Wrist joint and minimally invasive surgery robot and knee endoscopic surgery robot

Abstract

The present application relates to a kind of wrist joint and minimally invasive surgery robot and knee arthroscopy surgery robot, the knee arthroscopy surgery robot includes remote end 2 degrees of freedom wrist joint, 1 degree of freedom flexible mechanical arm, rigid insertion sheath, wire transmission device, bending drive device and gear transmission device;Wherein, by integrating endoscope module in wrist joint terminal, to realize the intelligent exploration in knee joint cavity;By the 2 degrees of freedom movement of wrist joint, realize the local intelligent adjustment of endoscope field of view;By the 1 degree of freedom bending movement of flexible mechanical arm, realize the large range bending movement and safety interaction of endoscope;By controlling the extension and retraction of rigid insertion sheath, it is convenient for doctor to control endoscope to enter knee joint cavity from knee joint incision smoothly, also can change the bending radius of flexible joint in flexible mechanical arm by regulating the extension amount of rigid insertion sheath, to realize the intelligent adjustment of endoscope field of view in large range and small range.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of medical devices, specifically to a wrist joint and minimally invasive surgical robot and a knee joint endoscopic surgical robot. Background Technology

[0002] A knee arthroscopic surgical robot is a minimally invasive surgical robot that uses an endoscope to diagnose and treat knee joint diseases. Typically, the surgeon makes small incisions in the knee joint and then inserts the distal endoscope of the robot into the knee joint cavity through these incisions, allowing visualization of the area inside the joint. This minimally invasive surgery is commonly used to treat conditions such as meniscus tears and cruciate ligament tears.

[0003] Currently, the distal structures of knee arthroscopic surgical robots used in clinical practice are often rigid, resulting in limited degrees of freedom. Specifically, in practical applications, to obtain a wider surgical field, surgeons often need to rotate their wrists to achieve the overall rotation of the knee arthroscopic endoscope and actively advance it via the arm. Therefore, the practical application of such rigid knee arthroscopic surgical robots has the following drawbacks:

[0004] (1) The robot has few degrees of freedom and a small range of motion at the distal end, which limits the field of vision that doctors can see and leads to blind spots in the surgical field (such as the posterior root of the medial meniscus, the anterior cruciate ligament, the posterolateral complex, etc., which are difficult to see in their entirety), thereby increasing the difficulty of the operation and causing joint damage or complications to the patient. At present, in order to solve this problem, when using a rigid knee arthroscopy, if you want to expand the field of vision, you often need to make more incisions on the knee joint, but this surgical method will further increase the trauma to the patient.

[0005] (2) The rotation and feed movements of the distal endoscope are achieved by the doctor's wrist operation; this surgical method that relies on manual input has the disadvantages of low operation accuracy, poor flexibility, low success rate and high risk factor (e.g., the doctor's hand tremor or wrist fatigue leads to high surgical risk and surgical failure). Summary of the Invention

[0006] To overcome the problems of insufficient distal degrees of freedom and limited range of motion in existing rigid knee arthroscopic surgical robots, which lead to limited surgical field of vision and increased operational difficulty, this invention first provides a wrist joint capable of two degrees of rotational motion (including yaw and pitch). Based on this, the wrist joint with two degrees of freedom and a flexible robotic arm with bending freedom are cascaded to obtain a minimally invasive surgical robot with at least three degrees of freedom (wrist joint yaw + wrist joint pitch + flexible robotic arm bending). Furthermore, to better achieve flexible adjustment of the minimally invasive surgical field of vision and distal reach of motion, this invention also sets the flexible joint portion of the aforementioned minimally invasive surgical robot to have an adjustable bending radius, thus obtaining a minimally invasive surgical robot with controllable bending radius of the flexible joint in the adjustable bending segment.

[0007] Specifically, the technical solution adopted by the present invention to solve the above-mentioned technical problem is: a wrist joint, comprising an end effector, a deflection shaft, a pitch support frame, a pitch shaft, and a pitch support base; wherein:

[0008] The end effector is fixedly mounted on the deflection shaft;

[0009] The deflection shaft is rotatably mounted on the pitch support frame and can drive the end effector to rotate around axis A;

[0010] The pitch support frame is fixedly connected to the pitch axis;

[0011] The pitch axis is rotatably mounted on the pitch support base and can drive the overall joint composed of the end effector, the yaw axis and the pitch support structure to rotate around axis B.

[0012] The axes A and B are perpendicular to each other.

[0013] Preferably, the rotation of the deflection shaft is driven by a first wire drive device; the rotation of the pitch shaft is driven by a second wire drive device. The first and second wire drive devices have the same structure, each including a drive wire and a wire drive component. The wire drive component includes two drive wire winding wheels fixed together by a top wire, a drive motor connecting shaft, and a drive motor. The two drive wire winding wheels are respectively fixed to the drive motor connecting shaft by a top wire, and the drive motor connecting shaft is driven to rotate by the drive motor.

[0014] The deflection shaft and pitch shaft are respectively provided with spiral grooves for the drive wires to be wound. The two drive wires are wound in the corresponding spiral grooves, and one end of each drive wire is wound clockwise on one drive wire winding wheel, and the other end is wound counterclockwise on the other drive wire winding wheel.

[0015] The present invention also provides a minimally invasive surgical robot, comprising the above-mentioned wrist joint and flexible robotic arm, wherein:

[0016] The flexible robotic arm is mainly composed of multiple flexible joints connected to each other, and can perform bending motion with at least one degree of freedom under the drive of the bending drive device.

[0017] The pitch support in the wrist joint is the distal joint of the flexible robotic arm.

[0018] Preferably, the bending drive device is a rod-driven bending device, which includes two drive rods, a fixed block, a slider, and a guide rail, wherein:

[0019] One end of each of the two drive rods is fixed to the flexible robotic arm;

[0020] Two fixing blocks are provided. The other ends of the two drive rods are respectively fixed to the two fixing blocks. The bottom of the two fixing blocks is provided with racks. A transmission gear meshes between the two racks. The transmission gear is driven to rotate by the fourth drive motor.

[0021] Two sliders are provided, each mounted on the bottom of a rack;

[0022] There are two guide rails, and the two sliders are respectively slidably mounted on the two guide rails.

[0023] Preferably, it also includes a rigid insertion sheath and a gear transmission device, wherein:

[0024] The rigid insertion sheath is fitted over the flexible robotic arm;

[0025] The gear transmission device is matched with the rigid insertion sheath and can drive the rigid insertion sheath to move forward and backward relative to the flexible robotic arm, thereby allowing the flexible joint in the flexible robotic arm to passively extend out of the rigid insertion sheath or retract into the rigid insertion sheath.

[0026] Furthermore, the rigid insertion sheath is provided with an external thread section; the gear transmission device includes a threaded sleeve, the threaded sleeve is provided with an internal thread section that matches the external thread section on the rigid insertion sheath, and the rigid insertion sheath is threadedly engaged with the threaded sleeve through the external thread section; a first bevel gear is sleeved on the outside of the threaded sleeve, the first bevel gear meshes with a second bevel gear, the second bevel gear is provided with a transmission shaft, and the transmission shaft is driven to rotate by a first drive motor.

[0027] Preferably, the external threaded section of the rigid insertion sheath is provided with an external locking block, and the external locking block is provided with multiple protrusions; the proximal end of the flexible robotic arm is provided with a rigid tube, and the rigid tube is provided with multiple elongated slits that cooperate with the protrusions; when the rigid insertion sheath moves in a straight line, the protrusions on the external locking block can slide within the corresponding elongated slits on the rigid tube.

[0028] Based on this, the present invention also provides a knee arthroscopic surgical robot, including any of the above-mentioned minimally invasive surgical robots, wherein the end effector is an endoscope module, the endoscope module includes an endoscope and an endoscope support for assembling the endoscope, and the endoscope support is fixed on a deflection axis.

[0029] Preferably, the device also includes a housing, which includes an outer shell and a supporting base plate, wherein the gear transmission device, the rod-driven bending device, the first wire transmission device and the second wire transmission device are respectively disposed on the supporting base plate.

[0030] Preferably, the device housing is provided with a first hand-held part and a second hand-held part; the drive motors of the first wire transmission device, the second wire transmission device and the rod drive bending device are all located in the second hand-held part, and the drive motor of the gear transmission device is located in the first hand-held part.

[0031] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages and effects:

[0032] (1) In the wrist joint provided by this invention, the end effector is mounted on the deflection axis. When the deflection axis rotates, it can drive the end effector to rotate around axis A. At the same time, the deflection axis is rotatably mounted on the pitch support frame, and the pitch support frame is fixedly connected to the pitch axis. When the pitch axis rotates, it can drive the end effector to rotate around axis B. In addition, since axis A and axis B are perpendicular to each other, as shown in the figure, when the deflection axis rotates, it can drive the end effector to deflect left and right. When the pitch axis rotates, it can drive the entire joint composed of the end effector, the deflection axis, and the pitch support frame to pitch up and down. That is, the wrist joint of this application has two degrees of freedom: deflection and pitch. Compared with the wrist joint in the traditional rigid knee joint minimally invasive surgical robot, this structurally designed wrist joint has the characteristics of flexible and variable degrees of freedom, convenient adjustment, ability to meet different surgical operation needs, and wide applicability.

[0033] (2) In the minimally invasive surgical robot provided by the present invention, by connecting the wrist joint, which can perform two degrees of freedom of movement, to the flexible robotic arm, the flexible robotic arm can perform at least one degree of freedom of bending movement under the drive of the bending drive device or the wire drive device, thereby realizing at least three degrees of freedom of movement at the distal end of the robot, which greatly improves the range of motion and reachable workspace of the wrist joint end effector, thereby improving the flexibility of surgical operation and meeting the operational needs of different surgical procedures.

[0034] (3) This invention achieves the forward and backward movement of the rigid insertion sheath by setting external threads on the rigid tube of the rigid insertion sheath and connecting the rigid insertion sheath to the gear transmission device through internal and external threads. In this application, if there is no rigid insertion sheath, the distal joint, intermediate joint and proximal joint of the flexible robot arm will bend and rotate together when the flexible joint is bent, and the bending radius is fixed. However, by setting the rigid insertion sheath and adjusting the extension and retraction of the rigid insertion sheath, a part of the flexible joint can be inserted into the rigid insertion sheath. When the flexible robot arm is bent, the bending length of the flexible robot arm will change because a part of the joint (part of the intermediate joint and proximal joint) is inside the rigid insertion sheath. Therefore, the bending radius can be changed when the flexible robot arm is bent. This ingenious design can not only realize the large-range and small-range bending movements and safe interaction of the robot's distal end, but also realize the flexible adjustment of the working posture and field of vision of the distal wrist joint, thereby improving the operation accuracy and success rate of the surgical operation.

[0035] (4) In the minimally invasive surgical robot provided by the present invention, the lateral and pitch movements of the wrist joint are driven by a wire transmission device, which includes a drive wire, a drive winding wheel, a drive motor connecting shaft, and a drive motor. Furthermore, the present invention provides spiral grooves for the drive wire to be wound on the lateral and pitch axes of the wrist joint, and winds two drive wires into the spiral grooves respectively, with the two ends of the drive wires wound on the two drive wire winding wheels in clockwise and counterclockwise directions respectively. Therefore, when the corresponding drive motor is started, the drive motor connecting shaft rotates, thereby driving the two drive wire winding wheels to rotate. Since the winding directions of the two ends of the drive wire are opposite, the stretching movement of the drive wire can be realized. Furthermore, the friction between the drive wire and the rotating shaft can drive the lateral and pitch axes to rotate, thereby realizing the lateral and pitch movements of the wrist joint. This structural design, employing a "wire drive + friction drive" approach, results in a wrist joint with two degrees of freedom. Compared to conventional joint designs using direct motor drive, this design allows for a more compact structure, smaller size, and more agile movement (lower motion load) because the drive motor is not directly connected to the rotation shaft. Furthermore, the wrist joint's yaw and pitch movements are driven by the drive wire and motor, offering advantages in terms of higher operational precision and surgical safety compared to traditional surgical procedures that rely on manual input from the surgeon.

[0036] (5) The present invention also provides a knee arthroscopic surgical robot, including a distal 2-DOF wrist joint, a 1-DOF flexible robotic arm, a rigid insertion sheath, a distal wrist joint drive module (wire transmission device), a flexible robotic arm drive module (rod bending drive device), and a rigid insertion sheath drive module (gear transmission device); wherein, by integrating an endoscope module at the end of the wrist joint, it is possible to achieve dexterous exploration within the knee joint cavity; by using the 2-DOF movement of the wrist joint, it is possible to achieve local dexterous adjustment of the endoscope field of view; by using the 1-DOF bending movement in the flexible robotic arm, it is possible to achieve a wide range of bending movement and safe interaction of the endoscope; at the same time, by controlling the extension and retraction of the rigid insertion sheath, on the one hand, it is convenient for the doctor to operate the endoscope integrated at the end of the wrist joint to smoothly enter the knee joint cavity from the knee joint incision; on the other hand, by adjusting the extension amount of the rigid insertion sheath, the bending radius of the 1-DOF flexible joint in the flexible robotic arm is changed, thereby further realizing dexterous adjustment of the endoscope field of view within a wide and small range. In summary, the knee arthroscopic surgical robot described in this invention can effectively avoid the drawback of having to make multiple incisions on the patient's knee joint in order to expand the surgical field of view. Attached Figure Description

[0037] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0038] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the wrist joint described in Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0039] Figure 2 This is an exploded view of the wrist joint structure described in Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0040] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure in which the wrist joint is connected to the flexible robotic arm in the minimally invasive surgical robot described in Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

[0041] Figure 4 This is an exploded view of the flexible robotic arm structure in the minimally invasive surgical robot described in Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

[0042] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the flexible robotic arm in the bent state of the minimally invasive surgical robot described in Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

[0043] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the flexible robotic arm bending drive device in the minimally invasive surgical robot described in Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

[0044] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the notched flexible robotic arm structure in Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

[0045] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the spine-type flexible robotic arm structure in Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

[0046] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the assembly of the rigid insertion sheath and gear transmission device in the minimally invasive surgical robot described in Embodiment 3 of the present invention.

[0047] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram showing that the bending radius r of the distal joint in the flexible robotic arm of the minimally invasive surgical robot described in Embodiment 3 of the present invention is adjustable.

[0048] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the knee arthroscopic surgical robot described in Embodiment 4 of the present invention (without the device housing).

[0049] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the overall appearance of the knee arthroscopic surgical robot described in Embodiment 4 of the present invention (the arrow indicates the wrist joint).

[0050] Label Explanation:

[0051] 1. End effector; 2. Deflection shaft; 3. Pitch support frame; 4. Pitch axis; 5. Pitch support base; 6. Positioning pin; 7. First drive wire; 8. Second drive wire; 9. Endoscope support; 10. Endoscope; 11. Flexible robotic arm; 12. Rigid tube; 13. Drive rod; 14. Fixing block; 15. Rack; 16. Slider; 17. Guide rail; 18. Transmission gear; 19. Gear drive shaft; 20. Rigid insertion sheath; 21. External thread section; 2. Locking block; 23. First bevel gear; 24. Gear drive shaft; 25. Second bevel gear; 26. First drive motor; 27. Guide wheel; 28. Winding pulley; 29. ​​Drive wire winding wheel; 30. Drive motor connecting shaft; 31. Second drive motor; 32. Third drive motor; 33. Fourth drive motor; 34. Rear support base; 35. First handheld part; 36. Second handheld part; 37. Front support base; 38. Device housing; 39. Support base plate. Detailed Implementation

[0052] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the embodiments. The following embodiments are explanations of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments.

[0053] Example 1: As Figures 1 to 2 As shown, a wrist joint includes an end effector 1, a deflection shaft 2, a pitch support frame 3, a pitch shaft 4, and a pitch support base 5; wherein:

[0054] The end effector 1 is fixedly mounted on the deflection shaft 2;

[0055] The deflection shaft 2 is rotatably mounted on the pitch support frame 3 and can drive the end effector 1 to rotate around axis A;

[0056] The pitch support frame 3 is fixedly connected to the pitch axis 4;

[0057] The pitch axis 4 is rotatably mounted on the pitch support 5 and can drive the overall joint consisting of the end effector 1, the deflection axis 2 and the pitch support frame 3 to rotate around axis B.

[0058] The axes A and B are perpendicular to each other.

[0059] Specifically, such as Figure 2 As shown, in this embodiment, the deflection shaft 2 is mounted on the pitch support frame 3 via a positioning pin 6, and the deflection shaft 2 can rotate freely on the positioning pin 6; at the same time, the pitch shaft 4 is connected to the pitch support seat 5 via a positioning pin, and the pitch shaft 4 can rotate freely on the positioning pin.

[0060] Furthermore, such as Figure 1 As shown, in the wrist joint described in this embodiment 1, the end effector 1 can be a scalpel, surgical forceps, or endoscope assembly, etc.

[0061] Working principle and characteristics: In this embodiment 1, since the end effector 1 is fixed on the deflection shaft 2, when the deflection shaft 2 rotates under external force, it can drive the end effector 1 to rotate around the axis A of the deflection shaft 2; at the same time, since the deflection shaft 2 is set on the pitch support frame 3 and the pitch support frame 3 is fixed on the pitch shaft 4, when the pitch shaft 4 rotates under external force, it can drive the end effector 1 to rotate around the axis B of the pitch shaft 4; in addition, since the axis A and the axis B are perpendicular to each other, so as Figure 2 As shown, when the deflection axis 2 rotates, it can drive the end effector 1 to perform left and right deflection movements; when the pitch axis 4 rotates, it can drive the end effector 1 to perform up and down pitch movements. That is, the wrist joint described in this embodiment 1 has two degrees of freedom of movement, namely: deflection movement about axis A and pitch movement about axis B. Compared with the wrist joint in traditional rigid knee joint minimally invasive surgical robots, this wrist joint with this structural design has two degrees of freedom of movement, and the degrees of freedom are flexible, adjustable, and can meet the operational needs of different surgical procedures, making it widely applicable.

[0062] Furthermore, such as Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 9 As shown, in the wrist joint described in Embodiment 1, the deflection shaft 2 and the pitch shaft 4 can rotate under the drive of the wire transmission device. Specifically:

[0063] The rotational motion of the deflection shaft 2 is driven by a first wire drive device; the rotational motion of the pitch shaft 4 is driven by a second wire drive device. The first wire drive device includes a first drive wire 7 and a wire drive component. The wire drive component includes two drive wire winding wheels 29 fixed by a top wire, a drive motor connecting shaft 30, and a second drive motor 31. The second wire drive device includes a second drive wire 8 and a wire drive component. The wire drive component includes two drive wire winding wheels 29 fixed by a top wire, a drive motor connecting shaft 30, and a third drive motor 32. Wherein:

[0064] In the first wire transmission device and the second wire transmission device: the two drive wire winding wheels 29 are respectively fixed to the drive motor connecting shaft 30 by top wires, and the drive motor connecting shaft 30 is driven to rotate by the corresponding drive motor.

[0065] Furthermore, such as Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 11As shown, the deflection shaft 2 and the pitch shaft 4 are respectively provided with spiral grooves for the first drive wire 7 and the second drive wire 8 to be wound. The two drive wires are wound in the corresponding spiral grooves, and the two ends of each drive wire are wound on two drive wire winding wheels 29 respectively. Specifically, one end of each drive wire is wound on one drive wire winding wheel in a clockwise manner, and the other end is wound on the other drive wire winding wheel in a counterclockwise direction.

[0066] In this embodiment, the deflection shaft 2 and the pitch shaft 4 can rotate under the drive of the first wire transmission device and the second wire transmission device, respectively. The specific working principle and characteristics are as follows:

[0067] In this embodiment, spiral grooves for winding drive wires are provided on the deflection axis 2 and pitch axis 4 of the wrist joint, respectively. Two drive wires are wound into the corresponding spiral grooves, with the two ends of the drive wires wound onto two drive wire winding wheels 29 in clockwise and counterclockwise directions, respectively. Therefore, when the corresponding drive motor is started, the drive motor connecting shaft 30 rotates, thereby driving the two drive wire winding wheels 29 to rotate. Since the two drive wires are wound in opposite directions, the corresponding drive wires can be stretched (one side lengthens, the other side shortens). At the same time, the friction between the drive wires and the rotation axis can drive the deflection axis / pitch axis to rotate, thereby realizing the deflection and pitch movements of the wrist joint. This rotational drive method using "wire drive + friction drive" results in a wrist joint with two degrees of freedom. Compared with the common joint design using direct motor drive, since the drive motor is not directly connected to the rotation axis, the resulting wrist joint also has the characteristics of compact structure, small size, and agile movement (small movement load).

[0068] In this embodiment, as a preferred implementation, such as Figure 11 As shown, the first wire drive device and the second wire drive device also include a guide wheel 27 for guiding the drive wire and a set of winding pulleys 28 for adjusting the tension of the drive wire.

[0069] Example 2: As Figures 3 to 8 As shown, this embodiment provides a minimally invasive surgical robot based on the wrist joint provided in Embodiment 1, including a flexible robotic arm 11 and the 2-DOF wrist joint described in Embodiment 1, wherein:

[0070] like Figures 3 to 7 The flexible robotic arm 11 is mainly composed of multiple flexible joints connected to each other, and can perform bending motion with at least one degree of freedom under the drive of the bending drive device.

[0071] The pitch support 5 in the wrist joint is the distal joint of the flexible robotic arm.

[0072] In this embodiment, the flexible robotic arm is defined as: a flexible structure that can generate at least one degree of bending motion under the action of external force, specifically as follows: Figures 3 to 5 The slotted flexible arm shown can also be, for example, Figure 7 The segmented flexible arm shown can also be used for, for example Figure 8 The spinal flexible arm shown; further, as... Figures 3 to 7 As shown, the flexible robotic arm 11 specifically includes a flexible arm shell composed of a distal joint, multiple intermediate joints, and a proximal joint. Preferably, the flexible arm shell can be made by cutting and stamping a stainless steel tube, without the need for assembly. At the same time, grooves can be stamped in the distal joint, intermediate joints, and proximal joints of the flexible arm shell, so that the two ends of the first drive wire 7 and the second drive wire 8 can be connected to the corresponding wire transmission device through the inside of the grooves.

[0073] In the minimally invasive surgical robot provided in this embodiment 2, a wrist joint capable of two degrees of freedom of movement is connected to a flexible robotic arm, and the flexible robotic arm can perform bending movements of at least one degree of freedom under the drive of a bending drive device, thereby realizing at least three degrees of freedom of movement at the distal end of the robot. This greatly improves the range of motion and reach of the wrist joint end effector, thereby improving the flexibility of surgical operations and meeting the operational needs of different surgical procedures.

[0074] In this embodiment 2, the flexible robotic arm is driven by a bending drive device to achieve at least one degree of freedom bending. The bending drive device can be a rod-driven bending device or a wire-driven bending device. When a wire-driven bending device is used, at least two drive wires need to be bonded to the flexible robotic arm and connected to the wire drive device. Since the wire drive device has the same structure as the wire transmission device in embodiment 1, to avoid making the proximal drive part of the minimally invasive robot too complex, this embodiment uses a rod-driven bending device. Taking the achievement of one degree of freedom bending as an example, the specific structural setting is as follows:

[0075] like Figure 6 , Figure 11 As shown, the rod-driven bending device includes two driving rods 13, a fixed block 14, a slider 16, and a guide rail 17, wherein:

[0076] One end of each of the two drive rods 13 is fixed to the flexible robotic arm 11 by adhesive bonding.

[0077] Two fixing blocks 14 are provided. The other ends of the two driving rods 13 are respectively fixed on the two fixing blocks 14. The bottom of the two fixing blocks 14 are respectively provided with racks 15. A transmission gear 18 meshes between the two racks 15. The transmission gear 18 is driven to rotate by the fourth drive motor 33.

[0078] Two sliders 16 are provided, each mounted on the bottom of a rack 15;

[0079] Two guide rails 17 are provided, and the two sliders 16 are respectively slidably mounted on the two guide rails 17.

[0080] Wherein: the transmission gear 18 is provided with a gear drive shaft 19, and the gear drive shaft 19 is connected to the fourth drive motor 33.

[0081] The driving principle of the rod-driven bending device described in this embodiment is as follows:

[0082] When the fourth drive motor 33 starts, the gear drive shaft 19 rotates, driving the transmission gear 18 to rotate. The rotation of the transmission gear 18 transmits torque to the two racks 15 meshing with it, driving the two fixed blocks 14 fixed to it to perform linear motion respectively. At the same time, since the two racks 14 move in opposite directions, the two drive rods 13 connected to the fixed blocks 14 can drive the flexible robotic arm to perform a 1-degree-of-freedom bending motion in a certain direction through mutually antagonistic movements (one moves forward and the other moves backward). The bending state is as follows. Figure 5 As shown.

[0083] Example 3: As Figure 9 , Figure 10 As shown, the present invention also provides a minimally invasive surgical robot, which differs from Embodiment 2 in that it further includes a rigid insertion sheath 20 and a gear transmission device, wherein:

[0084] The rigid insertion sheath 20 is sleeved on the outside of the flexible robotic arm 11;

[0085] The gear transmission device is configured in conjunction with the rigid insertion sheath 20, and can drive the rigid insertion sheath 20 to move forward and backward relative to the flexible robotic arm 11, thereby allowing the flexible joint in the flexible robotic arm 11 to passively extend out of the rigid insertion sheath 20 or retract into the rigid insertion sheath 20, thereby changing the bending radius r of the flexible joint located outside the rigid insertion sheath 20.

[0086] Specifically, such as Figure 9As shown, the rigid insertion sheath 20 is provided with an external thread section 21; the gear transmission device includes a threaded sleeve, and the threaded sleeve is provided with an internal thread section that matches the external thread section 21 on the rigid insertion sheath 20. The rigid insertion sheath 20 is threadedly engaged with the threaded sleeve through the external thread section; a first bevel gear 23 is sleeved on the outside of the threaded sleeve, and the first bevel gear 23 meshes with a second bevel gear 25. The second bevel gear 25 is provided with a transmission shaft 24, and the transmission shaft 24 is driven to rotate by a first drive motor 26.

[0087] The specific working principle of the gear transmission device and the reason why the bending radius of the adjustable section of the flexible robotic arm can be adjusted in the minimally invasive surgical robot described in this embodiment are explained as follows:

[0088] When the first drive motor 26 starts, the transmission shaft 24 rotates, driving the second bevel gear 25 connected to it to rotate; the rotation of the second bevel gear 25 drives the first bevel gear 23 meshing with it to rotate; simultaneously, since the first bevel gear 23 has a threaded sleeve inside, and the threaded sleeve has an internal thread section that matches the external thread section 21 on the rigid insertion sheath 20; therefore, when the first bevel gear 23 rotates, the rigid insertion sheath 20 can move forward and backward in a straight line, thereby allowing the flexible joint in the flexible robotic arm 11 sleeved inside the rigid insertion sheath 20 to passively extend out of the rigid insertion sheath 20 or retract into the rigid insertion sheath 20. Wherein: (The text abruptly ends here, likely due to an incomplete translation or a missing section.) Figure 9 As shown, to prevent the rigid insertion sheath 20 from falling out of the threaded sleeve when it moves, an external locking block 22 can be provided at the end of the external threaded section 21 of the rigid insertion sheath 20. At the same time, to ensure that there is no coupling interference between the rigid insertion sheath 20 and the flexible robotic arm 11 and other assembly components when the rigid insertion sheath 20 moves linearly, multiple protrusions can be provided on the external locking block 22, and a rigid tube 12 can be provided near the end of the flexible robotic arm 11. At the same time, multiple elongated slits that cooperate with the protrusions can be provided on the rigid tube 12. When the rigid insertion sheath 20 moves linearly, the protrusions on the external locking block 22 can slide within the corresponding elongated slits on the rigid tube 12.

[0089] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as Figure 10 As shown in (a), when the rigid insertion sheath 20 moves backward (in the direction indicated by the arrow), the flexible robotic arm located outside the rigid insertion sheath 20 has a larger length and a larger bending radius r; Figure 10 (b) shows the length of the flexible robotic arm located outside the rigid insertion sheath 20 (relative to) when the rigid insertion sheath 20 moves forward (in the direction indicated by the arrow). Figure 10 a) Small, the bending radius r is small; therefore, by adjusting the linear displacement of the rigid insertion sheath 20, the bending radius r of the flexible robotic arm 11 outside the rigid insertion sheath can be changed.

[0090] The minimally invasive surgical robot described in Embodiment 3 decomposes the manual rotational motion required in traditional minimally invasive surgery into automatic yaw and pitch movements of the distal wrist joint. This ensures that the robot's distal end can automatically adjust to any position within its working range and meet any posture during operation. Compared to traditional surgical methods, it can achieve accurate positioning and precise operation, resulting in a high success rate and high safety. Furthermore, this embodiment sets the flexible robotic arm connected to the wrist joint as an adjustable bending segment with at least one degree of freedom. A rigid insertion sheath, capable of displacement, is fitted around this adjustable segment. Thus, when the adjustable segment bends, the bending radius *r* of the adjustable segment can be changed by controlling the linear displacement of the rigid insertion sheath. This ingenious design not only enables a wide range of bending movements and safe interaction at the robot's distal end but also allows for flexible adjustment of the distal wrist joint's working posture.

[0091] Example 4: Figures 1 to 12 As shown, this embodiment provides a knee arthroscopic surgical robot. The difference from embodiment 3 is that in this embodiment, the end effector 1 is defined as an endoscope module. The endoscope module includes an endoscope 10 and an endoscope support 9 for assembling the endoscope. The endoscope support 9 is fixed on the deflection shaft 2.

[0092] Furthermore, such as Figure 11 , 12 As shown, the knee arthroscopic surgical robot also includes a device housing 38, which comprises an outer shell and a supporting base plate 39. The gear transmission device, the rod-driven bending device, and the two sets of wire transmission devices are compactly arranged on the supporting base plate 39. A schematic diagram of the internal structure of the knee arthroscopic surgical robot described in this embodiment is shown below. Figure 11 As shown in the diagram, the overall structure is as follows: Figure 12 As shown.

[0093] Furthermore, such as Figure 8 , 11 As shown, a rigid tube 12 is provided at the proximal end of the flexible robotic arm 11. The two drive rods 13, the first drive wire 7 and the second drive wire 8 pass through the rigid tube 12 and are connected to the corresponding drive devices. The rigid tube 12 is fixed to the support base plate 39 by the rear support plate 34.

[0094] Furthermore, such as Figure 11 , 12 The device housing 34 is also provided with a front support seat 37, and the first bevel gear 23 in the gear transmission device is rotatably mounted on the front support seat 37.

[0095] Furthermore, such as Figure 12As shown, the device housing 34 is provided with a first handheld part 35 and a second handheld part 36; the second drive motor 31, the third drive motor 32 and the fourth drive motor 33 are disposed in the second handheld part 36, and the first drive motor 26 in the gear transmission device is disposed in the first handheld part 35. That is, the surgical robot provided by the present invention is a flexible handheld knee arthroscopic surgical robot.

[0096] In the knee arthroscopic surgical robot described in this embodiment, the flexible robotic arm 11 can perform one-degree-of-freedom bending motion under the drive of the lever-driven bending device, thereby realizing a wide range of bending motion and safe interaction of the distal wrist joint of the robot. By setting the end effector 1 on the distal wrist joint of the flexible robotic arm 11 as an endoscope module, localized and flexible adjustments to the endoscopic field of view can also be achieved. Simultaneously, a rigid insertion sheath 20 is fitted over the flexible robotic arm 11. By controlling the forward and backward movement of the rigid insertion sheath 20 through a gear transmission device, the flexible joint in the flexible robotic arm can be passively extended outside or retracted into the rigid insertion sheath. This structural feature, on the one hand, facilitates the surgeon's smooth operation of the endoscope module integrated at the end of the robotic arm into the knee joint cavity through the knee incision; on the other hand, by adjusting the extension amount of the rigid insertion sheath, the bending radius of the flexible joint in the flexible robotic arm can be changed, further enabling flexible adjustments to the endoscopic field of view, thereby avoiding blind spots in the surgical field, reducing surgical difficulty, and improving the safety of the surgical procedure.

[0097] Furthermore, it should be noted that the shapes and names of the parts and components described in the specific embodiments described in this specification may differ. All equivalent or simple variations made to the structure, features, and principles described in this patent concept are included within the protection scope of this patent. Those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains may make various modifications or additions to the described specific embodiments or use similar methods to replace them, as long as they do not depart from the structure of this invention or exceed the scope defined in these claims, they should all fall within the protection scope of this invention.

Claims

1. A wrist joint, comprising an end effector, characterized in that, It also includes a yaw shaft, a pitch support frame, a pitch shaft, and a pitch support base; wherein: The end effector is fixedly mounted on the deflection shaft; The deflection shaft is rotatably mounted on the pitch support frame and can drive the end effector to rotate around axis A; The pitch support frame is fixedly connected to the pitch axis; The pitch axis is rotatably mounted on the pitch support base and can drive the overall joint composed of the end effector, the yaw axis and the pitch support structure to rotate around axis B. The axis A and axis B are perpendicular to each other; wherein: The rotational motion of the deflection shaft is driven by the first wire drive device; the rotational motion of the pitch shaft is driven by the second wire drive device; the first wire drive device and the second wire drive device have the same structure, each including: a drive wire and a wire drive component; wherein: the wire drive component includes two drive wire winding wheels fixed together by a top wire, a drive motor connecting shaft and a drive motor, the two drive wire winding wheels are respectively fixed to the drive motor connecting shaft by a top wire, and the drive motor connecting shaft is driven to rotate by the drive motor; The deflection shaft and pitch shaft are respectively provided with spiral grooves for the drive wires to be wound. The two drive wires are wound in the corresponding spiral grooves, and the two ends of each drive wire are wound on two drive wire winding wheels in a clockwise and counterclockwise manner, respectively.

2. A minimally invasive surgical robot, characterized in that, Including the wrist joint and flexible robotic arm as described in claim 1, wherein: The flexible robotic arm is mainly composed of multiple flexible joints connected to each other, and can perform bending motion with at least one degree of freedom under the drive of the bending drive device. The pitch support in the wrist joint is the distal joint of the flexible robotic arm.

3. The minimally invasive surgical robot according to claim 2, characterized in that, The bending drive device is a rod-driven bending device, which includes two drive rods, a fixed block, a slider, and a guide rail, wherein: One end of each of the two drive rods is fixed to the flexible robotic arm; Two fixing blocks are provided. The other ends of the two drive rods are respectively fixed to the two fixing blocks. The bottom of the two fixing blocks is provided with racks. A transmission gear meshes between the two racks. The transmission gear is driven to rotate by the fourth drive motor. Two sliders are provided, each mounted on the bottom of a rack; There are two guide rails, and the two sliders are respectively slidably mounted on the two guide rails.

4. The minimally invasive surgical robot according to claim 3, characterized in that, It also includes a rigid insertion sheath and a gear transmission device, wherein: The rigid insertion sheath is fitted over the flexible robotic arm; The gear transmission device is matched with the rigid insertion sheath and can drive the rigid insertion sheath to move forward and backward relative to the flexible robotic arm, thereby allowing the flexible joint in the flexible robotic arm to passively extend out of the rigid insertion sheath or retract into the rigid insertion sheath.

5. The minimally invasive surgical robot according to claim 4, characterized in that, The rigid insertion sheath is provided with an external thread section; the gear transmission device includes a threaded sleeve, and the threaded sleeve is provided with an internal thread section that matches the external thread section on the rigid insertion sheath. The rigid insertion sheath is threadedly engaged with the threaded sleeve through the external thread section; a first bevel gear is sleeved on the outside of the threaded sleeve, and the first bevel gear meshes with a second bevel gear. The second bevel gear is provided with a transmission shaft, and the transmission shaft is driven to rotate by a first drive motor.

6. The minimally invasive surgical robot according to claim 5, characterized in that, An external locking block is provided at the end of the external threaded section of the rigid insertion sheath, and the external locking block is provided with multiple protrusions; a rigid tube is provided at the proximal end of the flexible robotic arm, and multiple elongated slits that cooperate with the protrusions are provided on the rigid tube; when the rigid insertion sheath moves in a straight line, the protrusions on the external locking block can slide within the corresponding elongated slits on the rigid tube.

7. A knee arthroscopic surgical robot, characterized in that, The minimally invasive surgical robot includes any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein the end effector is an endoscope module, the endoscope module includes an endoscope and an endoscope support for assembling the endoscope, the endoscope support being fixed on a deflection axis.

8. The knee arthroscopic surgical robot according to claim 7, characterized in that, It also includes a device housing, which includes an outer shell and a supporting base plate. The gear transmission device, the rod-driven bending device, the first wire transmission device and the second wire transmission device are respectively disposed on the supporting base plate.

9. The knee arthroscopic surgical robot according to claim 8, characterized in that, The device housing is provided with a first hand-held part and a second hand-held part; the drive motors of the first wire transmission device, the second wire transmission device and the rod drive bending device are all located in the second hand-held part, and the drive motor of the gear transmission device is located in the first hand-held part.

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