A medical multi-segment continuum drive device

Abstract

This invention discloses a medical multi-segment continuum driving device, comprising a rotation module, a drive wire splitter, and a motion control module. The rotation module is used for mounting, supporting, and axially rotating the proximal end of the continuum instrument. The drive wire splitter is used for separating, guiding, and path-constraining multiple drive wires. The motion control module is used to drive a drive block connected to the drive wires to move along a predetermined direction, thereby changing the length of each drive wire and driving the end of the medical multi-segment continuum to form a target configuration. This invention has advantages such as compact structure, high driving precision, orderly wiring, easy modular assembly, adaptability to various medical continuum actuators, and facilitates multi-degree-of-freedom coordinated control. It is suitable for natural cavity intervention, minimally invasive surgery, endoscopic-assisted treatment, and other medical continuum robot systems.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of medical robot technology, and in particular to a medical multi-segment continuous body drive device, which is suitable for driving medical devices in natural cavity intervention, minimally invasive surgery, endoscopic-assisted operation, and other medical device driving scenarios that require compliant and continuous bending operation. Background Technology

[0002] Continuum robots are a new type of biomimetic mechanism that differs from traditional rigid articulated robots. Their bodies typically exhibit continuous flexible bodies or are composed of multiple flexible units connected in series, enabling them to achieve high curvature, continuous bending, and obstacle avoidance in confined spaces. Compared to traditional serial robotic arms, continuum mechanisms offer advantages such as high compliance, strong environmental adaptability, small footprint, and higher safety when in contact with human soft tissues, thus holding broad application prospects in the field of minimally invasive medicine.

[0003] With the development of minimally invasive medicine and natural orifice surgery, medical instruments operating in complex and narrow cavities such as the digestive, respiratory, urinary, and vascular systems must not only possess good maneuverability and flexibility, but also achieve precise posture control, stable end-effector manipulation, and coordinated multi-degree-of-freedom movement. Traditional endoscopes or rigid and semi-rigid surgical instruments, due to their limited degrees of freedom and poor path adaptability, struggle to meet clinical needs in complex path navigation, obstacle avoidance, and delicate manipulation.

[0004] Some existing continuous body drive systems use external drive modules to control the far end of the continuous body via wire ropes, cables, or other flexible transmission components. However, these systems generally suffer from the following problems: First, the transmission path is relatively long, which can easily lead to increased friction, reduced transmission efficiency, and control lag. Second, the wiring of multiple drive wires is prone to tangling, affecting control stability and reliability. Third, some paired drive mechanisms suffer from insufficient synchronization, which is not conducive to the stable series drive of multiple continuous body segments. Fourth, when there are a large number of drive units, the overall structure tends to be bulky, resulting in insufficient compactness and integration of the device.

[0005] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a medical continuum drive device and method that is compact in structure, has high driving accuracy, orderly wiring, can realize multi-degree-of-freedom coordinated control, and is suitable for medical application environments, so as to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to address the deficiencies mentioned in the background art by providing a medical multi-segment continuous body driving device.

[0007] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: A medical multi-segment continuous body driving device, wherein the medical multi-segment continuous body comprises 2N driving wires, where N is a natural number greater than or equal to 2, and the medical multi-segment continuous body driving device includes a rotation module, a driving wire splitter, and a motion control module. The rotating module includes a fixed bracket, a front bearing, and a rotating motor; The fixed bracket is U-shaped and includes a base plate, a front plate, and a rear plate. The two ends of the base plate are perpendicularly fixed to the lower ends of the front plate and the rear plate, respectively. The upper end of the front plate is provided with a mounting hole for installing the front bearing. The outer ring of the front bearing is fixed in the mounting hole of the front plate. The housing of the rotary motor is fixed on the rear plate, and the output shaft of the rotary motor is coaxial with the front bearing. The drive wire splitter includes an inlet section, a tapered section, and a connecting section. The inlet section is a cylinder with a through hole along its axis. The tapered section is a hollow frustum with a through hole at the center of its smaller end face and an open end. The connecting section is annular. The smaller end of the tapered section is coaxially fixed to the inlet section, and the larger end is coaxially fixed to the connecting section. The drive wire splitter has 2N channels evenly distributed in the inner circumference for separating, guiding and constraining the drive wire. One end of each of the 2N channels is evenly distributed in the inner wall of the tapered section near the access section, and the other end is evenly distributed in the end face of the connecting section away from the tapered section. The drive wire splitter is disposed between the front plate and the rear plate, and the access part is coaxially fixed to the inner ring of the front bearing. The motion control module includes a first fixed plate, a second fixed plate, and N drive units; The first fixed disk and the second fixed disk are circular disks of the same diameter; The first fixed disk and the drive wire splitter are coaxially fixedly connected, and the first fixed disk is provided with 2N guide holes that are coaxially corresponding to the outlets of the 2N channels of the drive wire splitter at the end away from the connection part. The second fixed plate is disposed between the first fixed plate and the rotary motor, and is coaxially fixed to the rotating shaft of the rotary motor; The N drive units have the same structure and are evenly arranged circumferentially between the first fixed disk and the second fixed disk. Each includes a first to a second lead screw, a first to a fourth lead screw bearing, a first to a second hollow gear, a first to a second slide rod, a first to a second drive block, and a lead screw motor. The first lead screw and the second lead screw have the same structure and the same thread direction, and are arranged parallel to the axis of the connecting part. One end of the first lead screw is rotatably connected to the first fixed plate through the first lead screw bearing, and the other end is rotatably connected to the second fixed plate through the second lead screw bearing. One end of the second lead screw is rotatably connected to the first fixed plate through the third lead screw bearing, and the other end is rotatably connected to the second fixed plate through the fourth lead screw bearing. The first hollow gear is sleeved on the end of the first lead screw near the second fixed plate and is coaxially fixed to the first lead screw; the second hollow gear is sleeved on the end of the second lead screw near the second fixed plate and is coaxially fixed to the second lead screw; the first hollow gear and the second hollow gear mesh with each other; The first slide bar and the second slide bar have the same structure and are set parallel to the axis of the connecting part. One end of each slide bar is perpendicularly fixed to the first fixed plate and the other end is perpendicularly fixed to the second fixed plate. The first drive block and the second drive block have the same structure, each having a threaded hole, a sliding hole, and a fixing hole for fixing the drive screw. The first drive block is fitted onto the first slide rod through its sliding hole, allowing it to slide freely relative to the first slide rod, and the first drive block is threadedly connected to the first lead screw through its threaded hole. The second drive block is fitted onto the second slide rod through its sliding hole, allowing it to slide freely relative to the second slide rod, and the second drive block is threadedly connected to the second lead screw through its threaded hole. The lead screw motor is fixed on the end face of the second fixed plate away from the first fixed plate, and its output shaft is coaxially fixed to the first lead screw. The 2N fixing holes of the first and second driving blocks in the N driving units correspond one-to-one with the 2N guide holes on the first fixed disk and are coaxial.

[0008] As a further optimization of the medical multi-segment continuum driving device of the present invention, N is taken as 6.

[0009] As a further optimization of the medical multi-segment continuous body driving device of the present invention, the rotary motor is a hollow motor.

[0010] As a further optimization of the medical multi-segment continuous body driving device of the present invention, the lead screw motor is equipped with a permanent magnet power failure brake switch, which is used to lock in the state of power failure or emergency stop, so as to reduce the risk of positional loss of control of the medical multi-segment continuous body.

[0011] Compared with the prior art, the present invention, employing the above technical solution, has the following technical effects: 1. The architecture of separating the rotation module and the motion control module allows for coordinated configuration of the rotational degree of freedom and the bending drive degree of freedom of the continuum, resulting in a clear structural hierarchy; 2. The 2N channels of the drive wire splitter are arranged in a ring circumferential direction, which can perform one-to-one path constraint and separation guidance for the 2N drive wires, significantly improving the wiring order of multi-segment continuum drive and reducing the risk of multi-wire cross-entanglement and friction interference. 3. When N is 6, each segment of the continuum uses 4 drive wires distributed in a cross-shaped symmetrical pattern, which helps to improve the directional consistency and mechanical symmetry of segmented bending control and facilitates the series drive of the 3 segments of the continuum. 4. The linkage drive mechanism, which uses a single motor to drive two lead screws and achieves reverse motion through gear meshing, can improve the consistency of paired drive. 5. The dual lead screw linkage structure can reduce the number of drive units or simplify the transmission structure while ensuring the driving effect, and improve the overall compactness and integration of the device. Attached Figure Description

[0012] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the rotating module in this invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the drive wire splitter in this invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the drive unit, the rotating mok, and the drive wire splitter in this invention.

[0013] In the figure, 1-front plate, 2-bottom plate, 3-rear plate, 4-rotary motor, 5-front bearing, 6-access part, 7-continuous part, 8-connecting part, 9-outlet of the channel in the drive wire splitter, 10-first fixed plate, 11-second fixed plate, 12-lead screw motor, 13-first hollow gear, 14-first slide bar, 15-first lead screw, 16-first drive block, 17-second hollow gear, 18-second lead screw, 19-second slide bar, 20-second drive block. Detailed Implementation

[0014] The technical solution of the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings: This invention can be implemented in many different forms and should not be considered limited to the embodiments described herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully express the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. In the drawings, components are enlarged for clarity.

[0015] It should be understood that although the terms first, second, third, etc., may be used herein to describe various elements, components, and / or parts, these elements, components, and / or parts are not limited by these terms. These terms are merely used to distinguish elements, components, and / or parts from one another. Therefore, the first element, component, and / or part discussed below may be a second element, component, or part without departing from the teachings of this invention.

[0016] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "horizontal," "vertical," "left," "right," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this invention, and should not be construed as limiting this invention; the terms "installation," "connection," "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly, for example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection, they can refer to a direct connection, an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or a connection within two components; for those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0017] In the description of this application, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly, for example, as a fixed connection, an integral connection, or a detachable connection; as a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; as a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or as communication between two components, etc. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0018] like Figure 1 As shown, the present invention discloses a medical multi-segment continuum driving device, wherein the medical multi-segment continuum comprises 2N driving wires, where N is a natural number greater than or equal to 2, and the medical multi-segment continuum driving device includes a rotation module, a driving wire splitter, and a motion control module. like Figure 2 As shown, the rotating module includes a fixed bracket, a front bearing, and a rotating motor; The fixed bracket is U-shaped and includes a base plate, a front plate, and a rear plate. The two ends of the base plate are perpendicularly fixed to the lower ends of the front plate and the rear plate, respectively. The upper end of the front plate is provided with a mounting hole for installing the front bearing. The outer ring of the front bearing is fixed in the mounting hole of the front plate. The housing of the rotary motor is fixed on the rear plate, and the output shaft of the rotary motor is coaxial with the front bearing. like Figure 1 , Figure 3As shown, the drive wire splitter includes an inlet section, a tapered section, and a connecting section. The inlet section is a cylinder with a through hole along its axis. The tapered section is a hollow frustum with a through hole at the center of its smaller end face and an open end. The connecting section is annular. The smaller end of the tapered section is coaxially fixed to the inlet section, and the larger end is coaxially fixed to the connecting section. The drive wire splitter has 2N channels evenly distributed in the inner circumference for separating, guiding and constraining the drive wire. One end of each of the 2N channels is evenly distributed in the inner wall of the tapered section near the access section, and the other end is evenly distributed in the end face of the connecting section away from the tapered section. The drive wire splitter is disposed between the front plate and the rear plate, and the access part is coaxially fixed to the inner ring of the front bearing. The motion control module includes a first fixed plate, a second fixed plate, and N drive units; The first fixed disk and the second fixed disk are circular disks of the same diameter; The first fixed disk and the drive wire splitter are coaxially fixedly connected, and the first fixed disk is provided with 2N guide holes that are coaxially corresponding to the outlets of the 2N channels of the drive wire splitter at the end away from the connection part. The second fixed plate is disposed between the first fixed plate and the rotary motor, and is coaxially fixed to the rotating shaft of the rotary motor; The N-drive units have identical structures, circumferentially evenly arranged between the first and second fixed disks, and each includes a first to second lead screw, a first to fourth lead screw bearing, a first to second hollow gear, a first to second slide rod, a first to second drive block, and a lead screw motor. Figure 4 As shown; The first lead screw and the second lead screw have the same structure and the same thread direction, and are arranged parallel to the axis of the connecting part. One end of the first lead screw is rotatably connected to the first fixed plate through the first lead screw bearing, and the other end is rotatably connected to the second fixed plate through the second lead screw bearing. One end of the second lead screw is rotatably connected to the first fixed plate through the third lead screw bearing, and the other end is rotatably connected to the second fixed plate through the fourth lead screw bearing. The first hollow gear is sleeved on the end of the first lead screw near the second fixed plate and is coaxially fixed to the first lead screw; the second hollow gear is sleeved on the end of the second lead screw near the second fixed plate and is coaxially fixed to the second lead screw; the first hollow gear and the second hollow gear mesh with each other; The first slide bar and the second slide bar have the same structure and are set parallel to the axis of the connecting part. One end of each slide bar is perpendicularly fixed to the first fixed plate and the other end is perpendicularly fixed to the second fixed plate. The first drive block and the second drive block have the same structure, each having a threaded hole, a sliding hole, and a fixing hole for fixing the drive screw. The first drive block is fitted onto the first slide rod through its sliding hole, allowing it to slide freely relative to the first slide rod, and the first drive block is threadedly connected to the first lead screw through its threaded hole. The second drive block is fitted onto the second slide rod through its sliding hole, allowing it to slide freely relative to the second slide rod, and the second drive block is threadedly connected to the second lead screw through its threaded hole. The lead screw motor is fixed on the end face of the second fixed plate away from the first fixed plate, and its output shaft is coaxially fixed to the first lead screw. The 2N fixing holes of the first and second driving blocks in the N driving units correspond one-to-one with the 2N guide holes on the first fixed disk and are coaxial.

[0019] N is preferably 6, and the rotary motor is preferably a hollow motor. The lead screw motor is equipped with a permanent magnet power-off brake switch, which is used to lock in the position during power failure or emergency stop to reduce the risk of positional loss of the medical multi-segment continuum.

[0020] The hollow channels of a hollow motor can be used to pass through a continuous body, drive wire, signal line, working channel or other medical functional channel.

[0021] The circumferentially distributed channels in the drive wire splitter can stably constrain the drive wire path, so that each drive wire maintains a fixed relative position before entering each drive unit, thereby reducing the risk of cross interference, friction accumulation and entanglement between different drive wires.

[0022] During operation, the 2N drive wires of the medical multi-segment continuous body are inserted through the through hole in the center of the connecting part, and then guided one by one through the 2N channels of the drive wire splitter to the 2N fixing holes for fixation. The lead screw motor of the drive unit causes the first lead screw and the second lead screw to rotate in opposite directions through the first hollow gear and the second hollow gear, thereby causing the first drive block and the second drive block to move forward and backward respectively, which facilitates the paired operation of the 2N drive wires.

[0023] This invention achieves an effective combination of rotation control and bending control for medical continuum instruments by setting up a rotation module, a drive wire splitter, and a motion control module. It has the advantages of compact structure, clear wiring, precise transmission, strong adaptability, and easy engineering implementation, and has good application prospects.

[0024] It will be understood by those skilled in the art that, unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein (including technical and scientific terms) have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. It should also be understood that terms such as those defined in general dictionaries should be understood to have the same meaning as in the context of the prior art, and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless defined as herein.

[0025] The specific embodiments described above further illustrate the purpose, technical solution, and beneficial effects of the present invention. It should be understood that the above description is only a specific embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A medical multi-segment continuum driving device, wherein the medical multi-segment continuum comprises 2N driving wires, where N is a natural number greater than or equal to 2, characterized in that, The medical multi-segment continuum drive device includes a rotation module, a drive wire splitter, and a motion control module; The rotating module includes a fixed bracket, a front bearing, and a rotating motor; The fixed bracket is U-shaped and includes a base plate, a front plate, and a rear plate. The two ends of the base plate are perpendicularly fixed to the lower ends of the front plate and the rear plate, respectively. The upper end of the front plate is provided with a mounting hole for installing the front bearing. The outer ring of the front bearing is fixed in the mounting hole of the front plate. The housing of the rotary motor is fixed on the rear plate, and the output shaft of the rotary motor is coaxial with the front bearing. The drive wire splitter includes an inlet section, a tapered section, and a connecting section. The inlet section is a cylinder with a through hole along its axis. The tapered section is a hollow frustum with a through hole at the center of its smaller end face and an open end. The connecting section is annular. The smaller end of the tapered section is coaxially fixed to the inlet section, and the larger end is coaxially fixed to the connecting section. The drive wire splitter has 2N channels evenly distributed in the inner circumference for separating, guiding and constraining the drive wire. One end of each of the 2N channels is evenly distributed in the inner wall of the tapered section near the access section, and the other end is evenly distributed in the end face of the connecting section away from the tapered section. The drive wire splitter is disposed between the front plate and the rear plate, and the access part is coaxially fixed to the inner ring of the front bearing. The motion control module includes a first fixed plate, a second fixed plate, and N drive units; The first fixed disk and the second fixed disk are circular disks of the same diameter; The first fixed disk and the drive wire splitter are coaxially fixedly connected, and the first fixed disk is provided with 2N guide holes that are coaxially corresponding to the outlets of the 2N channels of the drive wire splitter at the end away from the connection part. The second fixed plate is disposed between the first fixed plate and the rotary motor, and is coaxially fixed to the rotating shaft of the rotary motor; The N drive units have the same structure and are evenly arranged circumferentially between the first fixed disk and the second fixed disk. Each includes a first to a second lead screw, a first to a fourth lead screw bearing, a first to a second hollow gear, a first to a second slide rod, a first to a second drive block, and a lead screw motor. The first lead screw and the second lead screw have the same structure and the same thread direction, and are arranged parallel to the axis of the connecting part. One end of the first lead screw is rotatably connected to the first fixed plate through the first lead screw bearing, and the other end is rotatably connected to the second fixed plate through the second lead screw bearing. One end of the second lead screw is rotatably connected to the first fixed plate through the third lead screw bearing, and the other end is rotatably connected to the second fixed plate through the fourth lead screw bearing. The first hollow gear is sleeved on the end of the first lead screw near the second fixed plate and is coaxially fixed to the first lead screw; the second hollow gear is sleeved on the end of the second lead screw near the second fixed plate and is coaxially fixed to the second lead screw; the first hollow gear and the second hollow gear mesh with each other; The first slide bar and the second slide bar have the same structure and are set parallel to the axis of the connecting part. One end of each slide bar is perpendicularly fixed to the first fixed plate and the other end is perpendicularly fixed to the second fixed plate. The first drive block and the second drive block have the same structure, each having a threaded hole, a sliding hole, and a fixing hole for fixing the drive screw. The first drive block is fitted onto the first slide rod through its sliding hole, allowing it to slide freely relative to the first slide rod, and the first drive block is threadedly connected to the first lead screw through its threaded hole. The second drive block is fitted onto the second slide rod through its sliding hole, allowing it to slide freely relative to the second slide rod, and the second drive block is threadedly connected to the second lead screw through its threaded hole. The lead screw motor is fixed on the end face of the second fixed plate away from the first fixed plate, and its output shaft is coaxially fixed to the first lead screw. The 2N fixing holes of the first and second driving blocks in the N driving units correspond one-to-one with the 2N guide holes on the first fixed disk and are coaxial.

2. The medical multi-segment continuous body driving device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The value of N is 6.

3. The medical multi-segment continuous body driving device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The rotary motor is a hollow motor.

4. The medical multi-segment continuous body driving device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lead screw motor is equipped with a permanent magnet power-off brake switch, which is used to lock in the position during power failure or emergency shutdown to reduce the risk of loss of posture control of the medical multi-segment continuum.

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