Ultrasonic Scanning Robot Collision Time Testing Device, Usage Method and Equipment

Abstract

This invention relates to an ultrasound scanning robot collision time testing device, its method of use, and equipment. The device includes: a support frame with a support rod for supporting the ultrasound scanning robot collision time testing device; a tension sensor for measuring the tension of a first rope, one end of which is fixed to the top of the support frame, and the other end connected to one end of the first rope; a stop block connected to the other end of the first rope and fixed to the end of the robotic arm; and a laser rangefinder fixed to the top of the support rod for measuring the displacement of the stop block. The ultrasound scanning robot collision time testing device provided by this invention fixes the end of the robotic arm at the patient end of the ultrasound scanning robot to a stop block, and uses a tension sensor and rope to measure the tension when the stop block moves toward the laser rangefinder. When the tension threshold is reached, the stop block moves in the opposite direction, and the laser rangefinder measures the moving distance and response time, ensuring the normal use of the ultrasound scanning robot while guaranteeing that the response time is within a safe range.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of ultrasonic scanning technology, and in particular to an ultrasonic scanning robot collision time testing device, method of use, and equipment. Background Technology

[0002] At present, ultrasound scanning robots adopt a separate design, that is, the doctor end and the patient end use wireless communication. While the doctor moves the handheld contour probe on the support plate, the ultrasound probe on the patient end adjusts the detection position according to the position information of the contour probe and completes the detection.

[0003] However, the aforementioned split-type ultrasound scanning robot also has certain shortcomings during operation. For example, because the ultrasound probe at the patient end is far from the doctor during use, it is prone to collision with the patient's body, which can damage the probe and injure the patient, thus affecting the normal use of the ultrasound scanning robot. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention provides an ultrasonic scanning robot collision time testing device, method of use, and equipment, the purpose of which is to ensure the normal use of the ultrasonic scanning robot by measuring the response time after the ultrasonic probe collides.

[0005] In a first aspect, embodiments of the present invention provide an ultrasonic scanning robot collision time testing device, comprising:

[0006] A support frame, including support rods, for supporting an ultrasonic scanning robot collision time testing device;

[0007] A tension sensor is used to measure the tension of the first rope. One end of the tension sensor is fixed to the top of the support frame, and the other end of the tension sensor is connected to one end of the first rope.

[0008] A stop block, connected to the other end of the first rope, is fixed to the end of the robotic arm;

[0009] A laser rangefinder, fixed to the top of the support rod and directly below the stop, is used to measure the displacement of the stop.

[0010] Optionally, one end of the tension sensor is fixedly connected to the top of the support frame via a second rope.

[0011] Optionally, the tension sensor is equipped with a first communication module that communicates with an industrial control computer;

[0012] The laser rangefinder is equipped with a second communication module that communicates with the industrial control computer.

[0013] Optionally, it also includes a set of casters fixed to the bottom of the support frame;

[0014] The swivel wheel set is used to adjust the relative position between the support frame and the robotic arm.

[0015] Secondly, embodiments of the present invention provide a method for using an ultrasonic scanning robot collision time testing device, applied to an industrial control computer, including:

[0016] Adjust the robotic arm belonging to the patient end to the initial position and establish the positional correspondence between the robotic arm and the laser rangefinder;

[0017] Drive the robotic arm to move toward the laser rangefinder and obtain the tension value corresponding to the distance value based on the tension sensor;

[0018] If the pulling force is greater than the pulling force threshold, the robotic arm will be driven to move in the opposite direction.

[0019] The distance traveled in the reverse direction and the response time are obtained using a laser rangefinder.

[0020] Optionally, before adjusting the robotic arm to the patient end to its initial position and establishing the positional correspondence between the robotic arm and the force sensor, the method further includes:

[0021] Establish communication connections with the tension sensor and the laser rangefinder respectively.

[0022] Optionally, establish the positional correspondence between the robotic arm and the laser rangefinder, specifically including:

[0023] Add a stop at the end of the robotic arm;

[0024] Adjust the stop block to the top of the laser rangefinder.

[0025] Optionally, it also includes:

[0026] Set the number of reverse moves, where the number of reverse moves must be at least two;

[0027] Repeat the following steps based on the number of reverse moves:

[0028] If the pulling force is greater than the pulling force threshold, the robotic arm is driven to move in the opposite direction; the moving distance and response time in the opposite direction are obtained from the laser rangefinder.

[0029] The number of times the robotic arm moves in the reverse direction reaches the required number of reverse movements.

[0030] Thirdly, embodiments of the present invention provide an electronic device, which includes: one or more processors;

[0031] Memory, used to store one or more programs;

[0032] When one or more programs are executed by one or more processors, the one or more processors implement the method of using the ultrasonic scanning robot collision time testing device as provided in any embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] Fourthly, embodiments of the present invention provide a storage medium containing computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by a computer processor, are used to perform a method of using the ultrasonic scanning robot collision time testing device provided in any embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] This invention provides an ultrasonic scanning robot collision time testing device, method of use, and equipment. The device fixes the end of the patient-side robotic arm of the ultrasonic scanning robot to a stop block, and uses a tension sensor and rope to measure the tension when the stop block moves toward a laser rangefinder. When the tension threshold is reached, the stop block moves in the opposite direction, and the laser rangefinder measures the moving distance and response time. As long as the response time is within a safe range, the normal use of the ultrasonic scanning robot is guaranteed. Attached Figure Description

[0035] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an ultrasonic scanning robot collision time testing device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram showing the connection between the industrial control computer and the tension sensor and the laser rangefinder in an ultrasonic scanning robot collision time testing device provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating the method of using an ultrasonic scanning robot collision time testing device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0038] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an ultrasonic scanning robot collision time testing device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram showing the distance the block moves and the corresponding time in a method of using an ultrasonic scanning robot collision time testing device provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0040] In the diagram: 1. Support frame; 2. Support rod; 3. Tension sensor; 4. First rope; 5. Stop; 6. Robotic arm; 7. Laser rangefinder; 8. Second rope; 9. Universal wheel assembly; 10. Industrial computer; 11. First communication module; 12. Second communication module. Detailed Implementation

[0041] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the invention and not intended to limit it. Furthermore, it should be noted that, for ease of description, the accompanying drawings show only the parts relevant to the present invention, and not all of the structures.

[0042] Existing ultrasound scanning robots can employ a separate design, where the doctor's end and the patient's end communicate wirelessly. While the doctor moves the contour probe across a support plate, the ultrasound probe on the patient's end adjusts its position based on the contour probe's location information to complete the scan. However, because the ultrasound probe on the patient's end is far from the doctor during use, it is prone to collisions with the patient's body, potentially causing damage to the probe and injury to the patient, thus affecting the normal operation of the ultrasound scanning robot.

[0043] Example 1

[0044] To address the above shortcomings, this invention proposes an ultrasonic scanning robot collision time testing device, such as... Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, it includes:

[0045] The support frame 1, including the support rod 2, is used to support the ultrasonic scanning robot collision time testing device. It should be noted that the bottom of the support frame 1 is fixed with a set of casters 9 for adjusting the relative position between the support frame 1 and the robotic arm 6. In actual use, since the patient-side robotic arm 6 of the ultrasonic scanning robot includes 6 joints and an ultrasonic probe is fixed to its end, the casters 9 are needed to adjust the position of the support frame 1 to ensure that only vertical forces exist between the support frame 1 and the robotic arm 6.

[0046] A tension sensor 3 is used to measure the tension of the first rope 4. One end of the tension sensor 3 is fixed to the top of the support frame 1, and the other end of the tension sensor 3 is connected to one end of the first rope 4. Alternatively, one end of the tension sensor 3 is fixedly connected to the top of the support frame 1 via a second rope 8. Using the second rope 8 improves the accuracy of the tension sensor 3 measurement.

[0047] The stop block 5, connected to the other end of the first rope 4, is fixed to the end of the robotic arm 6. During the vertical movement of the stop block 5, the tension sensor 3 measures the tension generated by the descent of the stop block 5 in real time. In a preferred embodiment, the tension sensor 3 is equipped with an alarm; when the tension value measured by the tension sensor 3 exceeds a tension threshold, an alarm is triggered.

[0048] A laser rangefinder 7 is fixed to the top of the support rod 2, directly below the stop block 5, and is used to measure the displacement of the stop block 5. The distance between the laser rangefinder 7 and the stop block 5 is approximately 0.16m-0.44m. To ensure that the laser rangefinder 7 is directly below the stop block 5, the laser rangefinder 7 is adjusted according to the position of the light spot emitted by the laser rangefinder 7 at the stop block 5.

[0049] It should be added that the tension sensor 3 is equipped with a first communication module 11 that communicates with the industrial control computer 10; the laser rangefinder 7 is equipped with a second communication module 12 that communicates with the industrial control computer 10.

[0050] During the process of testing the moving distance of the stop block 5 by the laser rangefinder 7, the external industrial control computer 10 uses the first communication module 11 and the second communication module 12 to obtain the tension value of the first rope 4 and the moving distance of the stop block 5. Based on the above moving distance, the collision stopping time of the stop block 5 and the time when the robotic arm 6 starts to retract are detected, and the collision time is calculated.

[0051] This invention provides a collision time testing device for an ultrasound scanning robot. By fixing the end of the robotic arm at the patient end of the ultrasound scanning robot to a stop, a tension sensor and a rope are used to measure the tension when the stop moves toward a laser rangefinder. When the tension threshold is reached, the stop moves in the opposite direction, and the laser rangefinder measures the moving distance and response time. As long as the response time is within a safe range, the normal use of the ultrasound scanning robot is guaranteed.

[0052] Example 2

[0053] Further as Figure 3 As shown, this embodiment further refines the above technical solution and proposes a method for using an ultrasonic scanning robot collision time testing device, applied to an industrial control computer, including:

[0054] S01: Adjust the robotic arm belonging to the patient end to the initial position and establish the positional correspondence between the robotic arm and the laser rangefinder; wherein the end of the robotic arm belonging to the patient end of the ultrasound scanning robot is fixed with a stop, and the top of the stop is fixed to the tension sensor by the first rope, so that the tension sensor can measure the tension during the movement of the stop.

[0055] Therefore, step S01 specifically includes: adding a stop to the end of the robotic arm;

[0056] Adjust the stop block to the top of the laser rangefinder.

[0057] At the same time, adjust the position of the laser rangefinder on the support rod. For example, use the light spot emitted by the laser rangefinder to adjust its position so that the stop is directly below the laser rangefinder.

[0058] S02: Drive the robotic arm to move towards the laser rangefinder and obtain the tension value corresponding to the distance value based on the tension sensor. The aforementioned ultrasound scanning robot includes a doctor's end and a patient's end. The patient's end robotic arm includes 6 joints, and a fixed stop at the end of the robotic arm replaces the ultrasound probe used in actual use. The doctor's end includes a contour probe and a touchpad. By moving the contour probe above and / or on the touchpad, the movement trajectory is sent to the industrial control computer as a signal. The industrial control computer drives the patient's end robotic arm to move synchronously. It should be noted that before executing step S01, the industrial control computer also establishes communication connections with the tension sensor and the laser rangefinder respectively to achieve data transmission.

[0059] In the actual testing process, a 200g weight is placed on the touchpad surface to ensure that the simulated doctor's robotic arm and the patient's robotic arm are in the same force control mode. The doctor's robotic arm is lowered by the doctor's control, and the industrial control computer drives the patient's robotic arm to lower. The tension sensor obtains the tension value of the first rope during the descent. During this process, the industrial control computer obtains the tension value obtained by the tension sensor in real time.

[0060] S03: If the pulling force is greater than the pulling force threshold, drive the robotic arm to move in the opposite direction; the industrial control computer stores the pulling force threshold. When the pulling force is greater than the pulling force threshold, the industrial control computer will drive the robotic arm at the patient end to move in the opposite direction until the origin.

[0061] S04: Obtain the reverse movement distance and response time using the laser rangefinder. It's important to note that the industrial control computer generates a distance-time graph based on the aforementioned movement distance, as shown in Table 1. Based on the graph, it obtains the collision stopping time t0 and the stop retraction time t1, and then calculates the collision protection time dt = t1 - t0.

[0062] like Figure 5 As shown, the collision stopping time t0 is defined as the end time of the ascent; the rollback time t1 is defined as the start time of the continuous descent.

[0063] In a preferred embodiment, the method further includes: setting the number of reverse moves N, wherein the number of reverse moves is at least two;

[0064] Repeat the following steps based on the number of reverse moves N:

[0065] If the pulling force is greater than the pulling force threshold, the robotic arm is driven to move in the opposite direction; the moving distance and response time in the opposite direction are obtained from the laser rangefinder.

[0066] The number of times the robotic arm moves in the reverse direction reaches the stated number of reverse movements.

[0067] For example, if the number of reverse movements is set to N=5, and the collision stopping time t0 and the retraction time t1 are measured 5 times respectively, the results are shown in Table 1:

[0068] Table 1

[0069] Serial Number Collision stop time t0 rollback time t1 Collision protection time dt 1 17528 17644 116 2 19302 19415 113 3 16882 16994 112 4 13752 13863 111 5 7588 7751 163

[0070] It should be added that the collision protection time dt mentioned above is kept within the safe collision time of 200ms.

[0071] The method of using the ultrasonic scanning robot collision time testing device provided in this embodiment of the invention is applied to an industrial control computer that is communicatively connected to the collision time testing device. It adopts the same technical means as the collision time testing device and achieves the same technical effect, which will not be described in detail here.

[0072] Example 3

[0073] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an ultrasonic scanning robot collision time testing device provided in an embodiment of the present invention, as shown below. Figure 4 As shown, the ultrasonic scanning robot collision time testing device includes a processor 410, a memory 420, an input device 430, and an output device 440; the number of processors 410 in the ultrasonic scanning robot collision time testing device can be one or more. Figure 4 Taking a processor 410 as an example; the processor 410, memory 420, input device 430, and output device 440 in the ultrasonic scanning robot collision time testing device can be connected via a bus or other means. Figure 4 Taking the example of a connection between China and Israel via a bus.

[0074] The memory 420, as a computer-readable storage medium, can be used to store software programs, computer-executable programs, and modules. For example, the program instruction / module processor 410 corresponding to the method of using the ultrasonic scanning robot collision time test device in the embodiment of the present invention executes various functional applications and data processing of the ultrasonic scanning robot collision time test device by running the software programs, instructions, and modules stored in the memory 420, thereby realizing the above-mentioned method of using the ultrasonic scanning robot collision time test device.

[0075] The memory 420 may primarily include a program storage area and a data storage area. The program storage area may store the operating system and at least one application program required for a given function; the data storage area may store data created based on terminal usage. Furthermore, the memory 420 may include high-speed random access memory and non-volatile memory, such as at least one disk storage device, flash memory, or other non-volatile solid-state storage device. In some instances, the memory 420 may further include memory remotely located relative to the processor 410, which can be connected via a network to an ultrasonic scanning robot collision time testing device. Examples of such networks include, but are not limited to, the Internet, intranets, local area networks, mobile communication networks, and combinations thereof.

[0076] Input device 430 can be used to receive input digital or character information, and to generate key signal inputs related to user settings and function control of the ultrasonic scanning robot collision time testing equipment. Output device 440 may include display devices such as a display screen.

[0077] Example 4

[0078] This invention also provides a storage medium containing computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by a computer processor, are used to perform a method of using an ultrasonic scanning robot collision time testing device, including:

[0079] Adjust the robotic arm belonging to the patient end to the initial position and establish the positional correspondence between the robotic arm and the laser rangefinder;

[0080] Drive the robotic arm to move toward the laser rangefinder and obtain the tension value corresponding to the distance value based on the tension sensor;

[0081] If the pulling force is greater than the pulling force threshold, the robotic arm will be driven to move in the opposite direction.

[0082] The distance traveled in the reverse direction and the response time are obtained using a laser rangefinder.

[0083] Of course, the computer-executable instructions provided in the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the method operations described above, but can also perform related operations in the usage method of the ultrasonic scanning robot collision time testing device provided in any embodiment of the present invention.

[0084] Based on the above description of the implementation methods, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that the present invention can be implemented using software and necessary general-purpose hardware, and of course, it can also be implemented using hardware, but in many cases the former is a better implementation method. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present invention, or the part that contributes to the prior art, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, such as a computer floppy disk, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), flash memory, hard disk, or optical disk, etc., including several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute the methods described in the various embodiments of the present invention.

[0085] It is worth noting that in the embodiments of the ultrasonic scanning robot collision time testing equipment described above, the various units and modules included are only divided according to functional logic, but are not limited to the above division, as long as the corresponding functions can be achieved; in addition, the specific names of each functional unit are only for easy differentiation and are not used to limit the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0086] Based on the above description of the implementation methods, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that the present invention can be implemented using software and necessary general-purpose hardware, and of course, it can also be implemented using hardware, but in many cases the former is a better implementation method. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present invention, or the part that contributes to the prior art, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, such as a computer floppy disk, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), flash memory, hard disk, or optical disk, etc., including several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute the methods described in the various embodiments of the present invention.

[0087] It is worth noting that the various units and modules included in the above embodiments are only divided according to functional logic, but are not limited to the above division, as long as the corresponding functions can be achieved; in addition, the specific names of each functional unit are only for easy differentiation and are not used to limit the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0088] Although the present invention has been described in detail above with general descriptions, specific embodiments, and experiments, modifications or improvements can be made to it, which will be obvious to those skilled in the art. Therefore, all such modifications or improvements made without departing from the spirit of the present invention fall within the scope of protection claimed by the present invention.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic scanning robot time-of-flight testing apparatus, characterized by, include: A support frame, including a support rod, is used to support the ultrasonic scanning robot collision time testing device; A tension sensor is used to measure the tension of the first rope. One end of the tension sensor is fixed to the top of the support frame, and the other end of the tension sensor is connected to one end of the first rope. A stop block, connected to the other end of the first rope, is fixed to the end of the robotic arm; A laser rangefinder is fixed to the top of the support rod, directly below the stop, and is used to measure the displacement of the stop. The tension sensor is equipped with a first communication module that communicates with an industrial control computer. The laser rangefinder is equipped with a second communication module that communicates with the industrial control computer. During the process of testing the moving distance of the stop with a laser rangefinder, the first communication module and the second communication module are used to enable the external industrial control computer to obtain the tension value of the first rope and the moving distance of the stop. Based on the moving distance, the stop collision stopping time and the time when the robotic arm begins to retract are detected, and the collision time is calculated.

2. The ultrasonic scan robot collision time testing device of claim 1, wherein, One end of the tension sensor is fixedly connected to the top of the support frame via a second rope.

3. The ultrasonic scanning robot collision time testing apparatus of claim 1, wherein, It also includes a set of casters fixed to the bottom of the support frame; The omnidirectional wheel set is used to adjust the relative position between the support frame and the robotic arm.

4. A method of using an ultrasonic scanning robot time-of-flight testing apparatus applied to an industrial computer, characterized by, include: Adjust the robotic arm belonging to the patient end to the initial position and establish the positional correspondence between the robotic arm and the laser rangefinder; Drive the robotic arm to move toward the laser rangefinder and obtain the tension value corresponding to the distance value based on the tension sensor; If the tension value is greater than the tension threshold, the robotic arm is driven to move in the opposite direction. The laser rangefinder is used to obtain the moving distance and response time of the robotic arm in reverse movement.

5. The method of use according to claim 4, characterized in that, Before adjusting the robotic arm belonging to the patient end to its initial position and establishing the positional correspondence between the robotic arm and the force sensor, the method further includes: Communication connections are established with the tension sensor and the laser rangefinder, respectively.

6. The method of use according to claim 4, characterized in that, Establishing the positional correspondence between the robotic arm and the laser rangefinder specifically includes: Add a stop at the end of the robotic arm; Adjust the stop block to the top of the laser rangefinder.

7. The method of use according to claim 4, characterized in that, Also includes: Set the number of reverse moves, wherein the number of reverse moves is at least two; Repeat the following steps based on the number of reverse moves: If the tension value is greater than the tension threshold, the robotic arm is driven to move in the opposite direction; the moving distance and response time of the reverse movement are obtained according to the laser rangefinder. The number of times the robotic arm moves in the opposite direction reaches the specified number of reverse movements.

8. An electronic device, characterized in that, The electronic device includes: One or more processors; Memory, used to store one or more programs; When the one or more programs are executed by the one or more processors, the one or more processors implement the method of using the ultrasonic scanning robot collision time testing device as described in any one of claims 4-7.

9. A storage medium containing computer-executable instructions, characterized in that, The computer-executable instructions, when executed by a computer processor, are used to perform the method of using the ultrasonic scanning robot collision time testing apparatus as described in any one of claims 4-7.

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