Snakebone assembly and interventional catheter assembly

Abstract

The application discloses a snake bone assembly and an interventional catheter assembly. The snake bone assembly comprises a plurality of snake bone modules, the plurality of snake bone modules are sequentially arranged along an axial direction of the snake bone assembly, each snake bone module comprises at least one snake bone main body, and the snake bone main body is provided with an accommodating cavity. A connecting component is connected between two adjacent snake bone modules, a through hole is formed in the connecting component along the axial direction, and the orthogonal projection of the through hole along the axial direction is located in the accommodating cavity. At least one pull wire is arranged in at least part of the snake bone modules along the axial direction, and the pull wire is arranged in the corresponding through hole. By arranging the connecting component with the through hole, the defect that the pull wire path is formed on the snake bone through the pressure groove process in the prior art can be effectively avoided, and the utilization rate of the internal space of the snake bone can be significantly improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a snake bone assembly and an interventional catheter assembly. Background Technology

[0002] Snake skeletons are widely used in medical devices, primarily in endoscopic systems. As a core component enabling flexible steering and precise operation, they significantly improve the efficiency and safety of minimally invasive surgery through the coordinated work of a precision mechanical structure and traction system. The snake skeleton's ability to achieve flexible manipulation in endoscopic systems stems from its structure of numerous interconnected micro-joints, typically riveted together to form a multi-directionally flexible chain structure. Its working principle relies on a traction system. Traditional snake skeletons and traction systems rely on internal grooves within the snake skeleton to create independent, smooth, and fixed paths. However, this process requires specially designed grooving fixtures, and the grooving precision (too large or too small) directly affects the snake skeleton's bending performance. Excessively large grooves lead to structural instability during bending, while insufficiently large grooves cause traction jamming. Furthermore, the numerous joints in the snake skeleton make the grooving process time-consuming and complex. Additionally, the grooves created by the grooving significantly occupy internal channel space within the snake skeleton.

[0003] Specifically, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the snake-like structure in the prior art is composed of interconnected joint units 10'. The joints are sequentially connected using micro-rivets. The joint units 10' are typically formed from metal tubes such as nickel-titanium alloy or stainless steel using high-precision laser cutting technology. Figure 3 As shown, the multi-directional bending motion of the snake bone is mainly driven by the traction of the pull wire 20'. The pull wire 20' passes through a preset pull wire 20' path inside the snake bone, with its distal end fixed to the snake bone and its proximal end fixed to the traction component. When tension is applied to the proximal end, the joint is driven to produce controllable deflection through torque transmission.

[0004] The groove 12' on the snake skeleton, which serves as the channel for the pull wire 20', is usually achieved using a grooving process: during the design phase, positioning lines 11' are reserved between adjacent joints. After laser cutting or machining along the positioning lines 11', the solid structure between the positioning lines 11' is pressed down into the groove 12' using a mold. This process requires a dedicated grooving fixture.

[0005] While this approach provides a suitable layout path for the pull wire 20', it also has significant drawbacks. Besides requiring additional grooving fixtures, the design of the positioning line 11' greatly impacts the overall performance of the snake skeleton: an excessively wide positioning line 11' leads to a dramatic increase in grooving resistance; an excessively narrow positioning line 11' is easily broken; an excessively short positioning line 11' results in an insufficient channel for the pull wire 20', affecting its movement space and potentially causing it to scrape and jam. Furthermore, fluctuations in manual force application directly affect the groove depth and shape of the groove 12', leading to poor groove consistency for the pull wire 20' and increasing the risk of friction during its movement. Moreover, the large number of snake skeleton joints and grooves 12' significantly increases manual time consumption. Although mechanization can replace manual grooving, the cost of custom molds is high. On the other hand, the track structure formed by grooving occupies the cross-sectional area of ​​the snake skeleton's internal cavity, restricting its internal space. Please refer to [further details needed]. Figure 3 .

[0006] Therefore, the complex grooving process in the production of snake bones and the significant occupation of the internal channel space by the grooves formed by grooving are technical problems that urgently need to be solved in this field. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art, which is that the groove formed by the wire being threaded through the groove inside the snake bone is complicated in the grooving process and the internal space of the snake bone is small. The present invention provides a snake bone assembly and an interventional catheter assembly.

[0008] The present invention solves the above-mentioned technical problems through the following technical solution:

[0009] A snake bone assembly, characterized in that it comprises:

[0010] Multiple snake bone modules are arranged sequentially along the axial direction of the snake bone assembly. Each snake bone module includes at least one snake bone body, and the snake bone body has a receiving cavity.

[0011] A connecting component is provided between two adjacent snake bone modules. The connecting component has a through hole along the axial direction, and the orthographic projection of the through hole along the axial direction is located within the receiving cavity.

[0012] At least one pull wire is provided along the axial direction, and each pull wire is sequentially inserted into at least a portion of the snake bone modules and inserted into the corresponding through hole.

[0013] In this technical solution, by setting a connecting component with through holes, the defect of forming a wire path on the snake bone through the groove process in the prior art can be effectively avoided, and the utilization rate of the internal space of the snake bone can be significantly improved.

[0014] Preferably, the connecting component is a sheet-like structure, and the thickness direction of the sheet-like structure is in the same direction as the axial direction; and / or,

[0015] The dimension of the connecting component along the axial direction is less than or equal to 3 mm.

[0016] In this technical solution, by setting the connecting component to a sheet-like structure, the axial dimension of the snake-bone assembly can be effectively saved, thereby reducing the overall size of the snake-bone assembly. By setting the axial dimension range of the connecting component, the axial dimension of the snake-bone assembly can be effectively saved, thereby reducing the overall size of the snake-bone assembly.

[0017] Preferably, the connecting component includes a connecting body and a step protruding from the outer edge of the connecting body, the step being provided corresponding to the through hole;

[0018] The snake bone assembly further includes a locking unit, which includes a first locking portion and a second locking portion that engage with each other. The locking unit is configured corresponding to the step of the connecting component. The first locking portion and the second locking portion are respectively disposed on two snake bone bodies adjacent to the connecting component. One of the first locking portion and the second locking portion is a protrusion and the other is a groove. The step is located between the first locking portion and the second locking portion.

[0019] In this technical solution, by setting a step between the first and second engaging parts, the step and the protrusion are simultaneously embedded into the slot to form a constraint fit, thereby effectively fixing the connecting component between two adjacent snake-bone modules. Furthermore, the positioning of the engaging unit can also achieve the positioning of the pull wire path.

[0020] Preferably, the inner diameter of the through hole is 1.1 to 2 times the outer diameter of the draw wire; and / or,

[0021] The orthographic projection of the through hole along the axial direction is adjacent to the inner wall of the receiving cavity, and the distance between the through hole and the inner wall of the connecting component is less than or equal to the thickness of the snake bone body.

[0022] In this technical solution, by defining the dimensional relationship between the inner diameter of the through hole and the outer diameter of the pull wire, the flexibility of the pull wire movement is ensured, avoiding jamming or sticking that would affect its use, while minimizing unnecessary space waste. The orthogonal projection of the through hole along the axial direction is adjacent to the inner wall of the receiving cavity, and the distance between the through hole and the inner wall of the connecting component is less than or equal to the thickness of the snake bone body, allowing for more internal space to be reserved in the snake bone, thereby further improving the utilization rate of the internal space of the snake bone.

[0023] Preferably, the number of snake bone modules is n, and the number of connecting parts is n-1, where n is an integer greater than or equal to 3;

[0024] The pull wire is sequentially threaded through the through holes of the multiple connecting components along the threading path, which can be a straight path or a non-straight path.

[0025] In this technical solution, the above-mentioned limitations enable the provision of different threading paths for the pull wire.

[0026] Preferably, when the threading path is a straight path, the pull wire is sequentially threaded through the through holes on the plurality of connecting components, and the orthographic projections of these through holes along the axial direction overlap.

[0027] In this technical solution, based on the above limitations, one implementation method is provided to specifically achieve a straight-line threading path.

[0028] Preferably, when the threading path is a non-straight path, the pull wire is sequentially threaded through the through holes on the plurality of connecting components, and the orthographic projections of these through holes along the axial direction do not overlap, and these through holes are sequentially arranged at intervals along the circumference of the snake bone assembly in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction according to the order in which the pull wire is threaded.

[0029] In this technical solution, by setting the threading path to a non-linear path, the snake bone assembly can be driven to achieve various different shapes of bending, thus expanding the movement flexibility of the snake bone assembly.

[0030] Preferably, the snake bone assembly includes a distal end and a proximal end disposed opposite each other along the axial direction;

[0031] The pull wire includes a first pull wire and a second pull wire. The first pull wire passes sequentially through all the snake-bone modules along the axial direction from the proximal end to the distal end or from the distal end to the proximal end, and passes through the corresponding through holes. The second pull wire passes sequentially through a portion of the snake-bone modules along the axial direction from the proximal end to the distal end or from the distal end to the proximal end, and passes through the corresponding through holes. The portion of the snake-bone modules are sequentially adjacent to each other and close to the proximal end.

[0032] The number of the first pull wires and the number of the second pull wires are both multiple. The orthographic projections of the multiple first pull wires and the multiple second pull wires along the axial direction do not overlap. The multiple first pull wires are distributed at equal intervals along the circumference of the snake bone assembly, and the multiple second pull wires are distributed at equal intervals along the circumference of the snake bone assembly.

[0033] In this technical solution, by setting the first pull wire and the second pull wire, the snake bone module located at the far end and the near end can be controlled respectively, which can effectively realize multi-segment control.

[0034] Preferably, the orthographic projection of the connecting member along the axial direction is located within the outer edge of the snake-bone assembly; and / or,

[0035] The number of pull wires is multiple, and the number of through holes on each of the connecting components is multiple, with the multiple through holes spaced apart circumferentially along the connecting components.

[0036] In this technical solution, by setting the orthogonal projection of the connecting component along the axial direction to be inside the outer edge of the snake bone assembly, the outer contour of the connecting component is prevented from protruding radially from the outer contour of the snake bone assembly, thus avoiding harm to the human body.

[0037] An interventional catheter assembly, characterized in that the interventional catheter assembly includes the snake-bone assembly as described above.

[0038] The positive and progressive effects of this invention are as follows:

[0039] By providing a connecting component with through holes, this invention can effectively avoid the defects of forming a wire path on the snake skeleton through the groove process in the prior art, and can significantly improve the utilization rate of the internal space of the snake skeleton. Attached Figure Description

[0040] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of a snake skeleton before the groove is formed in the prior art.

[0041] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A magnified schematic diagram of the middle part A.

[0042] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of a snake skeleton in the prior art.

[0043] Figure 4 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the snake bone assembly provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0044] Figure 5 for Figure 4 A magnified schematic diagram of part B in the middle section.

[0045] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the snake bone assembly provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0046] Figure 7 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the snake bone assembly provided in Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

[0047] Figure 8 for Figure 7 A magnified schematic diagram of the middle part C.

[0048] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the connecting component of the snake bone assembly provided in Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

[0049] Figure 10 A three-dimensional structural diagram of the wire and connecting component of the snake bone assembly provided in Embodiment 3 of the present invention.

[0050] Figure 11 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the snake bone assembly provided in Embodiment 3 of the present invention.

[0051] Figure 12 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the pull wire and connecting component of the snake bone assembly provided in Embodiment 4 of the present invention.

[0052] Figure 13 This is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of another embodiment of the wire and connecting component of the snake bone assembly provided in Embodiment 4 of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0053] Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below. Examples of these embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and intended to explain the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0054] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," "counterclockwise," "axial," "circumferential," and "radial," etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship, are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings and are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this invention.

[0055] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this invention, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0056] Example 1

[0057] Please combine Figures 4 to 6 It is understood that this embodiment provides a snake bone assembly 1, which includes: a plurality of snake bone modules 10, a connecting component 20, and at least one pull wire 30.

[0058] Multiple snake bone modules 10 are arranged sequentially along the axial direction P of the snake bone assembly 1. Each snake bone module 10 includes at least one snake bone body 11, and the snake bone body 11 is provided with a receiving cavity.

[0059] The connecting component 20 is connected between two adjacent snake bone modules 10. The connecting component 20 has a through hole 21 along the axial direction P, and the orthogonal projection of the through hole 21 along the axial direction P is located in the receiving cavity.

[0060] Along the axial direction P, each pull wire 30 is sequentially threaded through at least a portion of the snake bone modules 10 and through the corresponding through hole 21.

[0061] In this way, by setting the connecting component 20 with through hole 21, the defect of forming the wire 30 path on the snake bone by the groove process in the prior art can be effectively avoided, and the utilization rate of the internal space of the snake bone can be significantly improved.

[0062] It should be noted that there are multiple snake-bone modules 10, that is, there are two or more snake-bone modules 10. The connecting parts 20 are connected between two adjacent snake-bone modules 10, that is, the number of connecting parts 20 is less than the number of snake-bone modules 10.

[0063] Preferably, there are multiple pull lines 30, that is, there are two or more pull lines 30. In this embodiment, there are two pull lines 30. However, it is not limited to this; in other embodiments, there may be one, three, or four pull lines, or other quantities. It should be noted that even when there is only one pull line 30, the steering of the snake-bone assembly can still be controlled.

[0064] Preferably, each connecting component 20 has multiple through holes 21, which are spaced apart circumferentially along the connecting component 20. In this embodiment, each connecting component 20 has two through holes 21. However, this is not a limitation; in other embodiments, the number of through holes 21 may be one, three, or four, or other numbers. In this embodiment, the number of through holes 21 on each connecting component 20 corresponds to the number of pull wires 30. However, this is not a limitation; in other embodiments, the number of through holes 21 on each connecting component 20 may be more than the number of pull wires 30, as long as each pull wire 30 has a corresponding through hole 21 on each connecting component 20 for it to pass through.

[0065] Preferably, the connecting component 20 is a sheet-like structure, and the thickness direction of the sheet-like structure is in the same direction as the axial direction P. In this way, by setting the connecting component 20 to a sheet-like structure, the dimension of the snake-bone assembly 1 along the axial direction P can be effectively saved, thereby reducing the overall size of the snake-bone assembly 1.

[0066] Preferably, the dimension of the connecting component 20 along the axial direction P is less than or equal to 3 mm. In this way, by setting the dimension range of the connecting component 20 along the axial direction P, the dimension of the snake bone assembly 1 along the axial direction P can be effectively saved, thereby reducing the overall size of the snake bone assembly 1.

[0067] In this embodiment, the connecting component 20 is a ring-shaped structure.

[0068] Preferably, the inner diameter e of the through hole 21 is 1.1 to 2 times the outer diameter of the pull wire 30. By defining the dimensional relationship between the inner diameter of the through hole 21 and the outer diameter of the pull wire 30, the flexibility of the pull wire 30's movement is ensured, avoiding jamming or other issues that affect its use, while minimizing unnecessary space waste. Furthermore, the orthographic projection of the through hole 21 along the axial direction P is adjacent to the inner wall of the receiving cavity, and the distance f between the through hole 21 and the inner wall of the connecting component 20 is less than or equal to the thickness g of the snake bone body 11, thus reserving more internal space for the snake bone and further improving the utilization rate of its internal space.

[0069] It should be noted that in existing technologies, after completing the grooving process, the suture needs to be threaded through the groove array from the distal end of the snake-shaped catheter and finally led out from the proximal end. However, this operation presents certain challenges (limits of micro-scale operations): the small size and flexibility of the suture make it difficult to maintain the stability of the threading direction; the continuous structure of the snake-shaped catheter makes it difficult to position the grooves in space, and the internal channels are located in an invisible area, making it impossible to achieve real-time alignment of the suture and groove. The aforementioned difficulties in threading sutures of such small dimensions limit the application range of the snake-shaped catheter to some extent. For example, when dealing with some small-scale scenarios (minimally invasive instruments or products with high space utilization), small-sized catheters cannot use the "rigid-flexible" structure of the snake-shaped catheter.

[0070] However, in this embodiment, through precise process control, the inner diameter e of the through hole 21 can be controlled to be 1.1 to 2 times the outer diameter of the draw wire 30, and the orthographic projection of the through hole 21 along the axial direction P is adjacent to the inner wall of the receiving cavity. Furthermore, the distance f between the through hole 21 and the inner wall of the connecting component 20 is less than or equal to the thickness g of the snake bone body 11. This ensures that the difference between the inner diameter of the connecting component 20 and the inner diameter of the snake bone body is approximately equal to the size of the through hole 21. This guarantees that the draw wire 30 can pass smoothly and unobstructed, and also allows for a reasonable spatial layout within the snake bone to some extent. Traditional grooving processes are prone to deformation. Operators find it difficult to precisely control the groove depth to meet the requirements of the draw wire 30. If the groove is too deep, the internal space of the snake bone will decrease, affecting the overall performance and subsequent use of the snake bone.

[0071] When manufacturing the connecting component 20, laser cutting, stamping, or machining techniques can be used (the process is not limited). Due to its mature technology, high precision, and low cost, laser cutting is the preferred option. After the connecting component 20 is assembled with the snake bone assembly 1, the inner wall of the receiving cavity of the snake bone body 11 will not block the through hole 21, ensuring that the pull wire 30 can move freely within the through hole 21, thus achieving smooth operation of the pull wire 30.

[0072] Preferably, the number of snake-bone modules 10 is n, and the number of connecting parts 20 is n-1, where n is an integer greater than or equal to 3. Specifically, in this embodiment, the number of snake-bone modules 10 is 3, and the number of connecting parts 20 is 2. However, this is not a limitation; in other embodiments, the number of snake-bone modules 10 can also be 4, 5, or other numbers, with the number of connecting parts 20 adjusted accordingly. In this embodiment, each snake-bone module 10 includes 4 snake-bone bodies 11. However, this is not a limitation; in other embodiments, each snake-bone module 10 can include 1, 2, 3, or other numbers of snake-bone bodies 11. Two adjacent snake-bone bodies 11 in the same snake-bone module 10 are riveted together, but this is not a limitation; other connection methods, such as pivoting, can also be used.

[0073] In this embodiment, the three snake-bone modules 10 are a first snake-bone module 101, a second snake-bone module 102, and a third snake-bone module 103. When assembling the snake-bone modules 10 and the connecting components 20, simply adjust the orientation of the through holes 21 and fix the connecting components 20 between two adjacent snake-bone modules 10 using glue or laser welding; the process is simple. When assembling the pull wire 30, first fix the connecting components 20 to the ends of the first snake-bone module 101 and the second snake-bone module 102, then thread the pull wire 30 through the third snake-bone module 103, sequentially passing it through the through holes 21 of the connecting components 20 fixed on the second snake-bone module 102 and the first snake-bone module 101. Finally, fix the three snake-bone modules 10 and each connecting component 20.

[0074] Specifically, the pull wire 30 is sequentially threaded through the through holes 21 of multiple connecting components 20 along the threading path, which can be a straight path or a non-straight path.

[0075] In this embodiment, the threading path is a straight path, and the pull wire 30 is sequentially threaded through the through holes 21 on the multiple connecting parts 20. The orthogonal projections of these through holes 21 along the axial direction P overlap.

[0076] Preferably, the orthographic projection of the connecting member 20 along the axial direction P is located inside the outer edge of the snake bone assembly 1.

[0077] In this way, by setting the orthogonal projection of the connecting component 20 along the axial direction P to be inside the outer edge of the snake bone assembly 1, the outer contour of the connecting component 20 is prevented from protruding from the outer contour of the snake bone assembly 1 along the radial direction, thus avoiding harm to the human body.

[0078] This embodiment also provides an interventional catheter assembly, which includes the snake-bone component 1 described above. Specifically, the interventional catheter assembly further includes a tube body, and the snake-bone component 1 is at least partially disposed within the tube body.

[0079] This embodiment, by providing a connecting component 20 with a through hole 21, can effectively avoid the defect of forming a wire path on the snake bone through the groove process in the prior art, and can significantly improve the utilization rate of the internal space of the snake bone.

[0080] The structure of the snake-bone assembly 1 in this embodiment significantly simplifies the threading process of the pull wire 30. During operation, the pull wire 30 only needs to pass through the through holes 21 of the corresponding connecting components 20 in sequence, with no blind spots throughout the process, making the operation intuitive and controllable. Even when using flexible pull wire 30 or extremely fine traction wire, there is no need to worry about threading difficulties due to the soft head of the pull wire 30, effectively improving assembly efficiency and accuracy. In addition, the through holes 21 of the connecting components 20 are precision-machined, allowing for precise control of their inner diameter. This ensures that the movement space of the pull wire 30 within the snake-bone module 10 only occupies the diameter of the pull wire 30 itself, guaranteeing the flexibility of the pull wire 30's movement and avoiding situations such as jamming or sticking that affect its use, while also minimizing unnecessary space waste.

[0081] Furthermore, since the connecting component 20 itself provides a wire guideway (through hole 21), the snake-bone body 11 no longer needs to consider the wire threading path. In contrast, the groove structure in the prior art requires machining grooves on the snake-bone to achieve wire positioning. This groove area must remain rigid, which directly limits the minimum length of the joint unit and thus restricts the maximum bending angle of the snake-bone. With the structure in this embodiment, the length of the snake-bone body 11 can be freely designed. The smaller its length, the greater the flexibility of the snake-bone assembly 1, and the larger the bending angle can be achieved. This design significantly expands the application scenarios of snake-bone components in precision instruments.

[0082] The structure of the snake bone assembly 1 in this embodiment allows for free configuration of the snake bone bending direction, segment configuration, design of connecting components 20, and number of pull wires 30. For example, the snake bone bending control can be a two-way or omnidirectional equal-direction bending structure; the number of snake bone modules 10 and snake bone bodies 11 can be freely adjusted; the length of the snake bone body 11 can also be freely adjusted, and the length of a single snake bone body 11 can be replaced to adjust the bending shape; the number of through holes 21 in the connecting components 20 is flexible, and the structural form can be adjusted at will.

[0083] This embodiment uses a combination of the snake-bone module 10 and the connecting component 20 to replace the traditional grooving process, fundamentally solving the problem of blind spots in wire threading in slotted tracks. The entire assembly process is simple to operate, and the wire threading 30 can be easily completed, significantly reducing the complexity of the process.

[0084] The structural design of the connecting piece can significantly save space inside the snake bone. Its pull rail only occupies the diameter space of a single pull line 30, which can make efficient use of space while ensuring that the pull line 30 moves freely and completely avoids problems such as jamming and scratches that affect use.

[0085] The coordinated design of the snake-bone segments and connecting pieces further enhances the overall flexibility of the snake-bone system. This structure not only allows for irregularly shaped threading paths but also enables segmented control of the snake-bone, facilitating the customization of snake-bone bends according to different application scenarios and meeting diverse usage needs.

[0086] Example 2

[0087] like Figures 7-9 As shown, the overall structure of the snake bone assembly 1 in this embodiment is basically the same as that in embodiment 1. The difference is that the connecting component 20 includes a connecting body 22 and a step 23 protruding from the outer edge of the connecting body 22. The step 23 is provided corresponding to the through hole 21. The snake bone assembly 1 also includes a locking unit, which includes a first locking part 41 and a second locking part 42 that lock into each other. The locking unit is provided corresponding to the step 23 of the connecting component 20. The first locking part 41 and the second locking part 42 are respectively provided on the two snake bone bodies 11 adjacent to the connecting component 20. One of the first locking part 41 and the second locking part 42 is a protrusion and the other is a groove. The step 23 is located between the first locking part 41 and the second locking part 42.

[0088] In this way, by setting the step 23 between the first engaging part 41 and the second engaging part 42, the step 23 and the protrusion are simultaneously embedded into the slot to form a constraint fit, thereby effectively fixing the connecting part 20 between two adjacent snake-bone modules 10. Furthermore, the positioning of the engaging unit can also realize the positioning of the path of the pull wire 30.

[0089] The steps 23 on each connecting component 20 are in the same relative position to the corresponding through holes 21, and the orthographic projections of multiple engaging units corresponding to the same pull wire 30 along the axial direction P overlap, thereby enabling the positioning of the straight path of the pull wire 30 by positioning the engaging units in a straight line along the axial direction P.

[0090] In this embodiment, each connecting component 20 corresponds to two engaging units, but it is not limited to this; there can also be one, three, four, or other multiple engaging units. Similarly, the number of pull wires 30 is not limited to the two pull wires 30 bidirectional bending control in this embodiment; there can also be multiple pull wires 30, and the number is not limited.

[0091] Example 3

[0092] like Figure 10 As shown, the overall structure of the snake bone component 1 in this embodiment is basically the same as that in embodiment 1. The difference is that when the threading path is not a straight path, the pull wire 30 is sequentially threaded through the through holes 21 on the multiple connecting parts 20. The orthogonal projections of these through holes 21 along the axial direction P do not overlap, and these through holes 21 are arranged in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction along the circumference of the snake bone component 1 in the order in which the pull wire 30 is sequentially threaded.

[0093] In this way, by setting the threading path as a non-linear path, the snake bone assembly 1 can be driven to achieve various different shapes of bending, thus expanding the mobility of the snake bone assembly 1. The threading path setting in this embodiment is complex, but it is suitable for situations where the bending requirements of the instrument are unconventional, such as in special applications like the bronchus or colon, where the traditional single-plane, unidirectional bending of the snake bone is difficult to accurately reach. By designing a non-linear, irregularly shaped threading path, the snake bone can be driven to achieve various different shapes of bending, thus expanding its mobility.

[0094] Specifically, in this embodiment, there are four connecting components 20, which are, in order of threading, a first connecting component 201, a second connecting component 202, a third connecting component 203, and a fourth connecting component 204. The through holes 21 on the four connecting components 20 are spaced equidistantly in a clockwise direction along the circumference of the snake-bone assembly 1, according to the order in which the pull wires 30 are threaded. Thus, the pull wire 30 deviates 90 degrees clockwise after passing through each connecting component 20. Specifically, a pull wire 30 is taken and threaded through the through hole 211 corresponding to the first connecting component 201, then sequentially through the through hole 212 of the second connecting component 202, the through hole 213 of the third connecting component 203, and finally exits through the through hole 214 of the fourth connecting component 204. Because the threading direction of each snake-bone segment is deviated 90 degrees clockwise, the pull wire 30 naturally forms an S-shaped track inside the snake-bone module 10. A pull wire 30, passing through the through hole 214 of the fourth connecting component 204, is welded to the head-end snake bone body 11 at a position offset clockwise by 90° from the through hole 214. Subsequently, by pulling this pull wire 30, the snake bone assembly 1 can be precisely controlled to complete its three-dimensional bending shape. Figure 11 As shown.

[0095] In this embodiment, the through holes 21 on the connecting component 20 can be designed as four through holes 21 each at 90 degrees, or as one through hole 21. When the connecting component 20 is fixed on each snake bone module 10, the corresponding through holes 21 on two adjacent connecting components 20 are misaligned at a 90-degree angle.

[0096] Example 4

[0097] like Figure 12 As shown, the overall structure of the snake bone assembly 1 in this embodiment is basically the same as that in embodiment 1. The difference is that the snake bone assembly 1 includes a distal end and a proximal end arranged opposite each other along the axial direction P; the pull wire 30 includes a first pull wire 31 and a second pull wire 32. The first pull wire 31 runs along the axial direction P from the proximal end to the distal end or from the distal end to the proximal end, sequentially passing through all the snake bone modules 10 and passing through the corresponding through holes 21; the second pull wire 32 runs along the axial direction P from the proximal end to the distal end or from the distal end to the proximal end, sequentially passing through all the snake bone modules 10 and passing through the corresponding through holes 21; From end to proximal end, the wires are sequentially inserted into a number of snake-bone modules 10 and into corresponding through holes 21. A number of snake-bone modules 10 are sequentially adjacent to each other and close to the proximal end. There are multiple first pull wires 31 and multiple second pull wires 32. The orthogonal projections of the multiple first pull wires 31 and multiple second pull wires 32 along the axial direction P do not overlap. The multiple first pull wires 31 are equidistantly distributed along the circumference of the snake-bone assembly 1, and the multiple second pull wires 32 are equidistantly distributed along the circumference of the snake-bone assembly 1.

[0098] In this way, by setting the first pull wire 31 and the second pull wire 32, the snake bone module 10 located at the far end and the near end can be controlled respectively, and multi-segment control can be effectively realized.

[0099] Specifically, in this embodiment, there are four connecting components 20, which are designated as first connecting component 201, second connecting component 202, third connecting component 203, and fourth connecting component 204 in the order of threading. Each connecting component 20 has four through holes 21. There are four pull wires 30: two first pull wires 31, namely pull wire b and pull wire c; and two second pull wires 32, namely pull wire a and pull wire d. The direction from the proximal end to the distal end is a preset direction E.

[0100] The specific threading method is as follows:

[0101] Pull wires a and d: pass through two through holes 21 on the first connecting component 201 that are symmetrical about 180 degrees along the axis P. The far ends of pull wires a and d are fixed in the through holes 21 of the second connecting component 202 (the fixing method can be soldering or welding). The near ends of pull wires a and d are connected to a control device.

[0102] Pull wires b and c pass through two additional through holes 21 on the first connecting component 201, the second connecting component 202, the third connecting component 203, and the fourth connecting component 204 in sequence. The proximal ends of pull wires b and c are fixed in the through hole 21 of the fourth connecting component 204, and the proximal ends of pull wires b and c are connected to another control device.

[0103] This scheme enables segmented control: the snake-bone modules 10 corresponding to the first connecting component 201 and the second connecting component 202, as well as the snake-bone modules 10 corresponding to the third connecting component 203 and the fourth connecting component 204, can all achieve bidirectional bending control, and the bending directions of the two sets of snake-bone modules 10 are orthogonal to each other.

[0104] like Figure 13As shown, in another embodiment of this example, by further increasing the number of pull wires 30 and the number of through holes 21 on each connecting component 20, segmented omnidirectional control of the snake-bone module 10 can be achieved. Specifically, the segmented omnidirectional bending of the snake-bone module 10 is controlled by eight pull wires 30 respectively. The wiring method is similar to that described above. The third connecting component 203 and the fourth connecting component 204 are provided with four through holes 21, and the first connecting component 201 and the second connecting component 202 are provided with eight through holes 21. Four first pull wires 31 are respectively inserted into the through holes 21 and fixed at the position of the through holes 21 of the fourth connecting component 204. The proximal end is connected to the control device, which can control the omnidirectional bending of the snake-bone module 10 of the third connecting component 203 and the fourth connecting component 204; the remaining four second pull wires 32 pass through the first connecting component 201 and are fixed in the other four through holes 21 of the second connecting component 202. The proximal end is connected to another control device, which can control the omnidirectional bending of the snake-bone module 10 of the first connecting component 201 and the second connecting component 202.

[0105] The aforementioned S-shaped three-dimensional curve and segmented control track design is only one implementation form, not the only solution. In practical applications, key parameters can be flexibly adjusted according to specific needs to customize different bending effects. The core adjustable elements include, but are not limited to: the number of through holes 21 in the connecting component 20, the hole position angle of the through holes 21, the shape of the slot, etc.; the number of segments in the snake bone module 10, the length of a single snake bone body 11, the docking shape and docking form between the snake bone body 11 and the connecting component 20, etc.; the number of pull wires 30, the wire path, and the fixing position, etc.

[0106] While specific embodiments of the present invention have been described above, those skilled in the art should understand that these are merely illustrative examples, and the scope of protection of the present invention is defined by the appended claims. Those skilled in the art can make various changes or modifications to these embodiments without departing from the principles and essence of the present invention, but all such changes and modifications fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A snake bone assembly, characterized in that, It includes: Multiple snake bone modules are arranged sequentially along the axial direction of the snake bone assembly. Each snake bone module includes at least one snake bone body, and the snake bone body has a receiving cavity. A connecting component is provided between two adjacent snake bone modules. The connecting component has a through hole along the axial direction, and the orthographic projection of the through hole along the axial direction is located within the receiving cavity. At least one pull wire is provided along the axial direction, and each pull wire is sequentially inserted into at least a portion of the snake bone modules and inserted into the corresponding through hole.

2. The snake bone assembly as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The connecting component is a sheet-like structure, and the thickness direction of the sheet-like structure is in the same direction as the axial direction; and / or, The dimension of the connecting component along the axial direction is less than or equal to 3 mm.

3. The snake bone assembly as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The connecting component includes a connecting body and a step protruding from the outer edge of the connecting body, the step being provided corresponding to the through hole; The snake bone assembly further includes a locking unit, which includes a first locking portion and a second locking portion that engage with each other. The locking unit is configured corresponding to the step of the connecting component. The first locking portion and the second locking portion are respectively disposed on two snake bone bodies adjacent to the connecting component. One of the first locking portion and the second locking portion is a protrusion and the other is a groove. The step is located between the first locking portion and the second locking portion.

4. The snake bone assembly as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The inner diameter of the through hole is 1.1 to 2 times the outer diameter of the draw wire; and / or, The orthographic projection of the through hole along the axial direction is adjacent to the inner wall of the receiving cavity, and the distance between the through hole and the inner wall of the connecting component is less than or equal to the thickness of the snake bone body.

5. The snake bone assembly as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The number of snake bone modules is n, and the number of connecting parts is n-1, where n is an integer greater than or equal to 3; The pull wire is sequentially threaded through the through holes of the multiple connecting components along the threading path, which can be a straight path or a non-straight path.

6. The snake bone assembly as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that, When the threading path is a straight path, the pull wire is sequentially threaded through the through holes on the plurality of connecting components, and the orthogonal projections of these through holes along the axial direction overlap.

7. The snake bone assembly as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that, When the threading path is not a straight path, the pull wire is sequentially threaded through the through holes on the multiple connecting components. The orthographic projections of these through holes along the axial direction do not overlap, and these through holes are arranged at intervals along the circumference of the snake bone assembly in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction according to the order in which the pull wire is sequentially threaded.

8. The snake bone assembly as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The snake-bone assembly includes a distal end and a proximal end disposed opposite each other along the axial direction; The pull wire includes a first pull wire and a second pull wire. The first pull wire passes sequentially through all the snake-bone modules along the axial direction from the proximal end to the distal end or from the distal end to the proximal end, and passes through the corresponding through holes. The second pull wire passes sequentially through a portion of the snake-bone modules along the axial direction from the proximal end to the distal end or from the distal end to the proximal end, and passes through the corresponding through holes. The portion of the snake-bone modules are sequentially adjacent to each other and close to the proximal end. The number of the first pull wires and the number of the second pull wires are both multiple. The orthographic projections of the multiple first pull wires and the multiple second pull wires along the axial direction do not overlap. The multiple first pull wires are distributed at equal intervals along the circumference of the snake bone assembly, and the multiple second pull wires are distributed at equal intervals along the circumference of the snake bone assembly.

9. The snake bone assembly as described in any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, The orthographic projection of the connecting component along the axial direction is located inside the outer edge of the snake-bone assembly; and / or, The number of pull wires is multiple, and the number of through holes on each of the connecting components is multiple, with the multiple through holes spaced apart circumferentially along the connecting components.

10. An interventional catheter assembly, characterized in that, The interventional catheter assembly includes a tube body and a snake-bone assembly as described in any one of claims 1-9.

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