Endoscope light source control method, apparatus, robot, and electronic device

Abstract

The embodiment of the application provides an endoscope light source control method, device, robot and electronic equipment, the method comprises: acquiring connection state information between an endoscope transmission box and a power box; generating a brightness control instruction according to the connection state information to control the brightness of the endoscope light source. In this way, the working position of the endoscope is accurately identified based on the connection state of the endoscope transmission box and the power box, the operation scene change in the operation process is sensed in real time, the stage of the operation is judged in combination with the instrument state information of the operation arm, intelligent control of the brightness of the endoscope light source is realized, the operation field of view is ensured without being affected, the damage risk to medical staff is reduced, unnecessary light source loss is also reduced, and the service life of the endoscope light source is prolonged.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the technical field of medical devices, and more particularly to an endoscope light source control method, device, robot, and electronic device. Background Technology

[0002] In the field of modern minimally invasive surgery, surgical robots have become one of the core pieces of equipment in clinical applications. These devices, with their precise operational control, flexible instrument movement, and high-definition magnified surgical field, are widely used in various minimally invasive surgeries across multiple clinical departments, including urology, general surgery, gynecology, and thoracic surgery. They effectively reduce surgical trauma, shorten postoperative recovery periods, and significantly improve the safety and effectiveness of surgical treatment.

[0003] The endoscopic imaging system of a surgical robot typically consists of core components such as a camera, a camera unit, an endoscopic light source, and a monitor. The camera is used to acquire images of the surgical field within the body cavity; the camera unit handles system control and data processing; the monitor displays the surgical image processed by the camera unit; and the endoscopic light source, as the core imaging component, primarily provides sufficient and stable illumination for the surgical field. The performance parameters of this component directly determine the clarity of the surgical field, thus having a crucial impact on the safety of the surgical procedure.

[0004] Currently, in related technologies, the control of endoscopic light sources mainly relies on manual operation by medical staff. The specific operation process is as follows: medical staff first execute the light source activation command through the operation interface of the endoscope host, and then repeatedly adjust the light source brightness parameters according to the actual needs of the surgical process.

[0005] However, in complex surgical scenarios, the above-mentioned manual control method has obvious defects. In different surgical scenarios, it is necessary to manually adjust the brightness of the light source. Since the brightness of the endoscope light source cannot be intelligently adjusted, medical staff are easily exposed to strong light during operation, which can damage their health. Moreover, strong light is not conducive to medical staff observing the monitor screen and is not conducive to saving light sources. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This application provides an endoscope light source control method, device, robot, and electronic device, which can improve the level of intelligent control of the endoscope light source, thereby improving the protection of medical personnel and extending the service life of the endoscope light source.

[0007] A first aspect of this application provides an endoscope light source control method applied to a surgical robot system. The surgical robot system includes an image carriage, a patient carriage electrically connected to the image carriage, and an endoscope host. The patient carriage includes a surgical arm, a power box mounted on the surgical arm, an endoscope transmission box detachably mounted on the power box, and an endoscope mounted on the endoscope transmission box. The method includes: acquiring connection status information between the endoscope transmission box and the power box; and generating a brightness control command based on the connection status information to control the brightness of the endoscope light source.

[0008] In some embodiments, generating a brightness control command based on the connection status information includes: when the connection status information indicates that the endoscope drive box is installed on the power box, generating a first control command to adjust the brightness of the endoscope light source to a first brightness; and when the connection status information indicates that the endoscope drive box is not installed on the power box, generating a second control command to adjust the brightness of the endoscope light source to a second brightness, wherein when the second brightness is less than the first brightness and not 0, the second brightness indicates a reduction in brightness; or, when the second brightness is 0, the second brightness indicates a shutdown of brightness.

[0009] In some embodiments, the method further includes: acquiring cable status information, the cable status information being used to indicate whether the endoscope cable is connected to the endoscope host; and generating a first control command to adjust the brightness of the endoscope light source to a first brightness when the connection status information indicates that the endoscope transmission box is installed on the power box, including: generating the first control command when the connection status information indicates that the endoscope transmission box is installed on the power box and the cable status information indicates that the endoscope cable is connected to the endoscope host.

[0010] In some embodiments, the endoscope is detachably connected to the endoscope drive box, and the method further includes: acquiring an endoscope presence signal, the endoscope presence signal indicating whether the endoscope is installed in the endoscope drive box; and generating a first control command to adjust the brightness of the endoscope light source to a first brightness when the connection status information indicates that the endoscope drive box is installed on the power box, including: generating the first control command when the connection status information indicates that the endoscope drive box is installed on the power box and the endoscope presence signal indicates that the endoscope is installed in the endoscope drive box.

[0011] In some embodiments, the method further includes: acquiring instrument status information of the surgical arm, the instrument status information indicating whether the instruments on the surgical arm have been removed; and generating a second control command to adjust the brightness of the endoscope light source to a second brightness when the connection status information indicates that the endoscope transmission box is not installed on the power box, including: generating a brightness reduction command to indicate a reduced brightness when the connection status information indicates that the endoscope transmission box is not installed on the power box and the instrument status information indicates that the instruments on at least one surgical arm have not been removed; and generating a brightness reduction command to indicate a reduced brightness when the connection status information indicates that the endoscope transmission box is not installed on the power box and the instrument status information indicates that the instruments on all surgical arms have been removed.

[0012] In some embodiments, before generating a brightness reduction command to indicate a reduction in the brightness of the endoscope light source, the method further includes: obtaining the duration of the current state when the connection status information indicates that the endoscope drive box is not installed on the power box and the instrument status information indicates that the instrument on at least one of the surgical arms has not been removed, or when the instrument status information indicates that the instruments on all of the surgical arms have been removed; maintaining the current brightness of the endoscope light source unchanged when the duration is less than a first threshold; and performing the step of generating the brightness reduction command or the brightness off command when the duration is greater than or equal to the first threshold.

[0013] In some embodiments, the brightness of the endoscope light source refers to the luminous flux at the light outlet of the endoscope host, and the second brightness ranges from 100 to 300 lm, while the first brightness ranges from 1000 to 3000 lm.

[0014] In some embodiments, generating a first control command to adjust the brightness of the endoscope light source to a first brightness includes: determining whether the endoscope transmission box is being installed for the first time after the surgical robot is powered on; if it is determined to be the first installation, generating an initial control command to adjust the brightness of the endoscope light source to a third brightness, wherein the third brightness is less than the first brightness; acquiring relative position information between the endoscope and the cannula on the surgical arm; and generating a gradual brightening control command to gradually increase the brightness of the endoscope light source from the third brightness to the first brightness based on the relative position information.

[0015] In some embodiments, the relative position information is determined based on the length of the endoscope, the length of the cannula, and the movement distance of the power box.

[0016] In some embodiments, the method further includes: receiving a manual operation instruction; upon receiving the manual operation instruction, prioritizing the execution of the endoscope light source control operation corresponding to the manual operation instruction, and pausing the step of generating a brightness control instruction based on the connection status information.

[0017] A second aspect of this application provides an endoscope light source control device for a method of controlling the endoscope light source of a surgical robot. The surgical robot includes a surgical arm, a power box disposed on the surgical arm, an endoscope transmission box detachably disposed from the power box, and an endoscope disposed on the endoscope transmission box. The device includes: a connection status acquisition module for acquiring connection status information between the endoscope transmission box and the power box; and a light source brightness control module for generating a brightness control command based on the connection status information to control the brightness of the endoscope light source.

[0018] In some embodiments, the device further includes: a cable status acquisition module, configured to acquire cable status information indicating whether the cable of the endoscope is connected to the endoscope host, and when the connection status information indicates that the endoscope transmission box is installed on the power box and the cable status information indicates that the cable of the endoscope is connected to the endoscope host, control the brightness of the endoscope light source to be adjusted to a first brightness.

[0019] In some embodiments, the device further includes: an instrument status acquisition module, configured to acquire instrument status information indicating whether an instrument on the surgical arm has been removed; when the connection status information indicates that the endoscope transmission box is not installed on the power box, and the instrument status information indicates that an instrument on at least one of the surgical arms has not been removed, the module controls the brightness of the endoscope light source to a second brightness with reduced brightness; when the connection status information indicates that the endoscope transmission box is not installed on the power box, and the instrument status information indicates that an instrument on all of the surgical arms has been removed, the module controls the brightness of the endoscope light source to a second brightness with off brightness.

[0020] In some embodiments, the device further includes a relative position acquisition module, configured to acquire relative position information between the endoscope and the cannula on the surgical arm, so as to control the brightness of the endoscope light source to gradually increase from a third brightness to a first brightness.

[0021] In a third aspect, this application provides a surgical robot, including the aforementioned endoscope light source control device.

[0022] In a fourth aspect, this application provides an electronic device, characterized in that it includes a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores a computer program, and the processor executes the computer program to implement the steps of the endoscope light source control method described in any of the above embodiments.

[0023] In summary, the endoscopic light source control method, device, robot, and electronic device according to the embodiments of this application achieve deep linkage between the surgical robot body state and the light source control link by collecting the connection status information between the power box and the endoscope transmission box in real time and dynamically adjusting the light source brightness according to the connection status information. This enables precise mapping of the current surgical stage and operation events based on the robot's connection status information, thereby completing intelligent control of the light source throughout the entire process.

[0024] Specifically, on the one hand, it can provide sufficient brightness for surgical observation when the transmission box is installed in place, avoiding insufficient brightness from affecting the clarity of the surgical field. On the other hand, it can actively lower or even turn off the light source when the transmission box is not installed in place, which can not only avoid energy waste caused by ineffective light output, but also prevent excessively bright light from irritating and damaging the eyes of medical staff. At the same time, in conjunction with the detection device, it can quickly and accurately determine the connection status, ensuring the timeliness and accuracy of brightness adjustment response. With the clear distinction between the two signals of being in and out of position, the accuracy of brightness control is further improved. While meeting the needs of surgical lighting, it also takes into account the safety of use and energy efficiency, effectively improving the reliability of the endoscope device and the user experience. Attached Figure Description

[0025] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0026] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the surgical robot provided in the embodiments of this application; Figure 2 A flowchart illustrating an endoscope light source control method provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 3 Another schematic flowchart of an endoscope light source control method provided in this application embodiment; Figure 4 Another schematic flowchart of an endoscope light source control method provided in this application embodiment; Figure 5 Another schematic flowchart of an endoscope light source control method provided for the embodiments of the application; Figure 6Another schematic flowchart of an endoscope light source control method provided in this application embodiment; Figure 7 Another schematic flowchart of an endoscope light source control method provided in this application embodiment; Figure 8 This application provides another schematic flowchart of an endoscope light source control method. Figure 9 Another schematic flowchart of an endoscope light source control method provided in this application embodiment; Figure 10 Another schematic flowchart of an endoscope light source control method provided in this application embodiment; Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an endoscope light source control device provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0027] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the technical solutions of this application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0028] This specification contains numerous specific technical details to enable those skilled in the art to understand the complete technical solution. However, it should be understood that embodiments of this application can be implemented without these specific technical details. Such detailed descriptions of technical details should not be considered as limitations on this application, and the scope of protection of this application is defined only by the claims. Elsewhere, well-known structures, connections / positional relationships, circuits, and / or other details may not be shown in detail to avoid misleading the public about the inventive points of this application.

[0029] This specification includes accompanying drawings illustrating several embodiments of the present application. However, the drawings are merely illustrative, and it should be understood that variations in mechanical structure, connection / positional relationships, physical composition, electrical aspects, and procedures can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application. Such variations may involve substitution or combination of elements from the embodiments of the present application, or substitution or combination of known content.

[0030] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of this application. Spatial relative terms, such as “below,” “lower,” “above,” “upper,” “middle,” “center,” “inner,” “outer,” “central,” “edge,” etc., are used for ease of description to describe the relationship between one component or feature shown in the figures and another component or feature. It should be understood that spatial relative terms are used only under the orientation of the device in use or operation (other than the orientation specifically defined in the figures) and are not necessarily unique or constant. For example, if the device in the figures is rotated 180° up and down along the plane of the paper, then an element described as “below” other components or features will become “above” other components or features. Therefore, the exemplary term “below” can encompass both above and below directions, depending on how the device is positioned. The device can also be positioned in other directions (e.g., rotated 90° or positioned in other directions), and the spatial relative descriptive terms used herein will be interpreted accordingly.

[0031] As used herein, “several,” “one,” and “the” are intended to include the plural form as well, unless the context otherwise indicates. It should be further understood that the terms “comprising” and / or “including” specify the presence of the said feature, step, operation, element, and / or component, without excluding the presence of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof.

[0032] In this specification, the use of terms such as "first," "second," etc., is for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature.

[0033] The term "object" generally refers to a component or a group of components. Throughout the specification and claims, the terms "object," "component," "part," "part," "module," "assembly," and "element" are used interchangeably.

[0034] The terms “instrument,” “surgical instrument,” and “surgical device” are used herein to describe medical devices configured for insertion into a patient and for performing surgical or diagnostic procedures, generally including end effectors. End effectors can be surgical tools associated with one or more surgical procedures, such as forceps, needle holders, scissors, bipolar cauterizers, tissue stabilizers or retractors, clamp applicators, anastomosis devices, imaging devices (e.g., endoscopes or ultrasound probes), and the like. Some instruments used in embodiments of this application further provide articulated supports (sometimes referred to as “wrist joints” or “articular seats”) for the surgical tool, allowing flexible manipulation of the position and / or orientation of the end effector relative to the instrument axis with one or more mechanical degrees of freedom. Further, many end effectors include functional mechanical degrees of freedom, such as jaws that open or close or blades that translate along a specific path. Instruments may also contain permanent or updatable stored information (e.g., on a PCBA board within the instrument). Accordingly, the system can provide one-way or two-way communication between the instrument and one or more system components.

[0035] The term "mate" (sometimes referred to as "connection," "link," "joint," "installation," or "assembly") can be broadly understood as any situation in which two or more objects are connected in a manner that allows the mate objects to operate in combination with each other. It should be noted that a mate does not require a direct connection (e.g., a direct physical or electrical connection), but rather that many objects or components can be used to mate two or more objects. For example, objects A and B can be mated using object C. Furthermore, the terms "detachably connected" or "detachably mate" can be interpreted as implying a non-permanent connection or mate between two or more objects. This means that detachably connected objects can be unconnected and separated, allowing them to operate without being joined.

[0036] The term "joint position" can be broadly understood as the angle of a joint or its spatial location. The angle of a joint refers to the actual angle of rotation of the joint relative to a zero point within its range of motion; if there is no zero point, it is the angle of rotation increment. Spatial position refers to the location of the virtual joint center in a specific spatial coordinate system. For example, in a Cartesian coordinate system, spatial position refers to the three-dimensional position in the XYZ coordinate system.

[0037] Finally, the terms “or” and “and / or” as used herein should be interpreted inclusively, meaning either one or any combination thereof. Therefore, “A, B, or C” or “A, B, and / or C” means any one of the following: A; B; C; A and B; A and C; B and C; A, B, and C. Exceptions to this definition will only occur when the combination of elements, functions, steps, or actions is inherently mutually exclusive in some way.

[0038] In the field of modern minimally invasive surgery, surgical robots have become one of the core pieces of equipment in clinical applications. These devices, with their precise operational control, flexible instrument movement, and high-definition magnified surgical field, are widely used in various minimally invasive surgeries across multiple clinical departments, including urology, general surgery, gynecology, and thoracic surgery. They effectively reduce surgical trauma, shorten postoperative recovery periods, and significantly improve the safety and effectiveness of surgical treatment.

[0039] Among surgical robots, the most widely used are laparoscopic surgical robots, used to perform surgeries on the abdomen, pelvis, and thoracic cavity. For example... Figure 1 As shown, a laparoscopic surgical robot typically includes a physician control platform (also known as a physician carriage), a display device (also known as an image carriage), a patient surgical platform (also known as a patient carriage), and a surgical arm. The carriages are connected by fiber optic integrated cables to enable information exchange, network communication, master-slave control, image transmission, and other functions between the carriages.

[0040] The surgical arm is mounted on the patient's surgical platform, and surgical instruments or endoscopes can also be mounted on the surgical arm. The surgical arm is equivalent to simulating a human arm, and the surgical instruments are equivalent to simulating a human hand. Together, they provide surgeons with a series of movements that simulate the human wrist, while also filtering out tremors from the human hand itself.

[0041] In practical applications, surgeons can sit in the position of the doctor control platform, view two-dimensional or three-dimensional images of the surgical area transmitted by the endoscope placed inside the patient's body, issue operating commands through the manual controller of the doctor control platform, and manipulate the surgical arm on the patient's surgical platform to move, as well as control the movement of surgical instruments or endoscopes attached to the surgical arm.

[0042] In some embodiments, the physician control platform may be located at a single location within a surgical system comprised of surgical robots, or it may be distributed across two or more locations within the system. Remote master / slave operation can be performed according to a preset control program. For example, one location may act as the master controller for the primary surgical operation, while another location serves as the slave controller for auxiliary operations. The master controller performs the main surgical procedures, while the slave controller performs auxiliary operations such as laparoscopic movement or tissue traction.

[0043] In some embodiments, a surgeon's trolley typically includes a chassis, a foot pedal assembly, a stereoscopic monitor, a main control arm, and a manual controller connected to the end of the main control arm. The surgeon controls the manual controller and the foot pedal assembly to achieve specific movements and / or energy activation of surgical instruments.

[0044] The surgeon's trolley includes one or more manually operated input devices, such as levers, exoskeletons, power and gravity-compensated manipulators, etc. These input devices collect the surgeon's operating signals, which are processed by the control system to generate control signals for the surgical arm and surgical instrument manipulators. These signals then control the remote-controlled motors on the surgical instrument manipulators, which in turn control the movement of the surgical instruments.

[0045] Generally, the force generated by the remote-controlled motor is transmitted via a drive system to the end effector of the surgical instrument. In some remote surgical embodiments, the input device for controlling the manipulator can be located remotely from the patient, either inside or outside the patient's room, or even in a different city. The input signal from the input device is then transmitted to the control system. Those familiar with remote manipulation, remote control, and telepresence surgery will understand such a system and its components, which will not be elaborated upon here.

[0046] For example, the physician control platform is the control console in a laparoscopic surgical robot for the physician to operate. It mainly includes an observation window (through which the physician views the intraoperative field of vision transmitted by the endoscope), a master hand (which the physician controls to move surgical instruments or the endoscope on the patient carriage via signal transmission), a touchscreen armrest (used to set equipment parameters and trigger some equipment functions), an endoscope control pedal (used to switch endoscope control modes, control the start and stop of the endoscope, mode switching, etc.), and other function pedals. Typically, two master hands are provided, each capable of controlling different surgical instruments or endoscopes.

[0047] In some embodiments, the display device typically includes video image capture capabilities (commonly an endoscope), one or more video displays for displaying surgical instruments in the captured images, and a communication module. In some surgical robots, the endoscope includes optics that transmit images from the patient's body to the distal end of the endoscope via one or more imaging sensors (e.g., CCD or CMOS sensors), and then transmits the video images to the host of the imaging platform through steps such as photoelectric conversion. Subsequently, through image processing, the processed image is displayed on the video display for the assistant to observe.

[0048] The communication module receives various signals transmitted from the patient carriage via the EtherCAT bus, and sends light source control commands (on, off, brightness adjustment) to the endoscope host via serial port protocols (such as RS485 / 232). At the same time, it receives signals fed back from the endoscope host and forwards the signals to the control unit of the patient carriage.

[0049] In some embodiments, the patient surgical platform is a device placed next to the patient's operating table, used to install endoscopes, surgical instruments and other execution components, receive control signals from the doctor's control platform, and drive the endoscopes and surgical instruments to complete corresponding actions.

[0050] Specifically, the patient surgical platform includes a chassis, a column, surgical arms connected to the column, and one or more surgical instrument manipulators at the end of a support assembly of each surgical arm. Surgical instruments and / or endoscopes are detachably attached to the surgical instrument manipulator. Each surgical instrument manipulator is supported at a surgical site within the patient's body to operate one or more surgical instruments and / or endoscopes. The associated surgical instruments may be provided in various forms that allow each surgical instrument manipulator to move with one or more mechanical degrees of freedom (e.g., all six Cartesian degrees of freedom, five or fewer Cartesian degrees of freedom, etc.).

[0051] The installation of the endoscope and the surgical arm is typically achieved through a detachable connection between the endoscope drive box and the power box mounted on the surgical arm. The installation method for the endoscope and the endoscope drive box can be detachable (i.e., a handheld endoscope, such as the endoscope disclosed in Chinese Patent Application No. 202310583849.5) or non-detachable (i.e., the endoscope and the endoscope drive box are fixedly connected, such as the endoscope disclosed in Chinese Patent Application No. 202211469268.0).

[0052] The endoscope transmission box can have a built-in storage chip that stores its own SN (serial number). The SN contains key information such as the type of transmission box, which is used by the power box to identify its type.

[0053] The transmission box type information refers to the identification information stored by the information storage component built into the transmission box. For example, the information storage component can be an information chip, which has a serial number (SN) that can serve as identification information. The SN can include type, model, etc. The transmission box type information can be obtained by the information reading component inside the power box. The information reading component can be a signal reading chip, which can identify and parse the SN on the information chip.

[0054] Based on different serial numbers, signals can be divided into endoscope drive box signals and non-endoscope drive box signals. Among them, non-endoscope drive box signals can indicate the instrument drive box.

[0055] The power box is used to carry the endoscope transmission box or surgical instrument transmission box. It has a built-in detection mechanism, chip and signal transmission module, which can detect the installation status of the transmission box and read relevant information, and at the same time realize signal interaction with the patient's surgical platform; it can also detect the installation / removal status of surgical instruments on the surgical arm.

[0056] During surgery, the endoscope, as the core image acquisition component of the surgical field, requires a dedicated light source system to work in conjunction with it. This light source system typically uses the endoscope host as the core control unit. The endoscope host has a built-in endoscope light source, whose main function is to provide sufficient and stable illumination support for the endoscope's image acquisition. It can also receive external input control commands to realize operations such as turning the endoscope light source on and off and adjusting its brightness.

[0057] The endoscope host also includes a control unit and a manual operation panel. The control unit is used to receive control commands transmitted by the image carriage and control the endoscope light source to turn on, off, and adjust its brightness. The manual operation panel is equipped with buttons for forcibly turning the endoscope light source on / off and adjusting its brightness. The manual operation commands on the manual operation panel have higher priority than the automatic control commands. The endoscope host can detect the insertion status of the endoscope's cables and feed back the status signal to the image carriage.

[0058] In some related technologies, the control process of the endoscopic light source mainly relies on manual operation by medical staff. During the surgical preparation stage, medical staff need to manually trigger the light source activation command through the physical operation panel of the endoscope host. After the endoscopic light source is started and stabilized, the endoscope transmission box is then installed onto the power box of the surgical arm. During the operation, if the endoscope transmission box needs to be removed due to lens cleaning, endoscope replacement, or other operations, medical staff need to manually turn off the endoscopic light source first. After the cleaning or replacement operation is completed and the endoscope transmission box is reinstalled into the power box, the light source activation command is manually triggered again to restore the surgical field of view. After the operation is completed, medical staff need to manually trigger the light source deactivation command again through the operation panel to complete the endoscope light source shutdown operation.

[0059] However, during the aforementioned procedures, frequent manual start-up and shutdown significantly increase the workload of medical staff and disrupt the continuity of surgical operations. More importantly, the strong light from the endoscopic light source makes medical staff highly susceptible to direct exposure during installation and adjustment, causing immediate discomfort such as eye irritation and fatigue. Long-term exposure may even lead to irreversible vision damage. On the other hand, the subjectivity of manual operation makes it difficult to avoid the risk of the light source operating without load. Premature activation during the preoperative adjustment phase and forgetting to turn it off after surgery are common occurrences. This not only accelerates the aging and wear of the endoscopic light source and shortens the equipment's lifespan but also causes potential damage to the endoscopic lens components due to continuous high temperatures, thereby affecting image clarity and posing safety hazards to surgical operations.

[0060] Based on the above explanation, in order to reduce safety risks to medical personnel, some related technologies, such as US Patent Application No. 201980097436.8, disclose a machine learning-based system for automatically switching the light source of an endoscopic camera on / off during surgical procedures. The control of the endoscope is achieved by the system receiving a sequence of video images captured by the endoscopic camera when the light source is switched on. The system then uses a machine learning classifier to analyze the video image sequence to classify each video image into a first category (image inside the patient's body) or a second category (image outside the patient's body). The system then determines whether the endoscopic camera is inside or outside the patient's body based on the classified video images. When it is determined that the endoscopic camera is outside the patient's body, the system generates a control signal to immediately shut off the light source.

[0061] However, during the aforementioned operations, on the one hand, when the system faces situations where the endoscopic view is obstructed by blood or tissue debris, or when aiming at atypical targets such as sterile drapes, or when the visual characteristics of the abdominal cavity and external environment are highly similar, the classifier is prone to identification bias. For example, the endoscope may actually be in the external space but be mistakenly identified as being in the internal state. After such misjudgment occurs, the system continues to maintain high brightness output of the light source, and the safety hazard of direct strong light cannot be completely eliminated. On the other hand, this type of solution can only rely on the binary judgment result of "in-body / out-of-body" to perform light source on / off control, and cannot accurately identify the subdivided operation scenarios in the entire surgical process. This results in the need to repeatedly start and stop the light source during routine operations such as endoscopic irrigation, which not only interferes with the continuous progress of the surgery, but also accelerates the wear and tear of components due to the frequent switching of the light source's working state, shortening the service life of the entire machine.

[0062] In addition, this solution requires an additional dedicated processing module with machine learning classification capabilities, which not only increases the system hardware cost and the complexity of software iteration and maintenance, but also introduces additional fault trigger points in high-reliability operating room application scenarios, directly reducing the operational stability of the entire endoscopic imaging system.

[0063] To address the aforementioned issues, this application provides an endoscope light source control method. By real-time acquisition of connection status information between the power box and the endoscope transmission box, the brightness of the light source is dynamically adjusted based on the connection status information. On one hand, it can provide sufficient brightness for surgical observation when the transmission box is properly installed, avoiding insufficient brightness from affecting the clarity of the surgical field. On the other hand, it can actively lower or even turn off the light source when the transmission box is not properly installed, avoiding energy waste caused by ineffective light output and preventing excessively bright light from irritating or damaging the eyes of medical personnel. Simultaneously, in conjunction with a detection device, the connection status can be quickly and accurately determined, ensuring the timeliness and accuracy of brightness adjustment response. The clear distinction between "in" and "out" signals further improves the precision of brightness control. While meeting surgical lighting requirements, it also considers safety and energy efficiency, effectively improving the reliability of the endoscope device and the user experience.

[0064] like Figure 2 As shown, the endoscope light source control method provided in this application embodiment can be configured to execute steps S100-S200.

[0065] S100: Obtain the connection status information between the endoscope drive box and the power box.

[0066] In some embodiments, connection status information refers to a signal acquired in real time by a detection device within the power box, used to indicate whether the endoscope transmission box is properly installed. The detection device includes, but is not limited to, photoelectric sensors or pressure sensors.

[0067] As an example, when using a photoelectric sensor, a through-beam photoelectric switch can be installed on the power box, and a protrusion detection post can be installed on the endoscope transmission box. When the protrusion detection post passes through the light path and blocks the light beam, the through-beam photoelectric switch detects the disappearance of the light signal, thereby determining the connection status.

[0068] As another example, when using photoelectric sensors, a through-beam photoelectric switch and a protrusion detection post can be simultaneously installed on the power box. During installation, the instrument transmission box presses against the protrusion detection post inside the power box. When the protrusion detection post passes through the optical path and blocks the light beam, the through-beam photoelectric switch detects the disappearance of the light signal, thus determining the connection status.

[0069] Connection status information may include an in-place signal and an out-of-place signal. The in-place signal indicates that the endoscope drive box has been installed onto the power box; the out-of-place signal indicates that the endoscope drive box has not been installed onto the power box.

[0070] For example, the connection status information is a signal acquired in real time by a through-beam photoelectric switch inside the power box. The presence signal refers to the signal generated when the endoscope drive box has been installed on the power box, and the endoscope drive box presses against the protruding detection post on the power box. The protruding detection post blocks the transmit-receive optical path of the through-beam photoelectric switch, and the sensor of the through-beam photoelectric switch outputs a high-level signal, which serves as the basis for the connection presence status.

[0071] The "not in position" signal refers to a situation where the endoscope drive box is not installed on the power box, the endoscope drive box has not fully pressed the protruding detection post on the power box into place, and the protruding detection post has not blocked the transmitting-receiving optical path of the through-beam photoelectric switch. In this case, the sensor of the through-beam photoelectric switch outputs a low-level signal, which serves as the basis for the connection not in position status.

[0072] For example, during installation, medical personnel align the endoscope transmission box with the mounting interface of the power box and slowly press it into place. At this time, the endoscope transmission box presses down the protruding detection post on the power box, which blocks the light from the through-beam photoelectric switch, triggering the detection device and generating an in-place signal. Similarly, if the endoscope transmission box is not fully pressed into place when aligned with the mounting interface of the power box, the protruding detection post cannot block the light from the through-beam photoelectric switch, and the detection device cannot be triggered, generating an out-of-place signal.

[0073] After the presence signal is generated, the signal reading chip in the power box can identify and parse the SN number on the information chip in the transmission box to determine that it is the endoscope transmission box, thus excluding the instrument transmission box.

[0074] S200: Generates brightness control commands based on connection status information to control the brightness of the endoscope light source.

[0075] In some embodiments, the brightness of the endoscope light source refers to the luminous flux at the light output port of the endoscope main unit. The first brightness ranges from 1000 to 3000 lm, and the second brightness ranges from 100 to 300 lm. When the connection status information indicates that the endoscope transmission box is installed in place on the power box, a first control command is generated to adjust the brightness of the endoscope light source to the first brightness. The first brightness can be the standard brightness required for the surgery (e.g., 1000-3000 lm), or the brightness of the endoscope light source can be set to a preset low brightness (e.g., 50 lm). After the endoscope transmission box is installed in place, the brightness of the endoscope light source is then adjusted to the standard brightness required for the surgery.

[0076] If the connection status information indicates that the endoscope drive box is not properly installed on the power box, a second control command is generated to adjust the brightness of the endoscope light source to a second brightness. Specifically, when the second brightness is less than the first brightness but not zero, the second brightness indicator indicates to reduce the brightness; or when the second brightness is zero, the second brightness indicator indicates to turn off the brightness.

[0077] Through the above embodiments, this application dynamically adjusts the light source brightness based on the connection status information between the power box and the endoscope transmission box by collecting the connection status information in real time. On the one hand, it can provide sufficient brightness for surgical observation when the transmission box is installed in place, avoiding insufficient brightness from affecting the clarity of the surgical field. On the other hand, it can actively reduce or even turn off the light source when the transmission box is not installed in place, which can avoid energy waste caused by ineffective light output and prevent excessively bright light from irritating and damaging the eyes of medical staff. At the same time, with the detection device, the connection status can be quickly and accurately determined, ensuring the timeliness and accuracy of brightness adjustment response. With the clear distinction between the two signals of being in place and not in place, the accuracy of brightness control is further improved. While meeting the needs of surgical lighting, it also takes into account the safety of use and energy efficiency, effectively improving the reliability of the endoscope device and the user experience.

[0078] like Figure 3 As shown above, in the above Figure 2 Based on the illustrated embodiment, step S200 may include the following steps: S210: When the connection status information indicates that the endoscope drive box is installed on the power box, a first control command is generated to adjust the brightness of the endoscope light source to a first brightness.

[0079] In some embodiments, when the endoscope drive box is installed on the power box, the endoscope drive box presses the protruding detection post on the power box, the protruding detection post blocks the through-beam photoelectric switch, the control unit of the power box outputs an in-place signal, the control unit of the power box sends the in-place signal to the control unit of the patient carriage, and the control unit of the patient carriage generates a first control command.

[0080] In some embodiments, such as Figure 4 As shown, S210 may include the following steps: S211: Determine whether this is the first time the endoscope transmission box has been installed after the surgical robot has been powered on and started.

[0081] In some embodiments, powering on the surgical robot refers to the initial stage in which the system completes its power-on self-test and enters normal working condition. For example, the patient carriage, image carriage, and endoscope host have all passed the self-test and are fault-free.

[0082] More specifically, the power-on self-test includes checking whether the patient carriage's internal power module, emergency stop circuit, and motion control unit are fault-free; the image carriage verifies the stability of its image acquisition card, display driver, and video interface; and the endoscope host performs memory self-test, light source driver circuit initialization, and communication port handshake.

[0083] The connection status information also includes a matching signal, which is used to determine whether the endoscope drive box has established a connection with the power box for the first time (i.e., the endoscope drive box is installed for the first time). The matching signal can be an indication signal obtained by the control unit of the patient carriage reading the endoscope drive box's installation position signal at the initial moment of power-on when the surgical robot system is powered on for the first time. The matching signal can include an initial position signal and an initial absence signal.

[0084] The initial presence signal indicates that the endoscope drive box is already connected at the moment of power-on. This means that the connection is a leftover connection that was not properly disassembled after the last surgery, and is not a new connection that was installed after this power-on. In other words, the endoscope drive box is not establishing a connection with the power box for the first time.

[0085] The initial absence signal indicates that the endoscope drive box is in a disconnected state, meaning that it was disassembled according to procedure after the last surgery, and that the initial connection has not yet been established during this power-on cycle. Once the surgical procedure begins during this power-on cycle, the endoscope drive box is installed, indicating that this installation marks the first connection between the endoscope drive box and the power box during this power-on cycle.

[0086] It should be noted that the method disclosed in application number 202511539071.3 can also be used to determine whether it is the first time the endoscope transmission box has been installed.

[0087] S212: If the installation is determined to be the first time, an initial control command is generated to adjust the brightness of the endoscope light source to a third brightness, wherein the third brightness is less than the first brightness.

[0088] In some embodiments, the control unit of the patient cart reads the installation marker within the current power-on cycle each time the connection status changes. When it is confirmed that the current installation is the first connection established after the current power-on (i.e., the initial absence signal has been obtained and the current jump is to the presence signal), the marker will be automatically updated to "first installation completed".

[0089] Then, the control unit of the patient trolley matches the corresponding third brightness parameter value according to the system's preset brightness parameter table. The third brightness can be set to a fixed value in the range of 300lm to 800lm, which not only meets the basic brightness requirements for medical staff to observe the endoscope position, but also avoids the safety hazards caused by high brightness.

[0090] After parameter matching is completed, the control unit of the patient carriage encapsulates the third brightness parameter, the light source control command header, and the check code into an initial control command according to the agreed communication protocol. Then, through the bus between the image carriage and the endoscope host, the initial control command is transmitted to the light source drive module of the endoscope host. After receiving the command and completing the verification, the light source drive module adjusts the magnitude of the light source drive current through the PWM signal to stably adjust the light flux of the light output port of the endoscope host to the set third brightness.

[0091] S213: Obtain the relative position information between the endoscope and the cannula on the surgical arm.

[0092] In some embodiments, the relative position information is determined based on the length of the endoscope and the length of the cannula. The control unit of the patient carriage can recall pre-stored fixed parameters from its own memory, including the endoscope length parameter L1 and the cannula length parameter L2 on the surgical arm. It should be noted that when the endoscope is installed in place, the position of the endoscope tip inside the cannula is the initial position. Since the power box moves the endoscope, the distance the power box moves is the distance the endoscope tip moves.

[0093] When the endoscope drive box is first installed, the drive box moves the rear end of the endoscope to its initial installation position, which is marked as the zero displacement point. Subsequently, the drive box's control unit receives control commands from the patient carriage, moving the endoscope along the cannula axis towards the patient's body. The incremental encoder built into the drive box continuously collects the distance *s* of movement relative to the initial zero point and transmits this displacement data to the patient carriage's control unit. Upon receiving the displacement data, the patient carriage's control unit calculates the relative position parameters using a preset formula: the extension distance *d* of the endoscope's tip relative to the cannula's end = (L1 + s) - (L2 - L0), where L0 is the distance between the endoscope's tip and the cannula's tip.

[0094] The calculated d value clearly reflects the relative position of the two: d≤0 indicates that the tip of the endoscope is still inside the cannula and has not extended beyond the end of the cannula; d>0 indicates that the tip of the endoscope has extended beyond the end of the cannula. The value of d is the length extending outside the cannula. Finally, the calculated extension length is used as the output of the relative position information of the endoscope and the cannula.

[0095] S214: Based on the relative position information, generate a gradual brightening control command to gradually increase the brightness of the endoscope light source from the third brightness to the first brightness.

[0096] In some embodiments, after the control unit of the patient carriage obtains the currently calculated endoscope extension distance d, it matches the corresponding brightness adjustment strategy according to different value ranges of d.

[0097] When d ≤ 0, it indicates that the tip of the endoscope is still completely inside the cannula. At this point, only the initial output of the third brightness level is maintained, and no gradual brightening control command is generated. This avoids energy waste caused by the cannula blocking high-brightness light and also prevents aging damage to the inner wall of the cannula due to prolonged exposure to high brightness. When d > 0 and d is less than the preset extension threshold, it indicates that the tip of the endoscope has just extended beyond the end of the cannula. At this point, the control unit of the patient carriage generates the first-level gradual brightening control command. For example, the brightness of the endoscope light source can be gradually increased from the third brightness level to 60% of the first brightness level to meet the brightness requirements for initial observation of the surgical approach.

[0098] When d is greater than the preset extension threshold but less than the surgical working position threshold, it indicates that the endoscope is moving towards the predetermined surgical area. At this time, the control unit generates a segmented incremental adjustment command based on the increment of d. For example, every 1mm extension corresponds to a fixed brightness increment within the first brightness range, realizing dynamic adjustment of brightness that gradually increases as the endoscope advances, until d reaches the surgical working position threshold, indicating that the tip of the endoscope has reached the predetermined surgical area. At this point, the control unit generates the final gradual brightening control command.

[0099] S220: If the connection status information indicates that the endoscope drive box is not installed on the power box, generate a second control command to adjust the brightness of the endoscope light source to a second brightness.

[0100] Specifically, when the second brightness is less than the first brightness but not 0, the second brightness indicator indicates that the brightness is reduced; or when the second brightness is 0, the second brightness indicator indicates that the brightness is turned off.

[0101] In some embodiments, the detection device of the power box continuously collects the output signal of the through-beam photoelectric switch. When the connection status information changes from an in-place signal to an out-of-place signal, the control unit of the power box encapsulates the status change information and sends it to the control unit of the patient carriage. The control unit of the patient carriage confirms that the endoscope transmission box is currently not installed or not installed at all, and sends an out-of-place signal to the image carriage according to the agreed communication protocol. The image carriage receives the out-of-place signal and matches the parameter value of the corresponding second brightness from the brightness parameter table preset by the system.

[0102] After parameter matching is completed, the image carriage encapsulates the second brightness parameter, the light source control command header and the verification code into a second control command, which is transmitted to the light source drive module of the endoscope host through the communication bus between the image carriage and the endoscope host. After the light source drive module completes the command verification, it changes the light source output current by adjusting the duty cycle of the PWM drive signal, and stabilizes the light flux of the light outlet of the endoscope host to the preset second brightness.

[0103] For example, when changing or cleaning the endoscope during surgery, the second brightness level can be lower than the first brightness level but not zero; the second brightness level indicates a reduction in brightness. When the endoscope needs to be removed after surgery, the second brightness level can be zero; the second brightness level indicates a reduction in brightness.

[0104] Through the above embodiments, this application accurately obtains the distance information between the tip of the endoscope and the end of the cannula, and then matches the corresponding brightness adjustment strategy based on the distance result. Under normal circumstances, the light source brightness is automatically switched according to the real-time distance change. This not only solves the problem in the prior art that the high brightness light source is prone to reflection and overexposure of the image when the endoscope is advanced in the metal cannula, but also automatically switches to sufficient brightness to meet the needs of surgical observation after entering the abdominal cavity. Furthermore, no manual light adjustment is required by medical staff throughout the process, reducing the operation steps and medical staff burden during the operation. It can also ensure the safety of the operation through the abnormal fault tolerance mechanism, which not only improves the endoscope imaging quality, but also optimizes the surgical operation process.

[0105] Specifically, such as Figure 5 As shown above, in the above Figure 2 Based on the illustrated embodiment, the following steps may also be included: S300: Obtain cable status information, which indicates whether the endoscope cable is connected to the endoscope host.

[0106] In some embodiments, cable status information refers to a signal confirming the validity of the endoscope cable connection by the endoscope host through dual verification of physical contact detection and communication protocol. Cable status information may include a connection success signal and a connection failure signal. A connection success signal indicates that the endoscope cable end is fully inserted into the endoscope host's receiver and can be recognized by the endoscope host protocol. A connection failure signal indicates that the endoscope cable end is fully inserted into the endoscope host's receiver, but cannot be recognized by the endoscope host protocol, or that the endoscope cable end is not fully inserted into the endoscope host's receiver.

[0107] For example, a successful connection signal means that the endoscope cable end has been fully inserted into the receiver of the endoscope host, the mechanical latch triggers the micro switch, and at the same time the endoscope host sends a heartbeat command to the endoscope end via I²C or UART protocol. If a response message with a check code is received within a preset time, it is determined that the connection is "successful".

[0108] A connection failure signal indicates that the endoscope cable is fully inserted into the receiver of the endoscope host, the mechanical latch triggers the microswitch, and the endoscope host sends a heartbeat command to the endoscope via I²C or UART protocol. If no response message with a checksum is received within a preset time, it is determined as a "connection failure." Alternatively, if the endoscope cable is not fully inserted into the receiver of the endoscope host and no heartbeat command is sent, it is also determined as a "connection failure." The preset time can be customized.

[0109] Based on S300, S210 can also be configured to generate a first control command when the connection status information indicates that the endoscope transmission box is installed on the power box and the cable status information indicates that the endoscope cable is connected to the endoscope host.

[0110] In some embodiments, when the endoscope drive box is installed into the insertion power box, the endoscope drive box presses against the protruding detection post on the power box, the protruding detection post blocks the through-beam photoelectric switch, the control unit of the power box outputs an in-place signal, and sends the in-place signal to the control unit of the patient carriage.

[0111] Meanwhile, the endoscope cable end has been fully inserted into the receiver of the endoscope host and can be recognized by the endoscope host protocol, outputting a connection success signal. The endoscope host sends a connection success signal to the image carriage, and the image carriage then sends the received connection success signal to the control unit of the patient carriage. Based on the presence signal and the connection success signal, the control unit of the patient carriage generates the first control command.

[0112] It should be noted that when the endoscope transmission box is installed into the insertion power box, the endoscope transmission box presses against the protruding detection post on the power box. The protruding detection post blocks the through-beam photoelectric switch, and the control unit of the power box outputs an in-place signal and sends the in-place signal to the control unit of the patient carriage.

[0113] However, even though the endoscope cable is fully inserted into the receiver of the endoscope host, it cannot be recognized by the endoscope host protocol, or the endoscope cable is not fully inserted into the receiver of the endoscope host, resulting in a connection failure signal being output. The endoscope host sends a connection failure signal and an in-place signal to the control unit of the patient carriage, and the control unit of the patient carriage does not generate the first control command.

[0114] It should be noted that in the above situation, when a connection failure signal is output, the endoscope host sends a connection failure signal and an in-place signal to the control unit of the patient carriage. The control unit of the patient carriage generates a first control command, but the endoscope host needs to delay until it receives a connection success signal before executing the first control command.

[0115] Through the above embodiments, the through-beam photoelectric switch of the power box outputs an "in position" signal only when the endoscope transmission box is installed in place and the detection column is pressed, ensuring the reliability of the mechanical installation. At the same time, the endoscope host confirms that the cable connection is not only physically plugged in but also has complete communication capability through dual verification of the switch and communication protocol, avoiding hidden faults caused by loose connections or cable damage. The control unit of the patient carriage must simultaneously receive the "installed in place" signal from the power box and the "connection successful" signal from the endoscope host before it can generate the first control command to adjust the brightness of the endoscope light source. This not only prevents abnormal start-up of the light source due to the use of non-original cables but also avoids image interference or equipment conflicts caused by signal confusion at the source, making the adjustment of the light source a natural result of the system status being fully compliant. This significantly improves the automation safety and system interoperability reliability of the surgical preparation stage.

[0116] When the endoscope and endoscope drive box are installed in a detachable manner, such as a handheld endoscope, to prevent improper operation by medical staff from causing the endoscope to be not properly installed and the light source to be turned on, and to further improve the safety of medical staff, such as... Figure 6 As shown above, in the above Figure 2 Based on the illustrated embodiment, the following steps may also be included: S400: Acquire endoscope presence signal, which indicates whether the endoscope is installed in the endoscope transport box.

[0117] In some embodiments, the endoscope drive box is provided with an adapter portion for engaging with an endoscope. The adapter portion may include a sleeve for detachably installing the endoscope (generally for installing the endoscope handle). At the same time, the bottom plate of the endoscope drive box is provided with an endoscope insertion hole through which part of the endoscope structure (e.g., a metal tube) passes.

[0118] The endoscope transport box may also include a detection device for detecting whether an endoscope is installed in the endoscope transport box (specific detection methods can be found in applications 202510171763.0 and / or 202510172736.5), and feeding back the endoscope's installation position information to the control unit of the patient carriage. The endoscope presence signal may include a presence signal and a absence signal; the presence signal indicates that the endoscope is installed in the endoscope transport box, and the absence signal indicates that the endoscope is not installed in the endoscope transport box.

[0119] The detection device can take many forms. For example, a microswitch can be used, which is set in the sleeve or endoscope transmission box. When the endoscope is installed in the endoscope transmission box, the microswitch can be triggered. The microswitch is connected to the detection circuit. By detecting the change in the electrical signal in the detection circuit, the control unit of the patient carriage can be informed whether the endoscope is currently in the endoscope transmission box. Alternatively, a magnetic induction element can be used to detect the change in the magnetic field of the magnetic induction element when the endoscope is inserted into the endoscope transmission box. Alternatively, a photoelectric sensor can be used to detect the effect of the endoscope on the light when it is inserted into the endoscope transmission box. This application will not list them all.

[0120] Based on S400, S210 can also be configured to generate a first control command when the connection status information indicates that the endoscope drive box is installed on the power box and the endoscope presence signal indicates that the endoscope is installed in the endoscope drive box.

[0121] In some embodiments, when the endoscope presence signal is fed back as a presence signal by the detection device, indicating that the endoscope handle has been fully installed in the sleeve of the endoscope transmission box, the control unit of the patient carriage sends the first control command to the image carriage through the EtherCAT industrial bus. After receiving the command, the image carriage completes the command verification through the RS232 or RS485 serial port protocol, and then forwards it to the endoscope host.

[0122] For example, if the detection device is a microswitch pre-installed on the inner wall of the sleeve, when the medical staff pushes the endoscope handle fully into the sleeve, the end of the handle will press the trigger handle of the microswitch to close the contact. After the detection circuit is connected, it outputs a low-level presence signal to the control unit of the patient carriage. If, for any reason, the endoscope is not fully pushed in at this time, the microswitch contact remains open, the detection circuit outputs a high-level absence signal, the patient carriage control unit will not generate a valid first control command, and at the same time, a text alarm "Endoscope not installed in place, please check the installation status" can be popped up on the image carriage operation interface to prompt the medical staff to operate again.

[0123] Only when the microswitch outputs a signal will the entire command chain be established. After receiving a valid first control command, the endoscope host will drive the built-in LED light source to gradually increase the brightness to the standard brightness of 3000lm required for the operation according to the preset soft start curve, or first turn it on to 100lm and then increase it to 3000lm. At the same time, the endoscope host will send the status signal of the first control command back along the original link, and finally display a green "Light Source Brightness Adjustment" icon on the image carriage interface for medical staff to confirm.

[0124] To further achieve intelligent adjustment of the endoscope light source and extend its lifespan, such as... Figure 7 As shown above, in the aboveFigure 2 Based on the illustrated embodiment, the following steps may also be included: S500: Obtain instrument status information of the surgical arm. The instrument status information is used to indicate whether the instruments on the surgical arm have been removed.

[0125] In some embodiments, when the instrument status information of the surgical arm indicates that at least one instrument on the surgical arm is in the installed state, it indicates that the surgical robot is in the process of surgery; when all instruments on the surgical arms are in the removed state, it indicates that the surgical robot is in the process of surgery. The instruments on the surgical arms are detachably connected via an instrument transmission box and a power box located at the end of the surgical arm. Each surgical arm's power box is equipped with a detection device for independently identifying the connection status of the instrument transmission box attached to it and generating corresponding instrument status information, which may include installed and removed states.

[0126] The detection device includes, but is not limited to, photoelectric sensors or pressure sensors. As one embodiment, when a photoelectric sensor is selected, a through-beam photoelectric switch can be set on the power box and a protruding detection post can be set on the instrument transmission box. When the protruding detection post passes through the light path and blocks the light beam, the through-beam photoelectric switch detects the disappearance of the light signal, thereby determining the installation status.

[0127] As another embodiment, when a photoelectric sensor is selected, a through-beam photoelectric switch and a protrusion detection post can be set on the power box at the same time. During the installation process, the instrument transmission box squeezes the protrusion detection post in the power box. When the protrusion detection post passes through the optical path and blocks the light beam, the through-beam photoelectric switch detects the disappearance of the light signal, thereby determining the installation status.

[0128] For example, when the instrument status information of the surgical arm indicates that at least one instrument on the surgical arm is in the installed state, it indicates that the surgical robot is in the state of surgery in progress; when all instruments on the surgical arms are in the removed state, it indicates that the surgical robot is in the state of surgery completed.

[0129] In some embodiments, the instruments on the surgical arm may be one or more, typically multiple. Instruments include, but are not limited to, grasping instruments (such as atraumatic grasping forceps or toothed grasping forceps), cutting instruments (such as surgical scissors, electric hooks, or ultrasonic scalpels), or anastomosis instruments (such as staplers).

[0130] Based on the S400, such as Figure 8 As shown, S220 may also include the following steps: S224: If the connection status information indicates that the endoscope drive box is not installed on the power box, and the instrument status information indicates that the instrument on at least one surgical arm has not been removed, generate a brightness reduction command to indicate that the brightness of the endoscope light source is reduced.

[0131] In some embodiments, if the connection status information indicates that the endoscope drive box is not installed on the power box and the instrument status information indicates that the instrument on at least one surgical arm has not been removed, it can indicate that the surgical robot is in the process of surgery and that the endoscope is outside the patient's body.

[0132] For example, if the connection status information is "out of position" and the instrument status information shows that at least one instrument on the surgical arm is in the installed state, it indicates that the surgery is still in progress. However, if the medical staff removes the endoscope drive box, it can be determined that the endoscope was cleaned or replaced during the operation, and at this time the endoscope has been removed from the patient's body. Since the endoscope is temporarily detached from the patient, the brightness of the endoscope light source can be reduced to a preset brightness to minimize eye irritation for the medical staff.

[0133] For example, when medical staff remove the endoscope drive box, the drive box no longer presses down the protruding detection post on the power box, and the transmit-receive optical path of the through-beam photoelectric switch is activated, indicating an "out of position" connection status. Simultaneously, the patient carriage's control unit acquires the instrument status information, determines that the surgical instrument is in the installed state, and sends a brightness reduction command. The endoscope main unit receives the command and adjusts the brightness from 3000 lm to 100 lm. This not only avoids strong light irritating the eyes of medical staff but also prevents frequent switching of the light source, which would otherwise cause time-consuming restarts.

[0134] After cleaning the endoscope transmission box, the medical staff reinstalled it into the power box and repeated step S210 to restore the light source brightness to 3000lm and restore the surgical field of view.

[0135] S225: When the connection status information indicates that the endoscope drive box is not installed on the power box, and the instrument status information indicates that all instruments on the surgical arms have been removed, a brightness off command is generated to set the brightness of the endoscope light source to the off brightness.

[0136] In some embodiments, if the connection status information indicates that the endoscope drive box is not installed on the power box and the instrument status information indicates that all instruments on the surgical arms have been removed, it can indicate that the surgical robot is in the state of surgical completion and that the endoscope is outside the patient's body.

[0137] For example, the control unit of the patient carriage obtains the instrument status information. As long as the instrument status information indicates that all instruments on the operating arm have been removed, the operation is considered to be over. Regardless of whether the endoscope transmission box is still installed on the power box, the control unit of the patient carriage will send a brightness shutdown command. After receiving the brightness shutdown command, the endoscope host will directly turn off the light source.

[0138] For example, medical staff sequentially remove the instrument transmission boxes from all the surgical arms. At this point, each instrument transmission box no longer presses down the protruding detection post on the corresponding power box, and the transmitting-receiving optical path of the through-beam photoelectric switch in all power boxes is turned on. Each power box outputs a status signal indicating that the instrument has been removed. When all the instruments on the surgical arms have been removed, it indicates that the surgery is over. The control unit of the patient carriage collects all the instrument status information and finds that they are all in the removed state. It immediately generates a brightness shutdown command and transmits it to the endoscope host via the bus. After receiving the brightness shutdown command, the endoscope host cuts off the power supply to the light source drive circuit, completely shutting down the endoscope light source. This avoids energy waste and unnecessary aging of the light source caused by medical staff forgetting to turn it off after surgery, and also eliminates the safety hazards caused by the light source leaking strong light under no-load conditions for a long time.

[0139] To further improve the accuracy of endoscopic interpretation, such as Figure 9 As shown above, in the above Figure 8 Based on the illustrated embodiment, before S224, the following steps may also be included: S221: When the connection status information indicates that the endoscope drive box is not installed on the power box, and the instrument status information indicates that the instrument on at least one surgical arm has not been removed, or the instrument status information indicates that the instruments on all surgical arms have been removed, obtain the duration of the current status.

[0140] In some embodiments, by judging the duration of the current state and a preset first threshold, it is possible to determine whether the endoscope is in a temporary insertion / removal state. Specifically, when the duration is less than the preset first threshold, the endoscope is determined to be in a temporary insertion / removal state to adjust the signal; when the duration is greater than or equal to the preset first threshold, the endoscope is determined to be in an intraoperative cleaning state.

[0141] S222: If the duration is less than the first threshold, keep the current brightness of the endoscope light source unchanged.

[0142] In some embodiments, when the duration of the off-line signal does not exceed a first threshold (e.g., 0.5s), the endoscope is determined to be in a temporary plug-in / plug-out state. This temporary plug-in / plug-out state can be considered as a brief signal interruption. In the case of the temporary plug-in / plug-out state, the brightness of the endoscope light source is not adjusted.

[0143] S223: If the duration is greater than or equal to the first threshold, execute S224 or S225.

[0144] In some embodiments, when the duration of the off-position signal exceeds a first threshold (e.g., 0.5s), the endoscope is determined to be in an intraoperative cleaning state, and S224 or S225 can be executed to avoid strong light irritating the eyes of medical staff, or to avoid energy waste and unnecessary aging of the light source caused by medical staff forgetting to turn off the light source after surgery, and also to eliminate the safety hazards caused by the light source leaking strong light for a long time without operation.

[0145] Through the above embodiments, when the duration is less than the first threshold, the current light source brightness remains unchanged. This avoids misjudgments caused by slight shaking of the transmission box or touch during operation, prevents unnecessary brightness adjustments from frequently interrupting the surgical procedure, ensures the continuity of the surgical process, and avoids frequent dimming that distracts the medical staff. Furthermore, when the duration exceeds the first threshold and the light source is not in place, the dimming operation is performed in a timely manner. For scenarios where the light source is not in place, such as during intraoperative cleaning or postoperative disassembly, the brightness is reduced or the light source is turned off accordingly. This avoids prolonged exposure of strong light to the eyes of medical staff, eliminates energy waste caused by forgetting to turn off the light source after surgery, and prevents unnecessary aging and wear of the light source. This further improves the accuracy and reliability of intelligent control of the endoscopic light source, maximizing both the safety of use and the lifespan of the light source while ensuring the smoothness of the surgical operation.

[0146] To promptly identify potential malfunctions in the automatic control system, such as detection device failures or abnormal signal transmission, and to improve the reliability of the surgery, such as... Figure 10 As shown above, in the above Figures 2 to 9 Based on any of the illustrated embodiments, the following steps may be included: S600: Receives manual operation commands.

[0147] In some embodiments, a fixed manual control function entry is provided on the operating touch screen of the imaging carriage, and a corresponding manual dimming trigger pedal is integrated into the foot pedal assembly of the doctor's carriage. The control units of the imaging carriage and the doctor's carriage continuously and cyclically scan the touch operation signals of the touch screen and the level trigger signals of the foot pedal. In case of system failure, such as detection device malfunction or abnormal signal transmission, the corresponding control unit encapsulates the operation into a manual operation command with a highest priority marker when the medical staff clicks the manual control option on the touch screen or presses the manual dimming trigger pedal. This command is then synchronously sent to the control unit of the patient carriage and the light source drive module of the endoscope host via the system bus, thus completing the reception of the manual operation command.

[0148] S700: Upon receiving a manual operation command, the endoscope light source control operation corresponding to the manual operation command is executed first, and the step of generating a brightness control command based on the connection status information is paused.

[0149] In some embodiments, when the patient carriage control unit receives a manual operation command with a highest priority marker, it immediately modifies its state machine's operating state, switching from "automatic brightness adjustment" to "manual control." It suspends logical judgments on various automatic detection signals such as connection status information and cable status information, and no longer generates new brightness control commands based on automatic detection results. Simultaneously, it directly forwards the target brightness parameter in the manual operation command to the endoscope host's light source drive module. The light source drive module adjusts the PWM drive signal duty cycle to adjust the light source output to the brightness value specified in the manual command. During this process, the automatic dimming logic remains in the background and does not output any control commands until the user exits the manual control mode via the touchscreen or releases the foot pedal trigger switch. Only then will the patient carriage control unit switch back to automatic dimming mode and resume the process of generating brightness control commands based on various connection status information.

[0150] Through the above embodiments, this application, by pre-setting a manual mode outside the automatic brightness adjustment logic, marking the manual operation command with the highest priority, and pausing the control output of the automatic dimming logic through state machine switching, can ensure that medical personnel can quickly take over the control of the endoscope light source at any time when the automatic control system experiences faults such as detection device failure or abnormal signal transmission. This can both avoid abnormal light source brightness caused by automatic control failure, preventing it from affecting the clarity of the surgical field or posing a safety threat to the eyes of medical personnel, and avoid logical conflicts between the automatic dimming logic and the manual control command, ensuring the timeliness of the manual control response and the reliability of operation.

[0151] Corresponding to the aforementioned embodiments of the endoscope light source control method, this application also provides an embodiment of an endoscope light source control device.

[0152] like Figure 11 As shown, this application embodiment also provides an endoscope light source control device 800, including: The connection status acquisition module 810 is used to acquire the connection status information between the endoscope transmission box and the power box.

[0153] The light source brightness control module 820 is used to generate brightness control commands based on the connection status information to control the brightness of the endoscope light source. The brightness of the endoscope light source refers to the luminous flux at the light outlet of the endoscope host, and the second brightness value ranges from 100-300 lm, while the first brightness value ranges from 1000-3000 lm.

[0154] In some embodiments, it may further include: a cable status acquisition module 830, used to acquire cable status information indicating whether the cable of the endoscope is connected to the endoscope host, and when the connection status information indicates that the endoscope transmission box is installed on the power box and the cable status information indicates that the cable of the endoscope is connected to the endoscope host, control the brightness of the endoscope light source to be adjusted to a first brightness.

[0155] In some embodiments, the system may further include: an instrument status acquisition module 840, configured to acquire instrument status information indicating whether an instrument on the surgical arm has been removed; when the connection status information indicates that the endoscope transmission box is not installed on the power box, and the instrument status information indicates that an instrument on at least one of the surgical arms has not been removed, the system controls the brightness of the endoscope light source to a second brightness with reduced brightness; when the connection status information indicates that the endoscope transmission box is not installed on the power box, and the instrument status information indicates that an instrument on all of the surgical arms has been removed, the system controls the brightness of the endoscope light source to a second brightness with off brightness.

[0156] In some embodiments, the relative position acquisition module 850 is used to acquire relative position information between the endoscope and the cannula on the surgical arm, so as to control the brightness of the endoscope light source to gradually increase from a third brightness level to a first brightness level. The relative position information is determined based on the length of the endoscope, the length of the cannula, and the moving distance of the power unit.

[0157] In some embodiments, the light source brightness control module 820 is further configured to generate a first control command to adjust the brightness of the endoscope light source to a first brightness when the connection status information indicates that the endoscope transmission box is installed on the power box; and to generate a second control command to adjust the brightness of the endoscope light source to a second brightness when the connection status information indicates that the endoscope transmission box is not installed on the power box, wherein when the second brightness is less than the first brightness and not 0, the second brightness indicates a reduction in brightness; or, when the second brightness is 0, the second brightness indicates a shutdown of brightness.

[0158] In some embodiments, the light source brightness control module 820 is further configured to acquire cable status information, the cable status information being used to indicate whether the endoscope cable is connected to the endoscope host; the step of generating a first control command to adjust the brightness of the endoscope light source to a first brightness when the connection status information indicates that the endoscope transmission box is installed on the power box includes: generating the first control command when the connection status information indicates that the endoscope transmission box is installed on the power box and the cable status information indicates that the endoscope cable is connected to the endoscope host.

[0159] In some embodiments, the light source brightness control module 820 is further configured to acquire an endoscope presence signal, the endoscope presence signal being used to indicate whether the endoscope is installed in the endoscope drive box; the step of generating a first control command to adjust the brightness of the endoscope light source to a first brightness when the connection status information indicates that the endoscope drive box is installed on the power box includes: generating the first control command when the connection status information indicates that the endoscope drive box is installed on the power box and the endoscope presence signal indicates that the endoscope is installed in the endoscope drive box.

[0160] In some embodiments, the light source brightness control module 820 is further configured to acquire instrument status information of the surgical arm, the instrument status information being used to indicate whether the instruments on the surgical arm have been removed; the step of generating a second control command to adjust the brightness of the endoscope light source to a second brightness when the connection status information indicates that the endoscope transmission box is not installed on the power box includes: generating a brightness reduction command to indicate a reduced brightness when the connection status information indicates that the endoscope transmission box is not installed on the power box and the instrument status information indicates that at least one instrument on the surgical arm has not been removed; and generating a brightness shutdown command to indicate a turned-off brightness when the connection status information indicates that the endoscope transmission box is not installed on the power box and the instrument status information indicates that all instruments on the surgical arms have been removed.

[0161] In some embodiments, the light source brightness control module 820 is further configured to: obtain the duration of the current state when the connection status information indicates that the endoscope transmission box is not installed on the power box and the instrument status information indicates that at least one instrument on the surgical arm has not been removed or when the instrument status information indicates that all instruments on the surgical arms have been removed; maintain the current brightness of the endoscope light source unchanged when the duration is less than a first threshold; and execute the step of generating the brightness reduction command or the brightness shutdown command when the duration is greater than or equal to the first threshold.

[0162] In some embodiments, the light source brightness control module 820 is further configured to determine whether the endoscope transmission box is being installed for the first time after the surgical robot is powered on; if it is determined to be the first installation, generate an initial control command to adjust the brightness of the endoscope light source to a third brightness, wherein the third brightness is less than the first brightness; acquire relative position information between the endoscope and the cannula on the surgical arm; and generate a gradual brightness control command based on the relative position information to gradually increase the brightness of the endoscope light source from the third brightness to the first brightness.

[0163] In some embodiments, the light source brightness control module 820 is further configured to receive a manual operation command; upon receiving the manual operation command, the endoscopic light source control operation corresponding to the manual operation command is executed first, and the step of generating a brightness control command based on the connection status information is paused.

[0164] Based on the endoscopic light source control device provided in the embodiments of this application, a surgical robot is also provided, which includes the aforementioned endoscopic light source control device.

[0165] like Figure 12 As shown in the illustration, an electronic device provided in this application embodiment may include: a processor 1110, a communications interface 1120, a memory 1130, and a communication bus 1140, wherein the processor 1110, the communications interface 1120, and the memory 1130 communicate with each other through the communication bus 1140. The processor 1110 may call logical instructions in the memory 1130 to execute the methods described above.

[0166] Furthermore, the logical instructions in the aforementioned memory 1130 can be implemented as software functional units and, when sold or used as independent products, can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present invention, essentially, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or a part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the switching equipment mechanical condition monitoring method described in the various embodiments of the present invention. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0167] In another aspect, the present invention also provides a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, is implemented to perform the above-described endoscope light source control method.

[0168] The device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the modules can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs. Those skilled in the art can understand and implement this without any creative effort.

[0169] Through the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that each embodiment can be implemented by means of software plus necessary general-purpose hardware platforms, and of course, it can also be implemented by hardware. Based on this understanding, the above technical solutions, in essence or the part that contributes to the prior art, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, such as ROM / RAM, magnetic disk, optical disk, etc., and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute the methods described in the various embodiments or some parts of the embodiments.

[0170] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and not to limit them; although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features; and these modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. An endoscope light source control method, applied to a surgical robot system, the surgical robot system comprising an image carriage, a patient carriage electrically connected to the image carriage, and an endoscope main unit, the patient carriage comprising a surgical arm, a power box disposed on the surgical arm, an endoscope transmission box detachably disposed from the power box, and an endoscope disposed on the endoscope transmission box, characterized in that, The method includes: Obtain the connection status information between the endoscope transmission box and the power box; Based on the connection status information, a brightness control command is generated to control the brightness of the endoscope light source.

2. The endoscope light source control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of generating a brightness control command based on the connection status information includes: When the connection status information indicates that the endoscope drive box is installed on the power box, a first control command is generated to adjust the brightness of the endoscope light source to a first brightness. When the connection status information indicates that the endoscope transmission box is not installed on the power box, a second control command is generated to adjust the brightness of the endoscope light source to a second brightness, wherein when the second brightness is less than the first brightness and is not 0, the second brightness indicates a reduction in brightness; Alternatively, when the second brightness is 0, the second brightness indicator is set to off brightness.

3. The endoscope light source control method according to claim 2, characterized in that, Also includes: Obtain cable status information, which is used to indicate whether the endoscope cable is connected to the endoscope host. When the connection status information indicates that the endoscope drive box is installed on the power box, a first control command is generated to adjust the brightness of the endoscope light source to a first brightness, including: The first control command is generated when the connection status information indicates that the endoscope drive box is installed on the power box and the cable status information indicates that the endoscope cable is connected to the endoscope host.

4. The endoscope light source control method according to claim 2, wherein the endoscope is detachably connected to the endoscope transmission box, characterized in that, Also includes: Acquire an endoscope presence signal, which indicates whether the endoscope is installed in the endoscope transport box; When the connection status information indicates that the endoscope drive box is installed on the power box, a first control command is generated to adjust the brightness of the endoscope light source to a first brightness, including: The first control command is generated when the connection status information indicates that the endoscope drive box is installed on the power box and the endoscope presence signal indicates that the endoscope is installed in the endoscope drive box.

5. The endoscope light source control method according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that, Also includes: Obtain the instrument status information of the surgical arm, which is used to indicate whether the instruments on the surgical arm have been removed; When the connection status information indicates that the endoscope transmission box is not installed on the power box, a second control command is generated to adjust the brightness of the endoscope light source to a second brightness, including: When the connection status information indicates that the endoscope drive box is not installed on the power box, and the instrument status information indicates that at least one instrument on the surgical arm has not been removed, a brightness reduction command is generated to reduce the brightness of the endoscope light source. When the connection status information indicates that the endoscope drive box is not installed on the power box, and the instrument status information indicates that all instruments on the surgical arm have been removed, a brightness off command is generated to set the brightness of the endoscope light source to the off brightness.

6. The endoscope light source control method according to claim 5, characterized in that, Before generating the brightness reduction instruction for indicating a reduction in the brightness of the endoscope light source, the method further includes: The duration of the current state is obtained when the connection status information indicates that the endoscope drive box is not installed on the power box and the instrument status information indicates that the instrument on at least one of the surgical arms has not been removed, or when the instrument status information indicates that the instruments on all of the surgical arms have been removed. If the duration is less than a first threshold, the current brightness of the endoscope light source remains unchanged; If the duration is greater than or equal to the first threshold, the step of generating the brightness reduction instruction or the brightness off instruction is performed.

7. The endoscope light source control method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The brightness of the endoscope light source refers to the luminous flux at the light outlet of the endoscope host, and the value range of the second brightness is 100-300 lm, while the value range of the first brightness is 1000-3000 lm.

8. The endoscope light source control method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The generation of the first control command for adjusting the brightness of the endoscope light source to a first brightness includes: Determine whether the endoscope transmission box is being installed for the first time after the surgical robot is powered on and started. If the installation is determined to be the first time, an initial control command is generated to adjust the brightness of the endoscope light source to a third brightness, wherein the third brightness is less than the first brightness; Obtain the relative position information between the endoscope and the cannula on the surgical arm; Based on the relative position information, a gradual brightening control command is generated to gradually increase the brightness of the endoscope light source from the third brightness to the first brightness.

9. The endoscope light source control method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The relative position information is determined based on the length of the endoscope, the length of the cannula, and the moving distance of the power box.

10. The endoscope light source control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: Receive manual operation commands; Upon receiving the manual operation command, the endoscope light source control operation corresponding to the manual operation command is executed first, and the step of generating a brightness control command based on the connection status information is paused.

11. An endoscope light source control device, characterized in that, An endoscopic light source control method for a surgical robot, the surgical robot including a surgical arm, a power box disposed on the surgical arm, an endoscope transmission box detachably disposed from the power box, and an endoscope disposed on the endoscope transmission box; the device includes: The connection status acquisition module is used to acquire the connection status information between the endoscope transmission box and the power box; The light source brightness control module is used to generate brightness control commands based on the connection status information to control the brightness of the endoscope light source.

12. The endoscope light source control device according to claim 11, characterized in that, Also includes: The cable status acquisition module is used to acquire cable status information indicating whether the endoscope cable is connected to the endoscope host. When the connection status information indicates that the endoscope transmission box is installed on the power box and the cable status information indicates that the endoscope cable is connected to the endoscope host, the brightness of the endoscope light source is controlled to be adjusted to the first brightness.

13. The endoscope light source control device according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that, Also includes: The instrument status acquisition module is used to acquire instrument status information indicating whether the instruments on the surgical arm have been removed. When the connection status information indicates that the endoscope transmission box is not installed on the power box, and the instrument status information indicates that at least one instrument on the surgical arm has not been removed, the module controls the brightness of the endoscope light source to be adjusted to a second brightness with reduced brightness. When the connection status information indicates that the endoscope transmission box is not installed on the power box, and the instrument status information indicates that all instruments on the surgical arms have been removed, the module controls the brightness of the endoscope light source to be adjusted to a second brightness with off brightness.

14. The endoscope light source control device according to claim 12, characterized in that, Also includes: The relative position acquisition module is used to acquire the relative position information between the endoscope and the cannula on the surgical arm, so as to control the brightness of the endoscope light source to gradually increase from the third brightness to the first brightness.

15. A surgical robot, characterized in that, Includes the endoscope light source control device as described in any one of claims 11 to 14.

16. An electronic device, characterized in that, The device includes a memory and a processor, the memory storing a computer program, characterized in that the processor executes the computer program to implement the steps of the endoscope light source control method according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

Images