Measuring device and measuring method suitable for measuring the tension of a pull wire of a surgical instrument

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a measuring device and a measuring method suitable for measuring tension of a traction wire of a surgical instrument, the measuring device comprising: a base, the base being mounted on a driving assembly of the surgical instrument, the driving assembly being suitable for driving movement of the traction wire wound on a transmission shaft of the driving assembly to drive the surgical instrument to perform a surgical operation; a measuring arm, the measuring arm extending from the base tangentially to the transmission shaft, an inner side of a distal end of the measuring arm being provided with a protruding portion, the protruding portion being configured to contact and push the traction wire extending from the transmission shaft to displace in response to a pressing force applied to an outer side of the measuring arm; a first sensor, the first sensor being mounted on the measuring arm and being configured to measure the pressing force; and a second sensor, the second sensor being mounted on the measuring arm and being configured to measure an amount of deformation of the measuring arm generated based on the pressing force, so as to calculate the tension of the traction wire according to the pressing force and the amount of deformation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the technical field of measuring the tension of the traction wire of a surgical instrument, and more specifically, to a measuring device and method suitable for measuring the tension of the traction wire of a surgical instrument. Background Technology

[0002] To achieve long-distance power transmission within a compact space, minimally invasive surgical robots often employ wire rope drives (wire transmissions) for their instruments, which require minimal space, have small transmission backlash, and high reversing capability, thus enabling the treatment of lesions located deep within the patient's body. Due to the structural characteristics of wire drives and the flexibility of the wires, the wires within the surgical instruments undergo elastic deformation during use, leading to hysteresis between the power input and output ends and significantly reducing the transmission accuracy of the surgical instruments. Therefore, to minimize transmission errors, the transmission wires within the surgical instruments need to be tensioned during assembly, i.e., a certain preload is applied to the wires.

[0003] During the assembly of surgical instruments, the preload of the internal wire is adjusted by regulating the relative position of two wire-fixing wheels. However, this method cannot accurately apply the required preload to the surgical instrument. Due to the creep characteristics of the wire, the method of wire tensioning during assembly, and the structural characteristics of the surgical instrument, the tensioned wire will experience stress relaxation after assembly. This stress relaxation worsens with the number of times the surgical instrument is used, which is one of the reasons why surgical instruments are currently limited to a limited number of uses. The internal wire of the surgical instrument is responsible for motion and power transmission, and its preload has a significant impact on the calculation accuracy of the control model.

[0004] Currently, devices such as wire tension measuring instruments are too large to be used with surgical instruments. Ordinary digital and mechanical force gauges cannot measure the radial displacement of the wire, making subsequent tension calculations impossible. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address at least one technical problem mentioned above and in other aspects in the prior art, this disclosure provides a measuring device and method for measuring the tension of the traction wire of a surgical instrument. This method enables the measurement of the tension of the traction wire of the surgical instrument after assembly, and provides a reference for the subsequent application of tension based on the measurement results.

[0006] This disclosure provides a measuring device for measuring the tension of a traction wire of a surgical instrument, comprising: a base mounted on a drive assembly of the surgical instrument, the drive assembly being adapted to drive the traction wire wound on a drive shaft of the drive assembly to move, thereby driving the surgical instrument to perform a surgical operation; a measuring arm extending tangentially from the base to the drive shaft, the measuring arm having a protrusion on the inner side of its end, the protrusion being configured to contact and displace the traction wire extending from the drive shaft in response to a pressing force applied to the outer side of the measuring arm; a first sensor mounted on the measuring arm and configured to measure the pressing force; and a second sensor mounted on the measuring arm and configured to measure the deformation of the measuring arm based on the pressing force, to calculate the tension of the traction wire based on the pressing force and the deformation.

[0007] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the base includes: a generally semi-circular main body portion mounted on the side of the drive assembly opposite to the extension portion of the traction wire; the measuring arm includes: a connecting portion connected to the main body portion; an arcuate transition portion connected to the connecting portion and configured to be movable relative to the main body portion, the second sensor mounted on the transition portion; and an extension portion extending from the transition portion generally parallel to the extension portion of the traction wire, the protrusion being formed inside the end of the extension portion, the first sensor mounted on the extension portion.

[0008] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the drive assembly includes: two limiting rings, respectively installed at both ends of the drive portion of the drive shaft; at least one groove is provided on the side of the limiting ring opposite to the extension portion of the traction wire; at least one positioning protrusion is provided on the inner side of the main body; wherein the main body is installed on one of the two limiting rings; and the positioning protrusion is respectively inserted into the groove of the limiting ring to prevent the base from rotating relative to the drive shaft.

[0009] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the main body includes: a semi-ring portion configured to be sleeved on the side of the limiting ring opposite to the extension portion of the traction wire; and two flange portions extending inward from both ends of the semi-ring portion to the two end faces of the limiting ring, wherein the connecting portion is connected to one of the two flange portions and extends axially around the drive portion of the transmission shaft.

[0010] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the extension is provided with a mounting groove, and the first sensor is disposed in the mounting groove.

[0011] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the first sensor described above is a thin-film pressure sensor.

[0012] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, a measurement method applicable to the above-mentioned measuring device includes: initializing the measuring device to obtain a first relationship between the initial radial displacement and initial deformation of the protrusion under no-load conditions, and a second relationship between the initial pressing force and the initial deformation; mounting the measuring device onto a drive assembly of a surgical instrument to maintain a predetermined distance between the protrusion and the traction wire; pressing the measuring arm to cause the traction wire to displace radially; obtaining the actual deformation of the measuring arm and the value of the actual pressing force applied to the measuring arm; substituting the actual deformation into the first relationship to obtain the actual radial displacement of the traction wire; substituting the actual deformation into the second relationship to obtain the no-load pressing force applied to the measuring arm corresponding to the actual deformation; calculating the deformation of the traction wire based on the actual displacement; and calculating the tension of the traction wire based on the deformation of the traction wire and the difference between the actual pressing force and the no-load pressing force.

[0013] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the above-mentioned initialization of the measuring device to obtain a first relationship between the initial radial displacement and initial deformation of the protrusion under no-load conditions, and a second relationship between the initial pressing force and the initial deformation, includes: pressing the measuring arm so that the initial radial displacement of the protrusion is not less than a predetermined value, repeating k times; acquiring a set of the initial displacement, initial deformation, and initial pressing force at the same sampling frequency each time the measuring arm is pressed; fitting the first relationship between the initial displacement and the initial deformation based on all the initial displacements and the initial deformation; and fitting the second relationship between the initial pressing force and the initial deformation based on all the initial pressing forces and the initial deformation.

[0014] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the pressing positions are different each time the measuring arm is pressed repeatedly k times.

[0015] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the initial displacement of the protrusion is measured using a laser.

[0016] According to the present disclosure, a measuring device and method for measuring the tension of traction wires in surgical instruments are provided. A protrusion is provided on the inner side of the end of a measuring arm, configured to contact and displace the traction wire extending from a drive shaft in response to a pressing force applied to the outer side of the measuring arm. A first sensor is mounted on the measuring arm to measure the pressing force, and a second sensor is mounted on the measuring arm to measure the deformation of the measuring arm based on the pressing force. The tension of the traction wire is calculated based on the pressing force and the deformation of the measuring arm. This method enables the measurement of the tension of the traction wire of the surgical instrument after assembly, providing a reference for subsequent tension application based on the measurement results. It is highly applicable to surgical instruments of the same series. Effectively measuring the tension of the traction wire in the surgical instrument during the surgical preparation stage allows for updating the control model parameters of the robot system, making the robot system's control of the surgical instrument more precise and extending the service life of the surgical instrument. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of a measuring device suitable for measuring the tension of a traction wire of a surgical instrument, according to an illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0018] Figure 2 This is another perspective view of a measuring device suitable for measuring the tension of a traction wire of a surgical instrument, according to an illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0019] Figure 3 This is a perspective view of a driving component according to an illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0020] Figure 4 This is a partially exploded view of the wire-fixing wheel assembly and drive shaft according to an illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0021] Figure 5 This is a perspective view of a measuring device mounted on a drive assembly according to an illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0022] Figure 6 This is a perspective view of a measuring device mounted on a drive assembly according to another illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0023] Figure 7 This is a flowchart of a measurement method for measuring the tension of a traction wire of a surgical instrument, according to an illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0024] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the principle of calculating the deformation of the traction wire according to an illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0025] Figure 9This is a diagram showing the radial displacement of the traction wire under actual pressing force according to an illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0026] Figure 10 This is a radial displacement diagram of the unloaded pressing protrusion applied to the measuring arm under no-load conditions, corresponding to the actual deformation amount, according to an illustrative embodiment of this disclosure.

[0027] Figure 11 This is a flowchart illustrating the initialization of a measuring device in a method for measuring the tension of a traction wire of a surgical instrument, according to an illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0028] In the accompanying drawings, the meanings of the reference numerals are as follows:

[0029] 1. First sensor;

[0030] 2. Second sensor;

[0031] 3. Protrusions;

[0032] 4. Bracket;

[0033] 5. Traction wire;

[0034] 6. Drive shaft;

[0035] 7. Lateral guide wheels;

[0036] 8. First vertical guide wheel;

[0037] 9. Second vertical guide wheel;

[0038] 10. Wire-fixing wheel locking block;

[0039] 11. Wire fixing wheel;

[0040] 12. Spiral groove;

[0041] 13. Connecting part;

[0042] 14. Transition section;

[0043] 15. Extension section;

[0044] 16. Deformation groove;

[0045] 17. Groove;

[0046] 18. Positioning protrusion;

[0047] 19. Semi-circular part;

[0048] 20. Flange portion. Detailed Implementation

[0049] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this disclosure clearer, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with specific embodiments and the accompanying drawings.

[0050] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit this disclosure. The terms “comprising,” “including,” etc., as used herein indicate the presence of the stated features, steps, operations, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, or components.

[0051] All terms used herein, including technical and scientific terms, have the meanings commonly understood by those skilled in the art, unless otherwise defined. It should be noted that the terms used herein are to be interpreted in a manner consistent with the context of this specification, and not in an idealized or overly rigid way.

[0052] When using expressions such as "at least one of A, B, and C," the meaning should generally be interpreted according to the understanding of someone skilled in the art. For example, "a system having at least one of A, B, and C" should include, but is not limited to, systems having A alone, having B alone, having C alone, having A and B, having A and C, having B and C, and / or having A, B, and C. Similarly, when using expressions such as "at least one of A, B, or C," the meaning should generally be interpreted according to the understanding of someone skilled in the art. For example, "a system having at least one of A, B, or C" should include, but is not limited to, systems having A alone, having B alone, having C alone, having A and B, having A and C, having B and C, and / or having A, B, and C.

[0053] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, in order to solve the problem of measuring the tension of the traction wire in a surgical instrument, the present disclosure provides a protrusion on the inner side of the end of a measuring arm. The protrusion is configured to contact the traction wire extending from the drive shaft and push the traction wire to move in response to a pressing force applied to the outside of the measuring arm. A first sensor is installed on the measuring arm to measure the pressing force, and a second sensor is installed on the measuring arm to measure the deformation of the measuring arm based on the pressing force. The tension of the traction wire is calculated based on the pressing force and the deformation of the measuring arm. This allows for the measurement of the tension of the traction wire of the surgical instrument after assembly. The measurement results can provide a reference for the subsequent application of tension. It has strong applicability to surgical instruments of the same series, simple structure, small measuring device size, and high measurement accuracy.

[0054] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this disclosure clearer, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with specific embodiments and the accompanying drawings.

[0055] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of a measuring device suitable for measuring the tension of a traction wire 5 of a surgical instrument, according to an illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 2 This is another perspective view of a measuring device suitable for measuring the tension of a traction wire 5 of a surgical instrument, according to an illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0056] An embodiment of this disclosure provides a measuring device suitable for measuring the tension of the traction wire of a surgical instrument, such as... Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the measuring device includes a base, a measuring arm, a first sensor 1, and a second sensor 2. The base is mounted on a drive assembly of a surgical instrument, which is adapted to move a traction wire 5 wound on a drive shaft 6 of the drive assembly to drive the surgical instrument to perform surgical operations. The measuring arm extends tangentially from the base to the drive shaft 6, and a protrusion 3 is provided on the inner side of the end of the measuring arm. The protrusion 3 is configured to contact the traction wire 5 extending from the drive shaft 6 and push the traction wire 5 to displacement in response to a pressing force applied to the outer side of the measuring arm. The first sensor 1 is mounted on the measuring arm and configured to measure the pressing force. The second sensor 2 is mounted on the measuring arm and configured to measure the amount of deformation of the measuring arm based on the pressing force, so as to calculate the tension of the traction wire 5 based on the pressing force and the amount of deformation.

[0057] Figure 3 This is a perspective view of a driving component according to an illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0058] According to embodiments of this disclosure, such as Figure 3 As shown, the drive assembly is mounted on the support 4. The drive assembly includes a wire-fixing wheel assembly. The traction wire 5, wound in the spiral groove 12 on the wire-fixing wheel assembly, extends tangentially from the drive shaft 6. The two traction wires 5 pass through the inner sides of two transverse guide wheels 7, which restrict the horizontal position of the traction wires 5. They are then connected to the front end of the surgical instrument via two parallel first vertical guide wheels 8 to perform surgical operations. The first vertical guide wheels 8 restrict the vertical position of the traction wires 5. Two second vertical guide wheels 9 are arranged parallel to each other in the vertical direction of the first vertical guide wheels 8. The second vertical guide wheels 9 prevent the traction wires 5 from detaching from the guide groove of the first vertical guide wheels 8 when they become loose.

[0059] Figure 4 This is a partially exploded view of the wire-fixing wheel assembly and the drive shaft 6 according to an illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0060] According to embodiments of this disclosure, such as Figure 4As shown, the wire-fixing wheel assembly includes a wire-fixing wheel locking block 10 and a wire-fixing wheel 11. The wire-fixing wheel locking block 10 and the wire-fixing wheel 11 are connected by screws to hold the drive shaft 6 tightly and prevent relative rotation between them. The wire-fixing wheel 11 is provided with a spiral groove 12, and the traction wire 5 is wound in the spiral groove 12. The drive shaft 6 transmits the motor's motion to the wire-fixing wheel 11, thereby driving the traction wire 5 to move.

[0061] According to embodiments of this disclosure, such as Figure 1 As shown, the base and measuring arm are made of materials with good resilience and low elastic modulus, such as nylon.

[0062] According to an embodiment of this disclosure, the first sensor 1 is a thin-film pressure sensor.

[0063] According to embodiments of this disclosure, the first sensor 1 has a measurement range of 0N-50N and features high accuracy, good linearity, and low hysteresis.

[0064] According to embodiments of this disclosure, the second sensor 2 may be a resistance strain gauge with a strain limit of 2%.

[0065] According to embodiments of this disclosure, a protrusion 3 is provided on the inner side of the end of the measuring arm. The protrusion 3 is configured to contact and push the traction wire 5 extending from the drive shaft 6 in response to a pressing force applied to the outer side of the measuring arm, causing the traction wire 5 to displace. A first sensor 1 is installed on the measuring arm to measure the pressing force, and a second sensor 2 is installed on the measuring arm to measure the deformation of the measuring arm based on the pressing force. The tension of the traction wire 5 is calculated based on the pressing force and the deformation of the measuring arm. This allows for the measurement of the tension of the traction wire 5 of the surgical instrument after assembly. The measurement results can provide a reference for subsequent tension application. It is highly applicable to surgical instruments of the same series, has a simple structure, a small measuring device size, high measurement accuracy, high reliability, and is easy to use. During the surgical preparation stage, effectively measuring the tension of the traction wire 5 in the surgical instrument can update the control model parameters of the robot system, making the robot system's control of the surgical instrument more precise and extending the service life of the surgical instrument.

[0066] According to an embodiment of this disclosure, the base includes a generally semi-circular main body mounted on the side of the drive assembly opposite to the extension portion of the traction wire. The measuring arm includes a connecting portion 13, an arcuate transition portion 14, and an extension portion 15. The connecting portion 13 is connected to the main body. The arcuate transition portion 14 is connected to the connecting portion 13 and configured to be movable relative to the main body, and a second sensor 2 is mounted on the transition portion 14. The extension portion 15 extends from the transition portion 14 generally parallel to the extension portion of the traction wire 5, a protrusion 3 is formed on the inner side of the end of the extension portion 15, and a first sensor 1 is mounted on the extension portion 15.

[0067] According to an embodiment of this disclosure, the protrusion 3 on the inner side of the end of the measuring arm converts the deformation of the measuring arm into the radial deformation of the traction wire 5.

[0068] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a deformation groove 16 is provided between the transition portion 14 of the measuring arm and the main body portion of the base. The longer the deformation groove 16 is in the horizontal direction, the easier it is for the measuring arm to deform.

[0069] According to an embodiment of this disclosure, the deformation groove 16 alters the stiffness of the measuring device, making it easier to deform.

[0070] According to an embodiment of this disclosure, an extension 15 is provided with a mounting groove, and the first sensor 1 is disposed in the mounting groove.

[0071] According to embodiments of this disclosure, the first sensor 1 is adapted to measure the pressing force applied to the outside of the measuring arm.

[0072] According to an embodiment of this disclosure, the drive assembly includes two limiting rings, which are respectively installed at both ends of the drive portion of the drive shaft 6 (both ends of the spiral groove 12). The limiting ring has at least one groove 17 on the side opposite to the extension portion of the traction wire 5, and at least one positioning protrusion 18 is provided on the inner side of the main body. The main body is installed on one of the two limiting rings, and the positioning protrusion 18 is inserted into the groove 17 of one limiting ring to prevent the base from rotating relative to the drive shaft 6.

[0073] Figure 5 This is a perspective view of a measuring device mounted on a drive assembly according to an illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0074] According to embodiments of this disclosure, such as Figure 5 As shown, the measuring device acts on the end of the surgical instrument box. The main body of the base of the measuring device is mounted on one of the two limiting rings. The positioning protrusion 18 is inserted into the groove 17 of the limiting ring, so that the extension 15 of the measuring arm extends from the extension portion that is approximately parallel to the traction wire 5. By applying pressure to the outside of the measuring arm, the protrusion 3 contacts the traction wire 5 and pushes the traction wire 5 to produce displacement. When the radial displacement of the traction wire 5 is greater than 1 mm, the pressure is stopped and the measuring device is removed. The tension of the traction wire 5 is calculated based on the amount of deformation of the measuring arm caused by the pressure, measured by the first sensor 1 and the second sensor 2.

[0075] Figure 6 This is a perspective view of a measuring device mounted on a drive assembly according to another illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0076] According to embodiments of this disclosure, such as Figure 6As shown, the main body of the base of the measuring device is mounted on another of the two limiting rings.

[0077] According to embodiments of this disclosure, the positioning protrusion 18 restricts the position of the base relative to the drive shaft 6.

[0078] According to embodiments of this disclosure, after the surgical instruments are assembled, the tension of the traction wire 5 can be measured before the surgical instruments are sterilized during the surgical preparation stage, and the parameters in the control model of the surgical instruments can be updated, thereby making the robot system more precise from the hand control system.

[0079] According to an embodiment of this disclosure, the main body includes a semi-ring portion 19 and two flange portions 20. The semi-ring portion 19 is configured to be fitted onto the side of the limiting ring opposite to the extension portion of the traction wire 5. The two flange portions 20 extend inwardly from both ends of the semi-ring portion 19 to the two end faces of the limiting ring, wherein a connecting portion 13 is connected to one of the two flange portions 20 and extends axially around the drive portion of the transmission shaft 6.

[0080] According to embodiments of this disclosure, the flange portion 20 can better secure the base to the limiting ring.

[0081] Figure 7 This is a flowchart of a method for measuring the tension of a traction wire 5 of a surgical instrument, according to an illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0082] According to embodiments of this disclosure, a measurement method suitable for the above-described measuring device is provided, such as... Figure 5-10 As shown, it includes the following steps S1-S8:

[0083] Step S1: See Figure 10 When the measuring device is not installed on the drive assembly, the measuring device is initialized to obtain the first relationship between the initial radial displacement d of the protrusion 3 and the initial deformation x of the measuring arm when unloaded, and the second relationship between the initial pressing force f and the initial deformation x.

[0084] Step S2: See Figure 5 or Figure 6 The measuring device is mounted onto the drive assembly of the surgical instrument so that the protrusion 3 maintains a predetermined distance from the traction wire 5 (see...). Figure 9 The solid line shows the measuring arm and traction wire 5).

[0085] According to an embodiment of this disclosure, the positioning protrusion 18 is inserted into the groove 17 of the limiting ring corresponding to the traction wire 5 to be measured, so that the measuring device is fixed on the drive assembly.

[0086] According to an embodiment of this disclosure, the position of the drive shaft 6 is adjusted so that the distance between the protrusion 3 on the inner side of the end of the measuring arm and the traction wire 5 is approximately 1 mm.

[0087] According to an embodiment of this disclosure, the drive shaft 6 is fixed to prevent the wire-fixing wheel assembly from rotating relative to the drive shaft 6.

[0088] Step S3: See Figure 5 or Figure 6 Press the measuring arm to cause the traction wire 5 to shift radially (see...). Figure 9 The dotted line indicates the measuring arm and traction wire 5).

[0089] According to an embodiment of this disclosure, the radial displacement of the traction wire 5 is not less than 1 mm.

[0090] Step S4: Obtain the actual deformation x1 of the measuring arm and the actual pressing force f1 applied to the measuring arm, respectively.

[0091] According to an embodiment of this disclosure, the actual deformation amount x1 of the measuring arm and the value f1 of the actual pressing force applied to the measuring arm are obtained at the same sampling frequency, the measurement is terminated, and the measuring device is removed.

[0092] Step S5: Substitute the actual deformation x1 into the first relation to obtain the actual radial displacement d1 of the traction wire 5.

[0093] According to an embodiment of this disclosure, the actual deformation amount x1 is substituted into the first relation d = g(x; α) m The actual radial displacement d1 of the traction wire 5 is calculated.

[0094] Step S6: Substitute the actual deformation amount x1 into the second relationship to obtain the no-load pressing force f2 applied to the measuring arm under no-load conditions corresponding to the actual deformation amount x1.

[0095] Those skilled in the art will understand that in the measuring device of this embodiment, when the measuring arm produces the same displacement, the deformation of the measuring arm is the same. However, when the measuring arm produces the same displacement, the pressing force applied when the measuring arm is unloaded (i.e., without the traction wire 5 installed) and loaded (i.e., the measuring arm presses against the traction wire 5) is different. According to the embodiments of this disclosure, the actual deformation x1 is substituted into the second relationship f = h(x; β) m The unloaded pressing force f2 applied to the measuring arm under no-load conditions is calculated to correspond to the actual deformation x1. Unloaded means the state when the traction wire 5 is not installed.

[0096] Step S7: Calculate the deformation (or elongation) Δl of the traction wire 5 based on the actual displacement d1.

[0097] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the principle of calculating the deformation amount Δl of the traction wire 5 according to an illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure. The solid line in the diagram represents the initial state when the traction wire 5 is not pressed, and the dashed line represents the pressed state when the traction wire 5 is pressed.

[0098] According to embodiments of this disclosure, such as Figure 8 As shown, based on the actual displacement d1, combined with the dimensions of the surgical instrument (i.e., the straight-line distance AB between the transverse guide wheel 7 and the drive shaft 6) and the displacement d1 of the traction wire 5 (i.e., Figure 8 From point C to point D in the diagram, the dashed line ADB represents the position of the traction wire 5 after radial displacement following the pressure applied. The deformation Δl of the traction wire 5 is calculated using the following formula (1):

[0099]

[0100] Step S8: Using Hooke's Law, calculate the tension T of the traction wire 5 based on the deformation Δl of the traction wire 5 and the difference between the actual pressing force f1 and the no-load pressing force f2.

[0101] Figure 9 This is a radial displacement diagram of the traction wire 5 under actual pressing force f1 according to an illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0102] According to embodiments of this disclosure, such as Figure 9 As shown, the solid line represents the initial position of the measuring arm and the traction wire 5 when the measuring arm is not subjected to pressure, and the protrusion 3 on the inner side of the end of the measuring arm is not in contact with the traction wire 5. The dashed line represents the position after the measuring arm is subjected to pressure and undergoes radial displacement, after the protrusion 3 contacts the traction wire 5 and pushes the traction wire 5 to a displacement d1.

[0103] Figure 10 This is a radial displacement diagram of the protrusion 3 of the unloaded pressing force f2 applied to the measuring arm under no-load conditions, corresponding to the actual deformation amount x1, according to an illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0104] According to embodiments of this disclosure, such as Figure 10 As shown, the solid line represents the initial position of the measuring arm when it is not subjected to pressure. The dashed line represents the radial displacement of the measuring arm after it is subjected to pressure, corresponding to the position of the protrusion 3 under no-load conditions after the actual deformation x1.

[0105] According to embodiments of this disclosure, such as Figure 9 and Figure 10 As shown, keeping the actual deformation amount x1 consistent, the pressing force f applied to the traction wire 5 is calculated using the following formula (2). c :

[0106] fc =f1-f2 (2)

[0107] According to embodiments of this disclosure, Hooke's law is utilized, combining the deformation Δl of the traction wire 5 and the pressing force f applied to the traction wire 5. c Calculate the tension T of the traction wire 5 at the initial position.

[0108] Figure 11 This is a flowchart illustrating the initialization of a measuring device in a method for measuring the tension of a traction wire 5 of a surgical instrument, according to an illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0109] According to embodiments of this disclosure, such as Figure 11 As shown, initializing the measuring device to obtain the first relationship between the initial radial displacement d of the protrusion 3 and the initial deformation x under no-load conditions, and the second relationship between the initial pressing force f and the initial deformation x, includes the following steps S010-S014:

[0110] Step S010: See Figure 10 Press the measuring arm to make the initial radial displacement d of the protrusion 3 not less than the predetermined value, and repeat k times.

[0111] According to an embodiment of this disclosure, before performing step S010, the first sensor 1 is installed in the mounting groove of the extension 15 of the measuring arm, the second sensor 2 is installed on the transition 14 of the measuring arm, and the amount of deformation of the measuring arm is not limited.

[0112] According to an embodiment of this disclosure, the initial displacement d is not less than a predetermined value, which is 3 mm, and the measuring arm is pressed repeatedly k times, where the value of k is not less than 5.

[0113] According to embodiments of this disclosure, the pressing positions are different each time the measuring arm is pressed repeatedly k times.

[0114] According to embodiments of this disclosure, after each press of the measuring arm, it is moved to another position before the next press is performed.

[0115] Step S011: Each time the measuring arm is pressed, a set of initial displacement d, initial deformation x and initial pressing force f are obtained at the same sampling frequency.

[0116] According to an embodiment of this disclosure, the initial displacement d of the protrusion 3 is measured using a laser.

[0117] Step S012: Based on all initial displacements d and initial deformations x, fit the first relationship between the initial displacements d and initial deformations x.

[0118] According to the embodiments of this disclosure, an nth-degree (n≥2) polynomial is established, and the first relationship between the initial displacement d and the initial deformation x is obtained by fitting using the least squares method, which is expressed by the following formula (3):

[0119]

[0120] in, The parameters are the polynomial function, and i∈{1,2,…k} is the number of the k-times pressing measuring arm.

[0121] Step S013: Based on all the initial pressing force f and initial deformation x, fit the second relationship between the initial pressing force f and the initial deformation x.

[0122] According to the embodiments of this disclosure, an nth-degree (n≥2) polynomial is established, and the second relationship between the initial pressing force f and the initial deformation x is obtained by fitting using the least squares method, which is expressed by the following formula (4):

[0123]

[0124] in, The parameters are the polynomial function, and i∈{1,2,…k} is the number of the k-times pressing measuring arm.

[0125] According to embodiments of this disclosure, the parameter α of the measuring arm is measured for k presses respectively. i and β i To find the mean, let α m and β m As the final parameter, it is expressed by the following formula (5):

[0126]

[0127] According to embodiments of this disclosure, the tension of the traction wire 5 of the surgical instrument can be measured after assembly. The measurement results can provide a reference for subsequent tension application. This method is highly applicable to surgical instruments of the same series, offering high measurement accuracy, high reliability, and ease of use. Effectively measuring the tension of the traction wire 5 in the surgical instrument during the surgical preparation stage allows for updating the control model parameters of the robot system, resulting in more precise control of the surgical instrument and extending its service life.

[0128] It should also be noted that the directional terms mentioned in the embodiments, such as "up," "down," "front," "back," "left," and "right," are only for reference to the directions in the accompanying drawings and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this disclosure. Throughout the drawings, the same elements are represented by the same or similar reference numerals. Conventional structures or constructions will be omitted where they may cause confusion in understanding this disclosure, and the shapes and dimensions of the components in the drawings do not reflect actual size and proportion, but are only schematic representations of the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0129] Unless otherwise stated, the numerical parameters in this specification and the appended claims are approximate values ​​and can be varied according to desired characteristics derived from the content of this disclosure. Specifically, all figures used in the specification and claims to indicate composition, reaction conditions, etc., should be understood to be modified by the term "about" in all cases. Generally, this means that a specific amount varies by ±10% in some embodiments, ±5% in some embodiments, ±1% in some embodiments, and ±0.5% in some embodiments.

[0130] The use of ordinal numbers such as "first," "second," "third," etc., in the specification and claims to modify the corresponding elements does not imply that the element has any ordinal number, nor does it represent the order of one element with another element, or the order of manufacturing methods. The use of these ordinal numbers is only to enable a named element to be clearly distinguished from another element with the same name.

[0131] Furthermore, unless specifically described or required to occur in a specific order, the order of the above steps is not limited to those listed above and can be varied or rearranged according to the desired design. Moreover, the above embodiments can be used in combination with each other or with other embodiments based on design and reliability considerations; that is, technical features from different embodiments can be freely combined to form more embodiments.

[0132] The embodiments of this disclosure have been described above. However, these embodiments are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Although various embodiments have been described above, this does not mean that the measures in the various embodiments cannot be used advantageously in combination. The scope of this disclosure is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents. Various substitutions and modifications can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of this disclosure, and all such substitutions and modifications should fall within the scope of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A measuring device suitable for measuring the tension of a traction wire in a surgical instrument, comprising: A base, which is mounted on a drive assembly of a surgical instrument, the drive assembly being adapted to drive a traction wire wound on a drive shaft of the drive assembly to move, thereby driving the surgical instrument to perform a surgical operation; A measuring arm extends tangentially to the drive shaft from the base, and a protrusion is provided on the inner side of the end of the measuring arm. The protrusion is configured to contact the traction wire extending from the drive shaft and push the traction wire to move in response to a pressing force applied to the outside of the measuring arm. A first sensor is mounted on the measuring arm and configured to measure the pressing force; as well as A second sensor is mounted on the measuring arm and configured to measure the amount of deformation of the measuring arm based on the pressing force, so as to calculate the tension of the traction wire based on the pressing force and the amount of deformation; The base includes: A roughly semi-circular main body is mounted on the side of the drive assembly opposite to the extension portion of the traction wire; The measuring arm includes: The connecting part is connected to the main body part; An arc-shaped transition portion, connected to the connecting portion, and configured to be movable relative to the main body portion, wherein the second sensor is mounted on the transition portion; and An extension extends from the transition portion generally parallel to the extension portion of the traction wire, a protrusion is formed inside the end of the extension portion, and the first sensor is mounted on the extension portion.

2. The measuring device according to claim 1, wherein, The driving component includes: Two limiting rings are respectively installed at both ends of the drive part of the transmission shaft. Each limiting ring has at least one groove on the side opposite to the extension of the traction wire. The inner side of the main body has at least one positioning protrusion. The main body is mounted on one of the two limiting rings, and the positioning protrusions are respectively inserted into the grooves of the limiting ring to prevent the base from rotating relative to the drive shaft.

3. The measuring device according to claim 2, wherein, The main body includes: The semi-circular portion is configured to be fitted onto the side of the limiting ring opposite to the extension portion of the traction wire; Two flange portions extend inwardly from both ends of the semi-ring portion to the two end faces of the limiting ring, respectively; The connecting portion is connected to one of the two flange portions and extends axially around the drive portion of the transmission shaft.

4. The measuring device according to claim 1, wherein, The extension is provided with a mounting groove, and the first sensor is disposed in the mounting groove.

5. The measuring device according to claim 4, wherein, The first sensor is a thin-film pressure sensor.

6. A measurement method applicable to the measuring apparatus as described in any one of claims 1-5, comprising: The measuring device is initialized to obtain a first relationship between the initial radial displacement and the initial deformation of the protrusion under no-load conditions, and a second relationship between the initial pressing force and the initial deformation. The measuring device is mounted on the drive assembly of the surgical instrument so that the protrusion maintains a predetermined distance from the traction wire; Press the measuring arm to cause the traction wire to shift radially; The actual deformation of the measuring arm and the actual pressing force applied to the measuring arm are obtained respectively. Substituting the actual deformation into the first relationship, the actual radial displacement of the traction wire is obtained; Substituting the actual deformation amount into the second relationship, the unloaded pressing force applied to the measuring arm under no-load conditions corresponding to the actual deformation amount is obtained. Calculate the deformation of the traction wire based on the actual displacement; The tension of the traction wire is calculated based on the deformation of the traction wire and the difference between the actual pressing force and the no-load pressing force.

7. The measurement method according to claim 6, wherein, The initialization of the measuring device to obtain a first relationship between the initial radial displacement and initial deformation of the protrusion under no-load conditions, and a second relationship between the initial pressing force and the initial deformation, includes: Press the measuring arm so that the initial radial displacement of the protrusion is not less than a predetermined value, and repeat k times; Each time the measuring arm is pressed, a set of initial displacement, initial deformation and initial pressing force are acquired at the same sampling frequency; Based on all the initial displacements and the initial deformations, the first relationship between the initial displacements and the initial deformations is obtained by fitting. Based on all the initial pressing force and the initial deformation, a second relationship between the initial pressing force and the initial deformation is obtained by fitting.

8. The measurement method according to claim 7, wherein, The pressing positions are different each time the measuring arm is pressed repeatedly k times.

9. The measurement method according to claim 7, wherein, The initial displacement of the protrusion is measured using a laser.

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