument and the endoscope provided by the present invention, the two joints are hinged by the limiting mechanism to form at least a pair of non-collinear hinge axes. In this way, the serpentine joint is constructed as an offset The hinge point linkage mechanism effectively shortens the length of the serpentine joint, and at the same time makes the serpentine joint have a larger deflection angle, so that during the operation, it can reduce the movement of surgical instruments or endoscopes when moving in a narrow space. Risk of interference, thereby reducing the difficulty of instrument manipulation.

In the serpentine joint and its surgical instrument and endoscope provided by the present invention, the serpentine joint has two pairs of non-overlapping hinge axes, and the two pairs of hinge axes are arranged according to certain requirements, which shortens the serpentine joint. At the same time of the length, the deflection angle remains unchanged and has a larger deflection angle.

In the serpentine joint, the surgical instrument and the endoscope provided by the present invention, by disposing the anti-dropping mechanism on the serpentine joint, the limiting mechanism can be blocked, and the sliding of the limiting mechanism at the hinged position can be avoided, thereby improving the surgical instrument or the safety. Safety and reliability of endoscopes.

In the serpentine joint and its surgical instrument and endoscope provided by the present invention, the serpentine joint is improved by arranging an arc-shaped guide surface or transition surface at the exit of the wire threading channel or the guide wire slideway of the serpentine joint. The high transmission accuracy ensures the service life of the traction body.

Description of drawings

Figure 1a and Figure 1b are respectively an exploded view and an assembly view of the serpentine joint according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

2a and 2b are respectively an exploded front view and an assembled front view of the serpentine joint of the first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 3a and Fig. 3b are the reverse schematic view and the front schematic view of the first joint of the serpentine joint according to the first embodiment of the present invention respectively;

Fig. 4a and Fig. 4b are the front schematic view and the back schematic view of the second joint of the serpentine joint according to the first embodiment of the present invention respectively;

5a-5d are schematic diagrams of the structure of the stopper of the serpentine joint according to the first embodiment of the present invention, wherein FIG. 5a is an isometric view of the stopper, FIG. 5b is a top view of the stopper, and FIG. 5c is a view along the stopper. A cross-sectional view of a wire threading hole axially cut along the length direction, FIG. 5d is a cross-sectional view axially cut along the width direction of the two wire threading holes of the block;

6a is a schematic diagram of the geometric relationship of the serpentine joint according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 6b is a schematic diagram of the geometric relationship of the serpentine joint of the comparative embodiment of the present invention;

7a and 7b are schematic cross-sectional views of the wire threading channel outside the serpentine joint according to the first embodiment of the present invention, wherein FIG. 7a is a front view, and FIG. 7b is an isometric view;

Fig. 8a and Fig. 8b are respectively schematic cross-sectional views of the inner channel of the stopper on the serpentine joint according to the first embodiment of the present invention, wherein Fig. 8a is a front view, and Fig. 8b is an isometric view;

Figure 9a and Figure 9b are respectively schematic cross-sectional views of the internal channel of the stopper on the serpentine joint according to the first embodiment of the present invention after threading, wherein Figure 9a is an isometric view, and Figure 9b is a front view;

Fig. 10a and Fig. 10b are respectively an assembly view and an exploded view of two vertically staggered joint joints according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and the rotation axes of the two joint joints are vertically staggered (ie, different planes);

Fig. 11a and Fig. 11b are respectively an assembly view and an exploded view of two second joints in a staggered arrangement according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

Figures 12a and 12b are respectively the first embodiment of the present invention using two vertically staggered joint joints and a surgical instrument in a zero position, wherein Figure 12b is a partial enlarged view of the surgical instrument shown in Figure 12a;

Figures 13a and 13b are respectively the first embodiment of the present invention using two vertically staggered joint joints and surgical instruments in a bent state, wherein Figure 13b is a partial enlarged view of the surgical instrument shown in Figure 13a;

Figures 14a and 14b are respectively an assembled view and an exploded view of two parallel articulating joints according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

Figures 15a and 15b are respectively an assembled view and an exploded view of the first joint and the second joint of two parallel layouts according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

Figures 16a and 16b are respectively the surgical instrument using two parallel joint joints and in a bent state according to the first embodiment of the present invention, wherein Figure 16b is a partial enlarged view of the surgical instrument shown in Figure 16a;

Figures 17a and 17b are respectively the laparoscope using two parallel joint joints and in a bent state according to the first embodiment of the present invention, wherein Figure 17b is a partial enlarged view of the surgical instrument shown in Figure 17a;

18a is a schematic diagram of the serpentine joint of the first embodiment of the present invention when it is in the zero position;

Figure 18b is a schematic diagram of the serpentine joint of the comparative embodiment of the present invention when it is in the zero position;

19a is a schematic diagram of the serpentine joint of the first embodiment of the present invention when it is rotated 90° from the zero position;

Figure 19b is a schematic diagram of the serpentine joint of the comparative embodiment of the present invention when it is rotated 90° from the zero position;

Figure 20a is a schematic diagram of the first embodiment of the present invention when the serpentine joint is rotated 45° from the zero position;

Figure 20b is a schematic diagram of the serpentine joint of the comparative embodiment of the present invention when it is rotated 45° from the zero position;

Figures 21a and 21b are schematic diagrams of the serpentine joint for increasing the movement angle according to the first embodiment of the present invention, wherein the serpentine joint of Figure 21a is at the zero position, and the serpentine joint of Figure 21b is rotated from the zero position to the maximum angle;

Figures 22a and 22b are an assembly schematic diagram and an exploded schematic diagram of the serpentine joint according to the second embodiment of the present invention;

Figures 23a and 23b are respectively front views of the serpentine joint of the second embodiment of the present invention, wherein the serpentine joint of Figure 23a is in the zero position, and the serpentine joint of Figure 23b is deflected by a certain angle relative to the zero position;

Figures 24a and 24b are respectively an assembly schematic diagram and an exploded schematic diagram of the serpentine joint according to the third embodiment of the present invention;

25 is an exploded schematic view of the serpentine joint of the third embodiment of the present invention;

Figures 26a and 26b are respectively an assembled view and an exploded view of the serpentine joint of the third embodiment of the present invention from a frontal angle.

In the picture:

1- Instrument end; 2- Instrument rod; 3- Instrument box; 11- Opening and closing instrument; 12- Laparoscopic probe;

10, 10'-snake joint; 11'-joint;

101-first stop; 1011-base body; 1011a-positioning boss; 1011b-extension; 1012a-first limit surface; 1012b-second limit surface; 1013a-first wire hole; 1013b-second Threading hole; 1014a-first guide wire slide; 1014b-second guide wire slide; 1015-transition arc; 1015a-first transition arc; 1015b-first transition arc;

102 - the first joint; 1021 - the first hinge part; 1022 - the second hinge part; 1023a - the first movement limit surface; 1023b - the second movement limit surface; 1024 - the first threading channel; 1025 - the first Locating feature; 1026-second locating feature; 1027-first center channel; 1028-first guide surface;

103-first connecting part; 1031-first reaming hole; 1032-second reaming hole; 104-second connecting part; 1041-third reaming hole; 1042-fourth reaming hole;

105 - the second joint; 1051 - the third hinge part; 1052 - the fourth hinge part; 1053a - the third movement limit surface; 1053b - the fourth movement limit surface; 1054 - the second threading channel; 1055 - the third Positioning feature; 1056-fourth positioning feature; 1057-second center channel; 1058-second guide surface; 1058a, 1058b-position of second guide surface;

106-Second stop;

13-slot type serpentine joint; 131-slot type first joint; 1311-arc chute; 132-slot type second joint; 1321-spool boss;

14-inner hinged serpentine joint; 141-first hinge block; 141a-first positioning boss; 141b-first extension; 1412-first hinge; 1411-second hinge; 142-first joint 143-second joint base; 144-second hinge block; 144a-second positioning boss; 144b-second extension; 1442-third hinge; 1441-fourth hinge; 1421-first A positioning step; 1451 - a second positioning step;

100 - the first traction body; 200 - the second traction body; 300 - the third traction body; 400 - the fourth traction body; 500 - the fifth traction body; 600 - the sixth traction body;

a- the first hinge point; b- the second hinge point; c, e- the third hinge point; d, f- the fourth hinge point; h, g- the limit position of the joint deflection;

R1 - first hinge axis; R2 - second hinge axis; R3 - third hinge axis; R4 - fourth hinge axis.

Detailed ways

The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. The advantages and features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description. It should be noted that, the accompanying drawings are all in a very simplified form and in inaccurate scales, and are only used to facilitate and clearly assist the purpose of explaining the embodiments of the present invention. In particular, each drawing needs to show different emphases, and different scales are often used.

In this application, "proximal end" and "distal end", "lower end" and "upper end" are the relative orientation, relative position, orientation of elements or actions relative to each other from the perspective of the physician using the instrument, although "proximal end" and "upper end" are "end" and "distal", "lower" and "upper" are not limiting, but "proximal", "lower" generally refer to the end of the medical device that is close to the physician during normal operation, and "distal" , "Upper end" generally refers to the end that first enters the patient's body. It will be understood that although the terms first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, etc. may be used to describe various components, these components should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one component from another. Thus, a first element discussed below could be termed a second element without departing from the teachings of the present invention.

The object of the present invention is to provide a serpentine joint, the serpentine joint has at least one degree of freedom, and includes at least one joint joint, the joint joint includes a first joint, a second joint and a limiting mechanism, the first joint The joint and the second joint are hinged through the limiting mechanism and form at least one pair of hinge axes, and the at least one pair of the hinge axes are not collinear. Compared with the prior art, the length of the serpentine joint of the present invention is shortened, and at the same time, it can ensure that the joint joint has a larger deflection angle, that is, a larger range of motion, for example, while shortening the length of the serpentine joint, it can also be Guarantees the same deflection angle as the existing serpentine joint. The existing serpentine joint increases the length of the joint in order to ensure a larger deflection angle, but the increase of the joint length will cause interference when the instrument using the serpentine joint moves in a narrow space, making the operation of the instrument difficult . However, even if the length of the joint is reduced in the present application, it can still ensure that the joint has a large deflection angle, so that the instrument using the serpentine joint has a large movement space, and the instrument is not easy to move even in a narrow space. Movement interference occurs, making the manipulation of the instrument easier.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a surgical instrument, comprising an instrument end, an instrument shaft and an instrument box connected in sequence, the instrument end including a terminal instrument and at least one of the serpentine joints, the end instrument passing through the snake The shaped joint is connected with the instrument shaft. Since the length of the serpentine joint is shortened, the length of the end joint of the surgical instrument is also shortened, and the deflection angle of the end instrument joint can remain unchanged, and at the same time, it also has a larger range of motion, so that during the operation, the operation can be reduced. The risk of motion interference when the instrument is moved in a confined space, thereby reducing the difficulty of operating the surgical instrument.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an endoscope, comprising an instrument end, an instrument shaft and an instrument box connected in sequence, the instrument end including a probe and at least one of the serpentine joints, the probe passing through the serpentine The joint is connected with the instrument shaft. Since the length of the serpentine joint is shortened, the length of the end joint of the endoscope is also shortened, and the deflection angle of the end joint can remain unchanged, and at the same time, it has a larger range of motion, so that during the operation, the internal pressure can be reduced. The risk of motion interference when the speculum is moved in a confined space, thereby reducing the difficulty of surgical operations.

<First Embodiment>

1a to 1b, 2a to 2b, 5a to 5d, and 8a to 10b, the present embodiment provides a serpentine joint 10, which has at least one degree of freedom and includes at least one joint The joint includes a first joint 102, a second joint 105 and a limiting mechanism. The first joint 102 and the second joint 105 are hinged through the limiting mechanism and form at least a pair of hinge axes, and the pair of hinge axes are not collinear. Herein, the function of the limiting mechanism is to define the relative position between the first joint 102 and the second joint 105 and enable the first joint 102 and the second joint 105 to rotate relative to each other.

In this embodiment, the limiting mechanism includes a first connecting portion 103 and a second connecting portion 104 . Of course, in other embodiments, the limiting mechanism may also include the first connecting portion 103 and the second connecting portion 104 . One, that is, the first joint 102 and the second joint 105 can be hinged through the first connecting part 103 and form a pair of non-colinear hinge axes, or can be hinged through the second connecting part 104 and form a pair of non-colinear hinge axes The hinge axis of the wire can also be hinged through the first connecting part 103 and the second connecting part 104 at the same time and form two pairs of hinge axes that are not collinear.

For ease of description, in the following description, the limiting mechanism includes the first connecting portion 103 and the second connecting portion 104 for illustration.

4a-4b, the first joint 102 includes a first hinge part 1021 and a second hinge part 1022, the first hinge part 1021 and the second hinge part 1022 are disposed opposite to each other, and the axes of the two hinge parts are parallel and not collinear.

3a-3b, the second joint 105 includes a third hinge part 1051 and a fourth hinge part 1052, the third hinge part 1051 and the fourth hinge part 1052 are disposed opposite to each other, and the axes of the two hinge parts are parallel and not collinear.

Referring back to FIG. 1a, the first hinge part 1021 is hinged with the first connection part 103 and forms a first hinge axis R1; the second hinge part 1022 is hinged with the second connection part 104 and forms a second hinge axis R2; A connecting part 103 can rotate around the first hinge part 1021; the second connecting part 104 can rotate around the second hinge part 1022; the third hinge part 1051 is hinged with the first connecting part 103 and forms a third hinge axis R3 ; the fourth hinge part 1052 is hinged with the second connection part 104 and forms a fourth hinge axis R4; the first connection part 103 can rotate around the third hinge part 1051; the second connection part 104 can rotate around the fourth hinge part 104; The hinge 1052 rotates. The first hinge axis R1, the second hinge axis R2, the third hinge axis R3 and the fourth hinge axis R4 are parallel to each other and do not coincide. Furthermore, for ease of understanding, the positions of the first articulation axis R1, the second articulation axis R2, the third articulation axis R3 and the fourth articulation axis R4 are generally shown in FIG. 1a is determined by the assembly relationship shown.

In some embodiments, the first hinge part 1021 and the second hinge part 1022 are protruding parts, the third hinge part 1051 and the fourth hinge part 1052 are also protruding parts, and correspondingly, the first connecting part 103 is provided with a first hinge hole 1031 and a second hinge hole 1032, the second connecting portion 104 is provided with a third hinge hole 1041 and a fourth hinge hole 1042, the first hinge portion 1021 is hinged to the first hinge In the hole 1031 (corresponding to the first hinge axis R1), the second hinge part 1022 is hinged in the third hinge hole 1041 (corresponding to the second hinge axis R2), and the third hinge part 1051 is hinged to the second hinge hole In 1032 (corresponding to the third hinge axis R3), the fourth hinge portion 1052 is hinged in the fourth hinge hole 1042 (corresponding to the fourth hinge axis R4). Alternatively, the first hinge part 1021 , the second hinge part 1022 , the third hinge part 1051 and the fourth hinge part 1052 are all hinge holes, and the first connection part 103 and the second connection part 104 are provided with corresponding protrusions. To this end, the first joint 102 and the second joint 105 are hinged through two connecting parts and form four hinge points, that is, four hinge axes, so as to be hinged with the two joints through the first connecting part 103 and the second connecting part 104 to define the relative position of the two joints, and the two joints can rotate relative to each other. The structures of the first connecting portion 103 and the second connecting portion 104 may be the same or different, and preferably the same structure.

6a, 18a, 19a and 20a, the four hinge points are the first hinge point a, the second hinge point b, the third hinge point c, and the fourth hinge point d, respectively. From the perspective shown in FIG. 1a, the first hinge point a is the hinge point (the third hinge axis R3) formed by the hinge connection between the second joint 105 and the first connecting part 103, and the second hinge point b is the hinge point between the second joint 105 and the first connecting part 103. The hinge point (the fourth hinge axis R4) formed by the hinge of the second connection part 104, the third hinge point c is the hinge point (the first hinge axis R1) formed by the hinge of the first joint 102 and the first connection part 103, and the third hinge point c The four hinge points d are hinge points (second hinge axis R2 ) formed by hinged connection of the first joint 102 and the second connection portion 104 .

6b, 18b, 19b and 20b, the present embodiment also provides an existing serpentine joint 10' as a comparative example, two joints 11' in the serpentine joint 10' are hinged and connected to each other. Two hinge axes (ie, two hinge points) are formed, and the two hinge axes are arranged collinearly, which is called a single hinge point serpentine joint 10 ′. Different from the single-joint serpentine joint 10', the serpentine joint 10 of this embodiment is a double-joint structure (four non-collinear hinge axes), and the length of the joint is significantly shortened.

Continuing to refer to Fig. 6b, the height of the existing serpentine joint 10' is H0 and satisfies the following relationship:

D is the diameter of the joint; θ is the maximum bending angle of the joint (that is, the maximum rotation angle of one side); S is the thickness of the reserved structural strength of the joint, and the value of S can be zero but is usually greater than zero. Usually D, θ, and S are known fixed values, so the height H0 of the single hinge point serpentine joint 10' can be uniquely determined.

Referring to Fig. 6a, when the present application adopts the double hinge point serpentine joint 10, if the deflection angle of the existing single hinge point serpentine joint 10' needs to be achieved, the

The height of the serpentine joint 10 is H and satisfies the following relationship:

Where: m is twice the distance from the first hinge axis R1 or the second hinge axis R2 to the upper and lower symmetry plane (ie, the second symmetry plane), that is, m=2h1, h1 is the third hinge point c and the fourth hinge The distance from the point d to the upper and lower symmetry plane (ie the second symmetry plane) of the joint, respectively; n is 2 times the vertical distance from the first hinge axis R1 or the second hinge axis R2 to the left and right symmetry plane (ie the first symmetry plane) , that is, n is the straight-line distance between the fourth hinge point d and the third hinge point c on the plane (projection plane) of FIG. 6a.

It should be understood that the first hinge point a and the second hinge point b are symmetrical with respect to the left-right symmetry plane of the serpentine joint 10, while the first hinge point a and the second hinge point b are on the up-down symmetry plane, and the fourth hinge point d and the third hinge point c is symmetrical about the left-right symmetry plane. In more detail, the serpentine joint 10 has a first symmetry plane and a second symmetry plane. From the perspective shown in FIG. 6a, the left-right symmetry plane is the first symmetry plane, and the up-down symmetry plane is the second symmetry plane. Therefore, the first symmetry plane is the second symmetry plane. A symmetry plane is perpendicular to the second symmetry plane, and both the first symmetry plane and the second symmetry plane are perpendicular to the rotation plane of the serpentine joint 10 . Wherein, the axes at the above four hinge points (ie hinge axes) are all parallel to the first symmetry plane, that is, the first hinge axis R1, the second hinge axis R2, the third hinge axis R3 and the fourth hinge axis R4 are all parallel to the joint The left and right symmetry planes of the joint are parallel.

Therefore, according to formula (2), it can be known that the height H of the serpentine joint 10 provided in this embodiment is smaller than the height H0 of the existing serpentine joint 10'.

In this way, the serpentine joint 10 of this embodiment can effectively shorten the length of the serpentine joint under the condition that the joint deflection angle θ remains unchanged. Further, applying the serpentine joint 10 to a surgical instrument or an endoscope can effectively shorten the length of the joint at the end of the surgical instrument or endoscope, thereby reducing the risk of movement interference when the surgical instrument or endoscope moves in a narrow space. Risks, reduce the difficulty of instrument operation, and even if the length of the joint is shortened, a large range of motion can still be obtained, reducing the difficulty of surgical operation.

Continuing to refer to FIG. 6a, in this embodiment, the positions of the second joint 105 and the first joint 102 can be exchanged, and the same effect can also be achieved. At this time, the third hinge point c and the fourth hinge point d are the hinge points respectively e and f, the hinge points c and e are symmetrical about the up-down symmetry plane, the hinge points d and f are symmetrical about the up-down symmetry plane, and the hinge points e and f are symmetrical about the left-right symmetry plane. It should also be understood that, referring to FIGS. 6a and 19a, when the first joint 102 rotates to the left limit position, the original third hinge point c will move to the point h, and when the first joint 102 rotates to the right limit When the position of the original fourth hinge point d is moved to the point g, the arc of d-g and the arc of c-h are the movement trajectory of the first joint 102 .

21a and 21b, the serpentine joint 10 provided in this embodiment not only has a shortened length, but also has a larger deflection angle, thereby ensuring a larger range of motion, such as the single joint 102 and the second joint 105. The lateral rotation angle can reach 140 degrees, making the joint motion range up to 280 degrees (ie ±140°). However, in the existing single-point serpentine joint 10', if the same range of motion as the present embodiment is to be achieved, the length of the joint must be increased, and the activity space of the instrument in the narrow space is also reduced, which is easy to cause Movement interference between instruments increases the difficulty of surgical operations.

Further preferably, the serpentine joint 10 further includes an anti-dropping mechanism for limiting the position of the limiting mechanism, preventing the limiting mechanism from falling off from the hinge, and improving the safety and reliability of the hinge.

Referring to Fig. 1a, as well as Figs. 7a and 8b, the anti-dropping mechanism may include a first block 101 and a second block 106; the first block 101 is detachably disposed on the first joint 102; the The second stopper 106 is detachably arranged on the second joint 105; the first stopper 101 and the second stopper 106 are used to be arranged between the two connecting parts, and further, one end of the first stopper 101 One end of the first stopper 101 and one end of the second stopper 106 can abut against each other (including abutting), and one end of the first stopper 101 and one end of the second stopper 106 can both be arc surfaces, and the two stoppers can rotate relative to each other. When in use, the first stopper 101 blocks the two connection parts through two opposite sides, and the second stopper 106 also blocks the two connection parts through the two opposite sides, so as to avoid the first connection part 103 And the second connecting part 104 falls off from the hinge. The structures of the first stopper 101 and the second stopper 106 may be the same or different, and preferably the structures of the two are the same, so as to simplify the configuration of parts and reduce the manufacturing cost.

Herein, the first stopper 101 is mainly used as an example to further describe the structures of the two stoppers, and the structure of the second stopper 106 may refer to the first stopper 101 .

Referring to FIGS. 5 a to 5 d , and in conjunction with FIG. 1 a , the first block 101 may include a base body 1011 , and the base body 1011 has a first limiting surface 1012 a and a second limiting surface 1012 b.

4a and 3b, the first joint 102 further includes a first central channel 1027 passing through, and the second joint 105 also includes a second central channel 1057 passing through. The first central channel 1027 is used for positioning and installing the first block 101 . The second central channel 1057 is used for positioning and installing the second block 106 . The shape of the first central channel 1027 preferably matches the shape of the base body 1011 of the first stop 101 . The shape of the second central channel 1057 preferably matches the shape of the base of the second stop 106 . The center channel of each joint has a step where stops can be positioned.

Continuing to refer to FIG. 4 a and in conjunction with FIG. 1 a , the base body 1011 of the first block 101 is used to fit into the first central channel 1027 of the first joint 102 to achieve positioning and fixing. 5a, the base body 1011 of the first stopper 101 may further include a positioning boss 1011a and an extension portion 1011b, the positioning boss 1011a is used for positioning at the stepped surface of the first joint 102, and the extension portion 1011b is located at the connection between the two between the departments. A first limiting surface 1012a and a second limiting surface 1012b are respectively formed on opposite sides of the extending portion 1011b, and the two limiting surfaces respectively block the two connecting portions.

Further, the first stopper 101, usually in the middle of the first stopper 101, is provided with a number of threading holes, the threading holes are used to allow the traction body that controls the movement of the end device to pass through, and the traction body here passes through. The serpentine joint 10 is mainly used to control the movement of the end instrument. The number of threading holes on the block is determined by the number of traction bodies that control the movement of the end device, and when there are multiple traction bodies, the multiple traction bodies can pass through the same threading hole on the block or pass through them separately. through the different threading holes on the stop. For example, as shown in Fig. 5b, in this embodiment, a first threading hole 1013a and a second threading hole 1013b are provided in the middle of the first stopper 101, allowing two traction bodies to pass through, and each threading hole only allows Passing through a traction body, the two traction bodies can control the movement of the end device such as opening and closing, deflection and so on.

Further, the inside of the first stopper 101 and/or the second stopper 106 is provided with an arc-shaped guide wire slideway, which communicates with the threading hole on the stopper. The arc-shaped guide wire slideway allows the traction body passing through the first block 101 and/or the second block 106 to be twisted by a certain angle and pass through the serpentine joint 10, so that the two serpentine joints 10 can be arranged in a staggered manner. Reduce the difficulty of staggering joints.

Referring to FIGS. 5 a to 5 b and FIGS. 9 a to 9 b , the first stopper 101 is provided with an arc-shaped first guide wire slideway 1014 a and a second guide wire slideway 1014 b inside the first block 101 . Similarly, the inside of the second stopper 106 is preferably provided with two arc-shaped guide wire slides (a third guide wire slide and a fourth guide wire slide). 9a and 9b, the position of the first guide wire slide 1014a of the first block 101 corresponds to the position of the third guide wire slide of the second block 106 to allow the first traction body 100 to pass through the A wire guide 1014a and a third wire guide, the position of the second wire guide 1014b of the first block 101 corresponds to the position of the fourth wire guide of the second block 106 to allow the The two traction bodies 200 pass through the second guide wire slideway 1014b and the fourth guide wire slideway. Therefore, through the guide wire slideway, each traction body can be twisted by a certain angle, such as twisted by 90°, to ensure that the two serpentine joints 10 can be arranged in a staggered manner. The shape of the guide wire slide usually matches the outer contour of the traction body.

Further, each guide wire slideway has a wire inlet and a wire outlet, the wire inlet is the position where the traction body penetrates the stopper, and the wire outlet is the position where the traction body penetrates the stopper. It should be noted that, in this paper, for each stopper, the entrance to which the corresponding guide wire slides when the external traction body first penetrates the stopper is defined as the wire inlet. The outlet of the guide wire slideway corresponding to the stopper is defined as the wire outlet. Preferably, referring to FIG. 5d , a transition arc surface 1015 is provided at the wire outlet of each guide wire slideway, and the bending radius of the transition arc surface 1015 is larger than that of the rest of the guide wire slideway. Therefore, the existence of the transition arc surface 1015 can make the traction body have as large a bending radius as possible, so as to improve the service life of the traction body. Referring to Fig. 8a, in this embodiment, a first transition arc surface 1015a is provided at the wire outlet of the first wire guide 1014a, and a second transition arc surface 1015a is provided at the wire outlet of the second wire guide 1014b Transition arc surface 1015b. Correspondingly, as shown in FIG. 8b, a transition arc surface is provided at the wire outlet of each guide wire slideway of the second stopper 106, that is, the second stopper 106 is set at the positions indicated by S1 and S2. Transition arc.

Referring to Fig. 4a and Fig. 4b, the first joint 102 further has a first motion limiting surface 1023a and a second motion limiting surface 1023b. Referring to Fig. 3a and Fig. 3b, the second joint 105 further has a third motion limiting surface 1053a and a fourth motion limiting surface 1053b. The maximum angle of deflection of the serpentine joint 10 to one side (eg, the first direction) is limited by the cooperation of the first motion limiting surface 1023a and the third motion limiting surface 1053a, and the second motion limiting surface 1023b and the fourth motion limiting surface The cooperation of the planes 1053b defines the maximum angle of deflection of the serpentine joint 10 to the other side (eg, the second direction). Therefore, the first motion limiting surface 1023a, the second motion limiting surface 1023b, the third motion limiting surface 1053a and the fourth motion limiting surface 1053b together determine the rotation range of the first joint 102 relative to the second joint 105. Each motion limit surface is an arc surface.

Continuing to refer to 4a and 4b, the first joint 102 further has a first wire threading channel 1024, and the outlet of the first wire threading channel 1024 preferably has an arc-shaped first guide surface 1028. Continuing to refer to 3a and 3b, the second joint 105 also has a second wire threading channel 1054, and the outlet of the second wire threading channel 1054 preferably has an arc-shaped second guide surface 1058. The function of these threading channels is to thread the traction bodies that control the motion of the serpentine joints. Herein, for each joint, the direction when the external traction body first penetrates through the joint is the outlet of the corresponding wire threading channel. The positions of the first wire threading channel 1024 and the second wire threading channel 1054 correspond to each other, so as to allow the same pulling body to pass through the second joint 105 and the first joint 102 in sequence. In addition, the existence of the guide surface can make the traction body have as large a bending radius as possible, so as to reduce the wear during use and improve the service life of the traction body.

Referring to FIG. 7a, two arc-shaped second guide surfaces 1058a and 1058b are provided at the exit of the second threading channel 1054. Of course, two arc-shaped second guide surfaces 1058a and 1058b may also be provided at the exit of the first threading channel 1024. the first guide surface (not marked). The setting of the arc guide surface, on the one hand, makes the traction body have as large a bending radius as possible (increases the guide radius) to improve the service life of the traction body, on the other hand, it avoids the sharp turning of the surface leading to a decrease in the life of the traction body, and also The elongation of the third traction body 300 (the dotted line in FIG. 7 a indicates the third traction body 300 ) can be substantially equal to the shortening of the fourth traction body 400 (the dotted line in FIG. 7 a indicates the fourth traction body 400 ), thereby improving the transmission accuracy . Both the third traction body 300 and the fourth traction body 400 are used to control the movement of the serpentine joint. It should be understood that the number of threading channels is determined according to the number of serpentine joints 10 to be controlled. Generally speaking, if only one serpentine joint 10 is to be controlled, only two center-symmetric threading channels need to be reserved. For the serpentine joints 10 arranged in a vertical staggered arrangement, more than three threading passages need to be reserved, and the centers of the three threading passages are not collinear.

Referring to FIGS. 4a and 4b , the first joint 102 also has a first locating feature 1025 and a second locating feature 1026 . Referring to FIGS. 3 a and 3 b , the second joint 105 also has a third locating feature 1055 and a fourth locating feature 1056 . One of the first locating feature 1025 and the second locating feature 1026 is a protrusion and the other is a groove. One of the third locating feature 1055 and the fourth locating feature 1056 is a protrusion and the other is a groove. The design of these positioning features allows two adjacent joints to be arranged in parallel or staggered. That is, when two joint joints are connected, the joints of the two joint joints are cooperatively connected through positioning features to define the relative positions of the two joint joints. One joint is matched and connected, and the two joints that need to be matched are connected with the protrusion through the groove.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 14a and 14b , the serpentine joint 10 includes two joint joints, and the rotation axes S3 and S4 of the two joint joints are parallel, ie, arranged in parallel. In other embodiments, as shown in Fig. 10a and Fig. 10b, the serpentine joint 10 includes two joint joints, and the rotation axes S3 and S4 of the two joint joints are arranged in a vertical staggered arrangement, that is, a staggered arrangement. Moreover, the design of the above-mentioned positioning feature also allows the second joint 105 and the first joint 102 to realize the arrangement and combination of the two joint joints, for example, the second joint 105 of one joint joint and the second joint 105 of the other joint joint are alternately combined or parallel. Combination, or a staggered or parallel combination of the second joint 105 of one joint and the first joint 102 of the other joint (Figures 15a and 15b), or the first joint 102 of one joint and the first joint 102 of the other joint. A joint 102 is staggered (FIGS. 11a and 11b) or in parallel; thereby meeting the joint motion requirements of surgical instruments or endoscopes.

As shown in Figures 12a-13b and Figures 16a-17b, the present embodiment further provides a surgical instrument, which includes an instrument end 1, an instrument rod 2 and an instrument box 3 connected in sequence, and the instrument box 3 may be an instrument end 1 provides the driving force to drive the movement of the instrument tip 1. The instrument end 1 includes a serpentine joint 10 and an end instrument (not marked). The end instrument is connected with the distal end of the instrument shaft 2 through the serpentine joint 10. The specific type of the end instrument is not limited, such as pliers, scissors, needle holder Wait. As shown in Figures 13a-13b, the instrument end 1 includes a serpentine joint 10, the serpentine joint 10 includes two joint joints arranged in a vertical staggered manner, and an opening and closing instrument 11 (ie, an end instrument) arranged at the end of the serpentine joint, Optionally, the deflection of the two joint joints is controlled by four traction bodies to achieve 2 degrees of freedom, and the four traction bodies are the third traction body 300, the fourth traction body 400, the fifth traction body 500 and the sixth traction body respectively. Body 600. In other embodiments, as shown in Figs. 16a-16b, the instrument end 1 includes a serpentine joint 10, the serpentine joint 10 includes two joint joints arranged in parallel, and an opening and closing instrument disposed at the end of the serpentine joint 11. It should be appreciated that the type of end instrument is not limited to the opening and closing instrument 11 . In addition, the number of joint joints in the surgical instrument is not limited to two, and may be one or two or more.

As shown in FIGS. 17 a to 17 b , this embodiment further provides an endoscope, which includes an instrument end 1 , an instrument rod 2 and an instrument box 3 connected in sequence, and the instrument end 1 includes a serpentine joint 10 and a laparoscopic probe 12 , the serpentine joint 10 may include two joint joints arranged in parallel. Of course, in other embodiments, the endoscope of this embodiment may also include staggered joints, and the number of joints is not limited to two.

<Second Embodiment>

In this embodiment, the same parts as those in Embodiment 1 will not be described in detail. For details, reference may be made to Embodiment 1, and only different points will be described below.

As shown in FIGS. 22a-23b, the present embodiment provides a channel-type serpentine joint 13, which includes at least one joint joint, and the joint joint includes a channel-type first joint 131, a channel-type second joint 132 and Limiting mechanism, the first joint 131 and the second joint 132 are hinged through the limiting mechanism and form at least a pair of hinge axes, and the pair of hinge axes are not collinear. The limiting mechanism is used to define the relative position between the first joint 131 and the second joint 132, and enable the first joint 131 and the second joint 132 to rotate relative to each other.

Different from the first embodiment, the limiting mechanism of this embodiment includes the second connecting portion 104 or the first connecting portion 103 . Taking the second connecting part 104 as an illustration, the first joint 131 and the second joint 132 are hinged through a second connecting part 104 to form a pair of hinge axes. In this embodiment, the first joint 131 is hinged with the second connection part 104 through the second hinge part 1022 to form the second hinge axis R2, and the second joint 132 is hinged with the second connection part 104 through the fourth hinge part 1052 and forms the first hinge axis R2. Four hinge axes R4.

The first joint 131 further includes a first limiting portion, and the second joint 132 further includes a second limiting portion. There are two first limiting portions and are symmetrically arranged with respect to the front and rear symmetrical planes, and each Each of the first limiting portions has a symmetrical shape with respect to the left and right symmetrical planes, the number of the second limiting portions is two and is symmetrically arranged with respect to the front and rear symmetrical planes, and each second limiting portion has a symmetrical shape with respect to the left and right sides. Symmetrical shape. The first limiting portion and the second limiting portion are slidably connected in pairs to further define the relative position between the first joint 131 and the second joint 132 . One of the first limiting portion and the second limiting portion is the arc-shaped sliding groove 1311 , and the other is the sliding column boss 1321 matched with the arc-shaped sliding groove 1311 . In this embodiment, the first limiting portion is configured as an arc-shaped chute 1311 , and the second limiting portion is configured as a sliding column boss 1321 . The sliding column bosses 1321 are matched with the arc-shaped sliding grooves 1311 in one-to-one correspondence.

It should be understood that the relative motion relationship between the first joint 131 and the second joint 132 is the same as that of the first embodiment, that is, assuming that the first connecting part 103 and the second connecting part 104 exist at the same time, the center of the spool boss 1321 can be at the first A track is drawn on a joint 131 , and the track is the track track of the arc-shaped chute 1311 . At this time, the arc-shaped chute 1311 and the spool boss 1321 are reserved, and the first connecting portion 103 is cancelled. It should also be understood that the spool boss 1321 is arranged on the left-right symmetrical plane of the joint, and it can also be understood that the structural principle of the joint of this embodiment is the same as that of FIG. 6a, that is, the joint is structurally equivalent to retaining four hinge points and four hinge axes.

In another embodiment, the arc-shaped chute 1311 on the first joint 131 can also be replaced with a spool boss 1321, and the spool boss 1321 on the second joint 132 can be replaced with an arc-shaped chute 1311, The same effect can also be achieved.

Therefore, in this embodiment, a channel-type serpentine joint 13 is realized by the limiting mechanism, which effectively shortens the length of the joint at the end of the instrument under the condition that the deflection angle of the joint at the end of the instrument remains unchanged, and reduces the amount of space required in a narrow space. When the area is large, the risk of movement interference of surgical instruments or endoscopes reduces the difficulty of instrument operation, and can also have a larger range of motion. It should also be understood that the present embodiment retains a block, and there may be one or two blocks, and one hinge part can be eliminated on the first joint 131 and one hinge part can also be eliminated on the second joint 132 .

<Third Embodiment>

The layout of the hinge points of the parts in this embodiment and the first embodiment is exactly the same, and the difference is that the parts set at the hinge points are changed, and only the different points are described below.

Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 24a to 26b, the present embodiment provides an internal articulated serpentine joint 14, which includes at least one joint joint, and the joint joint includes a first joint, a second joint and a limit mechanism, The limiting mechanism includes a first connecting portion 103 and a second connecting portion 104 . The first joint includes a first joint block 141 and a first joint base 142 , and the second joint includes a second joint base 143 and a second joint block 144 . The first hinged block 141 is provided with a first hinged portion 1412 and a second hinged portion 1411 opposite to each other; the second hinged block 144 is provided with a third hinged portion 1442 and a fourth hinged portion 1441 . The first hinge block 141 is detachably disposed on the first joint base 142 , and the second hinge block 144 is detachably disposed on the second joint base 143 . Therefore, in this embodiment, the first joint and the second joint are separate structures.

The first hinge portion 1412 is hinged with the first connection portion 103 and forms a first hinge axis R1, and the second hinge portion 1411 is hinged with the second connection portion 104 and forms a second hinge axis R2. The third hinge portion 1442 is hinged with the first connection portion 103 and forms a third hinge axis R3, and the fourth hinge portion 1441 is hinged with the second connection portion 104 and forms a fourth hinge axis R4. At this time, the inner surfaces of the first joint base 142 and the second joint base 143 play a limiting role for the first link 103 and the second link 104 .

Further, the first hinge block 141 includes a first positioning boss 141a and a first extension portion 141b, and the second hinge block 144 includes a second positioning boss 144a and a second extension portion 144b. The first joint base 142 is provided with a through first center channel, and the first center channel is formed with a first positioning step 1421 for positioning and fixing the first hinge block 141, that is, the first positioning boss 141a and the first positioning step 1421. The stepped surface of a central channel is matched. The second joint base 143 is provided with a through second center channel, and the second center channel is formed with a second positioning step 1451 for positioning and fixing the second hinge block 144, that is, the second positioning boss 144a and the second positioning step 1451. The stepped surface of the center channel is matched. In addition, the first hinge portion 1412 and the second hinge portion 1411 are provided on the first extension portion 141b; the third hinge portion 1442 and the fourth hinge portion 1441 are provided on the second extension portion 144b On the other hand, the first extension part 141b and the second extension part 144b are arranged between the first connection part 103 and the second connection part 104, and one end of the first extension part 141b is connected to the first connection part 141b. One ends of the two extending portions 144b abut (including abutting).

Similar to the first embodiment, this embodiment realizes a serpentine joint 14 through a double link mechanism, which can effectively shorten the length of the joint at the end of the instrument under the condition that the deflection angle of the joint of the end instrument is unchanged, and reduce the time when the instrument is in a narrow space area. Risk of motion interference, thereby reducing the difficulty of operating the instrument and allowing a large range of motion.

Therefore, according to the technical solutions provided by the above-mentioned embodiments, the present invention shortens the joint length under the condition of the same outer diameter and the same deflection angle, reduces the occupation of the operation space, reduces the risk of interference in the operation of the instruments in the narrow space, and improves the safety of the operation . Moreover, the serpentine joint of the present invention can obtain a wide range of motion angles, such as ±140 degrees, and has high motion precision and good rigidity. It should also be understood that the structure of any one of the serpentine joints in the first embodiment to the third embodiment can be determined with reference to FIG. 6a.

The above embodiments will help those skilled in the art to further understand the present invention, but do not limit the invention in any form. It should be pointed out that for those skilled in the art, without departing from the concept of the present invention, several modifications and improvements can be made, which all belong to the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims (16)

1. A serpentine joint, characterized in that the serpentine joint has at least one degree of freedom and includes at least one joint joint; the joint joint includes a first joint, a second joint and a limiting mechanism; the first joint The second joint is hinged through the limiting mechanism and forms at least one pair of hinge axes, and the at least one pair of the hinge axes is not collinear.
2. The serpentine joint according to claim 1, wherein the first joint and the second joint are hinged through the limiting mechanism and form two pairs of hinge axes, and the two pairs of hinge axes are not collinear with each other ; two pairs of said hinge axes include a first hinge axis, a second hinge axis, a third hinge axis and a fourth hinge axis;

   The joint has a first symmetry plane and a second symmetry plane, the first symmetry plane is perpendicular to the second symmetry plane, the first hinge axis, the second hinge axis, the third hinge axis, the fourth hinge The axes are all parallel to the first symmetry plane; the third hinge axis and the fourth hinge axis are symmetrical with respect to the first symmetry plane and are located on the second symmetry plane; the first hinge axis and The second hinge axis is symmetrical about the first symmetry plane and is located on the same side of the second symmetry plane; wherein: the height of the articulation joint satisfies the following relationship:

   

   

   D is the diameter of the joint; θ is the unilateral maximum bending angle of the joint; S is the thickness of the reserved structural strength of each joint; H is the height of the joint; m is the first 2 times the distance from the hinge axis or the second hinge axis to the second symmetry plane; n is twice the distance from the first hinge axis or the second hinge axis to the first symmetry plane.
3. The serpentine joint according to claim 2, wherein the limiting mechanism comprises a first connecting part and a second connecting part, the first joint comprises a first hinge part and a second hinge part, the first hinge part The two joints include a third hinge part and a fourth hinge part;

   the first hinge part is hinged with the first connection part and forms the first hinge axis;

   the second hinge part is hinged with the second connection part and forms the second hinge axis;

   the third hinge part is hinged with the first connection part and forms the third hinge axis;

   The fourth hinge portion is hinged with the second connection portion and forms the fourth hinge axis.
4. The serpentine joint according to claim 3, wherein the first joint comprises a first joint base and a first hinge block; the second joint comprises a second joint base and a second hinge block;

   The first hinge block is detachably arranged on the first joint base; the second hinge block is detachably arranged on the second joint base;

   The first hinge part and the second hinge part are provided on the first hinge block; the third hinge part and the fourth hinge part are provided on the second hinge block.
5. The serpentine joint according to claim 4, wherein the first hinge block includes a first positioning boss and a first extension, and the second hinge block includes a second positioning boss and a second extension ;

   The first joint base has a through first central channel; the second joint base has a through second central channel; both the first central channel and the second central channel have stepped surfaces; the The first positioning boss is matched with the stepped surface of the first central channel, and the second positioning boss is matched with the stepped surface of the second central channel;

   the first hinge part and the second hinge part are arranged on the first extension part; the third hinge part and the fourth hinge part are arranged on the second extension part;

   The first extension part and the second extension part are arranged between the first connection part and the second connection part, and one end of the first extension part abuts against one end of the second extension part .
6. The serpentine joint according to claim 2, wherein the limiting mechanism comprises a connecting portion, and the first joint and the second joint are hinged through one of the connecting portions and form a pair of hinge axes;

   The first joint includes one hinge part, the second joint includes another hinge part, the one hinge part is hinged with the one connection part and forms a hinge axis; the other hinge part is connected with the one and form another hinge axis; the one hinge axis and the other hinge axis are the first hinge axis and the third hinge axis, respectively, or the one hinge axis and the other hinge axis are respectively the second hinge axis and the fourth hinge axis;

   The first joint includes a first limit part; the second joint includes a second limit part; the first limit parts are two and are arranged symmetrically with respect to the first symmetry plane; Two limiting portions are two and are symmetrically arranged relative to the first symmetrical plane; the first limiting portion and the second limiting portion are slidably matched in pairs; wherein the first limiting portion One of the position part and the second limit part is an arc-shaped chute, and the other is a spool boss, and the arc-shaped chute moves toward the first joint according to the second joint or the first joint. The trajectory of the rotation in one direction and the second direction is determined.
7. The serpentine joint according to any one of claims 1-6, wherein the joint joint further comprises an anti-dropping mechanism for limiting the position of the limiting mechanism.
8. The serpentine joint according to claim 7, wherein the limiting mechanism comprises a first connection part and/or a second connection part; the first joint and the second joint are connected by the first connection and/or the first joint and the second joint are hinged through the second connecting portion and form another pair of hinge axes;

   The anti-falling mechanism includes a first stopper and a second stopper; the first stopper is detachably arranged on the first joint; the second stopper is detachably arranged on the second joint one end of the first block abuts one end of the second block, and is located between the first connecting part and the second connecting part, and the first block and the The second blocking blocks respectively block the first connecting portion and/or the second connecting portion through side surfaces.
9. The serpentine joint according to claim 8, wherein each stopper has a wire threading hole that allows the traction body to pass through, the threading hole communicates with the arc-shaped guide wire slideway inside the stopper, and the A transition arc surface is provided at the wire outlet of the arc-shaped guide wire slideway, and the bending radius of the transition arc surface is larger than the bending radius of the rest of the arc-shaped guide wire slideway.
10. The serpentine joint according to any one of claims 1-6, wherein the first joint has a first movement limit surface and a second movement limit surface, and the second joint has a third movement limit plane and the fourth motion limit plane;

    The first motion limit surface is used for cooperating with the third motion limit surface to limit the maximum angle when the joint joint rotates in the first direction;

    The second motion limiting surface is used to cooperate with the fourth motion limiting surface to limit the maximum angle when the joint joint rotates in the second direction.
11. The serpentine joint according to claim 10, wherein the maximum angle of deflection of the serpentine joint in the first direction is 140°, and the maximum angle of deflection in the second direction is 140°.
12. The serpentine joint according to any one of claims 1-6, wherein the first joint comprises a first wire threading channel, the second joint comprises a second wire threading channel, and the second wire threading channel The position of the channel corresponds to the position of the first threading channel;

    An arc-shaped first guide surface is provided at the outlet of the first threading channel, and the bending radius of the first guiding surface is larger than the bending radius of the rest of the first threading slideway, and/or the An arc-shaped second guide surface is provided at the outlet of the second threading channel, and the bending radius of the second guiding surface is larger than the bending radius of the rest of the second threading slideway.
13. The serpentine joint of any one of claims 1-6, wherein the first joint includes a first positioning feature and a second positioning feature, and the second joint includes a third positioning feature and a fourth positioning feature features; one of the first positioning feature and the second positioning feature is a protrusion, the other is a groove; one of the third positioning feature and the fourth positioning feature is a protrusion , the other is a groove;

    The first joint is used for cooperating with the adjacent joint joint through the first positioning feature and the second positioning feature; the second joint is used for passing the third positioning feature and the fourth positioning feature Mates with adjacent joint joints.
14. The serpentine joint according to any one of claims 1-6, wherein the serpentine joint comprises two joint joints, and the two joint joints are arranged in parallel or staggered.
15. A surgical instrument, characterized in that it comprises an instrument end, an instrument shaft and an instrument box connected in sequence, the instrument end comprising an end instrument and the serpentine joint according to any one of claims 1-14, the end The instrument is connected with the instrument shaft through the serpentine joint.
16. An endoscope, characterized in that it comprises an instrument end, an instrument shaft and an instrument box connected in sequence, the instrument end comprising a probe and the serpentine joint according to any one of claims 1-14, the probe It is connected with the instrument shaft through the serpentine joint.

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