Haptic device for catheter interventions

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of haptics for catheter intervention surgery, including operating handle, linear movement feedback mechanism and circumferential rotation feedback mechanism;The linear movement feedback mechanism includes hollow three-dimensional column paper folding structure and linear air pressure feedback module;One end of the three-dimensional column paper folding structure is fixed on the mounting frame, and the other end of the three-dimensional column paper folding structure is connected with operating handle by mounting seat;A plurality of outwardly open outer bending groove positions and a plurality of inwardly open inner bending groove positions are provided on the three-dimensional column paper folding structure;The linear air pressure feedback module includes linear soft body driver, linear air pump and terminal linear resistance sensor;The circumferential rotation feedback mechanism includes rotating shaft, hollow rotating soft body brake, rotating air pump and terminal rotating resistance sensor.The haptics can generate force haptic feedback to the hand of doctor, improve the immersion of remote catheter intervention surgery, and ensure the efficiency and safety of surgery.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to medical operating devices, and more specifically to a tactile device for catheter interventional surgery. Background Technology

[0002] Remotely operated surgical robots, as a crucial component of the automation of robotic surgery, have long been a focus of research. They are particularly relevant to minimally invasive surgery, where surgeons insert slender surgical instruments through tiny skin incisions, minimizing damage to healthy organs and tissues. Compared to traditional surgery, remote operation can improve surgical outcomes, reduce patient health risks, and provide surgeons with a comfortable surgical environment, preventing radiation exposure. However, remote surgery removes the surgeon's hand from the patient's organs, resulting in a complete loss of tactile feedback. Without tactile feedback, remotely operated robotic systems cannot fully perceive the interaction between the tools and tissues during surgery, increasing surgical risks, especially in complex procedures such as catheter-based interventions.

[0003] In traditional catheterization, surgeons use catheters to navigate through intricate blood vessels and reach diseased tissue, obtaining useful information about the condition and implementing appropriate treatment. The distal end of the catheter is subjected to forces from the interaction between the blood vessels and the fluid within them, such as contact forces, friction, and the viscous resistance of the blood. The proximal end of the catheter is directly manipulated by the surgeon's hand, allowing for forward and backward linear movements and clockwise and counterclockwise rotational movements. The surgeon indirectly obtains force information about the distal end of the catheter through finger contact, thus determining whether excessive force during insertion may puncture the patient's tissue.

[0004] Many researchers have developed remote operating systems with tactile feedback devices for catheter-related procedures, including general-purpose multi-degree-of-freedom force-tactile devices and custom-designed dedicated force-tactile devices. Using general-purpose multi-degree-of-freedom force-tactile devices is very difficult for physicians to adapt to, leading to a longer learning curve and higher costs. With this in mind, many teams have tailored force-tactile devices specifically for catheter-related procedures. For example, integrating a vibration motor into the master end of the remote operating system serves as a form of vibrational force-tactile feedback, alerting the physician when the catheter encounters significant resistance during the procedure. However, vibrational force-tactile feedback is too monotonous and does not provide the force-tactile feedback missing in actual catheter insertion. In catheter-related procedures, the actual missing force-tactile feedback refers to the linear force and rotational torque along the catheter axis. To generate axial linear force, many commonly used mechanism designs exist, including mechanisms based on series elastic actuators, compact parallel mechanisms, and combinations of magnetic powder brakes or clutches with motors. However, using such traditional rigid transmission devices combined with motors can lead to excessive mechanical friction and dynamic inertia in the entire device. It not only affects the responsiveness of touch, but also causes fatigue for doctors during long remote surgeries. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the aforementioned problems and provide a tactile device for catheter-based interventional surgery. This tactile device can generate force tactile feedback to the doctor's hand while preserving the doctor's original catheter operation habits, thereby improving the immersion of remote catheter-based interventional surgery and ensuring the efficiency and safety of the surgery.

[0006] The objective of this invention is achieved through the following technical solution:

[0007] A tactile device for catheter interventional surgery includes an operating handle, a linear motion feedback mechanism, and a circumferential rotation feedback mechanism.

[0008] The linear motion feedback mechanism includes a hollow three-dimensional cylindrical origami structure and a linear air pressure feedback module. One end of the three-dimensional cylindrical origami structure is fixed to the mounting frame, and the other end is connected to the operating handle via a mounting base. The three-dimensional cylindrical origami structure has multiple outward-facing bending slots and multiple inward-facing bending slots. The linear air pressure feedback module includes a linear soft actuator, a linear air pump, and a terminal linear resistance sensor. Multiple linear soft actuators are provided and are respectively located in the inner or outer bending slots. The linear air pump is connected to multiple linear soft actuators. The terminal linear resistance sensor is used to detect the resistance of the linear movement of the terminal surgical catheter. The linear air pump inputs a corresponding amount of air pressure into the linear soft actuator according to the magnitude of the resistance of the linear movement of the terminal surgical catheter, so that the resistance generated by the entire three-dimensional cylindrical origami structure is equal to the resistance of the linear movement of the terminal surgical catheter.

[0009] The circumferential rotation feedback mechanism includes a rotating shaft, a hollow rotary soft brake, a rotary air pump, and a terminal rotation resistance sensor. One end of the rotating shaft is fixedly connected to the operating handle, and the other end extends into the inner cavity of the rotary soft brake and is in contact with the inner wall of the rotary soft brake. The rotating shaft is rotatably connected to the mounting base. The rotary soft brake is fixedly mounted on the mounting base. The rotary air pump is connected to the rotary soft brake. The terminal rotation resistance sensor is used to detect the resistance of the terminal surgical catheter's rotational movement. The rotary air pump inputs a corresponding amount of air pressure into the rotary soft brake according to the magnitude of the resistance of the terminal surgical catheter's linear movement, so that the frictional force of the rotary soft brake on the rotating shaft is equal to the resistance of the terminal surgical catheter's rotational movement.

[0010] The working principle of the aforementioned tactile device for catheter-based interventional surgery is as follows:

[0011] During operation, after establishing a remote connection, the doctor controls the operating handle to perform remote catheter intervention surgery. The operation handle's movements include linear movement and circular rotation.

[0012] During the surgery, the linear resistance sensor at the terminal continuously monitors the resistance of the surgical catheter's linear movement and transmits the resistance data to the backend processor. The backend processor calculates the resistance and converts it into the required air pressure, then sends corresponding instructions to the linear air pump to adjust the air pressure of all linear soft actuators. The goal is to ensure that the resistance generated by the entire three-dimensional origami structure equals the resistance of the surgical catheter's linear movement. When the surgeon controls the operating handle to move linearly, it compresses the three-dimensional origami structure, which in turn compresses multiple linear soft actuators. At this point, the resistance generated by the counter-compression of all the linear soft actuators equals the resistance encountered by the surgical catheter. The resistance felt by the surgeon at this moment is the same as the resistance encountered by the surgical catheter, making the surgical experience more realistic and allowing the surgeon to make accurate subsequent operations. Furthermore, during the compression of the three-dimensional origami structure, the linear air pump dynamically adjusts the air pressure within the linear soft actuators, ensuring that the resistance provided by the three-dimensional origami structure always equals the resistance encountered by the surgical catheter.

[0013] Simultaneously, the resistance of the surgical catheter's rotation is detected in real time by a terminal rotation resistance sensor, and the resistance data is transmitted to the backend processor. The backend processor calculates the resistance and converts it into the required air pressure, then sends corresponding instructions to the rotary air pump to adjust the air pressure of the rotary soft brake. This ensures that the frictional force of the rotary soft brake on the rotation axis equals the resistance of the surgical catheter's rotation. When the doctor controls the operating handle to rotate, the rotary soft brake provides the same resistance as the surgical catheter, making the surgical experience more realistic and effectively improving the efficiency and safety of the procedure.

[0014] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the operating handle has a spindle-shaped structure. As a component directly operated by the physician, it is held in a manner similar to a catheter, possessing two degrees of freedom of movement: rotational movement along the central axis and linear movement along the central axis. Furthermore, the degrees of freedom of the operating handle correspond one-to-one with traditional catheter operation methods, thereby preserving the original operating habits of physicians, reducing unnecessary learning periods, and increasing ease of use.

[0015] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the three-dimensional cylindrical origami structure includes a folded frame and a panel;

[0016] The panel includes an outer panel and an inner panel, and multiple outer and inner panels are provided. The outer panel covers the outer folded surfaces of the folded frame located on both sides of the crease, and the inner panel covers the inner folded surfaces of the folded frame located on both sides of the crease.

[0017] Furthermore, the folded skeleton is formed by folding a polyethylene (Kapton) film layer; both the outer panel and the inner panel are made of polylactic acid (PLA) layer.

[0018] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, one end of the three-dimensional cylindrical origami structure is fixed to the mounting frame by an origami base, and the other end of the three-dimensional cylindrical origami structure is fixedly connected to the mounting base;

[0019] A linear guide structure is provided between the origami base and the mounting base. This linear guide structure includes a linear bearing and a guide post. The linear bearing is fixedly mounted on the origami base, one end of the guide post is fixedly connected to the mounting base, and the other end of the guide post extends into the linear bearing. This structure provides guidance for the linear movement of the operating handle and the three-dimensional cylindrical origami structure, resulting in more precise feedback of the linear movement.

[0020] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, both the rotary soft brake and the linear soft actuator are composed of airbags.

[0021] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the mounting base is provided with a mounting cover for sealing the rotary soft brake within the inner cavity of the origami base.

[0022] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a linear displacement information acquisition mechanism is further included, comprising a laser displacement sensor for detecting the linear displacement of the operating handle. When the doctor operates the handle forward or backward, a certain linear displacement is generated at the end of the handle. The laser displacement sensor can detect the change in the displacement of the handle and transmit the linear motion information of the handle to the controller. This linear motion information is directly transmitted as a motion command to the machine at the terminal surgical site.

[0023] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a rotation angle information acquisition mechanism is further included. This mechanism includes an encoder, which is fixedly mounted on a mounting base. The other end of the rotating shaft passes through the encoder and is connected to the encoder's code disk. With this structure, when the doctor rotates the operating handle clockwise or counterclockwise, the operating handle drives the rotating shaft to rotate clockwise or counterclockwise, simultaneously rotating the code disk inside the encoder. The encoder acquires the rotation angle information and transmits it to the controller. Similarly, this rotational motion information is directly transmitted as a motion command to the machine at the surgical site.

[0024] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages:

[0025] 1. This invention retains the traditional way doctors operate catheters. Doctors can directly operate the spindle-shaped handle to control the catheter's two degrees of freedom: forward or backward movement in a straight line and clockwise or counterclockwise rotation in the circumferential direction. This operating method greatly reduces the learning period and difficulty of use for doctors.

[0026] 2. The tactile device of the present invention can provide the same resistance as that encountered by the terminal surgical catheter, and provide feedback to the doctor's hand, thereby improving the immersive experience of remote catheter intervention surgery and ensuring the efficiency and safety of the surgery. Attached Figure Description

[0027] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the tactile device for catheter interventional surgery according to the present invention.

[0028] Figure 2 This is an exploded three-dimensional structural diagram of the tactile device for catheter interventional surgery according to the present invention.

[0029] Figure 3 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the three-dimensional cylindrical origami structure of the linear motion feedback mechanism of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 4 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the folded skeleton of the three-dimensional cylindrical origami structure of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 5 This is a plan view of one section of the folded skeleton of the three-dimensional cylindrical origami structure of the present invention when it is unfolded.

[0032] Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional view of the operating handle and the circumferential rotation feedback mechanism of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0033] To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand the technical solutions of the present invention, the present invention will be further described below in conjunction with embodiments and accompanying drawings, but the embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto.

[0034] See Figure 1-2 The tactile device for catheter interventional surgery in this embodiment includes an operating handle 1, an operation information acquisition mechanism, and a resistance feedback mechanism; the operating handle 1 has a spindle-shaped structure. As a component directly operated by the doctor, it is held in a manner similar to a catheter, possessing two degrees of freedom of movement: rotational movement along the central axis and linear movement along the central axis. Moreover, the degrees of freedom of the operating handle 1 can correspond one-to-one with traditional catheter operation methods, thereby preserving the original operating habits of doctors, reducing unnecessary learning cycles, and increasing ease of use.

[0035] See Figure 1-2The operation information acquisition mechanism includes a linear displacement information acquisition mechanism and a rotation angle information acquisition mechanism; the linear displacement information acquisition mechanism includes a laser displacement sensor (not shown in the figure) for detecting the linear displacement information of the operating handle 1. When the doctor operates the handle 1 forward or backward, a certain linear displacement is generated at the end of the handle. The laser displacement sensor can detect the change in the displacement of the handle and transmit the linear motion information of the handle to the controller. This linear motion information is directly transmitted as a motion command to the machine at the terminal surgical site.

[0036] See Figure 1-2 The rotation angle information acquisition mechanism includes an encoder 2, which is fixedly mounted on the mounting base 4. The operating handle 1 passes through the encoder 2 via the other end of the rotating shaft 3 and is connected to the code disk of the encoder 2. With the above structure, when the doctor rotates the operating handle 1 clockwise or counterclockwise, the operating handle 1 drives the rotating shaft 3 to rotate clockwise or counterclockwise together, and at the same time drives the code disk inside the encoder 2 to rotate. The encoder 2 acquires the rotation angle information and transmits it to the controller. Similarly, this rotation motion information is directly transmitted as a motion command to the machine at the terminal surgical site.

[0037] See Figure 1-3 The resistance feedback mechanism includes a linear motion feedback mechanism and a circular rotation feedback mechanism; the linear motion feedback mechanism includes a hollow three-dimensional cylindrical origami structure 5 and a linear air pressure feedback module; one end of the three-dimensional cylindrical origami structure 5 is fixed on the mounting frame 6, and the other end of the three-dimensional cylindrical origami structure 5 is connected to the operating handle 1 through the mounting base 4; the three-dimensional cylindrical origami structure 5 is provided with multiple outward-facing external bending slots 5-1 and multiple inward-facing internal bending slots 5-2; the linear air pressure feedback module includes a linear software driver 7 and a linear air pump ( (Not shown in the figure) and terminal linear resistance sensor (not shown in the figure); the linear soft actuator 7 is provided in multiple locations and is respectively located in the inner bending groove 5-2 or the outer bending groove 5-1; the linear air pump is connected to multiple linear soft actuators 7 respectively; the terminal linear resistance sensor is used to detect the resistance of the linear movement of the terminal surgical catheter, and the linear air pump inputs a corresponding amount of air pressure into the linear soft actuator 7 according to the magnitude of the resistance of the linear movement of the terminal surgical catheter, so that the resistance generated by the entire three-dimensional cylindrical origami structure 5 is equal to the resistance of the linear movement of the terminal surgical catheter;

[0038] See Figure 3-5 The three-dimensional cylindrical origami structure 5 includes a folding skeleton 8 and a panel; the panel includes an outer panel 9 and an inner panel 10, and multiple outer panels 9 and inner panels 10 are provided. The outer panel 9 covers the outer folding surface 8-1 of the folding skeleton 8 located on both sides of the fold line, and the inner panel 10 covers the inner folding surface 8-2 of the folding skeleton 8 located on both sides of the fold line.

[0039] Furthermore, the folded frame 8 is formed by folding a polyethylene (Kapton) film layer; both the outer panel 9 and the inner panel 10 are made of polylactic acid (PLA) layer.

[0040] See Figure 2 One end of the three-dimensional cylindrical origami structure 5 is fixed to the mounting frame 6 via an origami base 11, and the other end of the three-dimensional cylindrical origami structure 5 is fixedly connected to the mounting base 4. A linear guide structure is provided between the origami base 11 and the mounting base 4. The linear guide structure includes a linear bearing (not shown in the figure) and a guide post 12. The linear bearing is fixedly mounted on the origami base 11, and one end of the guide post 12 is fixedly connected to the mounting base 4. The other end of the guide post 12 extends into the linear bearing. Through the above structure, a linear movement guide can be provided for the operating handle 1 and the three-dimensional cylindrical origami structure 5, making the feedback of linear movement more precise.

[0041] See Figure 1-2 and Figure 6 The circumferential rotation feedback mechanism includes a rotating shaft 3, a hollow rotary soft brake 13, a rotary air pump (not shown in the figure), and a terminal rotation resistance sensor (not shown in the figure). One end of the rotating shaft 3 is fixedly connected to the operating handle 1, and the other end of the rotating shaft 3 extends into the inner cavity of the rotary soft brake 13 and is in contact with the inner wall of the rotary soft brake 13. The rotating shaft 3 is rotatably connected to the mounting base 4. The rotary soft brake 13 is fixedly mounted on the mounting base 4. The mounting base 4 is provided with a mounting cover 14, which is used to seal the rotary soft brake 13 in the inner cavity of the origami base 11. The rotary air pump is connected to the rotary soft brake 13. The terminal rotation resistance sensor is used to detect the resistance of the rotational movement of the terminal surgical catheter. The rotary air pump inputs a corresponding amount of air pressure into the rotary soft brake 13 according to the magnitude of the resistance of the linear movement of the terminal surgical catheter, so that the frictional force of the rotary soft brake 13 on the rotating shaft 3 is equal to the resistance of the rotational movement of the terminal surgical catheter.

[0042] Specifically, both the rotary soft brake 13 and the linear soft actuator 7 are composed of airbags.

[0043] See Figure 1-6 The working principle of the tactile device for catheter interventional surgery in this embodiment is as follows:

[0044] During operation, after establishing a remote connection, the doctor controls the operating handle 1 to perform remote catheter intervention surgery. The movements of the operating handle 1 include linear movement and circular rotation.

[0045] During the surgery, the resistance of the surgical catheter's linear movement is detected in real time by the terminal linear resistance sensor. This resistance data is transmitted to the backend processor, which calculates the resistance and converts it into the required air pressure. The processor then sends corresponding instructions to the linear air pump to adjust the air pressure of all linear soft actuators 7 (a mathematical model or database can be pre-trained to obtain the relationship between the terminal resistance and the air pressure of each linear soft actuator 7, allowing for rapid determination of the air pressure for each actuator based on the terminal resistance). The goal is to ensure that the resistance generated by the entire three-dimensional cylindrical origami structure 5 equals the resistance of the surgical catheter's linear movement. When the surgeon controls the operating handle 1 to move linearly, it compresses the three-dimensional cylindrical origami structure 5, i.e., compresses multiple linear soft actuators 7. The resistance generated by the counter-compression of all the linear soft actuators 7 is equal to the resistance encountered by the surgical catheter. The resistance felt by the surgeon at this point is the same as the resistance encountered by the surgical catheter, making the surgical experience more realistic and allowing for more accurate subsequent operations. Furthermore, during the compression of the three-dimensional cylindrical origami structure 5, the linear air pump dynamically adjusts the air pressure within the linear soft actuator 7, ensuring that the resistance provided by the three-dimensional cylindrical origami structure 5 is always equal to the resistance encountered by the terminal surgical catheter.

[0046] Simultaneously, the resistance to the rotation of the surgical catheter is detected in real time by the terminal rotation resistance sensor, and the resistance data is transmitted to the backend processor. The backend processor calculates the resistance and converts it into the required air pressure, then sends corresponding instructions to the rotary air pump to adjust the air pressure of the rotary soft brake 13, ensuring that the frictional force of the rotary soft brake 13 against the rotating shaft 3 equals the resistance to the rotation of the surgical catheter. When the doctor controls the operating handle 1 to rotate, the rotary soft brake 13 can provide the same resistance as the surgical catheter, making the surgical experience more realistic and effectively improving the efficiency and safety of the surgery.

[0047] The above are preferred embodiments of the present invention, but the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the above content. Any changes, modifications, substitutions, combinations, or simplifications made without departing from the spirit and principle of the present invention shall be considered equivalent substitutions and shall be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A tactile device for catheter-based interventional surgery, characterized in that, This includes an operating handle, a linear motion feedback mechanism, and a circular rotation feedback mechanism; The linear motion feedback mechanism includes a hollow three-dimensional cylindrical origami structure and a linear air pressure feedback module. One end of the three-dimensional cylindrical origami structure is fixed to the mounting frame, and the other end is connected to the operating handle via a mounting base. The three-dimensional cylindrical origami structure has multiple outward-facing bending slots and multiple inward-facing bending slots. The linear air pressure feedback module includes a linear soft actuator, a linear air pump, and a terminal linear resistance sensor. Multiple linear soft actuators are provided and are respectively located in the inner or outer bending slots. The linear air pump is connected to multiple linear soft actuators. The terminal linear resistance sensor is used to detect the resistance of the linear movement of the terminal surgical catheter. The linear air pump inputs the required air pressure into the linear soft actuator according to the magnitude of the resistance of the linear movement of the terminal surgical catheter, so that the resistance generated by the entire three-dimensional cylindrical origami structure is equal to the resistance of the linear movement of the terminal surgical catheter. The circumferential rotation feedback mechanism includes a rotating shaft, a hollow rotary soft brake, a rotary air pump, and a terminal rotation resistance sensor. One end of the rotating shaft is fixedly connected to the operating handle, and the other end extends into the inner cavity of the rotary soft brake and is in contact with the inner wall of the rotary soft brake. The rotating shaft is rotatably connected to the mounting base. The rotary soft brake is fixedly mounted on the mounting base. The rotary air pump is connected to the rotary soft brake. The terminal rotation resistance sensor is used to detect the resistance of the terminal surgical catheter's rotational movement. The rotary air pump inputs the required air pressure into the rotary soft brake according to the magnitude of the resistance of the terminal surgical catheter's rotational movement, so that the frictional force of the rotary soft brake on the rotating shaft is equal to the resistance of the terminal surgical catheter's rotational movement.

2. The tactile device for catheter interventional surgery according to claim 1, characterized in that, The operating handle has a spindle-shaped structure.

3. The tactile device for catheter interventional surgery according to claim 1, characterized in that, The three-dimensional cylindrical origami structure includes a folded frame and a panel; The panel includes an outer panel and an inner panel, and multiple outer and inner panels are provided. The outer panel covers the outer folded surfaces of the folded frame located on both sides of the crease, and the inner panel covers the inner folded surfaces of the folded frame located on both sides of the crease.

4. The tactile device for catheter interventional surgery according to claim 3, characterized in that, The folded frame is formed by folding a polyethylene film layer; both the outer and inner panels are made of polylactic acid.

5. The tactile device for catheter interventional surgery according to claim 1, characterized in that, One end of the three-dimensional cylindrical origami structure is fixed to the mounting frame via an origami base, and the other end of the three-dimensional cylindrical origami structure is fixedly connected to the mounting base; A linear guide structure is provided between the origami base and the mounting base. The linear guide structure includes a linear bearing and a guide post. The linear bearing is fixedly mounted on the origami base. One end of the guide post is fixedly connected to the mounting base, and the other end of the guide post extends into the linear bearing.

6. The tactile device for catheter interventional surgery according to claim 1, characterized in that, Both the rotary soft brake and the linear soft actuator are composed of airbags.

7. The tactile device for catheter interventional surgery according to claim 1, characterized in that, The mounting base is provided with a mounting cover for sealing the rotary soft brake in the inner cavity of the origami base.

8. The tactile device for catheter interventional surgery according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a linear displacement information acquisition mechanism, which includes a laser displacement sensor for detecting the linear displacement information of the operating handle.

9. The tactile device for catheter interventional surgery according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a rotation angle information acquisition mechanism, which includes an encoder that is fixedly mounted on a mounting base; the other end of the rotating shaft passes through the encoder and is connected to the encoder's code disk.

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