Endoscope control method and device based on soft endoscope robot

Abstract

The invention discloses an endoscope control method and device based on a soft endoscope robot, and the method comprises the steps: detecting whether the actual conveying completion degree of an endoscope meets the requirement or not based on the deviation value between the actual displacement of the endoscope and the target displacement after an endoscope conveying instruction is received; if the actual delivery completion degree of the endoscope does not meet the requirement and the delivery friction force of the endoscope is greater than or equal to a friction force threshold value, an injection pump is controlled to increase the injection amount of mucus added to the surface of the endoscope, and a clamping motor is controlled to increase the clamping force on the endoscope, so that the front-end resistance is reduced, and the delivery force is increased; if the actual delivery completion degree of the endoscope does not meet the requirement and the delivery friction force of the endoscope is smaller than the friction force threshold value, the injection pump is controlled to reduce the injection amount of mucus added to the surface of the endoscope, so that the friction force is increased, and slipping is reduced. According to the flexible endoscope robot, the endoscope conveying performance of the flexible endoscope robot can be improved, and the displacement loss generated in the endoscope conveying process is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the technical field of medical devices, and particularly to an endoscope control method and device based on a flexible endoscope robot. Background Art

[0002] Flexible endoscopes are common medical devices. During the operation of traditional flexible endoscopes, manual operations such as holding the endoscope body with both hands, operating the knobs, and manually feeding the endoscope body are required to complete the operation process; in some cases, the endoscope needs to be operated under the guidance of the image of the radiation, and medical staff need to wear heavy lead protective clothing for a long time to manually operate the flexible endoscope, which has a great impact on the quality, physical strength and health of medical staff's diagnosis and treatment operations, especially for experienced older or female medical staff, and even restricts them more, and even forces them to give up endoscope work.

[0003] With the development of robot-assisted technology, flexible endoscope robots have emerged. Doctors can adjust the delivery length and posture of the flexible endoscope by adjusting the handle switch and buttons of the flexible endoscope robot. The flexible endoscope robot greatly reduces the physical strength and manual operation fatigue of doctors, reduces the operation requirements, reduces the radiation to medical staff, and at the same time can improve the interaction between medical staff and images.

[0004] However, the flexible endoscope robot often has problems with poor endoscope delivery performance at present. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides an endoscope control method and device based on a flexible endoscope robot, which helps to improve the endoscope delivery performance of the flexible endoscope robot.

[0006] In the first aspect, an endoscope control method based on a flexible endoscope robot is provided, which is executed by the controller of the flexible endoscope robot. The method includes: Receiving an endoscope delivery instruction from the handle of the operation console, where the endoscope delivery instruction indicates controlling the target displacement of the endoscope delivery; Sending a displacement movement instruction to the conveyor, where the displacement movement instruction indicates delivering the endoscope according to the target displacement; During the endoscope delivery process, receiving the delivery position of the endoscope sent by the conveyor, and determining the actual displacement of the endoscope based on the delivery position of the endoscope; Based on the deviation between the actual displacement and the target displacement of the endoscope, detecting whether the actual delivery completion degree of the endoscope meets the requirements; If the actual delivery completion degree of the endoscope does not meet the requirements, and the friction force of the endoscope delivery is greater than or equal to the friction force threshold, controlling the injection pump to increase the injection amount of the mucus added to the surface of the endoscope, and controlling the clamping motor to increase the clamping force on the endoscope; If the actual delivery completion degree of the endoscope does not meet the requirements and the friction force during endoscope delivery is less than the friction force threshold, control the injection pump to reduce the injection amount of mucus added to the surface of the endoscope.

[0007] In some embodiments, the method further includes: Receiving a head end bending instruction of the endoscope from the operating table handle, the head end bending instruction instructing to control the head end of the endoscope to perform a bending movement; Sending a pulley rotation movement instruction to the pulley motor of the robotic arm operating unit, the pulley motor being used to drive the pulley to rotate, and the pulley rotation being capable of driving the head end of the endoscope to perform a bending movement; During the bending process of the head end of the endoscope, based on the actual position of the pulley motor and the limit position of the pulley motor, detecting whether the actual position of the pulley motor exceeds the limit, the limit position of the pulley motor corresponding to the limit position of the endoscope bending; If the actual position of the pulley motor exceeds the limit, display a first overlimit prompt icon in a flashing manner on the interface and adjust the vibration frequency of the operating table handle, the first overlimit prompt icon being used to prompt that the actual position of the pulley motor exceeds the limit.

[0008] In some embodiments, the method further includes: Receiving an endoscope rotation instruction from the operating table handle, the endoscope rotation instruction instructing to control the endoscope to rotate; Sending an operating unit rotation movement instruction to the rotation motor of the robotic arm operating unit, the rotation motor being used to drive the endoscope to rotate; Based on the actual rotation position of the endoscope and the rotation limit position of the endoscope, detecting whether the actual rotation position of the endoscope exceeds the limit; If the actual rotation position of the endoscope exceeds the limit, display a second overlimit prompt icon in a flashing manner on the interface and adjust the vibration frequency of the operating table handle, the second overlimit prompt icon being used to prompt that the actual rotation position of the endoscope exceeds the limit.

[0009] In some embodiments, the method further includes: Obtaining an endoscope image captured by a camera provided at the head end of the endoscope; Performing convolution operation and variance operation on the endoscope image using the Laplacian operator to obtain a blur score of the endoscope image, the blur score being used to characterize the blur degree of the endoscope image; If the blur score of the endoscope image exceeds the blur score threshold, and the operating table has not issued a movement instruction currently, and the air pressure value in the operation space of the head end of the endoscope is less than the air pressure threshold, control the endoscope to perform water and gas operation to clear the blurred state of the camera lens.

[0010] In some embodiments, the method further includes: Detecting the air pressure value in the operating space at the head end of the endoscope; If the air pressure value in the operating space at the head end of the endoscope is greater than the air pressure threshold, displaying a high air pressure prompt in the interface and providing the user with usage guidance information for the suction operation.

[0011] In some embodiments, the method further includes: If the deviation between the actual displacement and the target displacement of the endoscope is greater than the deviation threshold, adjusting the vibration frequency of the operating table handle.

[0012] In some embodiments, the method further includes: If the deviation between the actual displacement and the target displacement of the endoscope is greater than the deviation threshold and the friction force during the endoscope transportation is less than the friction threshold, displaying a slipping prompt icon in a flashing manner in the interface, where the slipping prompt icon is used to prompt that the endoscope slips during transportation.

[0013] In some embodiments, the actual displacement of the endoscope is detected by a passive wheel encoder built in the transporter, and the friction force during the endoscope transportation is detected by a detection module on the surface of the endoscope before installing the transporter.

[0014] In a second aspect, there is provided an endoscope control device based on a flexible endoscope robot, which is arranged in the controller of the flexible endoscope robot and includes: A receiving unit, configured to receive an endoscope transportation instruction from the operating table handle, where the endoscope transportation instruction indicates controlling the endoscope to transport to a target displacement; A sending unit, configured to send a displacement movement instruction to the transporter, where the displacement movement instruction indicates transporting the endoscope according to the target displacement; The receiving unit is further configured to receive the transportation position of the endoscope sent by the transporter during the endoscope transportation process, and determine the actual displacement of the endoscope based on the transportation position of the endoscope; A processing unit, configured to detect whether the actual transportation completion degree of the endoscope meets the requirements based on the deviation between the actual displacement and the target displacement of the endoscope; if the actual transportation completion degree of the endoscope does not meet the requirements and the friction force during the endoscope transportation is greater than or equal to the friction threshold, controlling the injection pump to increase the injection amount of the mucus added to the surface of the endoscope and controlling the clamping motor to increase the clamping force on the endoscope; if the actual transportation completion degree of the endoscope does not meet the requirements and the friction force during the endoscope transportation is less than the friction threshold, controlling the injection pump to reduce the injection amount of the mucus added to the surface of the endoscope.

[0015] In some embodiments, the receiving unit is further configured to receive an endoscope head end bending instruction from the operating table handle, where the endoscope head end bending instruction indicates controlling the head end of the endoscope to perform a bending movement; The sending unit is further configured to send a wave wheel rotation motion instruction to the wave wheel motor of the robotic arm operating unit. The wave wheel motor is used to drive the wave wheel to rotate, and the rotation of the wave wheel can drive the head end of the endoscope to perform a bending motion. The processing unit is further configured to, during the bending process of the head end of the endoscope, detect whether the actual position of the wave wheel motor exceeds the limit based on the actual position of the wave wheel motor and the limit position of the wave wheel motor. The limit position of the wave wheel motor corresponds to the limit position of the endoscope bending. If the actual position of the wave wheel motor exceeds the limit, a first over-limit prompt icon is displayed in a flashing manner on the interface, and the vibration frequency of the operation console handle is adjusted. The first over-limit prompt icon is used to prompt that the actual position of the wave wheel motor exceeds the limit.

[0016] In some embodiments, the receiving unit is further configured to receive an endoscope rotation instruction from the operation console handle, and the endoscope rotation instruction is used to indicate controlling the endoscope to rotate. The sending unit is further configured to send an operating unit rotation motion instruction to the rotation motor of the robotic arm operating unit, and the rotation motor is used to drive the endoscope to rotate. The processing unit is further configured to detect whether the actual rotation position of the endoscope exceeds the limit based on the actual rotation position of the endoscope and the rotation limit position of the endoscope. If the actual rotation position of the endoscope exceeds the limit, a second over-limit prompt icon is displayed in a flashing manner on the interface, and the vibration frequency of the operation console handle is adjusted. The second over-limit prompt icon is used to prompt that the actual rotation position of the endoscope exceeds the limit.

[0017] In some embodiments, the processing unit is further configured to obtain an endoscope image captured by a camera provided at the head end of the endoscope; perform convolution operation and variance operation on the endoscope image using the Laplacian operator to obtain a blur score of the endoscope image, and the blur score is used to characterize the blur degree of the endoscope image. If the blur score of the endoscope image exceeds the blur score threshold, and the operation console does not issue a motion instruction currently, and the air pressure value in the operation space of the head end of the endoscope is less than the air pressure threshold, control the endoscope to perform a water and gas operation to clear the blurred state of the camera lens.

[0018] In some embodiments, the processing unit is further configured to detect the air pressure value in the operation space of the head end of the endoscope. The device further includes a display unit configured to, if the air pressure value in the operation space of the head end of the endoscope is greater than the air pressure threshold, display an air pressure too high prompt on the interface and provide usage guidance information for the suction operation to the user.

[0019] In some embodiments, the processing unit is further configured to adjust the vibration frequency of the operation console handle if the deviation amount between the actual displacement and the target displacement of the endoscope is greater than the deviation amount threshold.

[0020] In some embodiments, the processing unit is further configured to, if the deviation between the actual displacement and the target displacement of the endoscope is greater than the deviation threshold and the friction force during the endoscope transportation is less than the friction force threshold, display a slipping prompt icon in a flashing manner in the interface, where the slipping prompt icon is used to prompt that the endoscope slips during transportation.

[0021] In some embodiments, the actual displacement of the endoscope is detected by a passive wheel encoder built in the transporter, and the friction force during the endoscope transportation is detected by a detection module on the surface of the endoscope before installing the transporter.

[0022] In a third aspect, a controller of a flexible endoscope robot is provided. The controller includes: a processor, the processor is coupled with a memory, and at least one computer program instruction is stored in the memory. The at least one computer program instruction is loaded and executed by the processor so that the flexible endoscope robot implements the method provided in the first aspect or any optional implementation manner of the first aspect.

[0023] In a fourth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided. At least one instruction is stored in the storage medium. When the instruction runs on a computer, the computer is enabled to execute the method provided in the first aspect or any optional implementation manner of the first aspect.

[0024] In a fifth aspect, a computer program product is provided. The computer program product includes one or more computer program instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and run on a computer, the computer is enabled to execute the method provided in the first aspect or any optional implementation manner of the first aspect.

[0025] Based on the implementation manners provided in the above aspects of the present application, further combinations can be made to provide more implementation manners.

[0026] The method provided in this embodiment, after receiving an endoscope transportation instruction, based on the deviation between the actual displacement and the target displacement of the endoscope, detects whether the actual transportation completion degree of the endoscope meets the requirements; if the actual transportation completion degree of the endoscope does not meet the requirements and the friction force during the endoscope transportation is greater than or equal to the friction force threshold, controls the injection pump to increase the injection amount of the mucus added to the surface of the endoscope, and controls the clamping motor to increase the clamping force on the endoscope, so as to reduce the front-end resistance and increase the transportation force, thereby improving the performance of the transporter in transporting the endoscope; if the actual transportation completion degree of the endoscope does not meet the requirements and the friction force during the endoscope transportation is less than the friction force threshold, controls the injection pump to reduce the injection amount of the mucus added to the surface of the endoscope, so as to increase the friction force and reduce slipping, thereby improving the performance of the transporter in transporting the endoscope. By this method, it helps to improve the endoscope transportation performance of the flexible endoscope robot and reduce the displacement loss generated during the endoscope transportation process. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of a traditional flexible endoscope provided by an embodiment of the present application; Figure 2 Schematic diagram of a flexible endoscope robot system provided by an embodiment of the present application; Figure 3 Schematic diagram of an operating part of a flexible endoscope robot provided by an embodiment of the present application; Figure 4 Schematic diagram of a conveying part of a flexible endoscope robot provided by an embodiment of the present application; Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the installation of an endoscope on a flexible endoscope robot provided by an embodiment of the present application; Figure 6 Flow chart of an endoscope conveying control method based on a flexible endoscope robot provided by an embodiment of the present application; Figure 7 Structural schematic diagram of an endoscope transporter provided by an embodiment of the present application; Figure 8 Flow chart of a control method for an endoscope operating part provided by an embodiment of the present application; Figure 9 Schematic diagram of the process of a controller controlling the rotation of an endoscope provided by an embodiment of the present application; Figure 10 Schematic diagram of an operating table provided by an embodiment of the present application; Figure 11 Schematic diagram of information interaction between a controller and other components in a flexible endoscope robot provided by an embodiment of the present application; Figure 12 Structural schematic diagram of an endoscope control device based on a flexible endoscope robot provided by an embodiment of the present application; Figure 13 Structural schematic diagram of a controller of a flexible endoscope robot provided by an embodiment of the present application. Detailed implementation manners

[0028] To make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the present application clearer, the following will further describe the embodiments of the present application in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0029] The embodiments of the present application design a mucus removal mechanism, an endoscope friction force monitoring device and a mucus injection device at the robot transporter part to control the conveying and advancing amount of the robot along with the handle and the change amount of the endoscope conveying displacement to change more accurately and stably.

[0030] When the flexible endoscope manipulation robot system is in use, the change of the head end of the endoscope is restricted by the hardware bending structure of the endoscope, and the endoscope can only bend within the restricted range. When the doctor views the endoscope image is blurred or needs to trigger the water-gas and suction functions in a specific scenario. Therefore, in the embodiments of the present application, the robot is designed with operation environment air pressure monitoring, endoscope head end bending angle monitoring, image blurring monitoring, and designed operation strategy judgment conditions for automatic water-gas triggering and over-limit warning for the movement position of the endoscope head end operation.

[0031] The embodiments of the present application propose an endoscope operation detection and control method based on a flexible endoscope robot. The method includes operation control methods for endoscope delivery, endoscope head end, endoscope water-gas, and suction functions during the operation of the flexible endoscope robot. The controller monitors information such as delivery friction, mucus injection pump injection volume, operation environment air pressure, endoscope head end bending angle, etc., and analyzes and controls the operation instructions issued by the operation console to control the movement operation of the robot. This method can avoid excessive movement of the robot from damaging the hardware, and prompt and filter out illegal operations, protecting the safety of the robot equipment and patients.

[0032] The architecture of the flexible endoscope robot applied in the embodiments of the present application will be exemplified below.

[0033] For traditional flexible endoscope operation, taking a digestive flexible endoscope as an example, see Figure 1 , Figure 1 which is a schematic diagram of a traditional flexible endoscope provided by the embodiments of the present application. The doctor holds the front end of the flexible endoscope with the right hand and holds the operation part 101 of the flexible endoscope with the left hand in front of the chest, and adjusts the large and small knobs with the thumb, middle finger and ring finger, such as the large wave wheel 106, the small wave wheel 107, the function button 108, etc. The middle finger controls the water-gas valve button 102 to inject gas and water, and the index finger controls the suction valve button 103. When controlling the advance and retreat of the flexible endoscope, it is necessary to rotate the mirror body to always maintain a good field of view. When reaching the lesion or the place where biopsy is needed, the corresponding instrument is inserted from the instrument channel 104, through the instrument channel inside the insertion part, to the head end 105. Under the cooperation of the endoscopic field of view, the corresponding operation is completed.

[0034] See Figure 2 , Figure 2 which is a schematic diagram of a flexible endoscope robot system provided by the embodiments of the present application. In Figure 2In the soft endoscope robot system, it includes a robot trolley 201, a robotic arm 202, a robotic arm 203, an endoscope delivery device 204, an endoscope operating device 205, a controller 208, a doctor's console 206, and a supporting workstation. In the master-slave control mode, the operation commands of the doctor are converted into controlling the endoscope delivery device 204 and the endoscope operating device 205 to move by the robotic arm 202 and the robotic arm 203. Among them, the endoscope operating device 205 operates the bending degree of the soft endoscope to bend. The endoscope delivery device 204 controls the length of the soft endoscope entering the human body. The endoscope operating device 205 and the endoscope delivery device 204 simultaneously control the rotation of the soft endoscope, and can also be controlled separately, with the other following. At the same time, the endoscope operating device 205 can drive the instruments matching the soft endoscope.

[0035] See Figure 3 , Figure 3 which is a schematic diagram of a soft endoscope robot operating part provided by an embodiment of the present application. In Figure 3 the soft endoscope robot operating part includes a suction button 301, a water-gas button 302, an operating part 303, an endoscope operating part 304, an adapter 305, and an endoscope dial 306.

[0036] See Figure 4 , Figure 4 which is a schematic diagram of a soft endoscope robot delivery part provided by an embodiment of the present application. In Figure 4 the soft endoscope robot delivery part includes an endoscope 401, an injection pump 402, and a conveyor 403.

[0037] See Figure 5 , Figure 5 which is a schematic diagram of the installation of a soft endoscope robot endoscope provided by an embodiment of the present application. In Figure 5 the installation process of the soft endoscope robot endoscope involves an instrument channel 501, a delivery part 502, and an endoscope wire harness 503.

[0038] In this embodiment, after the endoscope robot installs the robot operating part adapter 305 and the conveyor 403 in the delivery part 502, the robot returns to the zero position to install the endoscope 401. Among them, the operating part 303 of the endoscope 401 is installed on the adapter 305 of the robotic arm operating part and is fixed by a quick-connect buckle. The bending part of the endoscope 401 is installed on the conveyor 403 of the robot delivery part, and the endoscope 401 is fixed by a clamping motor. The doctor can control the functions such as the delivery of the endoscope 401, the bending of the bending section, water-gas, and suction of the endoscope 401 by moving the handle of the operating console.

[0039] See Figure 6 , Figure 6 is a flowchart of an endoscope delivery control method based on a soft endoscope robot provided by an embodiment of the present application. This method is executed by the controller of the soft endoscope robot, and this method includes the following steps.

[0040] S601. The controller receives an endoscope delivery instruction from the operating console handle, and the endoscope delivery instruction indicates controlling the target displacement of endoscope delivery.

[0041] During the doctor's operation, the doctor can operate the endoscope by pushing the operating console handle forward. In response to the pushing operation, the operating console handle issues an endoscope delivery instruction to the controller.

[0042] S602. The controller sends a displacement movement instruction to the conveyor, and the displacement movement instruction indicates delivering the endoscope according to the target displacement.

[0043] The controller can determine the displacement amount of the handle according to the speed at which the handle is pushed forward per unit time, determine the target displacement of endoscope delivery based on the mapping relationship between the displacement amount of the handle and the displacement amount of endoscope delivery. Generate and send a displacement movement instruction to the conveyor based on the target displacement of endoscope delivery, and the displacement movement instruction carries the target displacement, thereby notifying the conveyor how far the endoscope needs to be delivered.

[0044] After receiving the displacement movement instruction, the conveyor delivers the endoscope according to the target displacement. During the endoscope delivery process, there is a passive wheel in the passive wheel encoder of the conveyor that contacts the endoscope. The passive wheel encoder detects the rotation angle of the passive wheel, determines the actual displacement of endoscope delivery based on the rotation angle of the passive wheel, and sends the actual displacement of endoscope delivery to the controller.

[0045] S603. During the endoscope delivery process, the controller receives the delivery position of the endoscope and determines the actual displacement of the endoscope based on the delivery position of the endoscope.

[0046] In some embodiments, the conveyor uses the position detection module 701 to detect the delivery position of the endoscope 401 in real time and sends the delivery position of the endoscope 401 to the controller. The controller receives the delivery position of the endoscope sent by the conveyor from the position detection module 701. The controller compares the delivery position of the endoscope 401 before sending the displacement movement instruction to the conveyor with the delivery position of the endoscope 401 when the conveyor finishes delivering the endoscope 401, and obtains the distance between the two delivery positions as the actual displacement of the endoscope.

[0047] S604. The controller detects whether the actual delivery completion degree of the endoscope meets the requirements based on the deviation amount between the actual displacement and the target displacement of the endoscope.

[0048] As an example, the controller determines the deviation amount between the actual displacement and the target displacement of the endoscope, and judges the actual delivery completion degree of the doctor's endoscope delivery instruction based on this deviation amount. Specifically, the controller compares the deviation amount between the actual displacement and the target displacement of the endoscope with the acceptable displacement loss amount. If the deviation amount is less than the acceptable displacement loss amount, it is determined that the actual delivery completion degree of the endoscope meets the requirements. If the deviation amount is greater than or equal to the acceptable displacement loss amount, it is determined that the actual delivery completion degree of the endoscope does not meet the requirements. The acceptable displacement loss amount is, for example, the product of the target displacement and the set percentage, and the set percentage is, for example, 80%.

[0049] S605, if the actual delivery completion degree of the endoscope meets the requirements, the controller further judges whether the mucus injection amount of the injection pump is equal to the set initial injection amount.

[0050] S610, if the mucus injection amount of the injection pump is not equal to the set initial injection amount, the controller adjusts the injection amount of the mucus added to the endoscope surface by the injection pump to the set initial injection amount.

[0051] S606, if the actual delivery completion degree of the endoscope does not meet the requirements, the controller further judges whether the friction force of the endoscope delivery is less than the friction force threshold. If the friction force of the endoscope delivery is less than the friction force threshold, then S607 is executed.

[0052] In some embodiments, the conveyor detects the friction force of the endoscope 401 delivery in real time through the friction force detection module 702, and sends the friction force of the endoscope 401 delivery to the controller.

[0053] The friction force threshold is, for example, the product of the friction force of the normal endoscope delivery and the set percentage, and the set percentage is, for example, 80%. The friction force of the normal endoscope delivery is obtained by testing the friction force of the endoscope delivery when the endoscope delivery ability meets the requirements.

[0054] S607, if the actual delivery completion degree of the endoscope does not meet the requirements and the friction force of the endoscope delivery is less than the friction force threshold, the controller controls the injection pump to reduce the injection amount of the mucus added to the endoscope surface.

[0055] If the friction force of the endoscope delivery is less than the friction force threshold, it indicates that slipping has occurred, resulting in too small a friction force. Therefore, by reducing the injection amount of the mucus injection pump, the friction force is increased, slipping is reduced, and thus the performance of the conveyor for delivering the endoscope is improved.

[0056] For example, please refer to the appendix Figure 7 appendix Figure 7It is a schematic structural diagram of an endoscope transporter 700 provided by an embodiment of the present application. The endoscope transporter 700 includes a position detection module 701, a frictional force detection module 702, a motor motion module 703, an injection pump module 704, and an adhesive injection mechanism 705.

[0057] The frictional force detection module 702 is connected to the detection module 708 through a connecting rod 706 and a guiding tube 707. The detection module 708 is installed on the surface of the front end of the transporter 700 and the endoscope 401.

[0058] S608, if the actual delivery completion degree of the endoscope does not meet the requirements, and the frictional force during the endoscope delivery is greater than or equal to the frictional force threshold, the controller controls the injection pump to increase the injection amount of the mucus added to the surface of the endoscope, and controls the clamping motor to increase the clamping force on the endoscope.

[0059] If the frictional force during the endoscope delivery is greater than or equal to the frictional force threshold, it indicates that there is no slippage during the endoscope delivery. In this case, it is considered that the displacement loss during the endoscope delivery is due to the excessive front-end resistance and the delivery ability cannot overcome the front-end resistance. Therefore, in this embodiment, the delivery ability is increased in two ways. One way is to increase the mucus injection amount, thereby reducing the sliding friction coefficient and reducing the front-end resistance. The other way is to increase the clamping force on the endoscope, thereby increasing the delivery force and improving the performance of the transporter for delivering the endoscope.

[0060] S609, the controller determines whether the clamping force of the clamping motor is less than the clamping force threshold. If the clamping force of the clamping motor is less than the clamping force threshold, continue to execute S608. If the clamping force of the clamping motor is greater than or equal to the clamping force threshold, execute S607.

[0061] In some embodiments, if the deviation between the actual displacement and the target displacement of the endoscope is greater than the deviation threshold, the controller also adjusts the vibration frequency of the operating table handle to prompt the user that the current delivery ability has decreased.

[0062] In some embodiments, if the deviation between the actual displacement and the target displacement of the endoscope is greater than the deviation threshold, and the frictional force during the endoscope delivery is less than the frictional force threshold, in this case, it is considered that the endoscope delivery has slipped, and a slippage prompt is displayed in a flashing form on the interface. The slippage prompt is used to prompt that the endoscope has slipped during the delivery process.

[0063] The method provided in this embodiment detects whether the actual delivery completion degree of the endoscope meets the requirements based on the deviation between the actual displacement and the target displacement of the endoscope after receiving the endoscope delivery instruction; if the actual delivery completion degree of the endoscope does not meet the requirements and the friction force during the endoscope delivery is greater than or equal to the friction force threshold, the injection pump is controlled to increase the injection amount of the mucus added to the surface of the endoscope, and the clamping motor is controlled to increase the clamping force on the endoscope, thereby reducing the front-end resistance and increasing the delivery force, so as to improve the performance of the conveyor for delivering the endoscope; if the actual delivery completion degree of the endoscope does not meet the requirements and the friction force during the endoscope delivery is less than the friction force threshold, the injection pump is controlled to reduce the injection amount of the mucus added to the surface of the endoscope, thereby increasing the friction force and reducing slippage, so as to improve the performance of the conveyor for delivering the endoscope. By this method, it helps to improve the endoscope delivery performance of the flexible endoscope robot and reduce the displacement loss during the endoscope delivery process.

[0064] The control method of the endoscope operation part in the embodiment of the present application is illustrated below.

[0065] For example, please refer to the appendix Figure 8 The appendix Figure 8 is a flowchart of a control method for an endoscope operation part provided in an embodiment of the present application. This method is executed by the controller of the flexible endoscope robot and includes the following steps.

[0066] S801, the controller receives the endoscope tip bending instruction from the operation console handle, and the endoscope tip bending instruction instructs to control the endoscope tip to perform a bending movement.

[0067] The doctor can trigger the endoscope tip bending instruction through the operation console handle, and the operation console handle sends the endoscope tip bending instruction to the controller.

[0068] S802 (not shown in the figure), the controller sends a pulley rotation movement instruction to the pulley motor of the robotic arm operation part. The pulley motor is used to control the rotation of the pulley of the endoscope operation part, and the pulley rotation can drive the endoscope tip to perform a bending movement.

[0069] S803, during the bending of the endoscope tip, the controller detects whether the actual position of the pulley motor exceeds the limit.

[0070] Specifically, the controller compares the actual position of the pulley motor with the limit position of the pulley motor to detect whether the actual position of the pulley motor exceeds the limit. For example, the controller obtains the distance between the actual position of the pulley motor and the limit position of the pulley motor, and determines whether this distance meets the first over-limit condition. If the distance between the actual position of the pulley motor and the limit position of the pulley motor meets the first over-limit condition, it is regarded as exceeding the limit. The limit position of the pulley motor corresponds to the limit position of the endoscope bending.

[0071] S804, if the actual position of the rotary motor is out of limit, the controller outputs a prompt indicating that the position of the rotary motor is out of limit.

[0072] In a possible implementation, the controller displays a first out-of-limit prompt icon in a flashing manner on the interface and adjusts the vibration frequency of the operating table handle. The first out-of-limit prompt icon is used to prompt that the actual position of the rotary motor is out of limit.

[0073] In a possible implementation of determining that the distance between the actual position of the rotary motor and the limit position of the rotary motor satisfies the first out-of-limit condition, if the distance between the actual position of the rotary motor and the limit position of the rotary motor is zero, that is, the actual position of the rotary motor reaches the limit position, it is determined that the first out-of-limit condition is satisfied. In another possible implementation, the distance between the actual position of the rotary motor and the limit position of the rotary motor is compared with a first distance threshold. If the distance between the actual position of the rotary motor and the limit position of the rotary motor is less than the first distance threshold, in this case, it is considered that the actual position of the rotary motor is close to the limit position and the risk of endoscope damage is relatively high. Therefore, by outputting a rotation out-of-limit prompt, such as a vibration prompt of the operating table handle and a flashing prompt of the icon on the operating table interface, the user is prompted that the position of the rotary motor is out of limit, thereby reducing the risk of endoscope damage caused by the out-of-limit position of the rotary motor.

[0074] S808, if the actual position of the rotary motor is not out of limit, the controller continues to control the bending movement of the end of the inner lens.

[0075] During the doctor's operation, the doctor issues water / gas and suction commands to the controller through the operating table handle. After receiving the commands, the controller issues mapped motor movement commands to the water / gas and suction motors of the robotic arm operation unit, and the end of the inner lens performs water / gas and suction operations by pressing the function handle button on the endoscope operation unit.

[0076] S809 (not shown in the figure), the controller acquires the endoscope image captured by the camera at the end of the inner lens.

[0077] Specifically, a camera is provided at the end of the inner lens. The camera is used to capture the field of view in front of the end of the inner lens, and the controller instructs the camera to capture images in real time, thereby obtaining the endoscope image.

[0078] S810, perform blur detection on the endoscope image. Specifically, use the Laplace operator to perform convolution operation and variance operation on the endoscope image to obtain the blur score of the endoscope image.

[0079] The blur score is used to characterize the blur degree of the endoscope image. For example, the larger the blur score, the higher the blur degree of the endoscope image.

[0080] S811, if the blur score of the endoscopic image exceeds the blur score threshold, detect whether the air pressure value in the operation space at the end of the endoscope lens is less than the air pressure threshold.

[0081] S812, if the blur score of the endoscopic image exceeds the blur score threshold, and there is no current movement instruction issued by the operation console, and the air pressure value in the operation space at the end of the endoscope lens is less than the air pressure threshold, control the endoscope to perform water-gas operation and suction operation to clear the blur state of the camera lens at the end of the endoscope lens.

[0082] If the blur score of the endoscopic image exceeds the blur score threshold, it indicates that the endoscopic image is too blurred. There may be some mucus stains on the camera lens at the end of the endoscope lens, which affects the doctor's vision. Therefore, by performing water-gas operation, the lens at the end of the endoscope lens is cleaned, so as to remove the mucus stains adhered to the camera lens at the end of the endoscope lens and improve the imaging clarity of the camera lens at the end of the endoscope lens.

[0083] S813, if the air pressure value in the operation space at the end of the endoscope lens is greater than the air pressure threshold, display a high air pressure prompt in the interface and provide the user with usage guidance information for the suction operation.

[0084] Specifically, the interface of the endoscopic instrument channel is externally connected to an air pressure detection module. Since the endoscopic instrument channel is connected to the operation space at the end of the endoscope lens, the air pressure in the operation space at the end of the endoscope lens can be detected. The controller compares the air pressure value in the operation space at the end of the endoscope lens collected with the set air pressure threshold. When it is detected that the air pressure value in the operation space at the end of the endoscope lens is greater than the set air pressure threshold, a high air pressure prompt is given through the interface, and usage guidance for related operations such as suction is provided, so as to reduce the safety risk caused by the excessive air pressure value in the operation space at the end of the endoscope lens.

[0085] Please refer to Figure 9 , Figure 9 which is a schematic diagram of the process of the controller controlling the endoscope rotation provided by the embodiment of the present application, including the following steps.

[0086] S814, the controller receives an endoscope rotation instruction from the operation console handle, and the endoscope rotation instruction instructs to control the endoscope to rotate.

[0087] During the doctor's operation, the doctor triggers an endoscope rotation instruction through the operation console handle, and the operation console handle sends the endoscope rotation instruction to the controller.

[0088] S815, the controller sends an operation part rotation movement instruction to the rotation motor of the robotic arm operation part, and the rotation motor is used to drive the endoscope to rotate.

[0089] S816, the controller detects whether the actual rotation position of the endoscope exceeds the limit based on the actual rotation position of the endoscope and the rotation limit position of the endoscope.

[0090] For example, the controller compares the actual rotation position of the endoscope with the rotation limit position of the endoscope to detect whether the actual rotation position of the endoscope exceeds the limit. For example, the controller obtains the distance between the actual rotation position of the endoscope and the rotation limit position of the endoscope, and determines whether the distance between the actual rotation position of the endoscope and the rotation limit position of the endoscope meets the second over-limit condition. For example, if the distance between the actual rotation position of the endoscope and the rotation limit position is zero, that is, the actual rotation position of the endoscope reaches the rotation limit position, it is determined that the distance between the actual rotation position of the endoscope and the rotation limit position meets the second over-limit condition. Another example is that if the distance between the actual rotation position of the endoscope and the rotation limit position is less than the second distance threshold, that is, the actual rotation position of the endoscope is close to the rotation limit position, it is determined that the distance between the actual rotation position of the endoscope and the rotation limit position meets the second over-limit condition.

[0091] S817, if the actual rotation position of the endoscope exceeds the limit, the controller outputs a rotation over-limit prompt. For example, the controller displays a second over-limit prompt icon in a flashing manner on the interface and adjusts the vibration frequency of the operating table handle. The second over-limit prompt icon is used to prompt that the actual rotation position of the endoscope exceeds the limit.

[0092] Since the rotation of the endoscope operation part is affected by the endoscope wire harness. Therefore, the rotation of the endoscope operation part has a rotation limit. If the distance between the actual rotation position of the endoscope and the rotation limit position, that is, the actual rotation position of the endoscope reaches the limit position, or the distance between the actual rotation position of the endoscope and the rotation limit position is less than the distance threshold, that is, the actual rotation position of the endoscope is close to the limit position, in this case, the risk of damage to the endoscope is relatively high. Therefore, the user is prompted by the vibration of the operating table handle and the flashing of the icon on the operating table interface that the position of the dial motor exceeds the limit, so as to reduce the risk of damage to the endoscope caused by the over-limit rotation position of the endoscope.

[0093] Exemplarily, please refer to Figure 10 , Figure 10 which is a schematic diagram of an operating table provided by an embodiment of the present application. In Figure 10 , the flexible endoscope robot system includes a console 206, a display 901, and a handle 902.

[0094] Exemplarily, please refer to Figure 11 , Figure 11 which is a schematic diagram of information interaction between a controller and other components in a flexible endoscope robot provided by an embodiment of the present application.

[0095] Please refer to Figure 11In (a) thereof, the controller is used to send the operation status and operation feedback to the operation console. The operation console sends the operation status to the UI display. The operation console sends the operation feedback to the handle and the foot pedal. The handle and the foot pedal send operation instructions to the operation console. The operation console receives the operation instructions from the handle and the foot pedal and sends the operation instructions to the controller.

[0096] Please refer to Figure 11 In (b) thereof, the controller sends control instructions to the conveyor, and the conveyor sends information of each motor and each sensor in the conveyor to the controller.

[0097] Please refer to Figure 11 In (c) thereof, the controller sends control instructions to the manipulator, and the manipulator sends information of each motor and each sensor in the manipulator to the controller.

[0098] Figure 12 FIG. is a schematic structural diagram of an endoscope control device 600 based on a flexible endoscope robot provided by an embodiment of the present application. The device 600 is disposed in the controller of the flexible endoscope robot. The device 600 includes: A receiving unit 610, configured to receive an endoscope conveying instruction from a handle of an operation console, where the endoscope conveying instruction indicates controlling a target displacement of endoscope conveying; A sending unit 620, configured to send a displacement movement instruction to the conveyor, where the displacement movement instruction indicates conveying the endoscope according to the target displacement; The receiving unit 610 is further configured to receive, during the endoscope conveying process, the conveying position of the endoscope sent by the conveyor, and determine the actual displacement of the endoscope based on the conveying position of the endoscope; A processing unit 630, configured to detect whether the actual conveying completion degree of the endoscope meets the requirements based on a deviation amount between the actual displacement and the target displacement of the endoscope; if the actual conveying completion degree of the endoscope does not meet the requirements, and the friction force of the endoscope conveying is greater than or equal to a friction force threshold, control an injection pump to increase the injection amount of mucus added to the surface of the endoscope, and control a clamping motor to increase the clamping force on the endoscope; if the actual conveying completion degree of the endoscope does not meet the requirements, and the friction force of the endoscope conveying is less than the friction force threshold, control the injection pump to reduce the injection amount of mucus added to the surface of the endoscope.

[0099] In some embodiments, the receiving unit 610 is further configured to receive an endoscope head end bending instruction from a handle of an operation console, where the endoscope head end bending instruction indicates controlling a bending movement of the head end of the endoscope; The sending unit 620 is further configured to send a pulley rotation movement instruction to a pulley motor of a robotic arm operation part, where the pulley motor is used to drive the pulley to rotate, and the pulley rotation can drive the head end of the endoscope to perform a bending movement; The processing unit 630 is further configured to, during the bending process of the head end of the endoscope, detect whether the actual position of the turntable motor exceeds the limit based on the actual position of the turntable motor and the limit position of the turntable motor, where the limit position of the turntable motor corresponds to the limit position of the endoscope bending; if the distance between the actual position of the turntable motor and the limit position of the turntable motor meets the first over-limit condition, display a first over-limit prompt icon in a flashing manner on the interface, and adjust the vibration frequency of the operating table handle, where the first over-limit prompt icon is used to prompt that the actual position of the turntable motor exceeds the limit.

[0100] In some embodiments, the receiving unit 610 is further configured to receive an endoscope rotation instruction from the operating table handle, where the endoscope rotation instruction is used to instruct to control the endoscope to rotate; The sending unit 620 is further configured to send an operating part rotation motion instruction to the rotation motor of the robotic arm operating part, where the rotation motor is used to drive the endoscope to rotate; The processing unit 630 is further configured to detect whether the distance between the actual rotation position of the endoscope and the rotation limit position meets the second over-limit condition based on the actual rotation position of the endoscope and the rotation limit position of the endoscope; if the distance between the actual rotation position of the endoscope and the rotation limit position meets the second over-limit condition, display a second over-limit prompt icon in a flashing manner on the interface, and adjust the vibration frequency of the operating table handle, where the second over-limit prompt icon is used to prompt that the actual rotation position of the endoscope exceeds the limit.

[0101] In some embodiments, the processing unit 630 is further configured to obtain an endoscope image captured by a camera provided at the head end of the endoscope; perform convolution operation and variance operation on the endoscope image using the Laplace operator to obtain a blur score of the endoscope image, where the blur score is used to characterize the blur degree of the endoscope image; if the blur score of the endoscope image exceeds the blur score threshold, and the operating table does not issue a motion instruction currently, and the air pressure value in the operation space of the head end of the endoscope is less than the air pressure threshold, control the endoscope to perform water and gas operation to clear the blurred state of the camera lens.

[0102] In some embodiments, the processing unit 630 is further configured to detect the air pressure value in the operation space of the head end of the endoscope; The device further includes: a display unit, configured to display an air pressure too high prompt on the interface and provide usage guidance information for the suction operation to the user if the air pressure value in the operation space of the head end of the endoscope is greater than the air pressure threshold.

[0103] In some embodiments, the processing unit 630 is further configured to adjust the vibration frequency of the operating table handle if the deviation amount between the actual displacement and the target displacement of the endoscope is greater than the deviation amount threshold.

[0104] In some embodiments, the processing unit 630 is further configured to, if the deviation between the actual displacement and the target displacement of the endoscope is greater than the deviation threshold, and the friction force during the endoscope transportation is less than the friction force threshold, display a slip prompt icon in a flashing manner in the interface, where the slip prompt icon is used to prompt that the endoscope slips during transportation.

[0105] In some embodiments, the actual displacement of the endoscope is detected by a passive wheel encoder built in the transporter, and the friction force during the endoscope transportation is detected by a detection module on the surface of the endoscope before installing the transporter.

[0106] Figure 13 FIG. 7 is a schematic structural diagram of a controller 700 of a flexible endoscope robot provided by an embodiment of the present application. The controller 700 includes: a processor 710, the processor 710 is coupled to a memory 720, and at least one computer program instruction is stored in the memory 720. The at least one computer program instruction is loaded and executed by the processor 710 to enable the flexible endoscope robot to implement the above Figure 6 embodiment or Figure 8 embodiment or Figure 9 the method provided by the embodiment.

[0107] Each embodiment in this specification is described in a progressive manner, and the same or similar parts among the embodiments can be referred to each other. Each embodiment focuses on the differences from other embodiments.

[0108] A referring to B means that A is the same as B or A is a simple deformation of B.

[0109] The above embodiments can be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, it can be implemented in whole or in part in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the processes or functions described in the embodiments of the present application are generated in whole or in part. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable devices. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from a website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired (such as coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (such as infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer or a data storage device such as a server or data center that incorporates one or more available media. The available medium can be a magnetic medium (such as a floppy disk, hard disk, magnetic tape), an optical medium (such as a DVD), or a semiconductor medium (such as a solid state disk (SSD)).

[0110] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, rather than to limit them; although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or perform equivalent replacements for some of the technical features; and these modifications or replacements do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application.

Claims

1. An endoscopic control method based on a flexible endoscopic robot, characterized in that, Executed by the controller of the flexible endoscope robot, the method includes: Receiving an endoscope delivery instruction from the operation console handle, the endoscope delivery instruction indicating to control the target displacement of the endoscope delivery; Sending a displacement movement instruction to the transporter, the displacement movement instruction indicating to deliver the endoscope according to the target displacement; During the endoscope delivery process, receiving the delivery position of the endoscope sent by the transporter, and determining the actual displacement of the endoscope based on the delivery position of the endoscope; Based on the deviation amount between the actual displacement of the endoscope and the target displacement, detecting whether the actual delivery completion degree of the endoscope meets the requirements; If the actual delivery completion degree of the endoscope does not meet the requirements, and the friction force of the endoscope delivery is greater than or equal to the friction force threshold, controlling the injection pump to increase the injection amount of the mucus added to the surface of the endoscope, and controlling the clamping motor to increase the clamping force on the endoscope; If the actual delivery completion degree of the endoscope does not meet the requirements, and the friction force of the endoscope delivery is less than the friction force threshold, controlling the injection pump to reduce the injection amount of the mucus added to the surface of the endoscope.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein The method further includes: Receiving an endoscope head end bending instruction from the operation console handle, the endoscope head end bending instruction indicating to control the head end of the endoscope to perform a bending movement; Sending a pulley rotation movement instruction to the pulley motor of the robotic arm operation unit, the pulley motor being used to drive the pulley to rotate, and the pulley rotation being able to drive the head end of the endoscope to perform a bending movement; During the bending process of the head end of the endoscope, based on the actual position of the pulley motor and the limit position of the pulley motor, detecting whether the actual position of the pulley motor exceeds the limit, the limit position of the pulley motor corresponding to the limit position of the endoscope bending; If the actual position of the pulley motor exceeds the limit, displaying a first over-limit prompt icon in a flashing manner on the interface, and adjusting the vibration frequency of the operation console handle, the first over-limit prompt icon being used to prompt that the actual position of the pulley motor exceeds the limit.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein The method further includes: Receiving an endoscope rotation instruction from the operation console handle, the endoscope rotation instruction indicating to control the endoscope to rotate; Sending an operation unit rotation movement instruction to the rotation motor of the robotic arm operation unit, the rotation motor being used to drive the endoscope to rotate; Based on the actual rotation position of the endoscope and the rotation limit position of the endoscope, detecting whether the actual rotation position of the endoscope exceeds the limit; If the actual rotation position of the endoscope exceeds the limit, displaying a second over-limit prompt icon in a flashing manner on the interface, and adjusting the vibration frequency of the operation console handle, the second over-limit prompt icon being used to prompt that the actual rotation position of the endoscope exceeds the limit.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein The method further includes: Obtaining an endoscope image captured by a camera provided at the head end of the endoscope; Performing convolution operation and variance operation on the endoscope image using the Laplace operator to obtain a blur score of the endoscope image, the blur score being used to characterize the blur degree of the endoscope image; If the blur score of the endoscopic image exceeds the blur score threshold, and the operation console has not issued a movement instruction currently, and the air pressure value in the operation space at the distal end of the endoscope is less than the air pressure threshold, control the endoscope to perform water and gas operations to clear the blur state of the camera lens.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein The method further includes: Detect the air pressure value in the operation space at the distal end of the endoscope; If the air pressure value in the operation space at the distal end of the endoscope is greater than the air pressure threshold, display a high air pressure prompt in the interface and provide the user with usage guidance information for the suction operation.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein The method further includes: If the deviation amount between the actual displacement and the target displacement of the endoscope is greater than the deviation amount threshold, adjust the vibration frequency of the operation console handle.

7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: If the deviation amount between the actual displacement and the target displacement of the endoscope is greater than the deviation amount threshold, and the friction force during the endoscope transportation is less than the friction force threshold, display a slipping prompt icon in a flashing manner in the interface, and the slipping prompt icon is used to prompt that the endoscope slips during the transportation process.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein The actual displacement of the endoscope is detected by a passive wheel encoder built in the transporter, and the friction force during the endoscope transportation is detected by a detection module on the surface of the endoscope before installing the transporter.

9. An endoscope control device based on a flexible endoscope robot, characterized in that, The controller provided in the flexible endoscope robot includes: A receiving unit, configured to receive an endoscope transportation instruction from the operation console handle, where the endoscope transportation instruction indicates controlling the endoscope to transport to a target displacement; A sending unit, configured to send a displacement movement instruction to the transporter, where the displacement movement instruction indicates transporting the endoscope according to the target displacement; The receiving unit is further configured to receive the transportation position of the endoscope sent by the transporter during the endoscope transportation process, and determine the actual displacement of the endoscope based on the transportation position of the endoscope; A processing unit, configured to detect whether the actual transportation completion degree of the endoscope meets the requirements based on the deviation amount between the actual displacement and the target displacement of the endoscope; if the actual transportation completion degree of the endoscope does not meet the requirements, and the friction force during the endoscope transportation is greater than or equal to the friction force threshold, control the injection pump to increase the injection amount of the mucus added to the surface of the endoscope, and control the clamping motor to increase the clamping force on the endoscope; if the actual transportation completion degree of the endoscope does not meet the requirements, and the friction force during the endoscope transportation is less than the friction force threshold, control the injection pump to reduce the injection amount of the mucus added to the surface of the endoscope.

10. A controller of a flexible endoscope robot, characterized in that, The controller includes: a processor, the processor is coupled with a memory, and at least one computer program instruction is stored in the memory, and the at least one computer program instruction is loaded and executed by the processor so that the controller implements the method according to any one of claims 1-8.

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