A transcavitary ultrasound examination system

Abstract

The present invention provides a transcavitary ultrasound examination system, comprising: an ultrasound imaging subsystem, comprising an ultrasound probe, which is used to insert into a cavity to be examined and obtain an ultrasound image; a robot subsystem, comprising a mechanical arm and a control unit thereof, wherein the mechanical arm drives the ultrasound probe to move in the cavity to perform transcavitary ultrasound examination; an ultrasound probe adapter and a control unit thereof, wherein one end of the ultrasound probe adapter is fixed to the end of the mechanical arm and the other end is connected to the ultrasound probe; a control system, which is connected to the ultrasound imaging subsystem, the mechanical arm control unit, and the ultrasound probe adapter control unit, and controls the ultrasound probe to move within the RCM point constraint range during the process of inserting into the cavity to be examined. The present invention can dynamically set the RCM point, can quickly adjust to be suitable for examination of cavities in various parts and patients of different body shapes, simplifies the overall mechanism design, and has a wider adaptability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of medical equipment, and in particular to the field of medical auxiliary ultrasonic examination robots. Background Art

[0002] In robot-guided minimally invasive surgery, one or more tools are held by the robot operator. To ensure that the robot does not exert translational forces on the patient's incision point, some robots implement remote center of motion (RCM) motion at the fulcrum. RCM motion forces only rotation to be performed at the RCM point and eliminates all circumferential translational forces at this location. "RCM robot" broadly covers any robot with a structural configuration that defines a remote center of motion.

[0003] In the prior art, the remote motion center is usually defined by the mechanical structure configuration of the RCM robot, such as CN204446127U, a laparoscopic minimally invasive surgery robot arm RCM mechanism, CN210019644U, a puncture robot needle insertion device based on a double parallelogram RCM mechanism, CN112754662A, a variable angle RCM actuator and surgical device, etc. Most of them rely on a double parallelogram mechanism to achieve RCM motion. Its principle is as follows Figure 1 As shown, Figure 1 ABCDEFG are joint nodes, and connecting rods AB, AD, BC, CG, DG, FG, CE, and EF are connected between the joint nodes to form a double parallelogram structure. The double parallelogram structure is used to hold the surgical tool so that the surgical tool performs RCM motion around the remote motion center point O.

[0004] The main advantage of using RCM mechanical structure to achieve RCM motion is that it relies on mechanical structure to ensure high system stability, so it is widely used. With the development of technology, there are some other forms of mechanisms, such as arc-shaped mechanical structure, spherical mechanical structure, etc. to achieve RCM motion. However, these devices that achieve RCM motion through mechanical structure inevitably have the following problems:

[0005] 1. Low flexibility and poor versatility: The RCM movement realized by the RCM mechanical structure is limited by the size and principle of the mechanical structure, and its RCM point is fixed relative to the mechanical structure, such as Figure 1 The O point in the RCM cannot be changed without changing the size of the mechanical mechanism and the hardware design, which makes this type of structure less flexible and less versatile.

[0006] 2. Other supporting mechanisms are required: The RCM movement achieved by the RCM mechanism generally cannot be too large, so it needs to be connected to an additional bracket. The bracket may be in various forms such as a robotic arm and a fixed bracket. Since an additional bracket needs to be designed, the overall structure is not simple enough. In addition, due to the large size of the mechanical structure, the mechanical structures are prone to collision and interference with each other.

[0007] The above problems are particularly prominent when designing a robot for transcavitary ultrasound examination (such as transrectal ultrasound examination). This is because: the conditions of patients undergoing ultrasound examinations vary, and the problems of flexibility and versatility are more prominent. They are subject to interference from the surrounding parts of the human body's cavities, as well as restrictions on patients of different heights, heights, and weights. Moreover, when performing ultrasound examinations on different cavitary parts, the equipment is difficult to use universally due to the limitations of the mechanical structure. Moreover, if such a robot for transcavitary ultrasound examination is used in conjunction with other equipment, the movement space is more limited, and the collision and interference problems caused by components such as fixed brackets in the RCM mechanical structure are more prominent. Therefore, for robots for transcavitary ultrasound examination, it is important to solve the above problems of the mechanical mechanism of RCM movement in the existing technology, better realize the control of the ultrasound probe to perform remote center movement (RCM) at the cavity opening of the human body, so that the RCM movement is not limited by the mechanism and is more versatile and flexible. Summary of the invention

[0008] The present invention is a solution proposed based on the above technical problems.

[0009] The present invention provides a transcavitary ultrasound inspection system, comprising: an ultrasound imaging subsystem, wherein the ultrasound imaging subsystem comprises an ultrasound probe, which is used to be inserted into a cavity to be inspected and to obtain an ultrasound image; a robot subsystem, wherein the robot subsystem comprises a mechanical arm and a control unit thereof, wherein the mechanical arm drives the ultrasound probe to move in the cavity to perform transcavitary ultrasound inspection; an ultrasound probe adapter and a control unit thereof, wherein one end of the ultrasound probe adapter is fixed to the end of the mechanical arm and the other end is connected to the ultrasound probe; and a control system, wherein the control system is connected to the ultrasound imaging subsystem, the mechanical arm control unit, and the ultrasound probe adapter control unit to control the ultrasound probe to move within a RCM point constraint range during insertion into the cavity to be inspected.

[0010] Preferably, the control system also controls the ultrasound probe to move within a safe range.

[0011] Preferably, the ultrasonic inspection system further comprises a trolley and a control unit thereof, the robotic arm is fixed on the trolley, and the control system is also connected to the trolley control unit.

[0012] Preferably, the information of the RCM points is obtained through instruction by a doctor.

[0013] Preferably, the information of the RCM point is obtained by reading the marking point information.

[0014] Preferably, the ultrasonic inspection system further comprises an ultrasonic probe sheath, and the marking point is arranged outside the ultrasonic probe sheath, and the marking point is a visual marking point.

[0015] Preferably, an image sensor is provided on the ultrasound probe adapter for reading the information of the visual marking point.

[0016] Preferably, the ultrasound probe can rotate around the axis of the probe body to obtain an ultrasound image within a 360-degree viewing angle.

[0017] Preferably, the ultrasound probe adapter drives the ultrasound probe to rotate around the main axis of the probe body.

[0018] Preferably, the robot subsystem is further provided with a torque sensor, a position sensor and / or a tracking sensor for recording the torque and position information of the RCM point.

[0019] The present invention also provides an RCM motion control method for a transcavitary ultrasound inspection system, comprising the following steps: an initial positioning step of a robotic arm, a step of determining an RCM point and its position information, and a step of moving an ultrasound probe along the cavity within a constraint range of the RCM point and performing ultrasound inspection.

[0020] Preferably, the RCM points and their position information are obtained through doctor's instruction or reading of visual marker points.

[0021] Preferably, the method further includes a step of determining a safety range, and the ultrasound probe moves within the determined safety range.

[0022] Preferably, the initial positioning step of the robotic arm also includes a step of selecting a target posture mode of the robotic arm.

[0023] In view of the above problems in the background technology, the present invention designs a transcavitary ultrasound examination system based on a collaborative robot arm and its RCM motion control method in the application scenario of transcavitary ultrasound examination. The system and method provided by the present invention can use the mature 6-axis or 7-axis collaborative robot arm currently developed on the market to realize RCM motion control. The present invention can dynamically set the RCM point, is not constrained by the fixed position of the RCM point and the mechanical structure, and can be quickly adjusted to be suitable for examination of multiple cavities and patients of different body shapes. The system and RCM motion control method provided by the present invention simplify the overall mechanism design and have wider adaptability. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] The drawings described herein are used to provide a further understanding of the present invention and constitute a part of the present invention. The exemplary embodiments of the present invention and their descriptions are used to explain the present invention and do not constitute an improper limitation of the present invention. In the drawings:

[0025] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the RCM motion mode realized based on the mechanism in the prior art;

[0026] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the main components of the transcavitary ultrasound examination system provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the main structural components of an ultrasonic inspection system provided according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the principle of RCM movement of an ultrasound probe adapter and an ultrasound probe in a human body cavity according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 5 1 is a schematic diagram of the main steps of a method for controlling RCM movement of a transcavitary ultrasound examination system provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of steps for initially positioning a robotic arm according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of steps for teaching RCM points and safety ranges according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of a safety range teaching method according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram of a structure for obtaining RCM point information through a marking point according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Fig.10 is a schematic diagram of calibration steps in RCM constraint motion provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Fig.11 It is a schematic diagram of the principle of the RCM constraint motion mode provided according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] Reference numerals:

[0037] 100-ultrasound imaging subsystem, 101-ultrasound probe, 102-ultrasound imaging device; 200-ultrasound probe adapter, 201-adapter body, 202-adapter control unit; 203-image sensor; 300-robotic subsystem, 301-robotic arm, 302-robotic arm control unit; 400-control system; 501-trolley, 502-trolley control unit; 600-ultrasound probe sheath, 601-visual marker point. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the present invention clearer, the technical solution of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the specific embodiments of the present invention and the corresponding drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Although many technical details are described in detail in the specific embodiments of the present invention, it should be noted that these details do not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of the present invention. Based on the technical solution disclosed in the present invention, any improvements or changes made by ordinary technicians in this field without performing creative work also fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0039] As an example of a natural cavity of the human body, the present application describes an embodiment using an ultrasound examination scenario for the rectal cavity as an example. However, those skilled in the art should understand that the system and control method of the present application can also be applied to ultrasound examinations of other cavities (for example, the digestive tract, urinary tract, reproductive tract, nasal cavity, external auditory canal, and nasolacrimal duct, etc.).

[0040] like Figure 2 As shown, an embodiment of the present invention provides a transcavitary ultrasound examination system, which includes an ultrasound imaging subsystem 100, which is used to insert into a cavity to be inspected and obtain an ultrasound image; an ultrasound probe adapter 200, which is connected to the ultrasound probe in the ultrasound imaging subsystem 100; and a robot subsystem 300, which is connected to the ultrasound probe adapter 200; the ultrasound imaging subsystem 100, the ultrasound probe adapter, and the robot subsystem are all connected and communicated with a control system, and under the control of the control system, the robot subsystem can drive the ultrasound probe of the ultrasound imaging subsystem to move along a predetermined trajectory, so that the ultrasound probe moves around the RCM point during the process of being inserted into the cavity to be inspected.

[0041] like Figure 3As shown, the transcavitary ultrasound examination system includes a control system 400, which is a host computer control system responsible for the overall control of the system. The host computer control system is connected to the ultrasound imaging device 102 in the ultrasound imaging subsystem 100, and the host computer control system is also connected to the adapter control unit 202 of the ultrasound probe adapter 200. The host computer control system is also connected to the manipulator control unit 302 in the robot subsystem 300. In this way, the control system can obtain the position of the manipulator 301, torque feedback information, ultrasound image, and position information of the ultrasound probe adapter in real time, and then control the ultrasound probe 101 to perform RCM movement.

[0042] Since the cavity to be inspected in the human body is usually a long and narrow channel, in the transcavitary ultrasound inspection system of the present invention, the ultrasound imaging subsystem 100 includes an ultrasound probe 101, and the ultrasound probe 101 is a long and narrow structure. It includes a probe body that is long and narrow and has a certain rigidity so as to be inserted into the cavity to be inspected. An imaging sensor is installed at the front end of the probe body so as to obtain an ultrasound image of the surrounding tissue during the insertion of the probe body into the cavity. The imaging sensor can be a linear array imaging sensor or a convex array imaging sensor, and can be one component or multiple components. It should be understood that all imaging sensors that can be installed on the probe body and collect and obtain ultrasound images can be applicable to this patent. Preferably, the ultrasound probe can obtain ultrasound images within a 360-degree viewing angle, and this function can be achieved by selecting an ultrasound probe with this function (i.e., a probe in which the sensor in the probe can rotate by itself) or by the rotation control of the ultrasound probe adapter 201. The ultrasound probe 101 is connected to the ultrasound imaging device 102, is driven and controlled by the ultrasound imaging device 102, and feeds back the collected ultrasound image signal to the ultrasound imaging device 102.

[0043] The robot subsystem 300 includes a robot arm 301 and a control unit 302 pre-programmed with a predetermined task. The robot arm 301 is fixed to the trolley and provides support and motion control for the ultrasound probe. The robot arm control unit 302 can be any device for controlling the robot to perform inspection tasks during the inspection process. The control unit can be fully implemented by hardware, or it can include a programmed module in a memory. The control unit can include several interconnected controllers of a single central controller.

[0044] The robot can be, for example, a multi-joint robot. Accordingly, the robot arm 301 can be a multi-joint, such as a five-axis or six-axis robot. A multi-joint robot can be a robot including more than one joint and a part (or body) connecting a joint to another joint. For more flexible and accurate control, it can be a six-joint or seven-joint robot. However, this is merely an example, and the concept of the present invention is not limited thereto. Therefore, a device including more than one driver and more than one part and working according to a control signal can be equivalent to the robot of the present invention.

[0045] The robotic arm 301 may include one or more condition sensors. The sensor may be, for example, a force / torque sensor that signals forces and / or torques on connectors or joints of the robotic arm during the inspection process. The sensor may also be a tracking sensor to indicate the position of the end of the robotic arm during the inspection process. The sensor may also be a position sensor to indicate the position of the joints of the supporting arm during the inspection process. The sensor may also be a grip sensor that detects when someone is gripping near the end of the robotic arm.

[0046] The robot arm control unit 302 can drive the joints of the robot arm 301 according to the teaching information. The control unit or control unit may include all kinds of devices such as processors that can process data. Here, "processor" may refer to, for example, a data processing device that has a physically structured circuit and is built into hardware in order to perform functions represented by codes or commands contained in a program. As an example of such a data processing device built into hardware, it may include a microprocessor, a central processing unit, a processor core, a multiprocessor, an application-specific integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array, and other processing devices, but the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0047] The ultrasound probe adapter 200 includes an adapter body 201 and an adapter control unit 202, wherein one end of the adapter body 201 is fixed to the end of the mechanical arm 301, and the other end is connected to the ultrasound probe 101. The ultrasound probe 101 is fixed to the end of the mechanical arm 301 through the ultrasound probe adapter 200, and preferably, the adapter 200 may include a degree of freedom for driving the ultrasound probe 101 to rotate around the main axis of the probe body.

[0048] The trolley 501 and the trolley control unit 502 are used to complete the initial positioning of the robot arm 301 and the target cavity. Under the control of the trolley control unit 502, the trolley 501 may include at least one degree of freedom to complete the vertical movement of the robot arm 301 or include three degrees of freedom to control the robot arm 301 to move in the vertical and horizontal directions.

[0049] Although not shown, it should be understood that the ultrasonic inspection system provided by the embodiment of the present invention also includes a user input in communication with the control system 400 for enabling the user to initiate a pre-programmed task or input instructions or parameter information for control. The user input may include a microphone and a speech recognition module for verbal initiation of a task, a foot pedal for activating the robot, and / or a keyboard for non-verbal initiation of a task. The input may also include items such as a button, a mouse, a joystick, a trackball, a head-mounted indicator, or any other user input device.

[0050] Also, although not shown in the figure, it should be understood that the ultrasonic inspection system provided in the embodiment of the present invention also includes a display unit, which can display the current working state of the robot subsystem 300 and the ultrasonic image collected by the ultrasonic imaging subsystem 100. Therefore, the display unit can represent a display device that displays graphics, text or images. For example, the display unit can be composed of any one of a cathode ray tube CRT, a liquid crystal display LCD, a plasma display panel PDP, a light emitting diode LED and an organic electroluminescent diode OLED, but the concept of the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0051] The input unit may represent various means of obtaining user input. For example, the input unit may be any one of a keyboard, a mouse, a trackball, a microphone, and a button, or a combination of more than one of them. In addition, the input unit may also represent a touch means for performing input on the display unit as mentioned above. However, this is only an example, and the concept of the present invention is not limited to this.

[0052] Although not shown in the figure, the robot subsystem and the ultrasound imaging subsystem according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a communication unit and a memory.

[0053] Figure 4 As shown, one end of the ultrasound probe adapter 201 according to the present invention is connected to the end of the collaborative robotic arm 301, and the other end is connected to the ultrasound probe 101, so as to drive the ultrasound probe 101 into the human cavity C to perform ultrasound examination, wherein the ultrasound probe 101 can move forward or backward in the direction indicated by the arrow A in the figure, and can rotate in the direction indicated by the arrow R, that is, it basically moves in a manner of self-rotation around the main axis of the probe body, and in the process of inserting the ultrasound probe 101 into the human cavity C, it is constrained by the RCM distal point shown in the figure (usually located at the cavity opening of the cavity to be inspected), and its movement process is RCM movement.

[0054] Figure 5 FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the main steps of a method for controlling RCM motion in a transluminal ultrasound examination system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The overall process of the RCM motion control method includes three stages:

[0055] Step 1: Initial positioning of the robotic arm. In this step, the end of the robotic arm 301 is positioned to match the target cavity by moving the trolley 501 and controlling the lifting and lowering of the robotic arm 301 as a whole. The use of the trolley in the initial positioning step can flexibly and quickly adapt to a variety of target cavity positions, thereby improving the versatility of the solution.

[0056] Step 2: Determine the RCM point and its position information. In this step, the RCM point is determined, and the position information of the RCM point is fed back to the control system 400. The position information of the RCM point can be obtained by the doctor moving the mechanical arm 301 for teaching, or by other similar methods.

[0057] As an example, Fig. 9 As shown, the ultrasonic inspection system also includes an ultrasonic probe sheath 600, which matches the ultrasonic probe 101 during the ultrasonic inspection process, is suitable for pre-insertion into the cavity, provides physical support, and provides coupling agent supply. The sheath 600 is an elongated cylindrical shape as a whole, and the outer end is located near the cavity opening after being inserted into the cavity. A visual marking point 601 can be set at the outer end of the sheath for positioning, and the information of the visual marking point 601 is read by an image sensor 203 (such as a camera) provided on the probe adapter 201, thereby obtaining the position information of the RCM point; the visual marking point 601 is preferably set in pairs, and the number of settings can be adjusted as needed.

[0058] Step 3, safety range determination. In this step, based on the constraints of the RCM points determined in step 2, the robot arm 301 can be further moved to teach the movable range constraints or torque constraints as the safety range data of the system. This step, as a preferred step, can further improve the overall safety of the system and solve the problem of low safety when the serial robot arm is used for RCM movement.

[0059] Step 4: Perform ultrasonic inspection along the cavity within the RCM point constraint range. After completing the RCM teaching of the mechanical arm 301, the mechanical arm 301 drives the ultrasonic probe 101 to complete the ultrasonic inspection task according to the set trajectory, realizing the data collection process required for ultrasonic three-dimensional reconstruction.

[0060] Compared with most existing surgical robots that rely on RCM mechanisms to achieve RCM movement, the ultrasound examination system provided by the present invention can achieve automatic ultrasound examination within the RCM point constraint range. Its RCM points can be dynamically set according to the doctor's teaching or marking points, etc., and are not constrained by the fixed position of the RCM point and the mechanical structure. It can be quickly adjusted to be suitable for examination of multiple cavities and patients of different body shapes. The robotic arm simultaneously completes the functions of support positioning and RCM movement, simplifies the overall mechanism design, and has a wider adaptability. And the safety problem of the serial robotic arm completing RCM movement is improved through the control method of RCM point teaching.

[0061] Combine the following Figure 6-Figure 10 The RCM motion control method of the ultrasonic inspection system provided by the present invention is described in more detail.

[0062] Figure 6 , which is a schematic diagram of the main steps of initial positioning of the robot arm 301.

[0063] Considering that when using the ultrasound examination system provided by the present invention to perform transcavitary ultrasound examination, the patient's size, posture, and cavity location are different, the robot arm 301 needs to be able to adjust its initial position and posture according to the actual situation.

[0064] Step S11: Move the trolley 501 to the vicinity of the target position. This step can be manually pushed or automatically moved. The target position refers to a position near the patient to be examined, close to the patient's cavity entrance but still with a certain adjustment distance. Through this step, the device body including the mechanical arm and the ultrasound probe is quickly moved to the vicinity of the patient.

[0065] Step S12: selecting the target posture mode of the robot arm 301 according to the position of the target cavity;

[0066] Step S13: the control system 400 controls the robot arm 301 to move to the target posture mode;

[0067] Step S14: further moving the trolley 501 to adjust the base position of the robotic arm 301 so that the end of the robotic arm 301 can reach the target cavity;

[0068] Step S15: fine-tuning the posture of the robotic arm 301 so that the robotic arm 301 can meet other external space requirements when working;

[0069] Step S16: The control system 400 confirms the position and current posture of the robot arm base.

[0070] The target posture modes in step S12 and step S13 are classified according to the different target cavities, mainly based on the direction of the target cavity. For example, they can be divided into three posture modes: the target cavity opening is horizontal, the target cavity opening is vertically upward, and the target cavity opening position is vertically downward. According to different posture modes, the reference direction to which the end of the robot 301 is to be directed can be obtained. In the present invention, the reference direction can represent the direction to which the end of the robot is to be directed even though the posture of the robot changes according to the teaching. At this time, the reference direction can be, for example, a direction perpendicular to the working surface in three-dimensional space or a southward direction. This reference direction can be obtained by the user's teaching of the reference direction. For example, in order to make the end of the robot face the reference direction set by itself, the user can set the reference direction by physically operating the various parts of the robot including the end. In addition, the reference direction can also be obtained by the user's operation on the input unit. For example, the user generates a control signal for at least one joint of the robot through the input unit and transmits it to each joint, so that the reference direction can be set. However, this is only an example, and the idea of ​​the present invention is not limited to this.

[0071] Figure 7 The figure shows a schematic diagram of the process of determining the RCM point by teaching.

[0072] Step S21 : installing the ultrasound probe adapter body 201 at the end of the robot arm 301 , and installing the ultrasound probe 101 on the ultrasound probe adapter body 201 .

[0073] In this way, an ultrasound probe adapter according to the present invention can be added to a conventional robotic arm device to realize RCM motion control of the ultrasound probe, which greatly improves convenience and versatility. The ultrasound probe adapter body 201 can be any mechanical structure that can realize the above functions. The adapter body 201 needs to be connected to the control unit 202, or as an option, the control unit 202 of the adapter is set inside the adapter body 201.

[0074] The adapter 200 is also used to determine the relative positional relationship between the ultrasonic probe 101 and the mechanical arm 301. The positional relationship between the end of the ultrasonic probe 101 and the end of the mechanical arm 301 can be determined by the fixed mechanical size of the adapter 200 and the ultrasonic probe 101 with known mechanical size. When the mechanical size of the ultrasonic probe 101 fixed by the ultrasonic probe adapter 200 is unknown (such as when an ultrasonic probe with unknown mechanical size is installed on the adapter), the tool coordinate system with the start and end positions of the working area of ​​the ultrasonic probe as the origin of the tool coordinate system can be calibrated by a traditional calibration method (such as the six-point calibration method of the tool coordinate system of the mechanical arm, etc.) to obtain the positional relationship of the ultrasonic probe relative to the end of the mechanical arm.

[0075] A sensor may also be provided on the adapter body, and the sensor may be one or more of a force / torque sensor, a tracking sensor, a position sensor, and a grip sensor. The data measured by the above sensors are transmitted to the adapter control unit 202 .

[0076] Step S22: drag the ultrasound probe adapter 201 to the position where the ultrasound probe 101 touches the target RCM point, which is usually the entrance of the cavity. For example, for transrectal ultrasound examination, the position is selected to be near the anus.

[0077] Step S23: when the ultrasonic probe 101 touches the RCM point of the target cavity, the position of the RCM point is confirmed and recorded through the input device of the ultrasonic inspection system;

[0078] Step S24: Start the RCM motion safety range teaching through the input device of the ultrasonic inspection system, at which time the robot arm 301 enters the RCM constraint state;

[0079] Step S25: dragging the robot arm 301 to move around the RCM point and confirming the safe position in multiple directions;

[0080] Step S26: The control system records parameters such as the range angle in each direction and the torque information during the movement in step S24.

[0081] After step S26 is completed, the teaching process of the RCM point and the safety range is completed, and the ultrasonic inspection system has recorded the position information of the RCM point and the relevant information of the safety range (range angles in various directions, torques, etc.).

[0082] See also Figure 8 , is a schematic diagram of the principle of a method for obtaining a safety range of an ultrasonic inspection system according to an embodiment of the present invention. As the cavity to be inspected, the natural cavity opening of the human body is a smooth curved closed opening, such as Figure 8 The substantially cylindrical cavity shown in FIG. 1 has a virtual axis. The RCM point where the ultrasound probe 101 moves is located on the virtual axis and near the cavity opening.

[0083] In the aforementioned step S26, after recording the range angle in each direction and the torque information during the movement of the probe and other parameters, the safe range of motion can be quickly obtained by using a closed approximately smooth curve passing through the teaching point. For example: Figure 8As shown in, the angle information obtained by recording in S26 includes A1, A2, A3, and A4. Preferably, the obtained angle values ​​are angle values ​​distributed within the range of 360 degrees; A1, A2, A3, and A4 are angle values ​​obtained in sequence during the teaching process, and the torque information of the position of each angle value (A1, A2, A3, and A4) is recorded, as well as the torque change information during the process of the probe 101 moving from A1 to A2, then to A3, and then to A4.

[0084] According to the above angle value, torque information, and torque change information, the safety range can be determined, that is, Figure 8 The range of the virtual cone is a virtual cone with the RCM point as the fixed point and the virtual position of the end of the ultrasonic probe 101 as the bottom surface. When the robot arm 301 controls the ultrasonic probe 101 to perform RCM movement, it cannot exceed the safe movement range.

[0085] As an advantage, a safe torque constraint range can also be set. When the ultrasonic probe 101 needs to perform RCM movement to a certain position, its torque range is the torque range of the teaching point after considering the safety factor. When the constraints of the safe movement range and the safe torque range are exceeded, the ultrasonic inspection system will alarm to prompt manual intervention.

[0086] Considering the characteristic that a sheath can be used in transcavitary ultrasound examinations such as rectal ultrasound examinations, the process of manually dragging the probe to teach the RCM distal point in step S22 can also achieve automatic recognition of the RCM point by designing a positioning device on the sheath (such as visual marker point 601). Fig. 9 The structure and principle diagram of determining the RCM point by identifying the visual marker point is shown. As mentioned above, the ultrasonic inspection system also includes an ultrasonic probe sheath 600, which matches the ultrasonic probe 101 during the ultrasonic inspection process, is suitable for pre-insertion into the cavity C, and provides physical support and coupling agent supply. The sheath 600 is an elongated cylindrical shape as a whole, and the outer end is located near the cavity opening after being inserted into the cavity C. A visual marker point 601 can be set at the outer end of the sheath for positioning, and the information of the visual marker point 601 is read by the image sensor 203 (such as a camera) provided on the probe adapter 201, thereby obtaining the position information of the RCM point; the visual marker point 601 is preferably set in pairs, and the number of settings can be adjusted as needed. The visual marker point can also be a two-dimensional code, etc., and the image sensor 203 can read the information of the visual marker point to complete the automatic recognition of the spatial position of the RCM point.

[0087] Combine the following Figure 10 to Figure 11 An embodiment of the control method of the ultrasonic inspection system provided by the present invention for moving within the RCM point constraint range is described.

[0088] As mentioned above, after the control system 400 obtains and determines the RCM point position information and the safe movement range, the ultrasonic inspection system can move within the RCM point constraint range to perform ultrasonic inspection. The steps include:

[0089] Calibration, such as Fig.10 As shown, the end position of the ultrasonic probe 101 is used as the origin of the tool coordinate system of the robot arm 301; and the spatial position coordinate P_rcm of the RCM telecentric point in the coordinate system of the robot arm 301 is obtained;

[0090] Furthermore, if Fig.11 As shown, when the ultrasonic probe 101 needs to move from the initial position to the target position, the mechanical arm 301 and the ultrasonic probe adapter 201 drive the ultrasonic probe 101 to move along the origin of the original tool coordinate system according to the following steps:

[0091] As an example, it is known that the spatial coordinate position of the current RCM point is P_rcm (this position is the position coordinate in the tool coordinate system TCP_1), and the ultrasonic probe 101 is controlled by the mechanical arm to move the probe end from the current position P_end to the target position P_end′ under the condition that the current RCM point constraint is satisfied. The movement steps are as follows:

[0092] Step S41: driving the ultrasound probe 101 to deflect by an angle w around the current RCM point (P_rcm);

[0093] Step S42: driving the ultrasonic probe 101 to move along the axial direction of the ultrasonic probe in the original tool coordinate system (TCP_1) by a distance |P_end-P_rcm| to reach the target position P_end;

[0094] Step S43: after step S42, updating the robot tool coordinate system TCP_1 to a new tool coordinate system TCP_1′;

[0095] Step S44: The movement of the ultrasound probe 101 to the target position P_end′ is completed.

[0096] in:

[0097] w is the angle between the spatial straight line between the target position point and the current RCM point and the spatial straight line between the current position point and the current RCM point, which includes the rotation angle components around the three coordinate axes x, y, and z with the current RCM point as the origin of the tool coordinate system;

[0098] P_end is the current position of the end of the ultrasound probe, and P_end′ is the target position of the end of the ultrasound probe;

[0099] P_rcm is the current RCM constraint point, and is also the spatial position of the origin of the tool coordinate system TCP_1 of the current robot arm;

[0100] P_start is the initial position of the ultrasonic probe installation, that is, the limit position where the ultrasonic probe can be inserted into the cavity. P_start to P_end are all the positions where the ultrasonic probe can be inserted into the cavity in theory.

[0101] When the end of the ultrasonic probe moves from the current position P_end to the target position P_end′, the spatial position P_rcm′ of the RCM constraint point is still equal to the spatial position P_rcm of the RCM constraint point before the movement, that is, P_rcm′=P_rcm, but the tool coordinate system TCP_1′ after the movement has changed relative to that before the movement, that is, Fig.11 The relative position of P_rcm′, which is equivalent to P_start′, has changed compared with the relative position before the movement, so the user coordinate system needs to be updated to the new position TCP_1′.

[0102] After completing the above movement, the ultrasonic probe 101 continues to rotate around the RCM point and move to the next target position P_end″ in a similar manner in the updated tool coordinate system TCP_1′, and updates the robot arm tool coordinate system to the new tool coordinate system TCP_1″.

[0103] The transcavitary ultrasound examination system and RCM motion control method provided by the present invention can realize remote central motion control of the robot, use the mature 6-axis or 7-axis cooperative robot arm currently developed on the market, add an adapter connected to the ultrasound probe at the end, set the RCM point and the safety limit range at the same time, and dynamically set the RCM point without being constrained by the fixed position of the RCM point and the mechanical structure. It can be quickly adjusted to be suitable for the examination of multiple cavities and patients of different body shapes. The system and method provided by the present invention simplify the overall mechanism design and have wider adaptability.

[0104] It should be noted that the above step sequence is only for the purpose of clearly explaining the present embodiment and does not constitute a limitation on the order of the processing steps. In fact, the above steps can be completed in different orders, and those skilled in the art can adjust them as needed, and some steps can be added and / or deleted, and some steps can also include several sub-steps. For more conventional processing steps, this article will not repeat them. If it is beneficial to the processing, some of the above steps can be repeated.

[0105] The present invention is described with reference to flowcharts and / or block diagrams of methods, devices (systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of the present invention. It should be understood that each process and / or block in the flowchart and / or block diagram, as well as the combination of processes and / or blocks in the flowchart and / or block diagram, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, an embedded processor, or other programmable data processing device to produce a machine, so that the instructions executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing device generate instructions for implementing the processes in the flowchart and / or block diagram. Figure 1 A process or multiple processes and / or boxes Figure 1 A device that provides the functions specified in a block or multiple blocks.

[0106] The embodiments of the present invention are described in detail above, but the contents described are only preferred embodiments of the present invention and cannot be considered to limit the scope of implementation of the present invention. All equivalent changes and improvements made within the scope of the present invention should still fall within the scope of the patent coverage of the present invention.

Claims

1. A transcavitary ultrasound examination system, comprising: An ultrasound imaging subsystem, the ultrasound imaging subsystem comprising an ultrasound probe for inserting into a cavity to be inspected and acquiring an ultrasound image; A robot subsystem, the robot subsystem comprising a robot arm and a control unit thereof, the robot arm driving the ultrasound probe to move in the cavity to perform transcavitary ultrasound examination; An ultrasound probe adapter and a control unit thereof, wherein one end of the ultrasound probe adapter is fixed to the end of the mechanical arm and the other end is connected to the ultrasound probe; A control system, wherein the control system is connected to the ultrasound imaging subsystem, the robotic arm control unit, and the ultrasound probe adapter control unit, and controls the ultrasound probe to move within the RCM point constraint range during insertion into the cavity to be inspected; wherein the process of the control system controlling the ultrasound probe to achieve RCM motion control specifically includes the following steps: -Determine the position coordinates P_rcm of the current RCM point in the tool coordinate system TCP_1; - Drive the ultrasound probe to rotate around the current RCM point by an angle w, where w is the angle between the spatial straight line between the target position point and the current RCM point and the spatial straight line between the current position point and the current RCM point; - Drive the ultrasonic probe to move along the axial direction of the ultrasonic probe in the original tool coordinate system TCP_1 by a distance |P_end-P_rcm| to reach the target position P_end; -Update tool coordinate system TCP_1 to new tool coordinate system TCP_1'.

2. The transcavitary ultrasound examination system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The control system also controls the ultrasound probe to move within a safe range.

3. The transcavitary ultrasound examination system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The ultrasonic inspection system also includes a trolley and a control unit thereof. The mechanical arm is fixed on the trolley, and the control system is also connected to the trolley control unit.

4. The transcavitary ultrasound examination system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The information of the RCM points is obtained through the doctor's instruction.

5. The transcavitary ultrasound examination system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The information of the RCM point is obtained by reading the marking point information.

6. The transcavitary ultrasound examination system according to claim 5, characterized in that: The ultrasonic inspection system further comprises an ultrasonic probe sheath, and the marking point is arranged outside the ultrasonic probe sheath, and the marking point is a visual marking point.

7. The transcavitary ultrasound examination system according to claim 6, characterized in that: The ultrasound probe adapter is provided with an image sensor for reading the information of the visual marking point.

8. The transcavitary ultrasound examination system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The ultrasonic probe can rotate around the main axis of the probe body to obtain an ultrasonic image within a 360-degree viewing angle.

9. The transcavitary ultrasound examination system according to claim 8, characterized in that: The ultrasound probe adapter drives the ultrasound probe to rotate around the axis of the probe body.

10. The transcavitary ultrasound examination system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The ultrasonic inspection system is also provided with a torque sensor, a position sensor and / or a tracking sensor for recording the torque and position information of the RCM point.

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