Force feedback method and system for catheter robot

Abstract

The present specification provides a catheter robot force feedback method and system, relating to the technical field of medical devices, wherein the force feedback method comprises: obtaining a first driving force corresponding to a current shape of a catheter robot tube in the body; obtaining a second driving force required for the catheter robot tube to reach the current shape outside the body; calculating the resistance received by the catheter robot tube in the body according to the first driving force and the second driving force; and feeding back the resistance to a user operation assembly for the user to manipulate to generate the first driving force and the second driving force. According to the present scheme, the resistance received by the catheter robot tube in the body is calculated by the first driving force corresponding to the catheter robot tube in the body and the second driving force corresponding to the catheter robot tube outside the body, and the resistance is fed back to the user operation assembly, so that the doctor can truly feel the resistance encountered by the tube when moving in the body, and timely adjust the hand strength to better control the advancement and bending of the tube, thereby avoiding damage to the tissue.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This specification relates to the field of medical device technology, and in particular to force feedback methods and systems for catheter robots. Background Technology

[0002] A catheterization robot is a machine device that controls the insertion of catheters into the human or animal body to perform pathological biopsies or local interventional treatments. Catheterization robots can be used in various fields where there are tubes, such as the heart, blood vessels, and bronchi.

[0003] Existing catheterization robots are generally equipped with corresponding navigation systems. When inserting the catheterization robot into the body, the doctor can use the navigation system to display an image of the overall position of the robot's tip within the body (similar to the overall map in map navigation) and a local image of the robot's position within the body (similar to a local navigation map at a fork in the road). By using the navigation system, the doctor can precisely control the catheterization robot to reach the target position within the body and perform the desired procedure.

[0004] However, in the process of operating catheter robots based on existing navigation systems, the operator cannot sense the resistance encountered by the catheter robot as it moves forward or backward within the body, which can easily cause tissue damage. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this application is to provide a force feedback method and system for catheter robots to solve the problem that the operation of existing catheter robots is prone to causing tissue damage.

[0006] This specification provides a force feedback method for a catheter robot, comprising: acquiring a first driving force corresponding to the current shape of the catheter body in the body; acquiring a second driving force required for the catheter body to reach the current shape outside the body; calculating the resistance experienced by the catheter body in the body based on the first driving force and the second driving force; and feeding back the resistance to a user operation component, the user operation component being used by a user to generate the first driving force and the second driving force.

[0007] In some embodiments, the user operation component is configured to be manipulated by a user in at least two dimensional directions to generate the first driving force and the second driving force, thereby causing the tube to reach various shapes; the step of feeding back the resistance to the user operation component includes: decomposing the resistance in the at least two dimensional directions to obtain resistance components in each dimensional direction; and feeding back the resistance components in each dimensional direction to the user operation component.

[0008] In some embodiments, the current configuration includes the distance between the tube body of the duct robot and a first motor, wherein the first motor is used to drive the transmission line to move so as to move the tube body fixed on the transmission line forward or backward.

[0009] In some embodiments, obtaining the first driving force corresponding to the current shape of the catheter robot when it is inside the body includes: calculating the driving force of the first motor based on the driving current of the first motor, and using the driving force as the first driving force; or, collecting the tension on the transmission line and using the tension on the transmission line as the first driving force.

[0010] In some embodiments, the current configuration includes the bending angle of a first bend on the tube body of the catheter robot, the first bend being able to bend under the traction of the filament.

[0011] In some embodiments, obtaining the first driving force corresponding to the current shape of the catheter body in the body includes: detecting the tension on the suture and using the tension on the suture as the first driving force.

[0012] In some embodiments, the first curved portion of the catheter robot can be bent under the traction of multiple filaments, each filament being used to bend the first curved portion in a different radial direction; obtaining the first driving force corresponding to the current shape of the catheter robot's body in the body includes: calculating the resultant force of the tension on the multiple filaments as the first driving force based on the tension on each filament and the radial direction in which each filament bends the first curved portion; wherein, the resultant force includes the tension value and direction.

[0013] In some embodiments, obtaining the first driving force corresponding to the current shape of the catheter robot body in the body includes: calculating the torque of the second motor based on the driving current of the second motor, and using the torque of the second motor as the first driving force; the second motor is used to drive the filament to bend the first bending portion.

[0014] In some embodiments, calculating the resistance experienced by the tube body of the catheter robot within the body based on the first driving force and the second driving force includes: calculating the difference between the first driving force and the second driving force, and using the difference as the resistance experienced by the tube body of the catheter robot within the body.

[0015] In some embodiments, obtaining the second driving force required for the catheter robot to reach the current form when the tube body is outside the body includes: obtaining predetermined correspondence data between each form and the driving force; determining target form data from the correspondence data, wherein the target form data are N form data that are closest to the current form among the various forms, where N is a positive integer; and determining the driving force corresponding to the target form data as the second driving force.

[0016] A second aspect of this specification provides a catheter robot system, comprising: a catheter robot having a tube that can extend into the body; an operating table including a user operating component; a first controller configured to acquire a first driving force corresponding to the current shape of the tube of the catheter robot in the body, and to acquire a second driving force required for the tube of the catheter robot to reach the current shape outside the body; calculate the resistance experienced by the tube of the catheter robot in the body based on the first driving force and the second driving force; and feed back the resistance to the user operating component.

[0017] In some embodiments, the user operation component includes a forward / backward control component and / or at least one bending control component, wherein the forward / backward control component is used to control the tube body of the catheter robot to move forward or backward, and the at least one bending control component is used to control a first bending portion on the tube body of the catheter robot to bend in a predetermined radial direction.

[0018] In some embodiments, the catheter robot further includes: a wire and a second motor, wherein a first end of the wire is disposed at a first bend in the tube body, and a second end of the wire is disposed on the second motor; the motor is used to adjust the tension on the wire, the tension causing the first bend to bend.

[0019] In some embodiments, the catheter robot further includes at least one of the following: a first tension gauge disposed on the filament for acquiring tension on the filament; and a first current sensor disposed on a second motor for adjusting tension on the filament for acquiring drive current of the second motor.

[0020] In some embodiments, the catheter robot further includes: a cantilever fixed to a base; a first motor fixed to the cantilever; and a transmission line, wherein the tube body of the catheter robot is fixed to the transmission line, and the transmission line moves under the drive of the first motor to drive the tube body of the catheter robot fixed to the transmission line to move forward or backward.

[0021] In some embodiments, the catheter robot further includes at least one of the following: a second tension gauge disposed on the transmission line for acquiring tension on the transmission line; and a second current sensor disposed on the first motor for acquiring drive current of the first motor.

[0022] A third aspect of this specification provides a controller comprising: a memory and a processor, the processor and the memory being communicatively connected to each other, the memory storing computer instructions, and the processor executing the computer instructions to implement the steps of the method described in any of the first aspects.

[0023] A fourth aspect of this specification provides a computer storage medium storing computer program instructions that, when executed, implement the steps of the method described in any of the first aspects.

[0024] The force feedback method and system for the catheter robot provided in this manual calculate the resistance received by the catheter body inside the body by using the first driving force corresponding to the catheter body inside the body and the second driving force corresponding to the catheter body outside the body. This resistance is then fed back to the user operation component, allowing doctors to truly feel the resistance encountered by the catheter body when it moves inside the body. This enables them to adjust their hand strength in a timely manner to better control the advancement and bending of the catheter body and avoid damage to tissues. Attached Figure Description

[0025] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments recorded in this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.

[0026] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the overall structure of the catheter robot system is shown;

[0027] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the duct robot is shown;

[0028] Figure 3 It shows Figure 2 A schematic diagram showing the positional relationship of the transmission line, wire box, and first motor within the dashed box;

[0029] Figure 4 A schematic diagram showing the positional relationship between the power components and transmission components that make up the wire box is provided.

[0030] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the internal structure of the transmission assembly is shown;

[0031] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the internal structure of the power assembly is shown;

[0032] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the tube structure is shown;

[0033] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of a cross-section of the first bend in the tube is shown;

[0034] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of a push-rod type forward / reverse controller is shown;

[0035] Figure 10 A schematic diagram of a roller-type forward / reverse controller is shown;

[0036] Figure 11 A schematic diagram of a joystick-type direction controller is shown;

[0037] Figure 12 A schematic diagram of a multi-axis parallel assistant as a direction controller is shown;

[0038] Figure 13 A schematic diagram of the internal structure of the multi-axis parallel assistant is shown;

[0039] Figure 14 A flowchart of the force feedback method for the catheter robot provided in this specification is shown;

[0040] Figure 15 A schematic diagram showing another positional relationship between the transmission line, the wire box, and the first motor is shown;

[0041] Figure 16 A schematic block diagram of the electronic device provided in this specification is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0042] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solutions in this application, the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort should fall within the scope of protection of this application.

[0043] catheter robotic systems, such as Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, it includes a catheter robot 10 and an operating table 20. The catheter robot includes a base 11 and a first controller 12. Figure 1 (Not shown in the image), cantilever 13, transmission line 14, first motor 15, wire box 16, and tube 17. Casters can be installed on the bottom of the base 11 to facilitate the movement of the guide tube robot. The cantilever 13 is mounted on the base 11 and extends to one side of the base 11. The transmission line 14, first motor 15, wire box 16, and tube 17 are mounted on the cantilever 13.

[0044] like Figure 3As shown, the transmission line 14 can be a ring, sleeved on two wheels, one of which is the driving wheel and the other is the driven wheel. The driving wheel can be driven by a first motor 15. The wire box 16 is fixedly installed at a preset position on the transmission line 14. When the driving wheel rotates, it drives the transmission line 14 to move, thereby allowing the tube 17 to extend into the body and move forward or backward within the body.

[0045] like Figure 4 As shown, the wire box 16 is equipped with a connected power assembly 161 and a transmission assembly 162.

[0046] Please combine Figure 4 and Figure 6 The power assembly 161 includes a first plate 1611 and a plurality of second motors 1612. The plurality of motors 1612 are fixedly mounted on the first plate 1611, and a first connecting structure A is fixedly mounted on the shaft of each motor 1612. The first connecting mechanism A of the plurality of motors 1612 is located on the same side of the first plate 1611.

[0047] Please combine Figure 4 and Figure 5 The transmission assembly 162 includes a second plate 1621 and a plurality of thread wheels 1622. The plurality of thread wheels 1622 are fixedly mounted on the second plate 1621. Each thread wheel is used to wind a thread, one end of which is fixed to the thread wheel and the other end is fixed to the first curved portion 171 of the tube 17 (e.g., ...). Figure 7 As shown in the diagram. When the thread wheel rotates, the length of the thread wound on it can be adjusted, thereby adjusting the tension of the thread segment not wound on the thread wheel. The shaft of the thread wheel is fixedly mounted on the second connecting structure B. The second connecting structure B is structurally compatible with the first connecting structure A, allowing them to be fixedly connected together. For example, both the first connecting structure A and the second connecting structure B are disc-shaped. One side of the first connecting structure A has multiple grooves, and one side of the second connecting structure B has the same number of protrusions, with the positions of the protrusions corresponding to the positions of the grooves. Thus, the first connecting structure A and the second connecting structure B can be engaged together through the grooves and protrusions. This ensures that when the second motor 1612 rotates, it can drive the thread wheel to rotate synchronously, preventing the thread wheel from rotating out of sync with the second motor.

[0048] In some embodiments, the first plate and the second plate can be the same plate, in which case the second motor and the lead wheel can be respectively disposed on two surfaces of the plate.

[0049] like Figure 7As shown, the tube 17 can be divided into a first curved section 171, an inflexible section 172, and a second curved section 173 along its length. The first curved section is located at the distal end of the tube 17. This distal end refers to the end that first extends into the body, or the end furthest from the thread box and the base 11. The first curved section 171 is an active curved section, achieving bending under the pull of the thread. The second curved section 173 is an adaptive curved section, that is, the second curved section 173 bends to adapt to the shape of the tube within the body. The inflexible section 172 is located between the first curved section 171 and the second curved section 173, and is made of a rigid material and cannot be bent.

[0050] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of a cross-section of the first bend 171 is shown, wherein, in the circumferential direction of the first bend 171 cross-section, the small circle indicated by H, and the small circle of the same size, both represent the cross-section of the capillary tube in the tube 17 for threading the filament. One filament can correspond to one capillary tube, so that there will be no mechanical interference between multiple filaments.

[0051] One second motor and one thread wheel can control one thread, and multiple second motors and thread wheels can control multiple threads. The ends of each thread can be set at different radial positions on the first bending part 171, so each thread can control the first bending part 171 to bend in different radial directions. The combined force of three or more threads can control the first bending part 171 to bend in any radial direction.

[0052] The second motor 1612 can be controlled to rotate by the first controller 12. The first controller 12 can be installed inside the base 11.

[0053] Control panel 20, also called the doctor's control panel, is used by the doctor to operate the catheterization robot. For example... Figure 1 As shown, the control panel 20 includes a table body 21, a display device 22, and a second controller 23. Figure 1 (Not shown in the image) and user operation component 24. The display device 22 may be as follows: Figure 1 The display screen shown could also be a VR display, etc. The display device 22 and the user operation component 24 are mounted on a desktop. The second controller 23 converts the positional movement of the user operation component 24 caused by user operation into electrical signals that control the morphological changes of the guide robot.

[0054] The user operation component is used by the user to generate control commands for the catheter robot. The control commands for the catheter robot can be divided into forward / backward control and directional control.

[0055] Advance and retreat control refers to controlling the movement of tube 17 towards the depths of the body or towards the direction of withdrawal from the body. Figure 9The left side shows a push-rod type forward / reverse controller, including a rod 241 and a roller 242. The rod 241 is fixedly mounted on the roller 242. When the user pushes the rod 241, the shaft of the roller 242 rotates, causing changes in the parameters of some electrical components, thereby obtaining a changing electrical signal, which serves as the forward / reverse control signal. Figure 10 The left side shows a roller-type forward / reverse controller, including a roller 243. When the user rotates the roller 243, it causes changes in the parameters of some electrical components, resulting in a changing electrical signal, which serves as the forward / reverse control signal. The specific implementation method of the roller rotation causing changes in the parameters of the electrical components to obtain the control signal is existing technology and will not be described further.

[0056] Directional control refers to controlling the first curved portion 171 of the tube body 17 to bend in a specified radial direction. Figure 11 The left side shows a rocker-type direction controller, including a rocker arm 244, a first roller 245, and a second roller 246. The first roller 245 has a first notch along its length, and the second roller 246 has a second notch along its length. The first roller 245 and the second roller 246 intersect, and the first and second notches also intersect. The rocker arm 244 intersects with both the first roller 245 and the second roller 246. A first end of the rocker arm 244 is mounted on the first roller 245, and the second end serves as the user's control end. Under the user's force, the rocker arm 244 rotates the shafts of the first roller 245 and / or the second roller 246. This rotation causes changes in the parameters of some electrical components, resulting in a changing electrical signal, which serves as the direction control signal. The specific implementation of the roller rotation causing changes in the electrical component parameters to obtain the control signal is prior art and will not be described further.

[0057] In some embodiments, such as Figure 12 As shown, the direction controller can also be a multi-axis parallel master hand, such as the multi-axis parallel master hand devices represented by Force Dimension's Omega.3 and Omega.7 series. Figure 13 A schematic diagram of the internal structure of a multi-axis parallel master hand is shown, where part C represents the hand-held part.

[0058] This specification provides a force feedback method for a catheterization robot, which can be used in the aforementioned catheterization robot. For example... Figure 14 As shown, the method includes the following steps:

[0059] S10: Obtain the first driving force corresponding to the current shape of the catheter robot body in the body.

[0060] The "current state" in "current form" refers to the time when the catheter of the catheter robot is inside the body. The advancement or retreat of the catheter in the body can easily cause damage to the tissue, so it is necessary to understand the resistance encountered by the catheter in the body in order to adjust the operation method of the catheter according to the resistance.

[0061] In some embodiments, the extent to which the tube of the catheter robot extends into the body can be used to define the shape of the tube. Specifically, when the transmission line is circular, driven by a drive wheel and a driven wheel, and the tube extends into or retracts from the body via a wire box fixedly mounted on the transmission line, the distance of the tube relative to the drive wheel or the driven wheel can be used to measure the extent of the tube's insertion into the body. When the drive wheel is driven by a first motor, the distance of the tube of the catheter robot relative to the first motor can be used to define the shape of the tube, which can be the distance of any predetermined position on the tube relative to the first motor. The first motor drives the transmission line to move, causing the tube fixed on the transmission line to move forward or backward. Of course, in addition to using the first motor, a stationary object relative to the first motor can also be used as the reference object.

[0062] In this case, S10 can be: calculating the driving force of the first motor based on the driving current of the first motor, and using the driving force as the first driving force; or, collecting the tension on the transmission line and using the tension on the transmission line as the first driving force.

[0063] In some embodiments, such as Figure 15 As shown, the transmission line 14 may not be a loop, but a fixed track line, with a traveling device D mounted on the transmission line 14. Figure 15 (As shown by the three small circles in the image), the thread box 16 is fixedly mounted on the walking device D, and the walking device D is powered by the first motor 15 ( Figure 15 (As shown by the black bar in the image) it drives to walk on the transmission line 14. In this case, the distance of the tube body of the duct robot relative to the transmission line 14 can be used as the shape of the tube body. Of course, in addition to using the transmission line, a stationary object relative to the transmission line can also be used as the reference point.

[0064] In some embodiments, the shape of the tube body can be defined by the bending angle of the first bend on the tube body of the catheter robot. The first bend is capable of bending under the traction of the filament.

[0065] In some embodiments, S10 can be: detecting the tension on the thread and using the tension on the thread as the first driving force. This method is more effective when only one thread is acting. For multiple threads, this method can also be used to obtain the first driving force corresponding to each thread separately. The tension on the thread can be detected by a tension gauge installed on the thread.

[0066] In some embodiments, the first bending portion can be bent under the traction of multiple threads, each thread being used to bend the first bending portion in a different radial direction. Then, step S10 can be: calculating the resultant force of the tension on the multiple threads as a first driving force based on the tension on each thread and the radial direction in which each thread bends the first bending portion; wherein the resultant force includes the tension value and direction. The tension on the threads can be obtained by a tension gauge installed on the threads, for example, in... Figure 5 In the middle, a tension gauge E is set on the silk thread.

[0067] In some embodiments, such as Figure 6 As shown, the length of the thread wound on the thread wheel is adjusted by the rotation of the second motor 1612 in the thread box 16, thereby adjusting the tension of the thread segment not wound on the thread wheel. Then, S10 can also be: calculate the torque of the second motor according to the driving current of the second motor, and use the torque of the second motor as the first driving force; the second motor is used to drive the thread to bend the first bending part.

[0068] For example, the output torque of the second motor is M = K m *I, where K m Let r be the torque constant, and I be the drive current of the second motor. If r is the shaft radius of the second motor, R is the radius of the lead wheel, and η is the transmission efficiency, then the tension on the wire F = M * (r / R) * η. Here, * indicates multiplication.

[0069] S20: Obtain the second driving force required for the tube body of the catheter robot to reach its current shape outside the body.

[0070] The method for obtaining the second driving force in S20 is the same as in S10, and the shape of the tube is also the same. The difference between S10 and S20 is that the catheter in S10 is located inside the body, while the tube in S20 is located outside the body.

[0071] In some embodiments, the driving force corresponding to various shapes of the catheter robot when it is outside the body can be predetermined. Then S20 can be: first, obtain the predetermined correspondence data between each shape and the driving force, then determine the target shape data from the correspondence data, wherein the target shape data is the N shape data that are closest to the current shape among each shape, where N is a positive integer, and then determine the second driving force according to the driving force corresponding to the target shape data.

[0072] In some cases, the current form data exists in a pre-determined correspondence data. In such cases, the current form data (i.e., one form data) can be directly found from the correspondence data as the target form data. For example, if the current form data is that the bending angle of the first bend of the tube is 10°, then the driving force corresponding to 10° can be found from the pre-determined correspondence data as the second driving force.

[0073] In some cases, the current morphological data does not exist in the pre-determined correspondence data. In such cases, the "N morphological data closest to the current morphological data" can be identified from the correspondence data as target morphological data, and the second driving force can be determined based on the driving force corresponding to these N target morphological data. For example, the current morphological data is that the bending angle of the first bend of the pipe is 8.5°, while the correspondence data obtains the driving force every degree. That is, the correspondence has driving forces corresponding to morphological data with bending angles of 6°, 7°, 8°, 9°, 10°, etc., but no driving force corresponding to 8.5°. Therefore, 8° and 9° can be used as target morphological data, and the second driving force can be determined based on the driving forces corresponding to 8° and 9°. For example, the average value of the driving forces corresponding to 8° and 9° can be used as the second driving force. In addition to calculating the average value, weighted average, linear fitting, polynomial fitting, and other methods can also be used, which will not be listed in this application.

[0074] S30: Calculate the resistance experienced by the tube body of the catheter robot within the body based on the first driving force and the second driving force.

[0075] In some embodiments, S30 may be: calculating the difference between the first driving force and the second driving force, and using the difference as the resistance experienced by the tube body of the catheter robot within the body.

[0076] In some cases, the resistance received by the tube body can be obtained by multiplying the difference between the first driving force and the second driving force by some coefficients or by adding a certain compensation value.

[0077] S40: Feedback the resistance to the user operating component, which is used by the user to generate a first driving force and a second driving force.

[0078] The user control component is used by the user to manipulate the tube of the duct robot to generate the first driving force and the second driving force. That is, the user manipulates the user control component to make the tube of the duct robot reach various shapes.

[0079] The force feedback method for the catheter robot provided in this manual calculates the resistance received by the catheter body inside the body by using the first driving force corresponding to the catheter body inside the body and the second driving force corresponding to the catheter body outside the body. This resistance is then fed back to the user operating components, allowing doctors to truly feel the resistance encountered by the catheter body when it moves inside the body. This enables them to adjust their hand strength in a timely manner to better control the advancement and bending of the catheter body and avoid damage to tissues.

[0080] In some embodiments, the user operation component has only one operation dimension, such as only forward or backward, and can feed back all the resistance encountered by the tube inside the tube to the user operation component.

[0081] In some embodiments, the user-operated component has at least two operational dimensions, which the user can manipulate to generate a first driving force and a second driving force, thereby causing the tube to reach various shapes. These two operational dimensions can be, for example, [missing information - likely related to configuration or design]. Figure 11 The two directional control dimensions of the direction controller shown are the length direction of the first roller and the length direction of the second roller, which can also be... Figure 13 The diagram shows multiple operating dimensions of the directional controller. Therefore, feeding back the resistance to the user operating component can be achieved by: decomposing the resistance in at least two dimensions to obtain resistance components in each dimension; and feeding back the resistance components in each dimension to the user operating component.

[0082] A specific implementation of feeding back resistance to one operational dimension of the user operating component can be as follows: A third motor is installed in the user operating component, with its shaft connected to a rotating shaft within the user operating component to achieve that operational dimension. A third controller is installed on the control panel to control the third motor. The third controller determines the torque that the third motor needs to output based on the resistance component to be fed back to that operational dimension, and determines the electrical signal to drive the third motor to rotate based on the required output torque. This electrical signal is related to the rotation direction and torque of the third motor. The third motor drives the rotating shaft to rotate and causes the user operating component to move in the opposite direction to the user's operation. This allows the user to receive feedback on the resistance of the tube within the robot body to their hand while controlling the tube through the user operating component, facilitating timely adjustments to the control force and direction of the tube.

[0083] by Figure 11 Taking the joystick-type direction control shown as an example, when the tube of the duct robot encounters resistance during its movement within the body, the resistance value can be obtained through S10, S20, and S30, and then fed back to the relevant authorities. Figure 11 The direction controller is shown. (As shown) Figure 11 As shown on the right, a third motor M1 is set on the first roller and a third motor M2 is set on the second roller. After decomposing the resistance to be fed back into the two dimensions of the length direction of the first roller and the length direction of the second roller, the drive signal of the corresponding third motor is determined according to the resistance component in each dimension.

[0084] Figure 9 The right side shows a schematic diagram of a third motor M mounted on the shaft of a push rod type forward / reverse controller to meet the need for feedback resistance. Figure 10 The right side shows a schematic diagram of a third motor M mounted on the shaft of a roller-type forward / reverse controller to meet the need for feedback resistance.

[0085] Based on the force feedback method of the catheter robot described above, this specification also provides a catheter robot system, such as... Figure 1As shown, it includes a catheter robot 10, an operating table 20, and a first controller ( Figure 1 (Not shown in the image). The first controller can be located on the side of the duct robot, and can be an existing controller inside the duct robot, or it can be a controller independent of the duct robot.

[0086] The catheter robot 10 has a tube that can extend into the body, and the operating table 20 includes a user operating component. A first controller is used to acquire a first driving force corresponding to the current shape of the tube in the body, and to acquire a second driving force required for the tube to reach the current shape outside the body; calculate the resistance experienced by the tube in the body based on the first and second driving forces; and feed the resistance back to the user operating component.

[0087] In some embodiments, the user operation component includes a forward / backward control component (i.e., the forward / backward controller described above) and / or at least one bending control component (direction controller), wherein the forward / backward control component is used to control the tube body of the catheter robot to move forward or backward, and at least one bending control component is used to control a first bending portion on the tube body of the catheter robot to bend in a predetermined radial direction.

[0088] In some embodiments, the catheter robot further includes: a wire and a second motor, with a first end of the wire disposed at a first bend in the tube body and a second end of the wire disposed on the second motor; the motor is used to adjust the tension on the wire, the tension causing the first bend to bend.

[0089] In some embodiments, the catheter robot further includes at least one of the following: a first tension gauge disposed on the wire for acquiring tension on the wire; and a first current sensor disposed on a second motor for adjusting tension on the wire for acquiring drive current of the second motor.

[0090] In some embodiments, the catheter robot further includes: a cantilever fixed to a base; a first motor fixedly mounted on the cantilever; and a transmission line, wherein the tube body of the catheter robot is fixed to the transmission line, and the transmission line moves under the drive of the first motor to drive the tube body of the catheter robot fixed to the transmission line to move forward or backward.

[0091] In some embodiments, the duct robot further includes at least one of the following: a second force gauge disposed on the transmission line for acquiring the tension on the transmission line; and a second current sensor disposed on the first motor for acquiring the drive current of the first motor.

[0092] This invention also provides a controller, such as... Figure 16 As shown, the controller may include a processor 1601 and a memory 1602, wherein the processor 1601 and the memory 1602 can be connected via a bus or other means. Figure 16Taking the example of a connection between China and Israel via a bus.

[0093] Processor 1601 can be a Central Processing Unit (CPU). Processor 1601 can also be other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, or combinations of the above types of chips.

[0094] The memory 1602, as a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, can be used to store non-transitory software programs, non-transitory computer-executable programs, and modules, such as the program instructions / modules corresponding to the force feedback method of the catheter robot in the embodiments of the present invention. The processor 1601 executes various functional applications and data classification of the processor by running the non-transitory software programs, instructions, and modules stored in the memory 1602, thereby realizing the force feedback method of the catheter robot in the above method embodiments.

[0095] The memory 1602 may include a program storage area and a data storage area. The program storage area may store the operating system and applications required for at least one function; the data storage area may store data created by the processor 1601, etc. Furthermore, the memory 1602 may include high-speed random access memory and may also include non-transitory memory, such as at least one disk storage device, flash memory device, or other non-transitory solid-state storage device. In some embodiments, the memory 1602 may optionally include memory remotely located relative to the processor 1601, and these remote memories may be connected to the processor 1601 via a network. Examples of such networks include, but are not limited to, the Internet, corporate intranets, local area networks, mobile communication networks, and combinations thereof.

[0096] The one or more modules are stored in the memory 1602, and when executed by the processor 1601, they perform the following: Figure 14 Force feedback method for the catheter robot in the illustrated embodiment.

[0097] For specific details about the aforementioned controller, please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 14 The relevant descriptions and effects in the corresponding embodiments are for reference only and will not be repeated here.

[0098] This specification provides a controller, including: a memory and a processor, wherein the processor and the memory are communicatively connected to each other, the memory stores computer instructions, and the processor executes the computer instructions to implement the steps of any of the above-described force feedback methods for a catheter robot.

[0099] This specification provides a computer storage medium storing computer program instructions, which, when executed, implement the steps of any of the above-described force feedback methods for a catheter robot.

[0100] Those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the processes in the methods of the above embodiments can be implemented by a computer program instructing related hardware. The program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, and when executed, it can include the processes of the embodiments of the above methods. The storage medium can be a magnetic disk, optical disk, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), flash memory, hard disk drive (HDD), or solid-state drive (SSD), etc.; the storage medium can also include combinations of the above types of memory.

[0101] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner. For the same or similar parts between the various embodiments, please refer to each other. The focus of each embodiment is to describe the differences from other embodiments.

[0102] The systems, devices, modules, or units described in the above embodiments can be implemented by computer chips or entities, or by products with certain functions.

[0103] For ease of description, the above devices are described separately by function as various units. Of course, in implementing this application, the functions of each unit can be implemented in one or more software and / or hardware.

[0104] As can be seen from the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that this application can be implemented by means of software plus necessary general-purpose hardware platforms. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, 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 storage medium, such as ROM / RAM, magnetic disk, optical disk, etc., and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute certain parts of the methods of various embodiments of this application.

[0105] This application can be used in a wide variety of general-purpose or special-purpose computer system environments or configurations. For example: personal computers, server computers, handheld or portable devices, tablet devices, multiprocessor systems, microprocessor-based systems, set-top boxes, programmable consumer electronics devices, network PCs, minicomputers, mainframe computers, distributed computing environments including any of the above systems or devices, etc.

[0106] This application can be described in the general context of computer-executable instructions, such as program modules, that are executed by a computer. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc., that perform a specific task or implement a specific abstract data type. This application can also be practiced in distributed computing environments where tasks are performed by remote processing devices connected via a communication network. In distributed computing environments, program modules can reside in local and remote computer storage media, including storage devices.

[0107] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner. Similar or identical parts between embodiments can be referred to interchangeably. Each embodiment focuses on its differences from other embodiments. In particular, hardware + program embodiments are relatively simple in description because they are fundamentally similar to method embodiments; relevant parts can be referred to the descriptions in the method embodiments.

[0108] The foregoing has described specific embodiments of this specification. Other embodiments are within the scope of the appended claims. In some cases, the actions or steps recited in the claims may be performed in a different order than that shown in the embodiments and may still achieve the desired result. Furthermore, the processes depicted in the drawings do not necessarily require the specific or sequential order shown to achieve the desired result. In some embodiments, multitasking and parallel processing are possible or may be advantageous.

[0109] While this specification provides the operational steps of the methods described in the embodiments or flowcharts, more or fewer operational steps may be included based on conventional or non-inventive labor. The order of steps listed in the embodiments is merely one possible execution order among many and does not represent the only possible execution order. In actual device or client product execution, the methods shown in the embodiments or drawings can be executed sequentially or in parallel (e.g., in a parallel processor or multi-threaded processing environment).

[0110] The systems, devices, modules, or units described in the above embodiments can be implemented by computer chips or entities, or by products with certain functions. A typical implementation device is a computer. Specifically, a computer can be, for example, a personal computer, a laptop computer, an in-vehicle human-machine interaction device, a cellular phone, a camera phone, a smartphone, a personal digital assistant, a media player, a navigation device, an email device, a game console, a tablet computer, a wearable device, or any combination of these devices.

[0111] While this specification provides method operation steps as described in the embodiments or flowcharts, more or fewer operation steps may be included based on conventional or non-inventive means. The order of steps listed in the embodiments is merely one possible execution order among many and does not represent the only execution order. In actual device or end product execution, the methods shown in the embodiments or drawings may be executed sequentially or in parallel (e.g., in a parallel processor or multi-threaded processing environment, or even a distributed data processing environment). The terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, product, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, product, or apparatus. Without further limitations, the presence of other identical or equivalent elements in the process, method, product, or apparatus that includes said elements is not excluded.

[0112] For ease of description, the above devices are described in terms of function, divided into various modules. Of course, in implementing the embodiments of this specification, the functions of each module can be implemented in one or more software and / or hardware components, or a module that performs the same function can be implemented by a combination of multiple sub-modules or sub-units. The device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. For example, the division of units is only a logical functional division; in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces, or indirect coupling or communication connection between devices or units, and may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0113] Those skilled in the art will also know that, besides implementing the controller using purely computer-readable program code, the same functions can be achieved by logically programming the method steps, making the controller function as logic gates, switches, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), programmable logic controllers (PLCs), and embedded microcontrollers. Therefore, such a controller can be considered a hardware component, and the devices within it used to implement various functions can also be considered structures within that hardware component. Alternatively, the devices used to implement various functions can be considered as both software modules implementing the method and structures within a hardware component.

[0114] This specification is described with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of this specification. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, embedded processor, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, create a machine for implementing the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams. Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 A device that provides the functions specified in one or more boxes.

[0115] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing device to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable storage medium produce an article of manufacture including instruction means, which are implemented in a process Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The function specified in one or more boxes.

[0116] These computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing equipment to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable equipment to produce a computer-implemented process, thereby providing instructions that execute on the computer or other programmable equipment for implementing the process. Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The steps of the function specified in one or more boxes.

[0117] In a typical configuration, a computing device includes one or more processors (CPU), input / output interfaces, network interfaces, and memory.

[0118] Memory may include non-persistent storage in computer-readable media, such as random access memory (RAM) and / or non-volatile memory, such as read-only memory (ROM) or flash RAM. Memory is an example of computer-readable media.

[0119] Computer-readable media includes both permanent and non-permanent, removable and non-removable media that can store information using any method or technology. Information can be computer-readable instructions, data structures, modules of programs, or other data. Examples of computer storage media include, but are not limited to, phase-change memory (PRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), other types of random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory or other memory technologies, CD-ROM, digital versatile optical disc (DVD) or other optical storage, magnetic tape, disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other non-transferable medium that can be used to store information accessible by a computing device. As defined herein, computer-readable media does not include transient computer-readable media, such as modulated data signals and carrier waves.

[0120] Those skilled in the art will understand that the embodiments of this specification can be provided as methods, systems, or computer program products. Therefore, the embodiments of this specification can take the form of entirely hardware embodiments, entirely software embodiments, or embodiments combining software and hardware aspects. Furthermore, the embodiments of this specification can take the form of computer program products implemented on one or more computer-usable storage media (including, but not limited to, disk storage, CD-ROM, optical storage, etc.) containing computer-usable program code.

[0121] The embodiments described in this specification can be described in the general context of computer-executable instructions, such as program modules, that are executed by a computer. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc., that perform a specific task or implement a specific abstract data type. The embodiments of this specification can also be practiced in distributed computing environments where tasks are performed by remote processing devices connected via a communication network. In distributed computing environments, program modules can reside in local and remote computer storage media, including storage devices.

[0122] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner. Similar or identical parts between embodiments can be referred to mutually. Each embodiment focuses on describing the differences from other embodiments. In particular, system embodiments are basically similar to method embodiments, so the description is relatively simple; relevant parts can be referred to the descriptions in the method embodiments. In the description of this specification, the terms "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., refer to specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with that embodiment or example, which are included in at least one embodiment or example of the embodiments in this specification. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples. Moreover, without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments or examples described in this specification and the features of different embodiments or examples.

[0123] The above description is merely an embodiment of the present specification and is not intended to limit the embodiments of the present specification. For those skilled in the art, various modifications and variations can be made to the embodiments of the present specification. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principle of the embodiments of the present specification should be included within the scope of the claims of the embodiments of the present specification.

Claims

1. A force feedback method for a catheter robot, characterized in that, The catheter robot has a tube body that includes a first curved section, an inflexible section, and a second curved section along its length. The first curved section is located at the distal end of the tube body that first extends into the body. The first curved section is bent under the traction of the thread. The second curved section is bent to adapt to the shape of the tube in the body. The inflexible section is located between the first curved section and the second curved section and is made of a rigid material and is inflexible. The first bending section is provided with at least three capillaries for threading the silk thread. Each capillary is used to thread one silk thread. The ends of each silk thread are located at different radial positions in the first bending section, so that each silk thread can control the first bending section to bend in different radial directions, and the resultant force of each silk thread can control the first bending section to bend in any radial direction. The method includes: Using the bending angle of the first curved part on the tube body of the catheter robot as the shape of the tube body, the first driving force corresponding to the current shape of the tube body of the catheter robot in the body is obtained. The method involves obtaining a second driving force required for the tube body of the catheter robot to reach the current shape when it is outside the body. This process includes: obtaining pre-determined correspondence data between various shapes and driving forces; determining target shape data from the correspondence data, wherein the target shape data consists of N shape data that are closest to the current shape among the various shapes, where N is a positive integer; and determining the driving force corresponding to the target shape data as the second driving force. Calculate the difference between the first driving force and the second driving force, and determine the resistance experienced by the tube of the catheter robot within the body based on the difference; The resistance is fed back to the user operation component, which decomposes the resistance in at least two dimensions and into at least one radial resistance component. The resistance component is then fed back to the bending control component in the user operation component, so that the user can perceive the resistance experienced by the first bending portion in the corresponding radial direction through the bending control component. The user operation component is used for user manipulation to generate the first driving force and the second driving force. The first driving force corresponding to the current shape of the catheter robot body within the body includes: Based on the tension in each thread and the radial direction in which each thread bends the first bending portion, the resultant force of the tension in the multiple threads is calculated as the first driving force; wherein, the resultant force includes the tension value and direction.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The current configuration includes the distance between the tube body of the duct robot and the first motor, wherein the first motor is used to drive the transmission line to move so as to move the tube body fixed on the transmission line forward or backward.

3. A catheter robot system, characterized in that, include: A catheter robot has a tube that can be inserted into the body; the tube of the catheter robot includes a first curved portion, an inflexible portion, and a second curved portion in the length direction, the first curved portion being located at the distal end of the tube that first enters the body; the first curved portion is bent under the traction of a thread, the second curved portion is bent to adapt to the shape of the tube in the body, and the inflexible portion is located between the first curved portion and the second curved portion, and is made of a rigid material and cannot be bent; The first bending section is provided with at least three capillaries for threading the silk thread. Each capillary is used to thread one silk thread. The ends of each silk thread are located at different radial positions in the first bending section, so that each silk thread can control the first bending section to bend in different radial directions, and the resultant force of each silk thread can control the first bending section to bend in any radial direction. The control panel includes a user operation component; the user operation component includes at least a bending control component for controlling a first bending portion on the tube body of the catheter robot to bend in a predetermined radial direction. A first controller is configured to: use the bending angle of the first bend on the tube of the catheter robot as the shape of the tube; acquire a first driving force corresponding to the current shape of the tube of the catheter robot inside the body; acquire a second driving force required for the tube of the catheter robot to reach the current shape outside the body; calculate the difference between the first driving force and the second driving force; determine the resistance experienced by the tube of the catheter robot inside the body based on the difference; feed the resistance back to a user operation component; decompose the resistance in at least two dimensions and into at least one radial resistance component; and feed the resistance component back to a bending control component in the user operation component so that the user can perceive the resistance experienced by the first bend in the corresponding radial direction through the bending control component. The step of obtaining the second driving force required for the catheter robot to reach the current form when the tube body is outside the body includes: obtaining pre-determined correspondence data between each form and the driving force; determining target form data from the correspondence data, wherein the target form data are N form data that are closest to the current form among the various forms, where N is a positive integer; and determining the driving force corresponding to the target form data as the second driving force. The first driving force corresponding to the current shape of the catheter robot body within the body includes: Based on the tension in each thread and the radial direction in which each thread bends the first bending portion, the resultant force of the tension in the multiple threads is calculated as the first driving force; wherein, the resultant force includes the tension value and direction.

4. The system according to claim 3, characterized in that, The user operation component includes a forward / backward control component, which is used to control the tube body of the duct robot to move forward or backward.

5. The system according to claim 3, characterized in that, The catheter robot also includes: A second motor is used to adjust the tension on the wire, which causes the first bending section to bend.

6. The system according to claim 5, characterized in that, The catheter robot also includes at least one of the following: A first tension gauge is installed on the wire to obtain the tension on the wire; A first current sensor is installed on a second motor used to adjust the tension on the wire, and is used to obtain the drive current of the second motor.

7. The system according to claim 3, characterized in that, The catheter robot also includes: The cantilever is fixed to the base. The first motor is fixedly mounted on the cantilever. The transmission line is used to fix the tube body of the catheter robot. The transmission line moves under the drive of the first motor to drive the tube body of the catheter robot fixed on the transmission line to move forward or backward.

8. The system according to claim 7, characterized in that, The catheter robot also includes at least one of the following: A second tension gauge is installed on the transmission line to obtain the tension on the transmission line; A second current sensor is installed on the first motor to obtain the drive current of the first motor.

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