Instrument for surgical operation

Abstract

To provide an instrument for surgical operations capable of being operated manually to be used for laparoscopic surgery or various surgical operations.SOLUTION: An instrument for surgical operations 100 comprises: an end tool 120 that is formed to be rotatable in at least two directions; an operation unit 110 that includes a pitch controlling element 111 for controlling a pitch operation of the end tool, a yaw controlling element 112 for controlling a yaw operation of the end tool and an actuation controlling element 113 for controlling an actuation operation of the end tool; a power transmission unit for transmitting an operation of the operation unit to the end tool; and a connection unit 140 that is formed to extend in a first direction X, has the end tool connected to its one end part and the operation unit to its other end part, and connects the operation unit and the end tool, at least one part of the operation unit being formed to extend to the side of the end tool.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to surgical instruments, and in particular to manually actuable surgical instruments for use in laparoscopic or various other surgical procedures. [Background technology]

[0002] In medicine, surgery refers to the use of medical instruments to cut or tear the skin, mucous membranes, or other tissues to treat illness. In particular, open surgery, in which the skin at the surgical site is incised and the organs inside are treated, reshaped, or removed, can cause problems such as bleeding, side effects, patient pain, and scarring. Therefore, surgeries that require only the insertion of medical instruments, such as laparoscopes, surgical instruments, and microsurgical microscopes, through specific holes in the skin, or surgeries using robots, have recently gained attention as alternatives.

[0003] Surgical instruments are tools used to operate on a surgical site by manipulating an end tool attached to one end of a shaft that passes through a hole drilled in the skin using a predetermined drive unit, either by hand or by a robotic arm. The end tool attached to the surgical instrument performs operations such as rotation, gripping, and cutting through a predetermined structure.

[0004] However, existing surgical instruments have a problem in that the end tool portion cannot be bent, making it difficult to approach the surgical site and perform various surgical operations. To address this problem, surgical instruments with a bendable end tool portion have been developed, but the operation of the operating part for bending the end tool or performing a surgical operation does not intuitively match the actual operation of bending the end tool or performing a surgical operation, which causes problems for the surgeon, making it difficult to intuitively operate and requiring a long time to become skilled in using the instrument.

[0005] The above-mentioned background art is technical information that the inventor possessed in order to derive the present invention or that he acquired in the process of deriving the present invention, and is not necessarily publicly known art that was made public to the general public prior to the filing of the present application. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems and to provide a surgical instrument that allows intuitive matching of the bending of an endotool and the operation of a corresponding operating unit. More specifically, to this end, an endotool with various degrees of freedom, an operating unit having a structure that allows intuitive operation of the endotool, and a power transmission unit that transmits the driving force of the operating unit to the endotool so that the endotool can operate in accordance with the operation of the operating unit are provided. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention provides a surgical instrument comprising: an end tool formed to be rotatable in at least two or more directions; a pitch operator that controls the pitch movement of the end tool; a yaw operator that controls the yaw movement of the end tool; and an actuation operator that controls the actuation movement of the end tool, wherein at least one of the pitch operator or the yaw operator is an operator formed by a joint member that bends in one or more directions; a power transmission unit that transmits the movement of the operator to the end tool; and a connection unit that extends in a first direction (X-axis), has one end to which the end tool is coupled and the other end to which the operator is coupled, and couples the operator unit to the end tool; wherein at least a portion of the operator unit is formed to extend toward the end tool. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, the operating direction of the operating unit by the surgeon and the operating direction of the end tool are intuitively the same, which improves the convenience for the surgeon and the accuracy, reliability, and speed of the surgery. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1A] FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of pitch motion of a conventional surgical instrument. [Figure 1B] FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of the yaw motion of a conventional surgical instrument. [Figure 1C] FIG. 10 is a conceptual diagram of the pitch movement of another conventional surgical instrument. [Figure 1D] FIG. 10 is a conceptual diagram of the yaw motion of another conventional surgical instrument. [Figure 1E] 1 is a conceptual diagram of the pitch operation of a surgical instrument according to the present invention. [Figure 1F] 1 is a conceptual diagram of the yaw operation of a surgical instrument according to the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a side view showing a surgical instrument 100 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] 3 is a detailed internal view of the surgical instrument 100 of FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is a detailed internal view showing the yaw operation unit 112 of the surgical instrument 100. [Figure 5] FIG. 3 is a detailed internal view showing the actuation operation unit 113 of the surgical instrument 100. [Figure 6A] 2 is a conceptual diagram of an operation section of the surgical instrument 100 of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 6B] 10A to 10C are views showing various modified examples of the operating part 110 of the surgical instrument 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6C] 10A to 10C are views showing various modified examples of the operating part 110 of the surgical instrument 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6D] 10A to 10C are views showing various modified examples of the operating part 110 of the surgical instrument 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7A] 3 is a perspective view of an end tool applied to the surgical instrument 100 of FIG. 2; FIG. [Figure 7B] FIG. 7A is an exploded perspective view of the end tool. [Figure 7C] FIG. 7B is a perspective view showing the end tool of FIG. 7A with the jaw base 123 and the joint member 125 omitted. [Figure 7D] FIG. 7B is a front view of the articulation member 125 of the end tool of FIG. 7A. [Figure 8] FIG. 7B is a perspective view showing the end tool of FIG. 7A performing a yaw motion. [Figure 9] FIG. 7B is a perspective view showing the end tool of FIG. 7A performing a yaw motion. [Figure 10] FIG. 7B is a perspective view showing the end tool of FIG. 7A in a state where it has performed an actuation movement and is closed. [Figure 11A] 4 is a diagram schematically showing a pitch operation of the first embodiment of the surgical instrument of the present invention. [Figure 11B] 10 is a diagram schematically showing a pitch operation of a second embodiment of a surgical instrument according to the present invention. [Figure 11C] 10 is a diagram schematically showing a pitch operation of a third embodiment of a surgical instrument according to the present invention. [Figure 11D] 4A to 4C are diagrams schematically showing yaw operations of the first, second, and third embodiments of the surgical instrument of the present invention. [Figure 12] 1 is a view showing a surgical instrument 200 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] 1 is a view showing a surgical instrument 200 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] 10 is a view showing a surgical instrument 300 according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15] 10 is a view showing a surgical instrument 300 according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16] 10 is a view showing a surgical instrument 400 according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 17] 10 is a view showing a surgical instrument 400 according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 18A] FIG. 10 is a conceptual diagram of the pitch movement of the fifth embodiment of the surgical instrument of the present invention. [Figure 18B] FIG. 10 is a conceptual diagram of the yaw operation of the fifth embodiment of the surgical instrument of the present invention. [Figure 18C] FIG. 10 is a conceptual diagram of the pitch movement of the sixth embodiment of the surgical instrument of the present invention. [Figure 18D] FIG. 10 is a conceptual diagram of the yaw operation of the sixth embodiment of the surgical instrument of the present invention. [Figure 18E] FIG. 13 is a conceptual diagram of the pitch movement of the seventh embodiment of the surgical instrument of the present invention. [Figure 18F] FIG. 13 is a conceptual diagram of the yaw operation of the seventh embodiment of the surgical instrument of the present invention. [Figure 19A] 10 is a view showing a surgical instrument 500 according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 19B] 10 is a view showing a surgical instrument 500 according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 20] 10 is a view showing a surgical instrument 600 according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 21] 10 is a view showing a surgical instrument 600 according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 22] 10 is a view showing a surgical instrument 700 according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 23] 10 is a view showing a surgical instrument 700 according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 24] 10 is a view showing a surgical instrument 700 according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 25] 13 is a diagram showing a surgical instrument 800 according to an eighth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 26A] 13 is a diagram showing a surgical instrument 800 according to an eighth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 26B] 13 is a diagram showing a surgical instrument 800 according to an eighth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 27A] 13 is a view showing a surgical instrument 800' according to a modified example of the eighth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 27B] 13 is a view showing a surgical instrument 800' according to a modified example of the eighth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 28] 13 is a diagram showing a surgical instrument 900 according to a ninth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 29] 13 is a diagram showing a surgical instrument 900 according to a ninth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 30] 13 is a diagram showing a surgical instrument 900 according to a ninth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 31] 13 is a diagram showing a surgical instrument 1000 according to a tenth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 32] 13 is a diagram showing a surgical instrument 1000 according to a tenth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 33] 10 is a view showing a first modified example of the end tool of the surgical instrument shown in FIG. 2 and the like. [Figure 34] 10 is a view showing a second modified example of the end tool of the surgical instrument shown in FIG. 2 and the like. [Figure 35] 10 is a view showing a second modified example of the end tool of the surgical instrument shown in FIG. 2 and the like. [Figure 36] 10 is a view showing a third modified example of the end tool of the surgical instrument shown in FIG. 2 and the like. [Figure 37] 10 is a view showing a third modified example of the end tool of the surgical instrument shown in FIG. 2 and the like. [Figure 38]10 is a view showing a third modified example of the end tool of the surgical instrument shown in FIG. 2 and the like. [Figure 39] 10 is a view showing a first modified example of the pitch drive joint of the surgical instrument shown in FIG. 2 and the like. [Figure 40] 10 is a view showing a second modified example of the pitch drive joint of the surgical instrument shown in FIG. 2 and the like. [Figure 41] 10 is a diagram showing a first modified example of the yaw operation unit of the surgical instrument shown in FIG. 2 and the like. [Figure 42] 10 is a diagram showing a second modified example of the yaw operation unit of the surgical instrument shown in FIG. 2 and the like. [Figure 43] 10 is a diagram showing a third modified example of the yaw operation unit of the surgical instrument shown in FIG. 2 and the like. [Figure 44] 19B is a diagram showing a first modified example of the pitch / yaw drive joint of the surgical instrument shown in FIG. 19A etc. (ball joint-B). [Figure 45] 19B is a diagram showing a second modified example of the pitch / yaw drive joint of the surgical instrument shown in FIG. 19A etc. (universal joint-U). [Figure 46] 19B is a diagram (SB) showing a third modified example of the pitch / yaw drive joint of the surgical instrument shown in FIG. 19A etc. [Figure 47] 19B is a diagram (SU) showing a fourth modified example of the pitch / yaw drive joint of the surgical instrument shown in FIG. 19A etc. [Figure 48] 19B is a diagram showing a fifth modified example of the pitch / yaw drive joint of the surgical instrument shown in FIG. 19A etc. (JB). [Figure 49] 19B is a diagram (JU) showing a sixth modified example of the pitch / yaw drive joint of the surgical instrument shown in FIG. 19A etc. [Figure 50] 19B is a perspective view of the surgical instrument shown in FIG. 19A to which a roll function has been added. [Figure 51A]51 is a perspective view showing the surgical instrument of FIG. 50 performing a rolling motion. [Figure 51B] 51 is a perspective view showing the surgical instrument of FIG. 50 performing a rolling motion. [Figure 51C] 51 is a perspective view showing the surgical instrument of FIG. 50 performing a rolling motion. [Figure 51D] 51 is a perspective view showing the surgical instrument of FIG. 50 performing a rolling motion. [Figure 51E] 51 is a perspective view showing the surgical instrument of FIG. 50 performing a rolling motion. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Although the present invention can be modified in various ways and can have various embodiments, specific embodiments are illustrated in the drawings and will be described in detail. However, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments, but includes all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives within the spirit and technical scope of the present invention. In describing the present invention, if a detailed description of related publicly known technology is considered to obscure the gist of the present invention, the detailed description will be omitted.

[0011] Terms such as "first" and "second" are used to describe various components, but the components are not limited by the terms. The terms are used only to distinguish one component from another.

[0012] The terms used in this application are used only to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In this application, terms such as "comprise" or "have" specify the presence of features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification, and should be understood not to preclude the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the description with reference to the accompanying drawings, identical or corresponding components will be given the same drawing numbers, and duplicate descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0014] Furthermore, in describing various embodiments of the present invention, it should be understood that each embodiment does not have to be interpreted or implemented independently, but that the technical ideas described in each embodiment can be interpreted or implemented in combination with other embodiments that are individually described.

[0015] <First embodiment of surgical instrument> (E1+H1a) A feature of the surgical instrument according to the present invention is that when the operating part is rotated in one direction for at least one of pitch movement, yaw movement, and actuation movement, the end tool intuitively rotates in the same direction as the operating direction of the operating part.

[0016] FIG. 1A is a conceptual diagram of pitch motion of a conventional surgical instrument, and FIG. 1B is a conceptual diagram of yaw motion.

[0017] Referring to FIG. 1A, in performing the pitch movement of a conventional surgical instrument, the end tool 120a is formed forward of the rotation center 121a of the end tool, and the operating unit 110a is formed rearward of the rotation center 111a of the operating unit. When the operating unit 110a is rotated clockwise, the end tool 120a also rotates clockwise, and when the operating unit 120a is rotated counterclockwise, the end tool 120a also rotates counterclockwise. 1B , in performing a yaw movement of a conventional surgical instrument, the end tool 120a is formed forward of the rotation center 121a of the end tool, and the operating unit 110a is formed rearward of the rotation center 111a of the operating unit. When the operating unit 110a is rotated clockwise, the end tool 120a also rotates clockwise, and when the operating unit 120a is rotated counterclockwise, the end tool 120a also rotates counterclockwise. In this case, from the perspective of the user's left-right direction, when the user moves the operating unit 110a to the left, the end tool 120a moves right, and when the user moves the operating unit 110a to the right, the end tool 120a moves left. As a result, the user's operation direction and the movement direction of the end tool are opposite to each other, which causes a problem of user operation being difficult.

[0018] FIG. 1C is a conceptual diagram of pitch motion of another conventional surgical instrument, and FIG. 1D is a conceptual diagram of yaw motion.

[0019] 1C, some conventional surgical instruments are formed in a mirror-symmetrical shape. In performing a pitch movement, the end tool 120b is formed forward of the rotation center 121b of the end tool, and the operating unit 110b is formed rearward of the rotation center 111b of the operating unit. When the operating unit 110b is rotated clockwise, the end tool 120b rotates counterclockwise, and when the operating unit 110b is rotated counterclockwise, the end tool 120b rotates clockwise. In this case, from the perspective of the rotation direction of the operating unit and the end tool, the direction in which the user rotates the operating unit 110b and the resulting rotation direction of the end tool 120b are opposite to each other. As a result, there are problems in that the user is confused about the operation direction, and the joint operation is not intuitive, which can lead to errors. 1D , in performing the yaw operation, the end tool 120b is formed forward of the rotation center 121b of the end tool, and the operating unit 110b is formed rearward of the rotation center 111b of the operating unit. When the operating unit 110b is rotated clockwise, the end tool 120b rotates counterclockwise, and when the operating unit 110b is rotated counterclockwise, the end tool 120b rotates clockwise. In this case, from the perspective of the rotation direction of the operating unit and the end tool, the rotation direction in which the user rotates the operating unit 110b and the resulting rotation direction of the end tool 120b are opposite to each other. As a result, there are problems in that the user is confused about the operation direction, the joint operation is not intuitive, and mistakes are likely to occur.

[0020] To solve these problems, one feature of the surgical instrument according to one embodiment of the present invention shown in Figures 1E and 1F is that the end tool 120c is formed forward of the center of rotation 121c of the end tool, and the operating part 110c is also formed forward of the center of rotation 111c of the operating part, thereby intuitively matching the operations of the operating part 110c and the end tool 120c.

[0021] In other words, in the case of conventional surgical instruments such as those shown in FIGS. 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D, the endotool is located forward of its center of rotation, while the operating unit is located rearward of its center of rotation. Therefore, the endotool, which moves forward while its rear end is fixed, is moved by the operation of the operating unit, which moves its rearward while its front end is fixed. This results in a non-intuitive structure. This creates a mismatch between the operation of the operating unit and the operation of the endotool in terms of left-right or rotational direction, which can confuse users and make it difficult to operate the operating unit intuitively and quickly, leading to errors. In contrast, in the surgical instrument according to one embodiment of the present invention, the endotool and the operating unit both move based on a center of rotation located rearward, so their operations are intuitively consistent. This allows users to intuitively and quickly control the direction of the endotool, significantly reducing the likelihood of errors. This will be described in more detail below.

[0022] FIG. 2 is a side view showing a surgical instrument 100 according to a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3 is a detailed internal view of the surgical instrument 100 of FIG. 2, FIG. 4 is a detailed internal view showing the yaw operation unit 112 of the surgical instrument 100 in FIG. 3, and FIG. 5 is a detailed internal view showing the actuation operation unit 113 of the surgical instrument 100 in FIG. 3.

[0023] 2 to 5, a surgical instrument 100 according to a first embodiment of the present invention includes a manipulation unit 110, an end tool 120, a power transmission unit 130, and a connection unit 140. The connection unit 140 is formed in a hollow shaft shape, and one or more wires (described below) are housed therein. The manipulation unit 110 is connected to one end of the connection unit 140, and the end tool 120 is connected to the other end of the connection unit 140, thereby connecting the manipulation unit 110 and the end tool 120.

[0024] In detail, the operating unit 110 is formed at one end of the connecting unit 140 and has an interface, for example, a knob-shape, stick-shape, lever-shape, etc., that can be directly operated by a surgeon, and when the surgeon operates it, the endotool 120, which is connected to the interface and inserted into the body of a surgical patient, performs a predetermined operation, thereby performing surgery. Here, although Fig. 2 shows the operating unit 110 formed in a knob shape, the concept of the present invention is not limited thereto, and various types of operating units that can be connected to the endotool 120 to operate the endotool 120 are possible.

[0025] The endotool 120 is formed at the other end of the connecting portion 140 and is inserted into the surgical site to perform the operations required for the surgery. As an example of such an endotool 120, a pair of jaws 121, 122 (FIG. 7A) for gripping is used, as shown in FIG. 2. However, the concept of the present invention is not limited thereto, and various surgical devices may be used as the endotool 120. For example, a device with one arm similar to a cautery may also be used as the endotool. The endotool 120 is connected to the operating unit 110 by the power transmission unit 130, and the driving force of the operating unit 110 is transmitted via the power transmission unit 130 to perform the operations required for the surgery, such as gripping, cutting, and suturing.

[0026] Here, the end tool 120 of the surgical instrument 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention is configured to be rotatable in at least two or more directions, for example, the end tool 120 is configured to perform a pitch movement around the Y axis in Fig. 2, as well as a yaw movement and actuation movement around the Z axis in Fig. 2, which will be described in detail later.

[0027] The power transmission unit 130 connects the operating unit 110 and the end tool 120 and serves to transmit the driving force of the operating unit 110 to the end tool 120, and may include a number of wires, pulleys, links, joints, gears, etc.

[0028] The operating section 110, the end tool 120, the power transmission section 130, and the like of the surgical instrument 100 shown in FIG. 2 will be described in more detail below.

[0029] (Operation unit) 2 to 5, the operating unit 110 of the surgical instrument 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a pitch operator 111 that controls the pitch movement of the end tool 120, a yaw operator 112 that controls the yaw movement of the end tool 120, and an actuation operator 113 that controls the actuation movement of the end tool 120.

[0030] To give an example of how the surgical instrument 100 in Figure 2 is used, the user holds the pitch drive handle 1112 of the pitch operation unit 111 in the palm of their hand and rotates the pitch drive handle 1112 to perform a pitch movement, places their index finger between the yaw operation unit 112 and rotates the yaw operation unit 112 to perform a yaw movement, and places their thumb between the actuation operation unit 113 and rotates the actuation operation unit 113 to perform an actuation movement.

[0031] Here, the pitch, yaw, and actuation movements used in the present invention are defined as follows.

[0032] First, the pitch movement refers to a movement in the up-down direction relative to the extension direction of the connecting part 140 (the X-axis direction in FIG. 2), i.e., a movement of rotation around the Y-axis in FIG. 2. In other words, it refers to a movement in which the end tool 120, which is formed extending in the extension direction of the connecting part 140 (the X-axis direction in FIG. 2), rotates up and down around the Y-axis. Next, the yaw movement refers to a movement in the left-right direction relative to the extension direction of the connecting part 140 (the X-axis direction in FIG. 2), i.e., a movement of rotation around the Z-axis in FIG. 2. In other words, it refers to a movement in which the end tool 120, which is formed extending in the extension direction of the connecting part 140 (the X-axis direction in FIG. 2), rotates left and right around the Z-axis. Meanwhile, the actuation movement refers to a movement in which the two jaws 121 and 122 (FIG. 7A) rotate in opposite directions around the same rotation axis as the yaw movement, thereby contracting and opening the jaws. That is, it means that two jaws 121 and 122 (FIG. 7A) formed on the end tool 120 rotate in opposite directions around the Z axis.

[0033] One feature of the surgical instrument 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention is that when the operating unit 110 is rotated in either direction, the end tool 120 intuitively rotates in the same direction as the operating direction of the operating unit 110. In other words, when the pitch operating unit 111 of the operating unit 110 is rotated in either direction, the end tool 120 also intuitively rotates in the same direction as the operating direction to perform a pitch movement, and when the yaw operating unit 112 of the operating unit 110 is rotated in either direction, the end tool 120 also intuitively rotates in the same direction as the operating direction to perform a yaw movement. Here, "intuitively in the same direction" can be expanded to mean that the direction of movement of the index finger of the user holding the operating unit 110 and the direction of movement of the distal end of the end tool 120 are substantially the same direction. However, it goes without saying that the same direction here does not mean a direction that perfectly matches on three-dimensional coordinates, but can be understood as an identity in which, for example, if the user's index finger moves to the left, the end of the end tool 120 also moves to the left, and if the user's index finger moves to the right, the end of the end tool 120 also moves to the right.

[0034] For this reason, one feature of the surgical instrument 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention is that the operating unit 110 and the endotool 120 are formed in the same direction with respect to a plane perpendicular to the extension axis (X-axis) of the connecting unit 140. That is, when viewed with respect to the YZ plane in FIG. 2 as a reference, the operating unit 110 is formed extending in the +X-axis direction, and at the same time, the endotool 120 is also formed extending in the +X-axis direction. In other words, the direction in which the endotool 120 is formed at one end of the connecting unit 140 and the direction in which the operating unit 110 is formed at the other end of the connecting unit 140 are the same with respect to the YZ plane. In other words, the operating unit 110 is formed in a direction away from the body of the user holding it, i.e., in the direction in which the endotool 120 is formed.

[0035] In particular, in the case of conventional surgical instruments, the direction in which the user operates the operating part and the actual operating direction of the end tool are different and do not intuitively match, making it difficult for the surgeon to operate intuitively, and it takes a long time to become skilled at moving the end tool in the desired direction.In some cases, malfunctions can occur, causing harm to the patient.

[0036] To solve this problem, the surgical instrument 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the operating direction of the operating unit 110 and the actuation direction of the end tool 120 are intuitively aligned in the same direction, and for this reason, the operating unit 110 and the end tool 120 are formed on the same side when viewed based on the YZ plane including the pitch drive joint 1111. This will be explained in more detail as follows.

[0037] 2 to 5, the operating unit 110 of the surgical instrument 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a pitch operator 111 that controls the pitch movement of the end tool 120, a yaw operator 112 that controls the yaw movement of the end tool 120, and an actuation operator 113 that controls the actuation movement of the end tool 120.

[0038] The pitch operation unit 111 includes a pitch operating joint 1111 and a pitch operating grip 1112. Here, the pitch operating joint 1111 is formed to be rotatable about the Y axis, and the pitch operating grip 1112 is connected to the pitch drive joint 1111 and is formed to rotate together with the pitch drive joint 1111. Here, since the pitch drive joint is a bending joint, when the pitch drive grip rotates about the Y axis, the pitch drive joint can also be said to bend or break accordingly. However, for convenience of explanation, hereinafter, bending of the pitch drive joint will be expressed as the pitch drive joint rotating.

[0039] For example, when a user holds the pitch drive handle 1112 and rotates the pitch drive handle 1112, the pitch drive joint 1111 connected to the pitch drive handle 1112 rotates together, and this rotational force is transmitted to the end tool 120 via the power transmission unit 130, causing the end tool 120 to rotate in the same direction as the rotational direction of the pitch drive joint 1111. In other words, when the pitch operation unit 111 rotates clockwise around the pitch drive joint 1111, the end tool 120 also rotates clockwise around an axis parallel to the rotation axis of the pitch drive joint 1111. Conversely, when the pitch operation unit 111 rotates counterclockwise around the pitch drive joint 1111, the end tool 120 also rotates counterclockwise around an axis parallel to the rotation axis of the pitch drive joint 1111.

[0040] Here, the pitch drive joint 1111 is also a bending-type joint member. More specifically, the pitch drive joint 1111 is formed in a hollow cylindrical shape, and a number of grooves 1111a are formed on the outer circumferential surface along one direction (the X-axis direction in FIG. 2) to allow the joint to bend freely. At this time, ribs 1111b are formed between each groove 1111a to determine the bending direction of the pitch drive joint 1111. That is, bending does not occur at the positions where the ribs 1111b are formed, and bending occurs at the portions where the ribs 1111b are not formed. That is, as viewed in FIG. 2, the ribs 1111b are formed along both lateral surfaces of the pitch drive joint 1111, but the pitch drive joint 1111 bends in the up-down direction where the ribs 1111b are not formed. Therefore, although the pitch drive joint 1111 does not have an actual rotation axis, it can be assumed that it rotates up and down around the P axis in FIG. 4. Therefore, the pitch drive joint 1111 is formed by a bending joint member and can become the center of rotation of the pitch movement.

[0041] On the other hand, the yaw operation unit 112 and the actuation operation unit 113 are formed on one end of the pitch drive handle 1112 of the pitch operation unit 111. Therefore, when the pitch operation unit 111 rotates around the pitch drive joint 1111, the yaw operation unit 112 and the actuation operation unit 113 also rotate together with the pitch operation unit 111.

[0042] As a result, the coordinate system between the yaw operation unit 112 and the actuation operation unit 113 is not fixed, but continues to change relative to one another as the pitch operation unit 111 rotates. That is, in FIG. 2, the yaw drive shaft 1121 of the yaw operation unit 112 is illustrated as being parallel to the Z axis, and the actuation drive shaft 1131 of the actuation operation unit 113 is illustrated as being parallel to the Y axis. However, when the pitch operation unit 111 rotates, the yaw drive shaft 1121 of the yaw operation unit 112 and the actuation drive shaft 1131 of the actuation operation unit 113 are no longer parallel to the Z axis or the Y axis. That is, the coordinate system between the yaw operation unit 112 and the actuation operation unit 113 changes as the operation unit 111 rotates. However, for the sake of convenience, unless otherwise specified, the coordinate system of the yaw operation unit 112 and the actuation operation unit 113 will be described in this specification based on the state in which the pitch drive handle 1112 is positioned perpendicular to the connecting unit 140, as shown in Figure 2.

[0043] The yaw control unit 112 includes a yaw rotating axis 1121 and a yaw rotating member 1122. The yaw driving axis 1121 is formed to form a predetermined angle with the XY plane on which the connecting unit 140 is formed. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the yaw driving axis 1121 is formed in a direction parallel to the Z axis. When the pitch control unit 111 rotates in this state, the coordinate system of the yaw control unit 112 changes relatively, as described above. However, the concept of the present invention is not limited thereto. It goes without saying that the yaw driving axis 1121 can be formed in various directions to suit the hand structure of a user holding the yaw control unit 112 according to ergonomic design.

[0044] Meanwhile, the yaw driving unit 1122 is connected to the yaw driving shaft 1121 and is configured to rotate together with the yaw driving shaft 1121. For example, if a user rotates the yaw driving unit 1122 while holding their index finger in the yaw driving unit 1122, the yaw driving shaft 1121 connected to the yaw driving unit 1122 rotates together. This rotational force is transmitted to the end tool 120 via the power transmission unit 130, causing the two jaws 121, 122 (FIG. 7A) of the end tool 120 to rotate left and right in the same direction as the rotational direction of the yaw driving shaft 1121. To this end, a pulley 1121a is formed on the yaw driving shaft 1121. A yaw wire 132W is connected to the pulley 1121a. The yaw wire 132W is connected to a joint member 125 of the end tool 120, which will be described later with reference to FIG. 7A, and rotates the joint member 125.

[0045] The actuation operation unit 113 includes an actuation rotating axis 1131 and an actuation rotating member 1132. Here, the actuation drive axis 1131 is formed to form a predetermined angle with the XY plane on which the connecting unit 140 is formed. For example, as shown in FIG. 2 , the actuation drive axis 1131 is formed in a direction parallel to the Y axis. When the pitch operation unit 111 rotates in this state, the coordinate system of the actuation operation unit 113 changes relatively, as described above. However, the concept of the present invention is not limited thereto. It goes without saying that the actuation drive axis 1131 may be formed in various directions to suit the hand structure of a user holding the actuation operation unit 113 according to ergonomic design.

[0046] Meanwhile, the actuation driver 1132 is connected to the actuation drive shaft 1131 and is configured to rotate together with the actuation drive shaft 1131. For example, if a user rotates the actuation driver 1132 while holding their thumb between the actuation driver 1132, the actuation drive shaft 1131 connected to the actuation driver 1132 rotates together, and this rotational force is transmitted to the end tool 120 via the power transmission unit 130, causing the two jaws 121 and 122 (FIG. 7A) of the end tool 120 to perform an actuation operation. Here, the actuation operation refers to the operation of opening and closing the jaws 121 and 122 (FIG. 7A) as the two jaws 121 and 122 (FIG. 7A) rotate in opposite directions, as described above. That is, when the actuation operating unit 113 is rotated in one direction, the first jaw 121 (FIG. 7A) rotates counterclockwise and the second jaw 122 (FIG. 7A) rotates clockwise, thereby closing the end tool 120. Conversely, when the actuation operating unit 113 is rotated in the opposite direction, the first jaw 121 (FIG. 7A) rotates clockwise and the second jaw 122 (FIG. 7A) rotates counterclockwise, thereby opening the end tool 120.

[0047] Meanwhile, a first actuation link 133L1 is connected to one end of the actuation operating axis 1131, a second actuation link 133L2 is connected to one end of the first actuation link 133L1, and a third actuation link 133L3 is connected to one end of the second actuation link 133L2. A pivot point 133L3P is formed in the third actuation link 133L3, which serves as the center of movement of the third actuation link 133L3. Meanwhile, a guide protrusion 133L3e is formed at one end of the third actuation link 133L3, and a guide groove 1112h is formed in the pitch drive handle 1112.

[0048] Therefore, when the actuation drive shaft 1131 rotates, the first actuation link 133L1 connected thereto rotates, and when the first actuation link 133L1 rotates, the second actuation link 133L2 connected thereto moves up and down in the Z-axis direction. When the second actuation link 133L2 moves up and down in the Z-axis direction, the third actuation link 133L3 connected thereto rotates about the pivot point 133L3P, and therefore the guide protrusion 133L3e of the third actuation link 133L3 performs linear movement in the X-axis direction in accordance with the guide groove 1112h of the pitch drive handle 1112. Meanwhile, an actuation wire 133W is connected to a guide protrusion 133L3e of the third actuation link 133L3, and when the guide protrusion 133L3e performs linear motion in the X-axis direction, the actuation wire 133W also performs linear motion in the X-axis direction. The actuation wire 133W is connected to an actuation guide pin 133WG of the end tool 120, which will be described later with reference to Figures 7A to 7C, and controls the actuation operation of the jaws 121 and 122.

[0049] 2 to 5, in the surgical instrument 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, the pitch operation unit 111 and the end tool 120 are formed on the same or parallel axis (X axis). That is, the pitch drive joint 1111 of the pitch operation unit 111 is formed at one end of the connecting unit 140, and the end tool 120 is formed at the other end of the connecting unit 140. Here, although the connecting unit 140 is illustrated as being formed in a straight line in the drawings, the concept of the present invention is not limited thereto. The connecting unit 140 may be curved to have a predetermined curvature or bent one or more times as necessary. Even in such cases, it can be said that the pitch operation unit 111 and the end tool 120 are formed on substantially the same or parallel axis. 2, the pitch operation unit 111 and the end tool 120 are shown to be formed on the same axis (X axis), but the idea of the present invention is not limited thereto, and the pitch operation unit 111 and the end tool 120 may be formed on different axes, as will be described later.

[0050] 6A to 6D show various modifications of the operating portion 110 of the surgical instrument 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0051] 2 and the like, in H1 of Fig. 6A, the pitch operation unit 111 and the yaw operation unit 112 of the operation unit 110 are formed independently of each other, and the pitch operation unit 111 and the yaw operation unit 112 are functionally separated from each other. Such an H1 can be seen in the first, second, third, and other embodiments of the present invention.

[0052] 6B has the following features: 1) a pitch / yaw operation unit 411 formed integrally with the pitch operation unit and yaw operation unit of the operation unit 410, and is configured to simultaneously perform the functions of both the pitch operation unit and the yaw operation unit; 2) the pitch / yaw operation unit 411 is formed above the extension of the end tool 420; and 3) the actuation operation unit 413 is formed on the pitch / yaw operation unit 411 and is formed to be independently rotatable on the pitch / yaw operation unit 411. Such an H21 can be seen in the fourth embodiment of the present invention, etc.

[0053] 6C has the following features: 1) a pitch / yaw operation unit 511 in which the pitch operation unit and yaw operation unit of operation unit 510 are integrally formed, and the H22 is configured to simultaneously perform the functions of the pitch operation unit and the yaw operation unit; 2) the pitch / yaw operation unit 511 is formed on an extension of end tool 520; and 3) an actuation operation unit 513 is formed on pitch / yaw operation unit 511, and rotates with pitch / yaw operation unit 511 when it rotates, and is also formed to be independently rotatable on pitch / yaw operation unit 511. Such an H22 can be found in the fifth, sixth, seventh, and other embodiments of the present invention.

[0054] H23 in Fig. 6D 1) has a pitch / yaw operation unit 811 in which the pitch operation unit and yaw operation unit of operation unit 810 are integrally formed, and is configured to simultaneously function as both the pitch operation unit and the yaw operation unit. 2) The pitch / yaw operation unit 811 is formed on an extension of the end tool 820, and the connecting portion 840 is not linear but is formed in a shape that is bent at least once. 3) The actuation operation unit 813 is formed on the pitch / yaw operation unit 811, and rotates with the rotation of the pitch / yaw operation unit 811, and is also formed to be independently rotatable on the pitch / yaw operation unit 111. Such an H23 can be found in the eighth, ninth, and tenth embodiments of the present invention.

[0055] In addition, various other modifications of the operating portion, including the modifications described above, can be applied to the surgical instrument of the present invention.

[0056] (End Tool)-Bent Type 7A is an assembled perspective view of an endotool applied to a surgical instrument 100 according to a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 7B is an exploded perspective view of the endotool of FIG. 7A, FIG. 7C is a perspective view showing the endotool of FIG. 7A with the jaw base 123 and articulation member 125 omitted, and FIG. 7D is a front view of the articulation member 125 of the endotool of FIG. 7A.

[0057] 7A to 7D, the endotool 120 applied to the surgical instrument 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention applies a bendable joint member as the joint member 125. That is, the endotool 120 includes a first jaw 121, a second jaw 122, a jaw base 123, and the joint member 125. Meanwhile, the power transmission unit 130 applied to the surgical instrument 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes one or more pitch wires 131W, one or more yaw wires 132W, and an actuation wire 133W.

[0058] In this embodiment, pitch movement is achieved by movement of a pitch wire connected to the joint member, and yaw movement is achieved by movement of a yaw wire connected to the joint member. An actuation wire extends toward the end tool, crossing between the pitch wire and the yaw wire, and is connected to grooves formed in each of the two jaws. Pulling and pushing the actuation wire opens and closes the two jaws. Because the actuation wire is centrally located and crosses between the pitch wire and the yaw wire, the actuation wire is not affected even if the pitch wire and the yaw wire move due to pitch and yaw movements.

[0059] On the other hand, when a pitch movement is performed with the lengths of both sides of the pitch wire being different, the yaw wire passing through the center of the pitch wires on both sides is not affected by the pitch movement, and similarly, when a yaw movement is performed with the lengths of both sides of the yaw wire being different, the pitch wire passing through the center of the yaw wires on both sides is not affected by the yaw movement. This will be described in more detail later.

[0060] The overall configuration of the end tool 120 will now be described in more detail.

[0061] More specifically, a joint member 125 is formed at one end of the connecting portion 140. Here, the surgical instrument according to the first embodiment of the present invention can employ a bending type joint member as the joint member 125 of the end tool 120. That is, one feature of this embodiment is that a bending type joint member is employed to configure the joint member 125 for performing pitch and yaw movements.

[0062] The bendable joint member 125 is formed in a hollow cylindrical shape, and a large number of grooves 125a are formed on the outer circumferential surface along one direction (the X-axis direction in FIG. 7A) to allow it to bend freely. At this time, ribs 125P, 125Y are formed in the middle of each groove 125a to guide the bending direction of the joint member 125. In other words, bending does not occur well at the positions where the ribs 125P, 125Y are formed, and bending mainly occurs in the parts where the ribs 125P, 125Y are not formed.

[0063] At this time, the joint member 125 is formed with a first rib 125P that guides bending of the joint member 125 in a first direction (i.e., pitch movement) and a second rib 125Y that guides bending of the joint member 125 in a second direction (i.e., yaw movement). At this time, the second rib 125Y is formed to be offset to a certain extent from the first rib 125P. Also, the first ribs 125P are formed in the even-numbered grooves 125a, and the second ribs 125Y are formed in the odd-numbered grooves 125a, so that the first ribs 125P and the second ribs 125Y are formed alternately.

[0064] That is, when viewed in Fig. 7A, the first ribs 125P are formed along both lateral surfaces of the joint member 125, but the joint member 125 is bent in the up and down direction. Therefore, although the joint member 125 does not have an actual rotation axis, it can be assumed that it rotates up and down around the Y axis in Fig. 7A. Therefore, the joint member 125 becomes the rotation center of the pitch movement.

[0065] In addition, second ribs 125Y are formed along the upper and lower surfaces of the joint member 125, and the joint member 125 is bent in the left-right direction. Therefore, although the joint member 125 does not have an actual rotation axis, it can be assumed that it rotates left and right around the Z axis in FIG. 7A. Therefore, the joint member 125 becomes the rotation center of the yaw movement. Here, the first rib 125P and the second rib 125Y do not necessarily have to be formed on the vertical or horizontal plane of the joint member 125, but may be formed to be offset to a certain extent from the vertical or horizontal plane of the joint member 125.

[0066] Meanwhile, both ends of a pitch wire 131W and a yaw wire 132W are coupled to the ends of the joint member 125 on the first jaw 121 side and the second jaw 122 side, respectively. Therefore, when one end of the pitch wire 131W is pulled, one end of the joint member 125 connected thereto is also pulled, and therefore the joint member 125 rotates around the Y axis in Fig. 7A to perform pitch movement. Similarly, when one end of the yaw wire 132W is pulled, one end of the joint member 125 connected thereto is also pulled, and therefore the joint member 125 rotates around the Z axis in Fig. 7A to perform yaw movement.

[0067] Meanwhile, a pitch wire through-hole 125PH, a yaw wire through-hole 125YH, and an actuation wire through-hole 125AH are formed in one end of the connecting portion (not shown) and one end of the joint member 125 opposing thereto. Meanwhile, a pitch wire 131W passes through the pitch wire through-hole 125PH and extends from the connecting portion 140 toward the end tool 120, and is coupled to the other end of the joint member 125. Meanwhile, a yaw wire 132W passes through the yaw wire through-hole 125YH and extends from the connecting portion 140 toward the end tool 120, and is coupled to the other end of the joint member 125. Meanwhile, a yaw wire 132W passes through the actuation wire through-hole 125AH and extends from the connecting portion 140 toward the end tool 120. Then, an actuation wire 133W passing through the actuation wire through-hole 125AH is coupled to an actuation guide pin 133WG.

[0068] At this time, as shown in Fig. 7D, the pitch wire through-holes 125PH are formed at both ends of the diameter in the Z-axis direction of the joint member 125 to control pitch movement, while the yaw wire through-holes 125YH are formed at both ends of the diameter in the Y-axis direction of the joint member 125 to control yaw movement, and while the actuation wire through-hole 125AH is formed in the center of the joint member 125 to control actuation movement.

[0069] As described above, the yaw wire performs a yaw movement when one of its ends is pulled, and at that time, the actuation wire and pitch wire passing through the center of both ends of the yaw wire do not change in length, so the yaw movement is performed independently of the actuation movement and pitch movement. Similarly, the pitch wire performs a pitch movement when one of its ends is pulled, and at that time, the actuation wire and yaw wire passing through the center of both ends of the pitch wire do not change in length, so the pitch movement is performed independently of the actuation movement and yaw movement.

[0070] Meanwhile, shaft through-holes 121a and 122a are formed in the first jaw 121 and the second jaw 122, respectively, and an actuation shaft 120AX is inserted through the shaft through-holes 121a and 122a of the first jaw 121 and the second jaw 122. The first jaw 121 and the second jaw 122 rotate around the actuation shaft 120AX.

[0071] Meanwhile, guide holes 121b and 122b are formed on one side of the shaft through holes 121a and 122a of the first jaw 121 and the second jaw 122, respectively, and an actuation guide pin 133WG is inserted through the guide holes 121b and 122b of the first jaw 121 and the second jaw 122. An actuation wire 133W is coupled to the actuation guide pin 133WG, and when the actuation wire 133W performs a linear reciprocating motion along the X-axis, the actuation guide pin 133WG connected thereto reciprocates along the guide holes 121b and 122b, thereby rotating the first jaw 121 and the second jaw 122 around the actuation axis 120AX, thereby performing an actuation operation. That is, the actuation action of the two jaws, which causes them to simultaneously close or open, is achieved by the forward or backward movement of a single actuation wire.

[0072] As described above, the end tool 120 of the surgical instrument 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the wires for pitch movement, yaw movement, and actuation movement are each formed separately, so that one movement does not affect the other movements.

[0073] First, the yaw operation of this embodiment will be described.

[0074] 4, 8 and 9, a yaw wire 132W for yaw operation of the end tool 120 connects the yaw operation unit 112 of the operation unit 110 and the joint member 125 of the end tool 120. Therefore, when the yaw operation unit 112 rotates counterclockwise around the yaw drive shaft 1121, the yaw wire 132W on the operation unit 110 side moves overall in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 4, and therefore, the yaw wire 132W on the end tool 120 side connected thereto is such that, as viewed in FIG. 8, the left yaw wire 132W is pushed from the operation unit side to the end tool side, and the right yaw wire 132W is pulled, and moves in the direction of arrow Y1 in FIG. 9, and therefore, the joint member 125 connected to the yaw wire 132W, and the first jaw 121 and second jaw 122 connected thereto, rotate around the joint member 125 in the direction of arrow Y in FIG. 9, and a yaw operation is performed. In other words, when the yaw operating unit 112 is rotated in one direction around the yaw drive shaft 1121, the joint member 125 of the end tool 120 and the first jaw 121 and second jaw 122 connected thereto also rotate in the same direction, so that the operating direction of the operating unit 110 and the operating direction of the end tool 120 intuitively coincide with each other.

[0075] Next, the pitch operation of this embodiment will be described.

[0076] Similar to the yaw movement described above, a pitch wire 131W for pitch movement of the end tool 120 connects the pitch operation unit 111 (FIG. 2) of the operation unit 110 (FIG. 2) and the joint member 125 of the end tool 120. Therefore, when the pitch operation unit 111 (FIG. 2) rotates around the pitch drive joint 1111 (FIG. 2), the pitch wire 131W connected thereto moves, and therefore the joint member 125 connected to the pitch wire 131W, and the first jaw 121 and second jaw 122 connected thereto rotate around the joint member 125, thereby performing a pitch movement. In other words, when the pitch operation unit 111 (FIG. 2) is rotated in one direction around the pitch drive joint 1111 (FIG. 2), the joint member 125 of the end tool 120 and the first jaw 121 and second jaw 122 connected thereto also rotate in the same direction, so that the operation direction of the operation unit 110 and the operating direction of the end tool 120 intuitively coincide with each other.

[0077] Next, the actuation operation of this embodiment will be described.

[0078] 5 and 8, an actuation wire 133W for actuating the end tool 120 connects the actuation operation unit 113 of the operation unit 110 and the actuation guide pin 133WG of the end tool 120. Therefore, when the actuation operation unit 113 rotates in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 5 around the actuation drive shaft 1131, the first actuation link 133L1, the second actuation link 133L2, and the third actuation link 133L3, which are connected in sequence to the actuation operation unit 113, move, respectively. At this time, a pivot point 133L3P is formed in the third actuation link 133L3, which serves as the center of rotation of the third actuation link 133L3. When the third actuation link 133L3 rotates around the pivot point 133L3P in this manner, the guide protrusion 133L3e of the third actuation link 133L3 moves linearly in the direction of arrow C in Fig. 5, and the actuation wire 133W connected thereto moves linearly in the direction of arrow A in Fig. 10 from the state shown in Fig. 7A. Therefore, as the actuation guide pin 133WG connected to the actuation wire 133W moves along the guide holes 121b and 122b, the first jaw 121 and the second jaw 122 rotate around the actuation axis 120AX, and an actuation operation is performed in which the first jaw 121 and the second jaw 122 converge toward each other.

[0079] The various variations that may be applied to such end tools are described below with reference to Figures 33 to 36.

[0080] (Overall operation of the first embodiment) Below, with reference to the above, the overall configuration of the pitch movement, yaw movement, and actuation movement of the surgical instrument 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be summarized.

[0081] First, the pitch operation is as follows.

[0082] As described above, when a user holds the pitch drive handle 1112 of the pitch operation unit 111 of the operation unit 110 and rotates the pitch drive handle 1112 in the direction of arrow P (pitch) in Fig. 4 around the pitch drive joint 1111, the joint member 125 connected to the pitch operation unit 111 via the pitch wire 131W and the jaws 121, 122 connected to the joint member rotate around the Y axis, thereby performing a pitch operation. In other words, when the pitch operation unit 111 is rotated in one direction around the pitch drive joint 1111, the joint member 125 of the end tool 120 and the jaws 121, 122 connected thereto also rotate in the same direction, and the operation direction of the operation unit 110 and the actuation direction of the end tool 120 intuitively coincide with each other.

[0083] Next, the yaw operation of this embodiment will be described.

[0084] 4 with the index finger pinched between the yaw drive unit 1122, the yaw drive unit 1122 rotates in the direction of arrow Y in Fig. 4, causing the yaw drive unit 1122 to rotate about the yaw drive shaft 1121, and this rotational force rotates the joint member 125 connected to the yaw operation unit 112 via the yaw wire 132W, and the jaws 121, 122 connected to the joint member, about the Z axis, thereby performing a yaw operation. In other words, when the yaw operation unit 112 is rotated in one direction about the yaw drive shaft 1121, the joint member 125 of the end tool 120 and the jaws 121, 122 connected thereto also rotate in the same direction, and the operation direction of the operation unit 110 and the actuation direction of the end tool 120 intuitively coincide with each other.

[0085] Next, the actuation operation of this embodiment will be described.

[0086] When a user holds their thumb between the actuation drive unit 1132 and rotates the actuation drive unit 1132 in the direction of arrow A in Figure 5, the actuation drive unit 1132 rotates around the actuation drive shaft 1131, and therefore the first actuation link 133L1 connected to the actuation drive shaft 1131 rotates together with the actuation drive shaft 1131, and the second actuation link 133L2 connected to the first actuation link 133L1 descends in the direction of arrow B in Figure 5. When the second actuation link 133L2 descends in the direction of arrow B in Figure 5, the third actuation link 133L3 connected to it rotates counterclockwise around the pivot point 133L3P, and therefore the guide protrusion 133L3e of the third actuation link 133L3 performs linear movement along the X-axis in the direction of arrow C in Figure 5, following the guide groove 1112h of the pitch drive handle 1112. Therefore, the actuation wire 133W connected to the guide protrusion 133L3e of the third actuation link 133L3 also moves linearly along the X-axis in the direction of arrow C. This actuation wire 133W linearly moves the actuation guide pin 133WG (FIG. 7) of the end tool 120 (FIG. 7), causing the first jaw 121 and the second jaw 122 to rotate in opposite directions, thereby performing an actuation operation in which the jaws close. Conversely, if the actuation driver 1132 is rotated in the opposite direction of arrow A in FIG. 5, the first jaw 121 and the second jaw 122 will rotate in the opposite direction, thereby performing an actuation operation in which the jaws open.

[0087] <Conceptual division of the first, second and third embodiments of the surgical instrument> Before describing the surgical instruments according to the second and third embodiments of the present invention, the criteria that characterize the first, second, and third embodiments of the surgical instruments according to the present invention will be briefly explained below.

[0088] Figures 11A, 11B, and 11C are drawings that schematically show the pitch movement of the first, second, and third embodiments of the surgical instrument of the present invention, respectively, and Figure 11D is a drawing that schematically shows the yaw movement of the first, second, and third embodiments of the surgical instrument of the present invention.

[0089] First, the yaw operation of the first, second and third embodiments of the present invention will be described.

[0090] The first, second, and third embodiments of the present invention all use the index finger to perform the yaw operation. That is, as shown in Fig. 11D, in the first, second, and third embodiments of the present invention, the index finger is used to perform the yaw operation, and the pivot point is located behind the part that naturally moves. Therefore, the direction in which the user operates the operation unit and the actual operating direction of the end tool can be intuitively matched.

[0091] Next, the pitch operation of the first, second, and third embodiments of the present invention will be described. The first, second, and third embodiments of the surgical instrument of the present invention are distinguished by their characteristics in terms of the positional relationship between the imaginary central axis of the pitch drive handle in the Z-axis direction and the imaginary central axis of the pitch drive joint in the Z-axis direction.

[0092] Here, "the imaginary central axis X2 in the Z-axis direction of the pitch drive joint" means an imaginary axis in the Z-axis direction that perpendicularly intersects with the approximate center point in the X-axis direction when the pitch drive joint is not bent, or an axis that is perpendicular to the imaginary central axis of rotation in the Y-axis direction of the pitch drive joint on the YZ plane that includes the imaginary central axis of rotation in the Y-axis direction of the pitch drive joint. Hereinafter, such an axis will be referred to as "the imaginary central axis in the Z-axis direction of the pitch drive joint."

[0093] 11A, the first embodiment of the surgical instrument of the present invention is characterized in that the imaginary center axis of the pitch drive handle in the Z-axis direction is closer to the end tool than the imaginary center axis of the pitch drive joint in the Z-axis direction. That is, the imaginary center axis X1 of the pitch drive handle 1112 of the surgical instrument 100 in the Z-axis direction is closer to the end tool than the imaginary center axis X2 of the pitch drive joint 1111 in the Z-axis direction. In this case, the pitch drive handle 1112 (or the hand or handle holding it), which moves for pitch operation, is located forward of the pitch joint point (i.e., closer to the end tool). Therefore, as shown in FIG. 11A, the center of rotation of the joint is located at the user's wrist, and the user's hand rotates, which has the advantage of being intuitive and easy to operate. That is, the user's wrist serves as a reference and the end tool can be operated by moving the hand positioned forward, just as if the end tool 120 were actually rotating, making pitch operation of the surgical instrument intuitive.

[0094] 11B, the second embodiment of the surgical instrument of the present invention is characterized in that the imaginary central axis of the pitch drive handle in the Z-axis direction and the imaginary central axis of the pitch drive joint in the Z-axis direction are formed on the same line. That is, the imaginary central axis X1 in the Z-axis direction of the pitch drive handle 2112 of the surgical instrument 200 is formed at the same distance from the end tool as the imaginary central axis X2 in the Z-axis direction of the pitch drive joint 2111. In this case, the pitch drive handle 2112 (or the hand or handle that holds it), which moves for pitch movement, is located on the pitch joint point. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 11B, the center of rotation of the joint is located at the position where the user holds the pitch drive handle 2112.

[0095] 11C, the third embodiment of the surgical instrument of the present invention is characterized in that the imaginary central axis of the pitch drive handle in the Z-axis direction is formed farther from the end tool than the imaginary central axis of the pitch drive joint in the Z-axis direction. That is, the imaginary central axis X1 in the Z-axis direction of the pitch drive handle 3112 of the surgical instrument 300 is formed farther from the end tool than the imaginary central axis X2 in the Z-axis direction of the pitch drive joint 3111. In this case, the pitch drive handle 3112 (or the hand or handle holding it) that moves for pitch movement is located behind the pitch joint point (i.e., on the opposite side of the end tool).

[0096] A common feature among the first, second, and third embodiments of the surgical instrument of the present invention described above is that, in at least one operating state of the pitch operation unit 111, the pitch drive handle 1112 is formed closer to the end tool 120 than the imaginary central axis X2 in the Z-axis direction of the pitch drive joint.

[0097] For example, in the first embodiment of the surgical instrument of the present invention shown in FIG. 11A, the imaginary center axis X1 of the pitch drive handle 1112 in the Z-axis direction is formed closer to the end tool 120 than the imaginary center axis X2 of the pitch drive joint 1111 in the Z-axis direction. However, in almost all operating states of the pitch operation unit 111, the pitch drive handle 1112 is formed closer to the end tool 120 than the imaginary center axis X2 of the pitch drive joint 1111 in the Z-axis direction.

[0098] Meanwhile, in the second embodiment of the surgical instrument of the present invention shown in FIG. 11B, the imaginary central axis X1 of the pitch drive handle 2112 in the Z-axis direction and the imaginary central axis X2 of the pitch drive joint 2111 in the Z-axis direction are formed on the same line. However, if the pitch operation unit 211 rotates forward even slightly around the pitch drive joint 2111 in the state shown in FIG. 11B, the pitch drive handle 2112 will be formed closer to the end tool 220 than the imaginary central axis X2 of the pitch drive joint 2111 in the Z-axis direction.

[0099] 11C, the imaginary center axis X1 of the pitch drive handle 3112 in the Z-axis direction is formed farther from the end tool 320 than the imaginary center axis X2 of the pitch drive joint 3111 in the Z-axis direction. Therefore, in the state shown in FIG. 11C, the pitch drive handle 3112 is located farther from the end tool 320 than the imaginary center axis X2 of the pitch drive joint in the Z-axis direction. However, if the pitch operation unit 311 is rotated forward about the pitch drive joint 3111 by more than a certain angle to perform a pitch operation, a portion of the pitch drive handle 3112 is formed closer to the end tool 320 than the imaginary center axis X2 of the pitch drive joint 3111 in the Z-axis direction.

[0100] As described above, in at least one operating state of the pitch operation unit 111, 211, 311, the pitch drive handle 1112, 2112, 3112 is formed closer to the end tool 120, 220, 320 than the imaginary center axis X2 in the Z-axis direction of the pitch drive joint 1111, 2111, 3111. This allows the user performing the pitch operation to move the fingers and hand located distal to the wrist joint more. In other words, in the conventional case illustrated in FIGS. 1A to 1D, the distal end of the hand is fixed and the rear portion, such as the wrist and arm, must move significantly. This significantly differs from the operation of the end tool, making intuitive operation difficult. However, due to the above-described characteristics, the embodiment of the present invention, unlike conventional devices, can achieve the effect of significantly improving the intuitiveness of operation of the operation unit for controlling the end tool.

[0101] <Second embodiment of surgical instrument> (E1+H1b) A surgical instrument 200 according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described below. The surgical instrument 200 according to the second embodiment of the present invention is characterized by a difference from the surgical instrument 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention (FIG. 2) described previously in that the imaginary center axis X1 in the Z-axis direction of the pitch drive handle 2112 of the surgical instrument 200 is formed on the same line as the imaginary center axis X2 in the Z-axis direction of the pitch drive joint 2111. Such differences from the first embodiment will be described in detail below.

[0102] 12 and 13 are views showing a surgical instrument 200 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Referring to Fig. 12 and 13, the surgical instrument 200 according to the second embodiment of the present invention includes an operating unit 210, an end tool 220, a power transmission unit 230, and a connecting unit 240.

[0103] The operating unit 210 of the surgical instrument 200 includes a pitch operating unit 211 that controls the pitch movement of the end tool 220, a yaw operating unit 212 that controls the yaw movement of the end tool 220, and an actuation operating unit 213 that controls the actuation movement of the end tool 220.

[0104] The pitch operation unit 211 includes a pitch drive joint 2111 and a pitch drive handle 2112. Here, the pitch drive joint 2111 is formed to be rotatable around the Y axis, and the pitch drive handle 2112 is connected to the pitch drive joint 2111 and is formed to rotate together with the pitch drive joint 2111. Here, the pitch drive joint 2111 is also a bending type joint member.

[0105] On the other hand, the yaw operation unit 212 and the actuation operation unit 213 are formed on one end of the pitch drive handle 2112 of the pitch operation unit 211.

[0106] The yaw operation unit 212 includes a yaw drive shaft 2121 and a yaw drive unit 2122. The yaw drive unit 2122 is connected to the yaw drive shaft 2121 and is configured to rotate together with the yaw drive shaft 2121. For example, if a user rotates the yaw drive unit 2122 with their index finger pinched between the yaw drive unit 2122, the yaw drive shaft 2121 connected to the yaw drive unit 2122 rotates together. This rotational force is transmitted to the end tool 220 via the power transmission unit 230, causing the two jaws 221, 222 of the end tool 220 to rotate in the same direction as the rotational direction of the yaw drive shaft 2121. To this end, a pulley 2121a is formed on the yaw drive shaft 2121. A yaw wire 232W is connected to the pulley 2121a. Such a yaw wire 232W is connected to the end tool 220 and rotates the end tool 220.

[0107] The actuation operation unit 213 includes an actuation drive shaft 2131 and an actuation drive unit 2132. A first actuation link (not shown) is connected to one end of the actuation drive shaft 2131, a second actuation link 233L2 is connected to one end of the first actuation link (not shown), and a third actuation link 233L3 is connected to one end of the second actuation link 233L2. A pivot point 233L3P is formed in the third actuation link 233L3, which serves as the center of movement of the third actuation link 233L3. A guide protrusion 233L3e is formed in one end of the third actuation link 233L3, and a guide groove 2112h is formed in the pitch drive handle 2112.

[0108] 7A to 7D as the articulation member 225. That is, the end tool 220 includes a first jaw (not shown), a second jaw 222, a jaw base 223, and the articulation member 225. Meanwhile, the power transmission unit 230 applied to the surgical instrument 200 according to the second embodiment of the present invention includes one or more pitch wires (not shown), one or more yaw wires 232W, and an actuation wire 233W.

[0109] Here, the second embodiment of the surgical instrument of the present invention is characterized in that the imaginary center axis of the pitch drive handle in the Z-axis direction and the imaginary center axis of the pitch drive joint in the Z-axis direction are formed on the same line. That is, the imaginary center axis X1 in the Z-axis direction of the pitch drive handle 2112 of the surgical instrument 200 is formed at the same distance from the end tool as the imaginary center axis X2 in the Z-axis direction of the pitch drive joint 2111. Here, in the second embodiment of the surgical instrument of the present invention, at least in one operating state of the pitch operation unit 211, the pitch drive handle 2112 is formed closer to the end tool 220 than the imaginary center axis X2 in the Z-axis direction of the pitch drive joint. That is, in the second embodiment of the surgical instrument of the present invention, the imaginary center axis X1 of the pitch drive handle 2112 in the Z-axis direction and the imaginary center axis X2 of the pitch drive joint 2111 in the Z-axis direction are formed on the same line, but if the pitch operation unit 211 rotates even slightly around the pitch drive joint 2111 in the state shown in FIG. 12, the pitch drive handle 2112 will be formed closer to the end tool 220 than the imaginary center axis X2 of the pitch drive joint 2111 in the Z-axis direction.

[0110] <Third embodiment of surgical instrument> (E1+H1c) A surgical instrument 300 according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described below. The surgical instrument 300 according to the third embodiment of the present invention is characterized by a difference from the surgical instrument 100 (FIG. 2) according to the first embodiment of the present invention previously described in that the imaginary central axis X1 in the Z-axis direction of the pitch drive handle 3112 of the surgical instrument 300 is formed farther from the end tool than the imaginary central axis X2 in the Z-axis direction of the pitch drive joint 3111. The yaw operation unit 312 also differs from the surgical instrument 100 (FIG. 2) according to the first embodiment of the present invention. These differences from the first embodiment will be described in detail below.

[0111] 14 and 15 are views showing a surgical instrument 300 according to a third embodiment of the present invention. Referring to Fig. 14 and 15, the surgical instrument 300 according to the third embodiment of the present invention includes an operating unit 310, an end tool 320, a power transmission unit 330, and a connecting unit 340.

[0112] The operating unit 310 of the surgical instrument 300 includes a pitch operating unit 311 that controls the pitch movement of the end tool 320, a yaw operating unit 312 that controls the yaw movement of the end tool 320, and an actuation operating unit 313 that controls the actuation movement of the end tool 320.

[0113] The pitch operation unit 311 includes a pitch drive joint 3111 and a pitch drive handle 3112. Here, the pitch drive joint 3111 is formed to be rotatable around the Y axis, and the pitch drive handle 3112 is connected to the pitch drive joint 3111 and is formed to rotate together with the pitch drive joint 3111. Here, the pitch drive joint 3111 is also a bending type joint member.

[0114] Meanwhile, the yaw operation unit 312 includes a yaw drive joint 3121 and a yaw drive unit 3122. Here, the yaw drive unit 3122 is connected to the yaw drive joint 3121 and is configured to rotate together with the yaw drive joint 3121. For example, if a user rotates the yaw drive unit 3122 with their index finger pinched between the yaw drive unit 3122, the yaw drive joint 3121 connected to the yaw drive unit 3122 rotates together, and this rotational force is transmitted to the end tool 320 via the power transmission unit 330, causing two jaws of the end tool 320 to rotate left and right in the same direction as the rotational direction of the yaw drive joint 3121.

[0115] That is, in the third embodiment, a bending joint member is used as the yaw operation unit 312, which is an equivalent component having the same purpose as the yaw operation unit of the previous embodiment in that it provides rotation through yaw operation. For this purpose, various configurations other than the bending joint member of this embodiment can be applied. In this embodiment, the yaw operation unit 312 is formed in a hollow cylindrical shape, and a number of grooves 3121a are formed on the outer circumferential surface along one direction (the X-axis direction) to allow for flexibility. At this time, ribs 3121b are formed between each groove 3121a to determine the bending direction of the yaw drive joint 3121. That is, bending does not occur at positions where the ribs 3121b are formed, and bending occurs at portions where the ribs 3121b are not formed. That is, although the ribs 3121b are formed along the top and bottom surfaces of the yaw drive joint 3121, the yaw drive joint 3121 bends left and right in the directions where the ribs 3121b are not formed. Therefore, although the yaw drive joint 3121 does not have an actual rotation axis, it can be assumed that it rotates left and right around the Z axis. Therefore, the yaw drive joint 3121 is formed by a bending joint member and serves as the rotation center of the yaw movement.

[0116] The actuation operation unit 313 includes an actuation drive shaft 3131 and an actuation drive unit 3132. A first actuation link 333L1 is connected to one end of the actuation drive shaft 3131, a second actuation link 333L2 is connected to one end of the first actuation link 333L1, and a third actuation link 333L3 is connected to one end of the second actuation link 333L2. A pivot point 333L3P is formed in the third actuation link 333L3, which serves as the center of movement of the third actuation link 333L3. A guide protrusion 333L3e is formed at one end of the third actuation link 333L3, and a guide groove (not shown) is formed in the pitch drive handle 3112.

[0117] 7A to 7D as the articulation member 325. That is, the end tool 320 includes a first jaw (not shown), a second jaw 322, a jaw base 323, and the articulation member 325. Meanwhile, the power transmission unit 330 applied to the surgical instrument 300 according to the third embodiment of the present invention includes one or more pitch wires 331W, one or more yaw wires 332W, and an actuation wire (not shown).

[0118] Here, the third embodiment of the surgical instrument of the present invention is characterized in that the imaginary center axis of the pitch drive handle in the Z-axis direction is formed farther from the end tool than the imaginary center axis of the pitch drive joint in the Z-axis direction. In other words, the imaginary center axis X1 in the Z-axis direction of the pitch drive handle 3112 of the surgical instrument 300 is formed farther from the end tool than the imaginary center axis X2 in the Z-axis direction of the pitch drive joint 3111.

[0119] Here, in the third embodiment of the surgical instrument of the present invention, in at least one operating state of the pitch operation unit 311, the pitch drive handle 3112 is formed closer to the end tool 320 than the imaginary central axis X2 of the pitch drive joint in the Z-axis direction. That is, in the third embodiment of the surgical instrument of the present invention, the pitch drive handle 3112 is located farther from the end tool 320 than the imaginary central axis X2 of the pitch drive joint in the Z-axis direction. However, if the pitch operation unit 311 is rotated about the pitch drive joint 3111 by more than a certain angle to perform a pitch operation, a portion of the pitch drive handle 3112 is formed closer to the end tool 220 than the imaginary central axis X2 of the pitch drive joint 3111 in the Z-axis direction.

[0120] <Fourth embodiment of surgical instrument> (E1+H21) A surgical instrument 400 according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described below. The surgical instrument 400 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention differs from the surgical instrument 100 (FIG. 2) according to the first embodiment of the present invention described above in that it includes a pitch / yaw operation unit 411 in which the pitch operation unit and the yaw operation unit of the operation unit 410 are integrally formed, thereby performing the functions of both the pitch operation unit and the yaw operation unit simultaneously. The pitch / yaw operation unit 411 is formed above the extension line of the end tool 420. As a result, the surgical instrument 400 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention allows the pitch / yaw operation unit 411 to be operated by the user's fingers, not by the wrist. These differences from the first embodiment will be described in detail below.

[0121] 16 and 17 are views showing a surgical instrument 400 according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. Referring to Fig. 16 and 17, the surgical instrument 400 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention includes an operating unit 410, an end tool 420, a power transmission unit 430, and a connecting unit 440.

[0122] The operating unit 410 of the surgical instrument 400 includes a pitch / yaw operating unit 411 that controls the pitch and yaw movements of the end tool 420 , and an actuation operating unit 413 that controls the actuation movement of the end tool 420 .

[0123] The pitch / yaw operation unit 411 includes a pitch / yaw drive joint 4111 and a pitch / yaw drive unit 4112. Here, the pitch / yaw drive joint 4111 is formed to be rotatable about the Y-axis and the Z-axis, and the pitch / yaw drive unit 4112 is connected to the pitch / yaw drive joint 4111 and formed to rotate together with the pitch / yaw drive joint 4111. Here, the pitch / yaw drive joint 4111 is also a bending type joint member.

[0124] The pitch / yaw drive joint 4111 formed as a bending type is formed in a hollow cylindrical shape, and a large number of grooves 4111a are formed on the outer circumferential surface along one direction (the X-axis direction) to allow it to bend freely. At this time, ribs 4111P, 4111Y are formed in the middle of each groove 4111a to guide the bending direction of the pitch / yaw drive joint 4111. In other words, bending does not occur well at the positions where the ribs 4111P, 4111Y are formed, and bending mainly occurs in the parts where the ribs 4111P, 4111Y are not formed.

[0125] At this time, the pitch / yaw drive joint 4111 is formed with a first rib 4111P that guides bending of the pitch / yaw drive joint 4111 in a first direction (i.e., pitch movement) and a second rib 4111Y that guides bending of the pitch / yaw drive joint 4111 in a second direction (i.e., yaw movement). At this time, the second rib 4111Y is formed to be offset to a certain extent from the first rib 4111P. Also, the first ribs 4111P are formed in the even-numbered grooves 4111a, and the second ribs 4111Y are formed in the odd-numbered grooves 4111a, so that the first ribs 4111P and the second ribs 4111Y are formed alternately.

[0126] That is, when viewed in Fig. 17, first ribs 4111P are formed along both lateral surfaces of the pitch / yaw drive joint 4111, but the pitch / yaw drive joint 4111 is bent in the up and down direction. Therefore, although the pitch / yaw drive joint 4111 does not have an actual rotation axis, it can be assumed that it rotates up and down around the Y axis in Fig. 17. Therefore, the pitch / yaw drive joint 4111 becomes the rotation center of the pitch movement.

[0127] Additionally, second ribs 4111Y are formed along the upper and lower surfaces of the pitch / yaw drive joint 4111, and the pitch / yaw drive joint 4111 is bent in the left-right direction. Therefore, although the pitch / yaw drive joint 4111 does not have an actual rotation axis, it can be assumed that it rotates left and right around the Z axis in Figure 17. Therefore, the pitch / yaw drive joint 4111 becomes the rotation center of the yaw movement.

[0128] Here, the first rib 4111P and the second rib 4111Y do not necessarily have to be formed on the vertical or horizontal plane of the pitch / yaw drive joint 4111, but may also be formed to be offset to a certain extent from the vertical or horizontal plane of the pitch / yaw drive joint 4111.

[0129] Meanwhile, both ends of the pitch wire 431W and the yaw wire 432W are respectively coupled to the end of the pitch / yaw drive joint 4111 on the pitch / yaw drive unit 4112 side. Therefore, when the pitch / yaw drive unit 4112 rotates, the pitch / yaw drive joint 4111 connected thereto rotates, and as the pitch / yaw drive joint 4111 rotates, it pushes one end of the pitch wire 431W or the yaw wire 432W and pulls the other end, thereby causing the end tool 420 connected thereto to pitch or yaw.

[0130] To explain it differently, the center of rotation for the pitch and yaw movements of the end tool (i.e., the joint member) is formed on the rear side of the end tool (first jaw and second jaw), and the center of rotation for the pitch and yaw movements of the operating unit (i.e., the pitch / yaw drive joint) is formed on the rear side of the operating unit (pitch / yaw drive unit). Both the end tool and the operating unit move based on the center of rotation formed on their rear side, so it can be said that their operations intuitively match each other structurally.

[0131] The actuation operation unit 413 includes an actuation drive shaft 4131 and an actuation drive unit 4132. Meanwhile, an actuation wire 433W is coupled to one end of the actuation drive shaft 4131. The other end of the actuation wire 433W is coupled to an actuation guide pin 133WG (FIG. 8) of the end tool 420.

[0132] 7A to 7D as a joint member 425. That is, the end tool 420 includes a first jaw (not shown), a second jaw 422, a jaw base 423, and a joint member 425. Meanwhile, the power transmission unit 430 applied to the surgical instrument 400 according to the second embodiment of the present invention includes one or more pitch wires 431W, one or more yaw wires 432W, and an actuation wire 433W.

[0133] Here, in the case of the fourth embodiment of the surgical instrument of the present invention, as described above, 1) the pitch operation section and yaw operation section of the operation section 410 are integrally formed to form the pitch / yaw operation section 411, which is configured to simultaneously perform the functions of the pitch operation section and the yaw operation section. 2) In this case, the pitch / yaw operation section 411 is characterized by being formed above the extension line of the end tool 420.

[0134] <Conceptual classification of the fifth, sixth, and seventh embodiments of the surgical instruments> Before describing the surgical instruments according to the fifth, sixth, and seventh embodiments of the present invention, the criteria that characterize the fifth, sixth, and seventh embodiments of the surgical instruments of the present invention will be briefly explained below.

[0135] Figure 18A is a conceptual diagram of pitch movement of a fifth embodiment of a surgical instrument of the present invention, Figure 18B is a conceptual diagram of yaw movement, Figure 18C is a conceptual diagram of pitch movement of a sixth embodiment of a surgical instrument of the present invention, Figure 18D is a conceptual diagram of yaw movement, Figure 18E is a conceptual diagram of pitch movement of a seventh embodiment of a surgical instrument of the present invention, and Figure 18F is a conceptual diagram of yaw movement.

[0136] Here, the fifth, sixth, and seventh embodiments of the surgical instrument of the present invention are distinguished by their characteristics in terms of the positional relationship between the imaginary central axis of the pitch / yaw drive handle in the Z-axis direction and the imaginary central axis of the pitch / yaw drive joint in the Z-axis direction.

[0137] 18A and 18B, the fifth embodiment of the surgical instrument of the present invention is characterized in that the imaginary center axis of the pitch / yaw drive handle in the Z-axis direction is formed closer to the end tool side than the imaginary center axis of the pitch / yaw drive joint in the Z-axis direction. In other words, the imaginary center axis X1 of the pitch / yaw drive handle 5112 of the surgical instrument 500 in the Z-axis direction is formed closer to the end tool side than the imaginary center axis X2 of the pitch / yaw drive joint 5111 in the Z-axis direction.

[0138] In this case, the pitch / yaw drive handle 5112 (or the hand or handle holding it) that moves for pitch operation is located forward (i.e., on the endotool side) of the pitch / yaw joint point, and therefore, as shown in Fig. 18A, the center of rotation of the joint is located at the user's wrist and the user's hand rotates, which has the advantage of being intuitive and easy to operate. In other words, the user's wrist serves as the reference and the endotool can be operated by moving the hand positioned forward, just as if the endotool 520 were actually rotating, which makes pitch operation of the surgical instrument intuitive.

[0139] In addition, the pitch / yaw drive handle 5112 (or the hand or handle holding it) that moves for yaw movement is located forward of the pitch / yaw joint point (i.e., on the endotool side). Therefore, as shown in FIG. 18B, the center of rotation of the joint is located at the user's wrist, and the user's hand rotates, which has the advantage of being intuitive and easy to operate. In other words, the user's wrist can be used as a reference to move the hand positioned in front of the endotool 520, so that the endotool can be operated, and the yaw operation of the surgical instrument is intuitively consistent. This configuration is also applicable to the eighth embodiment described below.

[0140] 18C and 18D, the sixth embodiment of the surgical instrument of the present invention is characterized in that the imaginary center axis of the pitch / yaw drive handle in the Z-axis direction and the imaginary center axis of the pitch / yaw drive joint in the Z-axis direction are formed on the same line. That is, the imaginary center axis X1 in the Z-axis direction of the pitch / yaw drive handle 6112 of the surgical instrument 600 is formed at the same distance from the end tool as the imaginary center axis X2 in the Z-axis direction of the pitch / yaw drive joint 6111.

[0141] In this case, the pitch / yaw drive handle 6112 (or the hand or handle that holds it) that moves to perform the pitch movement is positioned on the pitch / yaw joint point, and therefore the center of rotation of the joint is located at the point where the user holds the pitch / yaw drive handle 6112, as shown in Figure 18C.

[0142] In addition, the pitch / yaw drive handle 6112 (or the hand or handle holding it) that moves for yaw movement is located on the pitch / yaw joint point, and therefore, as shown in Fig. 18D, the center of rotation of the joint is located at the part where the user holds the pitch / yaw drive handle 6112. Therefore, in such a case, both the tip and rear of the hand move. This configuration is also applied to the ninth embodiment described below.

[0143] 18E and 18F, the seventh embodiment of the surgical instrument of the present invention is characterized in that the imaginary center axis of the pitch / yaw drive handle in the Z-axis direction is formed farther from the end tool than the imaginary center axis of the pitch / yaw drive joint in the Z-axis direction. That is, the imaginary center axis X1 of the pitch / yaw drive handle 7112 of the surgical instrument 700 in the Z-axis direction is formed farther from the end tool than the imaginary center axis X2 of the pitch / yaw drive joint 7111 in the Z-axis direction.

[0144] In this case, the pitch / yaw drive handle 7112 (or the hand or handle that holds it) that moves to perform the pitch movement is located rearward of the pitch / yaw joint point (i.e., on the opposite side of the end tool).

[0145] In addition, the pitch / yaw drive handle 7112 (or the hand or handle that holds it) that moves for yaw movement is located behind the pitch / yaw joint point (i.e., on the opposite side of the end tool), and therefore, as shown in Figure 18E, the tip of the user's hand is fixed, and the back part of the arm (wrist, etc.) moves based on that.

[0146] The fifth, sixth, and seventh embodiments of the surgical instrument of the present invention described above have in common the fact that, in at least one operating state of the pitch operation unit, the pitch / yaw drive handle is formed closer to the end tool than the imaginary central axis X2 in the Z-axis direction of the pitch / yaw drive joint.

[0147] For example, in the fifth embodiment of the surgical instrument of the present invention shown in Figures 18A and 18B, the imaginary center axis X1 in the Z-axis direction of the pitch / yaw drive handle 5112 is formed closer to the end tool 520 than the imaginary center axis X2 in the Z-axis direction of the pitch / yaw drive joint 5111, but in almost all operating states of the pitch / yaw operation unit 511, the pitch drive / yaw handle 5112 is formed closer to the end tool 520 than the imaginary center axis X2 in the Z-axis direction of the pitch / yaw drive joint 5111.

[0148] Meanwhile, in the sixth embodiment of the surgical instrument of the present invention shown in FIGS. 18C and 18D, the imaginary central axis X1 of the pitch / yaw drive handle 6112 in the Z-axis direction and the imaginary central axis X2 of the pitch / yaw drive joint 6111 in the Z-axis direction are formed on the same line. However, if the pitch / yaw operation unit 611 is rotated forward even slightly around the pitch / yaw drive joint 6111 in the state shown in FIG. 18C, the pitch / yaw drive handle 6112 will be formed closer to the end tool 620 than the imaginary central axis X2 of the pitch / yaw drive joint 6111 in the Z-axis direction.

[0149] 18E and 18F, the imaginary center axis X1 of the pitch / yaw drive handle 7112 in the Z-axis direction is formed farther from the end tool 720 than the imaginary center axis X2 of the pitch / yaw drive joint 7111 in the Z-axis direction. Therefore, in the state shown in FIG. 18E, the pitch / yaw drive handle 7112 is located farther from the end tool 720 than the imaginary center axis X2 of the pitch / yaw drive joint in the Z-axis direction. However, if the pitch / yaw operation unit 711 is rotated forward by more than a certain angle around the pitch / yaw drive joint 7111 to perform a pitch operation, a portion of the pitch / yaw drive handle 7112 is formed closer to the end tool 720 than the imaginary center axis X2 of the pitch / yaw drive joint 7111 in the Z-axis direction.

[0150] As such, in at least one operating state of the pitch / yaw operation unit 511, 611, 711, the pitch / yaw drive handle 5112, 6112, 7112 is located closer to the end tool 520, 620, 720 than the imaginary central axis X2 in the Z-axis direction of the pitch / yaw drive joint 5111, 6111, 7111. This allows for greater movement of the fingers and hand located distal to the wrist joint of the user performing the pitch operation. In other words, in the conventional case illustrated in FIGS. 1A through 1D, the distal end of the hand is fixed and the rear portion of the wrist and arm must move significantly, significantly differing from the movement of the end tool and making intuitive operation difficult. However, due to these characteristics, the present embodiment, unlike conventional devices, can achieve the effect of significantly improving the intuitiveness of operation of the operation unit for controlling the end tool.

[0151] <Fifth embodiment of surgical instrument> (E1+H22a) A surgical instrument 500 according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described below. The surgical instrument 500 according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention differs from the surgical instrument 100 (FIG. 2) according to the first embodiment of the present invention previously described in that the surgical instrument 500 includes a pitch / yaw operation unit 511 in which the pitch operation unit and the yaw operation unit of the operation unit 510 are integrally formed, thereby simultaneously performing the functions of the pitch operation unit and the yaw operation unit. The pitch / yaw operation unit 511 is formed on an extension of the end tool 520. The surgical instrument 500 according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention also differs in that the imaginary center axis X1 in the Z-axis direction of the pitch / yaw drive handle 5112 of the surgical instrument 500 is formed closer to the end tool 520 than the imaginary center axis X2 in the Z-axis direction of the pitch / yaw drive joint 5111. These differences from the first embodiment will be described in detail below.

[0152] 19A and 19B are views showing a surgical instrument 500 according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. Referring to Fig. 19A and 19B, the surgical instrument 500 according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention includes an operating unit 510, an end tool 520, a power transmission unit 530, and a connecting unit 540.

[0153] The operating unit 510 of the surgical instrument 500 includes a pitch / yaw operating unit 511 that controls the pitch and yaw movements of the end tool 520 , and an actuation operating unit 513 that controls the actuation movement of the end tool 520 .

[0154] The pitch / yaw operation unit 511 includes a pitch / yaw drive joint 5111 and a pitch / yaw drive handle 5112. Here, the pitch / yaw drive joint 5111 is formed to be rotatable around the Y-axis and the Z-axis, and the pitch / yaw drive handle 5112 is connected to the pitch / yaw drive joint 5111 and formed to rotate together with the pitch / yaw drive joint 5111. Here, the pitch / yaw drive joint 5111 is also a bending type joint member.

[0155] The pitch / yaw drive joint 5111 formed as a bending type is formed in a hollow cylindrical shape, and a large number of grooves 5111a are formed on the outer circumferential surface along one direction (the X-axis direction) to allow it to bend freely. At this time, ribs 5111P, 5111Y are formed in the middle of each groove 5111a to guide the bending direction of the pitch / yaw drive joint 5111. In other words, bending does not occur well at the positions where the ribs 5111P, 5111Y are formed, and bending mainly occurs in the parts where the ribs 5111P, 5111Y are not formed.

[0156] At this time, the first rib 5111P that guides the bending of the pitch / yaw drive joint 5111 in a first direction (i.e., pitch movement) causes the pitch / yaw drive joint 5111 to rotate up and down about the Y axis, and the pitch / yaw drive joint 5111 becomes the center of rotation for the pitch movement. Also, the second rib 5111Y that guides the bending of the pitch / yaw drive joint 5111 in a second direction (i.e., yaw movement) causes the pitch / yaw drive joint 5111 to rotate left and right about the Z axis, and the pitch / yaw drive joint 5111 becomes the center of rotation for the yaw movement.

[0157] 19B, the first rib 5111P is formed on the Y-axis diameter of the pitch / yaw driving joint 5111 to serve as the rotation center for the pitch movement, and the second rib 5111Y is formed on the Z-axis diameter of the pitch / yaw driving joint 5111 to serve as the rotation center for the yaw movement. Furthermore, in addition to the first rib 5111P and the second rib 5111Y, ribs are additionally formed at various positions on the pitch / yaw driving joint 5111, and these ribs serve to further soften the bending of the pitch / yaw driving joint 5111.

[0158] Meanwhile, both ends of a pitch wire 531W and a yaw wire 532W are respectively coupled to the end of the end tool 520 side of the pitch / yaw drive joint 5111. Therefore, when the pitch / yaw drive handle 5112 rotates, the pitch / yaw drive joint 5111 connected thereto rotates, and as the pitch / yaw drive joint 5111 rotates, it pushes one end of the pitch wire 531W or the yaw wire 532W and pulls the other end, thereby causing the end tool 520 connected thereto to perform pitch or yaw movement.

[0159] The actuation operation unit 513 includes an actuation drive shaft 5131 and an actuation drive unit 5132. A first actuation link 533L1 is connected to one end of the actuation drive shaft 5131, a second actuation link 533L2 is connected to one end of the first actuation link 533L1, and a third actuation link 533L3 is connected to one end of the second actuation link 533L2. A pivot point 533L3P is formed in the third actuation link 533L3, which serves as the center of movement of the third actuation link 533L3. A guide protrusion 533L3e is formed in one end of the third actuation link 533L3, and a guide groove 5112h is formed in the pitch / yaw drive handle 5112. On the other hand, an actuation wire 533W is connected to the guide protrusion 533L3e. The other end of the actuation wire 533W is connected to an actuation guide pin 133WG (FIG. 8) of the end tool 520.

[0160] 7A to 7D is applied as the articulation member 525 of the end tool 520 of the surgical instrument 500. That is, the end tool 520 includes a first jaw (not shown), a second jaw 522, a jaw base 523, and the articulation member 525. Meanwhile, the power transmission unit 530 applied to the surgical instrument 500 according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention includes one or more pitch wires 531W, one or more yaw wires 532W, and an actuation wire 533W.

[0161] Here, in the case of the fifth embodiment of the surgical instrument of the present invention, as described above, 1) the pitch operation section and yaw operation section of the operation section 510 are integrally formed to form the pitch / yaw operation section 511, which is configured to simultaneously perform the functions of the pitch operation section and the yaw operation section, and 2) at that time, the pitch / yaw operation section 511 is characterized by being formed on the extension line of the end tool 520.

[0162] Furthermore, the fifth embodiment of the surgical instrument of the present invention is characterized in that the imaginary center axis X1 in the Z-axis direction of the pitch / yaw drive handle 5112 is formed closer to the end tool 520 side than the imaginary center axis X2 in the Z-axis direction of the pitch / yaw drive joint 5111.

[0163] Therefore, in the fifth embodiment of the surgical instrument of the present invention, in at least one operating state of the pitch / yaw operation unit 511, the pitch / yaw drive handle 5112 is formed closer to the end tool 520 than the imaginary central axis X2 in the Z-axis direction of the pitch / yaw drive joint 5111. That is, in the fifth embodiment of the surgical instrument of the present invention, the imaginary central axis X1 in the Z-axis direction of the pitch / yaw drive handle 5112 itself is formed closer to the end tool 520 than the imaginary central axis X2 in the Z-axis direction of the pitch / yaw drive joint 5111, but in almost all operating states of the pitch / yaw operation unit 511, the pitch / yaw drive handle 5112 is formed closer to the end tool 520 than the imaginary central axis X2 in the Z-axis direction of the pitch / yaw drive joint 5111.

[0164] As described above, in at least one operating state of the pitch / yaw operation unit 511, the pitch / yaw drive handle 5112 is formed closer to the end tool 520 than the imaginary central axis X2 of the pitch / yaw drive joint 5111 in the Z-axis direction, thereby allowing the user's fingers and hand located distal to the wrist joint to move more when performing the pitch operation. In other words, in the conventional case illustrated in FIGS. 1A to 1D, the distal end of the hand is fixed and the rear portion, such as the wrist and arm, must move significantly, which is significantly different from the movement of the end tool and makes intuitive operation difficult. However, due to these characteristics, the present embodiment, unlike conventional devices, can achieve the effect of significantly improving the intuitiveness of operation of the operation unit for controlling the end tool.

[0165] <Sixth embodiment of surgical instrument> (E1+H22b) The following describes a surgical instrument 600 according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention. The surgical instrument 600 according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention is characterized by a difference from the surgical instrument 500 according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention (FIG. 19A) described previously in that the imaginary central axis X1 in the Z-axis direction of the pitch / yaw drive handle 6112 of the surgical instrument 600 is formed on the same line as the imaginary central axis X2 in the Z-axis direction of the pitch / yaw drive joint 6111.

[0166] 20 and 21 are views showing a surgical instrument 600 according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention. Referring to Fig. 20 and 21, the surgical instrument 600 according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention includes an operating unit 610, an end tool 620, a power transmission unit 630, and a connecting unit 640.

[0167] The operating unit 610 of the surgical instrument 600 includes a pitch / yaw operating unit 611 that controls the pitch and yaw movements of the end tool 620, and an actuation operating unit 613 that controls the actuation movement of the end tool 620. Here, the pitch / yaw operating unit 611 includes a pitch / yaw drive joint 6111 and a pitch / yaw drive handle 6112. Here, the pitch / yaw drive joint 6111 is formed to be rotatable about the Y-axis and the Z-axis, and the pitch / yaw drive handle 6112 is connected to the pitch / yaw drive joint 6111 and is formed to rotate together with the pitch / yaw drive joint 6111. Here, the pitch / yaw drive joint 6111 is also a bending-type joint member.

[0168] 7A to 7D is applied as a joint member 625 to an end tool 620 of a surgical instrument 600. That is, the end tool 620 includes a first jaw (not shown), a second jaw 622, a jaw base 623, and a joint member 625. Meanwhile, a power transmission unit 630 applied to a surgical instrument 600 according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention includes one or more pitch wires 631W, one or more yaw wires 632W, and an actuation wire 633W.

[0169] In the sixth embodiment of the surgical instrument of the present invention, the imaginary center axis X1 in the Z-axis direction of the pitch / yaw drive handle 6112 of the surgical instrument 600 is formed at the same distance from the end tool as the imaginary center axis X2 in the Z-axis direction of the pitch / yaw drive joint 6111. In this case, the center of rotation of the joint is located at the position where the user grasps the pitch / yaw drive handle 6112.

[0170] Furthermore, in the sixth embodiment of the surgical instrument of the present invention, in at least one operating state of the pitch / yaw operation unit 611, the pitch / yaw drive handle 6112 is formed closer to the end tool 620 than the imaginary central axis X2 in the Z-axis direction of the pitch / yaw drive joint 6111. That is, in the sixth embodiment of the surgical instrument of the present invention, the imaginary central axis X1 in the Z-axis direction of the pitch / yaw drive handle 6112 and the imaginary central axis X2 in the Z-axis direction of the pitch / yaw drive joint 6111 are formed on the same line, but if the pitch / yaw operation unit 611 rotates even slightly around the pitch / yaw drive joint 6111 in the state shown in FIG. 20 , the pitch / yaw drive handle 6112 is formed closer to the end tool 620 than the imaginary central axis X2 in the Z-axis direction of the pitch / yaw drive joint 6111.

[0171] As described above, in at least one operating state of the pitch / yaw operation unit 611, the pitch / yaw drive handle 6112 is formed closer to the end tool 620 than the imaginary central axis X2 of the pitch / yaw drive joint 6111 in the Z-axis direction, thereby allowing the user's fingers and hand located distal to the wrist joint to move more when performing the pitch operation. That is, in the conventional case illustrated in FIGS. 1A to 1D, the distal end of the hand is fixed and the rear portion, such as the wrist and arm, must move significantly, which is significantly different from the movement of the end tool and makes intuitive operation difficult. However, due to such characteristics, the present embodiment, unlike conventional devices, can achieve the effect of significantly improving the intuitiveness of operation of the operation unit for controlling the end tool.

[0172] <Seventh embodiment of surgical instrument> (E1+H22c) A surgical instrument 700 according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention will be described below. The surgical instrument 700 according to the seventh embodiment of the present invention is characterized by a difference from the surgical instrument 500 according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention (FIG. 19A) previously described in that the imaginary central axis X1 in the Z-axis direction of the pitch / yaw drive handle 7112 of the surgical instrument 700 is formed farther from the end tool 720 than the imaginary central axis X2 in the Z-axis direction of the pitch / yaw drive joint 7111. The actuation operation unit 713 also differs from the surgical instrument 500 according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention (FIG. 19A). These differences from the fifth embodiment will be described in detail below.

[0173] 22, 23, and 24 are views showing a surgical instrument 700 according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention. Referring to Fig. 22, 23, and 24, the surgical instrument 700 according to the seventh embodiment of the present invention includes an operating unit 710, an end tool 720, a power transmission unit 730, and a connecting unit 740.

[0174] The operating unit 710 of the surgical instrument 700 includes a pitch / yaw operating unit 711 that controls the pitch and yaw movements of the end tool 720 , and an actuation operating unit 713 that controls the actuation movement of the end tool 720 .

[0175] Here, the pitch / yaw operation unit 711 includes a pitch / yaw drive joint 7111 and a pitch / yaw drive handle 7112. The pitch / yaw drive joint 7111 is formed to be rotatable around the Y-axis and the Z-axis, and the pitch / yaw drive handle 7112 is connected to the pitch / yaw drive joint 7111 and is formed to rotate together with the pitch / yaw drive joint 7111. Here, the pitch / yaw drive joint 7111 is also a combination of a bending joint member and a ball joint. Such a combination joint of a bending joint member and a ball joint will be described later with reference to FIG. 46.

[0176] Meanwhile, the actuation operation unit 713 includes an actuation drive shaft 7131, a first actuation drive unit 7132, a second actuation drive unit 7133, and an actuation guide pin 713WG. In detail, the first actuation drive unit 7132 and the second actuation drive unit 7133 are each formed with a shaft through-hole (not shown), and the actuation drive shaft 7131 is inserted through the shaft through-holes (not shown) of the first actuation drive unit 7132 and the second actuation drive unit 7133. The first actuation drive unit 7132 and the second actuation drive unit 7133 rotate around the actuation drive shaft 7131.

[0177] Meanwhile, a guide hole 7133b is formed on one side of each shaft through-hole (not shown) of the first actuation driver 7132 and the second actuation driver 7133, and an actuation guide pin 713WG is inserted through the guide hole 7133b of the first actuation driver 7132 and the second actuation driver 7133. An actuation wire 733W is coupled to the actuation guide pin 713WG. Therefore, when the first actuation driver 7132 and the second actuation driver 7133 rotate, the actuation guide pin 713WG connected thereto moves along the guide hole 7133b, causing the actuation wire 733W to perform linear translational motion, thereby performing an actuation operation.

[0178] For example, in the state shown in Fig. 23, if one or both of the first actuation driver 7132 and the second actuation driver 7133 are rotated in the directions A1 and / or A2 in Fig. 24, the actuation guide pin 713WG moves linearly in the direction of arrow B, and therefore the actuation wire 733W connected thereto moves linearly in the direction of arrow C, causing the first jaw 721 and the second jaw 722 of the end tool 720 connected thereto to open to both sides. In other words, this is one of various modified examples for transmitting actuation motion, and is an example in which the motion of the actuation operating unit 713 can be transmitted to the end tool 720 not only by the above-mentioned link structure but also by a simple wire structure, and various other structures for achieving the same purpose are possible.

[0179] However, although Figures 22 to 24 show the actuation operating unit 713 of the surgical instrument 700 according to the seventh embodiment of the present invention as having a first actuation drive unit 7132 and a second actuation drive unit 7133, and as performing actuation operations with two fingers, this embodiment is not limited to this, and as shown in Figure 19B or Figure 21, actuation operating units 519 (Figure 19B) or 613 (Figure 21) that perform actuation operations with one finger are also naturally applicable to this embodiment.

[0180] 7A to 7D is applied as a joint member 725 to an end tool 720 of a surgical instrument 700. That is, the end tool 720 includes a first jaw 721, a second jaw 722, a jaw base 723, and a joint member 725. Meanwhile, a power transmission unit 730 applied to a surgical instrument 700 according to the seventh embodiment of the present invention includes one or more pitch wires 731W, one or more yaw wires 732W, and an actuation wire 733W.

[0181] In the seventh embodiment of the surgical instrument of the present invention, the imaginary center axis X1 in the Z-axis direction of the pitch / yaw drive handle 7112 of the surgical instrument 700 is formed farther from the end tool than the imaginary center axis X2 in the Z-axis direction of the pitch / yaw drive joint 7111. In this case, the tip of the user's hand is fixed, and the back of the arm (such as the elbow) moves based on this.

[0182] Furthermore, in the seventh embodiment of the surgical instrument of the present invention, in at least one operating state of the pitch / yaw operation unit 711, the pitch / yaw drive handle 7112 is formed closer to the end tool 720 than the imaginary central axis X2 of the pitch / yaw drive joint 7111 in the Z-axis direction. That is, in the seventh embodiment of the surgical instrument of the present invention, the pitch / yaw drive handle 7112 is located farther from the end tool 720 than the imaginary central axis X2 of the pitch / yaw drive joint 7111 in the Z-axis direction. However, if the pitch / yaw operation unit 711 is rotated by a certain angle or more around the pitch / yaw drive joint 7111 to perform a pitch movement or a yaw movement, a portion of the pitch / yaw drive handle 7112 is formed closer to the end tool 720 than the imaginary central axis X2 of the pitch / yaw drive joint 7111 in the Z-axis direction.

[0183] As described above, in at least one operating state of the pitch / yaw operation unit 711, the pitch / yaw drive handle 7112 is formed closer to the end tool 720 than the imaginary central axis X2 of the pitch / yaw drive joint 7111 in the Z-axis direction, thereby allowing the user's fingers and hand located distal to the wrist joint to move more when performing the pitch operation. In other words, in the conventional case illustrated in FIGS. 1A to 1D, the distal end of the hand is fixed and the rear portion, such as the wrist and arm, must move significantly, which is significantly different from the movement of the end tool and makes intuitive operation difficult. However, due to these characteristics, the present embodiment, unlike conventional devices, can achieve the effect of significantly improving the intuitiveness of operation of the operation unit for controlling the end tool.

[0184] <Eighth embodiment of surgical instrument> (E1+H23a) The following describes a surgical instrument 800 according to an eighth embodiment of the present invention. The surgical instrument 800 according to the eighth embodiment of the present invention differs from the surgical instrument 100 (FIG. 2) according to the first embodiment of the present invention previously described in that it includes a pitch / yaw operation unit 811 in which the pitch operation unit and the yaw operation unit of the operation unit 810 are integrally formed, thereby performing the functions of both the pitch operation unit and the yaw operation unit simultaneously. The pitch / yaw operation unit 811 is formed on an extension of the end tool 820, but the connecting portion 840 is not linear but is bent at least once. The surgical instrument 800 according to the eighth embodiment of the present invention also differs in that the imaginary center axis X1 in the Z-axis direction of the pitch / yaw drive handle 8112 of the surgical instrument 800 is formed closer to the end tool 820 than the imaginary center axis X2 in the Z-axis direction of the pitch / yaw drive joint 8111. Such differences in configuration compared to the first embodiment will be described in detail later.

[0185] 25, 26A, and 26B are views showing a surgical instrument 800 according to an eighth embodiment of the present invention. Referring to Fig. 25, 26A, and 26B, the surgical instrument 800 according to the eighth embodiment of the present invention includes an operating unit 810, an end tool 820, a power transmission unit 830, and a connecting unit 840.

[0186] The operating unit 810 of the surgical instrument 800 includes a pitch / yaw operating unit 811 that controls the pitch and yaw movements of the end tool 820 , and an actuation operating unit 813 that controls the actuation movement of the end tool 820 .

[0187] Here, the pitch / yaw operation unit 811 includes a pitch / yaw drive joint 8111 and a pitch / yaw drive handle 8112. In this case, the pitch / yaw drive joint 8111 is formed to be rotatable around the Y-axis and the Z-axis, and the pitch / yaw drive handle 8112 is connected to the pitch / yaw drive joint 8111 and is formed to rotate together with the pitch / yaw drive joint 8111. Here, the pitch / yaw drive joint 8111 is also a bending type joint member.

[0188] On the other hand, the actuation operation unit 813 includes an actuation drive shaft 8131, a first actuation drive unit 8132, a second actuation drive unit 8133, and an actuation guide pin 813WG. Such an actuation operation unit 813 has substantially the same configuration as the actuation operation unit 713 (FIG. 23) of the seventh embodiment described above.

[0189] In other words, when the first actuation driving unit 8132 and the second actuation driving unit 8133 rotate, the actuation guide pin 813WG connected thereto moves along the guide hole 8133b, thereby causing the actuation wire 833W to perform linear translational motion, thereby performing actuation operation.

[0190] However, although Figures 25 to 27 show the actuation operating unit 813 of the surgical instrument 800 according to the eighth embodiment of the present invention as having a first actuation drive unit 8132 and a second actuation drive unit 8133, and as performing actuation operations with two fingers, this embodiment is not limited to this, and as shown in Figure 19B or Figure 21, actuation operating units 519 (Figure 19B) or 613 (Figure 21) that perform actuation operations with one finger are also naturally applicable to this embodiment.

[0191] 7A to 7D is applied as a joint member 825 to an end tool 820 of a surgical instrument 800. That is, the end tool 820 includes a first jaw 821, a second jaw 822, a jaw base 823, and a joint member 825. Meanwhile, a power transmission unit 830 applied to a surgical instrument 800 according to the seventh embodiment of the present invention includes one or more pitch wires 831W, one or more yaw wires 832W, and an actuation wire 833W.

[0192] Here, in the case of the eighth embodiment of the surgical instrument of the present invention, as described above, 1) the pitch operation part and yaw operation part of the operation part 810 are integrally formed to provide the pitch / yaw operation part 811, which is configured to simultaneously perform the functions of the pitch operation part and the yaw operation part. 2) In addition, the pitch / yaw operation part 811 is formed on the extension line of the end tool 820, and the connecting part 840 is not linear but is formed in a shape that is bent at least once.

[0193] Furthermore, the eighth embodiment of the surgical instrument of the present invention is characterized in that the imaginary center axis X1 in the Z-axis direction of the pitch / yaw drive handle 8112 is formed closer to the end tool 820 side than the imaginary center axis X2 in the Z-axis direction of the pitch / yaw drive joint 8111.

[0194] Therefore, in the eighth embodiment of the surgical instrument of the present invention, in at least one operating state of the pitch / yaw operation unit 811, the pitch / yaw drive handle 8112 is formed closer to the end tool 820 than the imaginary central axis X2 in the Z-axis direction of the pitch / yaw drive joint 8111. That is, in the eighth embodiment of the surgical instrument of the present invention, the imaginary central axis X1 in the Z-axis direction of the pitch / yaw drive handle 8112 itself is formed closer to the end tool 820 than the imaginary central axis X2 in the Z-axis direction of the pitch / yaw drive joint 8111, but in almost all operating states of the pitch / yaw operation unit 811, the pitch / yaw drive handle 8112 is formed closer to the end tool 820 than the imaginary central axis X2 in the Z-axis direction of the pitch / yaw drive joint 8111.

[0195] As described above, in at least one operating state of the pitch / yaw operation unit 811, the pitch / yaw drive handle 8112 is formed closer to the end tool 820 than the imaginary central axis X2 of the pitch / yaw drive joint 8111 in the Z-axis direction, thereby allowing the user's fingers and hand located distal to the wrist joint to move more when performing the pitch operation. In other words, in the conventional case illustrated in FIGS. 1A to 1D, the distal end of the hand is fixed and the rear portion, such as the wrist and arm, must move significantly, which is significantly different from the movement of the end tool and makes intuitive operation difficult. However, due to such characteristics, the present embodiment, unlike conventional devices, can achieve the effect of significantly improving the intuitiveness of operation of the operation unit for controlling the end tool.

[0196] 27A and 27B are views showing a surgical instrument 800 according to a modified example of the eighth embodiment of the present invention. Here, the surgical instrument 800 according to the modified example of the eighth embodiment of the present invention is distinctively different from the surgical instrument 800 according to the eighth embodiment of the present invention (FIG. 25) described previously in that actuation is performed with one finger instead of two fingers.

[0197] In detail, the operating unit 810 of the surgical instrument 800 includes a pitch / yaw operating unit 811 that controls the pitch and yaw movements of the end tool 820, and an actuation operating unit 813 that controls the actuation movement of the end tool 820. The actuation operating unit 813 includes an actuation drive shaft 8131 and an actuation drive unit 8132. Meanwhile, a first actuation link 8131 is connected to one end of the actuation drive shaft 8131, and an actuation wire 813 is connected to one end of the first actuation link 8131. The other end of the actuation wire 813 is connected to an actuation guide pin (not shown) of the end tool 820. With this configuration, actuation movement can be performed with just one finger. This is one variation for the actuation operating portion 813 to ultimately perform the action of pushing and pulling the actuation wire 813, and other configurations for performing such an action may also be possible.

[0198] <Ninth embodiment of surgical instrument> (E1+H23b) The following describes a surgical instrument 900 according to a ninth embodiment of the present invention. The surgical instrument 900 according to the ninth embodiment of the present invention is characterized by a difference from the surgical instrument 800 according to the eighth embodiment of the present invention (FIG. 25) described previously in that the imaginary central axis X1 in the Z-axis direction of the pitch / yaw drive handle 9112 of the surgical instrument 900 is formed on the same line as the imaginary central axis X2 in the Z-axis direction of the pitch / yaw drive joint 9111.

[0199] 28, 29, and 30 are views showing a surgical instrument 900 according to a ninth embodiment of the present invention. Referring to Fig. 28, 29, and 30, the surgical instrument 900 according to the ninth embodiment of the present invention includes an operating unit 910, an end tool 920, a power transmission unit 930, and a connecting unit 940.

[0200] The operating unit 910 of the surgical instrument 900 includes a pitch / yaw operating unit 911 that controls the pitch and yaw movements of the end tool 920 , and an actuation operating unit 913 that controls the actuation movement of the end tool 920 .

[0201] Here, the pitch / yaw operation unit 911 includes a pitch / yaw drive joint 9111 and a pitch / yaw drive handle 9112. The pitch / yaw drive joint 9111 is formed to be rotatable about the Y-axis and the Z-axis, and the pitch / yaw drive handle 9112 is connected to the pitch / yaw drive joint 9111 and is formed to rotate together with the pitch / yaw drive joint 9111. Here, the pitch / yaw drive joint 9111 is also a bending joint member.

[0202] Meanwhile, the actuation operation unit 913 includes an actuation drive shaft 9131, a first actuation drive unit 9132, a second actuation drive unit 9133, and an actuation guide pin 913WG. Such an actuation operation unit 913 has substantially the same configuration as the actuation operation unit 713 (FIG. 23) of the seventh embodiment described above.

[0203] That is, when the first actuation driver 9132 and the second actuation driver 9133 rotate, the actuation guide pin 913WG connected thereto moves along the guide hole 9133b, thereby causing the actuation wire 933W to perform linear translational motion, thereby performing an actuation operation. That is, Figure 29 is a view showing the actuation operation unit 913 in a state where the first jaw 921 and the second jaw 922 are open, and Figure 30 is a view showing the actuation operation unit 913 in a state where the first jaw 921 and the second jaw 922 are closed.

[0204] However, although Figures 28 to 30 show the actuation operating unit 913 of the surgical instrument 900 according to the ninth embodiment of the present invention as having a first actuation drive unit 9132 and a second actuation drive unit 9133, and as performing actuation operations with two fingers, this embodiment is not limited to this, and as shown in Figure 19B or Figure 21, actuation operating units 519 (Figure 19B) or 613 (Figure 21) that perform actuation operations with one finger are also naturally applicable to this embodiment.

[0205] 7A to 7D is applied as a joint member 925 to an end tool 920 of a surgical instrument 900. That is, the end tool 920 includes a first jaw 921, a second jaw 922, a jaw base 923, and a joint member 925. Meanwhile, a power transmission unit 930 applied to a surgical instrument 900 according to the ninth embodiment of the present invention includes one or more pitch wires 931W, one or more yaw wires 932W, and an actuation wire 933W.

[0206] In the ninth embodiment of the surgical instrument of the present invention, the imaginary center axis X1 in the Z-axis direction of the pitch / yaw drive handle 9112 of the surgical instrument 900 is formed at the same distance from the end tool as the imaginary center axis X2 in the Z-axis direction of the pitch / yaw drive joint 9111. In this case, the center of rotation of the joint is located at the position where the user grasps the pitch / yaw drive handle 9112.

[0207] Furthermore, in the ninth embodiment of the surgical instrument of the present invention, in at least one operating state of the pitch / yaw operation unit 911, the pitch / yaw drive handle 9112 is formed closer to the end tool 920 than the imaginary central axis X2 in the Z-axis direction of the pitch / yaw drive joint 9111. That is, in the ninth embodiment of the surgical instrument of the present invention, the imaginary central axis X1 in the Z-axis direction of the pitch / yaw drive handle 9112 and the imaginary central axis X2 in the Z-axis direction of the pitch / yaw drive joint 9111 are formed on the same line, but if the pitch / yaw operation unit 911 rotates even slightly around the pitch / yaw drive joint 9111 in the state shown in FIG. 25 , the pitch / yaw drive handle 9112 is formed closer to the end tool 920 than the imaginary central axis X2 in the Z-axis direction of the pitch / yaw drive joint 9111.

[0208] As described above, in at least one operating state of the pitch / yaw operation unit 911, the pitch / yaw drive handle 9112 is formed closer to the end tool 920 than the imaginary central axis X2 of the pitch / yaw drive joint 9111 in the Z-axis direction, thereby allowing the user's fingers and hand located distal to the wrist joint to move more when performing the pitch operation. In other words, in the conventional case illustrated in FIGS. 1A to 1D , the distal end of the hand is fixed and the rear portion, such as the wrist and arm, must move significantly, which is significantly different from the movement of the end tool and makes intuitive operation difficult. However, due to these characteristics, the present embodiment, unlike conventional devices, can achieve the effect of significantly improving the intuitiveness of operation of the operation unit for controlling the end tool.

[0209] <Tenth embodiment of surgical instrument> (E1+H23c) The following describes a surgical instrument 1000 according to a tenth embodiment of the present invention. The surgical instrument 1000 according to the tenth embodiment of the present invention is characterized by a difference from the surgical instrument 800 (FIG. 25) according to the eighth embodiment of the present invention previously described in that the imaginary central axis X1 in the Z-axis direction of the pitch / yaw drive handle 10112 of the surgical instrument 1000 is formed farther from the end tool 1020 than the imaginary central axis X2 in the Z-axis direction of the pitch / yaw drive joint 10111.

[0210] 31 and 32 are views showing a surgical instrument 1000 according to a tenth embodiment of the present invention. Referring to Fig. 31 and 32, the surgical instrument 1000 according to the tenth embodiment of the present invention includes an operating unit 1010, an end tool 1020, a power transmission unit 1030, and a connecting unit 1040.

[0211] The operating unit 1010 of the surgical instrument 1000 includes a pitch / yaw operating unit 1011 that controls the pitch and yaw movements of the end tool 1020 , and an actuation operating unit 1013 that controls the actuation movement of the end tool 1020 .

[0212] Here, the pitch / yaw operation unit 1011 includes a pitch / yaw drive joint 10111 and a pitch / yaw drive handle 10112. The pitch / yaw drive joint 10111 is formed to be rotatable about the Y-axis and the Z-axis, and the pitch / yaw drive handle 10112 is connected to the pitch / yaw drive joint 10111 and is formed to rotate together with the pitch / yaw drive joint 10111. Here, the pitch / yaw drive joint 10111 is also a bending type joint member.

[0213] Meanwhile, the actuation operation unit 1013 includes an actuation drive shaft 10131, a first actuation drive unit 10132, a second actuation drive unit 10133, and an actuation guide pin 1013WG. Such an actuation operation unit 1013 has substantially the same configuration as the actuation operation unit 713 (FIG. 23) of the seventh embodiment described above.

[0214] That is, when the first actuation driver 10132 and the second actuation driver 10133 rotate, the actuation guide pin 1013WG connected thereto moves along the guide hole 10133b, thereby causing the actuation wire 1033W to perform a linear translational motion, thereby performing an actuation operation. Here, Figure 32 is a view showing the actuation operation unit 1013 when the first jaw 1021 and the second jaw 1022 are closed.

[0215] However, although Figures 31 and 32 show the actuation operating unit 1013 of the surgical instrument 1000 according to the tenth embodiment of the present invention as having a first actuation drive unit 10132 and a second actuation drive unit 10133, and as performing actuation operations with two fingers, this embodiment is not limited to this, and as shown in Figures 19B or 21, etc., actuation operating units 519 (Figure 19B) or 613 (Figure 21) that perform actuation operations with one finger are also naturally applicable to this embodiment.

[0216] 7A to 7D is applied as the articulation member 1025 of the end tool 1020 of the surgical instrument 1000. That is, the end tool 1020 includes a first jaw 1021, a second jaw 1022, a jaw base 1023, and the articulation member 1025. Meanwhile, the power transmission unit 1030 applied to the surgical instrument 1000 according to the tenth embodiment of the present invention includes one or more pitch wires 1031W, one or more yaw wires 1032W, and an actuation wire 1033W.

[0217] In the tenth embodiment of the surgical instrument of the present invention, the imaginary center axis X1 in the Z-axis direction of the pitch / yaw drive handle 10112 of the surgical instrument 1000 is formed farther from the end tool than the imaginary center axis X2 in the Z-axis direction of the pitch / yaw drive joint 10111. In this case, the tip of the user's hand is fixed, and the back of the arm (elbow, etc.) moves based on this.

[0218] Furthermore, in the tenth embodiment of the surgical instrument of the present invention, in at least one operating state of the pitch / yaw operation unit 1011, the pitch / yaw drive handle 10112 is formed closer to the end tool 1020 than the imaginary central axis X2 in the Z-axis direction of the pitch / yaw drive joint 10111. That is, in the tenth embodiment of the surgical instrument of the present invention, the pitch / yaw drive handle 10112 is located farther from the end tool 1020 than the imaginary central axis X2 in the Z-axis direction of the pitch / yaw drive joint 10111. However, if the pitch / yaw operation unit 1011 is rotated by a certain angle or more around the pitch / yaw drive joint 10111 to perform a pitch movement or a yaw movement, a portion of the pitch / yaw drive handle 10112 is formed closer to the end tool 1020 than the imaginary central axis X2 in the Z-axis direction of the pitch / yaw drive joint 10111.

[0219] As described above, in at least one operating state of the pitch / yaw operation unit 1011, the pitch / yaw drive handle 10112 is formed closer to the end tool 1020 than the imaginary central axis X2 in the Z-axis direction of the pitch / yaw drive joint 10111, thereby allowing the user's fingers and hand located distal to the wrist joint to move more when performing the pitch operation. In other words, in the conventional case illustrated in FIGS. 1A to 1D, the distal end of the hand is fixed and the rear portion, such as the wrist and arm, must move significantly, which is significantly different from the movement of the end tool and makes intuitive operation difficult. However, due to these characteristics, the present embodiment, unlike conventional devices, can achieve the effect of significantly improving the intuitiveness of operation of the operation unit for controlling the end tool.

[0220] <Modification of the Endotool of the Surgical Instrument> The features of the end tool of the present invention are as follows: Wires are located at both ends of the cross section of the end tool joint, and when one side is pulled, it has the property of bending in that direction. That is, pitch wires and yaw wires are located in four directions of the cross section, and an actuation wire passes through the middle, allowing pitch movement, yaw movement, and actuation movement, and each movement is performed independently without affecting the other movements, which is a major feature. There are various specific structures that can embody these features, and specific modifications are listed below. However, the modifications described below refer to some of the various modifications that can embody the basic features described above. Even if not mentioned here, various other examples that can carry out the present invention are possible, and all of these examples can be considered to be included in the content of the present invention.

[0221] Various modified examples of the endotool of the surgical instrument of the present invention will be described below. In addition to the bending-type joint member described in FIG. 2 and other figures, the endotool of the surgical instrument of the present invention may also employ a nodal-type joint member, a gear-type joint member, etc. The reason such nodal-type or gear-type joint members can be used is because the endotool of the surgical instrument of the present invention is configured to perform pitch or yaw motion by pushing or pulling the respective wires. In other words, pulling or pushing the pitch wire or yaw wire causes rotation corresponding to pitch or yaw in the joint member. This will be described in more detail below.

[0222] FIG. 33 is a diagram showing a first modified example of the end tool of the surgical instrument shown in FIG. 2 etc. (section type 1).

[0223] 33, a first modified example of the endotool of the surgical instrument uses a nodal joint member as the joint member 126 of the endotool 120. That is, while the endotool 120 (FIG. 7) of the surgical instrument shown in FIGS. 2 and 7 uses a bending joint member to configure the joint member 120 (FIG. 7) for performing pitch movement, yaw movement, and actuation movement, one feature of this embodiment is that a nodal joint member is used to configure the joint member 126 for performing pitch movement and yaw movement.

[0224] Specifically, the joint member 126 includes one or more pitch joints 126P that function as pitch axes and one or more yaw joints 126Y that function as yaw axes. Here, the pitch joints 126P include pitch connectors 126PC that protrude toward the end tool 120 on the diameter of the pitch joint 126P in the Y-axis direction so as to be connected to adjacent joints, and the yaw joints 126Y include yaw connectors 126YC that protrude toward the end tool 120 on the diameter of the yaw joint 126Y in the Z-axis direction so as to be connected to adjacent joints.

[0225] 33, the pitch joint 126P of the node-type joint member 126 is formed to be rotatable about the Y-axis and serves as the center of rotation for pitch motion. Also, the yaw joint 126Y of the node-type joint member 126 is formed to be rotatable about the Z-axis and serves as the center of rotation for yaw motion.

[0226] This modified example may further include an elastic member 126S. That is, the elastic member 126S is housed inside the pitch joint 126P and the yaw joint 126Y and serves to provide a predetermined elastic force to the node-type joint member 126 in the direction of its original position.

[0227] 34 and 35 are diagrams showing a second modified example of the end tool of the surgical instrument shown in FIG. 2 etc. (section type 2).

[0228] 34 and 35, a second modified example of the endotool of the surgical instrument uses a nodal joint member as the joint member 127 of the endotool 120. That is, while the endotool 120 (FIG. 7) of the surgical instrument shown in FIGS. 2 and 7 uses a bending joint member to configure the joint member 120 (FIG. 7) for performing pitch movement, yaw movement, and actuation movement, one feature of this embodiment is that a nodal joint member is used to configure the joint member 126 for performing pitch movement and yaw movement.

[0229] Specifically, the node-type joint member 127 includes one or more pitch nodes 127P that function as pitch axes and one or more yaw nodes 127Y that function as yaw axes. Here, the pitch nodes 127P are provided with pitch connectors 127PC that protrude toward the end tool 120 on the diameter of the pitch nodes 127P in the Y-axis direction so as to be connected to adjacent nodes, and the yaw nodes 127Y are provided with yaw connectors 127YC that protrude toward the end tool 120 on the diameter of the yaw nodes 127Y in the Z-axis direction so as to be connected to adjacent nodes.

[0230] 34, the pitch joint 127P of the node joint member 127 is formed to be rotatable up and down around the Y axis and serves as the center of rotation for pitch movement. The yaw joint 127Y of the node joint member 127 is formed to be rotatable left and right around the Z axis and serves as the center of rotation for yaw movement.

[0231] In this case, one feature of this modified example is that the pitch joint 127P and the yaw joint 127Y are formed alternately. That is, as shown in Figure 34, the pitch joint 127P, the yaw joint 127Y, the pitch joint 127P, and the yaw joint 127Y are formed alternately. In addition, this modified example may further include an elastic member 127S. That is, the elastic member 127S is housed inside the pitch joint 127P and the yaw joint 127Y, and serves to provide a predetermined elastic force in the original position direction of the joint-type member 127.

[0232] 36 to 38 are views showing a third modified example of the end tool of the surgical instrument shown in FIG. 2 etc. (gear type).

[0233] 36 to 38, a third modified example of the endotool of the surgical instrument employs a gear-type joint member as the joint member 128 of the endotool 120. That is, while the endotool 120 of the surgical instrument (FIG. 7A) shown in FIGS. 2 and 7 employs a bending-type joint member to configure the joint member 125 (FIG. 7A) for performing pitch, yaw, and actuation movements, one feature of this embodiment is that a gear-type joint member is employed to configure the joint member 128 for performing pitch and yaw movements.

[0234] In detail, the joint member 128 includes pitch gears 128P1 and 128P2 that perform pitch movement and yaw gears 128Y1 and 128Y2 that perform yaw movement. The joint member 128 also includes an end tool connecting member 128C that connects the connecting portion 140 and the jaw base 123. At this time, the second pitch gear 128P2 is formed to be rotatable about the axis of the first pitch gear 128P1 so as to perform pitch movement, and the second yaw gear 128Y2 is formed to be rotatable about the axis of the first yaw gear 128Y1 so as to perform yaw movement.

[0235] Here, the first yaw gear 128Y1 is fixed to one end of the connecting part 140. A second yaw gear 128Y2 is fixed to the end tool connecting member 128C, and as both sides of the yaw wire are pulled and pushed, the second yaw gear 128Y2 rotates relative to the first yaw gear 128Y1, thereby rotating the jaw base 123, the first jaw 121, and the second jaw 122 connected to the end tool connecting member 128C around the axis of the first yaw gear 128Y1.

[0236] Meanwhile, the first pitch gear 128P1 is fixed to the end tool connecting member 128C. A second pitch gear 128P2 is fixed to the jaw base 123. As both ends of the pitch wire are pulled and pushed, the second pitch gear 128P2 rotates relative to the first pitch gear 128P1, thereby rotating the jaw base 123, the first jaw 121, and the second jaw 122 around the axis of the first pitch gear 128P1.

[0237] Therefore, the second pitch gear 128P2 of the joint member 128 is formed to be rotatable around the axis of the first pitch gear 128P1 and serves as the rotation center of the pitch movement. Also, the second yaw gear 128Y2 of the joint member 128 is formed to be rotatable around the axis of the first yaw gear 128Y1 and serves as the rotation center of the yaw movement.

[0238] <Modification of the joint of the operating part of the surgical instrument> As shown in Figure 2, the pitch actuation joint of the present invention is characterized in that it can move in the pitch direction via rotation in the Y-axis direction, with pitch wires and yaw wires located in four directions of the joint cross section and an actuation wire located in between, allowing pitch movement by the pitch actuation joint, yaw movement by operation of the yaw operation unit, and actuation movement by operation of the actuation operation unit to be performed independently without affecting the other movements. There are various specific structures that can embody this feature, and specific variations will be listed below. However, the variations described below refer to some of the various variations that can embody the basic features described above. Even if not mentioned here, various other examples that can achieve this feature are possible, and all of these examples are considered to be included in the scope of the present invention.

[0239] FIG. 39 is a diagram showing a first modified example (gear type-G) of the pitch drive joint 1111 (FIG. 2) of the surgical instrument shown in FIG. 2 and the like.

[0240] 39, a first modified example of the pitch drive joint of a surgical instrument uses a gear-type joint member as the pitch drive joint 1111G of the operating unit 110. That is, in the operating unit 110 (FIG. 2) of the surgical instrument shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a bending joint member is used to configure the pitch drive joint 1111 (FIG. 2) for performing the pitch movement of the operating unit, whereas a feature of this modified example is that a gear-type joint member is used to configure the pitch drive joint 1111G for performing the pitch movement.

[0241] In detail, the pitch drive joint 1111G includes pitch gears 1111G1 and 1111G2 for performing the role of a pitch drive joint. At this time, the first pitch gear 1111G1 and the second pitch gear 1111G2 are formed to be rotatable about their respective axes so as to perform pitch movement.

[0242] Here, the first pitch gear 1111G1 is fixed to one end of the pitch drive joint 1111G, and the second pitch gear 1111G2 is fixed to one end of the connecting part 140. When the pitch drive handle 1112 is rotated, the first pitch gear 1111G1 and the end tool 120 connected thereto rotate around the Y axis.

[0243] That is, the first pitch gear 1111G1 of the pitch drive joint 1111G is formed to be rotatable around the axis of the second pitch gear 1111G2 along the second pitch gear 1111G2, and serves as the center of rotation for the pitch movement.

[0244] At this time, the actuation wire (not shown) passes through the center of the two parallel pitch wires 131W and the center of the two parallel yaw wires 132W, respectively, and is therefore not affected by the pitch movement or yaw movement.

[0245] FIG. 40 is a diagram showing a second modified example (joint type-J) of the pitch drive joint 1111 (FIG. 2) of the surgical instrument shown in FIG. 2 and the like.

[0246] 40, the second modified example of the pitch drive joint of the surgical instrument uses a node-type joint member as the pitch drive joint 1111J of the operating unit 110. That is, in the operating unit 110 (FIG. 2) of the surgical instrument shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a bending joint member is used to configure the pitch drive joint 1111 (FIG. 2) for performing the pitch movement of the operating unit, whereas in this modified example, a node-type joint member is used to configure the pitch drive joint 1111J for performing the pitch movement.

[0247] In detail, the pitch drive joint 1111J includes pitch joints 1111J1 and 1111J2 for performing the role of a pitch drive joint. At this time, the first pitch joint 1111J1 and the second pitch joint 1111J2 are each formed to be rotatable about the Y axis so as to perform pitch movement.

[0248] Here, the first pitch node 1111J1 has a pitch connection portion 1111J1C formed on the Y-axis direction diameter of the first pitch node 1111J1 protruding toward the end tool 120 so as to connect with adjacent nodes, and the second pitch node 1111J2 has a pitch connection portion 1111J2C formed on the Y-axis direction diameter of the second pitch node 1111J2 protruding toward the end tool 120 so as to connect with adjacent nodes.

[0249] Here, the first pitch joint 1111J1 and the second pitch joint 1111J2 are formed to connect the connecting portion 140 and the pitch drive joint 1111J, and when the pitch drive handle 1112 is rotated, the first pitch joint 1111J1 and the end tool 120 connected thereto rotate around the Y axis. At that time, the respective rotation amounts of the first pitch joint 1111J1 and the second pitch joint 1111J2 are added together to form the rotation amount of the entire pitch drive joint 1111J.

[0250] That is, the pitch nodes 1111J1 and 1111J2 of the pitch drive joint 1111J are formed to be rotatable about the Y axis, and serve as the rotation center of the pitch motion.

[0251] At this time, the actuation wire (not shown) passes through the center of the two parallel pitch wires 131W and the center of the two parallel yaw wires 132W, respectively, and is therefore not affected by the pitch movement or yaw movement.

[0252] <Modification of the yaw operation unit of the surgical instrument> As shown in Fig. 2, the yaw control unit of the present invention is characterized by rotating around the Z axis and pulling and pushing the yaw wires connected to both sides. There are various specific structures that can embody this feature, and specific variations thereof will be described below. However, the variations described below refer to some of the various variations that can embody the basic feature described above, and even if not mentioned here, various other examples that can achieve this feature are possible, and all of these examples can be considered to be included in the content of the present invention.

[0253] FIG. 41 is a diagram showing a first modified example (bending type-S) of the yaw operation unit 112 (FIG. 2) of the surgical instrument shown in FIG. 2 and the like.

[0254] 41, the first modified example of the yaw operation unit of the surgical instrument uses a bent joint member as the yaw operation unit 112S of the operation unit 110. That is, in the operation unit 110 (FIG. 4) of the surgical instrument shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the yaw operation unit 112 (FIG. 4) for performing yaw operation of the operation unit is configured using a yaw drive shaft 1121 (FIG. 4) and a pulley 1121a (FIG. 4), whereas in this modified example, a bent joint member is used to configure the yaw operation unit 112S for performing yaw operation.

[0255] In detail, the yaw operation unit 112S includes a yaw joint member 1121S in the form of a bent joint member for performing the role of a yaw drive joint, and a yaw drive unit 1122 formed at one end of the yaw joint member 1121S. At this time, the yaw joint member 1121S is formed to be rotatable about the Z axis to perform yaw operation, and serves as the rotation center of the yaw movement.

[0256] FIG. 42 is a diagram showing a second modified example (gear type-G) of the yaw operation unit 112 (FIG. 2) of the surgical instrument shown in FIG. 2 and the like.

[0257] 42, the second modified example of the yaw operation unit of the surgical instrument employs a gear-type joint member as the yaw operation unit 112G of the operation unit 110. That is, in the operation unit 110 (FIG. 4) of the surgical instrument shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the yaw operation unit 112 (FIG. 4) for performing yaw operation of the operation unit is configured using a yaw drive shaft 1121 (FIG. 4) and a pulley 1121a (FIG. 4), whereas in this modified example, a gear-type joint member is employed to configure the yaw operation unit 112G for performing yaw operation.

[0258] In detail, the yaw operation unit 112G includes a yaw joint member 1121G in the form of a gear-type joint member for performing the role of a yaw drive joint, and a yaw drive unit 1122 formed at one end of the yaw joint member 1121G.

[0259] Specifically, the yaw operation unit 112G includes yaw gears 1121G1 and 1121G2 for acting as yaw drive joints. At this time, the second yaw gear 1121G2 is formed to be rotatable about the Z axis so as to perform yaw operation.

[0260] Here, the first yaw gear 1121G1 is fixed to one end of the pitch drive handle 1112, and the second yaw gear 1121G2 is fixed to one end of the yaw drive unit 1122. When the yaw drive unit 1122 is rotated, the second yaw gear 1121G2 rotates around the axis of the first yaw gear 1121G1 along with the first yaw gear 1121G1. In other words, the yaw operation unit 112G is formed to be rotatable around the Z axis, and performs yaw motion.

[0261] FIG. 43 is a diagram showing a third modified example of the yaw operation unit 112 (FIG. 2) of the surgical instrument shown in FIG. 2 and the like (joint type-J).

[0262] 43, the third modified example of the yaw operation unit of the surgical instrument employs a nodal joint member as the yaw operation unit 112J of the operation unit 110. That is, in the operation unit 110 (FIG. 4) of the surgical instrument shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the yaw operation unit 112 (FIG. 4) for performing yaw operation of the operation unit is configured using a yaw drive shaft 1121 (FIG. 4) and a pulley 1121a (FIG. 4), whereas in this modified example, a nodal joint member is employed to configure the yaw operation unit 112J for performing yaw operation.

[0263] In detail, the yaw operation unit 112J includes a yaw joint member 1121J in the form of a node-type joint member for performing the role of a yaw drive joint, and a yaw drive unit 1122 formed at one end of the yaw joint member 1121J.

[0264] In detail, the yaw operation unit 112J includes yaw joints 1121J1 and 1121J2 that function as yaw drive joints. At this time, the first yaw joint 1121J1 and the second yaw joint 1121J2 are each formed to be rotatable about the Z axis so as to perform yaw operation. At this time, the rotation amounts of the first yaw joint 1121J1 and the second yaw joint 1121J2 are combined to form the rotation amount of the entire yaw joint member 1121J.

[0265] Here, the first yaw joint 1121J1 is formed at one end of the pitch drive handle 1112, and the second yaw joint 1121J2 is formed at one end of the yaw drive unit 1122. When the yaw drive unit 1122 is rotated, the first yaw joint 1121J1 and the second yaw joint 1121J2 rotate around the Z axis, pushing one side of the yaw wire (not shown) and pulling the other side. In other words, the yaw operation unit 112J is formed to be rotatable around the Z axis and performs yaw movement.

[0266] <Modification of the pitch / yaw joint of a surgical instrument> As shown in Fig. 19A, the pitch / yaw joint of the present invention is characterized in that pitch wires and yaw wires are positioned in four directions, with an actuation wire located at the center thereof, and the pitch / yaw joint performs pitch and yaw movements such that each pitch movement and yaw movement does not affect the other movements, and actuation movements by the actuation operating unit do not affect the other movements. There are various specific structures that can embody this feature, and specific variations thereof will be listed below. However, the variations described below refer to only some of the various variations that can embody the basic features described above. Even if not mentioned here, various other examples that can achieve this feature are possible, and all of these examples are considered to be included in the scope of the present invention.

[0267] FIG. 44 is a diagram showing a first modified example of the pitch / yaw drive joint 5111 (FIG. 19A) of the surgical instrument shown in FIG. 19A etc. (ball joint-B).

[0268] 44, a first modified example of the pitch / yaw drive joint of a surgical instrument uses a ball joint as the pitch / yaw drive joint 1111B of the operating unit 110. That is, in the operating unit 510 (FIG. 19A) of the surgical instrument shown in FIG. 19A, a bendable joint member is used to configure the pitch / yaw drive joint 5111 (FIG. 19A) for performing the pitch / yaw movement of the operating unit, whereas in this modified example, a ball joint is used to configure the pitch / yaw drive joint 1111B for performing the pitch and yaw movement. Here, the ball joint itself is a well-known technology, and detailed description thereof will be omitted in this specification.

[0269] At this time, the pitch / yaw drive joint 1111B rotates up and down around the Y axis, becoming the center of rotation for the pitch movement. Also, the pitch / yaw drive joint 1111B rotates left and right around the Z axis, becoming the center of rotation for the yaw movement.

[0270] Meanwhile, both ends of the pitch wire 131W and the yaw wire 132W are coupled to one end of the pitch / yaw drive joint 1111B. Therefore, when the pitch / yaw drive handle 1112 rotates, the pitch / yaw drive joint 1111B connected thereto rotates, and as the pitch / yaw drive joint 1111B rotates, it pushes one end of either the pitch wire 131W or the yaw wire 132W and pulls the other end, thereby causing the end tool 120 connected thereto to perform pitch or yaw movement.

[0271] FIG. 45 is a drawing showing a second modified example of the pitch / yaw drive joint 5111 (FIG. 19A) of the surgical instrument shown in FIG. 19A etc. (universal joint-U).

[0272] 45, a second modified example of the pitch / yaw drive joint of a surgical instrument uses a universal joint as the pitch / yaw drive joint 1111U of the operating unit 110. That is, in the operating unit 510 (FIG. 19A) of the surgical instrument shown in FIG. 19A, a bendable joint member is used to configure the pitch / yaw drive joint 5111 (FIG. 19A) for performing the pitch / yaw movement of the operating unit, whereas a feature of this modified example is that a universal joint is used to configure the pitch / yaw drive joint 1111U for performing the pitch and yaw movement. Here, the universal joint itself is a well-known technology, and detailed description thereof will be omitted in this specification.

[0273] At this time, the pitch / yaw drive joint 1111U rotates up and down around the Y axis, becoming the center of rotation for the pitch movement. Also, the pitch / yaw drive joint 1111U rotates left and right around the Z axis, becoming the center of rotation for the yaw movement.

[0274] Meanwhile, both ends of the pitch wire 131W and the yaw wire 132W are coupled to one end of the pitch / yaw drive joint 1111U. Therefore, when the pitch / yaw drive handle 1112 rotates, the pitch / yaw drive joint 1111U connected thereto rotates, and as the pitch / yaw drive joint 1111U rotates, it pushes one end of the pitch wire 131W or the yaw wire 132W and pulls the other end, thereby causing the end tool 120 connected thereto to perform pitch or yaw motion.

[0275] FIG. 46 is a drawing (SB) showing a third modified example of the pitch / yaw drive joint 5111 (FIG. 19A) of the surgical instrument shown in FIG. 19A and the like.

[0276] 46, the third modified example of the pitch / yaw drive joint of the surgical instrument employs a combined joint of a bending joint member and a ball joint as the pitch / yaw drive joint 1111SB of the operating unit 110. That is, in the operating unit 510 (FIG. 19A) of the surgical instrument shown in FIG. 19A, a bending joint member is used to configure the pitch / yaw drive joint 5111 (FIG. 19A) for performing the pitch / yaw movement of the operating unit, whereas in this modified example, a bending joint member 1111S and a ball joint 1111B are used together to configure the pitch / yaw drive joint 1111SB for performing the pitch and yaw movement.

[0277] At this time, the pitch / yaw drive joint 1111SB rotates up and down around the Y axis, becoming the center of rotation for the pitch movement. Also, the pitch / yaw drive joint 1111SB rotates left and right around the Z axis, becoming the center of rotation for the yaw movement.

[0278] Meanwhile, both ends of the pitch wire 131W and the yaw wire 132W are coupled to one end of the pitch / yaw drive joint 1111SB. Therefore, when the pitch / yaw drive handle 1112 rotates, the pitch / yaw drive joint 1111SB connected thereto rotates, and as the pitch / yaw drive joint 1111SB rotates, it pushes one end of the pitch wire 131W or the yaw wire 132W and pulls the other end, thereby causing the end tool 120 connected thereto to perform pitch or yaw movement.

[0279] At this time, the actuation wire (not shown) passes through the center of the two parallel pitch wires 131W and the center of the two parallel yaw wires 132W, respectively, and is therefore not affected by the pitch movement or yaw movement.

[0280] FIG. 47 is a drawing (SU) showing a fourth modified example of the pitch / yaw drive joint 5111 (FIG. 19A) of the surgical instrument shown in FIG. 19A and the like.

[0281] 47, the fourth modified example of the pitch / yaw drive joint of a surgical instrument employs a combined joint of a bending joint member and a universal joint as the pitch / yaw drive joint 1111SU of the operating unit 110. That is, in the operating unit 510 (FIG. 19A) of the surgical instrument shown in FIG. 19A, a bending joint member is used to configure the pitch / yaw drive joint 5111 (FIG. 19A) for performing the pitch / yaw movement of the operating unit, whereas in this modified example, a bending joint member 1111S and a universal joint 1111U are both used to configure the pitch / yaw drive joint 1111SU for performing the pitch and yaw movement.

[0282] At this time, the pitch / yaw drive joint 1111SU rotates up and down around the Y axis, becoming the center of rotation for the pitch movement. Also, the pitch / yaw drive joint 1111SU rotates left and right around the Z axis, becoming the center of rotation for the yaw movement.

[0283] Meanwhile, both ends of the pitch wire 131W and the yaw wire 132W are coupled to one end of the pitch / yaw drive joint 1111SU. Therefore, when the pitch / yaw drive handle 1112 rotates, the pitch / yaw drive joint 1111SU coupled thereto rotates, and as the pitch / yaw drive joint 1111SU rotates, it pushes one end of the pitch wire 131W or the yaw wire 132W and pulls the other end, thereby causing the end tool 120 coupled thereto to perform pitch or yaw motion.

[0284] FIG. 48 is a drawing (JB) showing a fifth modified example of the pitch / yaw drive joint 5111 (FIG. 19A) of the surgical instrument shown in FIG. 19A and the like.

[0285] 48, the fifth modified example of the pitch / yaw drive joint of a surgical instrument employs a combined joint of a nodal joint member and a ball joint as the pitch / yaw drive joint 1111JB of the operating unit 110. That is, in the operating unit 510 (FIG. 19A) of the surgical instrument shown in FIG. 19A, a bendable joint member is used to configure the pitch / yaw drive joint 5111 (FIG. 19A) for performing the pitch / yaw movement of the operating unit, whereas in this modified example, a nodal joint member 1111J and a ball joint 1111B are used together to configure the pitch / yaw drive joint 1111JB for performing the pitch and yaw movement.

[0286] At this time, the pitch / yaw drive joint 1111JB rotates up and down around the Y axis, becoming the center of rotation for the pitch movement. Also, the pitch / yaw drive joint 1111JB rotates left and right around the Z axis, becoming the center of rotation for the yaw movement.

[0287] Meanwhile, both ends of the pitch wire 131W and the yaw wire 132W are coupled to one end of the pitch / yaw drive joint 1111JB. Therefore, when the pitch / yaw drive handle 1112 rotates, the pitch / yaw drive joint 1111JB connected thereto rotates, and as the pitch / yaw drive joint 1111JB rotates, it pushes one end of the pitch wire 131W or the yaw wire 132W and pulls the other end, thereby causing the end tool 120 connected thereto to pitch or yaw.

[0288] FIG. 49 is a drawing (JU) showing a sixth modified example of the pitch / yaw drive joint 5111 (FIG. 19A) of the surgical instrument shown in FIG. 19A and the like.

[0289] 49, the sixth modified example of the pitch / yaw drive joint of a surgical instrument employs a combined joint of a nodal joint member and a universal joint as the pitch / yaw drive joint 1111JU of the operating unit 110. That is, in the operating unit 510 (FIG. 19A) of the surgical instrument shown in FIG. 19A, a bendable joint member is used to configure the pitch / yaw drive joint 5111 (FIG. 19A) for performing the pitch / yaw movement of the operating unit, whereas in this modified example, a nodal joint member 1111J and a universal joint 1111U are used together to configure the pitch / yaw drive joint 1111JU for performing the pitch and yaw movement.

[0290] At this time, the pitch / yaw drive joint 1111JU rotates up and down around the Y axis, becoming the center of rotation for the pitch movement. Also, the pitch / yaw drive joint 1111JU rotates left and right around the Z axis, becoming the center of rotation for the yaw movement.

[0291] Meanwhile, both ends of the pitch wire 131W and the yaw wire 132W are respectively coupled to one end of the pitch / yaw drive joint 1111JU. Therefore, when the pitch / yaw drive handle 1112 rotates, the pitch / yaw drive joint 1111JU connected thereto rotates, and as the pitch / yaw drive joint 1111JU rotates, it pushes one end of either the pitch wire 131W or the yaw wire 132W and pulls the other end, thereby causing the end tool 120 connected thereto to perform pitch or yaw movement.

[0292] <Modification of Rolling Action of Surgical Instrument> Figure 50 is a perspective view of a surgical instrument to which a roll function has been added to the surgical instrument shown in Figure 19A, etc., and Figures 51A to 51E are perspective views showing the surgical instrument of Figure 50 performing a roll operation.

[0293] 50, the surgical instrument 500R according to this modification further includes a roll operation unit 550 for a roll operation. That is, the surgical instrument 500R further includes a ball-joint-type roll operation unit 550 that encloses the pitch / yaw drive joint 5111 (FIG. 19A) of the operating unit 510 (FIG. 19A) of the surgical instrument shown in FIG. 19A, etc., allowing the surgical instrument 500R to perform a roll operation. Here, the roll operation refers to the rotation of the roll operation unit 550, in which the end tool 520 and the connecting part 540 rotate about their own central axes while the relative angle between the central axis of the connecting part 540 and the central axis of the end tool 520 remains unchanged.

[0294] 51A to 51E, when the roll operating unit 550 is rotated while the other parts of the operating unit 510 are fixed, the bending angle of the joint member 525 is maintained, and the first jaw 521 and second jaw 522 connected thereto and the jaw base 523 connected thereto rotate together with the rotation of the roll operating unit 550. As the first jaw 521 and second jaw 522 rotate, the relative positions of the first jaw 521 and second jaw 522 are maintained constant. That is, the jaws 521 and 522 of the end tool 520 rotate around the central axis of the jaw base 523 while maintaining their open angle. This will be described in more detail as follows.

[0295] The end tool 520 rotates in the pitch and yaw directions due to the rotation of the pitch / yaw joint of the operating unit. That is, the pitch / yaw drive joint of the operating unit rotates due to the rotation of the operating unit in the pitch and yaw directions relative to the connecting unit, which ultimately causes the end tool 520 to bend in the pitch and yaw directions relative to the connecting unit.

[0296] At this time, the pitch bending angle of the end tool 520 is determined by the difference between the relative pulling and pushing of the two pitch wires located at the top and bottom of the cross section toward the connecting portion of the pitch / yaw drive joint of the operating unit. Similarly, the yaw bending angle of the end tool 520 is determined by the difference between the relative pulling and pushing of the two yaw wires located at the left and right of the cross section toward the connecting portion of the pitch / yaw drive joint of the operating unit.

[0297] The pitch / yaw drive joint of the operating unit connects the connecting unit and the operating unit handle and performs bending in the pitch and yaw directions. At this time, the pitch / yaw drive joint is fixed to the connecting unit on the cross section, but the end of the pitch / yaw drive joint on the operating unit side is not fixed to the operating unit or on the cross section and is configured to be rotatable, so that when the end tool 520 is bent at an angle, it can perform a roll function by rotating only the two jaws. More specifically, as shown in the right-hand drawing, when the operating unit is bent in the yaw direction relative to the connecting unit, and thus the end tool 520 is also bent in the same direction, the pitch / yaw drive joint of the operating unit is fixed to the connecting unit, but the end cross section toward the operating unit is not fixedly connected to the operating unit handle and is therefore rotatable. Therefore, when the roll handle and the connecting unit connected to it are rotated around the central axis of the connecting unit, the pitch / yaw drive joint connected thereto rotates while maintaining its folded shape, determined by the relative rotation between the connecting unit and the operating unit handle. At that time, the four pitch wires and yaw wires positioned at the four ends of the cross section of the pitch / yaw drive joint also rotate. In this way, when the pitch / yaw drive joint rotates, the pitch wires and yaw wires positioned at the four ends of the cross section of the pitch / yaw drive joint rotate together, and each can leave its original position and rotate at the position of the other wire.

[0298] That is, in such a case, the yaw wire positioned in the left-right direction on the cross section of the pitch / yaw drive joint can also move to the pitch wire positioned in the up-down direction through rotation, and the pitch wire initially positioned in the up-down direction can also move to the yaw wire positioned in the left-right direction through rotation. Therefore, if the pitch / yaw drive joint is capable of rotation in this way, it is meaningless to classify the four wires into pitch wires and yaw wires. The four wires are positioned in four directions on the cross section, and any wire positioned in the left-right direction on the cross section will function as a yaw wire, and any wire positioned in the up-down direction will function as a pitch wire.

[0299] Therefore, even if the pitch / yaw drive joint rotates together with the connecting part and the roll handle, if the relative pitch bending or yaw bending is determined by the connecting part and the operating part handle, the relative pitch bending or yaw bending between the connecting part and the end tool 520 is maintained without being affected. At that time, the two knobs of the end tool 520 rotate about a central axis determined by the two knob side end portions of the pitch / yaw drive joint of the end tool 520.

[0300] In this case, the actuation wire is positioned so as to pass through the center of the cross section of the pitch / yaw drive joint and is not fixed to the pitch / yaw drive joint. Therefore, even if the pitch / yaw drive joint rotates, the actuation wire does not rotate with the joint, and independent actuation operations can be performed.

[0301] At this time, the roll handle is positioned so as to either allow or not hinder rotation of the pitch / yaw drive joint of the connecting part and the operating part while maintaining the relative bending angle between the connecting part and the operating part handle. That is, the roll handle may be fixedly positioned on the connecting part, may be fixedly positioned at the pitch / yaw drive joint of the operating part, or may be extended and fixed to the operating part side of the operating part pitch / yaw drive joint.

[0302] Meanwhile, in this case, various snake, joint, ball joint, and the like that satisfy the above-mentioned conditions can be used as the pitch / yaw drive joint of the operating unit, and detailed explanations thereof will be omitted.

[0303] Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the preferred embodiments, various modifications are possible within the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, equivalent means, although not described, are also incorporated into the present invention. Therefore, the true scope of protection of the present invention is determined by the following claims. [Industrial Applicability]

[0304] The present invention may be utilized in manually actuable surgical instruments for use in laparoscopic surgery or in a variety of different surgical procedures.

Claims

[Claim 1] an end tool that performs at least a pitch motion bending in a second direction (Y-axis) and a yaw motion bending in a third direction (Z-axis); The end tool includes a pitch / yaw operation unit that controls the pitch movement and yaw movement of the end tool, and an actuation operation unit that controls the actuation movement of the end tool, wherein the pitch / yaw operation unit includes an operation unit formed by a bending joint member that bends in one or more directions; a power transmission unit that transmits the operation of the operating unit to the end tool; a connecting portion formed to extend in a first direction (X-axis), having one end to which the end tool is coupled and the other end to which the operating portion is coupled, and connecting the operating portion and the end tool; At least a part of the operating portion is formed to extend toward the end tool, The pitch / yaw operation unit is a pitch / yaw drive joint that is a bending type joint member that bends in one or more directions; a pitch / yaw drive handle connected to the pitch / yaw drive joint and formed to be movable together with the pitch / yaw drive joint; The pitch / yaw operation unit is formed on an extension line of the connecting unit, The actuation operation unit is formed to be spaced apart from the pitch / yaw operation unit on an extension line of the connection unit, a virtual central axis of the pitch / yaw drive handle in the third direction formed closer to the end tool than a virtual central axis of the pitch / yaw drive joint in the third direction; or a virtual central axis of the pitch / yaw drive handle in the third direction formed at substantially the same distance from the end tool as a virtual central axis of the pitch / yaw drive joint in the third direction.

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