Continuum instruments and surgical robots

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to the field of medical devices and discloses a continuum device comprising at least one proximal continuum, at least one distal continuum, a drive connection, and a drive transmission mechanism. The proximal continuum comprises a proximal base plate, first and second proximal stop plates, a plurality of proximal structural bones, and a drive bone, with the drive bone being fixedly connected to the second proximal stop plate and the proximal base plate, respectively. The distal continuum comprises a distal stop plate and a plurality of distal structural bones, with the distal structural bones being connected to or integrally formed with the proximal structural bones. The output end of the drive transmission mechanism is connected to the input end of the drive connection, and is used to drive the input end to cause the second proximal stop plate and the first proximal stop plate to rotate, thereby driving the distal continuum to bend via the proximal and distal structural bones. This avoids direct pushing and pulling of the structural bones, and when driving a large number of structural bones, the number of drive mechanisms is not limited. Furthermore, the device has a compact structure, a simple principle, is easy to implement, and has high reliability and flexibility.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to Chinese patent applications No. 2020106173832, filed on June 30, 2020, entitled “Surgical tool drive transmission system and surgical robot based on rotary-linear drive”, and No. 2020106187534, filed on June 30, 2020, entitled “A surgical tool drive transmission system and a surgical robot containing the same”. The full texts of these applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates to the field of medical devices, and in particular to a continuum device and a surgical robot. Background Art

[0004] Minimally invasive procedures cause less trauma to patients and allow for faster postoperative recovery, and have become an important part of surgical procedures. In minimally invasive procedures, surgical instruments, including surgical tools and visual lighting modules, are introduced into the human body through incisions or natural cavities to reach the surgical site for surgery. The distal structure of existing surgical instruments is primarily a series hinge of multiple rods, driven by wire rope tension to achieve bending and rotation of the surgical instruments at the hinge joints. Because the wire rope must be kept in a continuously tensioned state via a pulley, this drive method makes it difficult to achieve further miniaturization of the surgical instrument, nor is it easy to further improve the movement performance of the instrument.

[0005] Compared with the traditional rigid motion chain that achieves bending motion by rotating at the joints, the flexible continuum structure can achieve continuous bending and deformation. Therefore, the flexible continuum structure is widely used in medical devices such as flexible operating arms, endoscopes, and controllable catheters, as well as in the research and development of new special equipment such as industrial deep cavity detection endoscopes and flexible robotic arms.

[0006] Existing continuum structures generally use a driving mechanism to directly push and pull the driving wire in the continuum structure, thereby realizing the bending of the continuum structure in any direction. However, with the more stringent requirements for continuum structures such as high precision, fast response, high bending flexibility, and good stability, the existing driving structure has gradually failed to meet the above requirements. In addition, the existing driving method is to directly push and pull the driving wire to move. Therefore, when the number of driving wires is large, the number of driving mechanisms will also increase accordingly, making the structure complex. Summary of the Invention

[0007] In some embodiments, the present disclosure provides a continuum instrument, comprising: at least one proximal continuum, comprising a proximal base plate, a first proximal stop plate, a second proximal stop plate, a plurality of proximal structural bones, and a plurality of proximal driving bones, the proximal ends of the plurality of proximal driving bones being fixedly connected to the second proximal stop plate, the plurality of proximal driving bones passing through the first proximal stop plate, and the distal ends being fixedly connected to the proximal base plate; at least one distal continuum, comprising a distal stop plate and a plurality of distal structural bones, the plurality of distal structural bones being connected to or integrally formed with the plurality of proximal structural bones, and the distal ends of the plurality of distal structural bones being fixedly connected to the distal stop plate; a drive connection portion, the proximal end of which is connected to the second proximal stop plate, the drive connection portion comprising an input end located on the proximal side of the second proximal stop plate; a drive transmission mechanism, the output end of the drive transmission mechanism being connected to the input end of the drive connection portion, the output end being used to drive the input end to drive the second proximal stop plate and the first proximal stop plate to flip, so as to drive the distal continuum to bend through the proximal structural bone and the distal structural bone.

[0008] In some embodiments, the present disclosure provides a surgical robot comprising at least one operating trolley, at least one positioning arm and at least one surgical instrument; the at least one surgical instrument comprises at least one continuum instrument as described above and an end device arranged at the distal end of the continuum instrument; the at least one positioning arm is movably arranged on at least one operating trolley, and the at least one surgical instrument is respectively arranged at the distal end of at least one positioning arm. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments of the present disclosure. Obviously, the drawings in the following description only show some embodiments of the present disclosure. For ordinary technicians in this field, other embodiments can be obtained based on the contents of the embodiments of the present disclosure and these drawings without any creative work.

[0010] Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of a continuum device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0011] FIG2( a ) shows a schematic structural diagram of a drive connection portion according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0012] FIG2( b ) shows a schematic structural diagram of another universal joint according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0013] FIG3( a ) shows a schematic structural diagram of another drive connection portion according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0014] FIG3( b ) shows a schematic structural diagram of another ball joint according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0015] Figure 4A schematic structural diagram showing another drive connection portion according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0016] Figure 5 A partial structural schematic diagram of another continuum device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0017] Figure 6 Showing some embodiments of the present disclosure Figure 5 The structural diagram of the driving transmission mechanism shown;

[0018] Figure 7 Showing some embodiments of the present disclosure Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a portion of the structure of the driving transmission mechanism shown;

[0019] Figure 8 According to some embodiments of the present disclosure Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the longitudinal cross-sectional structure of the driving transmission mechanism shown;

[0020] Figure 9 A partial structural schematic diagram of another continuum device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0021] Figure 10 Showing some embodiments of the present disclosure Figure 9 A schematic diagram of a portion of the structure of the continuum device shown;

[0022] Figure 11 Showing some embodiments of the present disclosure Figure 10 A schematic structural diagram of the driving transmission mechanism shown;

[0023] Figure 12 According to some embodiments of the present disclosure Figure 11 A schematic structural diagram of a driven member of the drive transmission mechanism shown;

[0024] Figure 13 A partial structural schematic diagram of another continuum device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0025] Figure 14 A partial structural schematic diagram of a surgical robot according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] In order to make the technical problems solved by the present disclosure, the technical solutions adopted and the technical effects achieved more clear, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, rather than all embodiments.

[0027] In the description of the present disclosure, it should be noted that the terms "center", "up", "down", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "inside", "outside" and the like indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present disclosure and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present disclosure. In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance. In the description of the present disclosure, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", "connected" and "coupled" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection or a detachable connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; it can be a communication between the two elements. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present disclosure can be understood according to the specific circumstances. In this disclosure, the end closest to the operator (e.g., doctor) is defined as the proximal end, near portion, or rear end, and the end closest to the patient being operated on is defined as the distal end, far end, or front end. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the embodiments of this disclosure can be used in medical devices or surgical robots, as well as other non-medical devices.

[0028] Figure 1 Continuum device 10 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 1 As shown, the continuum device 10 may include a flexible continuum structure 110 and a drive connection portion 120. The flexible continuum structure 110 may include at least one proximal continuum 111 located at the proximal end and at least one distal continuum 112 located at the distal end. The proximal continuum 111 may include a proximal base plate 1111, a first proximal stop plate 1112, a proximal driver bone 1113, a second proximal stop plate 1114, and a proximal structural bone 1116. The proximal base plate 1111, the first proximal stop plate 1112, and the second proximal stop plate 1114 are spaced apart. The proximal ends of multiple proximal driver bones 1113 are fixedly connected to the second proximal stop plate 1114. The distal ends of the multiple proximal driver bones 1113 pass through the first proximal stop plate 1112 and are fixedly connected to the proximal base plate 1111.

[0029] Distal continuum 112 may include a distal base plate 1121, a distal stop plate 1122, and distal structural bones 1123. Distal base plate 1121 and distal stop plate 1122 are spaced apart, with distal base plate 1121 adjacent to proximal base plate 1111. Multiple distal structural bones 1123 are connected to or integrally formed with multiple proximal structural bones 1116, passing through proximal base plate 1111 and distal base plate 1121.

[0030] The distal end of the drive connection portion 120 is connected to the proximal base plate 1111, and the proximal end of the drive connection portion 120 is connected to the second proximal stop plate 1114. The drive connection portion 120 includes an input end located proximal to the second proximal stop plate 1114. The input end is driven by the drive transmission mechanism to cause the second proximal stop plate 1114 to flip, thereby achieving bending of the proximal continuum 111. The proximal drive bone 1113 drives the first proximal stop plate 1112 to flip, achieving pushing and pulling of the proximal structural bone 1116 and the distal structural bone 1123, thereby achieving bending of the distal continuum 112 in different directions in space.

[0031] like Figure 1 As shown, in some embodiments, the flexible continuum structure 110 may further include a structural bone guide bundle 113. The proximal end of the structural bone guide bundle 113 is fixedly connected to the proximal base plate 1111, and the distal end of the structural bone guide bundle 113 is fixedly connected to the distal base plate 1121. A plurality of proximal structural bones 1116 or a plurality of distal structural bones 1123 sequentially pass through the proximal base plate 1111, the structural bone guide bundle 113, and the distal base plate 1121. The structural bone guide bundle 113 can guide and constrain the plurality of proximal structural bones 1116 or the plurality of distal structural bones 1123 located between the proximal base plate 1111 and the distal base plate 1121.

[0032] In some embodiments, the drive connection portion 120 may include at least one joint, such as a universal joint, a ball joint, or a hinge joint. The drive connection portion 120 may include at least one universal joint. Figure 2(a) shows a schematic structural diagram of the drive connection portion 120 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, and Figure 2(b) shows a schematic structural diagram of another universal joint 121 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 2(a), the drive connection portion 120 may include a universal joint 121, and the universal joint 121 may include one universal joint 1211 or multiple universal joints 1211 (for example, multiple universal joints connected in series), and one or more universal joints 1211 are located between the proximal base plate 1111 and the second proximal stop plate 1114. The universal joint 1211 may include two revolute pairs whose rotation axes intersect with each other. In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 2(a), the universal joint 121 may include at least one universal joint 1211 and at least one connecting rod. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG2( a ), the universal joint 121 may include a distal link 1212a, a proximal link 1212b, and a universal joint 1211 located between the links 1212a and 1212b. Links 1212a and 1212b (the distal and proximal ends of the drive connection 120) are connected to a proximal base plate 1111 and a second proximal stop plate 1114, respectively. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG2( b ), the universal joint 121 may include a distal link 1211 and a proximal link 1212b. The distal end of link 1212b is connected to the universal joint 1211, and the distal end of universal joint 1211 (the distal end of the drive connection 120) is connected to the proximal base plate 1111. The proximal end of link 1212b (the proximal end of the drive connection 120) passes through and is connected to the second proximal stop plate 1114.

[0033] In some embodiments, the continuum device 10 may further include a flexible continuum structure 110 and a drive connection portion 220. FIG3(a) shows a schematic structural diagram of the drive connection portion 220 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the drive connection portion 220 may include at least one ball joint. FIG3(b) shows a schematic structural diagram of another ball joint 221 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG3(a), the ball joint 221 may include one ball joint 2211 or multiple ball joints 2211 (e.g., multiple ball joints 2211 connected in series). At least one ball joint 2211 is located between the proximal base plate 1111 and the proximal stop plate 1112. The ball joint 2211 may be a revolute pair including three intersecting axes. In some embodiments, the ball joint 221 of FIG3(a) may include at least one ball joint 2211 and at least one connecting rod. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG3( a ), the ball-and-socket joint 221 may include a distal connecting rod 2212a, a proximal connecting rod 2212b, and a spherical joint 2211 located between the connecting rods 2212a and 2212b. The connecting rods 2212a and 2212b (the distal and proximal ends of the drive connection 220) are connected to the proximal base plate 1111 and the second proximal stop plate 1114, respectively. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG3( b ), the ball-and-socket joint 221 may include a distal connecting rod 2211 and a proximal connecting rod 2212b. The distal end of the connecting rod 2212b is connected to the spherical joint 2211, and the distal end of the spherical joint 2211 (the distal end of the drive connection 220) is connected to the proximal base plate 1111. The proximal end of the connecting rod 2212b (the proximal end of the drive connection 220) passes through the second proximal stop plate 1114 and is connected to the second proximal stop plate 1114.

[0034] In some embodiments, the continuum device 10 may further include a flexible continuum structure 110 and a drive connection 320 . Figure 4 FIG. 2 shows a schematic structural diagram of the drive connection portion 320 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 4 As shown, the drive connection 320 may include a hinge joint 321. In some embodiments, the hinge joint 321 may include at least one distal link 3211 and at least one proximal link 3212, which are hingedly connected to each other. In some embodiments, the distal link 3211 is connected to the proximal base plate 1111 by rotational connection along the axial direction of the distal link 3211, and the proximal link 3212 is connected to the second proximal stop plate 1114 by rotational connection along the axial direction of the proximal link 3212. The hinge axis of the distal link 3211 and the proximal link 3212 is perpendicular to the axial direction of the distal link 3211 and the proximal link 3212. The proximal end of the proximal link 3212 passes through the second proximal stop plate 1114, and the portion of the proximal link 3212 proximal to the second proximal stop plate 1114 forms the input end of the drive connection 320.

[0035] In some embodiments, the continuum device 10 may further include a drive transmission mechanism, wherein the output end of the drive transmission mechanism can perform non-planar motion. Figure 5 FIG. 1 is a partial structural schematic diagram of a continuum device 10 including a drive transmission mechanism 130 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 6 FIG. 1 shows a schematic structural diagram of a drive transmission mechanism 130 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the drive transmission mechanism 130 may include a first rotatable member 131, a second rotatable member 132, a rotary-linear motion mechanism 133, and a connecting member 134. The first rotatable member 131 is configured to rotate under the drive of a first driving member 135. The second rotatable member 132 is coaxially arranged with the first rotatable member 131 and is configured to rotate relative to the first rotatable member 131 under the drive of a second driving member 136. The rotary-linear motion mechanism 133 is connected to the first rotatable member 131 and is configured to convert the rotational motion of the first rotatable member 131 into a linear motion output. One end of the connecting member 134 is hinged to the output end of the rotary-linear motion mechanism 133, and the other end of the connecting member 134 is hinged to the input end of the drive connection portion 120 (or 220, 320).

[0036] In some embodiments, as Figure 6 As shown, the second rotatable member 132 may be arranged to overlap above the first rotatable member 131 , and the two may rotate relative to each other. Figure 7 FIG. 1 shows a partial structural diagram of the drive transmission mechanism 130 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 6 and Figure 7As shown, in some embodiments, the first rotatable member 131 may include, for example, a first driven gear 1311, the first driving member 135 may include a first driving gear 1351, the second rotatable member 132 may include, for example, a second driven gear 1321, and the second driving member 136 may include a second driving gear 1361. The first driving gear 1351 is engaged with the first driven gear 1311, the second driving gear 1361 is engaged with the first driven gear 1311, and the second driven gear 1321 is arranged to overlap above the first driven gear 1311. The first driving gear 1351 can drive the first driven gear 1311 to rotate when driven by a driving motor, and the second driving gear 1361 can drive the second driven gear 1321 to rotate when driven by the driving motor, and the first driven gear 1311 and the second driven gear 1321 can rotate relative to each other. In some embodiments, the first rotatable member 131 and the second rotatable member 132 may include a first gear and a second gear, respectively. The first driving member 135 and the second driving member 136 may include a drive motor (or a motor), and the first gear and the second gear may rotate relative to each other under the drive of the drive motor. In some embodiments, the transmission method of the first rotatable member 131 and the second rotatable member 132 may also include other transmission methods, such as a pulley drive or a sprocket drive.

[0037] In some embodiments, as Figure 7 As shown, the rotary-linear motion mechanism 133 may include a guide member 1331, a rotary member 1332, and a moving member 1333. The proximal end of the guide member 1331 is fixedly connected to the second rotatable member 132, the proximal end of the rotary member 1332 passes through the second rotatable member 132 and is fixedly connected to the first rotatable member 131, and the moving member 1333 is rotatably connected to the rotary member 1332. The moving member 1333 is configured to move linearly along the axis of the guide member 1331 under the guidance of the guide member 1331. Figure 8 FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a longitudinal cross-sectional structure of a drive transmission mechanism 130 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 8 As shown, in some embodiments, the rotary-linear motion mechanism 133 may include a screw-nut structure. Figure 8 As shown, guide member 1331 may include a guide rod 1331-1, rotating member 1332 may include a lead screw 1332-1, and moving member 1333 may include a nut 1333-1 and a slider 1333-2. Nut 1333-1 is rotatably connected to lead screw 1332-1, and guide rod 1331-1 is slidably mounted on slider 1333-2. In some embodiments, rotary-linear motion mechanism 133 may also be implemented using other structures known in the art, such as a ball screw mechanism.

[0038] like Figure 8As shown, in some embodiments, the connecting member 134 may include an arc-shaped connecting rod 1341. Figure 8 As shown, in some embodiments, the slider 1333-2 may include an upper hinged portion and a lower cylindrical portion that are fixedly connected or integrally formed. The upper hinged portion is configured to be hingedly connected to one end of the arc-shaped connecting rod 1341, and the lower cylindrical portion is fixedly sleeved on the outside of the nut 1333-1. For example, the shape of the lower cylindrical portion may match the shape of the nut 1333-1, so that it can be appropriately sleeved on the outside of the nut 1333-1.

[0039] like Figure 6 and Figure 8 As shown, in some embodiments, the drive transmission mechanism 130 may further include a barrel-shaped member 137 sleeved on the outside of the moving member 1333, and the proximal end of the barrel-shaped member 137 is fixedly connected to the second rotatable member 132. In some embodiments, the proximal end of the guide member 1331 is fixedly connected to the second rotatable member 132, and the distal end of the guide member 1331 is fixedly connected to the barrel-shaped member 137, and the moving member 1333 is slidably inserted into the guide member 1331. Figure 8 As shown, in some embodiments, the proximal end of the lead screw 1332-1 passes through the second driven gear 1321 and is coaxially fixedly connected to the first driven gear 1311. The nut 1333-1 is rotatably connected to the lead screw 1332-1, and the lower cylindrical portion of the slider 1333-2 is fixedly connected to the nut 1333-1. The barrel 137 is sleeved on the outside of the slider 1333-2, and the proximal end of the barrel 137 is fixedly connected to the second driven gear 1321. The proximal end of the guide rod 1331-1 is fixedly connected to the second driven gear 1321, and the distal end of the guide rod 1331-1 is fixedly connected to the distal end of the barrel 137. The lower cylindrical portion of the nut 1333-1 or the slider 1333-2 can be slidably passed through the guide rod 1331-1. One end of the arc-shaped connecting rod 1341 is hinged to the upper hinge portion of the slider 1333-2, and the other end of the arc-shaped connecting rod 1341 is hinged to the input end of the driving connection part 120 (or 220, 320). The rotary-linear motion mechanism 133 can convert the rotational motion of the first rotatable member 131 into linear motion output.

[0040] In some embodiments, the guide member 1331 may include a guide rod and a guide groove (not shown) that cooperate with each other. The guide groove may be fixedly disposed on the barrel member 137 along the axial direction of the barrel member 137. The guide rod may be slidably disposed in the guide groove along the axial direction of the barrel member 137. The guide rod is fixedly connected to the slider 1333-2. The rotary-linear motion mechanism 133 may also convert the rotational motion of the first rotatable member 131 into linear motion output.

[0041] Therefore, if Figure 5-Figure 8As shown, when the first driving gear 1351 drives the first driven gear 1311 located below to rotate while the second driving gear 1361 located above remains stationary, the lead screw 1332-1 fixed to the first driven gear 1311 rotates accordingly. The limiting action of the guide 1331 prevents the slider 1333-2 and the nut 1333-1 from rotating, thereby driving the nut 1333-1 and the slider 1333-2 to move up and down within the barrel 137, driving the arcuate connecting rod 1341 to move, which in turn drives the input end of the drive connection 120 (or 220, 320) to move. Because the second proximal stop plate 1114 can be driven to flip by the drive connection 120, the proximal base plate 1111 and the second proximal stop plate 1114 become misaligned, causing their axes to no longer coincide, thereby pushing and pulling the proximal driver bone 1113, causing the proximal continuum 111 to bend. The proximal driving bone 1113 drives the first proximal stop plate 1112 to flip, thereby pushing and pulling the multiple proximal structural bones 1116, whose ends are fixed to the first proximal stop plate 1112, and thereby pushing and pulling the multiple distal structural bones 1123. Because the total length of each proximal structural bone 1116 and distal structural bone 1123 remains substantially unchanged, the length of each distal structural bone 1123 within the distal continuum 112 changes accordingly, thereby driving the distal continuum 112 to bend in a corresponding direction (e.g., in the same direction, opposite direction, or at an angle) with the proximal continuum 111. The degree of bending of the proximal continuum 111 can be adjusted by adjusting the angle of the arc-shaped connecting rod 1341. When the second driving gear 1361 drives the second driven gear 1321 to rotate, and the first driving gear 1351 drives the first driven gear 1311 to rotate, and when the second driven gear 1321 and the first driven gear 1311 rotate in the same direction and synchronously (e.g., at the same speed), the vertical position of the slider 1333-2 in the barrel 137 does not change, but the azimuth angle of the rotation plane of the arc-shaped connecting rod 1341 does change. When the proximal continuum 111 bends, the push and pull exerted on the proximal structural bone 1116 is transmitted to the distal continuum 112 via the distal structural bone 1123, causing the distal continuum 112 to bend in different directions in space. By cooperatively driving the second driven gear 1321 and the first driven gear 1311, the degree of bending of the proximal continuum 111 and the bending within different planes can be adjusted.

[0042] It should be noted that the bending ratios of the proximal continuum 111 and the distal continuum 112 are inversely proportional to the distribution radii of the corresponding proximal structural bones 1116 and distal structural bones 1123 in the two continuums (in this embodiment, the proximal structural bones 1116 and the distal structural bones 1123 in the proximal continuum 111 and the distal continuum 112 are respectively distributed along the circumference, which can be distributed on the circumference, or on the circumference of a rectangle, polygon, ellipse or other shape, and can be uniformly distributed or non-uniformly distributed, which is not limited here). Therefore, during application, the distribution radii of the proximal structural bones 1116 and the distal structural bones 1123 in the proximal continuum 111 and the distal continuum 112 can be adjusted to meet the actual bending ratio requirements.

[0043] Figure 9 and Figure 10 Partial structural schematic diagrams of a continuum device 10 including another drive transmission mechanism 230 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure are respectively shown. Figure 11 FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of the drive transmission mechanism 230 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figures 9-11 As shown, the drive transmission mechanism 230 may include a first rotating member 231, a second rotating member 232, and a driven member 233. The first rotating member 231 is used to rotate under the drive of the first driving member 235, and the second rotating member 232 is used to rotate under the drive of the second driving member 236. In some embodiments, the second rotating member 232 is perpendicular to and intersects the rotation axis of the first rotating member 231. Figure 10 and Figure 11As shown, the driven member 233 is hingedly connected to the first rotating member 231 and the second rotating member 232, respectively, forming a first hinge point E and a second hinge point F. The first rotating member 231 and the second rotating member 232 are hingedly connected to form a third hinge point G. The rotation axis of the third hinge point G coincides with the rotation axis of the first rotating member 231. The driven member 233 is connected to the input end of the drive connection portion 120 (or 220). In the initial position, the rotation axis of the first hinge point E coincides with the rotation axis of the second rotating member 232, and the rotation axis of the second hinge point F coincides with the rotation axis of the first rotating member 231. Thus, the first rotating member 231 and the second rotating member 232 jointly drive the follower 233 to rotate in space around the fixed center point of the drive connection portion 120. The follower 233 drives the input end of the drive connection portion 120 to rotate, thereby causing the second proximal stop plate 1114 to flip, pushing and pulling the proximal driving bone 1113, thereby bending the proximal continuum 111. The proximal driving bone 1113 drives the first proximal stop plate 1112 to flip, which in turn pushes and pulls the multiple proximal structural bones 1116 and the multiple distal structural bones 1123, causing the lengths of the multiple distal structural bones 1123 within the distal continuum 112 to change accordingly, thereby driving the distal continuum 112 to bend in a manner corresponding to the proximal continuum 111. In this way, the distal continuum 112 can be bent in different directions in space.

[0044] In some embodiments, as Figure 10 and Figure 11 As shown, a first connecting rod 2312 is fixedly mounted on the first rotating member 231, and a second connecting rod 2322 is fixedly mounted on the second rotating member 232. One end of the first connecting rod 2312 is hingedly connected to the follower 233 to form a first hinge point E, and one end of the second connecting rod 2322 is hingedly connected to the follower 233 to form a second hinge point F. The other end of the first connecting rod 2312 and the other end of the second connecting rod 2322 are hingedly connected to form a third hinge point G, which is located on the rotation axis of the first rotating member 231. In some embodiments, the follower 233 can be hingedly connected to the other ends of the first connecting rod 2312 and the other ends of the second connecting rod 2322 at the third hinge point G. In some embodiments, the follower 233 can also be unhingedly connected to the other ends of the first connecting rod 2312 and the other ends of the second connecting rod 2322. It should be understood that the articulation between the first rotating member 231 and the second rotating member 232 and the driven member 233 in the present invention can also be achieved by other forms of connecting members other than the first connecting rod 2312 and the second connecting rod 2322, as long as each hinge point satisfies the above-mentioned geometric relationship.

[0045] like Figure 11As shown, in some embodiments, the first rotating member 231 and the first driving member 235 can respectively include a first worm gear 2311 and a first worm 2351 that are meshed with each other, and the first worm gear 2311 is fixedly connected to the first connecting rod 2312. The second rotating member 232 and the second driving member 236 can respectively include a second worm gear 2321 and a second worm 2361 that are meshed with each other, and the second worm gear 2321 is fixedly connected to the second connecting rod 2322. By providing two sets of worm gear structures, the drive transmission mechanism 230 can change the rotation direction of the driven member 233 and can achieve amplification of the driving torque. It is understandable that the first rotating member 231 and the second rotating member 232 include but are not limited to worm gear structures. For example, the first rotating member 231 and the second rotating member 232 can also be bevel gears, and the first driving member 235 and the second driving member 236 can be active bevel gears that are meshed with the bevel gears, and the active bevel gears drive the bevel gears to rotate. It should be understood that the first rotating member 231 and the second rotating member 232 may also be rotatable members other than gears. In some embodiments, the first driving member 235 and the second driving member 236 may also include motors, and the first rotating member 231 and the second rotating member 232 may rotate relative to each other directly under the drive of the motors.

[0046] Figure 12 FIG. 2 is a schematic structural diagram of a driven member 233 of a drive transmission mechanism 230 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 12 As shown, in some embodiments, the follower 233 may include a connector 2331 connected to the input end of the drive connection portion 120 (or 220), and hinged links 2332a-b connected to the connector 2331 and extending distally. The hinged link 2332a is hinged to one end of the first connecting rod 2312 of the first rotating member 231 at a first hinge point E, and the hinged link 2332b is hinged to one end of the second connecting rod 2322 of the second rotating member 232 at a second hinge point F. In some embodiments, as Figure 12 As shown, the follower 233 may further include a third hinged link 2332c connected to the connecting body 2331 and extending distally. The hinged link 2332c is hingedly connected to the other ends of the first connecting rod 2312 and the second connecting rod 2322 of the first rotating member 231 and the second rotating member 232 at a third hinge point G. In some embodiments, the connecting body 2331 and the hinged links 2332a-c may be integrally formed or fixedly connected.

[0047] Therefore, if Figure 9-12As shown, the first worm gear 2311 and the second worm gear 2321, driven by the first worm 2351 and the second worm 2361, respectively, drive the first connecting rod 2312 connected to the first worm gear 2311 and the second connecting rod 2322 connected to the second worm gear 2321 to rotate, thereby driving the follower 233, which is hingedly connected to the first connecting rod 2312 and the second connecting rod 2322, to rotate in space around the fixed center point of the drive connection portion 120 (or 220) (e.g., the center point of a universal joint or a ball joint). The follower 233 drives the input end of the drive connection portion 120 to rotate, thereby driving the second proximal stop plate 1114 to flip, causing the proximal continuum 111 to bend. The proximal driving bone 1113 drives the first proximal stop plate 1112 to flip, thereby pushing and pulling the multiple proximal structural bones 1116, whose ends are fixed to the first proximal stop plate 1112, to push and pull the distal structural bones 1123, thereby driving the distal continuum 112 to bend in a direction corresponding to (e.g., in the opposite direction of) the proximal continuum 111, thereby achieving bending of the distal continuum 112 in different directions in space. The bending ratio of the proximal continuum 111 and the distal continuum 112 is inversely proportional to the distribution radius of the corresponding proximal structural bones 1116 and distal structural bones 1123 in the proximal continuum 111 and distal continuum 112, respectively. During application, the distribution radius of the proximal structural bones 1116 and distal structural bones 1123 in the proximal continuum 111 and distal continuum 112 can be adjusted to meet the actual bending ratio requirements. By driving the second proximal stop plate 1114 to flip, the proximal driving bone 1113 is pushed and pulled. The proximal driving bone 1113 drives the first proximal stop plate 1112 to flip, thereby pushing and pulling the proximal structural bone 1116 and the distal structural bone 1123. This avoids direct pushing and pulling of the proximal structural bone 1116 and the distal structural bone 1123. When driving a large number of structural bones, the number of drive transmission mechanisms is not limited, and the structure is compact, highly reliable, and highly flexible.

[0048] In some embodiments, as Figure 10As shown, the following kinematic connection nodes may be included between the drive connection portion 120 (or 220, 320), the proximal continuum 111, and the drive transmission mechanism 230 (or 130): a first connection node A may refer to the connection between the proximal base plate 1111 and the drive connection portion 120 (or 220, 320); a second connection node B may refer to the structure of the drive connection portion itself (e.g., a universal joint, a ball joint, or a hinge joint); a third connection node C may refer to the connection between the drive connection portion 120 and the second proximal stop plate 1114; and a fourth connection node D may refer to the connection between the input end of the drive connection portion 120 and the drive transmission mechanism 230. These four connection nodes may be combined using any of the following connection methods: a cylindrical pair (rotatable and movable), a translation pair (movable only), a rotation pair (rotatable only), a fixed connection, or the structure of the drive connection portion itself, so that the minimum degrees of freedom required to drive the proximal continuum 111 to bend can be achieved through the above combination of connection nodes.

[0049] In some embodiments, as Figure 6 As shown, when the drive transmission mechanism adopts a non-planar drive transmission mechanism 130 based on a gear barrel, the input end of the drive connection portion 120 (or 220, 320) is rotationally connected to the drive transmission mechanism 130 in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the proximal end of the drive connection portion 120, and the input end of the drive connection portion 120 is rotationally connected relative to the second proximal stop disk 1114 along the axial direction of the proximal end of the drive connection portion 120. In some embodiments, when the drive transmission mechanism adopts a non-planar drive transmission mechanism 130 based on a gear barrel, the distal end of the drive connection portion 120 (or 220, 320) is connected to the proximal base disk 1111 via a rotational pair along the axial direction of the distal end of the drive connection portion 120, or the proximal end of the drive connection portion 120 is connected to the second proximal stop disk 1114 via a rotational pair along the axial direction of the proximal end of the drive connection portion 120, and the input end of the drive connection portion 120 is rotationally connected to the drive transmission mechanism 130 via a rotational pair along the axial direction of the proximal end of the drive connection portion 120.

[0050] As shown in Figure 2(a), Figure 2(b) and Figure 6As shown, in some embodiments, the drive transmission mechanism employs a non-planar drive transmission mechanism 130 based on a gear barrel, and the drive connection portion 120 may include a universal joint 121. The connection nodes may be in the following combination: the first connection node A is connected using a revolute joint, the second connection node B is connected using a universal joint 1211, the third connection node C is connected using a cylindrical joint, and the fourth connection node D is connected using a revolute joint, with the rotation axis of the fourth connection node D being perpendicular to the axial direction of the proximal end of the drive connection portion 120. For example, the universal joint 121 includes connecting rods 1212a-b and a universal joint 1211 located between the connecting rods 1212a-b. The first connection point A may refer to the revolute joint connection between the distal end of the connecting rod 1212a at the distal end of the universal joint 1211 and the proximal base plate 1111. The second connection point B may refer to the structure of the universal joint 1211 itself. The proximal end of the connecting rod 1212b at the proximal end of the universal joint 1211 serves as the input end of the drive connection portion 120. The third connection point C may refer to the cylindrical joint connection between the outer surface of the connecting rod 1212b and the second proximal stop plate 1114. The fourth connection point D may refer to the revolute joint connection between the input end of the connecting rod 1212b and the arcuate connecting rod 1341 in the drive transmission mechanism 130, with the rotation axis of this revolute joint being perpendicular to the axial direction of the connecting rod 1212b. Therefore, the second proximal stop plate 1114 can slide and rotate relative to the outer surface of the input end. By driving the input end of the transmission mechanism 130 to rotate, the arcuate connecting rod 1341 can cause the second proximal stop plate 1114 to flip, thereby pushing and pulling the proximal driving bone 1113, thereby achieving bending of the proximal continuum 111. The proximal driving bone 1113 drives the second proximal stop plate 1112 to flip, thereby pushing and pulling the multiple proximal structural bones 1116 whose ends are fixed to the proximal stop plate 1112, and further pushing and pulling the distal structural bones 1123, thereby driving the distal continuum 112 to bend in a direction corresponding to (e.g., in the opposite direction of) the proximal continuum 111. Thus, through the interaction of the above four connection nodes, the second proximal stop plate 1114 can slide up and down or rotate relative to the driving connection portion 120, or the driving connection portion 120 can slide up and down or rotate relative to the arcuate connecting rod 1341, thereby satisfying the parasitic motion (up and down sliding) of the proximal continuum 111 during the bending process, as well as bending motion (rotation) in any direction. The parasitic motion can prevent the distal continuum 112 from generating an axial telescopic motion during the bending process, which would cause the cover wrapped around the distal continuum 112 to wrinkle or overstretch, thereby affecting the service life of the cover.

[0051] like Figure 6As shown, in some embodiments, the drive transmission mechanism utilizes a non-planar drive transmission mechanism 130 based on a gear barrel. The drive connection 120 may include a universal joint 121. The connection nodes may also utilize the following combination: the first connection node A utilizes a revolute joint, the second connection node B utilizes a universal joint 1211, the third connection node C utilizes a revolute joint, and the fourth connection node D utilizes a revolute joint, with the rotation axis of the fourth connection node D being perpendicular to the axial direction of the proximal end of the drive connection 120. This allows the input end to rotate under the drive of the arcuate connecting rod 1341, thereby causing the second proximal stop plate 1114 and the first proximal stop plate 1112 to flip, thereby achieving bending of the distal continuum 112. In some embodiments, the connection nodes may also utilize the following combination: the first connection node A utilizes a cylindrical joint, the second connection node B utilizes a universal joint 1211, the third connection node C utilizes a translation joint, and the fourth connection node D utilizes a revolute joint, with the rotation axis of the fourth connection node D being perpendicular to the axial direction of the proximal end of the drive connection 120. It should be understood that the above connection nodes can also adopt other forms of combination of several of the above five connection methods. On the premise of achieving similar functions (driving the proximal continuum 111 to bend), the more degrees of freedom there are, the better the compliance and flexibility of the flexible continuum structure 110 will be.

[0052] As shown in Figure 3(a), Figure 3(b) and Figure 6As shown, in some embodiments, the drive transmission mechanism utilizes a non-planar drive transmission mechanism 130 based on a gear barrel, and the drive connection portion 220 may include a ball joint 221. Thus, the connection nodes may be in the following combination: the first connection node A utilizes a fixed connection, the second connection node B utilizes a ball joint 2211, the third connection node C utilizes a cylindrical joint connection, and the fourth connection node D utilizes a revolute joint connection, with the rotation axis of the fourth connection node D being perpendicular to the axial direction of the proximal end of the drive connection portion 220. For example, the drive connection portion 220 includes connecting rods 2212a-b and a ball joint 2211 located between the connecting rods 2212a-b. The first connection point A may refer to the revolute joint connection between the distal end of the connecting rod 2212a at the distal end of the ball joint 2211 and the proximal base plate 1111. The second connection point B may refer to the structure of the ball joint itself. The proximal end of the connecting rod 2212b at the proximal end of the ball joint 2211 serves as the input end of the drive connection portion 220. The third connection point C may refer to the cylindrical joint connection between the outer surface of the connecting rod 2212b and the second proximal stop plate 1114. The fourth connection point D may refer to the revolute joint connection between the input end of the connecting rod 2212b and the arcuate connecting rod 1341 in the drive transmission mechanism 130, with the rotation axis of the revolute joint being perpendicular to the axial direction of the connecting rod 2212b. Therefore, the second proximal stop plate 1114 can slide and rotate relative to the outer surface of the input end. In this way, by driving the arc-shaped connecting rod 1341 of the driving transmission mechanism 130 to rotate the input end, the second proximal stop plate 1114 can be driven to flip over, so as to realize the bending of the proximal continuum 111, and then drive the first proximal stop plate 1112 to flip over, thereby pushing and pulling the multiple distal structural bones 1123 whose ends are fixed on the second proximal stop plate 1112, thereby driving the distal continuum 112 to generate a bending corresponding to the proximal continuum 111 (for example, in the opposite direction).

[0053] In some embodiments, the drive transmission mechanism adopts a non-planar drive transmission mechanism 130 based on a gear barrel, and the connection nodes can also adopt the following combination: the first connection node A adopts a cylindrical pair connection, the second connection node B adopts a ball joint 2211, the third connection node C adopts a rotation connection, and the fourth connection node D adopts a rotation pair connection.

[0054] like Figure 4 and Figure 6As shown, in some embodiments, the drive transmission mechanism adopts a non-planar drive transmission mechanism 130 based on a gear barrel, and the hinge joint of the drive connection portion 320 can include a distal link 3211 and a proximal link 3212. The connection nodes can adopt the following combination: the first connection node A adopts a revolute joint, the second connection node B adopts a revolute joint, the third connection node C adopts a cylindrical joint, and the fourth connection node D adopts a revolute joint. For example, the first connection node A may refer to the distal end of the distal link 3211 which can rotate around its own axis in the proximal base 1111, the second connection node B may refer to the proximal end of the distal link 3211 being hinged to the distal end of the proximal link 3212, the drive connection part 320 itself is structured as a distal link 3211 and a proximal link 3212 hinged to each other, the proximal end of the proximal link 3212 serving as the input end of the drive connection part 320, the third connection node C refers to the outer peripheral surface of the proximal link 3212 and the second proximal stop disk 1114 being matched with a cylindrical pair, the second proximal stop disk 1114 being able to slide and rotate relative to the input end of the proximal link 3212, the fourth connection node D refers to the input end of the proximal link 3212 being hinged to the drive transmission mechanism 130, and the rotation axis of the hinge point is perpendicular to the axial direction of the proximal end of the drive connection part 320. By driving the input end of the proximal connecting rod 3212 through the driving transmission mechanism 130, the second proximal stop plate 1114 will be driven to flip, thereby realizing the bending of the proximal continuum 111, and then driving the first proximal stop plate 1112 to flip, thereby pushing and pulling the multiple distal structural bones 1123 whose ends are fixed on the first proximal stop plate 1112, thereby driving the distal continuum 112 to generate a bending corresponding to the proximal continuum 111 (for example, in the opposite direction).

[0055] In some embodiments, the drive transmission mechanism utilizes a non-planar drive transmission mechanism 130 based on a gear barrel, and the connection nodes may further utilize the following combination: the first connection node A utilizes a cylindrical pair, the second connection node B utilizes a revolute pair, the third connection node C utilizes a revolute pair, and the fourth connection node D utilizes a revolute pair, with the rotation axis of the fourth connection node D being perpendicular to the proximal axis of the drive connection portion 320. In this manner, the input end of the drive connection portion 320 can freely rotate under the drive transmission mechanism 130, thereby driving the second proximal stop disk 1114 and the first proximal stop disk 1112 to rotate and tilt, thereby achieving bending of the distal continuum 112.

[0056] like Figure 10 As shown, in some embodiments, when the drive transmission mechanism adopts a non-planar drive transmission mechanism 230 based on a worm gear, the input end of the drive connection part 120 (or 220) and the drive transmission mechanism 230 can be fixedly connected or connected using a rotating pair or a cylindrical pair.

[0057] As shown in Figure 2(a), Figure 2(b) and Figure 10As shown, in some embodiments, the drive transmission mechanism utilizes a worm gear-based non-planar drive transmission mechanism 230, and the drive connection portion 120 may include a universal joint 121. The connection nodes may be arranged in the following combination: a first connection node A utilizes a cylindrical pair connection, a second connection node B utilizes a universal joint 1211, a third connection node C has a movable degree of freedom (a cylindrical pair or a moving pair), and a fourth connection node D utilizes a fixed connection. For example, the universal joint 121 includes connecting rods 1212a-b and a universal joint 1211 located between the connecting rods 1212a-b. The first connection node A may refer to the cylindrical pairing between the distal end of the connecting rod 1212a at the distal end of the universal joint 1211 and the proximal base plate 1111. The second connection node B may refer to the structure of the universal joint 1211 itself. The proximal end of the connecting rod 1212b at the proximal end of the universal joint 1211 serves as the input end of the drive connection 120. The third connection node C may refer to the cylindrical pairing (or sliding pairing) between the outer surface of the connecting rod 1212b and the second proximal stop plate 1114. The fourth connection node D may refer to the fixed connection between the input end of the connecting rod 1212b and the driven member 233. Therefore, the second proximal stop plate 1114 can slide and rotate relative to the input end. The fixed center point of the drive connection 120 is the center of the universal joint 1211. The follower 233 rotates about the center of the universal joint 1211, thereby driving the input end to rotate under the drive of the follower 233, causing the second proximal stop plate 1114 to flip, thereby achieving bending of the proximal continuum 111, and further driving the first proximal stop plate 1112 to flip, thereby pushing and pulling the plurality of distal structural bones 1123 whose ends are fixed to the first proximal stop plate 1112, thereby driving the distal continuum 112 to bend in a direction corresponding to (e.g., opposite to) the proximal continuum 111. Through the interaction of the above nodes, the second proximal stop plate 1114 can slide up and down or rotate relative to the drive connection 120, or the drive connection 120 can slide up and down or rotate relative to the follower 233, thereby satisfying the parasitic motion (up and down sliding) of the proximal continuum 111 during the bending process (bending motion) of the proximal continuum 111.

[0058] In some embodiments, the drive transmission mechanism utilizes a worm gear-based non-planar drive transmission mechanism 230, and the drive connection portion 120 may include a universal joint 121. The connection nodes may also be combined as follows: the first connection node A utilizes a revolute joint, the second connection node B utilizes a universal joint 1211, the third connection node C utilizes a revolute joint, and the fourth connection node D utilizes a revolute joint. Alternatively, the input end of the drive connection portion 120 may rotate under the drive transmission mechanism 230, thereby causing the second proximal stop plate 1114 and the first proximal stop plate 1112 to rotate and tilt, thereby achieving bending of the distal continuum 112. In some embodiments, the nodes may also be combined as follows: the first connection node A utilizes a fixed connection, the second connection node B utilizes a universal joint 1211, the third connection node C utilizes a fixed connection, and the fourth connection node D utilizes a sliding joint. It should be understood that the connection nodes can also adopt other forms of combination of several of the above five connection methods. On the premise of achieving similar functions (driving the proximal continuum 111 to bend), the more degrees of freedom there are, the better the compliance and flexibility of the flexible continuum structure 110 will be.

[0059] As shown in Figure 3(a), Figure 3(b) and Figure 10As shown, in some embodiments, the drive transmission mechanism utilizes a non-planar drive transmission mechanism 230 based on a worm gear, and the drive connection 220 may include a ball joint 221. The connection nodes may be arranged in the following combinations: a first connection node A utilizes a fixed connection, a second connection node B utilizes a ball joint 2211, a third connection node C utilizes a cylindrical joint, and a fourth connection node D utilizes a fixed connection. For example, the drive connection 220 may include connecting rods 2212a-b and a ball joint 2211 located between the connecting rods 2212a-b. The first connection point A may refer to the fixed connection between the distal end of the connecting rod 2212a at the distal end of the ball joint 2211 and the proximal base plate 1111. The second connection point B may refer to the structure of the ball joint 221 itself. The proximal end of the connecting rod 2212b at the proximal end of the ball joint 2211 serves as the input end of the drive connection portion 220. The third connection point C may refer to the cylindrical fit between the outer surface of the connecting rod 2212b and the second proximal stop plate 1114. The fourth connection point D may refer to the fixed connection between the input end of the connecting rod 2212b and the driven member 233. Therefore, the second proximal stop plate 1114 can slide and rotate relative to the input end. The fixed center point of the drive connection 220 is the center of the ball joint 2211. The follower 233 rotates about the center of the ball joint 2211, thereby driving the input end to rotate under the drive of the follower 233, causing the second proximal stop plate 1114 to rotate in coordination, thereby achieving bending of the proximal continuum 111, and further driving the first proximal stop plate 1112 to rotate, thereby pushing and pulling the plurality of distal structural bones 1123 whose ends are fixed to the first proximal stop plate 1112, thereby driving the distal continuum 112 to bend in a direction corresponding to (e.g., in the opposite direction of) the proximal continuum 111. Through the interaction of the above connection nodes, the first proximal stop plate 1114 can slide up and down or rotate relative to the drive connection 220, or the drive connection 220 can slide up and down or rotate relative to the follower 233, thereby satisfying the parasitic motion (up and down sliding) of the proximal continuum 111 during the bending process (bending motion) of the proximal continuum 111.

[0060] In some embodiments, the drive transmission mechanism utilizes a worm gear-based non-planar drive transmission mechanism 230, and the drive connection portion 220 may include a ball joint 221. The connection nodes may also be combined as follows: the first connection node A utilizes a revolute joint, the second connection node B utilizes a ball joint 2211, the third connection node C utilizes a translation joint, and the fourth connection node D utilizes a fixed connection. In this manner, the drive transmission mechanism 230 can drive the follower 233 to rotate, thereby driving the input end to rotate, thereby driving the second proximal stop disk 1114 and the first proximal stop disk 1112 to rotate and flip, thereby achieving bending of the distal continuum 112. In some embodiments, the connection nodes may also be combined as follows: the first connection node A utilizes a fixed connection, the second connection node B utilizes a ball joint 2211, the third connection node C utilizes a revolute joint, and the fourth connection node D utilizes a translation joint.

[0061] like Figure 1 As shown, in some embodiments, the proximal continuum 111 may further include at least one proximal retaining disk 1115 disposed between the proximal base disk 1111 and the proximal stop disk 1112, and a plurality of proximal driving bones 1113 or proximal structural bones 1116 pass through the at least one proximal retaining disk 1115 in sequence. Figure 1 As shown, in some embodiments, the distal continuum 112 may further include at least one distal retaining disk 1124 disposed between the distal base disk 1121 and the distal stop disk 1122, and the plurality of distal structural bones 1123 also pass through the at least one distal retaining disk 1124. The proximal retaining disk 1115 and the distal retaining disk 1124 are used to radially support the structural bones of the proximal driving bone 1113, the proximal structural bone 1116, and the distal structural bone 1123, respectively, so that the proximal driving bone 1113, the proximal structural bone 1116, and the distal structural bone 1123 remain parallel during bending and deformation, thereby preventing the proximal driving bone 1113, the proximal structural bone 1116, and the distal structural bone 1123 from becoming unstable during bending. In some embodiments, at least one bundle retaining plate (not shown) is provided on the structural bone guide tube bundle 113, the proximal end of the structural bone guide tube bundle 113 is fixedly connected to the proximal base plate 1111, and the distal end of the structural bone guide tube bundle 113 passes through at least one bundle retaining plate and is fixedly connected to the distal base plate 1121.

[0062] In some embodiments, the proximal driver bone 1113, the proximal structural bone 1116, and the distal structural bone 1123 may comprise elastic wires or tubes made of a superelastic material, such as a high-strength, high-toughness, and elastic metal material such as nickel-titanium alloy. The structural bone guide bundle 113 may comprise multiple thin tubes made of steel to form a steel bundle.

[0063] In some embodiments, the continuum device 20 may include at least two of the continuum devices 10 described in the above embodiments. In some embodiments, the continuum device 20 may include at least two of the continuum devices 10 connected in series or in parallel.

[0064] Figure 13 FIG. 2 shows a partial structural diagram of a continuum device 20 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 13 As shown, in some embodiments, the continuum device 20 further includes a support 140. The proximal base plates 1111 of at least two proximal continua 111 are respectively fixedly connected to the support 140 or formed as one piece. The proximal ends of at least two structural bone guide tube bundles 113 are respectively fixedly connected to the proximal base plate 1111 of the proximal continuum 111, and the distal ends of at least two structural bone guide tube bundles 113 pass through the support 140 in sequence and merge into a bundle at the distal base plate 1121. For example, the distal ends of the two structural bone guide tube bundles 113 are distributed into a bundle along the circumference at the distal base plate 1121 or are distributed within a circle. It should be understood that the distal ends of the two structural bone guide tube bundles 113 can also be distributed into a bundle along the four sides of a rectangle at the distal base plate 1121 or are distributed within a rectangle. In some embodiments, the proximal base plate 1111 or the distal base plate 1121 can directly become a part of the support 140. In some embodiments, as Figure 13 As shown, at least two drive transmission mechanisms 230 (or 130) are arranged side by side on the bracket 140, with the output end of each drive transmission mechanism 230 connected to the input end of at least one drive connection portion 120 (or 220). The at least two drive transmission mechanisms 230, through their at least two input ends, respectively drive the second proximal stop disc 1114 and the first proximal stop disc 1112 of the corresponding two proximal continua 111 to flip, pushing and pulling the distal structural bones 1123 of the at least two proximal continua 111, thereby causing the at least two distal continua 112 to bend in different directions in space.

[0065] In some embodiments, the distal continuum 112 of the at least two flexible continuum structures 110 of the continuum device 20 can have the same or different lengths. It should be understood that the distal ends of the at least two structural bone guide bundles 113 converge at the distal base plate 1121. The at least two distal continuums 112 can be connected in series. For example, the proximal end of the first distal continuum extends distally from the distal base plate 1121 and is fixedly connected to the distal stop plate 1122. The distal base plate of the second distal continuum can be connected to or identical to the distal stop plate of the first distal continuum, and the distal end of the second distal continuum is fixedly connected to the distal stop plate of the second distal continuum. Thus, at least two drive transmission mechanisms 130 (or 230) respectively drive the at least two drive connectors 120 (or 220, 320) to move, thereby driving the at least two proximal continuums 111 to move, enabling bending of the distal continuum 112, thereby increasing the degrees of freedom of the distal continuum 112 and thus enhancing the flexibility of the continuum device.

[0066] In some embodiments, the present disclosure further provides a surgical robot comprising at least one continuum instrument 10 (or 20) as described in the above embodiments. Figure 14 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of a surgical robot 1 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 14 As shown, in some embodiments, the surgical robot 1 may further include at least one operating trolley 2, at least one positioning arm 3 and at least one surgical instrument 4. At least one positioning arm 3 is movably arranged on at least one operating trolley 2, and at least one surgical instrument 4 is respectively arranged at the distal end of at least one positioning arm 3. The surgical instrument 4 includes a continuum instrument 10 (or a continuum instrument 20) and an end device 5 arranged at the distal end of the continuum instrument 10. It should be understood that the end device 5 may include an end surgical actuator or an endoscope. The position of the continuum instrument can be adjusted by adjusting the positioning arm 3, and the posture of the end device 5 can be adjusted by the continuum instrument. The continuum instrument has a compact structure and has high reliability and flexibility, which can improve the safety of the surgical robot.

[0067] Note that the above are only exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure and the technical principles used. Those skilled in the art will understand that the present disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments herein, and that various obvious changes, readjustments, and substitutions can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of protection of the present disclosure. Therefore, although the present disclosure has been described in more detail through the above embodiments, the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments, and may include more other equivalent embodiments without departing from the concept of the present disclosure, and the scope of the present disclosure is determined by the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A continuum device comprising: At least one proximal continuum, comprising a proximal base plate, a first proximal stop plate, a second proximal stop plate, a plurality of proximal structural bones, and a plurality of proximal driver bones, wherein the proximal ends of the plurality of proximal structural bones are connected to the first proximal stop plate, the proximal ends of the plurality of proximal driver bones are fixedly connected to the second proximal stop plate, and the plurality of proximal driver bones pass through the first proximal stop plate, and their distal ends are fixedly connected to the proximal base plate; At least one distal continuum, comprising a distal stop disc and a plurality of distal structural bones, wherein the plurality of distal structural bones are connected to or integrally formed with the plurality of proximal structural bones, and the distal ends of the plurality of distal structural bones are fixedly connected to the distal stop disc; a drive connection portion, the proximal end of which is connected to the second proximal stop disk, the drive connection portion including an input end located on the proximal side of the second proximal stop disk; A driving transmission mechanism, wherein the output end of the driving transmission mechanism is connected to the input end of the driving connection part, the output end outputs non-planar motion, and the output end is used to drive the input end to drive the second proximal stop disk and the first proximal stop disk to flip, so as to drive the distal continuum to bend through the proximal structural bone and the distal structural bone.

2. The continuum device according to claim 1, characterized in that The distal end of the drive connection part is connected to the proximal base plate, and the connection between the drive connection part and the proximal base plate or the connection between the drive connection part and the second proximal stop plate includes at least one of the following: a cylindrical pair, a moving pair, a rotating pair or a fixed connection.

3. The continuum device according to claim 1, characterized in that The drive connection portion includes at least one universal joint, which includes a universal joint and at least one connecting rod. The distal end of the at least one universal joint is connected to the proximal base plate, and the proximal end passes through the second proximal stop plate and is connected to the second proximal stop plate, and the at least one universal joint includes the input end located on the proximal side of the second proximal stop plate.

4. The continuum device according to claim 1, characterized in that The drive connection portion includes at least one ball joint, which includes at least one ball joint and at least one connecting rod. The distal end of the at least one ball joint is connected to the proximal base plate, and the proximal end passes through the second proximal stop plate and is connected to the second proximal stop plate, and the at least one ball joint includes the input end located on the proximal side of the second proximal stop plate.

5. The continuum device according to claim 1, characterized in that The drive connection portion includes at least one hinge joint, and the hinge joint includes: a distal connecting rod, the distal end of which is connected to the proximal base plate; A proximal connecting rod, the distal end of the proximal connecting rod is hinged to the distal connecting rod, and the hinge axis is perpendicular to the axial direction of the distal connecting rod and the proximal connecting rod, the proximal end of the proximal connecting rod passes through the second proximal stop disk and is connected to the second proximal stop disk, and the proximal connecting rod includes the input end located on the proximal side of the second proximal stop disk.

6. The continuum device according to claim 1, characterized in that The drive transmission mechanism comprises: a first rotatable member, configured to rotate under the drive of a first driving member; a second rotatable member, coaxially arranged with the first rotatable member and configured to rotate relative to the first rotatable member under the drive of a second driving member; a rotary-linear motion mechanism connected to the first rotatable member and configured to convert the rotary motion of the first rotatable member into a linear motion output; A connecting member, one end of which is hinged to the output end of the rotary-linear motion mechanism, and the other end of which is hinged to the input end of the driving connection part.

7. The continuum device according to claim 6, characterized in that The rotary-linear motion mechanism comprises: a guide member, a proximal end of which is fixedly connected to the second rotatable member; a rotatable member, a proximal end of which passes through the second rotatable member and is fixedly connected to the first rotatable member; The moving member is rotationally connected to the rotating member, and the moving member is used to move linearly along the axial direction of the guide member under the guidance of the guide member.

8. The continuum device according to claim 7, characterized in that The drive transmission mechanism further includes a barrel-shaped member sleeved on the outside of the moving member, and the proximal end of the barrel-shaped member is fixedly connected to the second rotatable member; The proximal end of the guide member is fixedly connected to the second rotatable member, the distal end of the guide member is fixedly connected to the barrel member, and the moving member is slidably arranged on the guide member.

9. The continuum device according to claim 7, characterized in that The drive transmission mechanism further includes a barrel-shaped member sleeved outside the moving member, wherein the proximal end of the barrel-shaped member is fixedly connected to the second rotatable member; The guide member includes a guide rod and a guide groove that cooperate with each other. The guide groove is fixedly arranged on the barrel member along the axial direction of the barrel member. The guide rod is slidably arranged in the guide groove. The guide rod is fixedly connected to the moving member.

10. The continuum device according to claim 7, characterized in that The rotating part includes a lead screw, and the moving part includes a nut and a slider, and the nut is rotatably connected to the lead screw.

11. The continuum device according to claim 10, characterized in that The connecting member includes an arc-shaped connecting rod, and the slider includes an upper hinged part and a lower cylindrical part that are fixedly connected or integrally formed. The upper hinged part is used to be hinged to one end of the arc-shaped connecting rod, and the lower cylindrical part is fixedly sleeved on the outside of the nut.

12. The continuum device according to claim 1, wherein: The drive transmission mechanism comprises: a first rotating member, configured to rotate under the drive of a first driving member; a second rotating member, configured to rotate under the drive of a second driving member, wherein the second rotating member is perpendicular to and intersects with a rotation axis of the first rotating member; a driven member, hinged to the first rotating member at a first hinge point and hinged to the second rotating member at a second hinge point, the first rotating member and the second rotating member being hinged to each other at a third hinge point, the rotation axis of the third hinge point coinciding with the rotation axis of the first rotating member, the driven member being connected to an input end of the drive connection portion; At the initial position, the rotation axis of the first hinge point coincides with the rotation axis of the second rotating member, and the rotation axis of the second hinge point coincides with the rotation axis of the first rotating member.

13. The continuum device according to claim 12, characterized in that A first connecting rod is fixed on the first rotating member, and a second connecting rod is fixed on the second rotating member; One end of the first connecting rod is hinged to the follower at the first hinge point, one end of the second connecting rod is hinged to the follower at the second hinge point, and the other end of the first connecting rod and the other end of the second connecting rod are hinged at the third hinge point.

14. The continuum device according to claim 12, wherein: The driven member is hinged to the first rotating member and the second rotating member at the third hinge point.

15. The continuum device according to claim 12, wherein: The driven member includes a connector connected to the input end of the driving connection part, and at least two connecting rods connected to the connector and extending to the distal end, one connecting rod is hinged to the first rotating member, and the other connecting rod is hinged to the second rotating member.

16. The continuum device according to claim 1, wherein: The distal continuum further includes a distal base plate, and the plurality of distal structural bones pass through the distal base plate; and The continuum device further includes: a structural bone guide bundle connected between the proximal base and the distal base, and a plurality of distal structural bones pass through the proximal base and the structural bone guide bundle and are fixedly connected to the distal base.

17. The continuum device according to claim 16, wherein: include: At least two proximal continua, at least two distal continua, at least two structural bone guide bundles, at least two drive connecting parts and at least two drive transmission mechanisms, wherein the at least two proximal continua are connected in series or in parallel.

18. The continuum device according to claim 17, wherein: Also includes: Bracket; The proximal bases of the at least two proximal continua are respectively fixedly connected to the bracket or formed integrally therewith, the proximal ends of the at least two structural bone guide tube bundles are respectively fixedly connected to the proximal bases of the proximal continua, and the distal ends of the at least two structural bone guide tube bundles pass through the bracket and merge into a bundle at the same distal base; The at least two drive transmission mechanisms are arranged side by side on the bracket, and the output end of each drive transmission mechanism is respectively connected to the input end of the corresponding drive connection part to drive the second proximal stop disk and the first proximal stop disk of the proximal continuum to flip, thereby driving the corresponding distal continuum to bend.

19. A surgical robot comprising at least one surgical trolley, at least one positioning arm and at least one surgical instrument; The at least one surgical instrument comprises at least one continuum instrument according to any one of claims 1 to 18 and a terminal device disposed at a distal end of the continuum instrument; The at least one positioning arm is movably arranged on at least one operating table, and the at least one surgical instrument is respectively arranged at the distal end of the at least one positioning arm.

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