Continuum instruments and surgical robots

Abstract

A continuum device (10, 20, 30, 40) in the field of medical devices comprises: at least one proximal continuum (111), at least one distal continuum (112), a drive connection portion (120, 220, 320), and a drive transmission mechanism (130, 230, 330). The proximal continuum (111) comprises a proximal stop disc (1112) and a plurality of proximal structural bones (1113), wherein the proximal ends of the plurality of proximal structural bones (1113) are fixedly connected to the proximal stop disc (1112). The distal continuum (112) comprises a distal stop disc (1122) and a plurality of distal structural bones (1123), wherein the distal ends of the plurality of distal structural bones (1123) are fixedly connected to the distal stop disc (1122), and the plurality of distal structural bones (1123) are fixedly connected or integrally formed with the plurality of proximal structural bones (1113). The output end of the drive transmission mechanism (130, 230, 330) is connected to the input end of the drive connection part (120, 220, 320), and is used to drive the input end to drive the proximal stop disk (1112) to flip, so as to drive the distal continuum (112) to bend. This can avoid directly pushing and pulling the structural bones (1113, 1123) of the flexible continuum (110). When driving a large number of structural bones (1113, 1123), the number of drive mechanisms is not limited. At the same time, the structure is compact, the principle is simple, it is easy to implement, and it has high reliability and flexibility.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to Chinese patent applications No. 2020106173705, filed on June 30, 2020, entitled “Surgical tool drive transmission system and surgical robot based on planar motion mechanism”, No. 2020106233693, filed on June 30, 2020, entitled “Flexible continuum drive transmission mechanism, surgical tool drive system and robot”, and No. 2020106187500, filed on June 30, 2020, entitled “A surgical tool drive transmission system and a surgical robot comprising the system”. 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 stop disk and multiple proximal structural bones, the proximal ends of the multiple proximal structural bones being fixedly connected to the proximal stop disk; at least one distal continuum, comprising a distal stop disk and multiple distal structural bones, the distal ends of the multiple distal structural bones being fixedly connected to the distal stop disk, the multiple distal structural bones being fixedly connected or integrally formed with the multiple proximal structural bones; a drive connection part, connected to the proximal stop disk, the drive connection part comprising an input end located on the proximal side of the proximal stop disk; a drive transmission mechanism, the output end of the drive transmission mechanism being connected to the input end of the drive connection part, the output end being used to drive the input end to drive the proximal stop disk 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 universal joint according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0012] FIG2( b ) shows a schematic structural diagram of a drive connection portion according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0013] Figure 3 A schematic structural diagram showing another continuum device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0014] FIG4( a ) shows a schematic structural diagram of a ball joint according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0015] FIG4( b ) shows a schematic structural diagram of another drive connection portion according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

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

[0017] Figure 6 A schematic structural diagram showing another drive connection portion according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0018] Figure 7 A partial structural schematic diagram of another continuum device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0019] Figure 8 According to some embodiments of the present disclosure Figure 7 A schematic diagram of a portion of the structure of the continuum device shown;

[0020] Figure 9 According to some embodiments of the present disclosure Figure 7 The structural diagram of the driving transmission mechanism shown;

[0021] Figure 10 According to some embodiments of the present disclosure Figure 9 A top view of a portion of the drive transmission mechanism shown;

[0022] Figure 11 A partial structural schematic diagram of another continuum device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

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

[0024] Figure 13 According to some embodiments of the present disclosure Figure 12 A schematic diagram of a portion of the structure of the driving transmission mechanism shown;

[0025] Figure 14 According to some embodiments of the present disclosure Figure 12 A schematic diagram of a portion of the structure of the driving transmission mechanism shown;

[0026] Figure 15 A partial structural schematic diagram of another continuum device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0027] Figure 16 According to some embodiments of the present disclosure Figure 15 A schematic diagram of a portion of the structure of the continuum device shown;

[0028] Figure 17 According to some embodiments of the present disclosure Figure 15 A schematic structural diagram of the driving transmission mechanism shown;

[0029] Figure 18 According to some embodiments of the present disclosure Figure 15 A schematic diagram of a portion of the structure of the driving transmission mechanism shown;

[0030] Figure 19 According to some embodiments of the present disclosure Figure 15 A schematic diagram of a portion of the structure of the driving transmission mechanism shown;

[0031] Figure 20 A partial structural schematic diagram of another continuum device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0032] Figure 21 A partial structural schematic diagram of a surgical robot according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] 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.

[0034] 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.

[0035] Figure 1 Continuum device 10 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 1As 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 proximal stop plate 1112, and a proximal structural bone 1113. The proximal base plate 1111 and the proximal stop plate 1112 are spaced apart, and the proximal ends of multiple proximal structural bones 1113 are fixedly connected to the proximal stop plate 1112, and the distal ends of the multiple proximal structural bones 1113 pass through the proximal base plate 1111. The distal continuum 112 may include a distal base plate 1121, a distal stop plate 1122, and a distal structural bone 1123. The distal base plate 1121 and the distal stop plate 1122 are spaced apart, adjacent to the proximal base plate 1111. The distal ends of multiple distal structural bones 1123 are fixedly connected to the distal stop plate 1122, while the proximal ends of multiple distal structural bones 1123 pass through the distal base plate 1121 and are fixedly connected or integrally formed with the multiple proximal structural bones 1113. The drive connection 120 is connected to the proximal stop plate 1112. The drive connection 120 includes an input terminal located proximal to the proximal stop plate 1112. This input terminal is driven by a drive transmission mechanism to cause the proximal stop plate 1112 to flip, thereby pushing and pulling the proximal structural bones 1113, thereby enabling the distal continuum 112 to bend in different directions in space. In some embodiments, 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 passes through the proximal stop plate 1112 and is connected to the proximal stop plate 1112. Figure 1 shown.

[0036] 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 1111, and the distal end of the structural bone guide bundle 113 is fixedly connected to the distal base 1121. The distal ends of multiple proximal structural bones 1113 sequentially pass through the proximal base 1111 and the structural bone guide bundle 113 and are respectively connected to multiple distal structural bones 1123. The structural bone guide bundle 113 can guide and constrain the multiple proximal structural bones 1113 located between the proximal base 1111 and the distal base 1121.

[0037] In some embodiments, the drive connection part 120 may include at least one joint, such as a universal joint, a ball joint joint, a universal-ball joint joint or a hinge joint. The drive connection part 120 may include multiple universal joints. Figure 2(a) shows a structural schematic diagram of a universal joint 121 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, and Figure 2(b) shows a structural schematic diagram of the drive connection part 120 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 2(a), 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 proximal stop plate 1112. The universal joint 1211 may include two rotation 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 link 1212a at a distal end, a link 1212b at a proximal end, and a universal joint 1211 between the links 1212a-b. In some embodiments, the universal joint 121 may include a universal joint 1211 at a distal end, and a link 1212b at a proximal end.

[0038] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG2( b ), the drive connection 120 may include at least one distal universal joint 121a and at least one proximal universal joint 121b. The distal universal joint 121a may include a connecting rod 1212a, a connecting rod 1212b, and a universal joint 1211 located between the connecting rods 1212a and 1212b. The proximal universal joint 121b may include a connecting rod 1212a′, a connecting rod 1212b′, and a universal joint 1211′ located between the connecting rods 1212a′ and 1212b′. The connecting rod 1212a at the distal end of the distal universal joint 121a (located at the distal end of the drive connection 120) is connected to the proximal base plate 1111. The universal joint 1211 is located between the proximal base plate 1111 and the proximal stop plate 1112. Connecting rod 1212b at the proximal end of distal universal joint 121a is connected to connecting rod 1212a' at the distal end of proximal universal joint 121b. The outer circumference of connecting rod 1212a' or connecting rod 1212b passes through proximal stop plate 1112. Universal joint 1211' is located proximal to proximal stop plate 1112, and connecting rod 1212b' connected to universal joint 1211' forms the input end of drive connection 120.

[0039] Figure 3 Continuum device 20 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 3As shown, the continuum device 20 may include a flexible continuum structure 110 and a drive connection portion 220. The drive connection portion 220 may include multiple ball joints. Figure 4(a) shows a structural schematic diagram of a ball joint 221 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, and Figure 4(b) shows a structural schematic diagram of the drive connection portion 220 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 4(a), the ball joint 221 may include one ball joint 2211 or multiple ball joints 2211 (for example, 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 in Figure 4(a) may include at least one ball joint 2211 and at least one connecting rod. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG4( a), the ball joint 221 may include a connecting rod 2212a at the distal end, a connecting rod 2212b at the proximal end, and a ball joint 2211 between the connecting rods 2212a-b. In some embodiments, the ball joint 221 may include a ball joint 2211 at the distal end and a connecting rod 2212b at the proximal end.

[0040] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG4( b ), the drive connection portion 220 may include at least one distal ball joint 221a and at least one proximal ball joint 221b. The distal ball joint 221a may include connecting rods 2212a-b and a ball joint 2211 located between the connecting rods 2212a-b. The proximal ball joint 221b may include connecting rods 2212a′, 2212b′, and a ball joint 2211′ located between the connecting rods 2212a′ and 2212b′. The connecting rod 2212a at the distal end of the distal ball joint 221a is connected to the proximal base plate 1111. The ball joint 2211 is located between the proximal base plate 1111 and the proximal stop plate 1112. The connecting rod 2212b at the proximal end of the distal ball joint 221a is connected to the connecting rod 2212a′ at the distal end of the proximal ball joint 221b. The outer circumference of the connecting rod 2212a' or the connecting rod 2212b passes through the proximal stop disk 1112 and is connected to the proximal stop disk 1112. The ball joint 2211' is located on the proximal side of the proximal stop disk 1112, and the connecting rod 2212b' connected to the ball joint 2211' forms the input end of the drive connection part 220.

[0041] Figure 5 Continuum device 30 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 5 As shown, the continuum device 30 may include a flexible continuum structure 110 and a drive connection 320 . Figure 6 FIG. 2 shows a schematic structural diagram of the drive connection portion 320 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 6As 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 and at least one proximal link hinged to each other. Figure 6 As shown, in some embodiments, the hinge joint 321 may include, for example, a multi-link hinge joint, for example, including a distal link 3211a, a distal link 3211b, a proximal link 3212a, and a proximal link 3212b. The distal end of the distal link 3211a is connected to the proximal base plate 1111, the proximal end of the distal link 3211a is hinged to the distal end of the distal link 3211b, the proximal end of the distal link 3211b is connected to the distal end of the proximal link 3212a, the outer circumference of the distal link 3211b or the proximal link 3212a passes through the proximal stop plate 1112 and is connected to the proximal stop plate 1112, the proximal end of the proximal link 3212a is hinged to the distal end of the proximal link 3212b, and the proximal link 3212b forms the input end of the drive connection portion 320. The hinge axis X of the distal links 3211a and 3211b is perpendicular to the axis of the distal links 3211a-b, the hinge axis X' of the proximal links 3212a and 3212b is perpendicular to the axis of the proximal links 3212a-b, and the hinge axis X and the hinge axis X' are parallel to each other.

[0042] In some embodiments, one of the universal joints 1211 and 1211' in the drive connection portion 120 can be replaced with a ball joint 2211 or 2211', or one of the ball joints 2211 and 2211' in the drive connection portion 220 can be replaced with a universal joint 1211 or 1211' to form a universal joint-ball joint joint (not shown). In some embodiments, the universal joint-ball joint joint can include at least one universal joint 121a located at the distal end and at least one ball joint 221b located at the proximal end. In some embodiments, the universal joint-ball joint joint can include at least one ball joint 221a located at the distal end and at least one universal joint 121b located at the proximal end.

[0043] In some embodiments, the continuum device 10 (or 20, 30) may further include a drive transmission mechanism, wherein the output end of the drive transmission mechanism may perform planar motion. Figure 7 and Figure 8 Partial structural schematic diagrams of a continuum device 10 (or 20, 30) including a drive transmission mechanism 130 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure are respectively shown. Figure 9 and Figure 10 1 and 2 show a schematic diagram and a partial top view of the structure of the drive transmission mechanism 130 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 7-Figure 9As shown, the drive transmission mechanism 130 may include a planar linkage mechanism, which may include a first connecting rod 131, a second connecting rod 132, a third connecting rod 133, a fourth connecting rod 134, a fifth connecting rod 135, an output shaft 136, a first input shaft 137, and a second input shaft 138. The first connecting rod 131 is fixedly mounted, while the first and second input shafts 137 and 138 are rotatably mounted on the first connecting rod 131. One end of the second connecting rod 132 is fixedly connected to the first input shaft 137, while the other end of the second connecting rod 132 is hingedly connected to one end of the third connecting rod 133. One end of the fifth connecting rod 135 is fixedly connected to the second input shaft 138, while the other end of the fifth connecting rod 135 is hingedly connected to one end of the fourth connecting rod 134. The other end of the fourth connecting rod 134 is hingedly connected to the other end of the third connecting rod 133 and to the output shaft 136. The output shaft 136 is connected to the input end of the drive connection portion 120 (or 220, 320).

[0044] In some embodiments, as Figure 9 and Figure 10 As shown, the first connecting rod 131 may include an arc-shaped connecting rod formed by a base, the second connecting rod 132 and the fifth connecting rod 135 may be arc-shaped, and one end of the second connecting rod 132 and the fifth connecting rod 135 are fixedly connected to the first input shaft 137 and the second input shaft 138 respectively, thereby rotating with the rotation of the first input shaft 137 and the second input shaft 138. In some embodiments, the third connecting rod 133 may be arc-shaped, and the fourth connecting rod 134 may be straight. By cooperating with the arc-shaped connecting rod and the straight connecting rod, the output shaft 136 can be moved in any direction in the horizontal plane. Figure 9 As shown, the second connecting rod 132 may include an arcuate opening 1321, and the fifth connecting rod 135 may include an arcuate opening 1351. One end of the third connecting rod 133 is located in the arcuate opening and is hingedly connected to the other end of the second connecting rod 132. One end of the fourth connecting rod 134 is located in the arcuate opening and is hingedly connected to the other end of the fifth connecting rod 135. The fourth connecting rod 134 may include an opening, and the other end of the third connecting rod 133 is located in the opening and is hingedly connected to the other end of the fourth connecting rod 134. The provision of the arcuate opening and the opening can facilitate the rotation of the third connecting rod 133 and the fourth connecting rod 134. It should be understood that the connecting rods can also be hingedly connected to each other on the surface or exterior of the connecting rod, which can also achieve free rotation of the connecting rods.

[0045] Therefore, if Figure 7-Figure 9As shown, when the first input shaft 137 and / or the second input shaft 138 are driven to rotate, the second connecting rod 132 and the fifth connecting rod 135 are driven to rotate, thereby driving the third connecting rod 133 and the fourth connecting rod 134 to rotate, thereby driving the output shaft 136 of the planar five-bar mechanism to move freely in the plane, and the input end of the drive connection part 120 (or 220, 320) is driven to move through the output shaft 136, driving the proximal stop disk 1112 to slide up and down and flip relative to the drive connection part 120, so that the proximal base disk 1111 and the proximal stop disk 1112 are misaligned, and the axes of the two no longer coincide. The proximal stop plate 1112 flips, pushing and pulling the multiple proximal structural bones 1113 whose ends are fixed to the proximal stop plate 1112. As a result, the multiple proximal structural bones 1113 fixed to the proximal stop plate 1112 (e.g., evenly distributed) are pulled on one side, thereby increasing the length of the corresponding proximal structural bones 1113 within the proximal continuum 111, while being pushed on the other side, thereby decreasing the length of the corresponding proximal structural bones 1113 within the proximal continuum 111. Since the total length of each proximal structural bone 1113 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 correspondingly (e.g., in the same direction, opposite direction, or at an angle) to the proximal continuum 111. By driving the proximal stop plate 1112 to flip, the proximal structural bone 1113 and the distal structural bone 1123 are pushed and pulled, instead of directly pushing and pulling the proximal structural bone 1113 and the distal structural bone 1123. When driving a large number of structural bones, there is no limit on the number of drive transmission mechanisms, the structure is compact, and it has high reliability and flexibility.

[0046] 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 1113 and distal structural bones 1123 in the two continuums (in this embodiment, the proximal structural bones 1113 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). Therefore, during application, the distribution radii of the proximal structural bones 1113 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.

[0047] Figure 11 A partial structural schematic diagram of a continuum device 10 (or 20, 30) including a drive transmission mechanism 230 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 12 FIG. 2 shows a schematic structural diagram of a drive transmission mechanism 230 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 13 and Figure 14Schematic diagrams of the partial structures of the drive transmission mechanism 230 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure are shown respectively. In some embodiments, as Figure 11-14 As shown, the drive transmission mechanism 230 may include a gear slide mechanism, which may include a first rotatable member 231, a moving member 233, a second rotatable member 232, and a sliding assembly 234. The first rotatable member 231 may be used to rotate around its own rotation center under the drive of the first driving member 235, and the moving member 233 may be used to rotate around its own rotation center under the rotation drive of the first rotatable member 231, and the rotation center of the moving member 233 is offset from the rotation center of the first rotatable member 231. The moving member 233 is provided with a first sliding guide portion 2332, as shown in FIG. Figure 13 The second rotatable member 232 is coaxially arranged with the first rotatable member 231 and can be used to rotate relative to the first rotatable member 231 under the drive of the second driving member 236. The second rotatable member 232 is provided with a second sliding guide portion 2322. Figure 12 and Figure 13 As shown, the sliding assembly 234 is slidably connected to the first sliding guide portion 2332 and the second sliding guide portion 2322 to slide along the first sliding guide portion 2332 and the second sliding guide portion 2322, and the sliding assembly 234 is connected to the input end of the drive connection portion 120 (or 220, 320).

[0048] In some embodiments, as Figure 12 As shown, the second rotatable member 232 can be arranged above the first rotatable member 231, and the two can rotate relative to each other. Figure 11 and Figure 12As shown, in some embodiments, the first rotatable member 231 may include, for example, a first driven gear 2311, and the first driving member 235 may include a first driving gear 2351. The second rotatable member 232 may include, for example, a second driven gear 2321, and the second driving member 236 may include a second driving gear 2361. The first driving gear 2351 is engaged with the first driven gear 2311, and the second driving gear 2361 is engaged with the first driven gear 2311, with the second driven gear 2321 being arranged overlappingly above the first driven gear 2311. The first driving gear 2351 can drive the first driven gear 2311 to rotate when driven by a driving motor. The second driving gear 2361 can drive the second driven gear 2321 to rotate when driven by the driving motor, and the first driven gear 2311 and the second driven gear 2321 can rotate relative to each other. In some embodiments, the first rotatable member 231 and the second rotatable member 232 may include a first gear and a second gear, respectively. The first driving member 235 and the second driving member 236 may include a drive motor (or 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 231 and the second rotatable member 232 may also include other transmission methods, such as pulley transmission or sprocket transmission.

[0049] In some embodiments, as Figure 13 As shown, the moving member 233 may include a meshing portion 2331 configured to mesh with the first rotatable member 231. In some embodiments, the moving member 233 may be a connecting rod having at least one arc-shaped end. The meshing portion 2331 may include teeth disposed on the outer circumference of the arc-shaped end. The inner circumference of the first rotatable member 231 (e.g., the first driven gear 2311) is provided with inner ring teeth 2312. The teeth on the outer circumference of the arc-shaped end mesh with the inner ring teeth 2312 of the first rotatable member 231, thereby driving the moving member 233 to rotate with the first rotatable member 231 when the first rotatable member 231 rotates. It should be noted that in some embodiments, the first rotatable member 231 may be provided with an additional gear (not shown) that rotates coaxially and synchronously with the first rotatable member 231. The teeth on the outer circumference of the moving member 233 mesh with the additional gear, thereby also enabling the moving member 233 to rotate driven by the first rotatable member 231.

[0050] In some embodiments, as Figure 12 and Figure 13As shown, the moving part 233 is provided with a first sliding guide portion 2332, and the first sliding guide portion 2332 may include a first slide groove provided along the length direction of the moving part 233. The second rotatable part 232 (for example, the second driven gear 2321) is provided with a second sliding guide portion 2322, and the second sliding guide portion 2322 may include a second slide groove provided along the diameter of the second rotatable part 232. The sliding assembly 234 may include a sliding pin 2341, and the sliding pin 2341 is slidably provided in the first slide groove and the second slide groove. The distal end of the sliding pin 2341 is connected to the input end of the drive connection part 120 (or 220, 320), so that the sliding pin 2341 can be moved along the first slide groove and / or the second slide groove. In some embodiments, as Figure 13 As shown, the sliding assembly 234 may further include a slider 2342 fixedly connected to or integrally formed with the sliding pin 2341. The second rotatable member 232 may be provided with a slide rail 2323 parallel to the second slide groove, and the slider 2342 may be slidably disposed on the slide rail 2323. For example, the slider 2342 and the slide rail 2323 may be groove-matched. The proximal end of the sliding pin 2341 is slidably disposed in the first slide groove, and the distal end passes through the first and second slide grooves and is fixedly connected to the slider 2342. The distal end of the sliding pin 2341 may pass through the slider 2342 and connect to the input end of the drive connection portion 120, or connect to the input end of the drive connection portion 120 through the slider 2342. The cooperation between the slider 2342 and the slide rail 2323 can guide the movement of the sliding pin 2341, thereby facilitating smoother movement of the sliding pin 2341.

[0051] In some embodiments, the first sliding guide 2332 may include a first slide rail (not shown) disposed along the length of the movable member 233, and the second sliding guide 2322 may include a second slide rail disposed along the diameter of the second rotatable member 232. The sliding assembly 234 may include a first sliding block, a second sliding block, and a sliding pin. The first sliding block is slidably disposed on the first slide rail, and the second sliding block is slidably disposed on the second slide rail. One of the first and second sliding blocks is configured to be movably coupled to the sliding pin, and the other of the first and second sliding blocks is configured to be fixedly coupled to or integrally formed with the sliding pin. Alternatively, the sliding pin may slide along the first and / or second slide rails. It should also be understood that one of the first and second sliding guides 2332 and 2322 may include a slide rail, and the other of the first and second sliding guides 2332 and 2322 may include a slide slot. The sliding assembly 234 may include a slider and a sliding pin fixedly coupled to or integrally formed with the slider. The sliding pin is disposed in the slide slot, and the slider slides on the slider rail.

[0052] In some embodiments, as Figure 13 and Figure 14As shown, the drive transmission mechanism 230 may further include a rotating shaft 237. The proximal end of the rotating shaft 237 may be fixedly connected to or integrally formed with the moving member 233, the rotating shaft 237 may be located at one end close to the arc-shaped end, and the distal end of the rotating shaft 237 may be rotatably disposed on the second rotatable member 232, so that the rotating shaft 237 may rotate relative to the second rotatable member 232, and the rotation axis of the rotating shaft 237 is offset from the rotation center of the second rotatable member 232, so that when the first driven gear 2311 rotates at any angle, the second slide groove and the first slide groove can intersect, and the sliding pin 2341 is located at the intersection of the two.

[0053] Therefore, if Figure 11 、 Figure 12 and Figure 13As shown, when the first driving gear 2351 drives the first driven gear 2311 located at the lower layer to rotate while the second driving gear 2361 located at the upper layer remains stationary, the moving member 233 engaged with the first driven gear 2311 is driven to rotate about the rotation axis 237, thereby driving the sliding pin 2341 located in the first and second chutes to move. Due to the limited engagement of the second chutes with the first chutes, the sliding pin 2341 can move linearly along the second chutes, thereby driving the input end of the drive connection portion 120 (or 220, 320) to move via the sliding pin 2341. Because the proximal stop plate 1112 can be driven to flip by the drive connection portion 120, the proximal base plate 1111 and the proximal stop plate 1112 are misaligned, and their axes no longer coincide. The proximal stop plate 1112 flips, pushing and pulling the plurality of proximal structural bones 1113 whose ends are fixed to the proximal stop plate 1112, thereby bending the proximal continuum 111. This in turn drives the distal continuum 112 to bend in a corresponding direction (e.g., in the same direction, opposite direction, or at an angle) as the proximal continuum 111, thereby enabling the distal continuum 112 to bend along a specific bending plane in space. The degree of bending of the proximal continuum 111, and thus the degree of bending of the distal continuum 112, can be adjusted by adjusting the distance that the sliding pin 2341 or the slider 2342 moves along the second slide groove. When the second driving gear 2361 drives the second driven gear 2321 to rotate, and the first driving gear 2351 drives the first driven gear 2311 to rotate, and the second driven gear 2321 and the first driven gear 2311 rotate in the same direction and synchronously (e.g., at the same speed), the position of the sliding pin 2341 in the first and second slots does not change, but the azimuth angle of the rotation plane of the sliding pin 2341 changes (the sliding pin 2341 performs circular motion), thereby changing the direction of the bending plane of the input end of the drive connection 120 (or 220, 320). When the proximal continuum 111 bends, the push and pull exerted on the proximal structural bone 1113 is transmitted to the distal structural bone 1123 and the distal continuum 112 through the structural bone guide bundle 113, thereby achieving bending of the distal continuum 112 along different bending planes in space. By cooperatively driving the second driven gear 2321 and the first driven gear 2311, the degree of bending of the proximal continuum 111 in a specific bending plane and the bending in different bending planes can be adjusted to achieve bending of the distal continuum 112 in any direction in space.

[0054] Figure 15 and Figure 16 Partial structural schematic diagrams of a continuum device 10 (or 20, 30) including another drive transmission mechanism 330 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure are respectively shown. Figure 17 FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the drive transmission mechanism 330 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 16 and Figure 17As shown, the drive transmission mechanism 330 may include a rack-and-pinion mechanism, which may include a first rotatable member 331, a second rotatable member 332, and a motion assembly. The first rotatable member 331 can be driven by a first driving member 335 to rotate. The second rotatable member 332 is coaxially disposed with the first rotatable member 331 and can be driven by a second driving member 336 to rotate relative to the first rotatable member 331. The second rotatable member 332 is provided with a sliding guide 3322. At least a portion of the motion assembly is slidably disposed on the sliding guide 3322, and at least another portion of the motion assembly is configured to perform linear motion with the rotation of the first rotatable member 331. The distal end of the motion assembly is hingedly connected to the input end of the drive connection portion 120 (or 220, 320).

[0055] In some embodiments, as Figure 16 and Figure 17 As shown, the second rotatable member 332 can be arranged above the first rotatable member 331, and the two can rotate relative to each other. Figure 16 and Figure 17 As shown, in some embodiments, the first rotatable member 331 may include a meshing gear 3312 and a first driven gear 3311 that are coaxially fixedly connected to each other, with the meshing gear 3312 located distally from the first driven gear 3311. The first driving member 335 may include a first driving gear 3351, the second rotatable member 332 may include, for example, a second driven gear 3321, and the second driving member 336 may include a second driving gear 3361. The first driving gear 3351 meshes with the first driven gear 3311, and the second driving gear 3361 meshes with the first driven gear 3311, with the second driven gear 3321 overlapping the meshing gear 3312. The first driving gear 3351 can be driven by a driving motor to rotate the first driven gear 3311, and the second driving gear 3361 can be driven by the driving motor to rotate the second driven gear 3321. The first driven gear 3311 and the second driven gear 3321 can rotate relative to each other. In some embodiments, the first rotatable member 331 may include a meshing gear 3312 and a first gear coaxially fixedly connected to each other, the second rotatable member 332 may include a second gear, and the first driving member 335 and the second driving member 336 may include a drive motor (or 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 331 and the second rotatable member 332 may also include other transmission methods, such as pulley drive or sprocket drive.

[0056] like Figure 16 and Figure 17As shown, in some embodiments, the motion assembly may include a sliding portion 334 and an engaging portion 333 that are fixedly connected to each other or integrally formed. The sliding portion 334 is slidably disposed on the sliding guide portion 3322 to be guided by the sliding guide portion 3322 to slide linearly relative to the second rotatable member 332 (e.g., the second driven gear 3321), and the engaging portion 333 is configured to engage with the first rotatable member 331 (e.g., the first driven gear 3311) to move linearly due to the rotation of the first rotatable member 331. Figure 18 and Figure 19 Schematic diagrams of the partial structures of the drive transmission mechanism 330 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure are shown respectively. Figure 18 and Figure 19 As shown, in some embodiments, the meshing portion 333 may include a rack 3331, and the rack 3331 may mesh with the meshing gear 3312. It should be understood that the rack 3331 may be a spur rack, and the meshing gear 3312 may be a spur gear. In addition, the rack 3331 may also be a helical rack, and the meshing gear 3312 may be a helical gear. In some embodiments, the sliding portion 334 may include a slider 3341, and the sliding guide portion 3322 may include at least one slide groove arranged along a diameter direction parallel to the second rotatable member 332, and the slider 3341 is slidably arranged in the slide groove, and one side of the slider 3341 is fixedly connected to the rack 3331 through the slide groove. The rack 3331 can move linearly under the drive of the meshing gear 3312 to drive the slider 3341 to move along the slide groove. In some embodiments, as Figure 18 and Figure 19 As shown, the slide groove may include a pair of slide grooves symmetrically arranged along the diameter of the second rotatable member 332. The slider 3341 may include a slider body 3342 and slider side wings 3343a and 3343b extending from both ends of the slider body 3342 toward the proximal end. The inner sides of the slider side wings 3343a and 3343b are provided with engaging steps for engaging with the slide groove. The slider side wings 3343b pass through the slide groove and are fixedly connected to the rack 3331. The slider body 3342 is configured to connect to the input end of the drive connection portion 120 (or 220, 320). It should be understood that the sliding guide portion 3322 may also include at least one slide rail (or slide rod) arranged along a direction parallel to the diameter of the second rotatable member 332, and the slider 3341 is slidably disposed on the slide rail. For example, the slider 3341 and the slide rail may adopt a groove-type engagement.

[0057] Therefore, if Figure 15-17As shown, when the first driving gear 3351 drives the first driven gear 3311 located at the lower layer to rotate while the second driving gear 3361 located at the upper layer remains stationary, it drives the meshing gear 3312 fixedly connected to the first driven gear 3311 to rotate, thereby driving the rack 3331 meshed with the meshing gear 3312 to move linearly. Driven by the rack 3331, the slider 3341 fixedly connected to the rack 3331 moves within the slot of the second driven gear 3321, thereby driving the input end of the drive connection portion 120 (or 220, 320) to move freely in the horizontal plane. Because the proximal stop plate 1112 can be driven to flip by the drive connection portion 120, the proximal base plate 1111 and the proximal stop plate 1112 are misaligned, and their axes no longer coincide. The proximal stop plate 1112 flips, thereby pushing and pulling the multiple proximal structural bones 1113 whose ends are fixed on the proximal stop plate 1112, so as to realize the bending of the proximal continuum 111, and then drive the distal continuum 112 to generate a bending corresponding to the proximal continuum 111 (for example, in the same direction, opposite or at an angle), so that the distal continuum 112 can be bent along a specific bending plane in space. When the second driving gear 3361 drives the second driven gear 3321 to rotate, and the first driving gear 3351 drives the first driven gear 3311 to rotate, and the second driven gear 3321 and the first driven gear 3311 rotate in the same direction and synchronously (e.g., at the same speed), the position of the slider 3341 on the second rotatable member 332 does not change, but the azimuth angle of the slider 3341's rotation plane changes (e.g., the slider performs a circular motion within the plane), thereby changing the orientation of the bending plane of the input end of the drive connection 120 (or 220, 320). When the proximal continuum 111 bends, the push and pull exerted on the proximal structural bone 1113 is transmitted through the structural bone guide bundle 113 to the distal structural bone 1123 and the distal continuum 112, thereby achieving bending of the distal continuum 112 along different bending planes in space. By cooperatively driving the second driven gear 3321 and the first driven gear 3311, the degree of bending of the proximal continuum 111 in a specific bending plane and the bending in different bending planes can be adjusted to achieve bending of the distal continuum 112 in any direction in space.

[0058] In some embodiments, as Figure 5As shown, the following motion relationship connection nodes may be included between the drive connection part 320 (or 120, 220), the proximal continuum 111 and the drive transmission mechanism 130 (or 230, 330): the first connection node A may refer to the connection relationship between the proximal base plate 1111 and the drive connection part 320 (or 120, 220), the second connection node B may refer to the distal structure of the drive connection part itself (such as the distal universal joint, the distal ball joint joint or the distal hinge joint), the third connection node C may refer to the connection relationship between the drive connection part 320 and the proximal stop plate 1112, the fourth connection node D may refer to the proximal structure of the drive connection part 320 itself (such as the proximal universal joint, the proximal ball joint joint or the proximal hinge joint), the fifth connection node E may refer to the connection relationship between the distal structure and the proximal structure of the drive connection part itself, and the sixth connection node F may refer to the connection relationship between the input end of the drive connection part 320 and the drive transmission mechanism 130. The above connection nodes can be combined in several of the following connection methods: cylindrical pairs (can rotate and move), movable pairs (can only move), rotation pairs (can only rotate), fixed connections, and the structure of the driving connection part itself, so as to achieve the minimum degree of freedom required to drive the proximal continuum 111 to bend through the combination of connection nodes.

[0059] In some embodiments, as Figure 7 As shown, when the drive transmission mechanism adopts a planar drive transmission mechanism 130 (or 230, 330), the distal end of the drive connection part 120 (or 220, 320) and the proximal base plate 1111 may include a moving pair along the distal axis of the drive connection part 120, or the proximal end of the drive connection part 120 and the proximal stop plate 1112 may include a moving pair along the proximal axis of the drive connection part 120, or the distal end and the proximal end of the drive connection part 120 may include a moving pair along its distal or proximal axis.

[0060] In some embodiments, as Figure 1 , Figure 2(b) and Figure 7As shown, the drive transmission mechanism can be drive transmission mechanism 130 (or 230, 330), and the drive connection portion can be drive connection portion 120 (or 220, 320). Drive connection portion 120 can include a distal universal joint 121a and a proximal universal joint 121b. Thus, the connection nodes can be arranged in the following combination: the first connection node A is fixedly connected, the second connection node B is a universal joint 1211, the third connection node C is a cylindrical joint, the fourth connection node D is a universal joint 1211', the fifth connection node E is a cylindrical joint, and the sixth connection node F is fixedly connected. For example, the first connection node A may refer to the connecting rod 1212a at the distal end of the universal joint 1211 fixedly connected to the proximal base plate 1111, the second connection node B may refer to the distal universal joint 1211, the third connection node C may refer to the outer cylindrical surface of the connecting rod 1212b or 1212a' and the proximal stop plate 1112 matched with a cylindrical pair, the fourth connection node D may refer to the proximal universal joint 1211', the fifth connection node E may refer to the connecting rod 1212b and the connecting rod 1212a' matched with a cylindrical pair, and the sixth connection node F may refer to the connecting rod 1212b' at the proximal end of the universal joint 1211' (serving as the input end of the drive connection part 120) fixedly connected to the drive transmission mechanism 130. The output shaft 136 of the drive transmission mechanism 130 drives the input end of the drive connection part 120 to move freely in the horizontal plane. Since the proximal universal joint 121b and the distal universal joint 121a, or the distal universal joint 121a and the proximal base plate 1111, or the proximal universal joint 121b and the proximal stop plate 1112 can be moved, the distance between the input end of the drive connection part 120 and the proximal base plate 1111 in the vertical direction (the axial direction of the drive connection part 120 in the initial position) remains basically unchanged. When the axis directions of the distal universal joint 121a and the proximal universal joint 121b are at an angle to the vertical direction, the proximal stop plate 1112 can be driven to flip, thereby achieving bending of the proximal continuum 111, thereby pushing and pulling the plurality of proximal structural bones 1113 whose ends are fixed to the 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. Thus, through the interaction of the above connection nodes, the proximal stop plate 1112 can slide up and down or flip relative to the drive connection portion 120, or the drive connection portion 120 can slide up and down or flip relative to the output shaft 136, thereby allowing the proximal continuum 111 to generate parasitic motion (up and down sliding) along the axis 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.

[0061] In some embodiments, as Figure 1, Figure 2(b) and Figure 7 As shown, the drive transmission mechanism can be a drive transmission mechanism 130 (or 230, 330), the drive connection portion can be a drive connection portion 120 (or 220, 320), and the connection nodes can also adopt the following combination: the first connection node A adopts a fixed connection, the second connection node B adopts a universal joint 1211, the third connection node C adopts a sliding joint connection, the fourth connection node D adopts a universal joint 1211', the fifth connection node E adopts a sliding joint connection, and the sixth connection node F adopts a rotational joint connection. In this way, the output shaft 136 can drive the input end of the drive connection portion 120 to move in the horizontal plane, thereby driving the proximal stop plate 1112 to move and flip, thereby achieving bending of the distal continuum 112. In some embodiments, the connection nodes can also adopt the following combination: the first connection node A adopts a sliding joint connection, the second connection node B adopts a universal joint 1211, the third connection node C adopts a sliding joint connection, the fourth connection node D adopts a universal joint 1211', the fifth connection node E adopts a fixed connection, and the sixth connection node F adopts a rotational joint connection. In some embodiments, the universal joint 1211 or 1211' can be replaced with a ball joint 2211. It should be understood that the connection nodes can also adopt other combinations of several of the above connection methods. Under the premise of achieving similar functions (such as 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.

[0062] In some embodiments, as Figure 3 , Figure 4(b) and Figure 12As shown, the drive transmission mechanism can be drive transmission mechanism 230 (or 130, 330), and the drive connection portion can be drive connection portion 220 (or 120, 320). Drive connection portion 220 can include at least one distal ball joint 221a and at least one proximal ball joint 221b. The connection nodes can adopt the following combination: the first connection node A adopts a fixed connection, the second connection node B adopts a ball joint 2211, the third connection node C adopts a cylindrical joint connection, the fourth connection node D adopts a ball joint 2211', the fifth connection node E adopts a cylindrical joint connection, and the sixth connection node F adopts a fixed connection. For example, the first connection node A may refer to the connecting rod 2212a at the distal end of the ball joint 2211 fixedly connected to the proximal base plate 1111, the second connection node B may refer to the distal ball joint 2211, the third connection node C may refer to the outer circular surface of the connecting rod 2212b or 2212a' and the proximal stop plate 1112 matched with a cylindrical pair, the fourth connection node D may refer to the proximal ball joint 2211', the fifth connection node E may refer to the connecting rod 2212b and the connecting rod 2212a' matched with a cylindrical pair, and the sixth connection node F may refer to the connecting rod 2212b' at the proximal end of the ball joint 2211' (serving as the input end of the drive connection part 220) fixedly connected to the drive transmission mechanism 230. The sliding component 234 (for example, the sliding pin 2341) of the drive transmission mechanism 230 drives the input end of the drive connection part 220 to move freely in the horizontal plane. Since the proximal ball joint 221b and the distal ball joint 221a, or the distal ball joint 221a and the proximal base plate 1111, or the proximal ball joint 221b and the proximal stop plate 1112 can be moved, the distance between the input end of the drive connection part 220 and the proximal base plate 1111 in the vertical direction (the axial direction of the drive connection part 220 in the initial position) remains basically unchanged. When the axial direction of the distal ball joint 221a and the proximal ball joint 221b forms an angle with the vertical direction, the proximal stop plate 1112 can be driven to flip to realize the bending of the proximal continuum 111, thereby pushing and pulling the multiple proximal structural bones 1113 whose ends are fixed on the proximal stop plate 1112, thereby driving the distal continuum 112 to bend corresponding to the proximal continuum 111 (for example, in the opposite direction).

[0063] In some embodiments, as Figure 3 , Figure 4(b) and Figure 12As shown, the drive transmission mechanism can be drive transmission mechanism 230 (or 130, 330), the drive connection portion can be drive connection portion 220 (or 120, 320), and the connection nodes can also adopt the following combination: the first connection node A adopts a fixed connection, the second connection node B adopts a ball joint 2211, the third connection node C adopts a sliding joint connection, the fourth connection node D adopts a ball joint 2211', the fifth connection node E adopts a sliding joint connection, and the sixth connection node F adopts a revolute joint connection. In this way, the input end of the drive connection portion 220 can be driven by the sliding assembly 234 to move in the horizontal plane, thereby driving the proximal stop plate 1112 to move and flip, thereby achieving bending of the distal continuum 112. In some embodiments, the connection nodes can also adopt the following combination: the first connection node A adopts a fixed connection, the second connection node B adopts a ball joint 2211, the third connection node C adopts a sliding joint connection, the fourth connection node D adopts a ball joint 2211', the fifth connection node E adopts a fixed connection, and the sixth connection node F adopts a revolute joint connection. In some embodiments, the ball joint 2211 or 2211' can be replaced with a universal joint 1211. It should be understood that the connection node can also adopt other combinations of several of the above connection methods.

[0064] In some embodiments, as Figure 5 、 Figure 6 and Figure 17As shown, the drive transmission mechanism can be a drive transmission mechanism 330 (or 130, 230), and the drive connection part can be a drive connection part 320 (or 120, 220). The drive connection part 320 can include a hinge joint 321, and the hinge joint 321 can include a distal link 3211a, a distal link 3211b, a proximal link 3212a, and a proximal link 3212b. The connection nodes can adopt the following combination: the first connection node A adopts a revolute joint connection, the second connection node B adopts a revolute joint connection, the third connection node C adopts a cylindrical joint connection, the fourth connection node D adopts a revolute joint connection, the fifth connection node E adopts a cylindrical joint connection, and the sixth connection node F adopts a fixed connection. For example, the first connection node A may refer to the distal end of the distal link 3211a being connected to the proximal base plate 1111 through a rotational pair, the second connection node B may refer to the proximal end of the distal link 3211a being hinged to the distal end of the distal link 3211b, the third connection node C may refer to the outer circular surface of the distal link 3211b or the proximal link 3212a passing through the proximal stop plate 1112 to cooperate with a cylindrical pair, the fourth connection node D may refer to the proximal end of the proximal link 3212a being hinged to the distal end of the proximal link 3212b, the fifth connection node E may refer to the proximal end of the distal link 3211b being matched with the distal end of the proximal link 3212a to cooperate with a cylindrical pair, and the sixth connection node F may refer to the proximal link 3212b (as the input end of the drive connection part 320) being fixedly connected to the drive transmission mechanism 330. The hinge axis X of the distal links 3211a and 3211b is perpendicular to the axis of the distal links 3211a-b, the hinge axis X' of the proximal links 3212a and 3212b is perpendicular to the axis of the proximal links 3212a-b, and the hinge axis X and the hinge axis X' are parallel to each other. The sliding portion 334 (for example, the slider 3341) of the driving transmission mechanism 330 drives the input end of the driving connection part 220 to move freely in the horizontal plane. Since the distal link 3211b and the proximal link 3212a (or between the distal link 3211a and the proximal base plate 1111, between the distal link 3211b or the proximal link 3212a and the proximal stop plate 1112) are movable, the distance between the input end of the driving connection part 320 and the proximal base plate 1111 in the vertical direction (the axial direction of the driving connection part 320 in the extended position) remains basically unchanged. When there is an angle between the axial direction of the distal connecting rod 3211a-b and the proximal connecting rod 3212a-b and the vertical direction, the proximal stop plate 1112 can be driven to flip to realize the bending of the proximal continuum 111, and then push and pull the multiple proximal structural bones 1113 whose ends are fixed on the 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).

[0065] In some embodiments, as Figure 5 、 Figure 6 and Figure 17 As shown, the drive transmission mechanism may be drive transmission mechanism 330 (or 130, 230), the drive connection portion may be drive connection portion 320 (or 120, 220), and the connection nodes may further adopt the following combination: the first connection node A adopts a revolute joint connection, the second connection node B adopts a revolute joint connection, the third connection node C adopts a cylindrical joint connection, the fourth connection node D adopts a revolute joint connection, the fifth connection node E adopts a cylindrical joint connection, and the sixth connection node F adopts a revolute joint connection. It should be understood that the connection nodes may further adopt other combinations of several of the above connection methods.

[0066] like Figure 1 As shown, in some embodiments, the proximal continuum 111 may further include at least one proximal retaining plate 1114 disposed between the proximal base plate 1111 and the proximal stop plate 1112, and the plurality of proximal structural bones 1113 sequentially pass through the at least one proximal retaining plate 1114. 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 a plurality of distal structural bones 1123 also sequentially pass through the at least one distal retaining disk 1124. The proximal retaining disk 1114 and the distal retaining disk 1124 are used to radially support the structural bones from the proximal structural bones 1113 and the distal structural bones 1123, respectively, so that the proximal structural bones 1113 and the distal structural bones 1123 remain parallel during the bending and deformation process, thereby preventing the proximal structural bones 1113 and the distal structural bones 1123 from becoming unstable during the bending movement. In some embodiments, at least one bundle retaining disk 1131 is provided on the structural bone guide bundle 113, as shown in FIG. Figure 7 As shown, 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 tube bundle retaining plate 1131 and is fixedly connected to the distal base plate 1121 .

[0067] In some embodiments, the proximal structural bone 1113 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.

[0068] In some embodiments, the continuum device 40 may include at least two continuum devices 10 (or 20, 30) as described above. In some embodiments, the continuum device 40 may include at least two continuum devices 10 (or 20, 30) connected in series or in parallel.

[0069] Figure 20FIG. 4 is a partial structural diagram of a continuum device 40 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 20 As shown, in some embodiments, the continuum device 40 further includes a support 140. The proximal base plates 1111 of at least two flexible continuum structures 110 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 plates 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 20 As shown, at least two drive transmission mechanisms 130 (or 230, 330) are arranged side by side on a bracket 140, with the output end of each drive transmission mechanism 130 connected to the input end of at least one drive connection portion 120 (or 220, 320). The at least two drive transmission mechanisms 130, via their at least two input ends, respectively drive the proximal stop discs 1112 of at least two flexible continuum structures 110 to flip, pushing and pulling the proximal structural bones 1113 of the at least two flexible continuum structures 110, thereby causing the at least two distal continuum structures 112 to bend in different directions in space.

[0070] In some embodiments, the distal continua 112 in the at least two flexible continua structures 110 of the continuum device 40 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 continua 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 is connected to or identical to the distal stop plate 1122 of the first distal continuum, and the distal end of the second distal continuum can be fixedly connected to the distal stop plate 1122. Thus, at least two driving transmission mechanisms 130 (or 230, 330) respectively drive at least two driving connecting parts 120 (or 220, 320) to move, respectively drive at least two proximal continua 111 to move, realize the bending of the distal continuum 112, and then increase the degree of freedom of the distal continuum 112, thereby increasing the flexibility of the continuum device.

[0071] In some embodiments, the present disclosure further provides a surgical robot comprising at least one continuum instrument 10 (or 20, 30, 40) as described in the above embodiments. Figure 21 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of a surgical robot 1 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 21 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 disposed on at least one operating trolley 2, and at least one surgical instrument 4 is respectively disposed 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, 30, or 40) and an end device 5 disposed 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, thereby improving the safety of the surgical robot.

[0072] 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 proximal stop plate, and a plurality of proximal structural bones, wherein the proximal ends of the plurality of proximal structural bones are fixedly connected to the proximal stop plate, and the distal ends of the plurality of proximal structural bones pass through the proximal base plate; At least one distal continuum, comprising a distal base plate, a distal stop plate, and a plurality of distal structural bones, wherein the distal base plate is adjacent to the proximal base plate, the distal ends of the plurality of distal structural bones are fixedly connected to the distal stop plate, the proximal ends of the plurality of distal structural bones pass through the distal base plate, and the plurality of distal structural bones are fixedly connected to or integrally formed with the plurality of proximal structural bones; a drive connection portion connected to the proximal stop disk, wherein a distal end of the drive connection portion is connected to the proximal base disk, a proximal end of the drive connection portion passes through the proximal stop disk, and the drive connection portion includes an input end located on a proximal side of the 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 and outputs planar motion, and the output end is used to drive the input end to drive the proximal stop disc 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 drive connection portion includes at least one proximal universal joint and at least one distal universal joint, the distal end of the at least one distal universal joint is connected to the proximal base plate, the proximal end of the at least one distal universal joint is connected to the distal end of the at least one proximal universal joint, the at least one distal universal joint is located between the proximal base plate and the proximal stop plate, and the at least one proximal universal joint is located on the proximal side of the proximal stop plate and forms an input end; or The drive connection portion includes at least one proximal ball joint and at least one distal ball joint, the distal end of the at least one distal ball joint is connected to the proximal base plate, the proximal end of the at least one distal ball joint is connected to the distal end of the at least one proximal ball joint, the at least one distal ball joint is located between the proximal base plate and the proximal stop plate, and the at least one proximal ball joint is located on the proximal side of the proximal stop plate and forms an input end; or The driving connection portion includes a multi-link hinge joint, which includes a first link, a second link, a third link and a fourth link, the distal end of the first link is connected to the proximal base plate, the proximal end of the first link is hinged to the distal end of the second link, the proximal end of the second link is connected to the distal end of the third link, the proximal end of the third link is hinged to the distal end of the fourth link, and the fourth link is located on the proximal side of the proximal stop plate and forms an input end; or The drive connection part includes a universal joint-ball joint, and the universal joint-ball joint includes at least one universal joint and at least one ball joint connected in series. The distal end of the universal joint-ball joint is connected to the proximal base plate, the proximal end of the universal joint-ball joint passes through the proximal stop plate, and the part of the universal joint-ball joint located on the proximal side of the proximal stop plate forms an input end.

3. The continuum device according to claim 1, characterized in that The drive transmission mechanism includes a planar linkage mechanism, which includes: a first connecting rod, a second connecting rod, a third connecting rod, a fourth connecting rod, a fifth connecting rod, a first input shaft and a second input shaft; The first connecting rod is fixedly arranged, and the first input shaft and the second input shaft are rotatably arranged on the first connecting rod, one end of the second connecting rod is fixedly connected to the first input shaft, and the other end of the second connecting rod is hinged to one end of the third connecting rod, one end of the fifth connecting rod is fixedly connected to the second input shaft, and the other end of the fifth connecting rod is hinged to one end of the fourth connecting rod, and the other end of the fourth connecting rod is hinged to the other end of the third connecting rod, and the other ends of the third connecting rod and the fourth connecting rod are connected to the input end of the drive connection part.

4. The continuum device according to claim 1, characterized in that The drive transmission mechanism includes a gear chute mechanism, and the gear chute mechanism includes: a first rotatable member, configured to rotate under the drive of a first driving member; a moving member, configured to rotate under the drive of the first rotatable member, wherein the rotation center of the moving member is offset from the rotation center of the first rotatable member, and the moving member is provided with a first sliding guide portion; a second rotatable member, coaxially disposed with the first rotatable member and configured to rotate relative to the first rotatable member under the drive of a second driving member, the second rotatable member being provided with a second sliding guide portion; A sliding assembly is slidably connected to the first sliding guide portion and the second sliding guide portion to slide along the first sliding guide portion and the second sliding guide portion, and the sliding assembly is connected to the input end of the driving connection portion.

5. The continuum device according to claim 4, characterized in that The moving member includes an engaging portion configured to engage with the first rotatable member.

6. The continuum device according to claim 5, characterized in that The inner circumference of the first rotatable part is provided with inner ring teeth, and the engaging portion includes teeth arranged on the outer circumference of the moving part. The teeth on the outer circumference of the moving part are engaged with the inner ring teeth of the first rotatable part to drive the moving part to rotate along with the first rotatable part.

7. The continuum device according to claim 6, characterized in that The gear slide mechanism further includes: a rotating shaft, a proximal end of which is fixedly connected to the moving member, and a distal end of which is rotatably connected to the second rotatable member.

8. The continuum device according to claim 4, characterized in that The first sliding guide portion is a first sliding groove, and the second sliding guide portion is a second sliding groove extending perpendicular to the rotation axis of the second rotatable member; The sliding assembly includes a sliding pin, which is movably arranged in the first sliding groove and the second sliding groove, and the distal end of the sliding pin is connected to the input end of the driving connection part.

9. The continuum device according to claim 8, characterized in that The sliding assembly further comprises a sliding block fixedly connected to the sliding pin, the second rotatable member is provided with a sliding rail parallel to the second sliding groove, and the sliding block is slidably arranged on the sliding rail.

10. The continuum device according to claim 4, characterized in that The first sliding guide portion is a first slide rail, and the second sliding guide portion is a second slide rail; The sliding assembly includes a first sliding block, a second sliding block and a sliding pin, the first sliding block is slidably set on the first sliding rail, the second sliding block is slidably set on the second sliding rail, one of the first sliding block and the second sliding block is configured to be movably connected to the sliding pin, and the other of the first sliding block and the second sliding block is configured to be fixedly connected to the sliding pin.

11. The continuum device according to claim 1, characterized in that The drive transmission mechanism includes a rack and pinion mechanism, and the rack and pinion mechanism includes: a first rotatable member, configured to rotate under the drive of a first driving member; a second rotatable member, coaxially disposed with the first rotatable member and configured to rotate relative to the first rotatable member under the drive of a second driving member, wherein the second rotatable member is provided with a sliding guide portion; A motion component, at least a portion of which is slidably arranged on the sliding guide portion, at least another portion of which is arranged to be able to perform linear motion as the first rotatable member rotates, and the distal end of the motion component is connected to the input end of the drive connection portion.

12. The continuum device according to claim 11, characterized in that The motion component includes a sliding portion and an engaging portion connected to each other, the sliding portion is slidably arranged on the sliding guide portion to be guided by the sliding guide portion to slide linearly relative to the second rotatable member, and the engaging portion is arranged to engage with the first rotatable member to move linearly by the rotation of the first rotatable member.

13. The continuum device according to claim 12, characterized in that The first rotatable member includes a meshing gear and a first driven gear coaxially fixedly connected to each other, the meshing gear is located on the far side of the first driven gear, the meshing portion includes a rack, and the rack and the meshing gear are meshed with each other.

14. The continuum device according to claim 13, wherein: The sliding portion includes a slider, the rack is arranged at the proximal end of the slider, the sliding guide portion includes a slide groove arranged on the second rotatable member, the slider is slidably arranged in the slide groove, and the proximal end of the slider is fixedly connected to the rack through the slide groove, and the slider is movably connected to the proximal stop disk so that the slider and the proximal stop disk can slide and / or rotate axially relative to the proximal stop disk.

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

16. The continuum device according to claim 15, characterized in that 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.

17. The continuum device according to claim 16, 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 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 bundles pass through the bracket and merge into a bundle at the 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 connected to the input end of the corresponding drive connection part to drive the proximal stop disk of the proximal continuum to flip, thereby driving the corresponding distal continuum to bend.

18. 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 17 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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