WO2024074172A1

WO2024074172A1 - Coupling station and remote manipulation system

Info

Publication number: WO2024074172A1
Application number: PCT/DE2023/100731
Authority: WO
Inventors: Robert Odenbach; Ivan VOGT; Niklas THOMA
Original assignee: Otto-Von-Guericke-Universität Magdeburg
Priority date: 2022-10-05
Filing date: 2023-09-29
Publication date: 2024-04-11
Also published as: DE102022125703A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a coupling station (3) for a remote manipulation system which is operated using transmission means and which has at least one drive unit (1), a coupling station (3), and an actuating unit (5). At least one function of the actuating unit (5) can be adjusted in a remote-controlled manner by means of the drive unit (1) via the coupling station (3) using the transmission means. The invention additionally relates to a remote manipulation system which is operated using transmission means and which has at least one drive unit (1), a coupling station (3), and an actuating unit (5). At least one function of the actuating unit (5) can be adjusted in a remote-controlled manner by means of the drive unit (1) via the coupling station (3) using the transmission means.

Description

Coupling station and remote manipulation system

The invention relates to a coupling station for a remote manipulation system operated with transmission means, which has at least one drive unit, a coupling station and an actuating unit, wherein at least one function of the actuating unit can be adjusted remotely from the drive unit via the coupling station by means of the transmission means.

The invention also relates to a remote manipulation system operated with transmission means, which has at least one drive unit, a coupling station and an actuating unit, wherein at least one function of the actuating unit can be adjusted remotely from the drive unit via the coupling station by means of the transmission means.

Remote manipulation systems with transmission means designed as cables, for example, can be used in various applications. One advantageous area of application is medical technology, particularly in applications where certain materials, such as magnetic materials in MRI examinations, should be avoided due to the medical equipment used. The cables can advantageously be made from MRI-compatible material, so that their use in an MRI examination is unproblematic.

At least with regard to a positioning device, the present invention relates to the field of medical devices, in particular for the field of imaging examinations such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In particular in the field of interventional applications of MRI, there are special requirements, e.g. with regard to the MRI compatibility of the materials used, the medical device, and the operability of medical facilities in a relatively long and narrow MRI tunnel. In particular, unnecessary stress on the people working in this area due to the magnetic field should also be avoided. For such applications in the field of MRI, for example, there are simple mechanical positioning aids that allow the guidance of a biopsy needle or similar instruments and can be controlled by the user essentially with regard to the Angle orientation can be adjusted. However, such devices cannot be operated remotely.

From the state of the art, a remote manipulation system operated with cable pulls is already known, for example from DE 102020 104 746 B3.

Furthermore, US 2017/0308667 A1 teaches a mechanical device for remote manipulation with a master unit, a slave unit and a connecting link which, in conjunction with transmission means, transmits the kinematic movement from the master unit to the slave unit. This mechanical device for remote manipulation is designed in the form of a movable and space-consuming surgical instrument with a carrier unit and a manipulation unit with a double barrel placed on it. A master unit, a slave unit, the corresponding connecting link and the transmission means are at least partially arranged within the cannon-like, parallel double barrels, whereby these components are fixed relative to one another from a structural point of view.

The invention is based on the object of providing a further improved remote manipulation system and improved components of such a system.

This object is achieved by a coupling station with the features of claim 1. According to the concept of the invention, the coupling station for a remote manipulation system operated with transmission means has at least one drive unit, a coupling station and an actuating unit. At least one function of the actuating unit is remotely controlled by the drive unit via the coupling station and can be adjusted by means of the transmission means.

What is characteristic of this invention is that the drive unit, the coupling station and the actuating unit can be coupled together in a modular manner, whereby - following the inventive concept - three different variants are formed, described below. Despite their differences, all three variants have in common that either the drive-side transmission unit or the output-side transmission unit of the coupling station can be modularly connected either as Arrangement of individual plug-in modules or individual plug-in slots which are operatively connected to the complementary plug-in slots or plug-in modules assigned to them of the transmission means to be coupled.

In the first variant, the coupling station has both a drive-side transmission unit, which is detachably connected to the drive unit via transmission means, and an output-side transmission unit, which is detachably connected to the actuating unit via transmission means.

The coupling station is thus a mechanical interface between a transmission system acting between the coupling station and the drive unit and a transmission system acting between the coupling station and the actuating unit. Various advantages can be achieved through such an additional component in the remote manipulation system, namely the coupling station. The coupling station can be fixed at a specific location relative to the actuating unit independently of the drive unit, e.g. in a medical system on a patient bed while the actuating unit is fixed to the patient. The operator of the remote manipulation system can then manually handle the drive unit independently of the fixed coupling station and the fixed actuating unit and has more degrees of freedom of movement than if the manual operation had to take place directly on the coupling station. The drive unit can therefore be used like a type of "cable remote control".

In the second variant, the coupling station, which is designed as a common structural unit with the drive unit, has an output-side transmission unit which is detachably connected to the actuating unit via transmission means.

The drive unit can be structurally integrated into the coupling station, e.g. in a housing or housing part of the coupling station. The drive unit can also be attached directly to the coupling station, e.g. flanged. For example, manually operable control elements of the drive unit can then be arranged on the coupling station. In this variant, the invention can also be implemented without the drive-side transmission unit and the transmission means interacting with it between the coupling station and the drive unit, since the drive unit is integrated directly in the coupling station. In the third variant, the coupling station, which is designed as a common structural unit with the actuating unit, has a drive-side transmission unit which is detachably connected to the drive unit via transmission means.

The actuating unit can, for example, be structurally integrated into the coupling station, e.g. in a housing or housing part of the coupling station. The actuating unit can also be attached directly to the coupling station, e.g. flanged. For example, actuating elements or actuators of the actuating unit can be arranged on the coupling station. In this variant, the invention can also be implemented without the output-side transmission unit and the transmission means interacting with it between the coupling station and the actuating unit, since the actuating unit is integrated directly in the coupling station.

Mechanical transmission means, such as ropes, chains, belts, shafts, rods or other components suitable for transmitting movement and power, are preferably provided as transmission means. The inventive concept is also not inconvenient if hydraulic transmission means or pneumatic transmission means are used instead of mechanical transmission means.

If the expert were to choose cables as exemplary representatives for the multitude of different transmission means, he would arrive at a coupling station for a remote manipulation system operated with cable pulls, which has at least one drive unit, the coupling station and an actuating unit, wherein at least one function of the actuating unit can be adjusted remotely from the drive unit via the coupling station by means of the cable pulls, wherein the coupling station has a drive-side cable pull mechanism which can be connected to the drive unit via cable pulls, and/or the coupling station is designed as a common structural unit with the drive unit, wherein the coupling station has an output-side cable pull mechanism which can be connected to the actuating unit via cable pulls.

The invention can be used either with a manually operated drive unit or with a motor-operated drive unit. Even with a The previously explained advantages can be realized with a motor-driven drive unit, e.g. with regard to variable positioning of the motor drive unit. Where drive elements of the drive unit are mentioned below, these can be motors in a motor-driven drive unit, and in a manually operated drive unit these can be designed directly as manually operated adjusting elements, e.g. adjusting wheels, if necessary in combination with gears or other transmission elements.

A further advantage of the invention is that the power transmission between the drive-side transmission unit or the integrated drive unit and the output-side transmission unit can be designed differently as required. In particular, the coupling station can be used to design the remote manipulation system in such a way that no transmission means are required from the drive unit to the actuating unit, but rather the transmission means from the drive unit and the actuating unit each end at the coupling station. This allows, for example, a simple decoupling of the drive-side transmission unit from the output-side transmission unit. For example, the coupling station can have an overload protection mechanism, as explained in more detail below, by which the drive side is decoupled from the output side under predetermined conditions, e.g. when a permissible maximum force is exceeded.

In addition, an additional component such as the coupling station in the design variant basically allows a better separation between a sterile area and a non-sterile area in medical systems. In particular, the drive unit and possibly also the coupling station, in whole or in part, can be used as a reusable assembly of a medical system, while the actuating unit can only be designed for single use due to sterility requirements for the patient. Depending on the design of the invention according to the three variants described, it is also possible that the constructive combination of actuating unit and coupling station means that these are designed together for single use.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the drive-side transmission unit and/or drive elements of the drive unit is coupled to the output-side transmission unit via a transmission mechanism, whereby actuating movements transmitted from the drive unit via the transmission means or directly to the transmission mechanism can be transmitted to the output-side transmission unit by means of the transmission mechanism and from there can be transmitted to the actuating unit via the transmission means. This allows a reliable, reproducible transmission of actuating movements from the drive unit to the actuating unit.

The transmission mechanism can be designed differently depending on the application, e.g. with a gear transmission, a friction clutch and/or a positive coupling or with another gear. The gear transmission can be any roller gear, helical roller gear or helical gear. Examples of this, but not limited to them, include helical gears, worm gears, planetary gears, hypoid gears, spur gears, bevel gears or worm gears.

If a gearbox is present, the transmission mechanism can also be designed to be switchable, so that the user can switch between different gear ratios. For example, different gear ratios can be present on the actuating unit for generating large actuating movements and alternatively for generating small, sensitively dosed actuating movements. However, switching is also conceivable with clutch-based transmission mechanisms in addition to gearbox-based transmission mechanisms, for example in the case of double clutches on a common shaft, which can be switched alternately, for example for the purpose of switching from the transmission to the spring function.

The actuating unit can also be adjustable in several degrees of freedom in the case of transmission means designed as cable pulls.

According to a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the output-side transmission unit is coupled to the drive-side transmission unit and/or drive elements of the drive unit via an overload protection mechanism, wherein the overload protection mechanism is designed to to decouple the output-side transmission unit from the drive-side transmission unit and/or drive elements of the drive unit, particularly when a predetermined force is exceeded. In this way, the area acted upon by the actuating unit, e.g. a patient in the medical field, can be protected in emergency situations. The overload protection mechanism can thus completely or partially decouple the output-side transmission unit from the drive-side transmission unit.

Depending on the application, the overload protection mechanism can be designed as a reversible or irreversible overload protection mechanism. For example, there can be at least one predetermined breaking point (irreversible overload protection mechanism) in the coupling station, which breaks when excessive forces occur in the transmission means and thus releases the output-side transmission unit. For example, the output-side transmission unit can then completely detach from a housing of the coupling station.

A reversible overload protection mechanism, which can be designed like a buckle on bags or backpacks, for example, can be returned by the user to the original, coupled state after the decoupling condition occurs, in which the output-side transmission unit is coupled to the drive-side transmission unit. An irreversible overload protection mechanism is characterized by the fact that at least one component undergoes an irreversible change, such as the predetermined breaking point mentioned above. At least one replacement part must then be used to restart the coupling station.

The overload protection mechanism can be designed as a passive or active overload protection mechanism. A passive overload protection mechanism is characterized by the fact that the overload protection is provided by purely mechanical and therefore passive components, such as the predetermined breaking point mentioned. An active overload protection mechanism can have a sensor that monitors the decoupling condition to be monitored, e.g. the exceeding of a predetermined force, and emits a corresponding signal when the decoupling condition occurs, e.g. a switching signal. The switching signal can, for example, a switching contact must be triggered to decouple the output-side transmission unit from the drive-side transmission unit.

In such an actively controlled switching system, there can be an additional transmission medium in one of the two or both transmission medium strands (drive and output side), which triggers a switching contact (sensor with switching signal) when there is a corresponding load. Using this switching signal, a clutch is released electromechanically, for example by moving a locking bolt. This allows the output-side transmission unit to be decoupled from the drive-side transmission unit.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the overload protection mechanism is integrated into the transmission mechanism and/or is designed to mechanically separate the transmission mechanism. This can, for example, involve the output-side transmission unit or the drive-side transmission unit being completely or partially detached from a housing of the coupling station.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the coupling station can be switched at least between a first and a second switching position, wherein in the first switching position the output-side transmission unit is coupled to the drive-side transmission unit and/or drive elements of the drive unit, so that adjustments specified by the drive unit are transmitted to the actuating unit via the coupling station by means of the transmission means, and in the second switching position the output-side transmission unit is decoupled from the drive-side transmission unit and/or the drive elements of the drive unit. In the second switching position, adjustments specified by the drive unit are therefore no longer transmitted to the actuating unit via the coupling station. In this state, any adjustments to the drive unit have no influence on the set position of the actuating unit.

In addition or alternatively, a second gear stage, e.g. with a different gear ratio, can be realized by means of the second switching position (in addition to the rigid or elastic position/locking), e.g. as an extension of the previously mentioned Function of the switchable double clutch. This would make it possible to achieve high-speed and fine-speed operation, for example.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, in the second switching position, an adjustment position previously set by the drive unit, e.g. directly or via the drive-side transmission unit, is held rigidly or elastically by means of a spring device in the output-side transmission unit. With a rigid coupling, the set adjustment position is held rigidly on the actuating unit. In the alternative case of the spring device, a certain elasticity is present in the output-side cable mechanism, so that a set position on the actuating unit is also held, but can also be changed with a certain spring elasticity or flexibility when forces occur. However, thanks to the spring device, the actuating unit always strives for the set position once it has been set. It is also possible that the output-side transmission unit is not fixed in any way in the second switching position. The actuating unit can then be freely adjusted, for example manually, at least in the corresponding, affected degrees of freedom of movement by direct action. If the actuating unit is adjusted via the cable pull mechanisms in several degrees of freedom, the coupling station can also have different functionalities of the type mentioned above in the second switching position with regard to different cables. For example, one cable pull or several cables in the output-side cable pull mechanism can be held rigidly in the second switching position, one or more cables can be held elastically by means of a spring device.

The spring device can be designed, for example, as a torsion spring, tension spring or compression spring.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the coupling station can be switched back and forth between the first switching position and the second switching position via cables connected to the drive-side cable mechanism and/or directly by drive elements of the drive unit. This also allows the switching mechanism for switching between the first and second switching positions to be remotely operated from the drive unit. According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the coupling station has a head region on which at least the output-side cable pull mechanism is arranged, and a foot region which is spatially spaced from the head region and is designed for setting up and fastening the coupling station on a base. This allows a spatial separation between the fastening of the coupling station on the base and the cables essential for operation, which simplifies the assembly and handling of the coupling station.

For example, the head area can be connected to the foot area via a manually releasable coupling mechanism. The head area can be easily and quickly detached from the foot area via the coupling mechanism, particularly without tools. The coupling mechanism can, for example, have a locking device that can be released via a manual actuating element.

The foot region can have an adjustment mechanism by means of which the head region can be adjusted in at least one degree of freedom relative to the ground or a component of the foot region attached to the ground. For example, the head region can be flexibly adjusted in the at least one degree of freedom by means of the adjustment mechanism.

For example, the head area can be coupled to the foot area via a flexible suspension. Such a flexible suspension can, for example, allow the head area to be tilted in relation to the foot area, e.g. in the direction of the cables emanating from the output-side cable mechanism. Tilting in a transverse direction can also be possible, but in many cases is not necessary and can therefore be excluded by the mechanical design. Alternatively or additionally, the flexible suspension can allow the head area to rotate around the foot area around a vertical axis.

As already explained, the drive-side transmission unit or the output-side transmission unit of the coupling station is designed modularly either as an arrangement of individual plug-in modules or individual plug-in slots, which are connected to their associated complementary plug-in slots or Plug-in modules of the transmission means to be coupled are operatively connected. Such a modular construction has many advantages. If, for example, the overload protection mechanism has a predetermined breaking point, easily exchangeable plug-in modules can be replaced after the predetermined breaking point has been broken open. It is also possible for the plug-in modules to be designed differently in terms of their functionality. In particular, the plug-in modules can be designed differently in terms of their functionality in the second switching position.

In the case of an active overload protection mechanism, e.g. activated via the additional "sensor cables" / "sensor cables", several of these sensor cables can be present, e.g. one for each plug-in module.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the transmission mechanism has a gear transmission. This allows a safe, slip-free transmission of actuating movements from the drive unit to the actuating unit.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, it is provided that when switching from the first switching position to the second switching position, a gear on the output side can be brought into engagement with different associated gears. In this way, the desired switching between the first and second switching positions can be carried out with a relatively simply constructed manual transmission. The coupling station can thus be constructed compactly and inexpensively.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, one or more gears have a base body which has a cylindrical section and a circumferentially tapered section adjoining the cylindrical section, with the teeth of the gear extending from the cylindrical section into the tapered section. Such beveled gears can achieve improved engagement behavior when switching the transmission. During the switching process, the teeth of the gear can be aligned. In addition to improved tooth engagement, this can also achieve greater switching smoothness. The circumferentially tapered section can be a conical section, for example. In addition to the function of transmitting power from the drive unit to the actuating unit, the coupling station also ensures patient safety and can also support the function of a spring-loaded instrument bearing on the actuating unit.

The object mentioned at the outset is also achieved by a remote manipulation system operated with transmission means, which has at least one drive unit, a coupling station and actuating unit, wherein at least one function of the actuating unit can be adjusted remotely from the drive unit via the coupling station by means of the transmission means.

This also makes it possible to achieve the advantages explained above. The coupling station can advantageously be designed as a coupling station of the type explained above.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the drive-side transmission unit is coupled directly to the drive unit via the transmission means and/or the coupling station is designed as a common structural unit with the drive unit.

The invention is explained in more detail below using exemplary embodiments and drawings, of which

Figure 1 shows the use of a remote manipulation system during a medical examination,

Figure 2 shows a drive unit and a coupling station of the remote manipulation system according to Figure 1,

Figure 3 shows the head area of the coupling station according to Figure 2 in perspective view,

Figure 4 is a side cross-sectional view of the head region according to Figure 3,

Figure 5 is a perspective sectional view of the head region according to Figure 3,

Figure 6 a switchable gear transmission,

Figure 7 shows the head area according to Figure 3 in an exploded view, Figure 8 shows a drive-side part of the head area in perspective view, Figure 9 shows a drive-side plug-in module in perspective view,

Figure 10 shows another output-side plug-in module in perspective view, Figure 11 shows the head area in perspective sectional view in a first

Switch position,

Figure 12 the head area in a perspective sectional view in a second switching position,

Figure 13 the foot area of the coupling station,

Figure 14 a part of the foot area,

Figure 15 a coupling unit.

Of the three possible variants of the invention explained at the beginning, the first variant is explained in more detail with reference to the drawings, in which the drive unit, the coupling station and the actuating unit are each designed separately from one another and can be positioned relative to one another as desired using transmission means designed as cable pulls. Instead of the cables, however, other transmission means such as chains, belts, shafts, rods or other components suitable for movement and power transmission can be used which can functionally perform the same task.

Figure 1 shows the use of a remote manipulation system operated with cables in a medical application, specifically here when examining a patient 6 with a magnetic resonance imaging system. The patient 6 is located on a patient couch 7. An actuating unit 5 of the remote manipulation system is attached to the patient 6, e.g. a positioning device of the type described in DE 10 2020 104 746 B3. Furthermore, a coupling station 3 of the remote manipulation system is attached to the foot area of the patient couch 7. The coupling station 3 is connected to the actuating unit 5 via a cable pull mechanism on the output side as a transmission unit 4. Furthermore, the coupling station 3 is connected to a drive unit 1, which forms a further element of the remote manipulation system, via a cable pull mechanism transmission unit 2 on the drive side. The drive unit 1 can, for example, be operated manually by an operator 9. By actuating certain actuating elements of the drive unit 1, actuating movements are transmitted to the coupling station 3 via the transmission means, in particular to its drive-side Cable pull mechanism as transmission unit 2. The drive-side cable pull mechanism as transmission unit 2 of the coupling station 3 is connected to an output-side cable pull mechanism as transmission unit 4 of the coupling station 3. The actuating movements of the drive unit 1 are transmitted to the actuating unit 5 via the transmission means on the transmission unit 4.

Figure 2 illustrates the interaction between the drive unit 1 and the coupling station 3. Manually operated adjusting elements 10 are present on the drive unit 1, by means of which individual cables of the drive-side cable pulls of the drive-side transmission unit 2 can be moved by the operator 9. These cable movements are transmitted via the drive-side cable pulls to the drive-side transmission unit 2 of the coupling station 3 and from there via the output-side transmission unit 4 to the cables connected to the adjusting unit 5.

It can also be seen that the coupling station 3 has a head region 30 and a foot region 31. The foot region 31 serves to fasten the coupling station 3 to a surface, here on the patient bed 7. The head region 30 is coupled to the foot region 31 via a flexible suspension, so that the head region 30 can carry out certain spring-loaded movements relative to the foot region 31 in at least one or more degrees of freedom. The cable pull mechanisms mentioned are housed in the head region 30, which is explained in more detail below with regard to its structure and functions with reference to Figures 3 to 5.

As can be seen in Figures 3 to 5, the head area 30 is modular. It has a base module 32 into which two individual, exchangeable plug-in modules 33, 34 are inserted. The drive-side cable pulls 2 run with their individual cable pulls 21 and the cables 23 guided therein into the base module 32. The individual cables 23 are each wound onto a cable pulley 60, e.g. by being wound around it at least one and a half times (e.g. wrap angle >540°). Each cable pulley 60 is coupled to a drive gear 35, 37. If one of the cable pulls is actuated, this causes the respective cable pulley 60 to rotate and, accordingly, the drive gear connected to it to rotate synchronously. 35, 37. The drive-side cable pull mechanism 2 is realized by the cable pulleys 60, which are connected to the drive-side cable pulls 21.

On the output side, the individual cable pulls 41 with their cables 43 go into the respective plug-in modules 33, 34. The plug-in module 33 has output gears 38, each of which is coupled to a cable pulley 60. The cables 43 are wound around the cable pulleys 60.

The drive gear 37 is firmly coupled to the driven gear 39. In this way, a rotary motion transmitted via the cable pulls 23 to the drive gear 37 is transmitted directly via the driven gear 39 to the driven-side cables 43. If, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, the drive gear 35 is in engagement with the driven gear 38, then, analogously to what was previously described, a direct transmission of the actuating movement from the cable 23 via the drive gear 35 to the driven gear 38 and via this to the driven-side cable 43 takes place.

It can be seen in Figures 4 and 5 that in the upper part of the head region 30, a further gear 36 is arranged under each drive gear 35. The respective gear 36 is not coupled in the direction of rotation with the associated drive gear 35, but can rotate relative to it. The additional gears 36 are each elastically suspended in the direction of rotation via a spring device 61. If a rotational movement is transmitted to a further gear 36, the spring device 61 is tensioned and thus creates a tendency for the respective gear 36 to rotate back to its original starting position.

The output gears 38 can be operated in different switching positions. In the first switching position shown in Figures 4 and 5, an output gear 38 is in engagement with an associated drive gear 35. In a second switching position, which is explained below with reference to further drawings, an output gear 38 can also be brought into engagement with another gear 36. In this state, the output gear 38 can therefore no longer be set in motion via the drive-side cables 23.

The cables or individual cables can be tensioned using tensioning screws 42. Figure 6 uses a schematic detail to illustrate the gear mechanism comprising the gears 35, 36, 38. As already mentioned, the gear 38 can be moved into various axial positions, as indicated by the arrow. In a first switching position, the output gear 38 is in engagement with the drive gear 35; in a second switching position (shown in Figure 6), the output gear 38 is only in engagement with the other gear 36, which is elastically sprung in the direction of rotation via the spring device 61. The spring device 61 can be designed, for example, as an elastomer band or elastomer hose. While the output gear 38 can be designed as a gear with a cylindrical base body and teeth arranged thereon, it is advantageous to design the gears 35, 36 with a partially conical base body 71 to support the switching process, to which a cylindrical base body 70 is connected. The individual teeth of the toothing of a gear then extend from the cylindrical base body 70 into the conical base body 71.

The gears 35, 36, 37, 38, 39 can advantageously be designed with an involute toothing, since this combines the advantages of smooth running behavior through continuous tooth flank contact and friction minimization and is insensitive to a change in the center distance. Since the gears and possibly other components of the remote manipulation system can be manufactured additively using 3D printing, the use of such an involute toothing is also not associated with increased manufacturing effort.

As Figure 6 shows, for example, the tooth width of the movable gear 38 and the distances between the gears 35, 36 can be selected so that the gear 38 is always in engagement with at least one of the gears 35, 36. During switching between the first and second switching positions, the movable gear 38 can temporarily be in engagement with both gears 35, 36. This counteracts an uncontrolled adjustment of the component of the actuating unit 5 connected to the cables 43. The cables 43 of the plug-in module 33 can be used, for example, to change the spatial position of a medical instrument can be adjusted. The cable pulls 43 of the plug-in module 34 can be used, for example, to advance or retract the instrument on the actuating unit 5.

The elastic fixation of the output-side cables 43 by means of the spring device makes it possible to compensate for slight movements made by the patient, e.g. due to breathing and organ movements. The spring effect ensures that the previously set position is always continuously sought after after such a movement has subsided.

Figure 7 illustrates advantageous design details of the coupling station 3 or its head area 30. It can be seen how the plug-in modules 33, 34 can be inserted into plug-in slots of the base part 32, which are shaped as matching counterparts. A locking pin 63 is used to fix the plug-in modules 33, 34 in the base module 32, which can have a cylindrical outer contour over most of its longitudinal extension and can have a section with an external thread on a screw head-like end area. The locking pin 63 extends through corresponding openings in the plug-in modules 33, 34 when the components are assembled, and thus fixes them by means of a positive fit.

Figure 8 shows the base module 32 with the locking pin 63 inserted into it. A switching element 72 can also be seen, which is used to switch the gear transmission between the first switching position and the second switching position. The switching element 72 is mounted on the locking pin 63 so that it slides longitudinally.

Figure 9 shows the plug-in module 33 in a side sectional view, so that only the right half of the plug-in module 33 is shown. In the middle area, the plug-in module 33 has a receiving section 65 for receiving a section of the locking pin 63. On the side facing the base module 32, the receiving section 65 is limited by a transverse bar 64. The bar 64 prevents the plug-in module 33 from being pulled out of the base module 32. The transverse bar 64 is relatively weak. dimensioned to form an overload protection mechanism in the form of a predetermined breaking point.

The plug-in module 34 is constructed in a similar way, with Figure 10 showing the complete plug-in module 34. There, too, is the receiving section 65 for receiving part of the locking pin 63. There is also a crossbar 64, which cannot be seen due to the viewing direction.

As part of the overload protection device, the locking pin 63 also serves as a breaking edge for the crossbar 64, which serves as a predetermined breaking point.

Figures 11 and 12 show the switching mechanism for switching the gear transmission from the first switching position to the second switching position and vice versa. The switching element 72 can be seen, which can be pulled in opposite directions via two opposing pull cables 73. The pull cables 73 can be parts of the drive-side cable pull system 2. In order to be able to redirect the guide direction of the pull cables 73 in a low-friction, cost-effective and MRI-compatible manner, ceramic cord guide rings 74 can be used, for example. Figure 11 shows the switching element 72 in the first switching position, Figure 12 in the second switching position.

Figure 13 shows the foot area 31 of the coupling station 3 in a perspective sectional view. The foot area 31 has a lower component 81 and an upper component 82. The upper component 82 is attached to the lower component 81 using fastening elements, for example a bracing ring 83. The lower component 81 serves to arrange the foot area 31 on the surface to which the coupling station 3 is to be attached. The foot area 31 or the lower component 81 can be attached to the surface using tensioning belts, for example, which are guided through belt guides 80 formed on the lower component 81. It is also possible to attach the foot area 31 using a base plate, e.g. to the MRI table.

Between the lower component 81 and the upper component 82 there is a spherically curved gap-shaped space 87 in which a running element 85, also spherically curved, is guided. The upper component 82 has a trough-like area 84 for this purpose. The running element 85 can be pivoted in the gap-shaped space 87 within a certain angular range and can also be rotated by a vertical axis. Figure 14 shows the arrangement of the

Running element 85 below the upper component 84. The lower component 81 is not shown in this case.

A coupling unit 89, 90 is connected to the running element 85 via a connecting section 86. The coupling unit 89, 90 serves to quickly detachably fasten the head region 30 to the foot region 31. Figure 15 shows the individual elements of the coupling unit 89, 90.

In order to enable the head region 30 to be attached quickly and released just as quickly, the coupling unit 89, 90 is designed in several parts. The coupling unit 89, 90 has a receiving element 89 that is permanently coupled to the connecting section 86 and a head-side fastening element 90 that can be attached to the receiving element 89 by means of a quick fastening. The head region 30 is then firmly coupled to the fastening element 90, for example by means of screws.

For example, the receiving element 89 can have a rail-like guide into which the fastening element 90 can be inserted. Once the fastening element 90 has reached an end position in the rail-like guide, it can be secured to the receiving element 89 via a locking element 92. To release the rust, there is a manually operable actuating element 91 which is coupled to the receiving element 89 via an elastically deformable connection.

Claims

Patent claims

1. Coupling station (3) for a remote manipulation system operated with transmission means, which has at least one drive unit (1), a coupling station (3) and an actuating unit (5), wherein at least one function of the actuating unit (5) can be adjusted remotely from the drive unit (1) via the coupling station (3) by means of the transmission means, characterized in that the drive unit (1), the coupling station (3) and the actuating unit (5) can be coupled to one another in a modular manner, wherein a) the coupling station (3) has both a drive-side transmission unit (2) which is detachably connected to the drive unit (1) via transmission means, and an output-side transmission unit (4) which is detachably connected to the actuating unit (5) via transmission means; or b) the coupling station (3), which is designed as a common structural unit with the drive unit (1), has a drive-side transmission unit (4) which is detachably connected to the actuating unit (5) via transmission means; or c) the coupling station (3), which is designed as a common structural unit with the actuating unit (5), has a drive-side transmission unit (2) which is detachably connected to the drive unit (1) via transmission means; and optionally the drive-side transmission unit (2) or the output-side transmission unit (4) of the coupling station (3) is designed modularly either as an arrangement of individual plug-in modules (33, 34) or individual plug-in shafts, which are operatively connected to complementary plug-in shafts or plug-in modules (33, 34) of the transmission means to be coupled. Coupling station (3) according to claim 1, characterized in that the drive-side transmission unit (2) and/or drive elements of the drive unit (1) are coupled to the output-side transmission unit (4) via a transmission mechanism, wherein actuating movements transmitted from drive elements of the drive unit (1) to the transmission mechanism can be transmitted to the output-side transmission unit (4) by means of the transmission mechanism and from there can be transmitted to the actuating unit (5) via the transmission means. Coupling station (3) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the output-side transmission unit (4) is coupled to the drive-side transmission unit (2) and/or drive elements of the drive unit (1) via an overload protection mechanism, wherein the overload protection mechanism is designed to decouple the output-side transmission unit (4) from the drive-side transmission unit (2) and/or drive elements of the drive unit (1) when a predetermined decoupling condition occurs, in particular when a predetermined force is exceeded. Coupling station (3) according to claim 3, characterized in that the overload protection mechanism is integrated into the transmission mechanism and/or is designed to mechanically separate the transmission mechanism. Coupling station (3) according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the coupling station (3) can be switched at least between a first and a second switching position, wherein in the first switching position the output-side transmission unit (4) is connected to the drive-side transmission unit (2) and/or drive elements of the drive unit (1), so that adjustments predetermined by the drive unit (1) are transmitted to the actuating unit (5) via the coupling station (3) by means of the transmission means, and in the second switching position the output-side transmission unit (4) is uncoupled from the drive-side transmission unit (2) and/or the drive elements of the drive unit (1). Coupling station (3) according to claim 5, characterized in that in the second switching position an adjustment position previously set by the drive unit (1) is held rigidly in the output-side transmission unit (4) or elastically by means of a spring device (61). Coupling station (3) according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the coupling station (3) can be switched back and forth between the first switching position and the second switching position via the transmission means connected to the drive-side transmission unit (2) and/or directly by drive elements of the drive unit (1). Coupling station (3) according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the coupling station (3) has a head region (30) on which at least the drive-side transmission unit (2) or the output-side transmission unit (4) is arranged, and a foot region (31) which is spatially spaced from the head region and is designed for setting up and fastening the coupling station (3) on a base. Coupling station (3) according to claim 8, characterized in that the foot region has an adjustment mechanism by means of which the head region can be adjusted in at least one spatial degree of freedom relative to the base or a component of the foot region fastened to the base. Coupling station (3) according to one of claims 2 to 9, characterized in that the transmission mechanism comprises a gear transmission, which can be designed as a rolling gear, helical rolling gear or helical gear is designed. Coupling station (3) according to claim 10, characterized in that when switching from the first switching position to the second switching position, a gear on the output side can be brought into engagement with different associated gears. Coupling station (3) according to claim 11, characterized in that one or more gears have a base body which has a cylindrical section and a section adjoining the cylindrical section and tapering on the circumference, the teeth of the gear extending from the cylindrical section into the tapering section. Coupling station (3) according to one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that ropes, chains, belts, shafts, rods or other components suitable for transmitting movement and force are provided as transmission means. Remote manipulation system operated with transmission means, which has at least one drive unit (1), a coupling station (3) and an actuating unit (5), wherein at least one function of the actuating unit (5) can be adjusted remotely from the drive unit (1) via the coupling station (3) by means of the transmission means. Remote manipulation system operated with transmission means according to claim 14, characterized in that the coupling station (3) is designed according to one of the preceding claims.