Flexible robot arm and method of controlling the same, Surgical robot

Abstract

This application belongs to the field of medical device technology and provides a flexible robotic arm and its control method, as well as a surgical robot. The method includes: the flexible robotic arm includes an outer tube and an inner tube. The inner wall of the outer tube is provided with a first coating, and the end is provided with a surgical instrument functional part; the inner tube includes at least three working channels, a drive cavity corresponding to each working channel, a trachea corresponding to each drive cavity, and a drive tube disposed on the side wall of each drive cavity. Each drive cavity is used to drive the end to reach the lesion area; the movement direction of the end is controlled by the trachea; after the end moves to the lesion area, the functional part is controlled to move to the target position through the drive tubes in the drive cavity. The inner wall of each drive cavity and each drive tube is provided with a second coating, which is used to limit radial expansion; the diameter of the flexible robotic arm is reduced, the structural complexity is reduced, and the safety is improved; in addition, this application controls the movement of the functional part to the surgical operation target position through a two-stage control method, which further improves the accuracy.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the field of medical device technology, and in particular relates to a flexible robotic arm and its control method, and a surgical robot. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, the flexible silicone used in minimally invasive surgery restricts the radial expansion of the silicone body through an external wrapping layer or restraining ring, increasing the diameter of the flexible robotic arm. The wrapping layer or restraining ring itself, or the excessively large diameter, poses a safety risk during the process of the flexible robotic arm's end-effector reaching the target position. In addition, existing technologies mainly use only one driving method to drive the end-effector of the flexible robotic arm to reach the lesion area, reducing the accuracy of the end-effector reaching the target position. If multiple driving methods are used, the complexity of the flexible robotic arm and / or the diameter of the flexible robotic arm will be increased, significantly increasing the cost and reducing safety.

[0003] Existing technologies suffer from low safety and low accuracy when controlling the end effector of a flexible robotic arm to a target position. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a flexible robotic arm and its control method, as well as a surgical robot, which can solve the problems of low safety and low accuracy when controlling the end effector of the flexible robotic arm to the target position.

[0005] In a first aspect, this application provides a flexible robotic arm, which includes a flexible outer tube and a flexible inner tube. The inner wall of the outer tube is provided with a first coating, which is used to limit the radial expansion of the outer tube. The end of the flexible robotic arm is provided with a surgical instrument functional part.

[0006] The inner tube includes at least three working channels, a drive chamber corresponding to each working channel, a trachea corresponding to each drive chamber, and a drive tube disposed on the side wall of each drive chamber. Each working channel is evenly arranged along the circumference of the outer tube. Each drive chamber is used to drive the end of the flexible robotic arm to reach the lesion area. The surgical instrument functional part performs surgical operations through each working channel.

[0007] Each drive chamber is connected to a corresponding air tube. The direction of movement of the end effector of the flexible robotic arm is controlled by pumping air into or out of the corresponding drive chamber through the air tube.

[0008] After the end of the flexible robotic arm moves to the lesion area, the surgical instrument functional part is controlled to move to the surgical operation target position in the lesion area by driving the drive tubes corresponding to the drive cavity.

[0009] The outer tube and the inner tube are both made of silicone. Each drive cavity and the inner wall of each drive tube are provided with a second coating. The second coating is used to limit the radial expansion of each drive cavity and each drive tube.

[0010] In one embodiment, any driving cavity includes at least two sub-driving cavities connected in series. Each driving cavity is disposed between each working channel and the inner wall of the outer tube, and each driving cavity is connected to the inner wall of the outer tube. The inner wall of any sub-driving cavity is provided with at least three driving tubes, and each driving tube is uniformly arranged along the circumferential direction of the sub-driving cavity.

[0011] By driving the corresponding drive tubes of the drive chamber, the functional part of the surgical instrument is controlled to move to the target position for surgical operation in the lesion area, including:

[0012] For each drive tube in any sub-drive cavity near the end of the flexible robotic arm, the functional part of the surgical instrument is controlled to move to the target position of the surgical operation in the lesion area by adjusting the liquid pressure in each drive tube.

[0013] Alternatively, by driving the drive tubes corresponding to the drive chambers, the functional parts of the surgical instruments can be controlled to move to the target position for surgical operation in the lesion area, including:

[0014] For each drive tube in any sub-drive cavity near the end of the flexible robotic arm, each drive tube is equipped with a drive line passing through it. By adjusting the liquid pressure in each drive tube and the drive line, the functional part of the surgical instrument can be controlled to move to the target position of the surgical operation in the lesion area.

[0015] Alternatively, by driving the drive tubes corresponding to the drive chambers, the functional parts of the surgical instruments can be controlled to move to the target position for surgical operation in the lesion area, including:

[0016] For each drive tube in any sub-drive cavity near the end of the flexible robotic arm, each drive tube is equipped with a drive line passing through it. By adjusting the drive line in each drive tube, the functional part of the surgical instrument can be controlled to move to the target position of the surgical operation in the lesion area.

[0017] In one embodiment, the driving cavity is disposed in the working channel corresponding to the driving cavity, and at least three driving tubes are disposed on the outer side wall of any driving cavity. At least one driving tube is connected to the inner side wall of the corresponding working channel, and each driving tube is uniformly disposed along the circumferential direction of the driving cavity.

[0018] By driving the corresponding drive tubes of the drive chamber, the functional part of the surgical instrument is controlled to move to the target position for surgical operation in the lesion area, including:

[0019] For each drive tube corresponding to each drive cavity, the function of the surgical instrument is controlled to move to the target position of the surgical operation in the lesion area by adjusting the liquid pressure in each drive tube.

[0020] Alternatively, by driving the drive tubes corresponding to the drive chambers, the functional parts of the surgical instruments can be controlled to move to the target position for surgical operation in the lesion area, including:

[0021] For each driving tube corresponding to each driving cavity, each driving tube is equipped with a driving line passing through it. By adjusting the liquid pressure in each driving tube and the driving line, the functional part of the surgical instrument can be controlled to move to the target position of the surgical operation in the lesion area.

[0022] Alternatively, by driving the drive tubes corresponding to the drive chambers, the functional parts of the surgical instruments can be controlled to move to the target position for surgical operation in the lesion area, including:

[0023] Each drive tube, which corresponds to each drive cavity, is equipped with a drive line that passes through each drive tube. By adjusting the drive line inside each drive tube, the functional part of the surgical instrument can be controlled to move to the target position of the surgical operation in the lesion area.

[0024] In one embodiment, along the inner wall of the drive cavity or drive tube towards the outer wall, the second coating consists of a wear-resistant layer, a limiting layer, and a base coating layer in sequence.

[0025] In one embodiment, the base coating is used to improve the bonding force between the limiting layer and the inner wall silicone of the drive cavity and to improve the bonding force between the limiting layer and the inner wall silicone of the drive tube. The limiting layer is used to limit the radial expansion of each drive cavity and each drive tube. The wear-resistant layer is used to reduce the friction between the driving power and the inner wall of each drive cavity and to reduce the friction between the driving power and the inner wall of each drive tube. The driving power includes at least one of pressurized gas, drive line or pressurized liquid.

[0026] In one embodiment, the end of the flexible robotic arm is further provided with a protective portion covering the functional part of the surgical instrument;

[0027] The protective part is bullet-shaped, and its diameter gradually increases from the direction away from the end of the flexible robotic arm to the direction of approach. The connecting end of the protective part is connected to the outer tube.

[0028] In one embodiment, the protective part includes at least two separable opening and closing parts, each opening and closing part having one to three opening and closing lines at its connecting end, and each opening and closing part having a magnetic sheet at its end away from the connecting end; wherein, before the end of the flexible robotic arm moves to the lesion area, the ends of each opening and closing part away from the connecting end are joined together by the magnetic sheet; when the end of the flexible robotic arm moves to the lesion area, the ends of each opening and closing part are separated by pulling the opening and closing lines at the connecting end of each opening and closing part, exposing the functional part of the surgical instrument.

[0029] Secondly, this application provides a control method applied to a flexible robotic arm as described in any one of the first aspects, characterized in that it includes:

[0030] Based on the received first motion increment information, the first target pose information of the end effector of the flexible robotic arm is obtained;

[0031] Based on the first target pose information, the target deflection angle, target bending angle and target radius of curvature are determined by the first inverse kinematics equation.

[0032] Based on the target deflection angle, target bending angle, target radius of curvature, and drive spacing, the arc length corresponding to each drive cavity is determined by the equivalent circular arc calculation formula.

[0033] Based on the arc length, radius, pi, elastic modulus of the flexible robotic arm, and the first preset condition, the air pressure corresponding to each driving cavity is determined by the axial force balance calculation formula.

[0034] Based on the air pressure corresponding to each drive chamber, the end effector of the flexible robotic arm is controlled to move to the lesion area corresponding to the first target pose information through the first positive kinematic equation.

[0035] Based on the input second motion increment information, obtain the second target pose information corresponding to the surgical operation target position;

[0036] Based on the second target pose information and the second preset conditions, the surgical instrument functional parts are controlled to move to the surgical operation target position through the second inverse kinematic equation and the second forward kinematic equation.

[0037] In one embodiment, the first motion increment information includes first main hand position increment information and first main hand posture increment information;

[0038] Based on the received first motion increment information, the first target pose information of the end effector of the flexible robotic arm is obtained, including:

[0039] Based on the first master hand position increment information and the master-slave mapping method, the first target position increment information of the end effector of the flexible robotic arm is determined;

[0040] Based on the end-effector position information of the flexible robotic arm at the previous moment and the incremental position information of the first target, the position information of the first target is determined.

[0041] Based on the first master hand posture increment information and the master hand posture information of the previous moment, determine the master hand target posture information;

[0042] Based on the master hand target posture information and master-slave mapping method, the first target posture information of the end effector of the flexible robotic arm is determined;

[0043] Based on the first target position information and the first target posture information, the first target posture information from the end of the flexible arm is determined.

[0044] Thirdly, this application provides a surgical robot, which includes a flexible robotic arm as described in any one of the first aspects, or a flexible robotic arm that applies the control method described in the second aspect.

[0045] It is understood that the beneficial effects of the second and third aspects mentioned above can be found in the relevant descriptions in the first aspect above, and will not be repeated here.

[0046] The advantages of this application compared to the prior art are:

[0047] Compared to existing technologies that limit radial expansion by externally applying a winding layer or limiting ring to soft silicone, the flexible robotic arm provided in this application limits radial expansion by providing a first coating on the inner wall of the outer tube and a second coating on the inner wall of each drive cavity and drive tube. This reduces the diameter of the flexible robotic arm, lowers its structural complexity, and improves the safety of the end effector to the target position. Furthermore, compared to existing technologies that reduce accuracy or increase complexity, this application provides drive tubes in the flexible bending sidewalls of each drive cavity. After the drive cavity drives the end effector of the flexible robotic arm to the lesion area, the drive tubes corresponding to the drive cavity are then used to control the surgical instrument functional unit to move again to the surgical operation target position in the lesion area. The surgical instrument functional unit performs surgical operations through each working channel, thereby reducing structural complexity, improving safety, and further improving the accuracy of the end effector to the target position. Attached Figure Description

[0048] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, 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 this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0049] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a flexible robotic arm provided in one embodiment of this application, showing that the drive cavity and the working channel are separated.

[0050] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the combined drive cavity and working channel of a flexible robotic arm according to an embodiment of this application;

[0051] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram showing that the drive cavity and working channel of the flexible robotic arm provided in one embodiment of this application are separated;

[0052] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the combined drive cavity and working channel of a flexible robotic arm provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0053] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the second coating provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0054] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a flexible robotic arm with a protective part provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0055] Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating a control method for a flexible robotic arm provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0056] Figure 8 This is a flowchart illustrating step S100 provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0057] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the kinematics modeling of a flexible robotic arm provided in one embodiment of this application.

[0058] Labels for each figure:

[0059] 1. Outer tube; 11. First coating; 12. Working channel; 13. Surgical instrument functional part; 14. Drive chamber; 141. First sub-drive chamber; 15. Trachea; 16. Drive tube; 17. Second coating; 171. Wear-resistant layer; 172. Restriction layer; 173. Primer coating;

[0060] 2. Protective part; 21. Opening and closing part; 22. Opening and closing line; 221. First opening and closing line; 222. Third opening and closing line; 223. Second opening and closing line. Detailed Implementation

[0061] In the following description, specific details such as particular system architectures and techniques are set forth for illustrative purposes and not for limitation, in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments of this application. However, those skilled in the art will understand that this application may also be implemented in other embodiments without these specific details. In other instances, detailed descriptions of well-known systems, apparatuses, circuits, and methods have been omitted so as not to obscure the description of this application with unnecessary detail.

[0062] It should be understood that, when used in this application specification and the appended claims, the term "comprising" indicates the presence of the described features, integrals, steps, operations, elements and / or components, but does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integrals, steps, operations, elements, components and / or a collection thereof.

[0063] It should also be understood that the term “and / or” as used in this application specification and the appended claims means any combination of one or more of the associated listed items and all possible combinations, and includes such combinations.

[0064] Furthermore, in the description of this application and the appended claims, the terms "first," "second," "third," etc., are used only to distinguish descriptions and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0065] References to "one embodiment" or "some embodiments" as described in this specification mean that one or more embodiments of this application include a specific feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment. Therefore, the phrases "in one embodiment," "in some embodiments," "in other embodiments," "in still other embodiments," etc., appearing in different parts of this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, but rather mean "one or more, but not all, embodiments," unless otherwise specifically emphasized. The terms "comprising," "including," "having," and variations thereof mean "including but not limited to," unless otherwise specifically emphasized.

[0066] Currently, the flexible silicone used in minimally invasive surgery restricts the radial expansion of the silicone through an external wrapping layer or limiting ring, increasing the diameter of the flexible robotic arm. The wrapping layer or limiting ring itself, or the excessively large diameter, may damage human tissue and pose a safety risk during the process of the flexible robotic arm reaching the target position. In addition, existing technologies mainly use only one driving method to drive the flexible robotic arm's end to reach the lesion area, reducing the accuracy of the flexible robotic arm's end reaching the target position. If multiple driving methods are used, the complexity of the flexible robotic arm and / or the diameter of the flexible robotic arm will be increased, significantly increasing the cost and reducing safety.

[0067] To overcome the above-mentioned technical problems, such as Figure 1As shown, the first aspect of this application provides a flexible robotic arm, which includes a flexible outer tube 1 and a flexible inner tube. The inner wall of the outer tube 1 is provided with a first coating 11, which is used to limit the radial expansion of the outer tube 1 and also to limit the radial expansion of the inner tube. The end of the flexible robotic arm is provided with a surgical instrument functional part 13. The inner tube includes at least three working channels 12, driving cavities 14 corresponding to each working channel 12, tracheas 15 corresponding to each driving cavity 14, and driving tubes 16 disposed on the sidewalls of each driving cavity 14. Each working channel 12 is uniformly arranged along the circumference of the outer tube 1. Each driving cavity 14 is used to drive the end of the flexible robotic arm to reach the lesion area. The surgical instrument functional unit 13 performs surgical operations through each working channel 12; each drive chamber 14 is connected to a corresponding trachea 15, and the movement direction of the end of the flexible robotic arm is controlled by evacuating or inflating the corresponding drive chamber 14 through the trachea 15; after the end of the flexible robotic arm moves to the lesion area, the surgical instrument functional unit 13 is controlled to move to the surgical operation target position in the lesion area by driving each drive tube 16 corresponding to the drive chamber 14. The outer tube 1 and the inner tube are both made of silicone, and the inner wall of each drive chamber 14 and each drive tube 16 is provided with a second coating 17, which is used to limit the radial expansion of each drive chamber 14 and each drive tube 16.

[0068] In the above embodiments, compared with the prior art which restricts radial expansion by providing an outer wrapping layer or a limiting ring on the soft silicone, the flexible robotic arm provided in this embodiment restricts radial expansion by providing a first coating 11 on the inner wall of the outer tube 1 and a second coating 17 on the inner wall of each drive cavity 14 and each drive tube 16. This reduces the diameter of the flexible robotic arm and also reduces the structural complexity of the flexible robotic arm. It avoids damage to human tissue caused by the wrapping layer or limiting ring during movement and improves the safety of the end of the flexible robotic arm to the target position. In addition, compared with the prior art which reduces accuracy or increases complexity, this embodiment provides a drive tube 16 in each drive cavity 14. After the end of the flexible robotic arm is driven to the lesion area by the drive cavity 14, the surgical instrument functional part 13 is controlled to move again to the surgical operation target position in the lesion area by driving the drive tubes 16 corresponding to the drive cavity 14. This reduces the structural complexity, improves safety, and further improves the accuracy of the end of the flexible robotic arm moving to the target position. Understandably, because the working channel 12 and the corresponding drive chamber 14 are different chambers, the operation of the working channel 12 and the pneumatic control of the drive chamber 14 can be performed independently, improving the working efficiency of the flexible robotic arm. It should be noted that the surgical instrument includes an extension, a functional section, and a power unit. When surgery is required, the functional section is placed in the working channel. The flexible robotic arm moves the surgical instrument to the lesion area, then to the target surgical position within the lesion area. After reaching the target position, the extension is in the working channel, and the surgeon uses the power unit to drive the functional section to perform the surgical operation. Figure 1 The arrows pointing to the large-diameter pipe indicate the direction in which pressurized gas is input into the drive chamber 14 through the gas pipe 15, while the arrows pointing to the small-diameter pipe indicate the direction in which pressurized liquid is input into the drive pipe 16 through the hydraulic pipe. Each drive pipe 16 corresponds to a hydraulic pipe.

[0069] In one embodiment, such as Figure 1 As shown, any driving cavity 14 includes at least two sub-driving cavities connected in series. The sub-driving cavity near the end of the flexible robotic arm in any driving cavity 14 is the first sub-driving cavity 141, and the sub-driving cavity away from the end of the flexible robotic arm in any driving cavity 14 is the second sub-driving cavity. Figure 1(The second sub-drive chamber is not shown in the diagram). Each drive chamber 14 is disposed in the gap between each working channel 12 and the inner wall of the outer tube 1, and each drive chamber 14 is connected to the inner wall of the outer tube 1. At least three drive tubes 16 are disposed on the inner wall of any sub-drive chamber. Each drive tube 16 is evenly arranged along the circumference of the sub-drive chamber. The side of each first sub-drive chamber 141 and each second sub-drive chamber near the end of the flexible robotic arm is closed, and the side of each first sub-drive chamber 141 and each second sub-drive chamber away from the end of the flexible robotic arm is open for inflation. The side of each drive tube 16 near the end of the flexible robotic arm is also closed, and the side of each drive tube 16 away from the end of the flexible robotic arm is also open for introducing pressurized liquid.

[0070] It should be noted that, since the inner wall of each drive tube 16 is provided with a second coating, the radial expansion of each drive tube 16 is restricted. The diameter of any drive tube 16 is less than or equal to 1 / 2 of the diameter of any first sub-drive cavity 141 and greater than or equal to 1 / 10 of the diameter of any first sub-drive cavity 141. The diameter of any drive tube 16 is less than or equal to 1 / 2 of the diameter of any second sub-drive cavity and greater than or equal to 1 / 10 of the diameter of any second sub-drive cavity. Since the hydraulic drive of each drive tube 16 is performed after the pneumatic drive of any second sub-drive cavity and any first sub-drive cavity is stopped, the hydraulic drive of each drive tube 16 will not affect the air pressure balance in any second sub-drive cavity and any first sub-drive cavity.

[0071] In one embodiment, controlling the surgical instrument functional unit to re-move to the surgical operation target position in the lesion area by driving each drive tube corresponding to the drive cavity includes: for each drive tube 16 in any first sub-drive cavity 141 near the end of the flexible robotic arm, controlling the surgical instrument functional unit to re-move to the surgical operation target position in the lesion area by adjusting the liquid pressure inside each drive tube 16, wherein... Figure 1 The arrow on the right of the middle indicates that liquid is introduced into each drive tube 16 and the liquid pressure in each drive tube 16 is increased. In this embodiment, any second sub-drive cavity far from the end of the flexible robotic arm and any first sub-drive cavity 141 near the end of the flexible robotic arm are moved over a wide range using pneumatic drive. After moving to the lesion area, the pneumatic drive of any second sub-drive cavity and any first sub-drive cavity is stopped (that is, the operation of depressurizing and / or pressurizing the trachea corresponding to any second sub-drive cavity and the trachea corresponding to any first sub-drive cavity is stopped). Then, any first sub-drive cavity 141 near the end of the flexible robotic arm is moved over a small range by hydraulic drive through each drive tube 16 until it moves to the surgical operation target position in the lesion area, thereby reducing the complexity of the flexible robotic arm while improving the movement accuracy of the flexible robotic arm.

[0072] In one embodiment, by driving each drive tube corresponding to the drive cavity, the surgical instrument functional part is controlled to move to the surgical operation target position in the lesion area, including: for each drive tube 16 of any first sub-drive cavity 141 near the end of the flexible robotic arm, each drive tube 16 is provided with a drive line passing through each drive tube 16. Figure 1 (The drive line is not shown in the diagram). By adjusting the liquid pressure in each drive tube 16 and the drive line, the functional part of the surgical instrument is controlled to move to the target position for surgical operation in the lesion area. In this embodiment, any second sub-drive cavity 141 far from the end of the flexible robotic arm and any first sub-drive cavity 141 near the end of the flexible robotic arm are moved over a wide range using pneumatic drive. After moving to the lesion area, the pneumatic drive of any second sub-drive cavity and any first sub-drive cavity is stopped (i.e., the operation of depressurizing and / or pressurizing the trachea corresponding to any second sub-drive cavity and the trachea corresponding to any first sub-drive cavity is stopped). Then, any first sub-drive cavity 141 near the end of the flexible robotic arm is moved over a small range by the combined hydraulic pressure of each drive tube 16 and the drive line until it moves to the target position for surgical operation in the lesion area. This reduces the complexity of the flexible robotic arm while improving the movement accuracy of the flexible robotic arm. In this embodiment, the drive line includes PE braided line or fishing line, and the power of the drive line comes from a drive line power device set outside the flexible robotic arm.

[0073] In one embodiment, by driving each drive tube corresponding to the drive cavity, the surgical instrument functional part is controlled to move to the surgical operation target position in the lesion area, including: for each drive tube 16 near the end of any sub-drive cavity of the flexible robotic arm, each drive tube 16 is provided with a drive line passing through each drive tube 16. Figure 1 (The drive lines are not shown in the diagram). By adjusting the drive lines within each drive tube 16, the functional part of the surgical instrument is controlled to move to the target surgical position in the lesion area. In this embodiment, any second sub-drive cavity 141 far from the end of the flexible robotic arm and any first sub-drive cavity 141 near the end of the flexible robotic arm are pneumatically driven for a wide range of movement. After moving to the lesion area, the pneumatic drive of any second sub-drive cavity and any first sub-drive cavity is stopped (i.e., the operation of depressurizing and / or pressurizing the trachea corresponding to any second sub-drive cavity and the trachea corresponding to any first sub-drive cavity is stopped). Then, any first sub-drive cavity 141 near the end of the flexible robotic arm is driven by the drive lines of each drive tube 16 to move within a small range until it moves to the target surgical position in the lesion area, thereby reducing the complexity of the flexible robotic arm while improving its movement accuracy. In this embodiment, the drive lines include PE braided lines or fishing lines.

[0074] It should be noted that the air pipe 15 corresponding to the first sub-drive chamber 141 near the end of the flexible robotic arm is located in the working channel 12 and the second sub-drive chamber away from the end of the flexible robotic arm. Figure 1 In the gap between the second sub-drive chamber (not shown), the air tube 15 is connected to the end of the first sub-drive chamber 141 that is away from the end of the flexible robotic arm; the air tube corresponding to the second sub-drive chamber is connected to the end of the second sub-drive chamber that is close to the initial end of the flexible robotic arm (i.e., away from the end of the flexible robotic arm), and the air tube corresponding to the second sub-drive chamber is in Figure 1 The movement direction of the end effector of the flexible robotic arm is controlled by evacuating or inflating the first sub-drive cavity through an air pipe corresponding to the first sub-drive cavity, and by evacuating or inflating the second sub-drive cavity through an air pipe corresponding to the second sub-drive cavity. Simultaneous evacuation or inflation of the first and second sub-drive cavities through air pipes corresponding to the first and second sub-drive cavities respectively is a method employed in existing technology and will not be elaborated upon in this application.

[0075] In another embodiment, such as Figure 2 As shown, the drive cavity 14 is disposed in the working channel 12 corresponding to the drive cavity 14. The inner tube includes at least three working channels 12, drive cavities 14 corresponding to the working channels 12, tracheas 15 corresponding to each drive cavity 14, and drive tubes 16 disposed on the sidewalls of each drive cavity 14. At least three drive tubes are disposed on the outer sidewall of any drive cavity, and at least one drive tube 16 is connected to the inner sidewall of the corresponding working channel 12. Each drive tube is evenly disposed along the circumference of the drive cavity. Each working channel 12 and each drive cavity 14 corresponding to the working channel 12 are evenly disposed along the circumference of the inner tube. The surgical instrument functional part 13 performs surgical operations through the working channel 12. The rest is the same as in the above embodiment. Since the working channel 12 and the pneumatic drive cavity 14 are in the same channel, the complexity of the flexible robotic arm is further reduced. It should be noted that, since the ends of each drive chamber 14 near the flexible robotic arm are closed, while the ends away from the flexible robotic arm are open for inflation or deflation, and the working channel 12 is fully open, the walls of both the drive chambers and the working channel are flexible. Furthermore, since the flexible robotic arm does not perform surgical operations during movement, and surgical instruments passing through the working channel are generally quite rigid (the rigidity of the surgical instruments is greater than the rigidity of the drive chambers and the working channel walls), the fact that the working channel and the corresponding drive chamber 14 belong to the same chamber does not affect the passage of surgical instruments. Additionally, at least one drive tube on the outer wall of the drive chamber is connected to the inner wall of the corresponding working channel, ensuring that the drive chamber remains confined within the working channel during inflation and deflation. The drive chambers 14 are driven by air pressure, and since the flexible robotic arm does not perform surgical operations during movement, there is no conflict with the manual motion control of the surgical function unit using wire drive. It should be noted that... Figure 2 The arrow pointing to the large-diameter pipe indicates the direction in which pressurized gas is input into the drive chamber 14 through the air pipe 15, while the arrow pointing to the small-diameter pipe indicates the direction in which pressurized liquid is input into the drive pipe 16 through the hydraulic pipe.

[0076] In another embodiment, controlling the surgical instrument functional unit to move back to the surgical operation target position in the lesion area by driving each driving tube corresponding to the driving cavity includes: for each driving tube 16 corresponding to each driving cavity 14, controlling the surgical instrument functional unit to move back to the surgical operation target position in the lesion area by adjusting the liquid pressure in each driving tube 16; wherein, by... Figure 2 The arrow on the left of the middle indicates that liquid is introduced into each drive tube 16 and the liquid pressure in each drive tube 16 is increased. In this embodiment, any second sub-drive cavity far from the end of the flexible robotic arm and any first sub-drive cavity 141 near the end of the flexible robotic arm are moved over a wide range using pneumatic drive. After moving to the lesion area, the pneumatic drive of any second sub-drive cavity and any first sub-drive cavity is stopped (that is, the operation of depressurizing and / or pressurizing the trachea corresponding to any second sub-drive cavity and the trachea corresponding to any first sub-drive cavity is stopped). Then, any first sub-drive cavity 141 near the end of the flexible robotic arm is moved over a small range by hydraulic drive through each drive tube 16 until it moves to the surgical operation target position in the lesion area, thereby reducing the complexity of the flexible robotic arm while improving the movement accuracy of the flexible robotic arm.

[0077] In another embodiment, by driving each driving tube corresponding to the driving cavity, the functional part of the surgical instrument is controlled to move to the target position of the surgical operation in the lesion area, including: for each driving tube 16 corresponding to each driving cavity 14, each driving tube 16 is provided with a driving line passing through each driving tube 16. Figure 2(The drive line is not shown in the diagram). By adjusting the liquid pressure in each drive tube 16 and the drive line, the functional part of the surgical instrument is controlled to move to the target position for surgical operation in the lesion area. In this embodiment, any second sub-drive cavity 141 far from the end of the flexible robotic arm and any first sub-drive cavity 141 near the end of the flexible robotic arm are moved over a wide range using pneumatic drive. After moving to the lesion area, the pneumatic drive of any second sub-drive cavity and any first sub-drive cavity is stopped (i.e., the operation of depressurizing and / or pressurizing the trachea corresponding to any second sub-drive cavity and the trachea corresponding to any first sub-drive cavity is stopped). Then, any first sub-drive cavity 141 near the end of the flexible robotic arm is moved over a small range by the combined hydraulic pressure of each drive tube 16 and the drive line until it moves to the target position for surgical operation in the lesion area. This reduces the complexity of the flexible robotic arm while improving the movement accuracy of the flexible robotic arm. In this embodiment, the drive line includes PE braided line or fishing line, and the power of the drive line comes from a drive line power device set outside the flexible robotic arm.

[0078] In another embodiment, by driving each driving tube corresponding to the driving cavity, the functional part of the surgical instrument is controlled to move to the target position of the surgical operation in the lesion area, including: for each driving tube 16 corresponding to each driving cavity 14, each driving tube 16 is provided with a driving line passing through each driving tube 16. Figure 2 (The drive lines are not shown in the diagram). By adjusting the drive lines within each drive tube 16, the functional part of the surgical instrument is controlled to move to the target surgical position in the lesion area. In this embodiment, any second sub-drive cavity 141 far from the end of the flexible robotic arm and any first sub-drive cavity 141 near the end of the flexible robotic arm are pneumatically driven for a wide range of movement. After moving to the lesion area, the pneumatic drive of any second sub-drive cavity and any first sub-drive cavity is stopped (i.e., the operation of depressurizing and / or pressurizing the trachea corresponding to any second sub-drive cavity and the trachea corresponding to any first sub-drive cavity is stopped). Then, any first sub-drive cavity 141 near the end of the flexible robotic arm is driven by the drive lines of each drive tube 16 to move within a small range until it moves to the target surgical position in the lesion area. This reduces the complexity of the flexible robotic arm while improving its movement accuracy. In this embodiment, the drive lines include PE braided lines or fishing lines, and the power of the drive lines comes from a drive line power device located outside the flexible robotic arm.

[0079] In one embodiment, such as Figure 3As shown, drive tubes 16 are arranged in the first sub-drive cavity 141 near the end of the flexible robotic arm. Specifically, at least three drive tubes 16 are arranged in any one of the first sub-drive cavities 141 near the end of the flexible robotic arm. Each drive tube 16 is evenly arranged along the circumference of the first sub-drive cavity 141 at intervals of 90° to 150°. For example, if three drive tubes 16 are arranged at 120° intervals, the first sub-drive cavity 141 can be controlled in three directions. Arranging more than three drive tubes 16 allows control of the first sub-drive cavity 141 in more directions, improving the accuracy of movement. Furthermore, one drive tube 16 is positioned tangent to the outer tube 1 in the first sub-drive cavity 141, allowing for fine-tuning of the flexible robotic arm while the drive tube 16 controls the drive, further improving the accuracy of movement. It should be noted that the arrangement of the drive tubes in the second sub-drive cavity, away from the end of the flexible robotic arm, is the same as that in the first sub-drive cavity.

[0080] In another embodiment, such as Figure 4 As shown, the first sub-drive cavity 141 is disposed within the working channel 12 corresponding to the first sub-drive cavity 141. Drive tubes 16 are disposed in the first sub-drive cavity 141 near the end of the flexible robotic arm, meaning at least three drive tubes 16 are disposed in the first sub-drive cavity 141 near the end of the flexible robotic arm. Each drive tube 16 is spaced 90° to 150° apart. For example, if three drive tubes 16 are spaced 120° apart, the first sub-drive cavity 141 can be controlled in three directions. Distributing more than three drive tubes 16 allows control of the first sub-drive cavity 141 in more directions, improving the accuracy of the flexible robotic arm's movement. Furthermore, one drive tube 16 is disposed at a position where the first sub-drive cavity 141 is tangent to the outer tube 1, allowing for fine-tuning of the entire flexible robotic arm while the drive tube 16 controls the first sub-drive cavity 141, thereby further improving the accuracy of the flexible robotic arm's movement.

[0081] In one embodiment, each working channel 12 is used to install one or more of the following devices: camera, light source, surgical instruments, detection sensor, biopsy output, or water vapor delivery. The camera and light source are integrated together or set separately. The illumination provided by the light source makes the image captured by the camera clearer. The surgical instruments include one or more of the following: ablation head, biopsy forceps, ultrasonic probe, or energy-type scalpel. The detection sensor is used for magnetic navigation or angiography navigation, etc. The biopsy output is used to remove tissue during the surgical operation. The water vapor delivery is used to aspirate tissue fluid or smoke generated during the surgical operation to reduce the impact of tissue fluid or smoke on the vision during the operation.

[0082] In one embodiment, along the inner wall of the outer tube 1 towards the outside of the outer tube 1, the first coating 11 consists of a limiting layer and a base coating layer in sequence. The limiting layer is used to limit the radial expansion of the outer tube 1, and the base coating layer is used to improve the bonding force between the limiting layer and the silicone on the inner wall of the outer tube 1.

[0083] In one embodiment, such as Figure 5 As shown, along the inner wall of the drive cavity 14 or drive tube 16 outwards, the second coating 17 consists of a wear-resistant layer 171, a limiting layer 172, and a base coating 173. The base coating 173 is used to improve the bonding force between the limiting layer 172 and the silicone on the inner wall of the drive cavity 14 and the inner wall of the drive tube 16, respectively. The limiting layer 172 is used to limit the radial expansion of each drive cavity 14 and each drive tube 16. The wear-resistant layer 171 is used to reduce the friction between the driving power (e.g., pneumatic or hydraulic driving power) and the inner wall of the drive cavity 14 and the inner wall of the drive tube 16, respectively. In addition, when using a drive line, the wear-resistant layer 171 is also used to further reduce the friction between the drive line and the inner wall of the drive tube 16, so as to improve the control accuracy of the drive line and increase the service life of the drive line. The driving power includes at least one of pressurized gas, drive line, or pressurized liquid (or hydraulic pressure), wherein the driving power controlling the drive chamber is pressurized gas (or pneumatic, air pressure), and the driving power controlling the drive tube includes any one or a combination of pressurized liquid (or hydraulic pressure), drive line, or both.

[0084] In one embodiment, the material of the base layer in the first and second coatings is existing technology in the art and will not be described in detail. The limiting layer in both the first and second coatings includes polyurethane (PU) and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), with polyurethane and PTFE forming the limiting layer at a preset mass ratio, for example, a preset mass ratio of polyurethane to PTFE of (2~4):1. The wear-resistant layer in the second coating includes polyurethane. Using the limiting layer and wear-resistant layer of this embodiment, the radial expansion of the outer tube 1, drive cavity 14, and drive tube 16 can be limited without affecting the flexible characteristics of the flexible robotic arm. Simultaneously, the wear-resistant layer improves the service life of the drive cavity 14 and drive tube 16.

[0085] In one embodiment, such as Figure 6 As shown, the end of the flexible robotic arm is also provided with a protective part 2 covering the surgical instrument functional part 13; the protective part 2 is bullet-shaped, and its diameter gradually increases from the direction away from the end of the flexible robotic arm to the direction near the end of the flexible robotic arm, and the connecting end of the protective part 2 is connected to the outer tube 1. In this embodiment, because the bullet-shaped protective part 2 is provided, the bullet-shaped protective part 2 covers the surgical instrument functional part 13, which not only avoids accidental damage to human tissue, but also reduces the resistance of the flexible robotic arm moving in the human body, and further improves the safety of the flexible robotic arm moving in the human body.

[0086] In one embodiment, such as Figure 6As shown, the protective part 2 includes at least two separable opening and closing parts 21. Each opening and closing part 21 has one to three opening and closing lines 22 at its connecting end, and a magnetic sheet is provided at the end of each opening and closing part 21 away from the connecting end. Before the end of the flexible robotic arm moves to the lesion area, the ends of each opening and closing part 21 away from the connecting end are joined together by the magnetic sheet. When the end of the flexible robotic arm moves to the lesion area, the opening and closing lines 22 at the connecting ends of each opening and closing part 21 are pulled to separate the ends of each opening and closing part 21, exposing the surgical instrument functional part 13. In this embodiment, before reaching the lesion area, the protective part 2 can prevent human tissue from being accidentally damaged by the surgical instrument functional part 13. Upon reaching the lesion area, the opening and closing lines 22 are used to pull the connecting ends connected to the end of the flexible robotic arm, separating the ends of each opening and closing part 21 for surgical operation. This achieves the protection of human tissue without affecting the surgical operation. Figure 6 The direction of the middle arrow indicates the direction of the force on the opening / closing line.

[0087] In one embodiment, each opening and closing part 21 has three opening and closing lines 22 at its joint end. The first opening and closing line 221 and the second opening and closing line 223 are located near the two opening and closing parts 21, and the third opening and closing line 222 is located between the first opening and closing line 221 and the second opening and closing line 223 and extends to the end of the opening and closing part 21 away from the joint end, so that any opening and closing part 21 is subjected to uniform force to expose the surgical instrument functional part 13.

[0088] The second aspect of this application provides a control method for a flexible robotic arm as described in any one of the first aspects, such as... Figure 7 As shown, it includes:

[0089] S100: Based on the received first motion increment information, obtain the first target pose information of the end effector of the flexible robotic arm.

[0090] In one embodiment, the surgical robot includes a manipulator as a master hand and a flexible robotic arm as a slave hand. The user operates the master hand, and the slave hand replicates the user's hand movements. The flexible robotic arm receives first motion increment information through the robot's master-slave control method. The first motion increment information includes first master hand position increment information and first master hand posture increment information. The first master hand position increment information is the position increment of the master hand at time t+1 relative to the previous time t; the first master hand posture increment information is the posture angle increment of the master hand at time t+1 relative to the previous time t; the first target pose information includes first target position information and first target posture information. The first target position information is the position of the slave hand flexible robotic arm's end effector at time t+1, and the first target posture information is the posture matrix of the slave hand flexible robotic arm's end effector at time t+1.

[0091] In one embodiment, such as Figure 8As shown, step S100, based on the received first motion increment information, obtains the first target pose information of the end effector of the flexible robotic arm, including:

[0092] S110, based on the first master arm position increment information and the master-slave mapping method, determine the first target position increment information of the end effector of the flexible robotic arm.

[0093] Specifically, based on the position increment of the master hand at time t+1 relative to the previous time t, the first target position increment information of the end of the flexible robotic arm is determined by the master-slave mapping method under the endoscopic field of view. The first target position increment information is the position increment of the end of the slave flexible robotic arm at time t+1.

[0094] S120, based on the end-effector position information of the flexible robotic arm at the previous moment and the incremental position information of the first target, determine the position information of the first target.

[0095] Specifically, the position of the end effector of the flexible robotic arm at time t+1 is determined by adding the position increment at time t+1 to the position information of the end effector at the previous time t.

[0096] S130, based on the first master hand posture increment information and the master hand posture information of the previous moment, determine the master hand target posture information.

[0097] Specifically, based on the increment of the master hand's attitude angle at time t+1 relative to the previous time t and the master hand's attitude information at the previous time (i.e., the attitude angle at time t), the target attitude information of the master hand is determined. The target attitude information of the master hand is the attitude matrix of the master hand at time t+1. That is, the attitude angle of the master hand at time t is obtained plus the increment of the attitude angle of the master hand at time t+1, and then converted into the attitude matrix of the master hand at time t+1 through forward kinematics.

[0098] S140, based on the master hand target posture information and master-slave mapping method, determine the first target posture information of the end effector of the flexible robotic arm.

[0099] Specifically, the attitude matrix of the master hand at time t+1 is used to determine the first target attitude information of the end of the flexible robotic arm through a master-slave mapping method, that is, to determine the attitude matrix of the end of the slave flexible robotic arm at time t+1.

[0100] S150, based on the first target position information and the first target posture information, determine the first target posture information from the end of the flexible arm.

[0101] In the above embodiments, incremental control is adopted in the master-slave mapping control method, and the mapping from master hand to slave hand is performed under the endoscopic field of view, so that the movement trends of the master hand and slave hand are consistent, and the first target pose information of the end of the slave hand flexible robotic arm is determined.

[0102] S200, based on the first target pose information, determines the target deflection angle, target bending angle and target radius of curvature through the first inverse kinematics equation.

[0103] When driven, the flexible robotic arm's posture approximates an arc with a certain curvature. To ensure the service life and safety of the flexible robotic arm, and to prevent it from being subjected to excessive shear force, the slope of the tangent at each point on the central axis of the flexible robotic arm is continuous and constantly changing. To accurately represent the bending posture of the flexible robotic arm, the flexible robotic arm is divided into several discrete continuous arc segments along the central axis. Each discrete arc segment is approximated as a circular arc with constant curvature, i.e., the piecewise constant curvature method.

[0104] In one embodiment, such as Figure 9 As shown, the piecewise constant curvature method is used to establish a forward kinematics model and an inverse kinematics model for the flexible manipulator of this application. The forward kinematics model is used to solve for the position and orientation of the end effector center of the flexible manipulator based on the parameters of the flexible manipulator and each drive cavity. The inverse kinematics model is used to plan the movement path of the end effector of the flexible manipulator based on the position and orientation of the end effector center.

[0105] In one embodiment, the surgical robot further includes a base, and the connecting end of the flexible robotic arm is connected to the base. Because a first coating is provided on the inner side of the outer tube of the flexible robotic arm, and a second coating is provided on the inner side of the drive tube, the coatings restrict radial expansion, and the spacing between the axes of each drive cavity remains constant. A basic coordinate system is established based on the center of the connecting end of the flexible robotic arm corresponding to the center of the base. The basic coordinate system includes an X-axis, a Y-axis, and a Z-axis. The X-axis and Y-axis are perpendicular to each other and lie in the plane containing the center of the connecting end. The Z-axis is perpendicular to the plane containing the center of the connecting end. The distance from the center of the driving cavity to the center of the flexible robotic arm is set as the driving distance. d Furthermore, the central angles corresponding to the axes of each driving cavity are the same, and the first... i The target bending angle corresponding to the central axis of the drive cavity of the flexible robotic arm is The target bending angle is the arc length. The corresponding central angle, i.e. the first i The angle between the end plane and the initial end plane of the discrete segment drive cavity. The plane containing the central axis of the flexible robotic arm is set as the deflection plane, and the target deflection angle is... Let the transition coordinate system be the deflection plane and the initial end of the i-th segment of the flexible robotic arm. The angle between the positive axes, that is, the projection of the deflection plane onto the base coordinate system and the transition coordinate system. The angle between the positive directions of the axis, the first i The distance from the central axis of the drive cavity of the flexible robotic arm to the center of the equivalent curved arc curvature is the target radius of curvature. .

[0106] Establish an end-effector coordinate system with the end-effector center as the origin. The inverse kinematics model is established from the workspace { x , y , z} to parameter space { , , }, then to the driver space { , , The mapping relationship of}.

[0107] In one embodiment, based on the position information of the end effector center of the flexible robotic arm in the first target pose information, the first inverse kinematics equation is determined according to the geometric relationship on the bending plane of the flexible robotic arm. The first inverse kinematics equation is as follows:

[0108]

[0109] in, The end effector center of the flexible robotic arm is in the end effector coordinate system. of coordinate;

[0110] The end effector center of the flexible robotic arm is in the end effector coordinate system. of coordinate;

[0111] The end effector center of the flexible robotic arm is in the end effector coordinate system. of coordinate;

[0112] For the first flexible robotic arm i Target deflection angle of discrete segments;

[0113] For the first flexible robotic arm i The target radius of curvature of the discrete segment;

[0114] For the first flexible robotic arm i The target bending angle of the discrete segment.

[0115] S300 determines the arc length of each driving cavity based on the target deflection angle, target bending angle, target curvature radius and driving distance through the equivalent circular arc calculation formula.

[0116] In one embodiment, the equivalent circular arc calculation formula is used to determine the mapping relationship between the equivalent circular arc parameters of the flexible robotic arm and the lengths (i.e., arc lengths) of each driving cavity, based on the target deflection angle, target bending angle, target radius of curvature, and driving spacing. When the number of driving cavities is 3, the three driving cavities are named the first driving cavity, the second driving cavity, and the third driving cavity, respectively. The equivalent circular arc calculation formula is as follows:

[0117]

[0118] The formula for calculating the relationship between the length of the central axis of the flexible robotic arm and the lengths of each drive cavity is as follows:

[0119]

[0120] in, Let be the arc length of the central axis of the first drive cavity of the i-th discrete segment of the flexible robotic arm;

[0121] Let be the arc length of the central axis of the second drive cavity of the i-th discrete segment of the flexible robotic arm;

[0122] Let be the arc length of the central axis of the third drive cavity in the i-th discrete segment of the flexible robotic arm;

[0123] For the first flexible robotic arm i Target deflection angle of discrete segments;

[0124] For the first flexible robotic arm i The target radius of curvature of the discrete segment;

[0125] For the first flexible robotic arm i The target curvature angle of the discrete segment;

[0126] The driving distance is from the center of the driving cavity to the center of the flexible robotic arm.

[0127] S400 determines the air pressure corresponding to each drive cavity through an axial force balance calculation formula based on the arc length, radius, pi, elastic modulus of the flexible robotic arm, and the first preset condition of each drive cavity.

[0128] In one embodiment, when the number of driving cavities is three, the length of each driving cavity changes under the action of driving force, elastic force, and external force, etc., and the lengths of the three driving cavities are respectively... , , In the driven state, the arc length of the central axis of the i-th discrete segment of the flexible robotic arm. The formula for calculation is:

[0129]

[0130] in, Let be the arc length of the central axis of the i-th discrete segment of the flexible robotic arm;

[0131] Let be the arc length of the central axis of the first drive cavity of the i-th discrete segment of the flexible robotic arm;

[0132] Let be the arc length of the central axis of the second drive cavity of the i-th discrete segment of the flexible robotic arm;

[0133] Let be the arc length of the central axis of the third drive cavity of the i-th discrete segment of the flexible robotic arm.

[0134] In one embodiment, based on the axial force of the flexible robotic arm, an axial force balance calculation formula is obtained. Based on the arc length, radius, pi, elastic modulus of the flexible robotic arm, and the first preset condition, the air pressure corresponding to each driving cavity is determined by the axial force balance calculation formula.

[0135] In one embodiment, when a drive cavity is used for driving, the axial force balance calculation formula is:

[0136]

[0137] in, For the first j The air pressure inside each drive chamber j =1, 2, 3;

[0138] Pi is a constant.

[0139] The radius of the driving cavity;

[0140] E is the elastic modulus;

[0141] The axial deformation length of the flexible robotic arm;

[0142] The initial axial length of the flexible robotic arm;

[0143] The radius includes the thickness of the drive cavity wall;

[0144] G represents the gravity acting on the flexible robotic arm. When the direction of gravity is opposite to the direction of the pneumatic driving force, we take +G; when the direction of gravity is the same as the direction of the pneumatic driving force, we take -G.

[0145] Understandably, Let be the cross-sectional area of ​​any driving cavity. For the internal stress of the driving cavity, Let be the cross-sectional area of ​​the tube wall of the driving cavity, and When the direction of gravity is opposite to the direction of the pneumatic driving force, gravity opposes the effect of the pneumatic driving force, increasing the load on the flexible robotic arm. For example, when the pneumatic driving force propels the flexible robotic arm upward (against gravity), gravity is downward, opposite to the direction of the pneumatic driving force; therefore, the gravity term in the equilibrium equation is +G. When the direction of gravity is the same as the direction of the pneumatic driving force, gravity assists the effect of the pneumatic driving force, reducing the load on the robotic arm. For example, when the pneumatic driving force propels the flexible robotic arm downward (in the direction of gravity), gravity is downward, in the same direction as the pneumatic driving force; therefore, the gravity term in the equilibrium equation is... G.

[0146] In one embodiment, the first preset condition is to set the number of driving chambers corresponding to the driving pressure based on the movement requirements to reach the lesion area, thereby avoiding too many solutions between the driving pressure and the driving chambers. Understandably, after obtaining the air pressure corresponding to each driving chamber, an error calculation is first performed. Only when the error between the position reached by the end of the flexible robotic arm driven by the air pressure corresponding to each driving chamber and the lesion area corresponding to the first target pose information is less than a preset threshold will the air pressure corresponding to each driving chamber be determined.

[0147] S500, based on the air pressure corresponding to each drive chamber, controls the end effector of the flexible robotic arm to move to the lesion area corresponding to the first target pose information through the first positive kinematic equation.

[0148] Understandably, the forward kinematics model is for establishing the driving space { , , } to parameter space { , , }, then to the workspace { x , y , z The mapping relationship of}.

[0149] Specifically, the air pressure corresponding to each drive chamber is adjusted so that the arc length of each drive chamber is inconsistent. The end of the flexible robotic arm is controlled to move to the lesion area corresponding to the first target pose information through the first positive kinematic equation.

[0150] In one embodiment, the first forward kinematic equation includes formulas for calculating the bending angle, deflection angle, and radius of curvature. Based on the geometric relationship between the three drive cavities, the first forward kinematic equation for the i-th discrete segment of the flexible robotic arm is as follows:

[0151]

[0152]

[0153]

[0154] in, Let be the target bending angle of the i-th discrete segment of the flexible robotic arm;

[0155] Let be the arc length of the central axis of the first drive cavity of the i-th discrete segment of the flexible robotic arm;

[0156] Let be the arc length of the central axis of the second drive cavity of the i-th discrete segment of the flexible robotic arm;

[0157] Let be the arc length of the central axis of the third drive cavity in the i-th discrete segment of the flexible robotic arm;

[0158] Let be the target deflection angle of the i-th discrete segment of the flexible robotic arm;

[0159] Let be the target radius of curvature of the i-th discrete segment of the flexible robotic arm;

[0160] The driving distance is from the center of the driving cavity to the center of the flexible robotic arm.

[0161] Understandably, the DH method (Denavit-Hartenberg method) is a method for kinematic modeling of a robot composed of links and joints. It uses multiple parameters to describe the rotary and translational joints, thereby obtaining the homogeneous transformation matrix between two adjacent joints.

[0162] Homogeneous transformation matrix obtained by DH coordinate transformation method for:

[0163]

[0164] Where R is the rotation matrix, which represents the relative rotation transformation between the two coordinate systems. The matrix size is 3*3. The rotation matrix represents the attitude transformation of the end effector center of the flexible robotic arm. P is the position matrix, which represents the position vector between the origins of the two coordinate systems. The position matrix represents the position transformation of the end effector center of the flexible robotic arm.

[0165] Since flexible robotic arms lack traditional rigid links and joints, each discrete segment of the flexible robotic arm is approximated as a circular arc with constant curvature in the piecewise constant curvature model. Based on the piecewise constant curvature method, the homogeneous transformation equation of the end effector of the flexible robotic arm relative to the base coordinate system (i.e., the base of the flexible robotic arm) is a combination of the product of single coordinate transformations between adjacent discrete segments. The homogeneous transformation equation of the end effector of the flexible robotic arm relative to the base of the flexible robotic arm is as follows:

[0166]

[0167] The pose matrix corresponding to the homogeneous transformation equation of the end effector of the flexible robotic arm relative to the base coordinate system is:

[0168]

[0169] Therefore, the formula for calculating the position coordinates of the end effector center of the flexible robotic arm is:

[0170]

[0171] in, This is the pose matrix of the end effector of the flexible robotic arm relative to the base coordinate system.

[0172] The angle between the plane containing the end effector center of the flexible robotic arm and the X-axis in the base coordinate system;

[0173] The deflection angle (bending angle) is the angle between the plane containing the center of the end effector of the flexible robotic arm and the plane containing the XY axis of the base coordinate system.

[0174] The radius of curvature of the flexible robotic arm after it moves to the lesion area.

[0175] S600, based on the input second motion increment information, obtains the second target pose information corresponding to the surgical operation target position.

[0176] In one embodiment, based on the input second motion increment information, the second target pose information corresponding to the surgical operation target position is obtained through a master-slave mapping relationship, thereby using hydraulic, wire drive, or hydraulic combined with wire drive to make small-range adjustments and movements of the flexible robotic arm through the drive tube.

[0177] S700, based on the second target pose information and the second preset conditions, controls the movement of the surgical instrument functional part to the surgical operation target position through the second inverse kinematics equation and the second forward kinematics equation.

[0178] In one embodiment, based on the second target pose information and the second preset conditions, the surgical instrument functional part is controlled to move to the surgical operation target position through the second inverse kinematics equation and the second forward kinematics equation. This allows the flexible robotic arm to be adjusted and moved within a small range through the drive tube, further improving the safety of human organs and the accuracy of surgical operations.

[0179] Understandably, based on the first inverse kinematics equation and the first forward kinematics equation, the parameters related to the drive cavity in the second inverse kinematics equation and the second forward kinematics equation should be replaced with the parameters of the drive tube, and the drive air pressure should be updated to hydraulic pressure, linear drive force, or hydraulic combined with linear drive force.

[0180] In one embodiment, the second preset condition is to set the number of drive tubes corresponding to the driving power according to the movement requirements to reach the target position of the surgical operation, thereby avoiding too many solutions between the driving power and the drive tubes and improving the response speed of the flexible robotic arm.

[0181] A third aspect of this application provides a surgical robot, which includes a flexible robotic arm as described in any one of the first aspects, or a flexible robotic arm controlled by the control method described in the second aspect.

[0182] In one embodiment, the surgical robot includes a medical device, a flexible robotic arm, and a control device for controlling the movement of the flexible robotic arm. The surgical robot also includes a base to which the connecting end of the flexible robotic arm is connected.

[0183] It should be understood that the sequence number of each step in the above embodiments does not imply the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of this application.

[0184] The above-described embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and are not intended to limit them. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and should all be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A flexible robotic arm, characterized in that, The flexible robotic arm includes a flexible outer tube and a flexible inner tube. The inner wall of the outer tube is provided with a first coating, which is used to limit the radial expansion of the outer tube. Along the inner wall of the outer tube towards the outside, the first coating consists of a limiting layer and a base layer. The end of the flexible robotic arm is provided with a surgical instrument functional part. The inner tube includes at least three working channels, a drive chamber corresponding to each working channel, a trachea corresponding to each drive chamber, and a drive tube disposed on the side wall of each drive chamber. The working channels are evenly arranged along the circumference of the outer tube. Each drive chamber is used to drive the end of the flexible robotic arm to reach the lesion area. The surgical instrument functional part performs surgical operations through each working channel. Each drive chamber is connected to a corresponding air tube. The direction of movement of the end effector of the flexible robotic arm is controlled by pumping air into or out of the corresponding drive chamber through the air tube. After the end effector of the flexible robotic arm moves to the lesion area, the functional part of the surgical instrument is controlled to move to the target position of the surgical operation in the lesion area by driving the drive tubes corresponding to the drive cavity; The outer tube and the inner tube are both made of silicone. Each drive cavity and the inner wall of each drive tube are provided with a second coating. The second coating is used to limit the radial expansion of each drive cavity and each drive tube. Along the inner wall of the drive cavity or drive tube towards the outer wall, the second coating consists of a wear-resistant layer, a limiting layer and a base coating in sequence. The control method applied to the flexible robotic arm includes: Based on the received first motion increment information, the first target pose information of the end effector of the flexible robotic arm is obtained; Based on the first target pose information, the target deflection angle, target bending angle and target radius of curvature are determined by the first inverse kinematics equation. Based on the target deflection angle, target bending angle, target radius of curvature, and drive spacing, the arc length corresponding to each drive cavity is determined by the equivalent circular arc calculation formula. Based on the arc length, radius, pi, elastic modulus of the flexible robotic arm, and the first preset condition, the air pressure corresponding to each driving cavity is determined by the axial force balance calculation formula. Based on the air pressure corresponding to each drive chamber, the end effector of the flexible robotic arm is controlled to move to the lesion area corresponding to the first target pose information through the first positive kinematic equation. Based on the input second motion increment information, obtain the second target pose information corresponding to the surgical operation target position; Based on the second target pose information and the second preset conditions, the surgical instrument functional parts are controlled to move to the surgical operation target position through the second inverse kinematic equation and the second forward kinematic equation.

2. The flexible robotic arm as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Each driving cavity includes at least two sub-driving cavities connected in series. Each driving cavity is located between each working channel and the inner wall of the outer tube, and each driving cavity is connected to the inner wall of the outer tube. Each sub-driving cavity has at least three driving tubes on its inner wall, and each driving tube is evenly arranged along the circumference of the sub-driving cavity. By driving the corresponding drive tubes of the drive chamber, the functional part of the surgical instrument is controlled to move to the target position for surgical operation in the lesion area, including: For each drive tube in any sub-drive cavity near the end of the flexible robotic arm, the functional part of the surgical instrument is controlled to move to the target position of the surgical operation in the lesion area by adjusting the liquid pressure in each drive tube. Alternatively, for each drive tube in any sub-drive cavity near the end of the flexible robotic arm, each drive tube is provided with a drive line passing through each drive tube. By adjusting the liquid pressure in each drive tube and the drive line, the functional part of the surgical instrument can be controlled to move to the target position of the surgical operation in the lesion area. Alternatively, for each drive tube in any sub-drive cavity near the end of the flexible robotic arm, each drive tube is provided with a drive line passing through it. By adjusting the drive line in each drive tube, the functional part of the surgical instrument can be controlled to move to the target position of the surgical operation in the lesion area.

3. The flexible robotic arm as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The driving cavity is set in the working channel corresponding to the driving cavity. At least three driving tubes are provided on the outer side wall of any driving cavity. At least one driving tube is connected to the inner side wall of the corresponding working channel. Each driving tube is evenly arranged along the circumference of the driving cavity. By driving the corresponding drive tubes of the drive chamber, the functional part of the surgical instrument is controlled to move to the target position for surgical operation in the lesion area, including: For each drive tube corresponding to each drive cavity, the function of the surgical instrument is controlled to move to the target position of the surgical operation in the lesion area by adjusting the liquid pressure in each drive tube. Alternatively, for each driving tube corresponding to each driving cavity, each driving tube is provided with a driving line passing through each driving tube. By adjusting the liquid pressure in each driving tube and the driving line, the functional part of the surgical instrument can be controlled to move to the target position of the surgical operation in the lesion area. Alternatively, for each driving tube corresponding to each driving cavity, each driving tube is provided with a driving line passing through it. By adjusting the driving line inside each driving tube, the functional part of the surgical instrument can be controlled to move to the target position of the surgical operation in the lesion area.

4. The flexible robotic arm as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The base coating is used to improve the bonding force between the limiting layer and the inner wall silicone of the drive cavity and to improve the bonding force between the limiting layer and the inner wall silicone of the drive tube. The limiting layer is used to limit the radial expansion of each drive cavity and each drive tube. The wear-resistant layer is used to reduce the friction between the driving power and the inner wall of each drive cavity and to reduce the friction between the driving power and the inner wall of each drive tube. The driving power includes at least one of pressurized gas, drive line or pressurized liquid.

5. The flexible robotic arm as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The end of the flexible robotic arm is also equipped with a protective section that covers the functional parts of the surgical instruments; The protective part is bullet-shaped, and its diameter gradually increases from the direction away from the end of the flexible robotic arm to the direction of approach. The connecting end of the protective part is connected to the outer tube.

6. The flexible robotic arm as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The protective section includes at least two separable opening and closing sections, each with one to three opening and closing lines at its connecting end, and a magnetic sheet at the end of each opening and closing section away from the connecting end. Before the end of the flexible robotic arm moves to the lesion area, the ends of each opening and closing section away from the connecting end are joined together by the magnetic sheet. When the end of the flexible robotic arm moves to the lesion area, the ends of each opening and closing section are separated by pulling the opening and closing lines at the connecting end, exposing the functional part of the surgical instrument.

7. The flexible robotic arm as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The first motion increment information includes the first primary hand position increment information and the first primary hand posture increment information; Based on the received first motion increment information, the first target pose information of the end effector of the flexible robotic arm is obtained, including: Based on the first master hand position increment information and the master-slave mapping method, the first target position increment information of the end effector of the flexible robotic arm is determined; Based on the end-effector position information of the flexible robotic arm at the previous moment and the incremental position information of the first target, the position information of the first target is determined. Based on the first master hand posture increment information and the master hand posture information of the previous moment, determine the master hand target posture information; Based on the master hand target posture information and master-slave mapping method, the first target posture information of the end effector of the flexible robotic arm is determined; Based on the first target position information and the first target posture information, the first target posture information from the end of the flexible arm is determined.

8. A surgical robot, characterized in that, The surgical robot includes a flexible robotic arm as described in any one of claims 1 to 7.

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