WO2023153167A1 - Continuum robot - Google Patents

Abstract

This continuum robot comprises a base unit, a drive portion comprising a plurality of drive sources provided in the base unit, a plurality of thread-like members connected to the drive portion, and a curved portion which curves as a result of the plurality of thread-like members being driven by the drive portion, characterized in that: first end portions in an extending direction of the thread-like members are connected to the curved portion; second end portions on the opposite side to the first end portions in the extending direction are connected to the drive portion; the curved portion comprises a first curved portion and a second curved portion; the first curved portion is disposed further toward the distal side of the base unit than the second curved portion; and the number of thread-like members connected to the first curved portion is different from the number of thread-like members connected to the second curved portion.

Description

continuum robot

The present invention relates to a continuous robot having a plurality of curved parts.

Patent Document 1 discloses a continuous robot that bends a bendable unit by moving a drive wire in an extending direction by driving a drive source in a configuration for bending the bendable unit.

U.S. Patent Application Publication 2021/0121051

In Patent Document 1, the bendable unit has a plurality of bending portions, and the continuous body robot has a plurality of drive wires for bending the respective bending portions. In addition, a plurality of motors are provided as drive sources for driving and moving the plurality of drive wires. As an example, Patent Document 1 describes a configuration in which the bendable unit includes a first bending portion, a second bending portion, and a third bending portion, and three driving wires are connected to each of the bending portions. . The continuum robot has three motors for driving these three drive wires. In other words, the continuum robot has a total of nine motors. Thus, in Patent Document 1, the drive mechanisms for the respective bending portions are configured substantially identically.

The configuration of Patent Document 1 fully satisfied the device size and cost desired at the time, but in recent years there has been a demand for further miniaturization of the device size and cost reduction.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a compact and inexpensive continuous robot by optimizing the number of drive wires or drive sources required to bend each bending portion.

One of the inventions according to the present application is a base unit, a driving section provided with a plurality of driving sources provided in the base unit, a plurality of linear members connected to the driving section, and the driving section. a bending portion that bends by driving a plurality of linear members, wherein a first end of the linear member in the extending direction is connected to the bending portion; A second end opposite the first end is connected to the drive portion, the curved portion comprises a first curved portion and a second curved portion, the first curved portion The number of linear members arranged distal to the base unit in the extending direction relative to the second bending portion and connected to the first bending portion is equal to the second bending portion. The continuous robot is characterized in that the number of connected linear members is different.

One of the inventions according to the present application is a base unit, a driving section provided with a plurality of driving sources provided in the base unit, a plurality of linear members connected to the driving section, and the driving section. a bending portion that bends by driving a plurality of linear members, wherein a first end of the linear member in the extending direction is connected to the bending portion; A second end opposite the first end is connected to the drive portion, the curved portion comprises a first curved portion and a second curved portion, the first curved portion The number of drive sources for driving the linear members connected to the first bending portion and disposed on the distal side of the base unit in the extending direction relative to the second bending portion is , and the number of the drive sources for driving the linear members connected to the second bending portion is different from the number of the drive sources.

According to the present invention, by optimizing the number of drive wires or drive sources necessary for bending each bending portion, it is possible to provide a compact and inexpensive continuous robot.

Overall view of the medical system A perspective view showing a medical device and a support base Diagram of catheter Diagram of catheter Illustration of catheter unit Illustration of catheter unit Explanatory drawing of the base unit and wire drive unit Explanatory drawing of the base unit and wire drive unit Explanatory drawing of the wire drive unit, coupling device, and bending drive unit Explanatory drawing of the wire drive unit, coupling device, and bending drive unit Explanatory drawing of the wire drive unit, coupling device, and bending drive unit Illustration of attaching the catheter unit Illustration of attaching the catheter unit Diagram explaining the connection of the catheter unit and the base unit Diagram explaining the connection of the catheter unit and the base unit Exploded view explaining the connection of the catheter unit and the base unit A diagram explaining how the drive wire is fixed by the connecting part. A diagram explaining how the drive wire is fixed by the connecting part. Illustration of catheter unit and base unit Perspective view of button Perspective view of the base unit Diagram explaining the operation of the operation unit Diagram explaining the operation of the operation unit Diagram explaining the operation of the operation unit Cross-sectional view explaining the operation of the operation unit Cross-sectional view explaining the operation of the operation unit Cross-sectional view explaining the operation of the operation unit Schematic cross-sectional view explaining the relationship between the number of drive wires and control accuracy Schematic cross-sectional view explaining the relationship between the number of drive wires and control accuracy A diagram for explaining a drive configuration in which the number of drive sources is reduced. A diagram for explaining a drive configuration in which the number of drive sources is reduced. A diagram for explaining a drive configuration in which the number of drive sources is reduced. Diagram for explaining how to find the bending angle

The configuration of the present invention is illustrated below with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the dimensions, materials, shapes, layouts, etc., of the components described in this embodiment should be appropriately changed according to the configuration of the apparatus to which the present invention is applied, various conditions, and the like.

[Example 1]
<Medical system and medical device>
A medical system 1A and a medical device 1, which is an example of a continuous robot, will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. FIG. 1 is an overall view of a medical system 1A. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the medical device 1 and the support base 2. FIG.

The medical system 1A includes a medical device 1, a support base 2 to which the medical device 1 is attached, and a control device 3 that controls the medical device 1. In this embodiment, the medical system 1A includes a monitor 4 as a display device.

The medical device 1 includes a catheter unit (bendable unit) 100 having a catheter 11 as a bendable body, and a base unit (driving unit, wearable unit) 200 . The catheter unit 100 is detachably attached to the base unit 200 .

In this embodiment, the user of the medical system 1A and the medical device 1 inserts the catheter 11 into the subject to observe the interior of the subject, collect various specimens from the interior of the subject, and treat the interior of the subject. etc. can be performed. In one embodiment, the user can insert the catheter 11 into the subject patient. Specifically, by inserting the device into the bronchi through the patient's oral cavity or nasal cavity, operations such as observation, collection, and excision of lung tissue can be performed.

The catheter 11 can be used as a guide (sheath) for guiding medical instruments for performing the above operations. Examples of medical instruments (tools) include endoscopes, forceps, ablation devices, and the like. Moreover, the catheter 11 itself may have the function as the medical device described above.

In this embodiment, the control unit 3 includes an arithmetic device 3a and an input device 3b. The input device 3 b receives commands and inputs for operating the catheter 11 . The arithmetic unit 3a includes a storage for storing programs for controlling the catheter and various data, a random access memory, and a central processing unit for executing the programs. Also, the control unit 3 may include an output unit that outputs a signal for displaying an image on the monitor 4 .

As shown in FIG. 2, in this embodiment, the medical device 1 is electrically connected to the control unit 3 via the support base 2 and the cable 5 connecting the base unit 200 of the medical device 1 and the support base 2. be done. Note that the medical device 1 and the control unit 3 may be directly connected by a cable. The medical device 1 and the controller 3 may be wirelessly connected.

The medical device 1 is detachably attached to the support base 2 via the base unit 200 . More specifically, in the medical device 1 , the attaching portion (connecting portion) 200 a of the base unit 200 is detachably attached to the moving stage (receiving portion) 2 a of the support base 2 . The connection between the medical device 1 and the controller 3 is maintained so that the medical device 1 can be controlled by the controller 3 even when the mounting portion 200a of the medical device 1 is removed from the moving stage 2a. In this embodiment, the medical device 1 and the support base 2 are connected by the cable 5 even when the mounting portion 200a of the medical device 1 is removed from the moving stage 2a.

The user manually moves the medical device 1 in a state in which the medical device 1 is detached from the support base 2 (a state in which the medical device 1 is detached from the moving stage 2a), and inserts the catheter 11 into the subject. be able to.

The user can use the medical device 1 with the catheter 11 inserted into the target and the medical device 1 attached to the support base 2 . Specifically, the medical apparatus 1 is moved by moving the movable stage 2a while the medical apparatus 1 is attached to the movable stage 2a. Then, an operation of moving the catheter 11 in the direction of inserting it into the object and an operation of moving the catheter 11 in the direction of withdrawing it from the object are performed. The movement of the moving stage 2a is controlled by the controller 3. FIG.

The mounting portion 200a of the base unit 200 has a release switch and a removal switch (not shown). With the mounting portion 200a attached to the moving stage 2a, the user can manually move the medical device 1 along the guide direction of the moving stage 2a while continuing to press the release switch. That is, the moving stage 2a has a guide structure that guides the movement of the medical device 1. As shown in FIG. When the user stops pressing the release switch, the medical device 1 is fixed to the moving stage 2a. On the other hand, when the detachment switch is pressed while the mounting portion 200a is attached to the moving stage 2a, the user can detach the medical device 1 from the moving stage 2a.

It should be noted that one switch may have the function of the release switch and the function of the removal switch. Further, if the release switch is provided with a mechanism for switching the release switch between the pressed state and the non-pressed state, the user does not need to keep pressing the release switch when the medical device 1 is manually slid.

When the attachment part 200a is attached to the moving stage 2a and the release switch and the removal switch are not pressed, the medical device 1 is fixed to the moving stage 2a and moved by the moving stage 2a driven by a motor (not shown). be.

The medical device 1 includes a wire drive section (linear member drive section, line drive section, main body drive section) 300 for driving the catheter 11 . In this embodiment, the medical device 1 is a robotic catheter device that drives a catheter 11 by means of a wire driving section 300 controlled by a control section 3. FIG.

The control device 3 can control the wire driving section 300 and perform an operation of bending the catheter 11 . In this embodiment, the wire driving section 300 is built into the base unit 200 . More specifically, the base unit 200 includes a base housing 200f that houses the wire driving section 300. As shown in FIG. That is, the base unit 200 includes the wire driving section 300. As shown in FIG. The wire driving section 300 and the base unit 200 together can be called a catheter driving device (base device, main body).

Regarding the extending direction of the catheter 11, the end where the tip of the catheter 11 inserted into the object is arranged is called the distal end. The side opposite to the distal end with respect to the extending direction of the catheter 11 is called the proximal end.

The catheter unit 100 has a proximal end cover 16 that covers the proximal end side of the catheter 11 . The proximal end cover 16 has a tool hole 16a. A medical instrument can be inserted into the catheter 11 through the tool hole 16a.

As described above, in this embodiment, the catheter 11 functions as a guide device for guiding the medical instrument to the desired position inside the subject.

For example, with the endoscope inserted into the catheter 11, the catheter 11 is inserted to the target position inside the object. At this time, at least one of manual operation by the user, movement of the moving stage 2a, and driving of the catheter 11 by the wire driving section 300 is used. After the catheter 11 reaches the target position, the endoscope is withdrawn from the catheter 11 through the tool hole 16a. Then, a medical instrument is inserted through the tool hole 16a, and various specimens are collected from the inside of the target, and operations such as treatment for the inside of the target are performed.

As will be described later, the catheter unit 100 is detachably attached to the catheter driving device (base device, main body), more specifically the base unit 200. After the medical device 1 is used, the user can remove the catheter unit 100 from the base unit 200, attach a new catheter unit 100 to the base unit 200, and use the medical device 1 again. That is, catheter unit 100 can be used as a disposable unit. Here, "disposable" means that the catheter unit 100 used in one operation is discarded after use. This prevents the catheter unit 100 from being reused and keeps the medical device 1 clean at all times.

As shown in FIG. 2 , the medical device 1 has an operation section 400 . In this embodiment, the operating section 400 is provided in the catheter unit 100 . The operation section 400 is operated by the user when fixing the catheter unit 100 to the base unit 200 and removing the catheter unit 100 from the base unit 200 .

By connecting the endoscope inserted into the catheter 11 and the monitor 4, the image captured by the endoscope can be displayed on the monitor 4. By connecting the monitor 4 and the control unit 3 , the status of the medical device 1 and information related to the control of the medical device 1 can be displayed on the monitor 4 . For example, the position of the catheter 11 within the subject and information related to the navigation of the catheter 11 within the subject can be displayed on the monitor 4 . The monitor 4, the controller 3, and the endoscope may be wired or wirelessly connected. Also, the monitor 4 and the control unit 3 may be connected via the support base 2 .

<Catheter>
The catheter 11 as a bendable body will be described with reference to FIGS. 3A and 3B. 3A and 3B are explanatory diagrams of the catheter 11. FIG. FIG. 3A is a diagram illustrating the entire catheter 11. FIG. 3B is an enlarged view of catheter 11. FIG.

The catheter 11 includes a bending portion (bending body, catheter main body) 12 and a bending driving portion (catheter driving portion) 13 configured to bend the bending portion 12 . The bending driving portion 13 is configured to bend the bending portion 12 by receiving the driving force of the wire driving portion 300 via the connecting device 21 to be described later.

The catheter 11 is stretched along the insertion direction of the catheter 11 with respect to the subject. The extending direction (longitudinal direction) of the catheter 11 is the same as the extending direction (longitudinal direction) of the bending portion 12 and the extending direction (longitudinal direction) of first to eighth drive wires (W11 to W33) described later.

The bending drive section 13 includes a plurality of drive wires (drive lines, linear members, linear actuators) connected to the bending section 12 . Specifically, the bending drive unit 13 includes a first drive wire W11, a second drive wire W12, a third drive wire W21, a fourth drive wire W22, a fifth drive wire W23, a sixth drive wire W31, a seventh drive wire W31, and a seventh drive wire W31. It includes a wire W32 and an eighth drive wire W33.

Each of the first to eighth drive wires (W11 to W33) includes a held portion (held shaft, rod) Wa. Specifically, the first drive wire W11 includes a first held portion Wa11. The second drive wire W12 includes a second held portion Wa12. The third drive wire W21 includes a third held portion Wa21. The fourth drive wire W22 includes a fourth held portion Wa22. The fifth drive wire W23 includes a fifth held portion Wa23. The sixth drive wire W31 includes a sixth held portion Wa31. The seventh drive wire W32 includes a seventh held portion Wa32. The eighth drive wire W33 includes an eighth held portion Wa33. Further, the held portion Wa has a recess Wc provided for connection.

In this embodiment, each of the first to eighth held portions (Wa11 to Wa33) has the same shape.

Each of the first to eighth drive wires (W11 to W33) includes a flexible wire body (line body, linear body) Wb. Here, the wire body Wb is a member that enables pushing and pulling of an object connected through the wire body Wb, and has a certain degree of rigidity. On the one hand, it is a member that can be deformed from a linear shape so that the bending portion 12 can be bent. The first drive wire W11 includes a first wire body Wb11. The second drive wire W12 includes a second wire body Wb12. The third drive wire W21 includes a third wire body Wb21. The fourth drive wire W22 includes a fourth wire body Wb22. The fifth drive wire W23 includes a fifth wire body Wb23. The sixth drive wire W31 includes a sixth wire body Wb31. The seventh drive wire W32 includes a seventh wire body Wb32. The eighth drive wire W33 includes an eighth wire body Wb33.

In this embodiment, the first wire body Wb11 and the second wire body Wb12 have the same shape. Each of the third to fifth wire bodies (Wb21 to Wb23) has the same shape. Each of the sixth to eighth wire bodies (Wb31 to Wb33) has the same shape. In this embodiment, the first to eighth wire bodies (Wb11 to Wb33) have the same shape except for the length.

The first to eighth held portions (Wa11 to Wa33) are fixed to the first to eighth wire bodies (Wb11 to Wb33) at the proximal ends of the first to eighth wire bodies (Wb11 to Wb33). .

The first to eighth drive wires (W11 to W33) are inserted into the bending portion 12 via wire guides 17 and conical wire guides 18 and fixed.

The bending drive section 13 also includes a fixed wire body Wk (fixed linear member) in addition to the first to eighth wire bodies (Wb11 to Wb33).

In this embodiment, the material of each of the first to eighth drive wires (W11 to W33) and the fixed wire body Wk is metal. However, the material of each of the first to eighth drive wires (W11 to W33) and the fixed wire body Wk may be resin. The material of each of the first to eighth drive wires (W11 to W33) and the fixed wire body Wk may contain metal and resin.

Any one of the first to eighth drive wires (W11 to W33) can be called a drive wire W. In this embodiment, the first to eighth drive wires (W11 to W33) have the same shape except for the length of the first to eighth wire bodies (Wb11 to Wb33).

In this embodiment, the bending portion 12 is a tubular member having flexibility and having a passage Ht for inserting a medical instrument.

A wall surface of the bending portion 12 is provided with a plurality of wire holes for passing the first to eighth driving wires (W11 to W33) and the fixed wire body Wk. Specifically, the wall surface of the bending portion 12 has a first wire hole Hw11, a second wire hole Hw12, a third wire hole Hw21, a fourth wire hole Hw22, a fifth wire hole Hw23, a sixth wire hole Hw31, a A seventh wire hole Hw32 and an eighth wire hole Hw33 are provided. Furthermore, the wall surface of the curved portion 12 is provided with a fixed wire hole Hwk. The first to eighth wire holes Hw (Hw11 to Hw33) respectively correspond to the first to eighth drive wires (W11 to W33). The number after the symbol Hw indicates the number of the corresponding drive wire. For example, the first drive wire W11 is inserted into the first wire hole Hw11.

Any one of the first to eighth wire holes (Hw11 to Hw33) can be called a wire hole Hw. In this embodiment, the first to eighth wire holes (Hw11 to Hw33) and the fixed wire holes Hwk have the same shape.

The bending portion 12 has an intermediate region 12a and a bending region 12b. The curved region 12b is arranged at the distal end of the curved portion 12, and the curved region 12b has a first curved region 12b1, a second curved region 12b2, and a third curved region 12b3. A first guide ring J1, a second guide ring J2, and a third guide ring J3 are arranged in the curved region 12b. The bending area 12b is an area in which the bending magnitude and direction of the bending portion 12 can be controlled by moving the first guide ring J1, the second guide ring J2, and the third guide ring J3 by the bending drive section 13. say. Specifically, the bending driving section 13 moves the first guide ring J1 to control the bending magnitude and direction of the first bending region 12b1. Further, by moving the second guide ring J2 by the bending drive section 13, the bending magnitude and direction of the second bending region 12b2 are controlled. Further, by moving the third guide ring J3 by the bending drive section 13, the bending magnitude and direction of the third bending region 12b3 are controlled. FIG. 3B is drawn with part of the curved portion 12 covering the first to third guide rings (J1 to J3) omitted.

In this embodiment, the bending portion 12 includes a plurality of auxiliary rings (not shown). The first guide ring J1, the second guide ring J2, and the third guide ring J3 are fixed to the wall surface of the curved portion 12 in the curved region 12b. In this embodiment, a plurality of auxiliary rings are arranged between the first guide ring J1 and the second guide ring J2 and between the second guide ring J2 and the third guide ring J3.

The medical instrument is guided to the tip of the catheter 11 by the passageway Ht, first to third guide rings (J1 to J3), and multiple auxiliary rings.

Each of the first to eighth drive wires (W11 to W33) is fixed to each of the first to third guide rings (J1 to J3) through the intermediate region 12a.

Specifically, the first drive wire W11 and the second drive wire W12 are fixed to the first guide ring J1. A third drive wire W21, a fourth drive wire W22, and a fifth drive wire W23 pass through the first guide ring J1 and the plurality of auxiliary rings and are fixed to the second guide ring J2. A sixth drive wire W31, a seventh drive wire W32, and an eighth drive wire W33 pass through the first guide ring J1, the second guide ring J2, and the plurality of auxiliary rings, and are fixed to the third guide ring J3. . One end of the fixed wire body Wk on the distal side is fixed to the first guide ring J1, and the other end of the proximal end is fixed to the conical wire guide 18. As shown in FIG. Therefore, the fixed wire body Wk is fixed without being connected to any drive source M, which will be described later.

The medical device 1 can bend the bending portion 12 in a direction intersecting the extending direction of the catheter 11 by driving the bending driving portion 13 with the wire driving portion 300 . Specifically, by moving each of the first to eighth drive wires (W11 to W33) in the extending direction of the bending portion 12, the bending portion is moved through the first to third guide rings (J1 to J3). The twelve curved regions 12b can be curved in a direction transverse to the stretch direction. At this time, at least two drive wires W need to be connected to one bending region 12b in order to bend the bending region 12b in an arbitrary direction crossing the extending direction. In order to bend the curved region 12b in an arbitrary direction, it is necessary to control the drive amount of each drive source M for driving the drive wire W connected to each curved region 12b. That is, the magnitude and direction of bending of the bending regions 12b are controlled by calculating the driving amount of the driving source M in consideration of the number and positions of the driving wires W connected to the respective bending regions 12b.

The user can insert the catheter 11 to the target portion inside the target by using at least one of moving the medical device 1 manually or using the moving stage 2a and bending the bending portion 12.

In this embodiment, the first to third guide rings (J1 to J3) are moved by the first to eighth drive wires (W11 to W33) to bend the bending portion 12, but the present invention It is not limited to this configuration. Any one or two of the first to third guide rings (J1 to J3) and the drive wires fixed thereto may be omitted.

For example, the catheter 11 has sixth to eighth drive wires (W31 to W33) and a third guide ring J3, first to fifth drive wires (W11 to W23) and first to second guide rings ( J1 to J2) may be omitted. Further, the catheter 11 has third to eighth drive wires (W21 to W33) and second to third guide rings (J2 to J3), a first drive wire W11 and a second drive wire W12, and a first drive wire W11 and a second drive wire W12. It may have a configuration in which the guide ring J1 is omitted.

<Catheter unit>
The catheter unit 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4A and 4B.

4A and 4B are explanatory diagrams of the catheter unit 100. FIG. FIG. 4A is an explanatory diagram of the catheter unit 100 in a state where the wire cover 14, which will be described later, is in the cover position. FIG. 4B is an explanatory diagram of the catheter unit 100 in which the wire cover 14, which will be described later, is in the exposed position.

The catheter unit 100 has a bending portion 12 , a catheter 11 having a bending drive portion 13 , and a proximal end cover 16 that supports the proximal end of the catheter 11 . The catheter unit 100 includes a cover (wire cover) 14 for covering and protecting first to eighth drive wires (W11 to W33) as a plurality of drive wires.

The catheter unit 100 is attachable/detachable with respect to the base unit 200 along the attachment/detachment direction DE. The direction in which the catheter unit 100 is attached to the base unit 200 and the direction in which the catheter unit 100 is removed from the base unit 200 are parallel to the attachment/detachment direction DE.

The proximal end cover (frame body, bending portion housing, catheter housing) 16 is a cover that partially covers the catheter 11 . The proximal end cover 16 has a tool hole 16a for inserting medical instruments into the passageway Ht of the flexure 12 .

The wire cover 14 is provided with a plurality of exposure holes (wire cover holes, cover holes) through which the first to eighth drive wires (W11 to W33) are passed. The wire cover 14 has a first exposure hole 14a11, a second exposure hole 14a12, a third exposure hole 14a21, a fourth exposure hole 14a22, a fifth exposure hole 14a23, a sixth exposure hole 14a31, a seventh exposure hole 14a32, and an eighth exposure hole. An exposure hole 14a33 is provided. The first to eighth exposure holes (14a11 to 14a33) respectively correspond to the first to eighth drive wires (W11 to W33). The numbers after the reference numerals 14a indicate the numbers of the corresponding drive wires. For example, the first drive wire W11 is inserted into the first exposure hole 14a11.

Any one of the first to eighth exposure holes (14a11 to 14a33) can be called an exposure hole 14a. In this embodiment, each of the first to eighth exposure holes (14a11 to 14a33) has the same shape.

The wire cover 14 can move between a cover position (see FIG. 14A) covering the first to eighth drive wires (W11 to W33) and a cover retracted position (see FIG. 14B) retracted from the cover position. The cover retracted position can also be called an exposed position where the first to eighth drive wires (W11 to W33) are exposed.

Before attaching the catheter unit 100 to the base unit 200, the wire cover 14 is positioned at the cover position. When the catheter unit 100 is attached to the base unit 200, the wire cover 14 moves from the cover position to the exposed position along the attachment/detachment direction DE.

In this embodiment, the wire cover 14 is retained at the exposed position after being moved from the covered position to the exposed position. Therefore, even if the catheter unit 100 is removed from the base unit 200 after attaching the catheter unit 100 to the base unit 200, the wire cover 14 is kept in the exposed position.

However, the wire cover 14 may be configured to return to the cover position after being moved from the cover position to the exposed position. For example, catheter unit 100 may include a biasing member that biases wire cover 14 from the exposed position toward the covered position. In this case, when the catheter unit 100 is removed from the base unit 200 after attaching the catheter unit 100 to the base unit 200, the wire cover 14 is moved from the exposed position to the covered position.

When the wire cover 14 is at the exposed position, the first to eighth held portions (Wa11 to Wa33) of the first to eighth drive wires (W11 to W33) are exposed. As a result, connection between the bending drive section 13 and a connecting device 21, which will be described later, is permitted. When the wire cover 14 is in the exposed position, the first to eighth held portions (Wa11 to Wa33) of the first to eighth drive wires (W11 to W33) through the first to eighth exposure holes (14a11 to 14a33) and A portion of the wire body Wb protrudes. More specifically, the first to eighth held portions (Wa11 to Wa33) protrude from the first to eighth exposure holes (14a11 to 14a33) in the mounting direction Da, which will be described later.

As shown in FIG. 4B, each of the first to eighth drive wires (W11 to W33) is arranged along a circle (virtual circle) having a predetermined radius and supported by the wire guide 17.

In this embodiment, the catheter unit 100 has a key shaft (key, catheter side key) 15 . In this embodiment, the key shaft 15 extends in the attachment/detachment direction DE. The wire cover 14 is provided with a shaft hole 14b through which the key shaft 15 passes. The key shaft 15 can be engaged with a key receiving portion 22, which will be described later. By engaging the key shaft 15 with the key receiving portion 22, the movement of the catheter unit 100 with respect to the base unit 200 is achieved in the circumferential direction of the circle (virtual circle) in which the first to eighth drive wires (W11 to W33) are arranged. , is limited to a given range.

In this embodiment, the first to eighth drive wires (W11 to W33) are arranged outside the key shaft 15 so as to surround the key shaft 15 when viewed in the attachment/detachment direction DE. In other words, the key shaft 15 is arranged inside a circle (virtual circle) in which the first to eighth drive wires (W11 to W33) are arranged. Therefore, the key shaft 15 and the first to eighth drive wires (W11 to W33) can be arranged in a space-saving manner.

In this embodiment, the catheter unit 100 includes an operation section 400. The operation section 400 is configured to be movable (rotatable) with respect to the proximal end cover 16 and the bending drive section 13 .

The operation unit 400 is rotatable around a rotation axis 400r. A rotating shaft 400r of the operation unit 400 extends in the attachment/detachment direction DE.

With the catheter unit 100 attached to the base unit 200 , the operation section 400 is configured to be movable (rotatable) with respect to the base unit 200 . More specifically, the operation unit 400 is configured to be movable (rotatable) with respect to the base housing 200f, the wire driving unit 300, and the connecting device 21, which will be described later.

In addition, in this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the extending direction (longitudinal direction) of the bending portion 12 is defined as the +Z direction. Further, the direction of a straight line perpendicular to the +Z direction and connecting the center of the curved portion 12 and the center of the engaged portion Wa11 is defined as the +Y direction. Also, the direction of a straight line perpendicular to the +Z direction and the +Y direction is defined as the +X direction.

<Base unit>
The base unit 200 and the wire driving section 300 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5A and 5B.

5A and 5B are explanatory diagrams of the base unit 200 and the wire driving section 300. FIG. FIG. 5A is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the base unit 200. FIG. 5B is a side view showing the internal structure of base unit 200. FIG.

As described above, the medical device 1 has the base unit 200 and the wire driving section 300. In this embodiment, the wire driving section 300 is accommodated in the base housing 200f and provided inside the base unit 200 . In other words, the base unit 200 has the wire drive section 300 .

The wire drive unit 300 has a plurality of drive sources (motors, actuators). In this embodiment, the wire driving section 300 includes a first driving source M11, a second driving source M12, a third driving source M21, a fourth driving source M22, a fifth driving source M23, a sixth driving source M31, a seventh driving source M31, and a seventh driving source M31. It has a source M32 and an eighth drive source M33.

Any one of the first to eighth driving sources (M11 to M33) can be called a driving source M. In this embodiment, each of the first to eighth drive sources (M11 to M33) has the same configuration.

The base unit 200 includes a coupling device 21. The coupling device 21 is housed in the base housing 200f. The coupling device 21 is connected to the wire driving section 300 . The connecting device 21 has a plurality of connecting parts. In this embodiment, the connecting device 21 includes a first connecting portion 21c11, a second connecting portion 21c12, a third connecting portion 21c21, a fourth connecting portion 21c22, a fifth connecting portion 21c23, a sixth connecting portion 21c31, and a seventh connecting portion. 21c32 and an eighth connecting portion 21c33.

Any one of the first to eighth connecting portions (21c11 to 21c33) can be called the connecting portion 21c. In this embodiment, each of the first to eighth connecting portions (21c11 to 21c33) has the same configuration.

Each of the plurality of connecting parts is connected to each of the plurality of drive sources and driven by each of the plurality of drive sources. Specifically, the first connecting portion 21c11 is connected to the first driving source M11 and driven by the first driving source M11. The second connecting portion 21c12 is connected to the second drive source M12 and driven by the second drive source M12. The third connecting portion 21c21 is connected to the third driving source M21 and driven by the third driving source M21. The fourth connecting portion 21c22 is connected to the fourth driving source M22 and driven by the fourth driving source M22. The fifth connecting portion 21c23 is connected to the fifth driving source M23 and driven by the fifth driving source M23. The sixth connecting portion 21c31 is connected to the sixth driving source M31 and driven by the sixth driving source M31. The seventh connecting portion 21c32 is connected to the seventh driving source M32 and driven by the seventh driving source M32. The eighth connecting portion 21c33 is connected to the eighth driving source M33 and driven by the eighth driving source M33.

As will be described later, the coupling device 21 is coupled with the bending drive section 13 including first through eighth drive wires (W11 through W33). The bending driving portion 13 receives the driving force of the wire driving portion 300 via the connecting device 21 and bends the bending portion 12 .

The drive wire W is connected to the connecting portion 21c via the held portion Wa. Each of the plurality of drive wires is connected to each of the plurality of connecting portions.

Specifically, the first held portion Wa11 of the first drive wire W11 is connected to the first connecting portion 21c11. The second held portion Wa12 of the second drive wire W12 is connected to the second connecting portion 21c12. The third held portion Wa21 of the third drive wire W21 is connected to the third connecting portion 21c21. The fourth held portion Wa22 of the fourth drive wire W22 is connected to the fourth connecting portion 21c22. The fifth held portion Wa23 of the fifth drive wire W23 is connected to the fifth connecting portion 21c23. The sixth held portion Wa31 of the sixth drive wire W31 is connected to the sixth connecting portion 21c31. The seventh held portion Wa32 of the seventh drive wire W32 is connected to the seventh connecting portion 21c32. The eighth held portion Wa33 of the eighth drive wire W33 is connected to the eighth connecting portion 21c33.

The base unit 200 has a base frame 25. The base frame 25 is provided with a plurality of insertion holes through which the first to eighth drive wires (W11 to W33) are passed. The base frame 25 has a first insertion hole 25a11, a second insertion hole 25a12, a third insertion hole 25a21, a fourth insertion hole 25a22, a fifth insertion hole 25a23, a sixth insertion hole 25a31, a seventh insertion hole 25a32, and an eighth insertion hole 25a32. An insertion hole 25a33 is provided. The first to eighth insertion holes (25a11 to 25a33) respectively correspond to the first to eighth drive wires (W11 to W33). The numbers after the reference numerals 25a indicate the numbers of the corresponding drive wires. For example, the first drive wire W11 is inserted into the first insertion hole 25a11.

Any one of the first to eighth insertion holes (25a11 to 25a33) can be called an insertion hole 25a. In this embodiment, each of the first to eighth insertion holes (25a11 to 25a33) has the same shape.

The base frame 25 is provided with a mounting opening 25b into which the wire cover 14 is inserted. First to eighth insertion holes (25a11 to 25a33) are arranged at the bottom of the mounting opening 25b.

Further, the base unit 200 includes a motor frame 200b, a first bearing frame 200c, a second bearing frame 200d and a third bearing frame 200e. The motor frame 200b, the first bearing frame 200c, the second bearing frame 200d and the third bearing frame 200e are connected.

The base frame 25 has a key receiving portion (key hole, base side key, body side key) 22 for receiving the key shaft 15 . The engagement between the key shaft 15 and the key receiving portion 22 prevents the catheter unit 100 from being attached to the base unit 200 out of phase.

By engaging the key shaft 15 and the key receiving portion 22, the catheter unit 100 is shifted with respect to the base unit 200 in the circumferential direction of the circle (virtual circle) in which the first to eighth drive wires (W11 to W33) are arranged. Movement is restricted within a predetermined range.

As a result, each of the first to eighth drive wires (W11 to W33) is inserted into the corresponding first to eighth insertion holes (25a11 to 25a33) and the corresponding first to eighth connecting portions (21c11 to 21c33). , respectively. In other words, the drive wire W is prevented from engaging with the insertion hole 25a different from the corresponding insertion hole 25a and with the connecting portion 21c different from the corresponding connection portion 21c.

By engaging the key shaft 15 and the key receiving portion 22, the user connects the first to eighth drive wires (W11 to W33) to the first to eighth connecting portions (21c11 to 21c33), respectively. can be correctly concatenated to Therefore, the user can easily attach the catheter unit 100 to the base unit 200 .

In this embodiment, the key shaft 15 has a projection projecting in a direction intersecting with the attachment/detachment direction DE, and the key receiving part 22 has a recess into which the projection is inserted. In the circumferential direction, the position where the protrusion and the recess are engaged is the position where the drive wire W is engaged with the corresponding insertion hole 25a and the corresponding connecting part 21c.

Note that the key shaft 15 can be arranged on either one of the base unit 200 and the catheter unit 100, and the key receiving portion 22 can be arranged on the other. For example, the key shaft 15 may be arranged on the base unit 200 side and the key receiving portion 22 may be arranged on the catheter unit 100 side.

The base unit 200 has a joint 28 with a joint engaging portion 28j. The base frame 25 has a lock shaft 26 with a lock projection 26a. These functions will be described later.

<Connection of motor and drive wire>
The connection of the wire drive section 300, the connection device 21, and the bending drive section 13 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6A to 6C.

6A to 6C are explanatory diagrams of the wire driving section 300, the coupling device 21, and the bending driving section 13. FIG. 6A is a perspective view of the drive source M, the connecting portion 21c, and the drive wire W. FIG. 6B is an enlarged view of the connecting portion 21c and the drive wire W. FIG. 6C is a perspective view showing the connection of the wire driving section 300, the connecting device 21, and the bending driving section 13. FIG.

In the present embodiment, the configurations in which the first to eighth drive wires (W11 to W33) and the first to eighth connecting portions (21c11 to 21c33) are connected are the same. Also, the configuration in which each of the first to eighth connecting portions (21c11 to 21c33) and each of the first to eighth drive sources (M11 to M33) are connected is the same. Therefore, in the following description, one driving wire W, one connecting portion 21c, and one driving source M are used, and a configuration in which these are connected will be described.

As shown in FIG. 6A, the drive source M has an output shaft Ma and a motor body Mb that rotates the output shaft Ma in the rotation direction Rm. A spiral groove is provided on the surface of the output shaft Ma. The output shaft Ma has a so-called screw shape. The motor main body Mb is fixed to the motor frame 200b.

The connecting portion 21c has a tractor 21ct connected to the output shaft Ma and a tractor support shaft 21cs that supports the tractor 21ct. The tractor support shaft 21cs is connected to the connection base 21cb.

The connecting portion 21c has a first rotating body 21cp for pressing the held portion Wa of the driving wire W. The drive wire W passes through the insertion hole 25a and is engaged with the connecting portion 21c. Although the details will be described later, the first rotating body 21cp presses the held portion Wa toward the connecting base 21cb. As a result, a state (fixed state) in which the concave portion Wc provided in the held portion Wa and the convex portion 21ci provided in the connecting base 21cb are engaged to be fixed (fixed state), and a state in which the held portion Wa is released ( release state).

The first rotating body 21cp has a gear portion 21cg that meshes with an internal gear 29, which will be described later, and a cam 21cc as a pressing portion for pressing the held portion Wa of the drive wire W.

As will be described later, the cam 21cc can move with respect to the held portion Wa. By moving the cam 21cc, the held portion Wa is switched between a fixed state and a released state.

The connecting portion 21c is supported by a first bearing B1, a second bearing B2 and a third bearing B3. The first bearing B1 is supported by the first bearing frame 200c of the base unit 200. As shown in FIG. The second bearing B2 is supported by the second bearing frame 200d of the base unit 200. As shown in FIG. The third bearing B3 is supported by the third bearing frame 200e of the base unit 200. As shown in FIG. Therefore, when the output shaft Ma rotates in the rotation direction Rm, the connecting portion 21c is restricted from rotating around the output shaft Ma. The first bearing B1, the second bearing B2, and the third bearing B3 are provided for each of the first to eighth connecting portions (21c11 to 21c33).

Since the connecting portion 21c is restricted from rotating around the output shaft Ma, when the output shaft Ma rotates, the helical groove of the output shaft Ma causes the tractor 21ct to rotate along the rotation axis direction of the output shaft Ma. force acts. As a result, the connecting portion 21c moves along the rotation axis direction of the output shaft Ma (the Dc direction). As the connecting portion 21c moves, the drive wire W moves and the bending portion 12 bends.

In other words, the output shaft Ma and the tractor 21ct constitute a so-called feed screw that converts rotary motion transmitted from the drive source M into linear motion by means of a screw. In this embodiment, the output shaft Ma and the tractor 21ct are sliding screws, but they may be ball screws.

As shown in FIG. 6C, by attaching the catheter unit 100 to the base unit 200, each of the first to eighth drive wires (W11 to W33) and each of the first to eighth connecting portions (21c11 to 21c33) are connected. be done.

The control unit 3 can control each of the first to eighth drive sources (M11 to M33) independently of each other. That is, any one of the first to eighth drive sources (M11 to M33) can operate or stop independently regardless of whether the other drive sources are in a stopped state. can be done. In other words, the controller 3 can control each of the first to eighth drive wires (W11 to W33) independently of each other. As a result, each of the first to third guide rings (J1 to J3) is controlled independently of each other, allowing the bending region 12b of the bending portion 12 to bend in any direction.

<Attaching the catheter unit>
The operation of attaching the catheter unit 100 to the base unit 200 will be described with reference to FIGS. 7A and 7B.

7A and 7B are explanatory diagrams of mounting of the catheter unit 100. FIG. 7A is a view before the catheter unit 100 is attached to the base unit 200. FIG. 7B is a view after catheter unit 100 is attached to base unit 200. FIG.

In this embodiment, the attachment/detachment direction DE of the catheter unit 100 is the same as the direction of the rotation shaft 400r of the operation section 400. Of the attachment/detachment direction DE, the direction in which the catheter unit 100 is attached to the base unit 200 is referred to as the attachment direction Da. Of the attachment/detachment directions DE, the direction in which the catheter unit 100 is removed from the base unit 200 (opposite direction to the attachment direction Da) is referred to as the removal direction Dd.

As shown in FIG. 7A, before the catheter unit 100 is attached to the base unit 200, the wire cover 14 is positioned at the cover position. At this time, the wire cover 14 is positioned so that the first to eighth drive wires are not protruded from the first to eighth exposure holes (14a11 to 14a33) of the wire cover 14 so that the first to eighth held portions (Wa11 to Wa33) do not protrude from the wire cover 14. (W11 to W33) are covered. Therefore, before the catheter unit 100 is attached to the base unit 200, the first to eighth drive wires (W11 to W33) can be protected.

When the catheter unit 100 attaches the base unit 200, the key shaft 15 is engaged with the key receiving portion 22. A key shaft 15 protrudes from the wire cover 14 . In this embodiment, when the key shaft 15 reaches the entrance of the key receiving portion 22, the wire cover 14 does not engage with the mounting opening 25b. That is, when the phase of the catheter unit 100 with respect to the base unit 200 is in a phase where the key shaft 15 and the key receiving portion 22 cannot be engaged, the wire cover 14 is not engaged with the attachment opening 25b and is positioned at the cover position. is preserved. Therefore, even when the catheter unit 100 is moved so that the key shaft 15 and the key receiving portion 22 are engaged, the first to eighth drive wires (W11 to W33) are protected.

The catheter unit 100 is attached to the base unit 200 when the key shaft 15 and the key receiving portion 22 are engaged and the catheter unit 100 is moved with respect to the base unit 200 in the attachment direction Da. Attaching the catheter unit 100 to the base unit 200 moves the wire cover 14 to the exposed position. In this embodiment, the wire cover 14 contacts the base frame 25 to move from the cover position to the exposed position (see FIG. 7B).

More specifically, when attaching the catheter unit 100, the wire cover 14 comes into contact with the base frame 25 and stops. By moving the catheter unit 100 in the mounting direction Da in this state, the wire cover 14 in the catheter unit 100 moves relative to the portion other than the wire cover 14 . As a result, the wire cover 14 moves from the cover position to the exposed position.

While the wire cover 14 moves from the cover position to the exposure position, the held portion Wa of the drive wire W protrudes from the exposure hole 14a of the wire cover 14 and is inserted into the insertion hole 25a. Then, the held portion Wa engages with the connecting base 21cb of the connecting portion 21c (see FIG. 6B).

In a state where the catheter unit 100 is only attached to the base unit 200, the catheter unit 100 can be removed by moving the catheter unit 100 relative to the base unit 200 in the removal direction Dd. Further, as will be described later, when the catheter unit 100 is simply attached to the base unit 200, the drive wire W and the connection portion 21c are unfixed.

By operating the operating portion 400 while the catheter unit 100 is attached to the base unit 200, the catheter unit 100 is prevented from being removed from the base unit 200. Further, by operating the operating portion 400 with the catheter unit 100 attached to the base unit 200, the bending driving portion 13 is fixed to the coupling device 21, and the bending driving portion 13 is connected to the wire driving portion via the coupling device 21. 300.

<Fixation and release of fixation of bending drive unit>
8A, 8B, 9, 10A, 10B, 11A to 11C, 12A to 12C, 13A to 13C, 14A and 14B, the bending driving portion 13 is connected to the coupling device 21. A configuration for fixing the bending driving portion 13 to the bending drive portion 13 and a configuration for releasing the fixing of the bending drive portion 13 by the connecting device 21 will be described.

8A and 8B are diagrams for explaining the connection between the catheter unit 100 and the base unit 200. FIG. 8A is a cross-sectional view of catheter unit 100 and base unit 200. FIG. FIG. 8A is a cross-sectional view of catheter unit 100 and base unit 200 taken along rotation axis 400r. 8B is a cross-sectional view of the base unit 200. FIG. Specifically, it is a cross-sectional view of the base unit 200 cut in a direction orthogonal to the rotating shaft 400r at the connecting portion 21c.

FIG. 9 is an exploded view explaining the connection between the catheter unit 100 and the base unit 200. FIG.

10A, 10B, 11A to 11C, 12A to 12C, 13A to 13C, 14A, and 14B are diagrams illustrating fixing of the drive wire W by the connecting portion 21c.

As shown in FIGS. 8A and 9 , the base unit 200 includes a joint (intermediate member, second transmission member) 28 and a moving gear (interlocking gear, transmission member, first transmission It has an internal gear 29 as a member).

The joint 28 has a plurality of transmitting portions 28c, and the internal gear 29 has a plurality of transmitted portions 29c. The plurality of transmission portions 28c are engaged with the plurality of transmission portions 29c, and when the joint 28 rotates, the rotation of the joint 28 is transmitted to the internal gear 29. As shown in FIG.

When the catheter unit 100 is attached to the base unit 200, the engaging portion 400j provided in the operating portion 400 engages the joint engaging portion 28j of the joint 28. When the operating portion 400 rotates, the rotation of the operating portion 400 is transmitted to the joint 28 . The operating portion 400, the joint 28, and the internal gear 29 rotate in the same direction.

The internal gear 29 has a fixed state in which each of the first to eighth connecting portions (21c11 to 21c33) fixes each of the first to eighth drive wires (W11 to W33), and a fixed state in which each of the first to eighth drive wires (W11 to W33) is fixed. It has a plurality of teeth for switching between a released state for releasing each of (W11 to W33). Each of the plurality of tooth portions (action portion, switching gear portion) of the internal gear 29 engages with the gear portion 21cg of the first rotating body 21cp of each of the first to eighth connecting portions (21c11 to 21c33). .

Specifically, in this embodiment, the internal gear 29 includes a first tooth portion 29g11, a second tooth portion 29g12, a third tooth portion 29g21, a fourth tooth portion 29g22, a fifth tooth portion 29g23, and a sixth tooth portion 29g31. , a seventh tooth 29g32 and an eighth tooth 29g33. Each of the first to eighth tooth portions (29g11 to 29g33) is formed with a gap therebetween.

The first tooth portion 29g11 meshes with the gear portion 21cg of the first connecting portion 21c11. The second tooth portion 29g12 meshes with the gear portion 21cg of the second connecting portion 21c12. The third tooth portion 29g21 meshes with the gear portion 21cg of the third connecting portion 21c21. The fourth tooth portion 29g22 meshes with the gear portion 21cg of the fourth connecting portion 21c22. The fifth tooth portion 29g23 meshes with the gear portion 21cg of the fifth connecting portion 21c23. The sixth tooth portion 29g31 meshes with the gear portion 21cg of the sixth connecting portion 21c31. The seventh tooth portion 29g32 meshes with the gear portion 21cg of the seventh connecting portion 21c32. The eighth tooth portion 29g33 meshes with the gear portion 21cg of the eighth connecting portion 21c33.

Any one of the first to eighth tooth portions (29g11 to 29g33) can be called a tooth portion 29g. In this embodiment, each of the first to eighth tooth portions (29g11 to 29g33) has the same configuration.

In the present embodiment, the configurations in which the first to eighth drive wires (W11 to W33) and the first to eighth connecting portions (21c11 to 21c33) are connected are the same. Also, the configuration in which each of the first to eighth connecting portions (21c11 to 21c33) and each of the first to eighth tooth portions (29g11 to 29g33) are connected is the same. Therefore, in the following description, one driving wire W, one connecting portion 21c, and one tooth portion 29g are used to connect them.

In each of the first to eighth connecting portions (21c11 to 21c33), the gear portion 21cg is moved by the internal gear 29, thereby rotating the first rotor 21cp and causing the cam 21cc to retreat from the pressing position and the pressing position. move to the retracted position. The state in which the cam 21cc has moved to the pressing position is shown in FIG. 10A, and the state in which it has moved to the retracted position is shown in FIG. 10B.

When the cam 21cc has moved to the pressing position, the cam 21cc presses the held portion Wa against the connecting base 21cb. As a result, the concave portion Wc provided on the held portion Wa and the convex portion 21ci provided on the connecting base 21cb are engaged with each other to connect them. Further, when the cam 21cc is moved to the retracted position, the pressed portion Wa is released, and the elastic force of the wire body Wb moves the held portion Wa to the position shown in FIG. 10B. That is, since the concave portion Wc provided in the held portion Wa and the convex portion 21ci provided in the connecting base 21cb are separated, the connection between the held portion Wa and the connecting base 21cb is released.

By rotating the operation part 400, the internal gear 29 is rotated. Rotation of the internal gear 29 causes the first to eighth connecting portions (21c11 to 21c33) to operate. That is, the first to eighth connecting portions (21c11 to 21c33) can be operated by rotating one operating portion 400. FIG.

With the catheter unit 100 attached to the base unit 200, the operation section 400 can move between a fixed position (locked position) and a removed position. Further, as will be described later, the operating section 400 can move to the release position while the catheter unit 100 is attached to the base unit 200 . With respect to the circumferential direction of the operating portion 400, the release position is positioned between the fixed position and the removal position. The catheter unit 100 is attached to the base unit 200 with the operating portion 400 positioned at the removal position.

When the catheter unit 100 is attached to the base unit 200, the drive wire W is unlocked from the connecting portion 21c. This state is called a released state of the connecting portion 21c. The state in which the drive wire W is fixed (locked) to the connecting portion 21c is referred to as the fixed state of the connecting portion 21c.

That is, the user can move the operation part 400 to the removal position, the release position, and the fixing position by operating one operation part 400, and in conjunction with this, the connection part 21c can be fixed and released. It is possible to move to a state. In other words, there is no need for the user to operate an operating section for switching between the released state and the fixed state for each of the plurality of connecting sections. Therefore, the user can easily attach/detach the catheter unit 100 to/from the base unit 200 . Furthermore, the medical device 1 can be simplified.

It should be noted that the internal gear 29 may be configured to be directly moved from the operating portion 400 . In that case, the internal gear 29 functions as an interlocking portion.

<Movement of operation part>
Movement of the operation unit 400 will be described with reference to FIGS. 11A to 11C, 12A to 12C, and 13A to 13C.

In this embodiment, the operation section 400 is configured to be movable between the removal position, the release position, and the fixing position with the catheter unit 100 attached to the base unit 200 . The release position is located between the removal position and the locking position.

In this embodiment, the operation unit 400 is switched between the first state and the second state in conjunction with the movement of the operation unit 400 between the release position and the fixed position.

In this embodiment, the operation unit 400 can move between the removal position and the fixed position by moving in a direction different from the attachment/detachment direction DE. The operation part 400 moves in a direction intersecting (preferably orthogonal to) the attachment/detachment direction DE to move between the removal position and the fixing position. In this embodiment, the operation unit 400 rotates around a rotation shaft 400r extending in the attachment/detachment direction DE to move between the removal position and the fixed position. Therefore, the operability when the user operates the operation unit 400 is excellent.

11A to 11C are explanatory diagrams of the catheter unit 100 and the base unit 200. FIG. 11A is a cross-sectional view of catheter unit 100. FIG. 11B is a perspective view of button 41. FIG. 11C is a perspective view of the base unit 200. FIG.

12A to 12C are diagrams explaining the operation of the operation unit 400. FIG. FIG. 12A is a diagram showing a state where the operation unit 400 is at the removal position. FIG. 12B is a diagram showing a state in which the operating section 400 is at the release position. FIG. 12C is a diagram showing a state in which the operation unit 400 is in the fixed position.

13A to 13C are cross-sectional views explaining the operation of the operation unit 400. FIG. FIG. 13A is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the operating section 400 is at the removal position. FIG. 13B is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the operating portion 400 is at the release position. FIG. 13C is a cross-sectional view showing the operation unit 400 at the fixed position.

When the operating portion 400 is in the fixed position, the connecting portion 21c is in a fixed state, and the held portion Wa of the driving wire W is fixed to the corresponding connecting portion 21c (see FIGS. 10A and 10B).

When the operating portion 400 is at the released position, the coupling portion 21c is in the released state, and the locked portion Wa of the drive wire W and the coupling portion 21c are unlocked (see FIGS. 10A and 10B). In this state, the connection between the drive wire W and the wire drive section 300 is cut off. Therefore, when the catheter 11 receives an external force, the bending portion 12 can be freely bent without receiving resistance from the wire driving portion 300 .

The catheter unit 100 is allowed to be removed from the base unit 200 when the operation part 400 is at the removal position. In addition, the catheter unit 100 can be attached to the base unit 200 while the operation section 400 is at the removal position. When the operating portion 400 is at the removal position, the connecting portion 21c is in the released state, and the locked portion Wa of the drive wire W and the connecting portion 21c are unlocked (see FIGS. 10A and 10B).

As shown in FIG. 11A , the catheter unit 100 has an operating section biasing spring 43 that biases the operating section 400 , a button 41 as a moving member, and a button spring 42 that biases the button 41 .

In this embodiment, the operating portion biasing spring 43 is a compression spring. The operating portion 400 is urged in a direction Dh to approach the proximal end cover 16 by an operating portion urging spring 43 .

In this embodiment, the button 41 and the button spring 42 are provided in the operation section 400. The button 41 and the button spring 42 move together with the operation unit 400 when the operation unit 400 moves to the removal position, release position, and fixing position.

The button 41 is configured to be movable with respect to the operation unit 400 in a direction intersecting with the direction of the rotation axis 400r of the operation unit 400. The button 41 is urged by a button spring 42 toward the outside of the catheter unit 100 (in the direction away from the rotating shaft 400r).

As will be described later, the button 41 restricts movement of the operation unit 400 from the release position to the removal position. Further, by moving the button 41 with respect to the operation portion 400, the operation portion 400 is allowed to move from the release position to the removal position.

The button 41 has a button projection (restricted portion) 41a. The button protrusion 41a has an inclined surface 41a1 and a regulated surface 41a2.

The base unit 200 includes a base frame 25. A lock shaft 26 is provided on the base frame 25 . The lock shaft 26 has a lock projection (restriction portion) 26a.

In this embodiment, a plurality of lock shafts 26 (two in this embodiment) are provided. All of the lock shafts 26 may have the lock projections 26a, or some of the lock shafts 26 may have the lock projections 26a.

On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 9, 12A, 12B, and 12C, a lock groove 400a that engages with the lock shaft 26 is provided inside the operating portion 400. As shown in FIG. The lock groove 400a extends in a direction different from the attachment/detachment direction DE. In this embodiment, it extends in the direction of rotation of the operation unit 400 . It can also be said that the lock groove 400a extends in a direction crossing (perpendicular to) the attachment/detachment direction DE.

When a plurality of lock shafts 26 are provided, the lock grooves 400a are provided for each of the plurality of lock shafts 26 .

As shown in FIG. 12A, when the catheter unit 100 is attached to the base unit 200, the lock shaft 26 is engaged with the lock groove 400a via the entrance 400a1 of the lock groove 400a.

At this time, the operating portion 400 is positioned at the removal position, and the connecting portion 21c is in the released state (see FIGS. 10A and 10B). Therefore, the first to eighth connecting portions (21c11 to 21c33) are released from the first to eighth driving wires (W11 to W33). Further, as shown in FIG. 13A, the button projection 41a faces the lock projection 26a.

When the operation part 400 is rotated in the lock direction R1 while the operation part 400 is at the removal position, the slope 41a1 of the button projection 41a comes into contact with the slope 26a1 of the lock projection 26a. Against the biasing force of the button spring 42, the button 41 moves toward the inner side of the operation unit 400 (in the direction toward the rotating shaft 400r). Then, the button projection 41a climbs over the lock projection 26a, and the operating portion 400 moves to the release position (see FIG. 13B).

At this time, the connecting portion 21c is in the released state (see FIGS. 10A and 10B). Therefore, the first to eighth connecting portions (21c11 to 21c33) are released from the first to eighth driving wires (W11 to W33).

In the present embodiment, it is allowed to move the operating portion 400 from the removal position to the release position without operating the button 41 . In other words, the user does not need to operate the button 41 when moving the operation unit 400 from the removal position to the release position.

When the operation part 400 is rotated in the lock direction R1 while the operation part 400 is at the release position, the operation part 400 moves to the fixed position. The positioning portion 400a2 of the lock groove 400a is located at a position corresponding to the lock shaft 26 when the operation portion 400 is in the fixed position. The operation portion 400 is urged in the direction Dh to approach the proximal end cover 16 by an operation portion urging spring 43 . As a result, the positioning portion 400 a 2 is engaged with the lock shaft 26 .

In the process of moving the operation part 400 from the release position to the fixing position, the held part Wa of the driving wire W is fixed to the connecting part 21c as described above.

When the operating portion is positioned at the fixed position, the connecting portion 21c is in a fixed state (see FIGS. 10A and 10B). Therefore, the first to eighth drive wires (W11 to W33) are respectively fixed to the first to eighth connecting portions (21c11 to 21c33). In this state, the driving force from the wire driving section 300 can be transmitted to the bending driving section 13 . That is, the driving force from each of the first to eighth driving sources (M11 to M33) is transmitted through the first to eighth connecting portions (21c11 to 21c33) to the first to eighth driving wires (W11 to W33). can be transmitted to each of the

When the operation part 400 is at the release position, the wall 400a3 forming the lock groove 400a is located upstream of the lock shaft 26 in the removal direction Dd of the catheter unit 100. When the operation portion 400 is at the fixed position, the positioning portion 400a2 is positioned upstream of the lock shaft 26 in the removal direction Dd. As a result, removal of the catheter unit 100 from the base unit 200 is restricted when the operating portion 400 is at the release position and at the fixed position. On the other hand, when the operating portion 400 is at the removal position, the entrance 400a1 of the lock groove 400a is positioned upstream of the lock shaft 26 in the removal direction Dd. As a result, removal of the catheter unit 100 from the base unit 200 is permitted.

When the operation part 400 is rotated in the release direction R2 while the operation part 400 is at the fixed position, the operation part 400 is positioned at the release position. While the operating portion 400 moves from the fixed position to the released position, the held portion Wa of the drive wire W is released from the connecting portion 21c as described above.

With the operating portion 400 positioned at the release position, the regulated surface 41a2 of the button projection 41a contacts the regulating surface 26a2 of the lock projection 26 (see FIG. 13B). In this state, rotation of the operating portion 400 in the release direction R2 is restricted. Moreover, removal of the catheter unit 100 from the base unit 200 is restricted.

When the user pushes the button 41 toward the inside of the operation portion 400 while the operation portion 400 is at the release position, the regulated surface 41a2 separates from the regulating surface 26a2, and the button projection 41a climbs over the lock projection 26a. . As a result, the operation portion 400 is allowed to rotate in the release direction R2, and the operation portion 400 can move from the release position to the removal position.

When the operating portion 400 is positioned at the removal position, the connecting portion 21c is in the released state. Therefore, when the catheter unit 100 is removed from and attached to the base unit 200, the load acting on the drive wire W (for example, the resistance received by the connecting portion 21c) can be reduced. Therefore, the user can easily attach and detach the catheter unit 100 .

When the operating portion 400 is positioned at the released position, the catheter unit 100 is restricted from being removed from the base unit 200, and the connecting portion 21c is placed in the released state. As described above, when the connecting portion 21c is in the released state, the connection between the driving wire W and the wire driving portion 300 is cut off, and the bending portion 12 can be freely bent without receiving resistance from the wire driving portion 300. can.

The user can stop driving the catheter 11 by the wire driving section 300 by positioning the operation section 400 at the release position while the catheter 11 is inserted inside the target. Furthermore, since the removal of the catheter unit 100 from the base unit 200 is restricted, the user can hold the base unit 200 and pull out the catheter 11 from inside the subject.

Also, in the configuration of this embodiment, when the button 41 is not operated, the operation section 400 is restricted from moving from the release position to the removal position. Therefore, when the user moves the operation part 400 from the fixing position to the release position, it is possible to prevent the operation part 400 from being moved to the removal position by mistake.

It should be noted that, in this embodiment, the numbers of the lock projection 26a and the number of the buttons 41 are one each. However, the medical device 1 may have a plurality of lock projections 26a and buttons 41. FIG.

<Relationship between the number of drive wires connected to the bending portion and control accuracy>
As described above, in this embodiment, the connecting portion 21c can be brought into the fixed state by moving the operating portion to the fixed position. Then, by driving the bending driving section 13 with the wire driving section 300 , the bending section 12 can be bent in a direction intersecting the extending direction of the catheter 11 .

It is assumed that the catheter 11 in this embodiment is inserted into the patient's body, and it is preferable to precisely control the bending magnitude and direction of the bending region 12b so that even more detailed regions can be accessed. When the catheter 11 is inserted into the patient's body, it is inserted from the tip of the catheter 11, that is, the third curved region 12b3 on the distal end side, followed by the second curved region 12b2 and the first curved region 12b1 in that order. inserted. That is, the user penetrates into details inside the patient's body while manipulating the bending of the third bending region 12b3 of the catheter 11 using the input device 3b. The second curved region 12b2 and the first curved region 12b1 are controlled so as to follow the route passed by the third curved region 12b3. Therefore, it is preferable that, of the bending regions 12b, the third bending region 12b3, which is the bending region on the distal end side actually operated by the user, is controlled with high accuracy.

Furthermore, when the third curved region 12b3 reaches a detailed region inside the patient's body, the second curved region 12b2 is also likely to be located near the detailed region, so the second curved region 12b2 is also somewhat curved. It is preferable to control with high accuracy. In addition, since the first bending region 12b1 is arranged on the most proximal end side, even if the third bending region 12b3 reaches a detailed region inside the patient's body, the first bending region 12b1 will not reach the detailed region. It may not have reached In such a situation, the control accuracy required for the first curved region 12b1 is lower than the control accuracy required for the third curved region 12b3 and the second curved region 12b2. Therefore, the required control accuracy is lowest in the first curved region 12b1, and becomes higher in order of the second curved region 12b2 and the third curved region 12b3.

As described above, in this embodiment, by moving each of the first drive wire W11 and the second drive wire W12 in the extending direction of the bending portion 12, the first driving wire W11 and the second driving wire W12 of the bending portion 12 are moved through the first guide ring J1. The curved region 12b1 can be curved. Further, by moving each of the third to fifth drive wires (W21 to W23) in the extending direction of the bending portion 12, the second bending region 12b2 of the bending portion 12 is bent via the second guide ring J2. be able to. Further, by moving each of the sixth to eighth drive wires (W31 to W33) in the extending direction of the bending portion 12, the third bending region 12b3 of the bending portion 12 is bent via the third guide ring J3. be able to.

At this time, the first to eighth drive wires (W11 to W33) are connected to the first to eighth drive sources (M11 to M33) via the connecting portion 21c and the tractor 21ct, respectively. Two drive wires, a first drive wire W11 and a second drive wire W12, are used to bend the first bending region 12b1. Further, the drive wires for bending the second bending region 12b2 are three wires of third to fifth drive wires (W21 to W23). In addition, there are three driving wires, sixth to eighth driving wires (W31 to W33), for bending the third bending region 12b3.

That is, in the configuration of the present embodiment, the first bending region 12b1 requiring the lowest control accuracy is driven by two drive wires W, and the second bending region 12b2 requiring higher control accuracy than the first bending region 12b1 is driven. and the third bending region 12b3 are driven by three drive wires W. As shown in FIG.

Here, the difference in control accuracy due to the number of drive wires W will be described using FIGS. 14A and 14B. FIG. 14A is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of an arbitrary curved region 12bx to which two drive wires W are connected. FIG. 14B is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of an arbitrary bending region 12bx in which one drive wire W and one fixed wire body Wk are connected. 14A and 14B show only the wire body Wb and the fixed wire body Wk of the drive wire W connected to the bending portion 12 for the sake of simplicity of explanation. In order to simplify the explanation, the wire body Wb and the fixed wire body Wk shown in FIGS. 14A and 14B are provided at symmetrical positions with respect to the center of the bending portion 12, respectively. In addition, in FIGS. 14A and 14B, the +Z direction is the distal side, and the -Z direction is the proximal side.

The operation for bending an arbitrary bending region 12bx will be described with reference to FIG. 14A. In FIG. 14A, the state in which the arbitrary curved region 12bx is not bent and is substantially straight is indicated by a dotted line, and the state in which the arbitrary curved region 12bx is bent in the P direction is indicated by a solid line. Two wire bodies Wb connected to an arbitrary bending region 12bx are shown as a wire body Wd1 and a wire body Wd2, respectively, and the center of the bending portion 12 is shown as a bending portion center 12c. In addition, when an arbitrary bending region 12bx is bent in the P direction, it is shown as a wire body Wd1', a wire body Wd2', and a bending portion center 12c'. A distance Q represents a distance between the wire body Wd1 and the bending portion center 12c or a distance between the wire body Wd2 and the bending portion center 12c in the +Y direction. Further, the axial direction of the distal guide ring Jx in a state in which an arbitrary curved region 12bx is bent in the P direction is indicated as an axis 12d. Also, the angle formed by the bending portion center 12c and the axis 12d, that is, the angle at which an arbitrary bending region 12bx is bent is shown as a bending angle θ1. One end of each of the wire bodies Wd1 and Wd2 is connected to the distal guide ring Jx, and the other end of each is connected to the drive source M through a hole provided in the proximal guide ring Jx-1. ing.

When the arbitrary bending region 12bx indicated by the dotted line is substantially straight, the wire body Wd1, the wire body Wd2, and the bending part center 12c are substantially straight lines and have substantially the same length. From this state, the drive source M moves the wire bodies Wd1 and Wd2, so that the arbitrary curved region 12bx indicated by the solid line is bent in the P direction. Specifically, the drive source M moves the wire body Wd1 by the distance L in the -Z direction, that is, pulls the wire body Wd1 by the distance L. As shown in FIG. Further, the drive source M moves the wire body Wd2 by the distance L in the +Z direction, that is, pushes the wire body Wd2 by the distance L. As shown in FIG. By doing so, the arbitrary curved region 12bx changes to a state bent by the bending angle θ1 in the P direction as indicated by the solid line.

At this time, the wire body Wd1', the bending portion center 12c', and the wire body Wd2' in the region between the distal side guide ring Jx and the proximal side guide ring Jx-1 all change into arc shapes. Furthermore, the length of each arc shape in the region between the distal side guide ring Jx and the proximal side guide ring Jx-1 changes to a relationship of wire body Wd1'<bending portion center 12c'<wire body Wd2'. do. In addition, by making the distance L over which the wire body Wd1 and the wire body Wd2 move the same and in opposite directions, the bending portion center 12c between the distal side guide ring Jx and the proximal side guide ring Jx-1 and the center 12c' of the curved portion can be kept substantially the same. That is, by moving the wire body Wd1 and the wire body Wd2 in different directions by the same distance, it is possible to bend an arbitrary bending region 12bx in the P direction while maintaining the length of the bending portion center 12c.

The bending portion 12 is made of an elastic material capable of maintaining a bent state as indicated by the solid line. When the arbitrary curved region 12bx indicated by the solid line is bent in the P direction, compressive stress is generated in the region through which the wire body Wd1 is inserted, and tensile stress is generated in the region through which the wire body Wd2 is inserted. is in a state of At this time, the greater the movement distance L of the wire bodies Wd1 and Wd2, the greater the bending of the arbitrary bending region 12bx. stress increases.

Therefore, by making the moving distances of the respective wire bodies Wd the same and bending an arbitrary bending region 12bx in the direction P while maintaining the length of the bending portion center 12c, the stress distribution generated in various parts of the bending portion 12 is can be made equal.

In the above description, the wire bodies Wd1 and Wd2 are moved by the same distance. can be achieved.

Next, with reference to FIG. 14B, the operation for bending an arbitrary bending region 12bx will be described. As described above, FIG. 14B has a configuration in which one drive wire W and one fixed wire body Wk are provided, unlike the configuration in which two drive wires W are provided as shown in FIG. 14A. In FIG. 14B, the state in which the arbitrary curved region 12bx is not bent and is approximately straight is indicated by a dotted line, and the state in which the arbitrary curved region 12bx is bent in the P direction is indicated by a solid line. A wire body Wb connected to an arbitrary curved region 12bx is shown as a wire body Wd3. Further, when an arbitrary bending region 12bx is bent in the P direction, it is shown as a wire body Wd3', a fixed wire body Wk', and a bending portion center 12c'. Also, the distance Q between the wire body Wd3 and the bending portion center 12c in the +Y direction or the distance between the fixed wire body Wk and the bending portion center 12c is shown. All the distances Q in FIGS. 14A and 14B have the same value. Further, the axial direction of the distal guide ring Jx in a state in which an arbitrary curved region 12bx is bent in the P direction is indicated as an axis 12d. Further, the angle formed by the bending portion center 12c and the axis 12d, that is, the angle at which the arbitrary bending region 12bx is bent is shown as the bending angle θ2. One end of the wire body Wd is connected to the distal guide ring Jx, and the other end is connected to the drive source M through a hole provided in the proximal guide ring Jx-1. One end of the fixed wire body Wk is connected to the distal guide ring Jx, and the other end passes through a hole provided in the proximal guide ring Jx-1 to form a conical wire guide 18 (shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B). is fixed to

When the arbitrary bending region 12bx indicated by the dotted line is substantially straight, the region between the distal guide ring Jx and the proximal guide ring Jx-1 includes the wire body Wd3, the fixed wire body Wk, and the bending portion All of the centers 12c are substantially straight lines and have substantially the same length. From this state, the driving source M moves the wire body Wd3, so that the arbitrary curved region 12bx indicated by the solid line is bent in the P direction. Specifically, the drive source M moves the wire body Wd3 by the distance L in the -Z direction, that is, pulls the wire body Wd3 by the distance L. As shown in FIG. By doing so, the arbitrary curved region 12bx changes to a state bent by the bending angle θ2 in the P direction as indicated by the solid line.

At this time, the wire body Wd3', the bending portion center 12c', and the fixed wire body Wk' in the region between the distal side guide ring Jx and the proximal side guide ring Jx-1 all change into arc shapes. Furthermore, the length of each arc shape in the region between the distal side guide ring Jx and the proximal side guide ring Jx-1 has a relationship of wire body Wd3'<bending portion center 12c'<fixed wire body Wk'. Change. Further, since the fixed wire body Wk is fixed to the conical wire guide 18, the distance between the fixed wire body Wk and the fixed wire body Wk' between the distal side guide ring Jx and the proximal side guide ring Jx-1 is They are almost identical. That is, in the configuration including the wire body Wb of the driving wire W and the fixed wire body Wk, it is possible to bend the arbitrary bending region 12bx in the P direction while maintaining the length of the fixed wire body Wk.

Here, referring to FIG. 16, a bending angle θ when an arbitrary bending region 12bx is bent, a distance Q between the bending portion center 12c and the wire body Wd that is the driving wire W, The relationship of the distance L for moving the drive wire Wd will be described. FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram in which a two-dot chain line indicates a straight state before the bending region 12bx is bent, and a solid line and a one-dot chain line indicate a state in which the bending region 12bx is bent by the bending angle θ. To simplify the explanation, it is assumed that bending of the curved region 12bx occurs only in the YZ plane, and that the curved region 12bx deforms with a constant curvature. Furthermore, it is assumed that the center 12c' of the curved portion and the center of the arc of the wire body Wd' after deformation are the same. In addition to these, it is assumed that the length of the bending portion center 12c and the length of the wire body Wd are not deformed in the longitudinal direction (stretching direction).

In the straight state before the bending region 12bx is bent, the length of the bending portion center 12c of the bending region 12bx and the length of the wire body Wd are the same at L0. Note that the bending portion center 12c overlaps with the Z-axis in a state before being bent. In a state in which the curved region 12bx is bent, the curved portion center 12c' after bending indicated by the dashed-dotted line has an arc shape. Assuming that the radius of the arc shape is R, the arc length is obtained by R*θ. At this time, since the length of the bending portion center 12c does not change before and after bending of the bending region, L0=R*θ (Equation 1) holds.

Next, in a state in which the bending region 12bx is bent, the wire body Wd' after bending indicated by the thick solid line has an arc shape. The radius of this circular arc is RQ because the center 12c of the curved portion and the position of the wire body Wd are separated by the distance Q. That is, the arc length of the wire body Wd' when the bending region 12bx is bent is (RQ)*θ. At this time, the total length of the wire body Wd' is (RQ)*θ+L by adding the arc length (RQ)*θ and the distance L by which the wire body Wd moves in the -Z direction. . The length of the wire body Wd before bending is L0, and since the length of the wire body Wd does not change before and after the bending region 12bx bends, L0=(R−Q)*θ+L (formula 2) holds. Then, a relational expression of R*θ=(R−Q)*θ+L is derived from Equations 1 and 2. By rearranging this, θ*Q=L holds. That is, the bending angle θ is determined by the movement distance L of the wire body Wd and the distance Q between the bending portion center 12c whose length does not change before and after bending and the wire body Wd.

From the above, in FIG. 14A, the relationship θ1*Q=L is established for the bending angle θ1, the distance Q, and the distance L, and in FIG. 14B, the relationship θ2*2Q=L is established for the bending angle θ2, the distance Q, and the distance L. will be established. Therefore, when the distance L over which the wire body Wd is moved by the drive source M is the same, the relationship θ1=2*θ2 holds. This is because the portion whose length does not change is the bending portion center 12c in the configuration of FIG. 14A, whereas it is the fixed wire body Wk in the configuration of FIG. 14B. In other words, it can be said that the farther the position of the drive wire W is from the portion where the length does not change, the less likely it is to bend.

In the configuration of FIG. 14A, the wire body Wd1 and the wire body Wd2 are arranged at a position separated by a distance Q with respect to the bending portion center 12c whose length does not change. On the other hand, in the configuration of FIG. 14B, the wire body Wd3 is arranged at a position separated by a distance 2Q from the fixed wire body Wk whose length does not change. This difference is the difference in bending angle when the distance L of movement of the wire body Wd is the same.

Therefore, when the amount of movement of the wire body Wd is the same, the configuration of FIG. 14A has an increased bending angle compared to the configuration of FIG. 14B. At this time, in order to make the bending angle of the configuration of FIG. 14B equivalent to the bending angle of the configuration of FIG. 14A, it is necessary to increase the amount of movement of the wire body Wd. As the amount of movement of the wire body Wd increases, the stress in the area through which the wire body Wd is inserted increases accordingly.

When the wire body Wd is largely deformed, the frictional force that the wire body Wd receives from the surroundings increases accordingly, so the movement of the wire body Wd is unstable. That is, it becomes difficult to bend the curved region 12b stably and accurately at a predetermined angle. Moreover, since the force applied to the wire body Wd increases, the risk of damaging the catheter 11 also increases. In order to stabilize the movement of the wire body Wd, precisely control the bending motion of the catheter 11, and prevent damage to the catheter 11, it is desirable to achieve a large bending angle with as little movement of the wire body Wd as possible. Therefore, by increasing the number of drive wires W as much as possible, it is possible to easily bend the bending region 12b while suppressing the stress generated in the bending portion 12, that is, to achieve a configuration with high control accuracy.

Also, the drive source M in this embodiment is a DC brushless motor, which is a general electric component. In this embodiment, the third bending area 12b3 and the second bending area 12b2 are configured to have three drive wires W connected thereto, and the first bending area 12b1 has a configuration to which two drive wires W are connected. . At this time, the other end of each drive wire W is connected to a drive source M, that is, a motor. Therefore, in this embodiment, eight motors, which are the driving sources M, are provided.

Electric parts such as a central processing unit and an output unit mounted in the control unit 3 including the arithmetic unit 3a, and an amplifier for amplifying the output of the sensor generally have the number of terminals and the number of ports that are multipliers of two (2, 4, 8, 16 . . . ). In this case, in a configuration having nine motors, which are driving sources M, as in the prior art, the number of terminals and the number of ports of electric parts are not sufficient, and 16 parts must be used. In other words, by configuring the drive source M, that is, the number of motors mounted on the medical device by a power of 2, the possibility of maximizing the usage efficiency of the electrical components of the device as a whole increases, and the device as a whole is small and inexpensive. can be realized.

In summary, by reducing the number of motors from the conventional 9 to 8, it is possible to reduce the space for arranging the motors in the device, and furthermore, it is possible to use smaller and cheaper electric parts than before. There is However, reducing the number of motors also reduces the number of drive wires connected to them, which generally reduces control accuracy. In the present embodiment, the first bending region 12b1, which requires the lowest control accuracy, is configured to be driven by two drive wires, thereby minimizing the influence of a decrease in control accuracy and reducing the size of the bending area. It is excellent in that it can provide a low-cost device.

As described above, in this embodiment, three driving wires W are connected to the third bending region 12b3 and the second bending region 12b2, and two driving wires W are connected to the first bending region 12b1 for control. are doing. That is, by optimizing the number of drive wires W connected to the respective bending regions 12b, it is possible to provide a compact and inexpensive continuous robot.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the configuration in which only the first bending region 12b1 is driven by the two drive wires W has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the first bending region 12b1 is formed by two drive wires W and two drive sources M, the second bending region 12b2 is formed by two drive wires W and two drive sources M, and the third bending region 12b3 is formed by three drive wires W and three drive sources M. It may be configured to be controlled. In this case, for example, by fixing the fifth drive wire W23 shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B to the conical wire guide 18 as the fixed wire body Wk, the second bending region 12b2 is configured to be controlled by two drive wires W. be able to.

[Example 2]
In the first embodiment, the configuration is described in which three drive wires W are connected to the third bending region 12b3 and the second bending region 12b2, and two drive wires W are connected to the first bending region 12b1 for control. . Further, in the first embodiment, the drive wire W is connected to the motor, which is the drive source M, so that a total of eight motors are provided. In this embodiment, a configuration will be described in which the bending portion 12 is bent by reducing only the number of motors without reducing the number of drive wires W compared to the conventional configuration. Since the configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment except for the characteristic configuration of the present embodiment which will be described below, the description thereof is omitted.

The configuration of the driving wire W and the driving source M connected to an arbitrary bending region 12bx in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 15A to 15C. FIG. 15A is a schematic cross-sectional view of an arbitrary bending region 12bx configured with two drive wires W and one drive source M. FIG. FIG. 15B and FIG. 15C are schematic diagrams of a connecting portion composed of three drive wires W and two drive sources M. FIG.

FIG. 15A shows a schematic diagram of the configuration from an arbitrary bending region 12bx of the catheter 11 configured with two drive wires W and one drive source M to the tractor support shaft 21cs connected to the drive source M. there is In the configuration shown in Figure 15A, the basic components and their positional relationships are similar to the configuration shown in Figure 14A. In the configuration shown in FIG. 15A, the base unit 200 has a drive disc 50 supported by the base frame 25 (shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B) so as to be rotatable about a support point 51. be done. One ends of the drive wires Wd4 and Wd5 and one end of the tractor support shaft 21cs are connected to the drive disk 50 . Further, the support point 51 is arranged on the curved portion center 12c, and the drive wire Wd4 and the tractor support shaft 21cs are arranged on the same straight line.

As shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, a medical instrument is inserted into the catheter 11 through the tool hole 16a. Therefore, the drive disk 50 needs to be provided on the proximal side in the extending direction of the catheter 11 from the confluence of the tool hole 16a and the passage Ht (shown in FIG. 3B) for inserting the medical device.

The drive disk 50 rotates around the support point 51 when the tractor support shaft 21cs is moved in the Z direction by the drive source M. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 15A, when the tractor support shaft 21cs is moved in the -Z direction by the distance L by the drive source M, the drive disc 50 rotates clockwise about the support point 51, It moves from the position indicated by the dotted line to the position indicated by the solid line. Accordingly, the drive wire Wd4 connected to the drive disk 50 moves a distance L in the -Z direction, and the drive wire Wd5 moves a distance L in the +Z direction. That is, by providing the drive disk 50, one drive source M can move the two drive wires Wd4 and Wd5. In the configuration shown in FIG. 15A, it is possible to perform the same operation with a configuration in which one drive source M is removed from the configuration shown in FIG. 14A.

In FIG. 15A, the configuration in which the number of drive wires W is two and the number of drive sources M is one has been described. Next, applying this concept, a configuration in which the number of drive wires W is three and the number of drive sources M is two will be described.

FIG. 15B shows a view of the drive disk 50 to which three drive wires W and two drive sources M are connected, viewed in the extending direction. FIG. 15C is an enlarged schematic cross-sectional view of the drive disk 50 . In the configuration shown in FIGS. 15B and 15C, the drive disk 50 is connected to one end of each of the drive wires Wd6, Wd7 and Wd8 and one end of the tractor support shaft 21cs6 and 21cs7. The drive wire Wd6 and the tractor support shaft 21cs6 are arranged on the same straight line, and the drive wire Wd7 and the tractor support shaft 21cs7 are arranged on the same straight line.

One drive source M is connected to the other end of the tractor support shaft 21cs6, and one drive source M is connected to the other end of the tractor support shaft 21cs7. That is, two drive sources M are connected to the drive disk 50 shown in FIGS. 15B and 15C via the tractor support shaft 21cs6 and the tractor support shaft 21cs7.

The drive disk 50 rotates around the support point 51 when the tractor support shaft 21cs6 is moved in the Z direction by the drive source M connected to the tractor support shaft 21cs6. Similarly, the drive disk 50 rotates about the support point 51 when the tractor support shaft 21cs7 is moved in the Z direction by the drive source M connected to the tractor support shaft 21cs7. In FIG. 15C, it is assumed that the tractor support shaft 21cs6 has moved by a distance L6 and the tractor support shaft 21cs7 has moved by a distance L7. At this time, the attitude of the drive disk 50 is uniquely determined by three points, namely, the connection position of the drive disk 50 and the tractor support shaft 21cs6, the connection position of the drive disk 50 and the tractor support shaft 21cs7, and the support point 51.

Therefore, the moving distance L8 of the drive wire Wd8 connected to the drive disk 50 whose attitude is determined is also uniquely determined. That is, by providing the drive disk 50, the two tractor support shafts 21cs can be moved by the two drive sources M to bend the bending drive section 13 to which the three drive wires Wd are connected. By doing so, similarly to the configuration shown in FIG. 14A, the bending region 12b can be bent without changing the length of the bending portion center 12c.

Therefore, in the configuration shown in FIG. 15B, three drive wires W can be controlled by two drive sources M and the drive disk 50 in order to bend the bending region 12b. By doing so, it is possible to perform the same operation with a configuration in which one drive source M is reduced from the conventional configuration.

In this embodiment, considering the required control accuracy, the number of drive sources M is reduced by using three drive wires W, two drive sources M, and a drive disc 50 to form the first curved region 12b1. are reducing. That is, the number of drive sources M is smaller than the number of drive wires W connected to the drive disk 50 in the first curved region 12b1. As for the second curved region 12b2 and the third curved region 12b3, the configuration described with reference to FIGS. 3A and 3B can be applied as it is.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the third bending region 12b3 and the second bending region 12b2 are controlled using three driving sources M, and the first bending region 12b1 uses two driving sources M and the driving disk 50 to control the first bending region 12b1. It is configured to be controlled by That is, by optimizing the number of drive sources M connected to each bending region 12b, it is possible to provide a small-sized and inexpensive continuous body robot.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the configuration in which only the first bending region 12b1 is driven by the two driving sources M2 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the first bending region 12b1 is formed by three drive wires W and two drive sources M, the second bending region 12b2 is formed by three drive wires W and two drive sources M, and the third bending region 12b3 is formed by three drive wires W and three drive sources M. It may be configured to be controlled. At this time, it is assumed that the drive disk 50 is provided in the first curved region 12b1 and the second curved region 12b2.

Furthermore, Example 1 and Example 2 may be combined. For example, two drive wires W and two drive sources M are connected to the first bending region 12b1, two drive wires W and two drive sources M are connected to the second bending region 12b2, three drive wires W are connected to the third bending region 12b3, and the drive source A configuration in which control is performed by M2 pieces and the drive disk 50 may be used. At this time, the first bending region 12b1 and the second bending region 12b2 adopt the configuration described in the first embodiment, and the fixed wire bodies Wk are provided respectively. The third curved region 12b3 employs the configuration described in the second embodiment and is provided with the drive disk 50. As shown in FIG.

In the first and second embodiments described above, the number of drive wires W and the number of drive sources M are optimized based on the idea that the required control accuracy is higher on the distal side and lower on the proximal side. has become However, it is not limited to this. For example, in the bending portion 12 of the catheter 11, a configuration is conceivable in which the materials of the intermediate region 12a and the first bending region 12b1 are higher than those of the second bending region 12b2 and the third bending region 12b3. By doing so, the rigidity of the catheter 11 as a whole is ensured, and it is possible to prevent the catheter 11 from being deformed more than necessary when using the device, and from damaging the catheter 11 .

In this case, in order to improve the control accuracy of the intermediate region 12a and the first bending region 12b1 with high rigidity, it is preferable to control the first bending region 12b1 by increasing the number of drive wires W and drive sources M. For example, the first bending region 12b1 is controlled by connecting three drive wires W, the second bending region 12b2 is controlled by connecting two drive wires W, and the third bending region 12b3 is controlled by connecting three drive wires W. A configuration in which they are connected and controlled is conceivable. For the same reason, the first bending region 12b1 is controlled by connecting four drive wires W, and the second bending region 12b2 and the third bending region 12b3 are controlled by connecting three drive wires W. may By doing so, the bending region 12b on the distal end side can be accurately controlled while ensuring the rigidity of the catheter 11 as a whole.

That is, the number of drive wires W and drive sources M connected to the first bending region 12b1 is greater than the number of drive wires W and drive sources M connected to the second bending region 12b2 and the third bending region 12b3. may be The numbers of drive wires W and drive sources M may be different when comparing the plurality of curved regions 12b.

Also, in the above-described first and second embodiments, the medical device 1 has been described as an example of an application target of the continuum robot, but it is not limited to this. For example, other uses include inspection of plumbing equipment such as water supply, maintenance and inspection of aircraft engines, and nuclear power equipment. The continuum robot of the present invention is excellent in performing inspections and maintenance inspections in such places that are difficult for human hands to reach, and can be widely applied in addition to the medical device 1 .

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various changes and modifications are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the following claims are included to publicize the scope of the invention.

This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-020122 submitted on February 14, 2022, and the entire contents of the description are incorporated herein.

Claims (8)

1. a base unit;
   a drive unit provided with a plurality of drive sources provided in the base unit;
   a plurality of linear members connected to the drive unit;
   and a bending section that bends when the plurality of linear members are driven by the driving section,
   A first end in the extending direction of the linear member is connected to the curved portion, and a second end opposite to the first end in the extending direction is connected to the driving portion,
   The flexure comprises a first flexure and a second flexure, the first flexure positioned distally relative to the base unit in the extension direction relative to the second flexure. is,
   The continuous robot, wherein the number of the linear members connected to the first bending portion is different from the number of the linear members connected to the second bending portion.
2. 2. The continuous body according to claim 1, wherein the number of said linear members connected to said first curved portion is greater than the number of said linear members connected to said second curved portion. robot.
3. The second curved portion is made of a material having a higher rigidity than the first curved portion,
   2. The continuous body according to claim 1, wherein the number of said linear members connected to said second curved portion is greater than the number of said linear members connected to said first curved portion. robot.
4. Having a fixed linear member that is not connected to the drive unit,
   4. The fixed linear member is connected to a curved portion having a smaller number of connected linear members, out of the first curved portion and the second curved portion. A continuum robot according to any one of the above.
5. a base unit;
   a drive unit provided with a plurality of drive sources provided in the base unit;
   a plurality of linear members connected to the drive unit;
   and a bending section that bends when the plurality of linear members are driven by the driving section,
   A first end in the extending direction of the linear member is connected to the curved portion, and a second end opposite to the first end in the extending direction is connected to the driving portion,
   The flexure comprises a first flexure and a second flexure, the first flexure positioned distally relative to the base unit in the extension direction relative to the second flexure. is,
   The number of the drive sources for driving the linear members connected to the first bending portion is the number of the drive sources for driving the linear members connected to the second bending portion. A continuum robot characterized by being different from
6. The number of the drive sources for driving the linear members connected to the first bending portion is the number of the drive sources for driving the linear members connected to the second bending portion. 6. A continuum robot according to claim 5, characterized in that it is more than .
7. The second curved portion is made of a material having a higher rigidity than the first curved portion,
   The number of the drive sources for driving the linear members connected to the second bending portion is the number of the drive sources for driving the linear members connected to the first bending portion. 6. A continuum robot according to claim 5, characterized in that it is more than .
8. the driving unit includes a driving disk provided corresponding to a predetermined number of driving sources;
   Of the first curved portion and the second curved portion, at least two or more of the linear members connected to the curved portion where the number of drive sources is small are connected to the drive disk, and are connected to the drive disk. 8. The continuous robot according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein said predetermined number is smaller than the number of said linear members connected.

Images