Variable stiffness endoscope and surgical robot

Abstract

The application discloses a variable stiffness endoscope and surgical robot, the endoscope comprises a snake bone, the snake bone comprises a plurality of sequentially arranged links, the link comprises a body and a lock release element arranged on the peripheral wall of the body; the body is provided with a connecting boss and a connecting groove along the length direction, the connecting boss of the rear link is located in the connecting groove of the adjacent front link and cooperates with each other to limit the disengagement of the two adjacent links; the lock release element is arranged on the connecting groove, the lock release element comprises a free state and a stressed state, when the lock release element is in the free state, a gap is formed between the lock release element and the peripheral wall of the body; when the lock release element is in the stressed state, the lock release element is in contact with the connecting boss located in the connecting groove and limits the relative rotation of the two. The snake bone of the application can keep soft and flexible when the endoscope is inserted and routed, and keep rigid and stable when the endoscope is operated at a fixed point, and has the effect of flexible adjustment according to the operation requirement.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the technical field of surgical robots, and more specifically, to a variable stiffness endoscope and surgical robot. Background Technology

[0002] In recent years, with the development of endoscopic minimally invasive diagnosis and treatment technology and surgical robots, many diseases can be diagnosed and treated minimally invasively by entering the human body through natural orifices or surgical incisions. Surgical robots, combined with path planning navigation and real-time images, make diagnosis and treatment more precise and easier to operate. Flexible endoscopes, with their excellent flexibility, can follow the natural cavities of the human body and easily reach deep targets to complete diagnosis and observation.

[0003] Existing flexible endoscopes, designed for easier insertion into complex, winding pathways within body cavities, require a high degree of freedom and flexibility. Unlike conventional endoscopic surgery where the surgeon relies on tactile feedback, the endoscope needs to maintain a certain level of rigidity to support the surgical robot's manipulations of biopsy forceps and punctures at specific points. However, the rigidity of current flexible endoscopes is relatively unstable. Insufficient rigidity means that even the slightest movement or rebound of the endoscope will be amplified and transmitted to the instruments at the tip, significantly impacting the accuracy and efficiency of the procedure, thereby increasing surgical risks and time.

[0004] Regarding the aforementioned technical methods, existing endoscopes have the drawback of not being able to flexibly adjust their rigidity according to surgical needs. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a variable stiffness endoscope and surgical robot. The variable stiffness endoscope can remain flexible and flexible during insertion and navigation, and remain rigid and stable during fixed-point operation, under the drive of the surgical robot, so as to make flexible adjustments according to the needs of the surgery.

[0006] In a first aspect, this application provides a variable stiffness endoscope, which adopts the following technical solution:

[0007] An endoscope with variable stiffness, comprising:

[0008] The snake skeleton includes a plurality of links arranged in sequence, each link including a body and a locking / releasing element disposed on the outer peripheral wall of the body;

[0009] The body has a first end and a second end along its length. The body is provided with a connecting boss and a connecting groove. The connecting boss is provided at the first end, and the connecting groove is provided at the second end. The connecting boss of the rear link is located in the connecting groove of the adjacent link in front and they cooperate with each other to prevent the two adjacent links from disengaging.

[0010] The locking and releasing member is disposed in the connecting groove. The locking and releasing member includes a free state and a stressed state. When the locking and releasing member is in the free state, there is a gap between the locking and releasing member and the outer peripheral wall of the main body. When the locking and releasing member is in the stressed state, the locking and releasing member contacts the connecting boss located in the connecting groove and restricts the relative rotation between the two.

[0011] In some technical solutions, the locking and releasing member includes a locking part and an elastic part. One end of the elastic part is connected to the locking part, and the other end is fixedly connected to the outer peripheral wall of the body. The end of the elastic part connected to the locking part is gradually inclined away from the axis of the body. The elastic part can deform under force, causing it to drive the locking part to move towards the body to overcome the gap between the locking part and the body.

[0012] In some technical solutions, the locking part has a first engagement surface on its end face facing the axis of the main body, and the connecting boss located in the connecting groove has a second engagement surface on its end face away from the axis of the main body; when the locking and releasing member is under force, the first engagement surface and the second engagement surface engage with each other to restrict the relative movement of two adjacent chain links.

[0013] In some technical solutions, the first meshing surface includes a plurality of first meshing teeth distributed along the circumference, and a first limiting space is formed between two adjacent first meshing teeth; the second meshing surface includes a plurality of second meshing teeth distributed along the circumference, and a second limiting space is formed between two adjacent second meshing teeth.

[0014] When the locking / releasing member is under force, the first engaging tooth is located within the first limiting space, and the second engaging tooth is located within the second limiting space.

[0015] In some technical solutions, the locking and releasing component further includes a force-receiving part, which is disposed on the end face of the locking part away from the axis of the main body, and the locking part is fixedly connected to the force-receiving part; along the radial direction of the chain link, the projected area of ​​the force-receiving part is larger than the projected area of ​​the locking part.

[0016] In some technical solutions, an outer tube sleeve and an inner tube sleeve are also included. The inner tube sleeve is disposed inside the outer tube sleeve, and both ends of the inner tube sleeve and the outer tube sleeve are sealed and connected. An installation cavity is formed between the outer tube sleeve and the inner tube sleeve. The installation cavity can be evacuated to transmit atmospheric pressure to the locking and releasing member, so that the locking and releasing member switches from a free state to a stressed state.

[0017] In some technical solutions, each link has two connecting bosses, two connecting grooves, and two locking / releasing elements. The two connecting bosses located at the first end are symmetrically arranged along the central axis of the body, and the two connecting grooves located at the second end are symmetrically arranged along the central axis of the body. The locking / releasing elements correspond one-to-one with the connecting grooves.

[0018] In some technical solutions, the connecting boss located at the first end is alternately arranged with the connecting groove located at the second end.

[0019] In some technical solutions, the first end is configured as an arc-shaped convex surface, and the connecting boss is disposed at the high end of the arc-shaped convex surface; the second end is configured as an arc-shaped concave surface, and the connecting groove is disposed at the high end of the arc-shaped concave surface.

[0020] When the connecting boss of the subsequent link engages with the connecting groove of the preceding adjacent link, a clearance space is formed between the first end and the second end of the adjacent link, so that the two adjacent links can rotate about the straight line where the two connecting bosses are located.

[0021] In some technical solutions, the second end is provided with a protrusion for forming the connecting groove, and the first end is provided with a mounting groove for adapting to the protrusion; when the connecting boss cooperates with the connecting groove, the protrusion is partially located in the mounting groove, and the protrusion rotates relative to the wall of the mounting groove.

[0022] Secondly, this application provides a surgical robot, including a robot body and the aforementioned variable stiffness endoscope.

[0023] As can be seen from the above technical solutions, this application has the following advantages:

[0024] In its free state, the locking and releasing element has a gap between it and the outer peripheral wall of the main body. Therefore, the locking and releasing element connected to the main body does not contact the connecting boss and connecting groove at the connection point of two adjacent links. Each link can rotate freely and flexibly relative to the other, allowing the snake bone to smoothly pass through the complex anatomical cavities of the human body to reach the target position for observation and preliminary positioning. When the surgical robot drives the endoscope to the target position for stable and precise surgical operations, the locking and releasing element is under force. At this time, the locking and releasing element overcomes the gap between itself and the main body, causing it to contact the connecting boss located in the connecting groove. The locking and releasing element can restrict the relative movement of the connecting groove and the connecting boss located in the connecting groove, thereby... By restricting the relative movement of two adjacent links, the originally movable links are transformed into a rigid whole, thus providing rigidity and mechanical stability for the treatment operation. This application controls the movement state between the connecting groove and the connecting boss by separating or restricting the locking and releasing element and the connecting boss located in the connecting groove, thereby achieving control over two adjacent links. This allows the endoscope's serpentine frame to remain flexible and flexible during insertion and rigid and stable during fixed-point operation, enabling flexible adjustments according to surgical needs. This fundamentally solves the contradiction between flexible navigation and stable operation in surgical robots, thus providing a revolutionary operating platform for more complex and precise endoscopic minimally invasive surgery. Attached Figure Description

[0025] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in this application, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments recorded in this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings.

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a variable stiffness endoscope disclosed in an embodiment of this application;

[0027] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a variable stiffness endoscope that highlights the connection between adjacent segments in a snake skeleton, as disclosed in an embodiment of this application.

[0028] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an endoscope with variable stiffness disclosed in an embodiment of this application, highlighting the connection between adjacent segments in a snake skeleton from another perspective;

[0029] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a variable stiffness endoscope highlighting a single link, as disclosed in an embodiment of this application.

[0030] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a variable stiffness endoscope highlighting locking and releasing device disclosed in an embodiment of this application.

[0031] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0032] 1. Snake bone; 11. Link; 12. Body; 121. First end; 122. Second end; 123. Connecting boss; 1231. Second meshing surface; 1232. Second meshing tooth; 1233. Second limiting space; 124. Connecting groove; 125. Protrusion; 126. Mounting groove; 13. Locking / releasing element; 131. Locking part; 1311. First meshing surface; 1312. First meshing tooth; 1313. First limiting space; 132. Elastic part; 133. Force-bearing part; 14. Gap; 15. Clearance space; 2. Outer sleeve; 3. Inner sleeve; 4. Mounting cavity. Detailed Implementation

[0033] The present application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0034] This application provides a variable stiffness endoscope that, driven by a surgical robot, remains flexible and flexible during endoscope navigation and rigid and stable during fixed-point operation, allowing for flexible adjustment according to surgical needs.

[0035] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present application, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present application, and not all of them. Based on the embodiments of the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort should fall within the scope of protection of the present application. Furthermore, the technical solutions of various embodiments can be combined with each other, but this must be based on the ability of those skilled in the art to implement them. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or cannot be implemented, it should be considered that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection claimed by the present application.

[0036] Please see Figure 1 and Figure 2 This is an embodiment of the variable stiffness endoscope in this application. The endoscope includes an outer tube sleeve 2, an inner tube sleeve 3, and a snake bone 1. The inner tube sleeve 3 is disposed inside the outer tube sleeve 2, and an installation cavity is formed between the outer tube sleeve 2 and the inner tube sleeve 3. The snake bone 1 is disposed in the installation cavity. The snake bone 1 includes a plurality of links 11 arranged in sequence. The number of links 11 in the snake bone 1 can be specifically selected according to the actual required length of the snake bone 1.

[0037] The outermost sheath 2, as the outermost structure of the endoscope, is used for direct contact with the body cavity, protecting internal components, sealing and isolating body fluids, and providing a smooth surface to reduce tissue damage. The inner sheath 3 is located inside the outer sheath 2, forming the inner boundary of the mounting cavity, and mainly undertakes the function of isolation and support. The cooperation between the outer sheath 2 and the inner sheath 3 provides mounting space and sliding guidance for the snake bone 1, and protects the internal optical components, signal cables and instrument channels from compression or interference, maintaining the stability of the lumen structure. The snake bone 1 is located in the mounting cavity between the two sheaths and is composed of multiple movable links 11 connected in series. It can bend in multiple directions by traction wire control and is the core execution component for active steering and precise navigation of the endoscope tip, enabling the surgical robot to flexibly control the endoscope to reach the target observation position.

[0038] Please see Figures 2 to 4 To achieve flexibility and ease of navigation when the snake-like link 1 is in front of the camera, the link 11 includes a body 12. The body 12 can have various shapes, such as cylindrical, elliptical, or cuboid. The body 12 is provided with a connecting boss 123 and a connecting groove 124. The body 12 has a first end 121 and a second end 122 along its length. The connecting boss 123 is located at the first end 121, and the connecting groove 124 is located at the second end 122. The connecting boss 123 of the subsequent link 11 is located within the connecting groove 124 of the preceding adjacent link 11 and they cooperate with each other to prevent the two adjacent links 11 from disengaging.

[0039] Specifically, in this embodiment, the connecting boss 123 is generally disc-shaped, and the connecting groove 124 is an arc-shaped groove adapted to the connecting boss 123. Each link 11 is provided with two connecting bosses 123 and two connecting grooves 124. The two connecting bosses 123 located at the first end 121 are symmetrically arranged along the central axis of the body 12, and the two connecting grooves 124 located at the second end 122 are symmetrically arranged along the central axis of the body 12. By providing two connecting bosses 123 and two connecting grooves 124, and symmetrically arranging the two connecting bosses 123 and the two connecting grooves 124 relative to the central axis of the body 12, the two links 11 are connected at two symmetrical positions relative to the central axis. The connection between the two links 11 is more stable, and the two links 11 are less likely to separate during rotation, thus improving the stability of the snake bone 1 in use.

[0040] It should be noted that the snake bone 1 is laser-cut. Because the opening of the connecting groove 124 is smaller than the diameter of the connecting boss 123, the connecting boss 123 located in the connecting groove 124 cannot disengage from the connecting groove 124, thus restricting the disengagement of two adjacent links 11 along the length of the snake bone 1. It can be understood that during the rotation of the snake bone 1, the connecting boss 123 of one of the two adjacent links 11 rotates circumferentially within the connecting groove 124 of the other link 11. The rotational engagement between the connecting boss 123 and the connecting groove 124 is similar to a hinge. During the bending process of the snake bone 1, specifically, it is a process of relative engagement between two adjacent links 11. That is, the connecting boss 123 of the rear link 11 engages with the connecting groove 124 of the front adjacent link 11. The connecting boss 123 and the connecting groove 124 allow for a larger contact area between the two adjacent links 11, making the relative rotation between adjacent links 11 more stable during the bending process of the entire snake bone 1, and making the snake bone 1 easier to control.

[0041] Please see Figure 4 Furthermore, the connecting boss 123 located at the first end 121 is staggered with the connecting groove 124 located at the second end 122. This staggered arrangement can prevent stress concentration at the same circumferential position when adjacent links 11 are bent, significantly improving the fatigue resistance and wear resistance of the links 11.

[0042] Please continue reading. Figure 2 and Figure 3 To ensure the high flexibility of two adjacent links 11, the first end 121 of the body 12 is configured as an arc-shaped convex surface, with a connecting boss 123 positioned at the high end of the arc-shaped convex surface; the second end 122 is configured as an arc-shaped concave surface, with a connecting groove 124 positioned at the high end of the arc-shaped concave surface. When the connecting boss 123 of the rear link 11 engages with the connecting groove 124 of the preceding adjacent link 11, a clearance space 15 is formed between the first end 121 and the second end 122 of the adjacent link 11, allowing the two adjacent links 11 to rotate about the straight line containing the two connecting bosses 123. The clearance space 15 provides ample space for the rotation of the two adjacent links 11, preventing interference between them during rotation.

[0043] Furthermore, the second end 122 is provided with a protrusion 125 for forming a connecting groove 124, and the first end 121 is provided with a mounting groove 126 for fitting the protrusion 125. When the connecting boss 123 engages with the connecting groove 124, the protrusion 125 is partially located within the mounting groove 126, and the protrusion 125 rotates relative to the groove wall of the mounting groove 126. The mutual engagement between the protrusion 125 and the mounting groove 126 further enhances the installation stability between two adjacent links 11.

[0044] Please see Figure 4 and Figure 5 To ensure the rigidity and stability of the snake-like structure 1 during fixed-point operation, the link 11 also includes a locking / releasing element 13 disposed on the outer peripheral wall of the body 12. The locking / releasing element 13 is located in the connecting groove 124, and two locking / releasing elements 13 are provided, with each locking / releasing element 13 corresponding to a connecting groove 124. Specifically, the locking / releasing element 13 has a free state and a stressed state. In the free state, there is a gap 14 between the locking / releasing element 13 and the outer peripheral wall of the body 12; in the stressed state, the locking / releasing element 13 contacts the connecting boss 123 located in the connecting groove 124, restricting their relative rotation.

[0045] Understandably, when the locking and releasing member 13 is in a free state, there is a gap 14 between the locking and releasing member 13 and the outer peripheral wall of the body 12. Therefore, the locking and releasing member 13 connected to the body 12 and the connecting boss 123 and connecting groove 124 at the connection of two adjacent links 11 do not contact each other. Each link 11 can rotate freely and flexibly relative to each other, so that the snake bone 1 can smoothly pass through the complex anatomical cavities in the human body to reach the target position, and realize observation and preliminary positioning. When the endoscope reaches the target position and needs to perform stable and precise surgical operations, the locking and releasing member 13 is in a stressed state. At this time, the locking and releasing member 13 overcomes the gap 14 between itself and the body 12, causing the locking and releasing member 13 to contact the connecting boss 123 located in the connecting groove 124. The locking and releasing member 13 can restrict the relative movement of the connecting groove 124 and the connecting boss 123 located in the connecting groove, thereby restricting the relative movement of two adjacent links 11, turning the originally movable link 11 into a rigid whole, thereby providing rigidity and mechanical stability for the treatment operation.

[0046] This application achieves relative fixation of two adjacent links 11 by separating or restricting the locking / releasing element 13 from the connecting boss 123 located in the connecting groove 124. That is, by controlling whether one link 11 of two adjacent links 11 constrains the other link 11, the motion state between the connecting groove 124 and the connecting boss 123 is controlled. This makes the snake bone 1 of the endoscope remain rigid and stable during fixed-point operation and flexible and flexible during endoscope navigation, so as to achieve the purpose of flexible adjustment according to the needs of surgery. This fundamentally solves the contradiction between flexible navigation and stable operation of surgical robots, thus providing a revolutionary operating platform for more complex and precise endoscopic minimally invasive surgery.

[0047] Please see Figure 5In this embodiment, the locking and releasing member 13 includes a locking part 131 and an elastic part 132. The locking part 131 is used to lock the connecting boss 123. One end of the elastic part 132 is connected to the locking part 131, and the other end is fixedly connected to the outer peripheral wall of the body 12. The end of the elastic part 132 connected to the locking part 131 is gradually inclined away from the axis of the body 12. The elastic part 132 can deform under force, causing it to drive the locking part 131 to move toward the body 12 to overcome the gap 14 between the locking part 131 and the body 12.

[0048] Understandably, when a force is applied to the elastic part 132 in the direction of the main body 12, the elastic part 132 rotates around the end that is fixedly connected to the main body 12. Under the force, the locking part 131 gradually moves closer to the main body until the locking part 131 contacts the connecting boss 123. Under the applied force, the locking part 131 can restrict the relative rotation between the connecting boss 123 and the connecting groove 124, thereby fixing the two adjacent links 11 relatively. At this time, the snake bone 1 can maintain rigidity and stability at a fixed position. When the force applied to the elastic part 132 is removed, the elastic part 132 resets based on its own rebound force, and then simultaneously drives the locking part 131 to gradually move away from the connecting boss 123. At this time, the locking part 131 separates from the connecting boss 123 and releases the restriction between the connecting boss 123 and the connecting groove 124. At this time, the two adjacent links 11 can remain soft and flexible.

[0049] Please continue reading. Figure 4 and Figure 5 In order to enable the locking part 131 to contact the connecting boss 123 located in the connecting groove 124 and restrict their relative rotation, in this embodiment of the application, the end face of the locking part 131 facing the axis of the body 12 is provided with a first engagement surface 1311, and the end face of the connecting boss 123 located in the connecting groove 124 away from the axis of the body 12 is provided with a second engagement surface 1231; when the locking and releasing member 13 is in a stressed state, the first engagement surface 1311 and the second engagement surface 1231 engage with each other to restrict the relative movement of two adjacent chain links 11. Specifically, in some optional embodiments, the first meshing surface 1311 includes a plurality of first meshing teeth 1312 distributed along the circumference, and a first limiting space 1313 is formed between two adjacent first meshing teeth 1312; the second meshing surface 1231 includes a plurality of second meshing teeth 1232 distributed along the circumference, and a second limiting space 1233 is formed between two adjacent second meshing teeth 1232; when the locking / releasing member 13 is in a stressed state, the first meshing teeth 1312 are located within the first limiting space 1313, and the second meshing teeth 1232 are located within the second limiting space 1233.

[0050] Understandably, the first meshing surface 1311 and the second meshing surface 1231 mesh with each other. The meshing surfaces can restrict the multi-degree-of-freedom motion (such as lateral swing, torsion or axial movement) that may occur between the links 11. By directly constraining the relative motion of adjacent links 11 through surface contact, the motion certainty of the snake bone 1 during transmission or bending is improved. Secondly, the surface-to-surface contact increases the force-bearing area, which significantly reduces the contact stress during bending or transmission of driving force, providing extremely high bending stiffness and torsional stiffness. This avoids local wear or plastic deformation caused by contact in point-line schemes, thereby improving the load-bearing capacity and service life of the links 11. In addition, the meshing structure is compact and does not affect the miniaturization of the mirror body.

[0051] It is worth mentioning that, in addition to the above-mentioned method of setting the meshing surface, the locking part 131 can also be set with two or more locking pins to achieve relative rotation of the connecting boss 123 located in the connecting groove 124. In this way, the movement state of the two links is restricted by whether one link 11 of two adjacent links 11 constrains the other link 11. This is the same as the inventive concept in this embodiment, and will not be described in detail here.

[0052] Furthermore, the locking and releasing member 13 also includes a force-receiving part 133, which is disposed on the end face of the locking part 131 away from the axis of the body 12, and the locking part 131 is fixedly connected to the force-receiving part 133; along the radial direction of the link 11, the projected area of ​​the force-receiving part 133 is larger than the projected area of ​​the locking part 131. In this embodiment, the locking part 131 is connected to the elastic part 132 through the force-receiving part 133, that is, the force-receiving part 133 and the elastic part 132 are fixedly connected at the end away from the body 12; the force-receiving part 133 is an arc-shaped sheet, and the curvature of the force-receiving part 133 is the same as the curvature of the outer peripheral wall of the body 12, so that when the locking and releasing member 13 is in the force-receiving state, the force-receiving part 133 fits against the body 12 to ensure that the first engagement surface 1311 and the second engagement surface 1231 are in contact and engaged; on the other hand, the force-receiving part 133 increases the area on which the force is applied to the locking part 131, thereby amplifying the effect of the force on the locking part 131.

[0053] Please continue reading. Figure 1In this embodiment, the outer sleeve 2 is a flexible sleeve, and the inner sleeve 3 is sealed to both ends of the outer sleeve 2. An installation cavity is formed between the outer sleeve 2 and the inner sleeve 3. The installation cavity can be evacuated to transmit atmospheric pressure to the locking / releasing member 13, so that the locking / releasing member 13 switches from a free state to a stressed state. It can be understood that by using the flexible outer sleeve 2 as a large-area stressed surface, by controlling the air pressure between the outer sleeve 2 and the inner sleeve 3, the uniformly distributed fluid pressure (such as atmospheric pressure generated by negative pressure) is collected through the elastic part 132 and transmitted to the locking part 131. The locking part 131 and the connecting boss 123 achieve a high-strength mechanical locking effect, thereby realizing the switching of the snake bone 1 under different needs.

[0054] It is worth mentioning that this application drives the engagement or disengagement between the locking part 131 and the connecting boss 123 by controlling the pressure change within the mounting cavity 4, thereby changing the overall structural rigidity. Implementations of this basic principle include, but are not limited to, braking methods such as negative pressure drive, positive pressure drive, hydraulic drive, or rope drive, as well as transmission methods such as directly transmitting pressure through the cavity wall or transmitting tension / thrust through built-in mechanical transmission components such as ropes, connecting rods, or flexible shafts.

[0055] The cavity between the outer tube sleeve 2 and the inner tube sleeve 3 is kept at ambient pressure. At this time, the elastic part 132 is in normal state so that there is a gap 14 between the locking part 131 and the connecting boss 123 provided on the adjacent link 11. The first meshing surface 1311 and the second meshing surface 1231 of the connecting boss 123 do not contact each other. Therefore, each link 11 can rotate freely and flexibly relative to each other. By pulling the control wire through the operating part, the snake bone 1 of the endoscope can be smoothly passed through the complex anatomical cavities in the human body to achieve observation and preliminary positioning.

[0056] When the endoscope tip reaches the target position and a stable and precise surgical operation is required, the system activates the vacuum pump. The gas in the installation cavity between the outer tube sleeve 2 and the inner tube sleeve 3 is evacuated, and the external atmospheric pressure then generates a uniform and strong pressure on the force-bearing part 133. This pressure is converted into mechanical extrusion force through the elastic part 132, which ultimately forces the locking part 131 to move toward the body 12 until it overcomes the gap 14 and the first meshing surface 1311 and the second meshing surface 1231 precisely enter the meshing state. This process is like locking each link 11, turning the originally movable links 11 into a rigid whole, and the adjacent links 11 can no longer rotate relative to each other, thus providing crucial mechanical stability for the treatment operation.

[0057] This application also discloses a surgical robot, which includes a robot body and the aforementioned endoscope structure. Since the surgical robot adopts all the technical solutions of all the above embodiments, it has at least all the beneficial effects brought about by the technical solutions of the above embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0058] It should be noted that the addition of terms such as "first," "second," and "third" to some technical feature names in this application is merely to distinguish similar objects and is not intended to limit quantity, priority, or other limitations. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate so that the embodiments described herein can be implemented in a sequence other than that illustrated or described herein. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion; for example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that includes a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units not explicitly listed or inherent to such processes, methods, products, or apparatus.

[0059] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive or parallel manner, with each embodiment focusing on its differences from other embodiments. Similar or undescribed parts between embodiments can be referred to interchangeably. The above description of the disclosed embodiments enables those skilled in the art to make or use this application. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of this application. Therefore, this application is not to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A variable stiffness endoscope, characterized in that, include: The snake skeleton includes a plurality of links arranged in sequence, each link including a body and a locking / releasing element disposed on the outer peripheral wall of the body; The body has a first end and a second end along its length. The body is provided with a connecting boss and a connecting groove. The connecting boss is provided at the first end, and the connecting groove is provided at the second end. The connecting boss of the rear link is located in the connecting groove of the adjacent link in front and they cooperate with each other to prevent the two adjacent links from disengaging. The locking and releasing member is disposed in the connecting groove. The locking and releasing member includes a free state and a stressed state. When the locking and releasing member is in the free state, there is a gap between the locking and releasing member and the outer peripheral wall of the main body. When the locking and releasing member is in the stressed state, the locking and releasing member contacts the connecting boss located in the connecting groove and restricts the relative rotation between the two. The locking and releasing component includes a locking part and an elastic part. One end of the elastic part is connected to the locking part, and the other end is fixedly connected to the outer peripheral wall of the body. The end of the elastic part connected to the locking part is gradually inclined away from the axis of the body. The elastic part can deform under force, causing it to drive the locking part to move towards the body to overcome the gap between the locking part and the body. The locking part has a first engagement surface on its end face facing the axis of the main body, and the connecting boss located in the connecting groove has a second engagement surface on its end face away from the axis of the main body. When the locking and releasing member is under force, the first engagement surface and the second engagement surface engage with each other to restrict the relative movement of two adjacent chain links.

2. The variable stiffness endoscope according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first meshing surface includes a plurality of first meshing teeth distributed along the circumference, and a first limiting space is formed between two adjacent first meshing teeth; the second meshing surface includes a plurality of second meshing teeth distributed along the circumference, and a second limiting space is formed between two adjacent second meshing teeth. When the locking / releasing member is under force, the first engaging tooth is located within the first limiting space, and the second engaging tooth is located within the second limiting space.

3. The variable stiffness endoscope according to claim 1, characterized in that, The locking and releasing component further includes a force-receiving part, which is disposed on the end face of the locking part away from the axis of the main body, and the locking part is fixedly connected to the force-receiving part; along the radial direction of the chain link, the projected area of ​​the force-receiving part is larger than the projected area of ​​the locking part.

4. The variable stiffness endoscope according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes an outer tube sleeve and an inner tube sleeve, the inner tube sleeve being disposed inside the outer tube sleeve, and both ends of the inner tube sleeve and the outer tube sleeve being sealed and connected. An installation cavity is formed between the outer tube sleeve and the inner tube sleeve, and the installation cavity can be evacuated to transmit atmospheric pressure to the locking and releasing member, so that the locking and releasing member switches from a free state to a stressed state.

5. The variable stiffness endoscope according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each link has two connecting bosses, two connecting grooves, and two locking / releasing elements. The two connecting bosses at the first end are symmetrically arranged along the central axis of the body, and the two connecting grooves at the second end are symmetrically arranged along the central axis of the body. The locking / releasing elements correspond one-to-one with the connecting grooves.

6. The variable stiffness endoscope according to claim 5, characterized in that, The connecting boss located at the first end is alternately arranged with the connecting groove located at the second end.

7. The variable stiffness endoscope according to claim 5, characterized in that, The first end is configured as an arc-shaped convex surface, and the connecting boss is disposed at the high end of the arc-shaped convex surface; the second end is configured as an arc-shaped concave surface, and the connecting groove is disposed at the high end of the arc-shaped concave surface; When the connecting boss of the subsequent link engages with the connecting groove of the preceding adjacent link, a clearance space is formed between the first end and the second end of the adjacent link, so that the two adjacent links can rotate about the straight line where the two connecting bosses are located.

8. The variable stiffness endoscope according to claim 5, characterized in that, The second end is provided with a protrusion for forming the connecting groove, and the first end is provided with a mounting groove for adapting to the protrusion; when the connecting boss is engaged with the connecting groove, the protrusion is partially located in the mounting groove, and the protrusion rotates relative to the wall of the mounting groove.

9. A surgical robot, characterized in that, It includes a robot body and a variable stiffness endoscope as described in any one of claims 1 to 8.

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