surgical robots

Abstract

The present application belongs to the field of medical device technology. The embodiment of the present application provides a surgical robot, comprising an outer sleeve; a serpentine tube, which is detachably inserted into the outer sleeve; an end instrument, which is arranged at the distal end of the serpentine tube, and the end instrument can pass through the outer sleeve with the serpentine tube to enter the target cavity; a plurality of traction ropes, which are located in the serpentine tube, and one end of the traction rope is at least located at the distal end of the serpentine tube; a plurality of limiters, which are sequentially inserted into the serpentine tube, and each limiter is constructed with a plurality of perforations, which are used for the traction ropes to pass through, so as to limit the traction ropes in the plurality of limiters. The present application arranges a plurality of limiters in the serpentine tube, and opens a perforation on each limiter, so that the plurality of traction ropes passing through the serpentine tube can pass through the limiters. The arrangement of the limiters can make the plurality of traction ropes separated, thereby avoiding the accumulation and entanglement of the plurality of traction ropes when the serpentine tube is in a bent state.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of medical device technology, and in particular to a surgical robot. Background Art

[0002] The distal end of the surgical robotic arm is equipped with an end instrument, which typically requires rotational motion. One method is to install components between the end instrument and a guide (which is inserted into a flexible tube and is used to drive the end instrument to move within the flexible tube) to achieve rotation of the end instrument, but this method is easily limited by space. Another method is to rotate the guide as a whole, thereby driving the rotation of the end instrument. Since the flexible tube is long, the guide inserted into it is also long and needs to be able to bend. Therefore, the guide inserted into the flexible tube and used to connect the end instrument can be a torque coil or some more complex structure.

[0003] However, in actual applications, the use of a torque coil requires the installation of pull cords and cables inside it to control the end instrument (surgical movements or degrees of freedom). The pull cords are usually installed in flexible sheaths of appropriate size to prevent collision and interference between the pull cords. Since the pull cords need to control the degrees of freedom of the end instrument or surgical movements (such as occlusion), it is necessary to ensure that the pull cords have a certain tension inside the torque coil. In actual applications, the torque coil is usually bent at a certain angle and needs to rotate along its own axis to drive the rotation of the end instrument. During this process, the multiple flexible sheaths inside will accumulate or generate torque (which can also be understood as self-tightening or entanglement), which will cause jumps, which can easily cause jumps in the torque coil that is closely attached to it. In other words, the above-mentioned problem will cause the proximal end of the torque coil to rotate at an extremely asymmetric or random speed with the distal end, resulting in jumps. Therefore, it is difficult to control the rotation of the end instrument, which in turn affects the accuracy of the surgical process. Summary of the Invention

[0004] An embodiment of the present application provides a surgical robot that can separately arrange multiple traction ropes, thereby preventing the multiple traction ropes from piling up and becoming entangled with each other when the snake tube is in a bent state.

[0005] The present invention provides a surgical robot comprising:

[0006] outer sleeve;

[0007] A snake bone tube is detachably arranged in the outer sleeve, and the snake bone tube includes multiple interlocking snake bones;

[0008] An end instrument is provided at the distal end of the snake tube, and the end instrument can pass through the outer sleeve along with the snake tube to enter the target cavity;

[0009] a plurality of pulling ropes located in the snake tube, with one end of each pulling rope located at least at a distal end of the snake tube, wherein the pulling ropes are configured to be pulled by an external force to adjust the degree of freedom of the end instrument;

[0010] A plurality of limiting members are sequentially inserted into the snake tube, and each of the limiting members is constructed with a plurality of through-holes, which are used for the pulling rope to pass through so as to limit the pulling rope in the plurality of limiting members.

[0011] In a feasible implementation, each section of the snake bone corresponds to at least one of the limiting components.

[0012] In a feasible implementation, the limiting member includes a sleeve, and the sleeve is adapted to be embedded in the snake tube;

[0013] The sleeve includes a first end surface and a second end surface opposite to each other, and the first end surface and / or the second end surface are arc-shaped surfaces convex outward.

[0014] In a feasible implementation, the through hole is formed in the sleeve and communicates with the first end surface and the second end surface;

[0015] The sleeve is further configured with a wire passing hole, which is located on one side of the through hole and is used for passing a pull wire and / or a cable connected to the end instrument.

[0016] In a feasible implementation, the surgical robot further includes a flexible continuum, wherein the flexible continuum is located between the snake tube and the end instrument;

[0017] The distal end of the pulling rope is connected to the flexible continuum so as to pull the flexible continuum to adjust the degree of freedom of the terminal instrument.

[0018] In a feasible implementation, the snake bone tube includes a proximal portion and a distal portion, the proximal portion includes multiple sections of snake bones with a length of A, and the distal portion includes multiple sections of snake bones with a length of B; wherein A>B;

[0019] The length of each of the multiple sleeves embedded in the proximal part is A, and the length of each of the multiple-section sleeves embedded in the distal part is B.

[0020] In a feasible implementation, the outer periphery of the sleeve is structured with a first positioning portion, and the snake bone corresponding to the sleeve is structured with a second positioning portion, so that the sleeve can be positioned by aligning the second positioning portion with the first positioning portion.

[0021] In a feasible implementation, the first end of each of the snake bones is configured with two convex connecting parts, and the second end is configured with two concave connecting parts, and the concave connecting parts are pivotally connected to the adjacent convex connecting parts;

[0022] Under the action of external force, the snake bone tube is squeezed along its axial direction, and the convex connecting parts and concave connecting parts of two adjacent sections of the snake bone have at least two contact positions, so that when the snake bone tube rotates along its axial direction, each convex connecting part fits with the corresponding concave connecting part, so that the distal end of the snake bone tube follows the proximal end of the snake bone tube in rotation, and the rotation angle is consistent.

[0023] In a feasible implementation, the concave connecting portion is a groove formed at the second end of the snake bone, and the bottom of the groove includes a bottom surface, a first inclined surface, and a second inclined surface. The bottom surface extends along the circumference of the snake bone, and the first inclined surface and the second inclined surface are respectively located on both sides of the bottom surface;

[0024] When the snake-bone tube is squeezed along its axial direction by an external force, the outer end surface of the convex connection portion abuts against the first inclined surface and the second inclined surface respectively to form two contact positions.

[0025] In a feasible implementation, the first inclined surface is a plane / arc surface, and the second inclined surface is a plane / arc surface;

[0026] And / or, the cross-sectional shape of the bottom of the groove is trapezoidal.

[0027] In a feasible implementation, the outer contour of the convex connection portion is circular, and the outer contour of the convex connection portion is an inner conical surface whose radius gradually decreases from the outer wall to the inner wall of the snake bone;

[0028] The inner surface of the groove is adapted to the outer contour of the convex connecting portion.

[0029] In a feasible implementation, the opening length of the groove is smaller than the diameter of the convex connecting portion.

[0030] In a feasible implementation, each of the snake bones includes two opposite convex connecting parts and two opposite concave connecting parts;

[0031] A line connecting the two opposite male connection parts is perpendicular to a line connecting the two opposite female connection parts.

[0032] In a feasible implementation, the snake bone tube further includes a first snake bone and a tail snake bone, the first end of the first snake bone is configured with a convex connecting portion / concave connecting portion for pivotally connecting with the concave connecting portion / convex connecting portion of an adjacent snake bone, and the second end surface of the first snake bone is configured with a plurality of through holes for the pulling rope to pass through;

[0033] The first end of the coccyx serpentine is configured with a male / female connection portion for pivotally connecting with the female / male connection portion of an adjacent serpentine.

[0034] In a feasible implementation, a support tube is provided between the first snake bone and the flexible continuum, and the support tube is configured to partially extend out of the outer sleeve so that the flexible continuum is located in the target cavity.

[0035] In a feasible implementation, the flexible continuum includes a plurality of rotational joints rotatably connected to each other, and the distal end of the pulling rope is sequentially connected to the plurality of rotational joints, so that the flexible continuum is bent by pulling the pulling rope.

[0036] The surgical robot provided in the embodiment of the present application provides a plurality of limiters in the snake tube, and provides a perforation on each limiter so that the multiple traction ropes passing through the snake tube can pass through the limiters. The setting of the limiters can, on the one hand, make the multiple traction ropes separately arranged, effectively preventing the accumulation and entanglement of the multiple traction ropes when the snake tube is in a bent state, and on the other hand, it can solve the problem of the flexible sheath used in the related art causing jumps, which is not conducive to the control of the distal end instrument. The solution provided by the present application is conducive to better control of the rotation of the distal end of the snake tube when the proximal end rotates, and thus better control of the rotation of the end instrument, thereby improving surgical accuracy. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0037] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or related technologies, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or related technical descriptions. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0038] Figure 1 1 is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the surgical robot (excluding the outer cannula) provided according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0039] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the layout structure of the snake tube and the end instrument provided according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0040] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the connection structure between the snake tube and the limiting member provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0041] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 A partial enlarged schematic diagram;

[0042] Figure 5Schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the snake tube and the limiting member provided according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0043] Figure 6 This is one of the structural schematic diagrams of the position limiting member provided according to the embodiment of the present application;

[0044] Figure 7 This is a second structural diagram of a position limiting member provided according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0045] Figure 8 Schematic diagram of the structure of the snake bone tube provided according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0046] Figure 9 Schematic diagram of the contact point formed between two adjacent snake bones according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0047] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of a snake bone provided according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0048] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of the front view structure of a snake bone provided according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0049] Figure 12 is a schematic side view of the structure of a snake bone provided according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0050] Figure 13 This is a schematic structural diagram of the first snake bone provided according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0051] Figure 14 Schematic diagram of the structure of the coccyx provided in accordance with an embodiment of the present application;

[0052] Figure 15 This is the second structural diagram of the connection between the snake tube and the end instrument provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0053] Figure 16 This is a schematic diagram of stress simulation of a snake bone subjected to a 200N extrusion force according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0054] Figure 17 This is a schematic diagram of stress simulation of a snake bone subjected to a 400N extrusion force according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0055] Figure 18 This is a schematic diagram of the delayed rotation of the distal end of the snake bone tube provided in an embodiment of the present application with a curvature of 0° and no squeezing force;

[0056] Figure 19 Schematic diagram of the rotation change of the distal end of the snake bone tube under multiple curvatures of the snake bone tube according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0057] Figure 20This is a schematic diagram of the rotation change of the distal end of the outer sleeve with a diameter of 3.8 mm and the snake tube with a diameter of 3.5 mm according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0058] Figure 21 This is a schematic diagram of the rotation change of the distal end of the outer sleeve with a diameter of 3.8 mm and the snake tube with a diameter of 3.6 mm according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0059] Figure 22 This is a schematic diagram of the rotation change of the distal end of the snake tube with a diameter of 3.6 mm and an outer sleeve with a diameter of 4.0 mm according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0060] Figure 23 This is a schematic diagram of the rotational change of the distal end of the snake tube with a diameter of 3.6 mm and an outer sleeve with a diameter of 3.8 mm provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0061] Reference numerals:

[0062] 100, snake bone tube; 110, snake bone; 111, convex connection portion; 112, concave connection portion; 113, contact position; 1121, bottom surface; 1122, first inclined surface; 1123, second inclined surface; 120, first snake bone; 130, tail snake bone; 101, proximal portion; 102, distal portion;

[0063] 200, flexible continuum;

[0064] 300, terminal device;

[0065] 400, support tube;

[0066] 500, limiter; 510, perforation; 520, wire hole; 501, first end surface; 502, second end surface;

[0067] 600. Pull rope. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0068] The following embodiments of the present invention are described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples. The following examples are used to illustrate the present invention but are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0069] In the description of the embodiments of the present invention, it should be noted that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship, are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the embodiments of the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operate in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as limiting the embodiments of the present invention. In addition, the terms "first", "second", and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0070] In the description of the embodiments of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise specified or limited, the terms "connected" and "connection" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, they can refer to fixed connections, detachable connections, or integral connections; mechanical connections, electrical connections; and direct connections or indirect connections through an intermediary. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the embodiments of the present invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0071] In the embodiments of the present invention, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, a first feature being "above" or "below" a second feature may mean that the first and second features are in direct contact, or that the first and second features are in indirect contact through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, a first feature being "above," "above," or "above" a second feature may mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is at a higher level than the second feature. A first feature being "below," "below," or "below" a second feature may mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is at a lower level than the second feature.

[0072] In the description of this specification, the reference terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "example", "specific example", or "some examples" mean that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the embodiment of the present invention. In this specification, the schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described can be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner. In addition, those skilled in the art can combine and combine different embodiments or examples described in this specification and features of different embodiments or examples without contradiction.

[0073] The outer sleeves and distal instruments in the following examples may be described as medical devices that are inserted into a patient's body and used to perform surgical or diagnostic procedures. The distal instruments may be surgical tools associated with one or more surgical tasks, such as forceps, needle holders, scissors, bipolar cautery devices, tissue stabilizers or retractors, clip appliers, stapling devices, imaging devices (e.g., endoscopes or ultrasound probes), and the like.

[0074] To perform surgical procedures, the end-instrument often needs to be rotated within the patient's body. This can be achieved by rotating the guide (typically a torque coil) connected to the end-instrument as a whole, thereby driving the end-instrument's rotation. However, due to the long outer sleeve, the guide inserted into the sleeve is also long. Furthermore, due to its inherent characteristics, the guide generates torque during proximal rotation, making it prone to jitter (jumping), which can affect control of the end-instrument.

[0075] In the related technology, there are multi-section hinged connectors made using the principle of cross universal joints. Although the distal end of the connector can rotate synchronously with the proximal end well, due to its special structure, it is difficult to design it into a hollow structure to facilitate the passage of ropes or cables connected to the terminal instrument.

[0076] Figure 1 1 is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the surgical robot (excluding the outer cannula) provided according to an embodiment of the present application; Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the layout structure of the snake tube and the end instrument provided in accordance with the embodiment of the present application. Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, in one embodiment, the surgical robot may include an outer sleeve and a snake tube 100 . The snake tube 100 is detachably disposed in the outer sleeve and includes a plurality of interlocking snakes 110 .

[0077] It is understandable that the snake bone tube 100 composed of multiple interlocking snake bones 110 can better overcome the jump problem during the rotation process, and the hollow design of the snake bone tube 100 can facilitate the passage of the pull rope (rope) or cable connected to the end instrument 300.

[0078] Although using the snake tube 100 instead of the aforementioned guide can effectively overcome the problem of rotational jitter, especially when the outer sleeve is used in an extended state, the snake tube 100 can effectively control the rotation of the distal end instrument 300, thereby improving the accuracy of rotational control. However, in actual use, the outer sleeve needs to bend to match the curvature of the human body's natural cavity, and the pull cord disposed within the snake tube 100 (usually threaded within a flexible sheath) has a certain tension. During this process, the multiple flexible sheaths within the snake tube 100 will accumulate or generate torque (which can also be understood as self-tightening or entanglement), which can cause jitter, and thus easily cause jitter in the torque coil closely attached to it. In other words, the above-mentioned problem causes the proximal end of the torque coil to rotate at an extremely asymmetric or random rotation speed with the proximal end, resulting in jitter. This makes it difficult to control the rotation of the end instrument, thereby affecting the accuracy of the surgical procedure.

[0079] The present application provides a surgical robot. Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the connection structure between the snake tube and the limiting member provided in an embodiment of the present application; Figure 4 yes Figure 3 A partial enlarged schematic diagram of the Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the surgical robot may include an outer sleeve, a snake tube 100 , an end instrument 300 , a plurality of pulling ropes 600 and a plurality of limiting members 500 .

[0080] The snake tube 100 can be detachably inserted into the outer sleeve, and the snake tube 100 includes multiple interlocking snakes 110; the end instrument 300 is arranged at the distal end of the snake tube 100, and the end instrument 300 can pass through the outer sleeve with the snake tube 100 to enter the target cavity; multiple traction ropes 600 are located in the snake tube 100, and one end of the traction rope 600 is at least located at the distal end of the snake tube 100, and the traction rope 600 is configured to be pulled by external force to adjust the degree of freedom of the end instrument 300; multiple limiting members 500 are sequentially inserted into the snake tube 100, and each limiting member 500 is constructed with multiple through-holes 510, and the through-holes 510 are used for the traction rope 600 to pass through, so as to limit the traction rope 600 in the multiple limiting members 500.

[0081] It is understandable that the surgical robot may further include a trolley for supporting, for example, the outer cannula described below, and a control mechanism for controlling the snake tube 100 to enter or extend from the outer cannula, controlling the rotation of the snake tube 100, and performing surgical operations with the end instrument 300. The specific structure can be understood with reference to the relevant technology and will not be described in detail here. In this example, the proximal end of the outer cannula is set on the trolley, and its distal end can enter the human body cavity through the guidance of a guide wire or an endoscope. Of course, the outer cannula can be provided with multiple channels, for example, three channels, one of which is used to pass through the endoscope, and the other two are used to pass through the snake tube 100 connected to the end instrument 300.

[0082] The end instrument 300, the snake tube 100, the pulling rope and the limiter 500 can be pre-assembled (see the attached Figure 1 、 3 Specifically, multiple pulling ropes 600 can be passed through the through holes 510 of multiple limiting members 500, and then the multiple limiting members 500 carrying the pulling ropes 600 are passed through the snake bone tube 100, and both end portions of the pulling ropes 600 are exposed from the snake bone tube 100; of course, multiple limiting members 500 can also be passed through the snake bone tube 100, and then multiple pulling ropes 600 are passed through the multiple limiting members 500 in sequence. The specific setting method is not limited here. The end instrument 300 can be detachably or fixedly arranged at the distal end of the snake tube 100, the distal end of the pulling rope can be crimped to the distal end of the snake tube 100, and the proximal end of the pulling rope passes through the snake tube 100 until it reaches the control mechanism at the trolley. The control mechanism can control multiple pulling ropes to make the part of the snake tube 100 exposed to the outer sleeve bend, thereby adjusting the degree of freedom of the end instrument 300. How the specific control mechanism controls the pulling rope can be understood based on relevant technology and will not be repeated here.

[0083] In some embodiments, the surgical robot further includes a flexible continuum 200 , which is located between the snake tube 100 and the end instrument 300 ; the distal end of the pulling rope 600 is connected to the flexible continuum 200 to pull the flexible continuum 200 to adjust the degree of freedom of the end instrument 300 .

[0084] Specifically, the flexible continuum 200 in this example can be understood as an extension of the snake tube 100. Its structure can utilize conventional snakes, or other structures whose curvature can be controlled via multiple pull cords 600, without limitation. The flexible continuum 200 facilitates the insertion of pull cords 600 to drive the bending of the end device and change its degrees of freedom. Furthermore, its shorter length compared to the snake tube 100 allows for better tracking of the snake tube's rotation, thereby enhancing control over the rotation of the end device 300.

[0085] The specific usage process is that after the outer sleeve enters the human body cavity, the snake tube 100 drives the flexible continuum 200 and the end instrument 300 into the outer sleeve. Since the snake tube 100 has multiple degrees of freedom, it can adaptably move forward in the curved outer sleeve until the flexible continuum 200 and the end instrument 300 extend out of the outer sleeve and enter the human body cavity; then the pulling rope can be controlled to bend the flexible continuum 200 and adjust the degree of freedom of the end instrument 300. At the same time, the proximal end of the snake tube 100 can be rotated by a motor or manually, so that the flexible continuum 200 and the end instrument 300 located at the distal end of the snake tube 100 rotate synchronously, thereby achieving the purpose of accurately controlling the rotation of the end instrument 300.

[0086] Since multiple pulling ropes 600 connected to the flexible continuum 200 need to be set, such as four, six or eight, and at least two pulling wires or cables connected to the end instrument 300 (controlling the operation of the end instrument 300) need to be set, in order to avoid the accumulation of multiple ropes and cables in the snake tube 100 and the generation of large friction between each other (self-tightening, entanglement), which affects the control of the bending of the flexible continuum 200 and the control of the end instrument 300, when the cables are entangled, they are easily broken at the welding points at both ends of the cables; more importantly, in order to avoid the multiple ropes affecting the rotation of the snake tube 100 (especially when the snake tube 100 is in a bent state). In this example, a plurality of limiting members 500 are passed through the serpentine tube 100, and the plurality of limiting members 500 are constructed with a plurality of through-holes 510 for facilitating the passage of the pulling rope 600. That is, the pulling rope 600 is separated from the inner wall of the serpentine tube 100 by the plurality of limiting members 500, and the pulling rope 600 is constrained in the limiting members 500, thereby avoiding accumulation and entanglement between the plurality of pulling ropes 600.

[0087] In the present application, a plurality of stoppers 500 are provided in the snake tube 100, and a perforation 510 is provided on each stopper 500, so that the plurality of traction cords 600 passing through the snake tube 100 can pass through the stopper 500. The provision of the stoppers 500 can, on the one hand, separate the plurality of traction cords 600, effectively preventing the accumulation and entanglement of the plurality of traction cords 600 when the snake tube 100 is bent, and on the other hand, can solve the problem of the flexible sheath used in the related art causing jumps, which is not conducive to the control of the distal end instrument. The solution provided by the present application is conducive to better control of the rotation of the distal end of the snake tube 100 when the proximal end rotates, and thus better control of the rotation of the end instrument 300, thereby improving surgical accuracy.

[0088] It should be noted that the stopper 500 should not affect the bending and rotation of the serpentine tube 100. Therefore, the length of the stopper 500 should be appropriately designed. In one example, each section of the serpentine 110 corresponds to at least one stopper 500. Specifically, each section of the serpentine 110 can be provided with two or more stoppers 500. Of course, for ease of manufacturing, the length of the stopper 500 can be the same as the length of the serpentine 110 to adaptively bend with the serpentine tube 100.

[0089] In some embodiments, the limiting member 500 can be made of a plastic material with high hardness and smoothness, or made of a metal material with Teflon coating, to ensure the smooth movement of the pulling rope 600 in the limiting member 500.

[0090] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the snake tube and the limiting member provided according to an embodiment of the present application; Figure 6 This is one of the structural schematic diagrams of the position limiting member provided according to the embodiment of the present application; Figure 7 This is the second structural diagram of the position limiting member provided according to the embodiment of the present application. Figure 5-Figure 7 As shown, in some embodiments, the limiting member 500 includes a sleeve, which is adapted to be embedded in the snake tube 100; the sleeve includes a first end face 501 and a second end face 502 relative to each other, and the first end face 501 and / or the second end face 502 are arc-shaped surfaces protruding outward.

[0091] It is understandable that the limiter 500 provided in this example can be a sleeve that is adapted to the inner diameter of the serpentine tube 100. Of course, the diameter of the sleeve can also be slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the serpentine tube 100, and this is not limited here. The sleeve of the cylindrical structure includes an arc-shaped side surface and two opposite end surfaces. For the convenience of description, the two opposite end surfaces of the sleeve are defined as the first end surface 501 and the second end surface 502. In this example, the first end surface 501, or the second end surface 502, or the first end surface 501 and the second end surface 502 are designed to be an outwardly convex arc surface, that is, at least one end surface of the sleeve is designed to be hemispherical (combined with the exposed multiple perforations 510, the end surface is similar to a shower head). This design can avoid interference between adjacent sleeves when the serpentine tube 100 bends, which is conducive to forming an angle between adjacent sleeves, thereby avoiding affecting the bending of the serpentine tube 100.

[0092] like Figure 6 As shown, in some embodiments, a through hole 510 is formed in the sleeve and connects the first end face 501 and the second end face 502; the sleeve is also constructed with a wire hole 520, which is located on one side of the through hole 510 and is used for the pull wire and / or cable connected to the end instrument 300 to pass through.

[0093] It is understandable that the perforation 510 is constructed in the sleeve along the extension direction of the serpentine tube 100, and is mainly used to constrain the pulling rope 600 that pulls the flexible continuum 200. It should be noted that there is not only a pulling rope 600 in the serpentine tube 100, but also a pull wire that facilitates the control of the clamping and release of the end instrument 300 (such as a clamp), or an electrically controlled cable. Based on this, a wire hole 520 is also constructed in the sleeve to facilitate the passage of the wire, cable, or the wire and cable at the same time. Regarding the setting positions of the multiple perforations 510 and the multiple wire holes 520, they can be arranged according to actual conditions. For example, the multiple perforations 510 are evenly arranged in a circular shape, and the wire holes 520 are set between adjacent perforations 510, or set inside the circular shape. There is no limitation here.

[0094] This example effectively achieves the goal of constraining multiple cables through multiple sleeves. On the one hand, it effectively prevents multiple cables from converging in the snake tube 100, causing the multiple cables (including cables) to pile up and become entangled. On the other hand, it effectively solves the problem of the flexible sheath used in the related art causing jumps, which is not conducive to controlling the distal end instrument 300. In addition, the sleeves effectively prevent the cables from being easily broken.

[0095] The snake tube 100 provided in this embodiment has a larger inner diameter (inner space) than the torque coil in the related art, so as to facilitate the embedding of the sleeve, thereby facilitating the passage of more pulling ropes, wires or cables.

[0096] like Figure 1 As shown, in some embodiments, the serpentine tube 100 includes a proximal portion 101 and a distal portion 102, the proximal portion 101 includes multiple sections of serpentine bones 110 with a length of A, and the distal portion 102 includes multiple sections of serpentine bones 110 with a length of B; wherein A>B; the length of each of the multiple sleeves embedded in the proximal portion 101 is A, and the length of each of the multiple sleeves embedded in the distal portion 102 is B.

[0097] It is understood that the proximal portion 101 of the serpentine tube 100 is the portion closest to the trolley and is essentially not subject to significant bending during use. However, to ensure the effective rotation of the proximal portion 101, the proximal portion 101 is constructed from multiple, longer serpentine segments 110. Similarly, if the distal portion 102 of the serpentine tube 100 requires a greater bending range, it can be constructed from multiple, shorter serpentine segments 110. For ease of description, the length of each serpentine segment 110 in the proximal portion 101 is defined as A, and the length of each serpentine segment 110 in the distal portion 102 as B. The length of each sleeve embedded in the serpentine tube 100 can be the same as the length of the corresponding serpentine segment 110. That is, if the length of each sleeve embedded in the proximal portion 101 is A, then the length of each sleeve embedded in the distal portion 102 is B. This design facilitates manufacturing and facilitates the sleeve's adaptive bending with the serpentine tube 100.

[0098] In some embodiments, the outer periphery of the sleeve is configured with a first positioning portion, and the snake bone 110 corresponding to the sleeve is configured with a second positioning portion, so that the sleeve is positioned by aligning the second positioning portion with the first positioning portion.

[0099] It is understood that a circle of marking lines is constructed on the outer circumference of the sleeve as a first positioning portion, and positioning holes are constructed at positions corresponding to the snake bones 110 as a second positioning portion to facilitate positioning when the sleeve is installed in the snake bone tube 100, thereby ensuring that each sleeve corresponds to a snake bone 110. In addition, the sleeve and the corresponding snake bone 110 can be fixed by injecting glue or welding into the above-mentioned positioning holes, thereby further improving the control accuracy of the pull rope 600 and the pull wire, and thus improving the control accuracy of the end instrument 300.

[0100] It should be noted that a certain sleeve and the corresponding snake bone 110 can be positioned and fixed at intervals to achieve relative fixation of the entire sleeve and the snake bone tube 100.

[0101] Figure 8 Schematic diagram of the structure of the snake bone tube provided according to an embodiment of the present application; Figure 9 Schematic diagram of the contact point formed between two adjacent snake bones according to an embodiment of the present application; Figure 10 Schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the snake bone provided in the embodiment of the present application. Figures 8-10As shown, in some embodiments, the first end of each snake bone 110 is constructed with two convex connecting parts 111, and the second end is constructed with two concave connecting parts 112, and the concave connecting parts 112 are pivotally connected to the adjacent convex connecting parts 111; under the action of external force, the snake bone tube 100 is squeezed along its axial direction, and the convex connecting parts 111 and the concave connecting parts 112 of two adjacent snake bones 110 have at least two contact positions 113, so that when the snake bone tube 100 rotates along its axial direction, each convex connecting part 111 fits with the corresponding concave connecting part 112, so that the distal end of the snake bone tube 100 follows the proximal end of the snake bone tube 100 in rotation, and the rotation angles are consistent.

[0102] It is understood that the outer sleeve can be guided into the human body cavity by a guide wire or a built-in endoscope. Since the human body cavity, especially the natural cavity, has a curvature, the outer sleeve is generally supported by a flexible material and can bend to adapt to the curvature of the human body cavity. The outer sleeve is provided with a channel for the endoscope to pass through and a channel for the snake tube 100 to be set. The usual surgical procedure is that the outer sleeve first enters the human body cavity until it reaches the vicinity of the affected area; then the distal end of the snake tube 100 carries the terminal instrument 300 and enters from the proximal end of the outer sleeve until the terminal instrument 300 extends from the outer sleeve and reaches the affected area.

[0103] To accommodate the curvature of the outer tube, the snake tube 100 is constructed from multiple interlocking snakes 110, with adjacent snakes 110 pivotally connected. While the pivot axes of two snakes 110 can be aligned, this arrangement reduces the bending freedom of the snake tube 100, making it difficult to navigate through the complex curvature of the outer tube. To increase the bending freedom of the snakes 110, the pivot axes of two snakes 110 can be perpendicular to the pivot axes of the upper or lower snakes 110, allowing the snake tube 100 to bend in four directions: forward, backward, left, and right.

[0104] In addition, in order to increase the bending degree of the snake bone tube 100, the length of each section of the snake bone 110 can be reasonably set based on the ability to pass through the outer sleeve smoothly and adaptably. The specific design can be reasonable based on the actual application scenario of the flexible arm (pelvic cavity, intestines, etc.), and there is no restriction here.

[0105] To connect and interlock multiple snake bones 110, multiple snake bones 110 with identical structures can be manufactured separately. After the male connecting portions 111 and female connecting portions 112 of adjacent snake bones 110 are aligned, they can be interlocked using a snap fit, etc., to form the snake bone tube 100. Of course, to simplify the structure of the snake bone tube 100, that is, to simplify the structure of the snake bones 110 and free up more space (external space, internal space), in one example, the multiple interlocking snake bones 110 are formed by laser cutting a hollow tube. Each snake bone 110 includes two opposing male connecting portions 111 and two opposing female connecting portions 112; the line connecting the two male connecting portions 111 is perpendicular to the line connecting the two female connecting portions 112.

[0106] Specifically, a stainless steel tube or other hollow tube of similar material (e.g., a nickel-titanium alloy tube) can be provided, and a pattern can be cut into the hollow tube using a laser to form a plurality of mutually pivotally connected snake bones 110. The cut and formed multiple snake bones 110 also have a self-locking function, that is, they prevent the individual snake bones 110 from disengaging in the axial and radial directions. This arrangement not only ensures the shape and smoothness of the outer shape of the snake bone tube 100, facilitating its movement within the channel of the outer sleeve, but also maintains the hollow space within the snake bone tube 100, facilitating the passage of ropes (pulling ropes 600, leads) or cables connected to the end instrument 300.

[0107] In addition, the arrangement positions of the two convex connecting parts 111 and the two concave connecting parts 112 can ensure the freedom of the snake tube 100 in four directions, thereby ensuring the smooth movement of the snake tube 100 in the channel of the outer sleeve.

[0108] To drive the end instrument 300 to rotate via the serpentine tube 100, the aforementioned serpentine tube 100, comprised of multiple segments of serpentine bones 110, can effectively reduce or avoid the problem of hopping during rotation. Specifically, the rotation angle of the distal end of the serpentine tube 100 can be substantially consistent with that of the proximal end. However, due to the gap between the male and female connecting portions 111, 112 of adjacent serpentine bones 110 (a gap of at least 0.016 mm, which is unavoidable due to laser cutting), the proximal serpentine bone 110, after following motor or manual rotation, needs to fill the gap between the proximal serpentine bone 110 and the next segment before it can drive the rotation of that segment of serpentine bone 110. Because the serpentine tube 100 is long and has a large number of segments, the torque transmitted from the proximal end of the serpentine tube 100 to the distal end requires filling a larger gap, resulting in a significant delay at the distal end of the serpentine tube 100. In other words, the distal end of the serpentine tube 100 only starts to rotate after the proximal end of the serpentine tube 100 rotates a large number of times. Even if the rotation angle of the distal end of the serpentine tube 100 is consistent with that of the proximal end in this case, due to the large number of delayed turns (rotation angle), there is still a problem of inconvenience in controlling the rotation of the distal end instrument 300 of the serpentine tube 100.

[0109] For example, the following table shows the degree of delay at the distal end of the snake tube 100 when the outer sleeve diameter is 4 mm, the diameter of the snake tube 100 is 3.6 mm, the snake tube 100 is not subjected to extrusion pressure, and the proximal end of the snake tube 100 is continuously rotated:

[0110] Curvature 0° 90° 180° Delay (degrees) 955 1345 1430

[0111] Combined with attachment Figure 18 It can be seen that when the snake tube 100 is not subjected to a squeezing force, the degree of delay at the distal end is severe, which will have a greater impact on the directional rotation, and the degree of delay increases with the curvature of the snake tube 100 .

[0112] Based on the above problems, this embodiment adjusts the shape of the abutment point of the male connection part 111 and / or the female connection part 112, and combines the method of applying external force to the axial direction of the snake bone tube 100 so that the male connection part 111 and the female connection part 112 have at least two contact positions 113. Specifically, the end faces of the male connection part 111 and the female connection part 112 formed by conventional laser cutting are arc-shaped, that is, the outer contour of the male connection part 111 is a circular arc surface, and the inner surface of the female connection part 112 is also a circular arc. Even if an external force is applied to squeeze the snake bone tube 100, only the highest point of the male connection part 111 and the lowest point of the female connection part 112 will contact (one contact position 113), and a large gap will still exist on both sides. When one of the snake bones 110 rotates, it still needs to fill the gap between its adjacent snake bones 110 before it can drive the snake bone 110 to rotate.

[0113] In this embodiment, the outer contour of the convex connection part 111 can be designed to be a trapezoid. When external force squeezes the serpentine tube 100, the two vertices of the trapezoidal convex connection part 111 will abut against the arc surface of the concave connection part 112, that is, two contact positions 113 are formed between the two. The formation of the two contact positions 113 can ensure that the convex connection part 111 is fitly connected with the concave connection part 112 regardless of whether the serpentine tube 100 rotates forward or reverse, thereby slowing down or avoiding the situation where the proximal end of the serpentine tube 100 rotates while the distal end rotates delayed, thereby realizing precise control of the distal rotation of the serpentine tube 100. Of course, the inner surface of the concave connection part 112 can also be set to a trapezoid, and the outer contour of the convex connection part 111 can still remain a circular arc surface, so as to achieve the purpose of fitting the convex connection part 111 and the concave connection part 112 together; the inner surface of the concave connection part 112 and the outer contour of the convex connection part 111 can also be changed, so that the convex connection part 111 fits the concave connection part 112 regardless of whether the snake bone tube 100 rotates forward or reverse.

[0114] For example, the following table shows the degree of delay at the distal end of the snake tube 100 when the outer sleeve diameter is 4 mm, the diameter of the snake tube 100 is 3.6 mm, the snake tube 100 is subjected to extrusion pressure, and the proximal end of the snake tube 100 is continuously rotated:

[0115] Curvature 0° 90° 180° Delay (degrees) (uncompressed) 955 1345 1430 Delay(degrees)(squeeze) 369 420 495

[0116] It can be seen that the degree of delay at the distal end of the snake tube 100 is significantly reduced after squeezing. Of course, in actual applications, a greater squeezing force can be applied to the snake tube 100 to minimize the degree of delay at the distal end of the snake tube 100.

[0117] In addition, to facilitate laser cutting, the outer contour arc surface of the convex connection part 111 and the inner surface arc surface of the concave connection part 112 can be maintained, but the curvature of the arc surface of any one of the two needs to be changed. In other words, the side wall of the convex connection part 111 should be abutted against the side wall of the concave connection part 112 as much as possible, rather than the highest point of the convex connection part 111 directly abutting against the lowest point of the concave connection part 112. Combined with the extrusion force applied to the snake bone tube 100 by external force, the fitting connection between each snake bone 110 is ensured (with fitting along the circumference of the snake bone tube 100), so as to achieve the purpose of synchronous rotation of the distal end of the snake bone tube 100 following the proximal end.

[0118] The axial compression of the snake tube 100 by external forces can be achieved by utilizing a pull cord 600 threaded therein. To ensure the axial compression of the pull cord on the snake tube 100, a tensioning mechanism can be connected to the proximal end of the pull cord 600. This tensioning mechanism not only facilitates adjustment of the tension of the pull cord 600 but also monitors the tension of the pull cord 600, thereby providing a basis for precise control of the rotation of the end instrument 300. The tensioning mechanism can be configured as a variable curvature cam slide or other structure. The details can be understood by referring to relevant technologies and will not be elaborated here.

[0119] Of course, the extrusion of the snake tube 100 can be in various forms, which can be designed according to actual conditions and are not limited here.

[0120] It should be noted that a larger gap can be left between the snake bones 110 except the male connection part 111 and the female connection part 112 to ensure the rotation of adjacent snake bones 110 with the male connection part 111 as the pivot axis, thereby ensuring the bending of the snake bone tube 100.

[0121] Moreover, the edges of the snake bones 110 cut by laser are relatively sharp, which may cause the scraped outer sleeve debris to get stuck in the snake bone tube 100, thereby affecting the bending and rotation of the snake bone tube 100. Therefore, in this embodiment, the edges of each snake bone 110 can be polished with sandpaper or a grinder to improve its stability in use.

[0122] In the present application, the snake bone tube 100 is detachably inserted into the outer sleeve, and the snake bones 110 pivotally connected to each other can adapt to the bending of the outer sleeve, and by designing the shape of the contact surface of the convex connection part 111 and / or the concave connection part 112, the convex connection part 111 and the concave connection part 112 of adjacent snake bones 110 have at least two contact positions 113. At the same time, the snake bone tube 100 is squeezed by the external force to achieve the purpose of effectively fitting the convex connection part 111 and the concave connection part 112 of the adjacent snake bones 110 regardless of whether the snake bone tube 100 rotates forward or reverse, so that the distal end of the snake bone tube 100 can rotate synchronously or at the same frequency as the proximal end, and the rotation angle is consistent, which solves the problem of easy jump in the related art, thereby being more conducive to controlling the rotation of the end instrument 300 at the distal end of the snake bone tube 100 and improving the rotation accuracy.

[0123] like Figure 11 and Figure 12 As shown, in some embodiments, the concave connecting portion 112 is a groove formed at the second end of the snake bone 110, and the bottom of the groove includes a bottom surface 1121, a first inclined surface 1122 and a second inclined surface 1123. The bottom surface 1121 extends along the circumference of the snake bone 110, and the first inclined surface 1122 and the second inclined surface 1123 are respectively located on both sides of the bottom surface 1121; when the snake bone tube 100 is squeezed along its axial direction by external force, the outer end surfaces of the convex connecting portion 111 respectively abut against the first inclined surface 1122 and the second inclined surface 1123 to form two contact positions 113.

[0124] Specifically, after laser cutting the hollow tube, multiple segments of snake bones 110 are formed, and convex connecting portions 111, i.e., bumps, and concave connecting portions 112, i.e., grooves, are formed between adjacent snake bones 110. To achieve effective contact between adjacent snake bones 110 during the rotation of the snake bone tube 100, the bottom of the groove is processed in this embodiment to have a bottom surface 1121, a first inclined surface 1122, and a second inclined surface 1123. To facilitate processing, the first inclined surface 1122 and the second inclined surface 1123 can be symmetrically arranged with respect to the bottom surface 1121. Furthermore, by properly setting the angle between the first inclined surface 1122 and the second inclined surface 1123, when the snake bone tube 100 is squeezed by external force, the outer end surface of the convex connecting portion 111 abuts against the first inclined surface 1122 and the second inclined surface 1123, respectively, rather than against the bottom surface 1121 of the groove. The above setting can be understood as forming a contact position 113 on both sides of the convex connection part 111 and the concave connection part 112, so that the two have a circumferential fit along the serpentine tube 100, thereby realizing the function that the adjacent serpentine bones 110 can be effectively fitted regardless of whether the serpentine tube 100 rotates forward or reverse, and can be transmitted instantly.

[0125] In some embodiments, the first inclined surface 1122 is a plane / arc surface, and the second inclined surface 1123 is a plane / arc surface.

[0126] Specifically, the first inclined surface 1122 and the second inclined surface 1123 can be cut into planes by laser cutting, that is, Figure 11 As shown, in one example, the cross-sectional shape of the groove bottom is a trapezoid. Of course, the first inclined surface 1122 and the second inclined surface 1123 can both be set as arc surfaces, or the first inclined surface 1122 can be a plane and the second inclined surface 1123 can be an arc surface. The specific setting form is not limited here.

[0127] In some embodiments, the outer contour of the convex connection portion 111 is circular, and the outer contour of the convex connection portion 111 is an inner conical surface with a radius gradually decreasing from the outer wall to the inner wall of the snake bone 110; the inner surface of the groove is adapted to the outer contour of the convex connection portion 111.

[0128] Specifically, the outer contour of the male connecting portion 111 is designed to be circular to facilitate laser cutting. After cutting, the outer contour of the male connecting portion 111 forms an inner conical surface. The formation of the inner conical surface not only facilitates laser cutting, that is, the laser cuts along the radial direction of the hollow tube, but also limits the radial position of the snake bones 110 to prevent the snake bones 110 from falling out in the radial direction. Of course, the general shape of the inner surface of the groove is adapted to the outer contour of the male connecting portion 111 (specifically, the inner conical surface).

[0129] like Figure 9 As shown, in some embodiments, the opening length of the groove is smaller than the diameter of the male connecting portion 111 .

[0130] Specifically, since the outer contour of the convex connecting portion 111 is circular, in order to achieve interlocking between adjacent snake bones 110, the opening length of the groove (the length along the circumference of the snake bone tube 100) can be made smaller than the diameter of the circular convex connecting portion 111 during laser cutting. While achieving the pivotal connection of adjacent snake bones 110, it also effectively prevents each snake bone 110 from falling out in the axial direction.

[0131] In this embodiment, a compression force simulation experiment is conducted on each section of the snake bone 110, and 200N and 400N pressures are applied to the snake bone tube respectively. Figure 16 and Figure 17 As shown, it can be seen that each section of the snake bone 110 meets the stress requirements, including the strength of each section of the snake bone 110 meets the requirements, especially the convex connection part 111 will not break, and each section of the snake bone 110 can be restored to its original shape immediately during use, and there will be no problem of deformation due to long-term use.

[0132] In order to obtain a serpentine tube 100 with essentially no jump or minimal jump, the embodiment of the present application provides an outer sleeve with a diameter of 3.8 mm, a serpentine tube 100 with a diameter of 3.6 mm, a built-in limiter, and an extrusion force is applied. The edges and corners of the serpentine 110 are polished. When the proximal end of the serpentine tube 100 is continuously rotated (for example, 20° / S), the serpentine tube 100 is found to have better linearity between the distal and proximal ends at curvatures of 0°, 90°, and 180°, as shown in FIG. Figure 19 shown.

[0133] Under the same conditions as above, only the continuous rotation of the proximal end of the snake tube 100 was changed to intermittent rotation. It was found that the distal end of the snake tube 100 was still able to follow the rotation of the proximal end with almost no delay.

[0134] like Figure 13 and Figure 14 As shown, in some embodiments, the snake bone tube 100 also includes a first snake bone 120 and a tail snake bone 130, and the first end of the first snake bone 120 is constructed with a convex connection part 111 / concave connection part 112 to be pivotally connected to the concave connection part 112 / convex connection part 111 of the adjacent snake bone 110, and the second end face of the first snake bone 120 is constructed with multiple through holes to allow the pulling rope to pass through; the first end of the tail snake bone 130 is constructed with a convex connection part 111 / concave connection part 112 to be pivotally connected to the concave connection part 112 / convex connection part 111 of the adjacent snake bone 110.

[0135] Specifically, for ease of description, the serpentine bone 110 at the distal end of the serpentine bone tube 100 is referred to as the first serpentine bone 120, and the serpentine bone 110 at the proximal end of the serpentine bone tube 100 is referred to as the tail serpentine bone 130. One end of the first serpentine bone 120 is configured with a convex connecting portion 111 or a concave connecting portion 112 for pivotally connecting with the adjacent serpentine bone 110. Of course, the first serpentine bone 120 is also formed by laser cutting a hollow tube. The second end of the first serpentine bone 120 has an end face, and the arrangement of the end face facilitates the confinement of the above-mentioned sleeve within the serpentine bone tube 100. To facilitate the extension of the pull rope, pull wire, or cable, a plurality of through holes corresponding to the above-mentioned through holes and wire holes can be constructed on the end face of the first serpentine bone 120 to ensure that the tension of each pull rope or pull wire is consistent.

[0136] One end of the coccyx serpentine 130 is provided with a male connection portion 111 or a female connection portion 112 for pivoting with the adjacent serpentine 110, and the other end is mounted on a trolley. Of course, the coccyx serpentine 130 is also formed by laser cutting a hollow tube. The method of driving the serpentine tube 100 into or out of the outer sleeve by the trolley can be understood by referring to the relevant art and will not be repeated here.

[0137] The serpentine tube 100 provided in this example needs to be constrained in the outer sleeve. More specifically, the smaller the gap between the serpentine tube 100 (specifically the diameter of the channel in the outer sleeve) and the outer sleeve, the more conducive it is to the synchronous rotation of the serpentine tube 100.

[0138] For example, when the outer sleeve diameter is 3.8 mm, under the same conditions, the snake bone tube 100 with a diameter of 3.6 mm and the snake bone tube 100 with a diameter of 3.5 mm are tested. Figure 20 and Figure 21 As shown, the snake tube 100 with a diameter of 3.6 mm was found to perform better.

[0139] For example, when the diameter of the snake tube 100 is 3.6 mm, under the same conditions, an outer tube with a diameter of 3.8 mm and an outer tube with a diameter of 4 mm are tested. Figure 22 and Figure 23 As shown, an outer sleeve with a diameter of 3.8 mm was found to perform better.

[0140] To prevent the part of the snake-bone tube 100 from extending out of the outer sleeve along with the flexible continuum 200, the rotation of the distal end of the snake-bone tube 100 may be uncontrolled. Figure 15 As shown, in some embodiments, a support tube 400 is provided between the first snake bone 120 and the flexible continuum 200 , and the support tube 400 is configured to partially extend out of the outer sleeve so that the flexible continuum 200 is located in the target cavity.

[0141] Specifically, a small section of support tube 400 is arranged between the first section of the snake bone 120 and the flexible continuum 200. The support tube 400 can be a nickel-titanium tube. The nickel-titanium tube has superelasticity and shape memory functions. It can return to its original shape after being deformed by external force, and has good corrosion resistance and biocompatibility and will not cause rejection reaction of the body. Of course, in order to reduce its weight, it can be hollowed out.

[0142] The provision of the support tube 400 allows the flexible continuum 200 to be completely located in the target cavity, so as to cooperate with the pulling rope to adjust the degree of freedom of the terminal instrument 300.

[0143] It should be noted that the snake tube 100 in this example can avoid the situation where a portion of the snake tube 100 is exposed to the target cavity and affects its own rotation by properly setting the length of the first snake section 120 and the degree of compression of the pull rope. This reasonable design can also eliminate the use of the support tube 400, saving materials and reducing costs.

[0144] In some embodiments, the flexible continuum 200 includes a plurality of rotational joints rotatably connected to each other, and the distal ends of the pulling ropes are sequentially connected to the plurality of rotational joints, so that the flexible continuum 200 is bent by pulling the pulling ropes.

[0145] It can be understood that the flexible continuum 200 can be composed of multiple ball-hinged rotating joints, and a circle of wire holes (520) is provided around the rotating joints to facilitate the passage of each pulling rope through the multiple rotating joints. The end of each pulling rope is fixed on a rotating joint at the farthest end. By controlling the travel distance of each pulling rope at the trolley, the flexible continuum 200 can be controlled to deflect to a preset angle and a preset distance, thereby realizing the adjustment of the degree of freedom of the end instrument 300.

[0146] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are intended to illustrate the present invention only and are not intended to limit the present invention. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the embodiments, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that various combinations, modifications, or equivalent substitutions of the technical solutions of the present invention do not depart from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the present invention and are intended to be encompassed by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A surgical robot, characterized in that: include: outer sleeve; A snake bone tube is detachably arranged in the outer sleeve, and the snake bone tube includes multiple interlocking snake bones; An end instrument is provided at the distal end of the snake tube, and the end instrument can pass through the outer sleeve along with the snake tube to enter the target cavity; a plurality of pulling ropes located in the snake tube, with one end of each pulling rope located at least at a distal end of the snake tube, wherein the pulling ropes are configured to be pulled by an external force to adjust the degree of freedom of the end instrument; A plurality of limiting members are sequentially inserted into the snake tube, and each of the limiting members is configured with a plurality of through-holes for the pulling rope to pass through, so as to limit the pulling rope in the plurality of limiting members; The limiting member includes a sleeve, and the sleeve is adapted to be embedded in the snake bone tube; The sleeve includes a first end surface and a second end surface opposite to each other, and the first end surface and / or the second end surface are arc-shaped surfaces convex outward.

2. The surgical robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: Each section of the snake bone corresponds to at least one limiting member.

3. The surgical robot according to claim 1, wherein: The through hole is formed in the sleeve and communicates with the first end surface and the second end surface; The sleeve is further configured with a wire passing hole, which is located on one side of the through hole and is used for passing a pull wire and / or a cable connected to the end instrument.

4. The surgical robot according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: The surgical robot further comprises a flexible continuum, wherein the flexible continuum is located between the snake tube and the end instrument; The distal end of the pulling rope is connected to the flexible continuum so as to pull the flexible continuum to adjust the degree of freedom of the terminal instrument.

5. The surgical robot according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: The snake bone tube includes a proximal portion and a distal portion, wherein the proximal portion includes multiple sections of snake bones with a length of A, and the distal portion includes multiple sections of snake bones with a length of B; wherein A>B; The length of each of the multiple sleeves embedded in the proximal part is A, and the length of each of the multiple-section sleeves embedded in the distal part is B.

6. The surgical robot according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: The outer periphery of the sleeve is structured with a first positioning portion, and the snake bone corresponding to the sleeve is structured with a second positioning portion, so that the sleeve is positioned by aligning the second positioning portion with the first positioning portion.

7. The surgical robot according to claim 4, characterized in that: The first end of each snake bone is configured with two convex connecting parts, and the second end is configured with two concave connecting parts, wherein the concave connecting parts are pivotally connected to the adjacent convex connecting parts; Under the action of external force, the snake bone tube is squeezed along its axial direction, and the convex connecting parts and concave connecting parts of two adjacent sections of the snake bone have at least two contact positions, so that when the snake bone tube rotates along its axial direction, each convex connecting part fits with the corresponding concave connecting part, so that the distal end of the snake bone tube follows the proximal end of the snake bone tube in rotation, and the rotation angle is consistent.

8. The surgical robot according to claim 7, characterized in that: The concave connecting portion is a groove formed at the second end of the snake bone, and the bottom of the groove includes a bottom surface, a first inclined surface and a second inclined surface. The bottom surface extends along the circumference of the snake bone, and the first inclined surface and the second inclined surface are respectively located on both sides of the bottom surface; When the snake-bone tube is squeezed along its axial direction by an external force, the outer end surface of the convex connection portion abuts against the first inclined surface and the second inclined surface respectively to form two contact positions.

9. The surgical robot according to claim 8, characterized in that: The first inclined surface is a plane / arc surface, and the second inclined surface is a plane / arc surface; And / or, the cross-sectional shape of the bottom of the groove is trapezoidal.

10. The surgical robot according to claim 9, characterized in that: The outer contour of the convex connecting portion is circular, and the outer contour of the convex connecting portion is an inner conical surface whose radius gradually decreases from the outer wall to the inner wall of the snake bone; The inner surface of the groove is adapted to the outer contour of the convex connecting portion.

11. The surgical robot according to claim 10, characterized in that: An opening length of the groove is smaller than a diameter of the convex connecting portion.

12. The surgical robot according to any one of claims 8 to 11, characterized in that: Each of the snake bones includes two opposite convex connecting parts and two opposite concave connecting parts; A line connecting the two opposite male connection parts is perpendicular to a line connecting the two opposite female connection parts.

13. The surgical robot according to claim 7, characterized in that: The snake bone tube further comprises a first snake bone and a tail snake bone, wherein the first end of the first snake bone is configured with a convex connecting portion / concave connecting portion for pivotally connecting with the concave connecting portion / convex connecting portion of the adjacent snake bone, and the second end surface of the first snake bone is configured with a plurality of through holes for the pulling rope to pass through; The first end of the coccyx serpentine is configured with a male / female connection portion for pivotally connecting with the female / male connection portion of an adjacent serpentine.

14. The surgical robot according to claim 13, characterized in that: A support tube is provided between the first snake bone and the flexible continuum. The support tube is configured to partially extend out of the outer sleeve so that the flexible continuum is located in the target cavity.

15. The surgical robot according to claim 7, characterized in that: The flexible continuum includes a plurality of rotational joints rotatably connected to each other, and the distal end of the pulling rope is sequentially connected to the plurality of rotational joints, so that the flexible continuum is bent by pulling the pulling rope.

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