A robot for surgical assistance

Abstract

The application relates to a robot for surgical assistance, comprising at least a base plate and a multi-degree-of-freedom mechanical arm. The multi-degree-of-freedom mechanical arm is moved circularly by a workbench via a circular ground track arranged on the base plate. The circular ground track comprises a circular rack, the gear of which is engaged with a cylindrical gear transmission of the workbench. When the multi-degree-of-freedom mechanical arm is working, the workbench is moved circularly along the circular ground track by the cylindrical gear transmission applying a rotational torque to the cylindrical gear. During the circular movement of the multi-degree-of-freedom mechanical arm along the circular ground track driven by the workbench, a processing module limits the operation parameters of a driving motor to adjust the relative position of the multi-degree-of-freedom mechanical arm. The application can adjust the relative position of the multi-degree-of-freedom mechanical arm based on the circular ground track to complete the handover and replacement of surgical instruments by the operators at different positions of the operating table.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of surgical assistance technology, and more particularly to a robot for surgical assistance. Background Technology

[0002] Surgical robots are now a crucial component of medical devices. Compared to traditional surgery where surgeons operate entirely manually, surgical robots assist surgeons in completing the procedure, thereby improving accuracy and controllability, and shortening operation time. Increasing the range of motion of surgical robots allows their end effectors to reach various desired positions and postures within the workspace, meeting the requirements of more surgical procedures and helping to reduce the risk of iatrogenic trauma during surgery. During surgery, various medical tools are often required, such as scalpels of different sizes and uses, syringes, gauze, cotton swabs, and tourniquets. Surgeons often need assistants to pass these tools to and from the surgeon. Therefore, designing a surgical robot that can replace human assistants in handling tasks such as tool delivery, placement, and recording of the treatment process is of great significance.

[0003] Existing surgical robots consist of multiple robotic arms and instruments and endoscopes mounted on these arms. However, due to the limited degrees of freedom and inability to perform large-scale relative movements, the small range of motion of the robotic arms during surgery cannot significantly improve surgical efficiency and can lead to increased patient trauma. The need for multiple instrument changes during surgery further reduces efficiency, and these changes are cumbersome and time-consuming. Therefore, a surgical assistance robot is needed.

[0004] Chinese patent CN106361434B discloses a surgical robot with multi-dimensional blade movement, including a waist-rotating component that can rotate around a horizontal axis, a large arm that can rotate around a vertical axis, a swing arm that can swing relative to the forearm, and a blade changing device that can rotate relative to the swing arm. The blade changing device includes a blade clamping plate and a drive mechanism that drives the blade clamping plate to rotate. The drive mechanism includes a rotating component, a locking component, a drive component, and a cover plate. A guide rail is provided on the cover plate to guide the drive component. The patent's drawback is that it lacks the ability to process abnormal information when encountering obstacles or malfunctions, making accurate judgments. Numerous interfering factors affect the robot's normal operation, thus impacting the surgical process and even interfering with medical personnel's work.

[0005] Chinese patent CN105922251B discloses a six-axis robot with a robotic arm assembly on its forearms. The robot has two forearms, which are mounted on a main arm via a split mechanism. The split mechanism includes a sliding base and a pair of split supports, with the forearms mounted on the supports. The robotic arm assembly includes two pairs of grippers hinged to a gripper frame and a gripper drive mechanism mounted on the gripper frame to drive the grippers. The gripper drive mechanism can drive the grippers to retract and open to grasp and release workpieces. In actual operation, the two forearms can rotate relative to each other under the drive of the split supports, or slide linearly relative to the sliding base, adapting to various processing conditions and improving the robot's operating efficiency. However, this patent does not include any improvements for the medical field, nor does it address the robot's tendency to display excessive abnormal prompts and lack of understanding of execution priorities when facing unexpected events, making it unsuitable for use in operating rooms where unexpected events are frequent.

[0006] Furthermore, on the one hand, there are differences in understanding among those skilled in the art; on the other hand, the applicant studied a large number of documents and patents when making this invention, but due to space limitations, not all details and contents were listed in detail. However, this does not mean that the present invention does not possess the features of these prior art. On the contrary, the present invention already possesses all the features of the prior art, and the applicant reserves the right to add relevant prior art to the background art. Summary of the Invention

[0007] Current robotic arms lack the ability to process abnormal information when facing obstacles or malfunctions, making accurate judgments and subject to numerous interfering factors that can affect their normal operation, thus impacting surgical procedures and even interfering with medical personnel's work. For example, the robotic arm may be unable to determine the priority of its next action when facing obstacles.

[0008] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention provides a surgical assistance robot, comprising at least a base plate and a multi-degree-of-freedom (DOF) robotic arm. The base plate supports the operating table and the multi-DOF robotic arm, which moves circumferentially via a worktable and a circular landing track mounted on the base plate. The circular landing track surrounds the operating table used for performing surgical operations and includes a ring rack whose gears mesh with the cylindrical gears of the worktable. During operation, the worktable moves circumferentially along the ring landing track by applying a rotational torque axially to the cylindrical gears meshing with the ring rack. When the multi-DOF robotic arm finishes its operation, a processing module limits the circumferential range of the worktable via a drive motor. During the circumferential movement of the multi-DOF robotic arm along the ring landing track driven by the worktable, the processing module limits the operating parameters of the drive motor to adjust the relative position of the multi-DOF robotic arm. The present invention can adjust the relative position of the multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm based on the circular landing track, so as to cooperate with operators at all circumferences of the operating table to complete operations such as handing over and replacing surgical instruments.

[0009] According to a preferred embodiment, the annular rack has an outer annular guide rail on its radially outer side and an inner annular guide rail on its radially inner side. At least two annular sliders of the worktable are respectively coupled to the outer and inner annular guide rails to limit the engagement of the cylindrical gear along the annular rack during the circumferential motion of the worktable, thereby driving the multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm to perform circumferential motion along the annular landing track.

[0010] According to a preferred embodiment, when the torque of the drive motor is applied to the cylindrical gear to cause the worktable to move in a circumferential motion, the output shaft of the drive motor is connected to a coupling and a gear shaft to transmit the torque.

[0011] According to a preferred embodiment, the worktable further includes a retaining ring and a bearing. The coupling is connected to the gear shaft via the retaining ring and the bearing, and is secured with a locking screw. The gear shaft serves as the drive shaft for the cylindrical gear. The cylindrical gear and gear shaft are connected by a key to achieve circumferential fixation between the shaft and the gear for transmitting torque. The torque provided by the output shaft of the drive motor is transmitted to the gear shaft via the coupling and the bearing, causing the cylindrical gear meshing with the ring rack drive to move in circumferentially along the ring-shaped landing track.

[0012] According to a preferred embodiment, the robot further includes a display unit, which at least includes a processing module. The processing module is configured to: collect application data, rotation data, and tool data of the robot; determine several operating states and several solutions corresponding to the several motion states based on at least one of the application data, rotation data, and tool data; determine the motion level of each of the several motion states based on the tool data; select the motion state with the highest priority as the first execution state; and differentiate and display the first prompt voice related to the first execution state from the prompt voices related to other motion states in a differentiated manner. This invention determines several motion states and motion levels based on rotation data and tool data, thereby maximizing the guarantee of normal surgical procedures and avoiding excessive abnormal prompts and uncertainty about execution priorities when the robot faces unexpected events.

[0013] According to a preferred embodiment, the motion level of the motion state is determined by the degree of impact of the risks involved in the rotation data or tool data on the completion of surgical assistance work. The tool data is used to assess the correspondence between the robot and physical objects in the operating room. The motion levels of several motion states determined based on the tool data are used to assess the degree of impact between the work performed by the robot and physical objects acting as obstacles. The rotation data is used to characterize the robot's movement state. The robot's operating state can be determined through rotation data. The processing module can determine whether there are any safety hazards in the robot's use based on the rotation data, to prevent possible sudden robot malfunctions.

[0014] According to a preferred embodiment, the tool data includes first tool data for characterizing the shape of the physical object itself and second tool data for characterizing the relationship between the robot and the physical object; wherein, the first tool data includes the actual physical data of the physical object; and the second tool data includes the correspondence between the physical object and the robot. When the robot moves on the circular landing track, a nurse may be in front of it to report the situation, thus obstructing the robot's movement path. In this case, it is necessary to determine the second tool data to decide whether to wait for the nurse or to remind the nurse to move aside. If the physical object is a medical device that has fallen onto the circular landing track, it is necessary to determine the second tool data to decide whether the robot needs to collect or handle the medical device to prevent medical accidents.

[0015] According to a preferred embodiment, when the motion levels of several motion states are determined based on the tool data, the motion states with higher motion levels are executed first and simultaneously according to a time sequence; or, when the motion levels of several motion states are determined based on the rotation data, the motion states with lower motion levels are executed first and simultaneously according to a time sequence. This invention executes motion states sequentially according to a time sequence and an influence sequence, providing a strategy for robots to perform actions sequentially in the face of abnormal events, enabling the robot to complete auxiliary tasks and ultimately achieve high surgical efficiency.

[0016] This invention relates to a control method for a robot used in surgical assistance, characterized in that the method includes at least: acquiring application data, rotation data, and tool data of the robot; determining several operating states and several solutions corresponding to the several operating states based on at least one of the application data, rotation data, and tool data; determining the motion level of each of the several operating states based on the tool data; selecting the motion state with the highest priority as the first execution state; and distinguishing and displaying the first prompt voice related to the first execution state from the prompt voices related to other motion states in a differentiated manner.

[0017] According to a preferred embodiment, the method further includes: determining the motion level of the motion state by assessing the impact of the risks involved in the rotation data or tool data on the completion of surgical assistance work. The tool data is used to evaluate the correspondence between the robot and physical objects in the operating room; the motion levels of several motion states determined based on the tool data are used to assess the impact between the work performed by the robot and the physical objects acting as obstacles; and the rotation data is used to characterize the robot's movement state. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a surgical assistance robot according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a robot for surgical assistance according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an operating table according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 5This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the base plate according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an outer annular guide rail according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a ring rack according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an inner annular guide rail according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the cover plate according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 10 This is a structural cross-sectional view of a drive mechanism according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a fixing block according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a coupling according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a ring slider according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of a preferred embodiment of the snap ring provided by the present invention;

[0032] Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a bearing according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 16 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a cylindrical gear according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 17 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a workbench according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 18 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a gear shaft according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] List of reference numerals

[0037] 2: Operating table; 3: Multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm; 4: Base plate; 5: Outer annular guide rail; 6: Annular rack; 7: Inner annular guide rail; 8: Cover plate; 9: Drive motor; 10: Fixing block; 11: Coupling; 12: Annular slider; 13: Snap ring; 14: Bearing; 15: Cylindrical gear; 16: Worktable; R17: Gear shaft. Detailed Implementation

[0038] The following is a detailed explanation with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0039] Example 1

[0040] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, this invention provides a surgical assistance robot, comprising at least an operating table 2, a multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm 3, a base plate 4, and a circular landing track. The operating table 2 is in the shape of a conventional operating table and is fixed to the base plate 4. Both the multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm 3 and the circular landing track are mounted on the base plate 4, allowing the multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm 3 to move freely along the circular landing track due to the fixation effect of the base plate 4. A cover plate 8 is mounted on a worktable 16 and coupled to the multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm 3, thereby controlling the movement of the multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm 3 and ultimately enabling its free movement on the base plate 4. The worktable 16 is mounted on the base plate 4 and coupled to the circular landing track, thereby driving the multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm 3 and the cover plate 8 to move actively. For example, the vertical bottom end of the worktable 16 is coupled to the circular landing track and is equipped with a drive motor 9, which enables the worktable 16 to move in a circular motion relative to the circular landing track. The operating table 2 can be set in the center of the circular floor track, so that the patient can be placed on the operating table 2 and the multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm 3 can work around the operating table 2.

[0041] According to a preferred embodiment, the robot for surgical assistance provided by the present invention may include a movable multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm 3 for grasping and delivering surgical instruments and a circular landing track for guiding the multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm 3 to move around an operating table 2. Specifically, the operating table 2 may be as follows: Figure 3 The operating table shown.

[0042] According to a preferred embodiment, such as Figure 1 As shown, a movable multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm 3 for grasping and delivering surgical instruments and a circular floor track for guiding the multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm 3 to move around the operating table 2 are arranged on the surface of the base plate 4. Specifically, the specific structure of the base plate 4 can be found in [reference needed]. Figure 5Furthermore, a movable multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm 3 for grasping and delivering surgical instruments is operably attached to a circular landing track. The circular landing track is arranged around the operating table 2 used to perform surgical operations, allowing the multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm 3 to move circumferentially around the operating table 2 along the circular landing track. This allows the relative position of the multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm 3 to be adjusted based on the circular landing track to facilitate the handover and replacement of surgical instruments by operators at various points around the operating table 2.

[0043] According to a preferred embodiment, such as Figure 1 As shown, the annular landing track used to provide the path for the multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm 3 to move around the operating table 2 comprises at least an outer annular guide rail 5, an annular rack 6, and an inner annular guide rail 7. The inner annular guide rail 7 is located radially inside the annular rack 6, while the outer annular guide rail 5 is located radially outside the annular rack 6. Specifically, the specific structure of the outer annular guide rail 5 can be found in [reference needed]. Figure 6 For the specific structure of the ring rack 6, please refer to [reference needed]. Figure 7 For the specific structure of the inner annular guide rail 7, please refer to [link / reference needed]. Figure 8 .

[0044] According to a preferred embodiment, in this invention, a movable multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm 3 is mounted on a worktable 16. Preferably, the multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm 3 can be a six-degree-of-freedom robotic arm; for details, please refer to [reference needed]. Figure 4 Preferably, the worktable 16 may include a drive motor 9, a coupling 11, a cylindrical gear 15, and a gear shaft 17. A cover plate 8 is disposed vertically above the worktable 16 to support the multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm 3. The cover plate 8 is generally a rectangular frame with an open bottom to support the multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm 3 above the worktable 16. Specifically, the multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm 3 may be disposed at the top of the cover plate 8 and near one end of the operating table 2. Further, the cover plate 8 and the worktable 16 at its bottom opening may be enclosed to form a movable support assembly for supporting and fixing the multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm 3.

[0045] According to a preferred embodiment, such as Figure 2 and Figure 13 As shown, a pair of annular sliders 12 are provided at both ends of the bottom of the worktable 16. The two pairs of annular sliders 12 can be slidably coupled to the outer annular guide rail 5 and the inner annular guide rail 7, respectively, so that the annular sliders 12, the worktable 16 and the cover plate 8 can be driven to move along the annular landing track, thereby driving the multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm 3 to move around the operating table 2.

[0046] According to a preferred embodiment, such as Figure 2 and Figure 10As shown, a drive assembly for moving the movable support assembly or gripping assembly is disposed within the cavity formed by the cover plate 8 and the worktable 16. Specifically, the drive assembly includes a drive motor 9, a coupling 11, and a cylindrical gear 15 mechanically coupled to each other. More specifically, the drive motor 9 is disposed in the generally central region of the worktable 16. In particular, the drive motor 9 is located in the cavity between the cover plate 8 and the worktable 16.

[0047] According to a preferred embodiment, such as Figure 2 and Figure 10 As shown, the drive motor 9 can be fixed to the worktable 16 by the fixing block 10. Specifically, the fixing block 10 is a rectangular frame with a bottom opening similar to that of the cover plate 8. The fixing block 10 can be fixed to the surface of the worktable 16 by bolts or other fasteners. For the specific structure of the fixing block 10, please refer to [reference needed]. Figure 11 Specifically, the cover plate 8 and the worktable 16 can be fastened together with four locking screws. Furthermore, the mounting block 10 of the drive motor 9 and the worktable 16 can be fastened together with four locking screws.

[0048] According to a preferred embodiment, the top surface of the fixing block 10 has an opening. The drive shaft or motor shaft of the drive motor 9 is connected to the coupling 11 below the fixing block 10 through the opening on the top surface of the fixing block 10. In particular, the specific structure of the coupling 11 can be found in [reference needed]. Figure 12 .

[0049] According to a preferred embodiment, such as Figure 2 As shown, a bearing 14 is disposed below the coupling 11. Specifically, the detailed structure of the bearing 14 can be found in [reference needed]. Figure 15 .

[0050] According to a preferred embodiment, such as Figure 12 and Figure 15 As shown, the coupling 11 and bearing 14 have interconnected holes at their centers. Further, the hole at the center of bearing 14 is configured to allow gear shaft 17 to pass through, enabling gear shaft 17 to pass through the worktable 16 and connect with the cylindrical gear 15 that meshes with the annular rack 6. Alternatively, in this invention, the coupling 11 is installed as follows: the upper part is connected to the motor shaft of a servo motor (such as drive motor 9), and the lower end is connected to gear shaft 17 with bearing 14 and snap ring 13, and secured with locking screws. Specifically, the specific structure of gear shaft 17 can be found in [reference needed]. Figure 18 .

[0051] According to a preferred embodiment, the gear shaft 17 can serve as the drive shaft of the cylindrical gear 15. Under the drive of the drive motor 9, the rotational torque provided by the motor shaft of the drive motor 9 can be transmitted to the gear shaft 17 through the coupling 11 and bearing 14, allowing the cylindrical gear 15, which meshes with the same annular rack 6, to rotate. This rotation of the cylindrical gear 15 then drives the entire gripping platform to move along the annular landing track around the operating table 2. Specifically, in this invention, the installation method at the ruler-shaped cylindrical gear 15 is as follows: the ruler-shaped cylindrical gear 15 and the gear shaft 17 are connected by a key to achieve circumferential fixation between the gear shaft 17 and the ruler-shaped cylindrical gear 15 to transmit motion and torque. In particular, the specific structure of the cylindrical gear 15 can be found in [reference needed]. Figure 16 .

[0052] According to a preferred embodiment, such as Figure 2 and Figure 14 As shown, a retaining ring 13 may be provided between the coupling 11 and the bearing 14. The retaining ring 13 functions similarly to a retaining ring or snap ring, and can be used to restrict or prevent axial movement of parts on the shaft or in the hole. Specifically, in this invention, the retaining ring 13 can be used to restrict the axial movement of the coupling 11 and the bearing 14 relative to each other. In particular, the specific structure of the retaining ring 13 can be found in [reference needed]. Figure 14 .

[0053] According to a preferred embodiment, the robot operates as follows: the drive motor 9 drives the gear 15 to perform gear and rack transmission with the annular rack 6 installed on the base plate 4. The two annular sliders 12 are respectively locked in the outer annular track 5 and the inner annular track 7 and can move smoothly around the annular track, which increases the degree of freedom of the overall mechanism and can better adapt to the position of the doctor. The surgical instruments are picked up and dropped by controlling the posture of the end gripper.

[0054] According to a preferred embodiment, the surgical-assisted robot of the present invention may further include several sensors and a controller. Specifically, the sensors may collect operating parameter signals of the drive motor 9. Alternatively, the sensors may collect motion state parameter signals of the multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm 3. Alternatively, the sensors may collect the distance between the grasping platform and the operating table 2, etc. On the other hand, the controller may be used to control the working state of the drive motor 9, to control the start and stop of the drive motor 9, and to adjust the movement direction, speed, etc. of the entire grasping platform through the drive motor 9. Alternatively, the controller may be used to control the motion mode of the multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm 3, including the movement direction, distance, and speed of the multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm 3 in the horizontal and vertical planes, etc.

[0055] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the dimensions of the operating table 2 can be, for example, 0.8m × 2.5m. Specifically, the height and the tilt angle of the upper portion of the operating table 2 are adjustable.

[0056] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the dimensions of the base plate 4 can be, for example, 3m × 5m. The diameter of the two semicircles of the inner annular guide rail is approximately 3m, and the length is approximately 2.5m.

[0057] According to a preferred embodiment, in this invention, the annular rack 6 is installed between the outer annular guide rail 5 and the inner annular guide rail 7. Further, the diameter of the two semicircles on the outer annular guide rail 5 is approximately 4m, and the length between the two semicircles is approximately 2.5m.

[0058] According to a preferred embodiment, in this invention, the total height of the mobile platform (e.g.) and the robotic arm is approximately 1m, which allows the arm to hang naturally in a seated position to facilitate the delivery of surgical instruments.

[0059] Specifically, this invention proposes a surgical assistance robot that works in conjunction with a surgeon's chair. It can perform numerous tasks, including handing over, receiving, and storing tools, and recording the treatment process, thus replacing an assistant to a certain extent. The track employs a rectangular design with two semi-circular arcs, using a double-rail system with a central rack and pinion mechanism for transmission. A servo motor with a driver is installed within the moving platform on the guide rail, and a pre-designed six-degree-of-freedom robotic arm is connected in series above it. The servo motor within the moving platform drives the gears and the rack mounted on the base plate for gear transmission, while the sliders on both sides move along the guide rail. This design ensures the surgical robot has a larger operating space, making overall operation more flexible and minimizing singularities as much as possible.

[0060] Example 2

[0061] This embodiment is a further improvement on embodiment 1, and repeated content will not be described again.

[0062] According to a preferred embodiment, the robot for surgical assistance further includes a display unit. The display unit includes at least a processing module, a display panel, and parameter elements. The processing module is communicatively coupled to the control system or electronic control unit of the robot for surgical assistance, thereby enabling it to read auxiliary parameters of the robot, such as rotational speed and bending angle. The display panel is communicatively connected to the processing module, so that the auxiliary parameters collected by the processing module can be transmitted to the display panel for display.

[0063] According to a preferred embodiment, the processing module is capable of collecting at least the robot's application data, rotation data, and tool data. The application data can be used to control the robot's rotation and arm bending, enabling the robot to perform different actions based on different operational instructions. For example, the application data could be a movement speed command input by medical personnel, thereby assisting in surgical procedures at a constant speed. Alternatively, the application data could be a movement path for removing or placing surgical instruments based on their location, allowing the robot to handle the surgical instruments according to the set path. It is understood that an input device for inputting the application data can be provided in the operating room. The input device can be a voice, image, or touch-based device. For example, the input device could be a voice input device. Medical personnel input their required auxiliary operations into the robot's control system via voice interaction, thereby allowing the application data to be collected by the processing module. The processing module can employ a general-purpose central processing unit (CPU), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a microprocessor, or one or more integrated circuits to execute relevant instructions or programs to implement the technical solution of this invention.

[0064] According to a preferred embodiment, rotation data is used to characterize the robot's movement state. For example, rotation data may include the robot's track speed along the circular landing track, the bending angle of the robotic arm, and battery power data. Through this rotation data, the robot's operating state can be determined. The processing module can determine whether there are any safety hazards in the robot based on the rotation data, to prevent potential sudden shutdowns. The processing module may have a built-in memory for storing thresholds for the rotation data. The processing module can compare the received rotation data with the thresholds stored in the memory to determine whether there are any safety hazards. For example, setting the robot's circular track speed to 1 m / s, when the actual rotation speed exceeds this threshold, a preliminary judgment can be made that there is a safety hazard in the robot. Another example is setting the robot's robotic arm bending angle to 90°. When the bending angle of a single degree of freedom of the robotic arm exceeds this threshold, a preliminary judgment can be made that there is a safety hazard in the robot.

[0065] According to a preferred embodiment, tool data refers to environmental data within a preset range around the robot, indicating the area where tools need to be retrieved or placed. Sensor components, such as radar or a panoramic display, can be installed around the robot to acquire tool data. Tool data can be used to assess the correspondence between the robot and other physical objects in the operating room. Physical objects can include items in the operating room that can affect the robot's working state, such as the placement of tools, the positions of medical personnel, and the positions of nurses coming and going. For example, a nurse suddenly appearing in front of the robot, or a tool falling to the ground, can cause the robot to encounter obstacles during operation, requiring a change in movement speed. The presence of obstacles around the robot may cause it to consider whether to slow down and wait or clear the obstacles. Tool data can include first tool data characterizing the shape of the physical object itself and second tool data characterizing the relationship between the robot and the physical object. For example, first tool data can include actual data of the object, such as movement data, direction, and other physical data, to characterize the physical relationship between the object and the robot. Second tool data can include the relationship between the object and the robot, including the distance between the object and the robot, path obstruction, and whether the object needs to be cleared. For example, when a robot is moving along a circular landing track, a nurse might be in front of it reporting a situation, thus obstructing the robot's path. In this case, the second tool data needs to be analyzed to determine whether to wait for the nurse or warn her to move aside. If the object is a medical device that has fallen onto the circular landing track, the second tool data needs to be analyzed to determine whether the robot needs to collect or handle the medical device to prevent medical accidents.

[0066] According to a preferred embodiment, the processing module further determines a threshold for the rotation data based on the tool data. For example, when an obstacle appears in the robot's circular landing track, the safe distance between the robot and the obstacle can be set to 1m, and then the safe distance can be increased as the robot moves. When the robot moves at a relatively high speed, the safe distance will gradually increase, thus allowing sufficient braking time for the robot and preventing accidents.

[0067] According to a preferred embodiment, the processing module is configured as follows:

[0068] S1: Determine several operating states and several solutions corresponding to the several motion states based on at least one of applied data, rotation data and tool data.

[0069] Specifically, for example, when the robot picks up or places tools based on the control commands of medical personnel, at least the following motion states will occur: a first motion state, determined by applied data, moving to the tool's placement position; a second motion state, determined by rotation data, requiring multi-degree-of-freedom tool handling while avoiding motion malfunctions, excessive bending angles leading to collisions, jamming, etc.; and a third motion state, determined by tool data, such as avoiding nurses, issuing prompts, or cleaning up fallen medical devices. The first, second, and third motion states generate different solutions and prompts. For example, the first motion state might produce prompts such as "Tool missing" or "Tool already picked up." The second motion state might produce prompts such as "Successful picking" or "Abnormal mechanical bending." The third motion state might produce prompts such as "Distance to obstacles," "Please avoid the robot," or "Clean up obstacles."

[0070] S2: Based on tool data, determine the motion level of each of the several motion states, select the motion state with the highest motion level priority as the first execution state, and differentiate and display the first prompt voice related to the first execution state from the prompt voices related to other motion states in a differentiated manner. Alternatively, based on rotation data, determine the motion level of each of the several motion states, select the motion state with the lowest motion level priority as the second execution state, and differentiate and display the second prompt voice related to the second execution state from the prompt voices related to other motion states in a differentiated manner. The second prompt voice can be displayed and prompted by a playback device or a display panel. The priority of the second prompt voice is higher than that of the first prompt voice.

[0071] According to a preferred embodiment, the motion level of a motion state can be determined by assessing the impact of risks involved in rotational or tool data on the completion of surgical assistance tasks. For example, the processing module is configured with a task impact estimation algorithm. This algorithm can set several impact parameters related to the motion state and affecting the surgical process, and determine the motion level of the set motion state based on the number of detected impact parameters. For instance, when the surgery is in a critical stage and medical personnel urgently need surgical instruments, the impact parameters of the motion state can be set based on tool data: whether the retrieval of the surgical instrument is interfered with by obstacles, whether the obstacle needs to be removed, etc. When it is detected that the retrieval of the surgical instrument is not interfered with by obstacles, all factors are eliminated, the surgical instrument is retrieved directly, and the motion level is set to the high-priority first motion level. When an obstacle is detected that will affect the normal operation of the robot, the obstacle is quickly cleared or a warning message is issued, and the motion level is set to the low-priority second motion level. It is understood that different weight values ​​can be set for different impact parameters, thereby obtaining several motion levels.

[0072] According to a preferred embodiment, rotation data is used to characterize the robot's movement state. Rotation data may include the robot's trajectory speed along the circular landing track, the robotic arm's bending angle, and battery power. In other words, rotation data can determine whether the robot itself has any abnormalities. When a robot malfunctions, its severity is high, causing it to be unable to move normally. During surgery, this can easily lead to medical accidents. Therefore, the second movement state determined based on the rotation data is preferentially displayed on the playback device or display panel. This preference includes highlighting, prioritizing the display position, and synchronously connecting to the nurse station.

[0073] According to a preferred embodiment, tool data can be used to assess the correspondence between the robot and other physical objects in the operating room. Based on the motion levels of several motion states determined by the tool data, the degree of influence between the work performed by the robot and physical objects acting as obstacles can be assessed. That is, whether physical objects in the operating room space will affect the urgent work performed by the robot. For example, when the surgery is in a critical stage and medical staff urgently need surgical instruments, the influence parameters of the motion state can be set according to the tool data: whether the retrieval of the surgical instrument is interfered with by obstacles, whether the obstacle needs to be removed, etc. When it is detected that the retrieval of the surgical instrument is not interfered with by obstacles, all factors are eliminated, the surgical instrument is retrieved directly, and the motion level is set to the first motion level with high priority. When an obstacle is detected and the obstacle will affect the normal operation of the robot, the obstacle is quickly cleared or a warning message is issued, and the motion level is set to the second motion level with low priority. At this time, a warning message is issued first, and the obstacle is cleared or the robot accelerates in the opposite direction along the circular landing track to the preset position to retrieve the surgical instrument, so as to ensure the smooth progress of the surgery.

[0074] S3: Execute several motion states sequentially according to the time sequence and the influence sequence.

[0075] Specifically, when the motion levels of several motion states are determined based on tool data, the motion states with higher motion levels are executed first, and simultaneously, they are performed according to a time sequence. Alternatively, when the motion levels of several motion states are determined based on rotation data, the motion states with lower motion levels are executed, and simultaneously, they are performed according to a time sequence. Here, the aforementioned time sequence refers to the timeline required for the robot to complete the task. This timeline is at least divided into moving to a designated location to pick up and moving to a designated location to place. The time sequence serves as the primary reference, and the order of motion states is adjusted within it.

[0076] By employing the above methods, at least the following technical effects can be achieved: Existing robotic arms lack the ability to process abnormal information when facing obstacles or malfunctions, making accurate judgments and subjecting the robot to numerous interfering factors that affect its normal operation, thus impacting the surgical process and even interfering with medical personnel. For example, the robotic arm cannot determine the priority of the next step when facing obstacles. It also struggles to provide relevant prompts and follow-up processing when malfunctions occur, further interfering with medical personnel. This invention determines several motion states and motion levels based on rotational and tool data, thereby maximizing the normal progress of the surgery and avoiding excessive abnormal prompts and uncertainty about execution priorities when facing unexpected events. This invention executes motion states sequentially according to time and influence sequences, providing a strategy for the robot to execute tasks sequentially when facing abnormal events, enabling the robot to complete auxiliary tasks and ultimately achieving high surgical efficiency.

[0077] Preferably, in this solution, the base and the multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm (hereinafter referred to as the robotic arm) each have different degrees of freedom of motion. The base is used to determine the position of the robotic arm on the horizontal plane, and therefore it has a degree of freedom of movement on the horizontal plane. The robotic arm is used to perform the actual surgical operation, and it has degrees of freedom of movement in both the horizontal and vertical planes. Furthermore, at least the degree of freedom of the robotic arm on the horizontal plane is affected by the position of the base on the horizontal plane. For example, since at least one end of the robotic arm is connected to the base, influenced by the fixed position of the base, when the robotic arm is fully extended, its operating head has a maximum extension distance relative to the base. A circle is drawn with this maximum extension distance as the radius and the center of the base as the center; this circle represents the maximum degree of freedom range of the robotic arm on the horizontal plane. For ease of description, the degree of freedom of movement of the robotic arm in the horizontal direction is called the first degree of freedom, and its degree of freedom of movement in the vertical direction is called the second degree of freedom.

[0078] In the orbital multi-degree-of-freedom robotic surgical robot mode addressed in this solution, the robot's overall motion freedom is constrained by two aspects: the motion freedom of the base and the motion freedom of the robotic arm. The actual position of the base determines at least part of the range of motion freedom of the robotic arm. Since the base's movement space is actually at the top of a space relatively unaffected by external environmental interference, such as the ceiling track in the operating room, the base's movement is relatively undisturbed. However, the movement of the robotic arm is first affected by the surgical requirements, as the robotic arm needs to perform specific movements according to instructions. Secondly, the movement of the robotic arm is easily affected by external environmental interference, such as path obstruction caused by personnel movement, path obstruction caused by other objects, or collision risks. Currently, many technologies often only consider how to avoid interference in the path when the robotic arm moves, while ignoring the influence of the base on the robotic arm's motion freedom. This solution finds that even when the robotic arm completes the same motion target, the necessary effort required by the robotic arm to avoid interference varies depending on the position of the base when the robotic arm performs the movement.

[0079] Therefore, preferably, a first control unit for controlling the movement of the base is provided, and a second control unit for controlling the movement of the robotic arm is provided, wherein, when the first control unit controls the movement of the base, the second control unit receives at least some instructions related to the movement controlled by the first control unit and controls the movement of the robotic arm, and / or when the second control unit controls the movement of the robotic arm, the first control unit receives at least some instructions related to the movement controlled by the second control unit and controls the movement of the base; when the robotic arm is controlled by the second control unit to perform movement, the base is controlled by the first control unit to provide the robotic arm with a first degree of freedom and a second degree of freedom restricted by the position of the base.

[0080] Preferably, if the first control unit acquires or has first moving target data for the second time period within the first time period, the second control unit acquires interference level data based on the first moving target data, where the robot arm moves according to the first moving target data while the robot arm is in its current position. When the interference level data is above a detection threshold, the second control unit controls the base to move to a new position according to the generated second moving target data, so that the first and second degrees of freedom of the robot arm are at least partially updated, and that, at least under the influence of the updated first and second degrees of freedom, when the first control unit actually executes control in the second time period to enable the robot arm to achieve the first moving target data, its interference level data is below the detection threshold. The second control unit controls the base to move before the second time period. During the movement of the base controlled by the second control unit, the first control unit controls the robot arm to maintain its current pose at the first moment.

[0081] The first moving target data is formed according to preset or input robotic arm control commands. It is used to indicate the pose that the robotic arm should achieve in the second time. It includes at least spatial coordinate data to indicate the destination of the robotic arm's movement from a reference position (usually the mechanical head that operates the instrument or performs the grasping function). The second moving target data is used to indicate the moving target position of the base. The interference level data is obtained by simulation calculation. In detail, environmental information around the robotic arm is acquired, and interference features are filtered. The filtering method is based on the simulated movement data formed by the first moving target data. Features in the simulated movement data that will interfere with the movement of the robotic arm are filtered. For example, if the robotic arm is at position A in the first time, and needs to move forward along the base and in the current direction to position B in the second time, the simulation shows that the robotic arm needs to be raised during the movement. If an obstruction is detected above the robotic arm (such as a doctor's arm or other horizontal wires), then this interference feature causes the interference level data to accumulate. After combining several interference features, the total interference level data can be analyzed. The verification threshold is a judgment threshold or inspection rule for checking the interference level data. When the total value of the interference level data exceeds the verification threshold and / or one or more items of the interference level data do not meet the inspection rule of the verification threshold, it can be determined that the interference level data exceeds the verification threshold. When the second moving target data is generated, the first and second degrees of freedom are updated, thereby enabling a second motion simulation of the robotic arm to obtain updated simulated motion data, which in turn updates the interference level data. This allows us to determine whether the updated interference level data under the second moving target data meets the verification threshold, thus enabling us to find the optimal second moving target data.

[0082] The above solution achieves the goal of moving the base in advance based on the expected movement target of the robotic arm, so as to provide the most suitable degree of freedom for the subsequent movement of the robotic arm. This significantly reduces the interference with its movement and reduces the computation of the robotic arm's movement decision. Usually, in order to avoid interference, the first control unit will spend a lot of computing power to calculate the movement method to bypass the obstacle. However, this obviously wastes a lot of time and interferes with the surgical process. This solution starts with the base, which has a relatively higher degree of freedom, so that when the robotic arm moves to the target position, it can process the movement method in a way with minimal interference. This can significantly improve the movement efficiency of the robotic arm and ensure the rhythm of the surgery.

[0083] Throughout the text, the features indicated by “preferred” are only optional and should not be construed as mandatory. Therefore, the applicant reserves the right to abandon or delete the relevant preferred features at any time.

[0084] It should be noted that the specific embodiments described above are exemplary. Those skilled in the art can devise various solutions inspired by the disclosure of this invention, and these solutions all fall within the scope of this invention and its protection. Those skilled in the art should understand that this specification and its accompanying drawings are illustrative and not intended to limit the scope of the claims. The scope of protection of this invention is defined by the claims and their equivalents. This specification contains multiple inventive concepts; terms such as "preferredly," "according to a preferred embodiment," or "optionally" indicate that the corresponding paragraph discloses an independent concept. The applicant reserves the right to file divisional applications based on each inventive concept.

Claims

1. A robot for surgical assistance, comprising at least a base plate (4) and a multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm (3), said base plate for supporting an operating table (2) and the multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm (3), wherein, The multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm (3) moves in a circular motion via a circular track set on the base plate (4) from the worktable (16). Its features are, The annular floor track surrounds the operating table (2) used for performing surgical procedures. The annular floor track includes an annular rack (6) whose gears mesh with the cylindrical gears (15) of the worktable (16). When the multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm (3) is performing its work, the worktable (16) is subjected to a rotational torque axially to the cylindrical gear (15) meshing with the annular rack (6) and moves circumferentially along the annular landing track. When the multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm (3) finishes its work, the processing module limits the circumferential movement range of the worktable (16) by driving the motor (9). During the process of the multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm (3) moving in a circular direction along the circular landing track under the drive of the worktable (16), the processing module limits the operating parameters of the drive motor (9) to adjust the relative position of the multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm (3). The processing module is configured as follows: The system collects rotational data of the robot to characterize its movement state and tool data to assess the correspondence between the robot and other physical objects in the operating room. Several motion states are determined based on at least one of the rotation data and the tool data; Based on the tool data, the motion level of each of the several motion states is determined, and the motion state with the highest motion level priority is selected as the first execution state; and based on the rotation data, the motion level of each of the several motion states is determined, and the motion state with the lowest motion level priority is selected as the second execution state. The first prompt voice related to the first execution state and the second prompt voice related to the second execution state are distinguished and prompted in a differentiated manner; The second prompt voice has a higher priority than the first prompt voice.

2. The surgical assistance robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The annular rack (6) has an outer annular guide rail (5) on its radially outer side and an inner annular guide rail (7) on its radially inner side. At least two annular sliders (12) of the worktable (16) are respectively coupled to the outer annular guide rail (5) and the inner annular guide rail (7) to limit the cylindrical gear (15) to mesh along the annular rack (6) during the circumferential motion phase of the worktable (16), thereby driving the multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm (3) to make circumferential motion along the annular landing track.

3. The surgical assistance robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the torque of the drive motor (9) is applied to the cylindrical gear (15) to cause the worktable (16) to move in a circumferential direction, the output shaft of the drive motor (9) is connected to the coupling (11) and the gear shaft (17) to transmit the torque.

4. The surgical assistance robot according to claim 3, characterized in that, The worktable (16) also includes a snap ring (13) and a bearing (14). The coupling (11) is connected to the gear shaft (17) via the snap ring (13) and the bearing (14) and is fastened by a locking screw. The gear shaft (17) serves as the transmission shaft of the cylindrical gear (15). The cylindrical gear (15) and the gear shaft (17) are connected by a key to achieve circumferential fixation between the shaft and the gear to transmit rotational torque. The rotational torque provided by the output shaft of the drive motor (9) is transmitted to the gear shaft (17) through the coupling (11) and the bearing (14), so that the cylindrical gear (15) meshing with the ring rack (6) is linked to drive the multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm (3) to perform circumferential movement along the ring landing track.

5. The surgical assistance robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The robot further includes a display unit, which includes at least a processing module, wherein the processing module is configured to: Collect the robot's application data, rotation data, and tool data; Several motion states and several solutions corresponding to several motion states are determined based on at least one of applied data, rotation data and tool data; Based on the tool data, the motion level of each of the motion states is determined. The motion state with the highest priority of motion level is selected as the first execution state. The first prompt voice related to the first execution state is displayed and prompted differently from the prompt voices related to other motion states in a differentiated manner.

6. The surgical assistance robot according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The motion level of the motion state is determined by the degree to which the risks involved in the rotation data or tool data affect the completion of surgical assistance work. The motion levels of several motion states determined based on the tool data are used to assess the degree of influence between the work performed by the robot and the physical objects that act as obstacles.

7. The robot for surgical assistance according to claim 1, characterized in that, The tool data includes first tool data for characterizing the shape of the physical object itself and second tool data for characterizing the relationship between the robot and the physical object; wherein... The first tool data includes the actual physical data of the physical object; The second tool data includes the correspondence between the physical objects and the robot.

8. The robot for surgical assistance according to claim 1, characterized in that, Given that the motion levels of several motion states are determined based on the tool data, the motion states with higher motion levels are executed first, and simultaneously, they are performed according to a time sequence. When determining the motion level of each of the several motion states based on the rotation data, the motion state with the lower motion level is executed and performed simultaneously according to the time sequence.

9. A control method for a surgical assisting robot as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, The method includes at least: Collect the robot's application data, rotation data, and tool data; Several motion states and several solutions corresponding to several motion states are determined based on at least one of applied data, rotation data and tool data; Based on the tool data, the motion level of each of the motion states is determined. The motion state with the highest priority of motion level is selected as the first execution state. The first prompt voice related to the first execution state is displayed and prompted differently from the prompt voices related to other motion states in a differentiated manner.

10. The control method for a surgical-assisted robot according to claim 9, characterized in that, The method further includes: The motion level of the motion state is determined by the degree to which the risks involved in the rotation data or tool data affect the completion of surgical assistance work. The tool data is used to evaluate the correspondence between the robot and physical objects in the operating room. The motion levels of several motion states determined based on the tool data are used to evaluate the degree of influence between the work performed by the robot and the physical objects that act as obstacles. The rotation data is used to characterize the robot's movement state.

Images