Cable tensioning device, instrument case and surgical instrument

Abstract

The application relates to a cable tensioning device, an instrument box and a surgical instrument, wherein the cable tensioning device comprises a base, a jacking piece and a guide wheel, the jacking piece is arranged on the base, the guide wheel is rotatably arranged on the jacking piece around an axis of the guide wheel, and the guide wheel is used for tensioning a cable. A fixed end of the jacking piece is connected with the base, and a movable end of the jacking piece is connected with the guide wheel. The movable end of the jacking piece can move relative to the base and push the guide wheel to move towards a direction of tensioning the cable, so as to tension the cable. The cable tensioning device provided by the application can prevent the cable from pressing the guide wheel when the cable is in a tensioning state, so that the cable is always in a tensioning state. When the cable is slack and tends to be separated from the guide wheel, the jacking piece drives the guide wheel to move towards the cable until the cable is tensioned. The device can always keep the cable in a tensioning state and in a rope groove of the guide wheel, so that the precision of the surgical instrument is ensured, and the safety during the surgical process is ensured.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of medical devices, and in particular to a cable tensioning device, an instrument box, and surgical instruments. Background Technology

[0002] Minimally invasive surgery refers to a surgical procedure performed inside the human body using modern medical instruments and equipment such as laparoscopes and thoracoscopes. Compared to traditional surgical methods, minimally invasive surgery has advantages such as less trauma, less pain, and faster recovery.

[0003] The transmission structure of reusable laparoscopic surgical instruments is generally cable-driven. Specifically, the cable is driven (pulled or released) by the drive unit, which causes the end effector in the human body to produce corresponding movements. Usually, the cable needs a guide wheel to change direction. Since the cable is made of flexible material, it needs to be kept taut at all times.

[0004] However, the current cables suffer from poor precision after repeated use, which adversely affects the accuracy of the surgery. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a cable tensioning device to address the current problem of poor accuracy or even pulley slippage caused by cable slack, characterized by comprising:

[0006] Base;

[0007] The lifting component is mounted on the base;

[0008] The guide wheel is rotatably mounted on the lifting member around its own axis, and the guide wheel is used to tension the cable;

[0009] The fixed end of the lifting member is connected to the base, and the movable end of the lifting member is connected to the guide wheel. The lifting member is configured such that the movable end can move relative to the base and push the guide wheel in the direction of tensioning the cable, so as to tension the cable.

[0010] In one embodiment, the cable tensioning device further includes a guide member disposed on the base, one end of which is connected to the base and the other end extends toward the guide wheel, and a lifting member is disposed on the guide member.

[0011] In one embodiment, the lifting member is an elastic member that deforms along the extension direction of the guide member.

[0012] In one embodiment, the guide wheel includes:

[0013] The connecting shaft is used to connect the movable end of the lifting component;

[0014] The wheel is rotatably mounted on the connecting shaft.

[0015] In one embodiment, at least one rope groove is provided on the circumferential sidewall of the wheel.

[0016] In one embodiment, the base is provided with a limiting part, which includes a first blind hole, a second blind hole, and a rotating groove. The first blind hole and the second blind hole are located on both sides of the rotating groove along a first direction.

[0017] There are two lifting components, which are placed in the first blind hole and the second blind hole respectively, and the first guide wheel is placed in the rotating groove;

[0018] The first direction is parallel to the axis of the guide wheel.

[0019] This application provides an instrument box, characterized in that it includes the cable tensioning device in any of the above embodiments.

[0020] In one embodiment, the instrument box further includes:

[0021] frame,

[0022] The drive unit and the cable tensioning device are disposed on the same side surface of the frame; the drive unit includes a hinge rod and a cable disposed on the hinge rod; the cable passes through the frame after passing through the cable tensioning device.

[0023] In one embodiment, there are two cables on a hinge rod, and each cable is respectively tensioned on a guide wheel of a cable tensioning device.

[0024] This application also provides a surgical instrument, including the instrument box in any of the above embodiments.

[0025] Because the cable, when taut, constantly exerts pressure on the guide wheel until it becomes slack (this does not occur in existing technologies due to the guide wheel being limited), this pressure disappears when the cable slacks. The cable tensioning device provided in this application, when the cable is taut, uses a lifting member instead of the limiting member in existing technologies to prevent the cable from squeezing the guide wheel, keeping the cable constantly taut. When the cable slacks and tends to detach from the guide wheel, the lifting member drives the guide wheel to move towards the cable until it becomes taut again. Therefore, the cable tensioning device provided in this application can keep the cable taut and within the groove of the guide wheel at all times, thus ensuring the precision of the surgical instruments and the safety of the surgical procedure. Attached Figure Description

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an end effector in related technologies.

[0027] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the instrument box in this application.

[0028] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a cable tensioning device.

[0029] Figure 4 for Figure 2 A top view of the instrument box in the embodiment.

[0030] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the base structure.

[0031] Figure 6 This is a front view of the surgical instruments.

[0032] Reference numerals: Cable tensioning device 100; base 110; first blind hole 111; second blind hole 112; rotating groove 113; lifting member 120; guide wheel 130; rope groove 131; connecting shaft 132; wheel body 133; instrument box 200; frame 210; drive unit 220; winch 221; cable 222; end effector 300. Detailed Implementation

[0033] To make the above-mentioned objectives, features, and advantages of this application more apparent and understandable, the specific embodiments of this application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Many specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of this application. However, this application can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar modifications without departing from the spirit of this application. Therefore, this application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0034] In the description of this application, it should be understood that if terms such as "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" appear, these terms indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

[0035] Furthermore, where the terms "first" and "second" appear, these terms are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this application, where the term "multiple" appears, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0036] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "joining," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise expressly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0037] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the use of descriptions such as "above" or "below" the second feature indicates that the first and second features are in direct contact or indirect contact via an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "on top of," and "over" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. Similarly, "below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0038] It should be noted that if an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or there may be an intervening element. If an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intervening element. If so, the terms "vertical," "horizontal," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and similar expressions used in this application are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only possible implementation.

[0039] Figure 1 The structure of an existing end effector 300 is shown, which uses three cables 222 to achieve the opening and closing motion of the clamp and the other two rotational degrees of freedom besides rotation about its own axis of rotation. In related reusable laparoscopic robotic technology, the surgical instruments of a reusable laparoscopic robot include a proximal manipulator, an instrument box, and a distal end effector 300. Two cable segments 222 control the rotational motion of the end effector 300. The first segment stretches the end effector 300 to rotate it, and the second segment relaxes it while the first segment is stretched, allowing the end effector 300 to be rotated by the first cable segment 222. If the end effector 300 rotates in the opposite direction, the stretching and relaxing functions of the two cable segments are reversed.

[0040] Because the end effector 300 is far from the doctor and close to the patient, the location of the end effector 300 is called the distal end, and the location close to the doctor is called the proximal end.

[0041] The end effector 300 is used to perform various surgical procedures by inserting into the human body and performing rotational or displacement movements. Rotation and displacement are achieved through an instrument housing containing a drive unit with a cable 222 attached to it. The cable 222 is connected to the end effector 300. The drive unit drives the rotational movement of the end effector 300 by stretching the cable 222, while linear movement is achieved by direct pulling with a rigid object between the two. The operating device is a combination of various software and the doctor's operating equipment.

[0042] During the procedure, to rotate the end effector 300, the cable 222 in the direction of rotation is pulled proximally by the drive unit 220, while rotating the cable in the opposite direction causes the drive unit 220 to relax, thus compensating for the path length traversed by the end effector 300. The remaining cables 222 also need to be compensated for or stretched proximally due to the rotation of the end effector 300. The specific motion patterns have been precisely calculated mathematically and controlled by a computer, therefore this point is outside the scope of this application.

[0043] This application addresses the following: Existing reusable laparoscopic robotic surgical instruments typically have a lifespan of 10 uses and are tensioned before each use to ensure they do not detach from the cable groove 131 during operation, preventing failure and ensuring accurate distal positioning due to excessive cable slack. However, during use, it is often necessary to continue operating from the previous state. For example, if the end effector 300 rotated 6° in the previous operation, it needs to be operated at the same 6° angle again. Pre-tensioning is required for accuracy, which disrupts the 6° rotation and compromises surgical precision. Furthermore, during tensioning, the slack in the other end of the cable 222 may cause it to detach from the guide wheel 130, damaging the surgical instrument.

[0044] Therefore refer to Figure 2 This application provides a cable tensioning device 100 (hereinafter referred to as the device). This device can maintain the angle after the last use and prevent the surgical instrument cable 222 from coming off the guide wheel 130 when in use or under pre-tension. This device is used in the instrument box 200 and is an auxiliary device of the drive unit 220.

[0045] See Figures 2 to 4 ,in Figure 2 This is a structural diagram of the instrument case, including the cable tensioning device 100. Figure 3 The working principle diagram of the cable tensioning device 100 is shown. Figure 4 Showing Figure 2A schematic diagram from a top-down perspective. The cable tensioning device 100 provided in this application includes three components: a base 110, a lifting member 120, and a guide wheel 130. The shape and specific structure of the base 110 are not limited, and can be determined according to specific requirements. The lifting member 120 is mounted on the base 110, and the guide wheel 130 is rotatably mounted on the lifting member 120 around its own axis. The guide wheel 130 is used to tension the cable 222. The guide wheel 130 has a rope groove 131 around its circumference. The rope groove 131 has two groove walls and a groove bottom. Generally, the groove bottom is arc-shaped to fit the cable 222 in the rope groove 131 as closely as possible.

[0046] The connection between the lifting member 120 and the base 110 is such that the fixed end of the lifting member 120 is connected to the base 110, and the movable end of the lifting member 120 is connected to the guide wheel 130. Note that the guide wheel 130 rotates around its own axis, and the axis of the guide wheel 130 does not coincide with the axis of the free end of the lifting member 120. Therefore, the guide wheel 130 and the lifting member 120 are movably connected, for example, by the presence of lubricating oil or bearings to achieve a rotatable connection, or by the guide wheel 130 rotating on a shaft that is fixedly connected to the free end of the lifting member 120. The movable end can move relative to the base 110 and push the guide wheel 130 in the direction that tensions the cable 222, thereby tensioning the cable 222.

[0047] The cable 222 fits into the groove 131. The fit length depends on the angle at which the cable 222 changes direction. When the cable 222 bends at 90° from the guide wheel 130, the fit length is one-quarter of the circumference of the groove 131. When the cable 222 bends at 180° from the guide wheel 130, the fit length is one-half of the circumference of the groove 131. In other words, the larger the angle, the longer the fit length. The lifting member 120 can push the guide wheel 130 to move in the direction of tensioning the cable 222. That is, in a static state, the positional relationship of the three is: the free end of the lifting member 120 - the guide wheel 130 - the contact point of the cable 222. Therefore, when the free end of the lifting member 120 pushes the guide wheel 130 to move in the direction of contact of the cable 222, it will indirectly increase the turning angle of the cable 222, so that the length of the cable 222 in contact with the rope groove 131 in the direction of movement of the guide wheel 130 becomes longer, thereby achieving the tensioning effect of the cable 222.

[0048] The lifting element 120 in this application can be an elastic element, such as a coil spring or a spring sheet, or a driving element such as a small pneumatic cylinder. The lifting element 120 used in this application is a coil spring among elastic elements. In other embodiments, a spring sheet or a small pneumatic cylinder can also be used.

[0049] See Figure 3 The helical spring has two ends, wherein the first end is connected to the base 110 ( Figure 3Since the base 110 is not shown as a fixed connection, the first end is a fixed end. The second end is rotatably connected to the guide wheel 130. Because the helical spring has elasticity in the stretched or compressed state, the second end will move, so the second end is a free end.

[0050] Because the cable 222, when in a taut state, constantly applies pressure to the guide wheel 130 until the cable 222 becomes slack (this slackness does not occur due to the guide wheel 130 being limited), and this pressure disappears when the cable 222 slacks, the cable tensioning device 100 provided in this application, when the cable 222 is in a taut state, uses the lifting member 120 to replace the limiting member in related technologies, preventing the cable 222 from squeezing the guide wheel 130, thus keeping the cable 222 constantly taut. When the cable 222 slacks and tends to detach from the guide wheel 130, the lifting member 120 drives the guide wheel 130 to move towards the cable 222 until the cable 222 is taut. Therefore, the cable tensioning device 100 provided in this application can keep the cable 222 taut and within the cable groove 131 of the guide wheel 130 at all times, thereby ensuring the precision of the surgical instruments and the safety during the surgical procedure.

[0051] Specifically, during the movement of the guide wheel 130, the free end of the lifting element 120 continuously increases the length of the cable 222 within the surgical instrument, but the rotation angle of the end effector 300 remains unchanged. This could lead to software calculation errors, causing the software to mistakenly believe that the end effector 300 has rotated by a certain angle. Alternatively, when the cable 222 tightens, it applies pressure to the guide wheel 130, causing it to move. This reduces the length of the tightened cable 222 to achieve the preset rotation angle, but excessive tightening leads to an excessively large rotation angle, which could also cause software calculation errors. Since the force exerted during surgery is only a few tens of Newtons, which is a very small force, whether the lifting element 120 is a cylinder or a coil spring, it will not cause irreversible deformation of the lifting element 120 itself. Therefore, when using the lifting element 120, the displacement of the guide wheel 130 can be calculated as a function of the deviation length of the cable 222, and then variable control can be implemented through computer software to compensate for these errors.

[0052] See Figure 2 This application also provides an instrument box 200, including a cable tensioning device 100, and further including a frame 210 and a drive unit 220.

[0053] The near ends of the two cables 222 can be wound around two drive units 220 for separate control, or they can be wound around one drive unit 220. However, when wound around one drive unit 220, the winding direction needs to be opposite so that when the drive unit 220 rotates, one cable 222 can be stretched to a certain length and the other cable 222 can be relaxed by the same length, thereby realizing the rotational movement of the end effector 300.

[0054] See Figure 2 The frame 210 and base 110 in the instrument box 200 can be the same component or the two components fixedly connected. The frame 210 and base 110 play a load-bearing role, so they can be manufactured according to specific needs without any restrictions.

[0055] The drive unit 220 and the cable tensioning device 100 are disposed on the same side surface of the frame 210. The drive unit 220 includes a hinge rod and a cable 222 disposed on the hinge rod. The cable 222 passes through the cable tensioning device 100 and then through the frame 210. Distributing them on the same side surface saves space in the instrument box and facilitates disassembly and maintenance.

[0056] Specifically, the drive unit 220 also includes a power component (not shown in the figure), such as a motor, to drive the winch 221 to rotate around its own axis, and the cable 222 passes through the rope groove 131 of the guide wheel 130 and extends through the frame 210 to the end effector 300.

[0057] In this application, two cable sections 222 are wound around a hinge rod, and each cable section 222 is respectively tensioned on a guide wheel 130 of a cable tensioning device 100.

[0058] In related technologies, the rope groove 131 of the guide wheel 130 is usually made very wide to facilitate multiple cables 222 to simultaneously pass around the guide wheel 130 to change direction. However, this has two drawbacks. First, when the guide wheel 130 rotates with one cable 222, it will slide and rub against other cables 222. Second, because the rope groove 131 is very wide, the extension directions of the multiple cables 222 are not consistent. Therefore, during the movement, since there is no constraint from the groove wall of the rope groove 131, the cables 222 will move towards the groove wall when stretched, resulting in multiple cables 222 accumulating on both sides of the rope groove 131. In some cases, the upper cable 222 may even detach from the rope groove 131 due to the influence of the lower cable 222.

[0059] See Figure 2Each cable tensioning device 100 provided in this application corresponds to a cable 222. If the end effector 300 has two rotational degrees of freedom and one opening and closing motion, then six cable 222 segments are required. Of course, the six cable 222 segments can be six independent cables 222 or three independent cables 222 folded in half. The folded part is naturally the fixed connection point of the end effector 300. Each guide wheel 130 can conform to the direction of the cable 222. The direction of movement of the cable 222 is always tangential to the direction of the groove 131, so the friction between the groove wall of the groove 131 and the cable 222 can be avoided. In addition, the lifting member 120 of the cable tensioning device 100 can tension the cable 222. Therefore, the safety and service life of the cable 222 in the instrument box provided in this application are greatly improved compared with the prior art.

[0060] In one embodiment, the cable tensioning device 100 further includes a guide member (not shown) disposed on the base 110, one end of the guide member being connected to the base 110 and the other end extending toward the guide wheel 130, and the elastic member deforming along the extension direction of the guide member.

[0061] Specifically, the shape of the guide component matches the shape of the elastic component, so that the elastic component can move in a certain direction without significant bending. For example, when the elastic component is a helical spring, the guide component can be a long rod, and the helical spring is sleeved on the long rod. In this way, the helical spring will deform along the length of the long rod without bending in other directions.

[0062] See Figure 3 In one embodiment, the guide wheel 130 includes a connecting shaft 132 and a wheel body 133, with the movable end of the lifting member 120 connected to the connecting shaft 132; the wheel body 133 is rotatably sleeved on the connecting shaft 132. This achieves the aforementioned configuration where the guide wheel 130 rotates on a shaft fixedly connected to the free end of the lifting member 120. However, while the guide wheel 130 and the shaft mentioned above are independent, in this embodiment, the connecting shaft 132 is part of the guide wheel 130.

[0063] Essentially, the wheel body 133 and the connecting shaft 132 can also be fixedly connected, with both ends of the connecting shaft 132 rotatably connected to the free end of the lifting member 120, for example, by using bearings or applying lubricant.

[0064] Therefore, in the instrument box provided in this application, each cable 222 has a cable tensioning device 100, and the guide wheel 130 in each cable tensioning device 100 includes a connecting shaft 132 and a wheel body 133.

[0065] See Figure 3In one embodiment, at least one rope groove 131 is provided on the circumferential sidewall of the wheel body 133. A rope groove 131 can be used to place a section of cable 222 so that the groove wall of the rope groove 131 of the wheel body 133 does not generate friction with the cable 222.

[0066] In other embodiments, when the space in the instrument box is limited or when the two cable segments 222 control the same rotational movement of the end effector 300, the included angle between the two cable segments 222 is small. Two cable grooves 131 can be opened on a wheel body 133, and the included angle between the two cable grooves 131 is the same as the included angle between the two cable segments 222. The two cable segments 222 are placed separately to save space.

[0067] See Figure 5 In one embodiment, the base 110 is provided with a limiting portion, which includes a first blind hole 111, a second blind hole 112, and a rotating groove 113. The first blind hole 111 and the second blind hole 112 are located on both sides of the rotating groove 113 along a first direction. There are two lifting members 120, which are respectively placed in the first blind hole 111 and the second blind hole 112. A first guide wheel 130 is placed in the rotating groove 113, wherein the first direction is parallel to the axial direction of the guide wheel 130.

[0068] Creating blind holes and slots inside the base 110 can reduce the volume of the instrument box and the complexity of the internal surface distribution of the instrument box, and is also beneficial for the arrangement of the cable 222.

[0069] See Figure 6 This application also provides a surgical instrument. As described above, the surgical instrument includes an instrument housing 200 and an end effector 300. The instrument housing 200 contains a cable tensioning device 100, which is used to tension the cable. The surgical instrument provided by this application has higher precision, a longer service life, and allows for the next surgery to be performed without changing the state of the end effector 300 after the previous use.

[0070] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0071] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementation methods of this application, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the patent application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this application, and these all fall within the protection scope of this application. Therefore, the protection scope of this patent application should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A cable tensioning device, characterized in that, include: Base (110); A lifting member (120) is disposed on the base (110); A guide wheel (130) is rotatably mounted on the lifting member (120) about its own axis. The guide wheel (130) is used to tension the cable (222). The guide wheel (130) includes a wheel body (133), which is rotatably mounted on the lifting member (120) about its own axis. At least two rope grooves (131) are provided on the circumferential sidewall of the wheel body (133). The fixed end of the lifting member (120) is connected to the base (110), and the movable end of the lifting member (120) is connected to the guide wheel (130). The lifting member (120) is configured such that the movable end can move relative to the base (110) and push the guide wheel (130) to move in the direction of tensioning the cable (222), so that the cable (222) is tensioned. There is a functional relationship between the displacement of the guide wheel (130) and the deviation length of the cable (222), and the lifting member (120) controls and drives the guide wheel (130) according to the functional relationship. The cable (222) comprises two sections, which are respectively disposed in the two cable grooves (131).

2. The cable tensioning device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cable tensioning device further includes a guide member disposed on the base (110), one end of the guide member being connected to the base (110) and the other end extending toward the guide wheel (130), and the lifting member (120) being disposed on the guide member.

3. The cable tensioning device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The lifting member (120) is an elastic member, and the elastic member deforms along the extension direction of the guide member.

4. The cable tensioning device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The guide wheel (130) includes: Connecting shaft (132), the movable end of the lifting member (120) is connected to the connecting shaft (132); The wheel (133) is rotatably mounted on the connecting shaft (132).

5. The cable tensioning device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The base (110) is provided with a limiting part, which includes a first blind hole (111), a second blind hole (112) and a rotating groove (113). The first blind hole (111) and the second blind hole (112) are provided on both sides of the rotating groove (113) along the first direction. The number of the lifting members (120) is two, and the two lifting members (120) are respectively placed in the first blind hole (111) and the second blind hole (112), and the guide wheel (130) is placed in the rotating groove (113); The first direction is parallel to the axis of the guide wheel (130).

6. An instrument box, characterized in that, Includes the cable tensioning device as described in any one of claims 1-5.

7. The instrument box according to claim 6, characterized in that, The instrument box also includes: Frame (210), A drive unit (220) and the cable tensioning device are disposed on the same side surface of the frame (210); the drive unit (220) includes a hinge (221) and a cable (222) disposed on the hinge (221); the cable (222) passes through the frame (210) after passing through the cable tensioning device.

8. The instrument box according to claim 7, characterized in that, The cable (222) on one of the hinge rods (221) consists of two cables, and each cable (222) is respectively tensioned on the guide wheel (130) of the cable tensioning device.

9. A surgical instrument, characterized in that, The instrument box includes any one of claims 7-8.

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