Surgical robot

Abstract

The invention belongs to the technical field of medical instruments, and provides a surgical robot which comprises an outer sleeve. The snake bone pipe is separably arranged in the outer sleeve in a penetrating manner; the tail end instrument is arranged at the far end of the snake bone tube, and the tail end instrument can penetrate through the outer sleeve along with the snake bone tube to enter a target cavity; the multiple traction ropes are located in the snake-bone pipe, and one end of each traction rope is at least located at the far-end position of the snake-bone pipe; the limiting parts are sequentially arranged in the snake bone pipe in a penetrating mode, each limiting part is provided with a plurality of penetrating holes, and the penetrating holes are used for the traction ropes to penetrate through so that the traction ropes can be limited in the limiting parts. The multiple limiting pieces are arranged in the snake-bone pipe, the penetrating holes are formed in the limiting pieces, so that the multiple traction ropes passing through the snake-bone pipe can penetrate through the limiting pieces, and the multiple traction ropes can be arranged in a separated mode through the limiting pieces; therefore, the situation that the multiple traction ropes are stacked and intertwined when the snake bone pipe is in a bent state is avoided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of medical devices, and in particular to a surgical robot. Background Art

[0002] The distal end of the surgical robot arm is provided with an end instrument, which usually needs to rotate. One way is to set parts between the end instrument and the guide (which is inserted into the flexible tube and used to drive the end instrument to move in the flexible tube) to realize the rotation of the end instrument, but this method is easily limited by space; another way is to rotate the guide as a whole, thereby driving the end instrument to rotate. Since the flexible tube is long, the guide inserted into it is also long and needs to have the function of being able to bend. Therefore, the guide inserted into the flexible tube and used to connect the end instrument can be a torque coil or some more complex structure.

[0003] However, in actual applications, the use of a torque coil requires the installation of a pull cord and cable inside it for controlling the terminal instrument (surgical action or degree of freedom) (the pull cords are usually installed in flexible sheaths of matching size to prevent the pull cords from colliding and affecting each other). Since the pull cord needs to control the degree of freedom of the terminal instrument or the surgical action (occlusion, etc.), it is necessary to ensure that the pull cord has a certain tension inside the torque coil. In actual applications, the torque coil is usually bent at a certain angle and needs to rotate along its own axis to drive the rotation of the terminal instrument. During this process, the multiple flexible sheaths inside will accumulate or generate torque (which can also be understood as self-tightening and winding), which will cause a jump, and it is also easy to cause a jump of the torque coil that is closely attached to it. That is, the above-mentioned problems will cause the proximal end of the torque coil to rotate, and the distal end will rotate at an extremely asymmetric or random speed, and then a jump will occur. Therefore, it is difficult to control the rotation of the terminal instrument, thereby affecting the accuracy of the surgical process. Summary of the invention

[0004] The embodiment of the present application provides a surgical robot that can separately arrange multiple traction ropes, thereby preventing the multiple traction ropes from piling up and entangled with each other when the snake tube is in a bent state.

[0005] The present application embodiment provides a surgical robot, comprising:

[0006] Outer sleeve;

[0007] A snake bone tube is detachably inserted into the outer sleeve, and the snake bone tube includes a plurality of interlocking snake bones;

[0008] An end instrument is disposed at the distal end of the snake tube, and the end instrument can pass through the outer sleeve along with the snake tube to enter the target cavity;

[0009] A plurality of pulling ropes are located in the snake tube, and one end of each pulling rope is at least located at the distal end of the snake tube, and each pulling rope is configured to be pulled by an external force to adjust the degree of freedom of the terminal instrument;

[0010] A plurality of limiting members are sequentially inserted into the snake tube, and each of the limiting members is configured with a plurality of through holes, and the through holes are used for the pulling rope to pass through so as to limit the pulling rope in the plurality of limiting members.

[0011] In a feasible implementation, each section of the snake bone corresponds to at least one of the limiting members.

[0012] In a feasible implementation, the limiting member includes a sleeve, and the sleeve is adapted to be embedded in the snake bone tube;

[0013] The sleeve comprises a first end surface and a second end surface opposite to each other, and the first end surface and / or the second end surface are arc-shaped surfaces convex outward.

[0014] In a feasible implementation, the through hole is formed in the sleeve and communicates the first end surface with the second end surface;

[0015] The sleeve is also configured with a wire passing hole, which is located at one side of the perforation and is used for the pull wire and / or cable connected to the end instrument to pass through.

[0016] In a feasible implementation, the surgical robot further includes a flexible continuum, and the flexible continuum is located between the snake tube and the end instrument;

[0017] The distal end of the pulling rope is connected to the flexible continuum so as to pull the flexible continuum to adjust the degree of freedom of the end instrument.

[0018] In a feasible implementation, the snake bone tube includes a proximal portion and a distal portion, the proximal portion includes multiple sections of snake bones with a length of A, and the distal portion includes multiple sections of snake bones with a length of B; wherein A>B;

[0019] The length of each of the multiple sleeves embedded in the proximal part is A, and the length of each of the multiple sleeves embedded in the distal part is B.

[0020] In a feasible implementation, the outer periphery of the sleeve is structured with a first positioning portion, and the snake bone corresponding to the sleeve is structured with a second positioning portion, so that the sleeve can be positioned by aligning the second positioning portion with the first positioning portion.

[0021] In a feasible implementation, each of the snake bones has two convex connection parts at the first end and two concave connection parts at the second end, and the concave connection parts are pivotally connected to the adjacent convex connection parts;

[0022] Under the action of external force, the snake bone tube is squeezed along its axial direction, and the convex connecting parts and concave connecting parts of two adjacent sections of the snake bone have at least two contact positions, so that when the snake bone tube rotates along its axial direction, each convex connecting part fits with the corresponding concave connecting part, so that the distal end of the snake bone tube rotates along the proximal end of the snake bone tube, and the rotation angles are consistent.

[0023] In a feasible implementation, the concave connecting portion is a groove formed at the second end of the snake bone, the bottom of the groove includes a bottom surface, a first inclined surface and a second inclined surface, the bottom surface extends along the circumference of the snake bone, and the first inclined surface and the second inclined surface are respectively located on both sides of the bottom surface;

[0024] When the snake-bone tube is squeezed along its axial direction by an external force, the outer end surface of the convex connection portion abuts against the first inclined surface and the second inclined surface respectively to form two contact positions.

[0025] In a feasible implementation, the first inclined surface is a plane / arc surface, and the second inclined surface is a plane / arc surface;

[0026] And / or, the cross-sectional shape of the bottom of the groove is trapezoidal.

[0027] In a feasible implementation, the outer contour of the convex connection portion is circular, and the outer contour of the convex connection portion is an inner conical surface whose radius gradually decreases from the outer wall to the inner wall of the snake bone;

[0028] The inner surface of the groove is adapted to the outer contour of the convex connecting portion.

[0029] In a feasible implementation, the opening length of the groove is smaller than the diameter of the convex connecting portion.

[0030] In a feasible implementation, each of the snake bones includes two opposite convex connecting parts and two opposite concave connecting parts;

[0031] A line connecting the two opposite male connection parts is perpendicular to a line connecting the two opposite female connection parts.

[0032] In a feasible implementation, the snake bone tube further comprises a first snake bone and a tail snake bone, the first end of the first snake bone is configured with a convex connection part / concave connection part to be pivotally connected with the concave connection part / convex connection part of the adjacent snake bone, and the second end surface of the first snake bone is configured with a plurality of through holes to allow the pulling rope to pass through;

[0033] The first end of the coccyx serpentine is configured with a male / female connection portion to pivotally connect with the female / male connection portion of an adjacent serpentine.

[0034] In a feasible implementation, a support tube is provided between the first snake bone and the flexible continuum, and the support tube is configured to partially extend out of the outer sleeve so that the flexible continuum is located in the target cavity.

[0035] In a feasible implementation, the flexible continuum includes a plurality of rotational joints that are rotationally connected to each other, and the distal end of the pulling rope is sequentially connected to the plurality of rotational joints so that the flexible continuum is bent by pulling the pulling rope.

[0036] The surgical robot provided in the embodiment of the present application sets a plurality of limiters in the snake tube, and opens a perforation on each limiter so that the plurality of traction ropes passing through the snake tube can pass through the limiter. The setting of the limiter can, on the one hand, make the plurality of traction ropes separately set, effectively avoiding the accumulation and entanglement of the plurality of traction ropes when the snake tube is bent, and on the other hand, can solve the problem of the use of flexible sheaths in related technologies causing jumps, which is not conducive to controlling the distal end instrument. The solution provided by the present application is conducive to better controlling the rotation of the distal end of the snake tube when the proximal end rotates, and then better controlling the rotation of the end instrument, thereby improving the accuracy of the operation. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0037] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or related technologies, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or related technical descriptions are briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

[0038] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a surgical robot (excluding the outer sleeve) provided according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0039] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the layout structure of the snake tube and the end instrument provided according to the embodiment of the present application;

[0040] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the connection structure of the snake tube and the limiter provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0041] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 A partial enlarged schematic diagram of

[0042] Figure 5It is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the snake tube and the limiter provided according to the embodiment of the present application;

[0043] Figure 6 It is one of the structural schematic diagrams of the limiter provided according to the embodiment of the present application;

[0044] Figure 7 This is a second structural schematic diagram of a position limiting member provided according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0045] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a snake bone tube provided according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0046] Fig. 9 It is a schematic diagram of forming a contact point between two adjacent snake bones according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0047] Fig.10 is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of a snake bone provided according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0048] Fig.11 is a schematic diagram of the front view structure of a snake bone provided according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0049] Fig.12 is a schematic diagram of the side view structure of a snake bone provided according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0050] Fig.13 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first snake bone provided according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0051] Fig.14 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the coccyx provided according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0052] Fig.15 This is the second structural schematic diagram of the connection between the snake tube and the end instrument provided in the embodiment of the present application;

[0053] Fig.16 It is a schematic diagram of stress simulation of a snake bone subjected to a 200N extrusion force according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0054] Fig.17 It is a schematic diagram of stress simulation of a snake bone subjected to a 400N extrusion force according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0055] Fig.18 It is a schematic diagram of the delayed rotation of the distal end of the snake bone tube provided in an embodiment of the present application when the curvature is 0° and there is no squeezing force;

[0056] Fig.19 It is a schematic diagram of the rotation change of the distal end of the snake bone tube under multiple curvatures of the snake bone tube provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0057] Fig. 20It is a schematic diagram of the rotation change of the distal end of the outer sleeve with a diameter of 3.8 mm and a snake tube with a diameter of 3.5 mm according to the embodiment of the present application;

[0058] Fig.21 It is a schematic diagram of the rotation change of the distal end of the outer sleeve with a diameter of 3.8 mm and a snake tube with a diameter of 3.6 mm according to the embodiment of the present application;

[0059] Fig. 22 It is a schematic diagram of the rotation change of the lower distal end of the snake tube with a diameter of 3.6 mm and an outer sleeve with a diameter of 4.0 mm provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0060] Fig.23 It is a schematic diagram of the rotational change of the distal end of the snake tube with a diameter of 3.6 mm and an outer sleeve with a diameter of 3.8 mm provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0061] Reference numerals:

[0062] 100, snake bone tube; 110, snake bone; 111, convex connection part; 112, concave connection part; 113, contact position; 1121, bottom surface; 1122, first inclined surface; 1123, second inclined surface; 120, first snake bone; 130, tail snake bone; 101, proximal part; 102, distal part;

[0063] 200, flexible continuum;

[0064] 300. Terminal instruments;

[0065] 400, support tube;

[0066] 500, stopper; 510, through hole; 520, wire hole; 501, first end surface; 502, second end surface;

[0067] 600. Pull rope. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0068] The following embodiments of the present invention are described in further detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and examples. The following examples are used to illustrate the present invention, but are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0069] In the description of the embodiments of the present invention, it should be noted that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside" and the like indicate positions or positional relationships based on the positions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the embodiments of the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the devices or elements referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operate in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limitations on the embodiments of the present invention. In addition, the terms "first", "second", and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0070] In the description of the embodiments of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "connected" and "connection" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the embodiments of the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0071] In the embodiments of the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the first feature being "above" or "below" the second feature may mean that the first and second features are in direct contact, or the first and second features are in indirect contact through an intermediate medium. Moreover, the first feature being "above", "above" and "above" the second feature may mean that the first feature is directly above or obliquely above the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is higher in level than the second feature. The first feature being "below", "below" and "below" the second feature may mean that the first feature is directly below or obliquely below the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is lower in level than the second feature.

[0072] In the description of this specification, the description with reference to the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "example", "specific example", or "some examples" etc. means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the embodiment of the present invention. In this specification, the schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described may be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner. In addition, those skilled in the art may combine and combine the different embodiments or examples described in this specification and the features of the different embodiments or examples, without contradiction.

[0073] The outer sleeve and the end instrument in the following examples can be described as a medical device inserted into a patient and used to perform a surgical or diagnostic procedure. The end instrument can be a surgical tool associated with one or more surgical tasks, such as forceps, needle holders, scissors, bipolar cautery, tissue stabilizers or retractors, clip appliers, stapling devices, imaging devices (e.g., endoscopes or ultrasound probes), etc.

[0074] To perform relevant surgical operations, the end instrument usually needs to be rotated in the patient's body. This can be achieved by rotating the guide (usually using a torque coil) connected to the end instrument as a whole, thereby driving the end instrument to rotate. However, due to the long length of the outer sleeve, the length of the guide inserted into the outer sleeve is also long, and combined with its own characteristics, when the proximal end rotates, the guide generates torque, so it is very easy to jump (jump), affecting the control of the end instrument.

[0075] In the related technology, there are multi-section mutually hinged connectors made using the principle of a cross universal joint. Although the distal end of the connector can rotate synchronously with the proximal end well, due to its special structure, it is difficult to design it into a hollow structure to facilitate the passage of ropes or cables connected to the terminal instrument.

[0076] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a surgical robot (excluding the outer sleeve) provided according to an embodiment of the present application; Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the layout structure of the snake tube and the end instrument provided according to the embodiment of the present application. Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, in one embodiment, the surgical robot may include an outer sleeve and a snake tube 100 . The snake tube 100 is detachably inserted into the outer sleeve, and the snake tube 100 includes a plurality of interlocking snakes 110 .

[0077] It is understandable that the snake bone tube 100 composed of multiple interlocking snake bones 110 can better overcome the jump problem during the rotation process, and the hollow design of the snake bone tube 100 can facilitate the passage of the pull rope (rope) or cable connected to the end instrument 300.

[0078] Although the use of the snake tube 100 instead of the above-mentioned guide can better overcome the jump problem during the rotation process, especially when the outer sleeve is used in an extended state, the use of the snake tube 100 can effectively control the rotation of its distal end instrument 300, thereby improving the rotation control accuracy. However, in actual application, the outer sleeve needs to be bent to match the curvature of the natural cavity of the human body, and the pull rope (usually inserted in the flexible sheath) arranged inside the snake tube 100 has a certain tension. During this process, the multiple flexible sheaths inside will accumulate or generate torque (which can also be understood as self-tightening and winding), which will cause jumps, and it is also easy to cause jumps in the torque coil that is closely attached to it. That is, the above-mentioned problems will cause the proximal end of the torque coil to rotate, and the distal end will be extremely asymmetric or random with the proximal end, and then jumps will occur, so it is difficult to control the rotation of the end instrument, thereby affecting the accuracy of the surgical process.

[0079] The present application embodiment provides a surgical robot, Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the connection structure of the snake tube and the limiter provided in an embodiment of the present application; Figure 4 yes Figure 3 A partial enlarged schematic diagram of the Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the surgical robot may include an outer sleeve, a snake tube 100 , an end instrument 300 , a plurality of pulling ropes 600 and a plurality of limiting members 500 .

[0080] The snake tube 100 can be detachably inserted into the outer sleeve, and the snake tube 100 includes a plurality of interlocking snakes 110; the end instrument 300 is arranged at the distal end of the snake tube 100, and the end instrument 300 can pass through the outer sleeve with the snake tube 100 to enter the target cavity; multiple pulling ropes 600 are located in the snake tube 100, and one end of the pulling rope 600 is at least located at the distal end of the snake tube 100, and the pulling rope 600 is configured to be pulled by an external force to adjust the degree of freedom of the end instrument 300; multiple limiting members 500 are sequentially inserted into the snake tube 100, and each limiting member 500 is constructed with multiple through holes 510, and the through holes 510 are used for the pulling rope 600 to pass through, so as to limit the pulling rope 600 in the multiple limiting members 500.

[0081] It is understandable that the surgical robot may also include a trolley, which is used to support, for example, the outer sleeve described below, and a control mechanism for controlling the snake tube 100 to enter or extend out of the outer sleeve, controlling the rotation of the snake tube 100, and performing surgical operations on the end instrument 300. The specific structure can be understood with reference to the relevant technology and will not be described in detail here. In this example, the proximal end of the outer sleeve is set on the trolley, and its distal end can enter the human body cavity through the guidance of a guide wire or an endoscope. Of course, a plurality of channels, such as three channels, may be provided in the outer sleeve, one of which is used to pass through an endoscope, and the other two are used to pass through the snake tube 100 connected to the end instrument 300.

[0082] The end instrument 300, the snake tube 100, the pulling rope and the limiter 500 can be pre-assembled (see the attached Figure 1 , 3 Specifically, multiple pulling ropes 600 can be passed through the through holes 510 of multiple limiting members 500, and then the multiple limiting members 500 of the pulling ropes 600 being carried are inserted into the snake bone tube 100, and both ends of the pulling ropes 600 are exposed from the snake bone tube 100; of course, multiple limiting members 500 can also be inserted into the snake bone tube 100, and then multiple pulling ropes 600 are passed through the multiple limiting members 500 in turn, and the specific setting method is not limited here. The end instrument 300 can be detachably or fixedly arranged at the distal end of the snake tube 100, the distal end of the pulling rope can be crimped on the distal end of the snake tube 100, and the proximal end of the pulling rope passes through the snake tube 100 until it reaches the control mechanism at the trolley. The control mechanism can control multiple pulling ropes to make the part of the snake tube 100 exposed outside the outer sleeve bend, thereby adjusting the degree of freedom of the end instrument 300. How the specific control mechanism controls the pulling rope can be understood based on relevant technologies and will not be repeated here.

[0083] In some embodiments, the surgical robot further includes a flexible continuum 200 , which is located between the snake tube 100 and the end instrument 300 ; the distal end of the pulling rope 600 is connected to the flexible continuum 200 to pull the flexible continuum 200 to adjust the degree of freedom of the end instrument 300 .

[0084] Specifically, the flexible continuum 200 in this example can be understood as an extension of the snake tube 100, and its structure can adopt the common snake in the prior art, or other structures that can control the curvature through multiple pulling ropes 600, which are not limited here. The setting of the flexible continuum 200, on the one hand, is convenient for inserting the pulling rope 600 to drive the end instrument to bend and change its degree of freedom; on the other hand, compared with the length of the snake tube 100, it is shorter and has better followability with the rotation of the snake tube, which is conducive to improving the degree of control over the rotation of the end instrument 300.

[0085] The specific usage process is that when the outer sleeve enters the human body cavity, the snake tube 100 drives the flexible continuum 200 and the end instrument 300 into the outer sleeve. Since the snake tube 100 has multiple degrees of freedom, it can adaptively move forward in the curved outer sleeve until the flexible continuum 200 and the end instrument 300 extend out of the outer sleeve and enter the human body cavity; then the pulling rope can be controlled to bend the flexible continuum 200 and adjust the degree of freedom of the end instrument 300. At the same time, the proximal end of the snake tube 100 can be rotated by a motor or manually, so that the flexible continuum 200 and the end instrument 300 located at the distal end of the snake tube 100 rotate synchronously, thereby achieving the purpose of accurately controlling the rotation of the end instrument 300.

[0086] Since multiple pulling ropes 600 connected to the flexible continuum 200 need to be set, for example, four, six or eight, and at least two pulling wires or cables connected to the end instrument 300 (to control the operation of the end instrument 300) need to be set, in order to avoid the accumulation of multiple ropes and cables in the snake tube 100 and the generation of large friction between each other (self-tightening, entanglement), which affects the bending control of the flexible continuum 200 and the control of the end instrument 300, when the cables are entangled, they are easily broken at the welding points at both ends of the cables; more importantly, in order to avoid the multiple ropes from affecting the rotation of the snake tube 100 (especially when the snake tube 100 is in a bent state). In this example, a plurality of limit members 500 are inserted into the snake-bone tube 100, and the plurality of limit members 500 are constructed with a plurality of through holes 510 for facilitating the passage of the pulling rope 600. That is, the pulling rope 600 is separated from the inner wall of the snake-bone tube 100 by the plurality of limit members 500, and the pulling rope 600 is constrained in the limit members 500, thereby avoiding accumulation and entanglement of the plurality of pulling ropes 600.

[0087] In the present application, a plurality of limiters 500 are arranged in the snake tube 100, and a perforation 510 is provided on each limiter 500, so that the plurality of traction ropes 600 passing through the snake tube 100 can pass through the limiter 500. The setting of the limiter 500 can, on the one hand, make the plurality of traction ropes 600 separately arranged, effectively avoiding the accumulation and entanglement of the plurality of traction ropes 600 when the snake tube 100 is in a bent state, and on the other hand, can solve the problem of the use of a flexible sheath in the related technology causing a jump, which is not conducive to the control of the distal end instrument. The solution provided by the present application is conducive to better control of the rotation of the distal end of the snake tube 100 when the proximal end rotates, and then better control of the rotation of the end instrument 300, thereby improving the accuracy of the operation.

[0088] It should be noted that the stopper 500 should not affect the bending and rotation of the snake bone tube 100, so the length of the stopper 500 should be reasonably designed. In one example, each section of the snake bone 110 corresponds to at least one stopper 500. Specifically, two or more stoppers 500 can be provided corresponding to each section of the snake bone 110. Of course, for the convenience of processing and manufacturing, the length of the stopper 500 can be the same as the length of the snake bone 110, so as to follow the adaptive bending of the snake bone tube 100.

[0089] In some embodiments, the limiting member 500 can be made of a plastic material with high hardness and smoothness, or made of a metal material with Teflon coating, to ensure the smooth movement of the pulling rope 600 in the limiting member 500.

[0090] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the snake tube and the limiter provided according to the embodiment of the present application; Figure 6 It is one of the structural schematic diagrams of the limiter provided according to the embodiment of the present application; Figure 7 This is a second schematic diagram of the structure of the position limiting member provided according to the embodiment of the present application. Figure 5-Figure 7 As shown, in some embodiments, the limiter 500 includes a sleeve, which is adapted to be embedded in the snake tube 100; the sleeve includes a first end face 501 and a second end face 502 opposite to each other, and the first end face 501 and / or the second end face 502 are arc-shaped surfaces protruding outward.

[0091] It is understandable that the stopper 500 provided in this example can be a sleeve that matches the inner diameter of the serpentine tube 100. Of course, the diameter of the sleeve can also be slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the serpentine tube 100, which is not limited here. The sleeve of the cylindrical structure includes an arc-shaped side surface and two opposite end surfaces. For the convenience of description, the two opposite end surfaces of the sleeve are defined as the first end surface 501 and the second end surface 502. In this example, the first end surface 501, or the second end surface 502, or the first end surface 501 and the second end surface 502 are designed as an arc-shaped surface protruding outward, that is, at least one end surface of the sleeve is designed to be hemispherical (combined with the exposed multiple perforations 510, the end surface is similar to a shower head). This design can avoid interference between adjacent sleeves when the serpentine tube 100 is bent, which is conducive to the formation of an angle between adjacent sleeves, thereby avoiding affecting the bending of the serpentine tube 100.

[0092] like Figure 6 As shown, in some embodiments, a through hole 510 is formed in the sleeve and connects the first end face 501 and the second end face 502; the sleeve is also configured with a wire hole 520, which is located on one side of the through hole 510 for passing the pull wire and / or cable connected to the end instrument 300.

[0093] It is understandable that the perforation 510 is constructed in the sleeve along the extension direction of the snake tube 100, and is mainly used to constrain the pulling rope 600 that pulls the flexible continuum 200. It should be noted that there is not only a pulling rope 600 in the snake tube 100, but also a pull wire that is convenient for controlling the clamping and release of the end instrument 300 (such as a clamp), or an electrically controlled cable. Based on this, a wire hole 520 is also constructed in the sleeve to facilitate the passage of the pull wire, cable, or the pull wire and cable at the same time. Regarding the setting positions of multiple perforations 510 and multiple wire holes 520, they can be arranged according to actual conditions, for example, multiple perforations 510 are evenly arranged in a circular shape, and the wire holes 520 are arranged between adjacent perforations 510, or arranged inside the circular shape, which is not limited here.

[0094] This example effectively achieves the purpose of restraining multiple ropes through multiple sleeves, which effectively prevents multiple ropes from gathering in the snake tube 100, and multiple ropes (including cables) from piling up and entangled with each other; on the other hand, it effectively solves the problem of using a flexible sheath in the related art causing jumps, which is not conducive to controlling the distal end instrument 300. In addition, the setting of the sleeve also effectively prevents the cable from being easily broken.

[0095] The snake tube 100 provided in this embodiment has a larger inner diameter (internal space) than the torque coil in the related art, so as to facilitate the embedding of the sleeve, thereby facilitating the passage of more pulling ropes, wires or cables.

[0096] like Figure 1 As shown, in some embodiments, the snake bone tube 100 includes a proximal portion 101 and a distal portion 102, the proximal portion 101 includes multiple sections of snake bones 110 with a length of A, and the distal portion 102 includes multiple sections of snake bones 110 with a length of B; wherein A>B; the length of each of the multiple sleeves embedded in the proximal portion 101 is A, and the length of each of the multiple sleeves embedded in the distal portion 102 is B.

[0097] It can be understood that the proximal portion 101 of the snake tube 100 is the portion close to the trolley, which is basically not involved in a large bending during use, but at the same time, in order to ensure the rotation effectiveness of the proximal portion 101, the proximal portion 101 is formed by a plurality of snake bones 110 with a longer length. Similarly, the distal portion 102 of the snake tube 100 needs to bend with a larger amplitude, so the distal portion 102 can be formed by a plurality of snake bones 110 with a shorter length. For ease of description, the length of each snake bone 110 of the proximal portion 101 is defined as A, and the length of each snake bone 110 of the distal portion 102 is defined as B. The length of each sleeve embedded in the snake tube 100 can be the same as the length of the corresponding snake bone 110, that is, the length of each sleeve embedded in the proximal portion 101 is A, and the length of each sleeve embedded in the distal portion 102 is B. This design is convenient for processing and manufacturing on the one hand, and is conducive to the sleeve following the adaptive bending of the snake tube 100 on the other hand.

[0098] In some embodiments, the outer periphery of the sleeve is configured with a first positioning portion, and the snake bone 110 corresponding to the sleeve is configured with a second positioning portion, so that the sleeve can be positioned by aligning the second positioning portion with the first positioning portion.

[0099] It is understandable that a circle of marking lines is constructed on the outer circumference of the sleeve as the first positioning part, and a positioning hole is constructed at the position corresponding to the snake bone 110 as the second positioning part, so as to find the position when the sleeve is installed in the snake bone tube 100, so as to ensure that each sleeve corresponds to a snake bone 110. In addition, the sleeve and the corresponding snake bone 110 can be fixed by injecting glue or welding into the above-mentioned positioning holes, thereby further improving the control accuracy of the pulling rope 600 and the pull wire, and then improving the control accuracy of the terminal instrument 300.

[0100] It should be noted that a certain sleeve and the corresponding snake bone 110 can be positioned and fixed at intervals to achieve relative fixation of the entire sleeve and the snake bone tube 100.

[0101] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a snake bone tube provided according to an embodiment of the present application; Fig. 9 It is a schematic diagram of forming a contact point between two adjacent snake bones according to an embodiment of the present application; Fig.10 Schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the snake bone provided according to the embodiment of the present application. Figure 8-Figure 10As shown, in some embodiments, the first end of each snake bone 110 is constructed with two convex connecting parts 111, and the second end is constructed with two concave connecting parts 112, and the concave connecting parts 112 are pivotally connected to adjacent convex connecting parts 111; under the action of external force, the snake bone tube 100 is squeezed along its axial direction, and the convex connecting parts 111 and the concave connecting parts 112 of two adjacent snake bones 110 have at least two contact positions 113, so that when the snake bone tube 100 rotates along its axial direction, each convex connecting part 111 fits with the corresponding concave connecting part 112, so that the distal end of the snake bone tube 100 follows the proximal end of the snake bone tube 100 to rotate, and the rotation angles are consistent.

[0102] It is understandable that the outer sleeve can be guided into the human body cavity by a guide wire or a built-in endoscope. Since the human body cavity, especially the natural cavity, has a curvature, the outer sleeve is generally supported by a flexible material and can bend to adapt to the curvature of the human body cavity. The outer sleeve is provided with a channel for the endoscope to pass through and a channel for setting the snake tube 100. The usual surgical procedure is that the outer sleeve first enters the human body cavity until it reaches the vicinity of the affected area; then the distal end of the snake tube 100 carries the terminal instrument 300 and enters from the proximal end of the outer sleeve until the terminal instrument 300 extends from the outer sleeve to the affected area.

[0103] In order to adapt to the curvature of the outer tube, the snake bone tube 100 is composed of multiple interlocking snake bones 110, and the adjacent snake bones 110 are pivotally connected. Of course, the pivot axis directions of every two snake bones 110 can be consistent, but this arrangement method has less bending freedom of the snake bone tube 100, which is not conducive to passing through the outer tube channel with a complex curvature. In order to increase the bending freedom of the snake bone 110, the pivot axis direction of the two snake bones 110 can be made perpendicular to the pivot axis direction of the upper two or lower two snake bones 110, that is, the snake bone tube 100 is made to bend in four directions: forward, backward, left, and right.

[0104] In addition, in order to increase the bending degree of the snake bone tube 100, the length of each section of the snake bone 110 can be reasonably set so as to be able to pass through the outer sleeve smoothly and adaptably. The specific design can be reasonably made according to the actual application scenario of the flexible arm (pelvic cavity, intestine, etc.), and no limitation is made here.

[0105] In order to connect and interlock multiple snake bones 110, multiple snake bones 110 with the same structure can be manufactured separately. After the male connection parts 111 and the female connection parts 112 of adjacent snake bones 110 are connected, they can be interlocked by snaps, etc., so as to form the snake bone tube 100. Of course, in order to simplify the structure of the snake bone tube 100, that is, to simplify the structure of the snake bones 110 to release more space (external space, internal space), in one example, multiple interlocking snake bones 110 are formed by laser cutting a hollow tube, and each snake bone 110 includes two opposite male connection parts 111 and two opposite female connection parts 112; the line connecting the two male connection parts 111 is perpendicular to the line connecting the two female connection parts 112.

[0106] Specifically, a stainless steel tube or other hollow tube of similar material (for example, a nickel-titanium alloy tube) can be provided, and a pattern can be cut on the hollow tube by laser to form a plurality of snake bones 110 that are pivotally connected to each other. The plurality of snake bones 110 formed by cutting also have a self-locking function, that is, to prevent each snake bone 110 from being disengaged from the axial and radial directions. This arrangement can not only ensure the shape and smoothness of the outer surface of the snake bone tube 100, which is convenient for it to move in the channel of the outer sleeve, but also the internal space of the snake bone tube 100 is still hollow, which is convenient for the rope (pulling rope 600, lead) or cable connected to the end instrument 300 to pass through.

[0107] In addition, the arrangement positions of the two convex connection parts 111 and the two concave connection parts 112 can ensure the freedom of the snake tube 100 in four directions, thereby ensuring the smoothness of the movement of the snake tube 100 in the channel of the outer sleeve.

[0108] In order to drive the end instrument 300 to rotate through the snake bone tube 100, the snake bone tube 100 composed of multiple sections of snake bones 110 can effectively reduce or avoid the jump problem during the rotation process, that is, the rotation angle of the distal end of the snake bone tube 100 can be basically consistent with the proximal end. However, due to the existence of the gap between the convex connection part 111 and the concave connection part 112 between adjacent snake bones 110 (due to the gap of at least 0.016 mm that is inevitably present due to laser cutting), the proximal snake bone 110 needs to fill the gap between the next section of the snake bone 110 after following the motor or manual rotation before it can drive the section of the snake bone 110 to rotate. Since the snake bone tube 100 is long and has more sections of the snake bones 110, the torque transmitted from the proximal end of the snake bone tube 100 to the distal end needs to fill more gaps to be realized, which causes a large degree of delay at the distal end of the snake bone tube 100. In other words, the distal end of the snake tube 100 starts to rotate only after the proximal end of the snake tube 100 rotates a large number of times. Even if the rotation angle of the distal end of the snake tube 100 is consistent with that of the proximal end in this case, due to the large number of delay circles (rotation angle), there is still a problem of inconvenience in controlling the rotation of the distal end instrument 300 of the snake tube 100.

[0109] For example, the following table shows the degree of delay at the distal end of the snake bone tube 100 when the outer sleeve diameter is 4 mm, the diameter of the snake bone tube 100 is 3.6 mm, the snake bone tube 100 is not subjected to extrusion force, and the proximal end of the snake bone tube 100 is continuously rotated:

[0110] Curvature 0° 90° 180° Delay (degrees) 955 1345 1430

[0111] Combined with Fig.18 It can be seen that when the snake tube 100 is not subjected to a squeezing force, the degree of delay at the distal end is serious, which will have a greater impact on the direction-changing rotation, and the degree of delay increases with the curvature of the snake tube 100 .

[0112] Based on the above problems, the present embodiment adjusts the shape of the abutment of the male connection part 111 and / or the female connection part 112, and combines the way in which the external force is applied to the axial direction of the snake bone tube 100, so that the male connection part 111 and the female connection part 112 have at least two contact positions 113. Specifically, the end faces of the male connection part 111 and the female connection part 112 formed by conventional laser cutting are arc-shaped, that is, the outer contour of the male connection part 111 is an arc surface, and the inner surface of the female connection part 112 is also an arc. Even if an external force is applied to squeeze the snake bone tube 100, only the highest point of the male connection part 111 and the lowest point of the female connection part 112 will be in contact (one contact position 113), and there will still be a large gap between the two sides. When one of the snake bones 110 rotates, it is still necessary to fill the gap between the adjacent snake bones 110 before the snake bone 110 can be driven to rotate.

[0113] In this embodiment, the outer contour of the convex connection part 111 can be designed to be a trapezoid. When an external force squeezes the snake-bone tube 100, the two vertices of the trapezoidal convex connection part 111 will abut against the arc surface of the concave connection part 112, that is, two contact positions 113 are formed therebetween. The formation of the two contact positions 113 can ensure that the convex connection part 111 is closely connected to the concave connection part 112 regardless of whether the snake-bone tube 100 rotates forward or reverse, thereby slowing down or avoiding the situation where the proximal end of the snake-bone tube 100 rotates while the distal end rotates delayed, thereby achieving precise control of the distal rotation of the snake-bone tube 100. Of course, the inner surface of the concave connection part 112 can also be set to a trapezoid, and the outer contour of the convex connection part 111 can still maintain a circular arc surface, so as to achieve the purpose of the convex connection part 111 and the concave connection part 112 being fitted together; the inner surface of the concave connection part 112 and the outer contour of the convex connection part 111 can also be changed, so that the convex connection part 111 can fit together with the concave connection part 112 regardless of whether the snake bone tube 100 is rotated forward or reversed.

[0114] For example, the following table shows the degree of delay at the distal end of the snake bone tube 100 when the outer sleeve diameter is 4 mm, the diameter of the snake bone tube 100 is 3.6 mm, the snake bone tube 100 is subjected to extrusion force, and the proximal end of the snake bone tube 100 is continuously rotated:

[0115] Curvature 0° 90° 180° Delay (degrees) (unsqueezed) 955 1345 1430 Delay(degrees)(squeeze) 369 420 495

[0116] It can be seen that the delay degree of the distal end of the snake tube 100 is significantly reduced after squeezing. Of course, in practical applications, a greater squeezing force can be applied to the snake tube 100 to reduce the delay degree of the distal end of the snake tube 100 as much as possible.

[0117] In addition, to facilitate laser cutting, the outer contour arc of the convex connection part 111 and the inner surface arc of the concave connection part 112 can be maintained, but the curvature of either arc needs to be changed. In other words, the side wall of the convex connection part 111 should be abutted against the side wall of the concave connection part 112 as much as possible, rather than the highest point of the convex connection part 111 directly abutting against the lowest point of the concave connection part 112. Combined with the extrusion force applied to the snake bone tube 100 by external force, the fitting connection between each snake bone 110 is ensured (with fitting along the circumference of the snake bone tube 100), so as to achieve the purpose of synchronous rotation of the distal end of the snake bone tube 100 following the proximal end.

[0118] The method of implementing the axial squeezing of the snake-bone tube 100 by external force can be realized by using the pulling rope 600 inserted therein. In order to ensure the squeezing force of the pulling rope on the axial direction of the snake-bone tube 100, a tensioning mechanism can be connected to the proximal end of the pulling rope 600. The setting of the tensioning mechanism is not only convenient for adjusting the tension of the pulling rope 600, but also can monitor the tension of the pulling rope 600, thereby providing a basis for accurately controlling the rotation of the terminal instrument 300. The setting of the tensioning mechanism can be a variable curvature cam slide or other structures. The specifics can be understood by referring to the relevant technology, and will not be repeated here.

[0119] Of course, the extrusion of the snake tube 100 can be in various forms, which can be specifically designed according to actual conditions and are not limited here.

[0120] It should be noted that a larger gap may be left between the snake bones 110 except for the male connection part 111 and the female connection part 112 to ensure the rotation of adjacent snake bones 110 with the male connection part 111 as the pivot axis, thereby ensuring the bending of the snake bone tube 100.

[0121] Moreover, the edges of the snake bones 110 cut by laser are relatively sharp, which may cause the scraped outer sleeve debris to get stuck in the snake bone tube 100, thereby affecting the bending and rotation of the snake bone tube 100. Therefore, in this embodiment, the edges of each snake bone 110 can be polished with sandpaper or a grinder to improve its stability in use.

[0122] In the present application, the snake bone tube 100 is detachably inserted into the outer sleeve, and the snake bones 110 pivotally connected to each other can adapt to the bending of the outer sleeve. Moreover, by designing the shape of the contact surface of the convex connection part 111 and / or the concave connection part 112, the convex connection part 111 and the concave connection part 112 of adjacent snake bones 110 have at least two contact positions 113. At the same time, the snake bone tube 100 is squeezed by the external force, so as to achieve the purpose of effective fit between the convex connection part 111 and the concave connection part 112 of the adjacent snake bones 110 regardless of the forward or reverse rotation of the snake bone tube 100, so that the distal end of the snake bone tube 100 can rotate synchronously or at the same frequency as the proximal end, and the rotation angle is consistent, thereby solving the problem of easy jump in the related art, thereby being more conducive to controlling the rotation of the terminal instrument 300 at the distal end of the snake bone tube 100 and improving the rotation accuracy.

[0123] like Fig.11 and Fig.12 As shown, in some embodiments, the concave connecting portion 112 is a groove formed at the second end of the snake bone 110, and the bottom of the groove includes a bottom surface 1121, a first inclined surface 1122 and a second inclined surface 1123, the bottom surface 1121 extends along the circumference of the snake bone 110, and the first inclined surface 1122 and the second inclined surface 1123 are respectively located on both sides of the bottom surface 1121; when the snake bone tube 100 is squeezed along its axial direction by external force, the outer end surfaces of the convex connecting portion 111 respectively abut against the first inclined surface 1122 and the second inclined surface 1123 to form two contact positions 113.

[0124] Specifically, after laser cutting the hollow tube, multiple sections of snake bones 110 will be formed, and convex connection parts 111, i.e., convex blocks, and concave connection parts 112, i.e., grooves, will be formed between adjacent snake bones 110, so as to achieve effective fit between adjacent snake bones 110 during the rotation of the snake bone tube 100. In this embodiment, the bottom of the groove is processed so that it has a bottom surface 1121, a first inclined surface 1122, and a second inclined surface 1123. For ease of processing, the first inclined surface 1122 and the second inclined surface 1123 can be symmetrically arranged about the bottom surface 1121, and by reasonably setting the angle between the first inclined surface 1122 and the second inclined surface 1123, when the snake bone tube 100 is squeezed by external force, the outer end surface of the convex connection part 111 abuts against the first inclined surface 1122 and the second inclined surface 1123, respectively, instead of abutting against the bottom surface 1121 of the groove. The above arrangement can be understood as forming contact positions 113 on both sides of the convex connection portion 111 and the concave connection portion 112, so that the two are fitted along the circumference of the serpentine tube 100, thereby achieving the function of effective fitting of adjacent serpentines 110 regardless of whether the serpentine tube 100 is rotating forward or reverse, and being able to transmit the information instantly.

[0125] In some embodiments, the first inclined surface 1122 is a plane / arc surface, and the second inclined surface 1123 is a plane / arc surface.

[0126] Specifically, the first inclined surface 1122 and the second inclined surface 1123 can be cut into planes by laser cutting, that is, Fig.11 As shown, in one example, the cross-sectional shape of the bottom of the groove is a trapezoid. Of course, the first inclined surface 1122 and the second inclined surface 1123 can both be set as arc surfaces, or the first inclined surface 1122 can be a plane and the second inclined surface 1123 can be an arc surface. The specific setting form is not limited here.

[0127] In some embodiments, the outer contour of the convex connection portion 111 is circular, and the outer contour of the convex connection portion 111 is an inner cone whose radius gradually decreases from the outer wall to the inner wall of the snake bone 110; the inner surface of the groove is adapted to the outer contour of the convex connection portion 111.

[0128] Specifically, the outer contour of the male connection part 111 is designed to be circular, which is convenient for laser cutting, and after cutting, the outer contour of the male connection part 111 is an inner cone. The formation of the inner cone is convenient for laser cutting, that is, the laser cuts along the radial direction of the hollow tube; on the other hand, it can limit the radial direction of the snake bone 110 to prevent the snake bone 110 from falling out in the radial direction. Of course, the general shape of the inner surface of the groove is adapted to the outer contour of the male connection part 111 (specifically the inner cone).

[0129] like Fig. 9 As shown, in some embodiments, the opening length of the groove is smaller than the diameter of the male connecting portion 111 .

[0130] Specifically, since the outer contour of the convex connecting portion 111 is circular, in order to achieve interlocking between adjacent snake bones 110, the opening length of the groove (the length along the circumference of the snake bone tube 100) can be made smaller than the diameter of the circular convex connecting portion 111 during laser cutting. While achieving the pivotal connection of adjacent snake bones 110, it also effectively prevents each snake bone 110 from falling out in the axial direction.

[0131] In this embodiment, a compression force simulation experiment is performed on each section of the snake bone 110, and 200N and 400N pressures are applied to the snake bone tube respectively. Fig.16 and Fig.17 As shown, it can be seen that each snake bone 110 meets the stress requirements, including that the strength of each snake bone 110 meets the requirements, especially the convex connection part 111 will not break, and each snake bone 110 can be restored to its original state immediately during use, and there will be no problem of deformation due to long-term use.

[0132] In order to obtain a serpentine tube 100 with basically no jump or very small jump, the embodiment of the present application provides an outer sleeve with a diameter of 3.8 mm, a serpentine tube 100 with a diameter of 3.6 mm, a built-in limiter, and an extrusion force is applied, and the edges and corners of the serpentine 110 are polished. When the proximal end of the serpentine tube 100 is continuously rotated (for example, 20° / S), the serpentine tube 100 is respectively at a bending degree of 0°, 90°, and 180°. It is found that the linearity of the distal and proximal ends of the serpentine tube 100 is better, such as Fig.19 shown.

[0133] Under the same conditions as above, only the continuous rotation of the proximal end of the snake tube 100 is changed to intermittent rotation. It is found that the distal end of the snake tube 100 can still follow the rotation of the proximal end with almost no delay.

[0134] like Fig.13 and Fig.14 As shown, in some embodiments, the snake bone tube 100 also includes a first section snake bone 120 and a tail section snake bone 130, the first end of the first section snake bone 120 is constructed with a convex connection part 111 / concave connection part 112 to be pivotally connected to the concave connection part 112 / convex connection part 111 of the adjacent snake bone 110, and the second end surface of the first section snake bone 120 is constructed with a plurality of through holes to allow the pulling rope to pass through; the first end of the tail section snake bone 130 is constructed with a convex connection part 111 / concave connection part 112 to be pivotally connected to the concave connection part 112 / convex connection part 111 of the adjacent snake bone 110.

[0135] Specifically, for the convenience of description, the snake bone 110 at the distal end of the snake bone tube 100 is called the first snake bone 120, and the proximal snake bone 110 of the snake bone tube 100 is called the tail snake bone 130. One end of the first snake bone 120 is configured with a convex connection portion 111 or a concave connection portion 112 to pivotally connect with the adjacent snake bone 110. Of course, the first snake bone 120 is also formed by laser cutting a hollow tube. The second end of the first snake bone 120 has an end face, and the setting of the end face facilitates the above-mentioned sleeve to be constrained in the snake bone tube 100. In order to facilitate the extension of the pulling rope, pull wire or cable, a plurality of through holes corresponding to the above-mentioned perforations and wire holes can be constructed on the end face of the first snake bone 120 to ensure that the tension of each pulling rope and pull wire is consistent.

[0136] One end of the coccyx snake bone 130 is provided with a convex connection part 111 or a concave connection part 112 for pivoting with the adjacent snake bone 110, and the other end is provided on the trolley. Of course, the coccyx snake bone 130 is also formed by laser cutting a hollow tube. The method of driving the snake bone tube 100 into or out of the outer sleeve by the trolley can be understood by referring to the relevant technology, and will not be repeated here.

[0137] The snake tube 100 provided in this example needs to be constrained in the outer sleeve. More specifically, the smaller the gap between the snake tube 100 (specifically, the diameter of the channel in the outer sleeve) and the outer sleeve, the more conducive it is to the synchronous rotation of the snake tube 100.

[0138] For example, when the outer sleeve diameter is 3.8 mm, under the same conditions, the snake bone tube 100 with a diameter of 3.6 mm and the snake bone tube 100 with a diameter of 3.5 mm are tested. Fig. 20 and Fig.21 As shown, it was found that the snake tube 100 with a diameter of 3.6 mm performed better.

[0139] For example, when the diameter of the snake tube 100 is 3.6 mm, under the same conditions, an outer sleeve with a diameter of 3.8 mm and an outer sleeve with a diameter of 4 mm are tested. Fig. 22 and Fig.23 As shown, an outer sleeve with a diameter of 3.8 mm was found to perform better.

[0140] To prevent the part of the snake tube 100 from extending out of the outer sleeve along with the flexible continuum 200, the rotation of the distal end of the snake tube 100 is uncontrolled. Fig.15 As shown, in some embodiments, a support tube 400 is disposed between the first snake bone 120 and the flexible continuum 200 , and the support tube 400 is configured to partially extend out of the outer sleeve so that the flexible continuum 200 is located in the target cavity.

[0141] Specifically, a short support tube 400 is arranged between the first section of the snake bone 120 and the flexible continuum 200. The support tube 400 can be a nickel-titanium tube. The nickel-titanium tube has superelasticity and shape memory functions. It can return to its original shape after being deformed by external force, and has good corrosion resistance and biocompatibility and will not cause rejection reaction of the body. Of course, in order to reduce its weight, it can be hollowed out.

[0142] The support tube 400 can be arranged so that the flexible continuum 200 is completely located in the target cavity, so as to cooperate with the pulling rope to adjust the degree of freedom of the terminal instrument 300.

[0143] It should be noted that the snake tube 100 in this example can avoid the situation where the snake tube 100 is exposed to the target cavity and affects its own rotation by reasonably setting the length of the first section of the snake 120 and the extrusion degree of the pulling rope. Through reasonable design, the use of the above-mentioned support tube 400 can be omitted, saving materials and reducing costs.

[0144] In some embodiments, the flexible continuum 200 includes a plurality of rotational joints that are rotationally connected to each other, and the distal end of the pulling rope is sequentially connected to the plurality of rotational joints so that the flexible continuum 200 can be bent by pulling the pulling rope.

[0145] It can be understood that the flexible continuum 200 can be composed of multiple ball-hinged rotating joints, and a circle of wire holes (520) are provided around the rotating joints to facilitate the passage of each pulling rope through the multiple rotating joints. The end of each pulling rope is fixed on a rotating joint at the farthest end. By controlling the travel distance of each pulling rope at the trolley, the flexible continuum 200 can be controlled to deflect to a preset angle and a preset distance, thereby realizing the adjustment of the degree of freedom of the terminal device 300.

[0146] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the present invention, rather than to limit the present invention. Although the present invention is described in detail with reference to the embodiments, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that various combinations, modifications or equivalent substitutions of the technical solutions of the present invention do not depart from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the present invention, and should be included in the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A surgical robot, characterized in that: include: Outer sleeve; A snake bone tube is detachably inserted into the outer sleeve, and the snake bone tube includes a plurality of interlocking snake bones; An end instrument is disposed at the distal end of the snake tube, and the end instrument can pass through the outer sleeve along with the snake tube to enter the target cavity; A plurality of pulling ropes are located in the snake tube, and one end of each pulling rope is at least located at the distal end of the snake tube, and each pulling rope is configured to be pulled by an external force to adjust the degree of freedom of the terminal instrument; A plurality of limiting members are sequentially inserted into the snake tube, and each of the limiting members is configured with a plurality of through holes, and the through holes are used for the pulling rope to pass through so as to limit the pulling rope in the plurality of limiting members.

2. The surgical robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: Each section of the snake bone corresponds to at least one limiting member.

3. The surgical robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The limiting member comprises a sleeve, and the sleeve is adapted to be embedded in the snake bone tube; The sleeve comprises a first end surface and a second end surface opposite to each other, and the first end surface and / or the second end surface are arc-shaped surfaces convex outward.

4. The surgical robot according to claim 3, characterized in that: The through hole is formed in the sleeve and communicates the first end surface with the second end surface; The sleeve is also configured with a wire passing hole, which is located at one side of the perforation and is used for the pull wire and / or cable connected to the end instrument to pass through.

5. The surgical robot according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that: The surgical robot further comprises a flexible continuum, wherein the flexible continuum is located between the snake tube and the end instrument; The distal end of the pulling rope is connected to the flexible continuum so as to pull the flexible continuum to adjust the degree of freedom of the end instrument.

6. The surgical robot according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that: The snake bone tube includes a proximal portion and a distal portion, wherein the proximal portion includes multiple sections of snake bones with a length of A, and the distal portion includes multiple sections of snake bones with a length of B; wherein A>B; The length of each of the multiple sleeves embedded in the proximal part is A, and the length of each of the multiple sleeves embedded in the distal part is B.

7. The surgical robot according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that: The outer periphery of the sleeve is configured with a first positioning portion, and the snake bone corresponding to the sleeve is configured with a second positioning portion, so that the sleeve can be positioned by aligning the second positioning portion with the first positioning portion.

8. The surgical robot according to claim 5, characterized in that: The first end of each snake bone is configured with two convex connection parts, and the second end is configured with two concave connection parts, and the concave connection parts are pivotally connected to the adjacent convex connection parts; Under the action of external force, the snake bone tube is squeezed along its axial direction, and the convex connecting parts and concave connecting parts of two adjacent sections of the snake bone have at least two contact positions, so that when the snake bone tube rotates along its axial direction, each convex connecting part fits with the corresponding concave connecting part, so that the distal end of the snake bone tube rotates along the proximal end of the snake bone tube, and the rotation angles are consistent.

9. The surgical robot according to claim 8, characterized in that: The concave connecting portion is a groove formed at the second end of the snake bone, the bottom of the groove includes a bottom surface, a first inclined surface and a second inclined surface, the bottom surface extends along the circumference of the snake bone, and the first inclined surface and the second inclined surface are respectively located on both sides of the bottom surface; When the snake-bone tube is squeezed along its axial direction by an external force, the outer end surface of the convex connection portion abuts against the first inclined surface and the second inclined surface respectively to form two contact positions.

10. The surgical robot according to claim 9, characterized in that: The first inclined surface is a plane / arc surface, and the second inclined surface is a plane / arc surface; And / or, the cross-sectional shape of the bottom of the groove is trapezoidal.

11. The surgical robot according to claim 10, characterized in that: The outer contour of the convex connection portion is circular, and the outer contour of the convex connection portion is an inner conical surface whose radius gradually decreases from the outer wall to the inner wall of the snake bone; The inner surface of the groove is adapted to the outer contour of the convex connecting portion.

12. The surgical robot according to claim 11, characterized in that: The opening length of the groove is smaller than the diameter of the convex connecting portion.

13. The surgical robot according to any one of claims 9 to 12, characterized in that: Each of the snake bones includes two opposite convex connecting parts and two opposite concave connecting parts; A line connecting the two opposite male connection parts is perpendicular to a line connecting the two opposite female connection parts.

14. The surgical robot according to claim 8, characterized in that: The snake bone tube also includes a first snake bone and a tail snake bone, the first end of the first snake bone is configured with a convex connection part / concave connection part to be pivotally connected with the concave connection part / convex connection part of the adjacent snake bone, and the second end surface of the first snake bone is configured with a plurality of through holes to allow the pulling rope to pass through; The first end of the coccyx serpentine is configured with a male / female connection portion to pivotally connect with the female / male connection portion of an adjacent serpentine.

15. The surgical robot according to claim 14, characterized in that: A support tube is provided between the first snake bone and the flexible continuum, and the support tube is configured to partially extend out of the outer sleeve so that the flexible continuum is located in the target cavity.

16. The surgical robot according to claim 8, characterized in that: The flexible continuum includes a plurality of rotational joints that are rotationally connected to each other, and the distal end of the pulling rope is sequentially connected to the plurality of rotational joints so that the flexible continuum is bent by pulling the pulling rope.

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