Specimen collection robot system and robot system

Abstract

To provide a sample collecting robot system that can collect a sample from a subject easily while reducing infection risks from a subject to a person who performs the processing.SOLUTION: A sample collecting robot system 100 includes: a slave robot 10 for collecting a sample from a subject S by a sample collecting member 101; an irradiation unit 14 in the slave robot 10, the irradiation unit irradiating the subject S with guide light GL for guiding a direction of inserting the sample collecting member 101; a first imaging device 13 for imaging the subject S; a display device 30 for displaying an image taken by a first imaging device 13; and a master robot 20 for remotely operating the slave robot 10. The display device 30 displays an image of the subject S irradiated with the guide light GL.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a specimen collection robot system and a robot system, and in particular to a specimen collection robot system and a robot system that perform procedures such as collecting a specimen from a subject. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a specimen collection box for collecting specimens from a subject is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Patent Document 1 discloses a specimen collection box including a specimen collection main box and a protective glove provided on the specimen collection main box. In this specimen collection box, a person who collects the specimen enters the specimen collection main box and collects the specimen from the subject through the protective glove. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Utility Model Registration No. 3228999 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the technology described in Patent Document 1, the practitioner must be positioned close to the subject, since the practitioner must enter the main box for specimen collection and collect the specimen from the subject through protective gloves. In addition, since the practitioner must enter the main box for specimen collection, air must be taken into the main box for specimen collection. Therefore, there is a problem that the practitioner is at high risk of infection when collecting a specimen from the subject.

[0005] This disclosure has been made to solve the problems described above, and one objective of this disclosure is to provide a specimen collection robot system and a robot system that are capable of easily performing procedures such as collecting a specimen from a subject while reducing the risk of infection from the subject to the person performing the procedure. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, a specimen collecting robot system according to a first aspect of the present disclosure includes a slave robot that collects a specimen from a subject using a specimen collecting member, an irradiation unit provided in the slave robot that irradiates guide light for guiding a direction in which to insert the specimen collecting member into the subject, a first image capturing device that captures an image of the subject, a first display device on which an image captured by the first image capturing device is displayed, and a master robot that remotely controls the slave robot, wherein an image of the subject irradiated with the guide light is displayed on the first display device. The first display device displays a mark indicating at least one of the force from the specimen collecting member in contact with the subject and the insertion depth of the specimen collecting member into the subject, with the mark being centered on the irradiation point of the guide light on the subject. .

[0007] As described above, the specimen collecting robot system according to the first aspect of the disclosure includes a slave robot that collects a specimen from a subject using a specimen collecting member, and a master robot that remotely controls the slave robot. This allows a practitioner to collect a specimen from the subject by remotely controlling the slave robot using the master robot, thereby reducing the risk of infection from the subject to the practitioner. In addition, the first display device displays an image of the subject illuminated with a guide light for guiding the direction in which the specimen collecting member is inserted into the subject. This allows the practitioner (operator) to operate the master robot while visually checking the guide light displayed on the first display device, and therefore the practitioner can easily operate the master robot to insert the specimen collecting member into the subject. In addition, even if the insertion direction of the specimen collecting member is misaligned with the shooting direction (optical axis) of the first image capture device, the master robot can easily be operated to insert the specimen collecting member into the subject while visually checking the guide light displayed on the first display device. These allow a procedure such as collecting a specimen from the subject to be easily performed while reducing the risk of infection from the subject to the practitioner. A specimen collecting robot system according to a second aspect of this disclosure includes a slave robot that collects a specimen from a subject using a specimen collecting member, an illumination unit provided on the slave robot that illuminates guide light to guide the direction in which to insert the specimen collecting member into the subject, an imaging device that images the subject, a display device on which the image captured by the imaging device is displayed, and a master robot that remotely operates the slave robot, wherein the display device displays an image of the subject illuminated with the guide light, the slave robot includes an arm and a hand attached to the end of the arm, and further includes a distance measurement unit provided on the hand for measuring the distance to the subject, and when the distance measured by the distance measurement unit becomes equal to or less than a predetermined threshold, an action is taken to avoid contact between the slave robot and the subject. A specimen collecting robot system according to a third aspect of this disclosure includes a slave robot that collects a specimen from a subject using a specimen collecting member, an irradiation unit provided on the slave robot that irradiates guide light to guide the direction in which the specimen collecting member is inserted into the subject, an imaging device that images the subject, a display device on which an image captured by the imaging device is displayed, and a master robot that remotely operates the slave robot, wherein an image of the subject irradiated with the guide light is displayed on the display device, and the slave robot includes an arm and a hand attached to the end of the arm and that grasps the specimen collecting member, and includes a first biasing member provided on the hand side and a second biasing member connected to the first biasing member, and further includes a sliding force maintaining mechanism that maintains a constant sliding force on the specimen collecting member grasped by the hand by keeping a constant difference in biasing force between the first biasing member and the second biasing member even when the hand is tilted. A specimen collecting robot system according to a fourth aspect of this disclosure includes a slave robot that collects a specimen from a subject using a specimen collecting member, an illumination unit provided on the slave robot that illuminates guide light to guide the direction in which to insert the specimen collecting member into the subject, a first imaging device that images the subject, a first display device on which an image captured by the first imaging device is displayed, and a master robot that remotely operates the slave robot, wherein the first display device displays an image of the subject illuminated with the guide light, and the slave robot includes a first arm and a second arm, a hand that holds the specimen collecting member is provided at the tip of the first arm, and the second arm is provided with a second imaging device that images the subject, and further includes a second display device on which an image captured by the second imaging device is displayed.

[0008] This disclosure 5 The robot system according to this aspect includes a slave robot that holds a medical examination tool and performs a treatment on a subject, an irradiation unit provided in the slave robot that irradiates guide light for guiding a direction in which the examination tool is moved relative to the subject, an image capturing device that captures an image of the subject, a display device on which an image captured by the image capturing device is displayed, and a master robot that remotely controls the slave robot, and the display device displays an image of the subject irradiated with the guide light. The display device displays a mark indicating at least one of the force from the test tool contacting the subject and the insertion depth of the test tool into the subject, centered on the irradiation point of the guide light on the subject. Here, in the present disclosure, "performing a treatment on a subject" is a broad concept including not only taking a sample from a subject but also examining the subject. Also, the term "examination instrument" is a concept including an instrument for examining a subject in addition to an instrument for examining the subject.

[0009] This disclosure 5 The robot system according to the aspect includes a slave robot that holds a medical test tool and a master robot that remotely controls the slave robot, as described above. This allows a practitioner to perform a medical procedure (such as indirectly collecting a specimen) on a subject by remotely controlling the slave robot using the master robot, thereby reducing the risk of infection from the subject to the practitioner. In addition, the display device displays an image of the subject illuminated with a guide light for guiding the direction in which the test tool is inserted into the subject. This allows the practitioner (operator) to operate the master robot while visually checking the guide light displayed on the display device, and therefore the practitioner can easily operate the master robot to perform a medical procedure (such as inserting a specimen collection member) on the subject. In addition, even if the direction in which the test tool is moved is not aligned with the shooting direction (optical axis) of the imaging device, the master robot can be easily operated to insert the test tool into the subject while visually checking the guide light displayed on the display device. These features provide a robot system that can easily perform a procedure such as collecting a specimen from a subject while reducing the risk of infection from the subject to the practitioner. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present disclosure, as described above, it is possible to easily perform procedures such as collecting a specimen from a subject while reducing the risk of infection from the subject to the person performing the procedure. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a specimen collecting robot system according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a specimen collecting robot system according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing collection of a specimen by operating a slave robot according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4]FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a master robot according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a subject and a guide light during sample collection displayed on a first display device. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a subject undergoing specimen collection and a circle indicating the force from the specimen collection member and the insertion depth, displayed on a first display device. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a specimen collecting robot system (hand) according to a second embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a block diagram of a specimen collecting robot system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a control flow diagram of the specimen collecting robot system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a hand and a sliding force maintaining mechanism of the specimen collecting robot system according to the third embodiment. [Figure 11] 11 is a diagram showing a state in which the hand and the sliding force retaining mechanism in FIG. 10 are tilted. FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a specimen collecting robot system according to a third embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 11 is a block diagram of a specimen collecting robot system according to a third embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a subject and a guide light during sample collection displayed on a first display device according to a first modified example (when the distance between the subject and the hand is large). [Figure 15] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a subject and a guide light during sample collection displayed on a first display device according to a first modified example (when the distance between the subject and the hand is small). [Figure 16] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a subject and a guide light during sample collection displayed on a first display device according to a second modified example. [Figure 17] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a subject and a guide light during sample collection displayed on a first display device according to a third modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] [First embodiment] 1, a specimen collecting robot system 100 according to a first embodiment includes a slave robot 10, a master robot 20, and a display device 30. The slave robot 10 is disposed in a space 2 different from a space 1 in which the master robot 20 and the display device 30 are disposed. The specimen collecting robot system 100 is an example of a "robot system" as defined in the claims.

[0013] 2, the master robot 20 includes a control unit 20a, a driving unit 20b (servo motor), and an encoder 20c. The slave robot 10 includes a control unit 10a, a driving unit 10b (servo motor), and an encoder 10c. The specimen collecting robot system 100 includes a control device 40. When a person in charge of treatment (hereinafter, referred to as an operator O) operates the operation unit 21 (see FIG. 1) of the master robot 20, an operation command is calculated by the control software 41 of the control device 40, and the calculated operation command is input to the control unit 10a of the slave robot 10. As a result, the driving unit 10b of the slave robot 10 is driven, thereby driving the slave robot 10. The specific configuration of the specimen collecting robot system 100 will be described below.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, the slave robot 10 collects a specimen from the subject S by using a specimen collecting member 101. The specimen collecting member 101 is, for example, a sterile cotton swab. The sterile cotton swab has a rod shape. The slave robot 10, for example, inserts the specimen collecting member 101 into the nasal cavity of the subject S, and collects a specimen (nasopharyngeal swab) from the nasopharynx of the subject S by using the inserted specimen collecting member 101 (see the specimen collecting member 101 indicated by dotted lines in FIG. 3). The slave robot 10 may also collect a specimen by inserting the specimen collecting member 101 into the oral cavity of the subject S. A virus test such as a PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) test is performed on the collected specimen. The specimen collecting member 101 is an example of a "testing instrument" in the claims.

[0015] As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the slave robot 10 is a vertical articulated robot. The slave robot 10 includes an arm 11 and a hand 12 attached to the tip of the arm 11. The arm 11 has a plurality of joints. Each of the plurality of joints of the arm 11 is provided with a drive unit 10b and an encoder 10c. The hand 12 holds a specimen collecting member 101. The hand 12 has, for example, a chuck 12a (a pair of gripping members), and grips and holds the specimen collecting member 101 with the chuck 12a. Moreover, the chuck 12a is, for example, an air chuck operated by air.

[0016] The slave robot 10 is housed inside a system housing 102. A shielding plate 103 is disposed between the slave robot 10 and the subject S. The shielding plate 103 is installed in the system housing 102. The shielding plate 103 is a transparent member such as a glass plate, and has an opening 103a. The opening 103a is provided at a position corresponding to the nasal cavity Sa of the subject S, and the size of the opening 103a is a size that includes the nose and mouth of the subject S.

[0017] 1 and 4, the master robot 20 remotely controls the slave robot 10. Specifically, the master robot 20 is operated by an operator O such as a practitioner (doctor) to remotely control the slave robot 10. The master robot 20 outputs an operation command based on the operation of the operator O. The slave robot 10 performs an action corresponding to the operation of the operator O based on the operation command from the master robot 20. The slave robot 10 and the master robot 20 are connected to each other by wire or wirelessly so as to be able to communicate with each other.

[0018] As shown in Figs. 1 and 4, the master robot 20 includes an operation unit 21 and an arm unit 22. The operation unit 21 is provided to remotely operate the hand 12 of the slave robot 10 that holds the specimen collecting member 101. Specifically, the operation unit 21 is a grip handle having a rod shape. The operation unit 21 is held and moved by the operator O in one hand to accept operation of the slave robot 10 by the operator O. The operation unit 21 is operated, for example, by the right hand of the operator O. The arm unit 22 has a plurality of joints, and supports the operation unit 21 movably in the up-down direction (Z direction), left-right direction (Y direction), and front-back direction (X direction).

[0019] The slave robot 10 is operated in a direction corresponding to the direction in which the operator O moves the operation unit 21. For example, when the operator O moves the operation unit 21 in the up-down direction (Z direction), the hand 12 of the slave robot 10 (and the specimen collecting member 101 held by the hand 12) is moved in the up-down direction. Also, for example, when the operator O moves the operation unit 21 in the left-right direction (Y direction), the hand 12 of the slave robot 10 (and the specimen collecting member 101 held by the hand 12) is moved in the left-right direction. Also, for example, when the operator O moves the operation unit 21 in the front-back direction (X direction), the hand 12 of the slave robot 10 (and the specimen collecting member 101 held by the hand 12) is moved in the front-back direction. When collecting a specimen from the subject S using the specimen collecting member 101, the operator O moves the operating unit 21 forward (X1 direction) to move the hand 12 of the slave robot 10 (and the specimen collecting member 101 held by the hand 12) forward (insertion direction), thereby inserting the specimen collecting member 101 into the nasal cavity of the subject S.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 3, a first image capturing device 13 is provided for capturing an image of the subject S. The first image capturing device 13 is, for example, a camera for capturing a two-dimensional image. The first image capturing device 13 may be a camera for capturing a three-dimensional image. The first image capturing device 13 captures an image of the entire face of the subject S including the nasal cavity Sa. The first image capturing device 13 captures an image of the specimen collecting member 101 held by the hand 12. The first image capturing device 13 is disposed below the hand 12. The first image capturing device 13 is an example of the "image capturing device" in the claims.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 5, the display device 30 displays an image (video) of the subject S. The display device 30 displays a video of the first image capturing device 13 provided on the hand 12 of the slave robot 10. That is, the display device 30 displays the nasal cavity Sa of the subject S captured by the first image capturing device 13 and the specimen collecting member 101 held by the hand 12. The operator O performs a specimen collection operation from the subject S using the specimen collecting member 101 by operating the slave robot 10 using the master robot 20 while checking the real-time video of the subject S displayed on the display device 30. The display device 30 includes, for example, a liquid crystal monitor. The display device 30 is an example of the "first display device" and the "second display device" in the claims.

[0022] 3, in the first embodiment, the slave robot 10 is provided with an irradiation unit 14 that irradiates guide light GL to guide the subject S in the direction of inserting the specimen collecting member 101. An image of the subject S irradiated with the guide light GL is displayed on the display device 30 (see FIG. 5).

[0023] Specifically, in the first embodiment, as shown in Fig. 5, the irradiation unit 14 irradiates the guide light GL near the nasal cavity Sa of the subject S so as to guide the direction in which the specimen collecting member 101 is inserted into the nasal cavity Sa of the subject S. That is, the slave robot 10 is operated so that the specimen collecting member 101 is positioned near the nasal cavity Sa of the subject S, whereby the guide light GL from the irradiation unit 14 provided in the hand 12 is irradiated near the nasal cavity Sa of the subject S. Note that "near the nasal cavity Sa" is a concept including the position of the nasal cavity Sa itself and a position close to the nasal cavity Sa.

[0024] Moreover, in the first embodiment, the irradiating unit 14 irradiates the linear guide light GL to the subject S. As a result, the guide light GL is irradiated in a dot shape near the nasal cavity Sa of the subject S.

[0025] In the first embodiment, the irradiating unit 14 irradiates laser light as the guide light GL. The wavelength of the laser light is preferably relatively long so that the effect of the laser light on the subject S is not large.

[0026] 3, in the first embodiment, the irradiation unit 14 is provided in the hand 12 (at the base side of the chuck 12a) of the slave robot 10. For example, the irradiation unit 14 is provided above the hand 12 of the slave robot 10. The irradiation unit 14 is attached to the hand 12 so as to irradiate the guide light GL along the axis of the rod-shaped specimen collecting member 101.

[0027] 6, in the first embodiment, a circle C indicating at least one of the force from the specimen collecting member 101 contacting the subject S and the insertion depth of the specimen collecting member 101 into the subject S (both in the first embodiment) is displayed on the display device 30, with the circle C being centered on the irradiation point of the guide light GL on the subject S. The circle C is an example of a "mark" in the claims.

[0028] Specifically, the hand 12 is provided with a force sensor 15 (force sensor, see FIG. 3) that detects the force from the specimen collecting member 101 in contact with the subject S. In addition, the position (posture, tip position, etc.) of the specimen collecting member 101 is acquired from the robot coordinates of the slave robot 10. Then, based on the acquired position, the insertion depth of the specimen collecting member 101 into the subject S is acquired.

[0029] A circle C indicating the detection result of the force sensor 15 and the insertion depth of the specimen collecting member 101 into the subject S is displayed on the display device 30. The color of the circle C changes according to the magnitude of the force detected by the force sensor 15. The diameter of the circle C changes according to the insertion depth of the specimen collecting member 101. Lines C1 pointing to the center of the circle C are added to the circle C at 90 degree intervals. A marker C2 (four lines) indicating the center is placed in the center of the circle C.

[0030] In detail, as the force detected by the force sensor 15 increases, the color of the circle C changes from blue to yellow and then to red. The color is changed continuously (gradationally), for example. As the tip of the specimen collecting member 101 held by the hand 12 approaches the subject S, the radius of the circle C gradually decreases. After the tip of the specimen collecting member 101 held by the hand 12 reaches the vicinity of the subject S (a predetermined distance), the radius of the circle C gradually decreases. The circle C rotates in response to the rotation of the hand 12.

[0031] Incidentally, the on / off of the guide light GL from the irradiation unit 14 and the display / non-display of the circle C are performed by operating an operation switch box 23 (see FIG. 1) disposed near the master robot 20. Moreover, the on / off of the guide light GL and the display / non-display of the circle C are controlled by a control device 40 (see FIG. 2).

[0032] 3, in the first embodiment, the hand 12 is provided with a distance measurement unit 16 for measuring the distance to the subject S. When the distance measured by the distance measurement unit 16 becomes equal to or less than a predetermined threshold, an operation is performed to avoid contact between the slave robot 10 and the subject S. The distance measurement unit 16 is provided, for example, below the chuck 12a of the hand 12. The distance measurement unit 16 is, for example, a reflective distance sensor (a non-contact distance sensor).

[0033] In the first embodiment, when the distance measured by the distance measurement unit 16 becomes equal to or less than a predetermined threshold, the operation of the slave robot 10 is stopped. Specifically, the measurement result from the distance measurement unit 16 is input to the control device 40. When the control device 40 determines that the distance measured by the distance measurement unit 16 becomes equal to or less than the predetermined threshold, it outputs a command to the control unit 10a of the slave robot 10 to stop the slave robot 10. Note that when the distance measured by the distance measurement unit 16 becomes equal to or less than the predetermined threshold, the slave robot 10 may be operated to move away from the subject S.

[0034] [Effects of the first embodiment] In the first embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

[0035] In the first embodiment, as described above, there are provided a slave robot 10 that collects a specimen from a subject S by a specimen collecting member 101, and a master robot 20 that remotely operates the slave robot 10. This allows a person performing a procedure (operator O) to remotely operate the slave robot 10 by the master robot 20 to collect (indirectly collect) a specimen from the subject S, thereby reducing the risk of infection from the subject S to the operator O. In addition, an image of the subject S illuminated with guide light GL for guiding the direction in which the specimen collecting member 101 is inserted into the subject S is displayed on the display device 30. This allows the operator O to operate the master robot 20 while visually checking the guide light GL displayed on the display device 30, and therefore allows the operator O to easily operate the master robot 20 to insert the specimen collecting member 101 into the subject S. Furthermore, even if the insertion direction of the specimen collecting member 101 and the photographing direction (optical axis) of the first photographing device 13 are misaligned, the master robot 20 can be easily operated to insert the specimen collecting member 101 into the subject S while visually checking the guide light GL displayed on the display device 30. This makes it possible to easily perform procedures such as collecting a specimen from the subject S while reducing the risk of infection from the subject S to the operator O.

[0036] In the first embodiment, as described above, the specimen collecting member 101 includes the specimen collecting member 101 that collects a specimen from the nasal cavity Sa of the subject S, and the irradiation unit 14 irradiates the guide light GL near the nasal cavity Sa of the subject S to guide the direction in which the specimen collecting member 101 is inserted into the nasal cavity Sa of the subject S. This allows the master robot 20 to be easily operated to insert the specimen collecting member 101 into the nasal cavity Sa of the subject S in the specimen collecting robot system 100 that collects a specimen from the nasal cavity Sa of the subject S. In particular, since the entrance opening of the nasal cavity Sa is small and difficult to insert, the irradiation of the guide light according to the present disclosure is particularly effective.

[0037] In the first embodiment, as described above, the irradiating unit 14 irradiates the linear guide light GL to the subject S. As a result, the subject S is irradiated with point-like light, so that the insertion position of the specimen collecting member 101 with respect to the subject S can be clearly shown to the operator O.

[0038] In the first embodiment, as described above, the display device 30 displays a circle C indicating at least one of the force from the specimen collecting member 101 contacting the subject S and the insertion depth of the specimen collecting member 101 into the subject S, with the circle C being centered on the irradiation point of the guide light GL on the subject S. This makes the distance between the light irradiated to the subject S and the circle C relatively small, so that it is possible to reduce the amount of movement of the line of sight of the operator O for visually recognizing the light irradiated to the subject S and the circle C. This makes it possible to improve the visibility of the circle C.

[0039] In the first embodiment, as described above, the irradiating unit 14 irradiates the laser light as the guide light GL. As a result, the laser light travels linearly without spreading, so that the direction (position) in which the specimen-picking member 101 is to be inserted can be appropriately indicated by the laser light.

[0040] In the first embodiment, as described above, the irradiating unit 14 is attached to the hand 12 so as to irradiate the guide light GL along the axis of the rod-shaped specimen-picking member 101. This makes it possible to align the insertion direction of the rod-shaped specimen-picking member 101 with the traveling direction of the guide light GL, so that the insertion direction of the rod-shaped specimen-picking member 101 can be appropriately guided by the guide light GL.

[0041] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, as described above, when the distance measured by the distance measurement unit 16 provided in the hand 12 becomes equal to or less than a predetermined threshold, an operation is performed to avoid contact between the slave robot 10 and the subject S. This allows the distance measurement unit 16 to easily prevent contact between the slave robot 10 and the subject S.

[0042] In the first embodiment, as described above, when the distance measured by the distance measurement unit 16 becomes equal to or less than a predetermined threshold, the operation of the slave robot 10 is stopped. This makes it possible to easily prevent the slave robot 10 and the subject S from coming into contact with each other based on the predetermined threshold.

[0043] [Second embodiment] Next, a configuration of a specimen collecting robot system 200 according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 7 and Fig. 8. The specimen collecting robot system 200 adjusts the gripping force of the hand 112. The specimen collecting robot system 200 is an example of a "robot system" in the claims.

[0044] In the specimen collecting robot system 200, the slave robot 110 includes an arm 111 and an electromagnetic hand 112 attached to the tip of the arm 111 and gripping the specimen collecting member 101. In the specimen collecting robot system 200, the control device 140 adjusts the gripping force of the electromagnetic hand 112 (chuck 112a) so that the gripping force on the specimen collecting member 101 becomes a predetermined gripping force when gripping the specimen collecting member 101. Specifically, the hand 112 is provided with a gripping force detection unit 113 for detecting the gripping force of the hand 112. The gripping force detection unit 113 is, for example, a pressure sensor. Then, when the gripping force detected by the gripping force detection unit 113 exceeds a predetermined gripping force range, the control device 140 adjusts the gripping force of the electromagnetic hand 112. The control device 140 is an example of a "hand adjustment control unit" in the claims.

[0045] 8, the gripping force (detection result) detected by the gripping force detection unit 113 is input to the control device 140. Control software 141 of the control device 140 controls the slave robot 10 based on the input detection result of the gripping force detection unit 113.

[0046] 9, a control flow of the specimen collecting robot system 200 when adjusting the gripping force of the hand 112 will be described. This control is performed by the control device 140.

[0047] First, in step S1, a command is received to grip the specimen collecting member 101 by the hand 112. This command is transmitted to the slave robot 10 by the master robot 20 being operated.

[0048] Next, in step S2, the specimen collecting member 101 is gripped by the hand 112.

[0049] Next, in step S3, the gripping force of the hand 112 on the specimen collecting member 101 is detected by the gripping force detection unit 113.

[0050] Next, in step S4, it is determined whether or not the gripping force detected by gripping force detection unit 113 is within a predetermined gripping force range.

[0051] If the answer is yes in step S4, the process proceeds to step S5, where it is determined whether or not to end the gripping of the specimen collecting member 101 by the hand 112.

[0052] If the answer is yes in step S5, the adjustment of the gripping force of the hand 112 is completed. If the answer is no in step S5, the process returns to step S3.

[0053] If the answer is no in step S4, the process proceeds to step S6, where the gripping force of the electromagnetic hand 112 (chuck 112a) is adjusted so that the gripping force detected by the gripping force detection unit 113 falls within a predetermined gripping force range. Then, the process returns to step S4.

[0054] [Effects of the second embodiment] In the second embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

[0055] In the second embodiment, as described above, a control device 140 is provided that adjusts the gripping force of the electromagnetic hand 112 so that the gripping force on the specimen collecting member 101 becomes a predetermined gripping force when the specimen collecting member 101 is gripped. This makes it possible to keep the gripping force of the electromagnetic hand 112 on the specimen collecting member 101 constant even when the shape of the specimen collecting member 101 varies. In other words, when the specimen collecting member 101 held by the electromagnetic hand 112 comes into contact with the subject S and a force equal to or greater than a certain force is applied to the specimen collecting member 101, the specimen collecting member 101 slides against the electromagnetic hand 112 in the opposite direction to the subject S. This makes it possible to prevent the specimen collecting member 101 from exerting an excessive force on the subject S.

[0056] Furthermore, in the second embodiment, as described above, when the gripping force detected by the gripping force detection unit 113 exceeds a predetermined gripping force range, the control device 140 adjusts the gripping force of the electromagnetic hand 112. This makes it possible to prevent a sample from being collected in a state where the gripping force of the electromagnetic hand 112 exceeds the predetermined gripping force range.

[0057] [Third embodiment] Next, the configuration of a specimen collecting robot system 300 according to a third embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 10 and Fig. 11. The specimen collecting robot system 300 is provided with a sliding force maintaining mechanism 220 that maintains a constant sliding force of the hand 212 against the specimen collecting member 101. The specimen collecting robot system 300 is an example of a "robot system" in the claims.

[0058] The hand 212 includes a chuck 212a that grips the specimen collecting member 101, and an air cylinder 213 that opens and closes the chuck 212a. The hand 212 slides in the direction in which the specimen collecting member 101 extends. A guide unit 214 that guides the sliding hand 212 is provided. The guide unit 214 is provided to surround the hand 212.

[0059] Here, in the third embodiment, a sliding force maintaining mechanism 220 is provided that maintains a constant sliding force of the hand 212 against the specimen collecting member 101. The sliding force maintaining mechanism 220 includes a first biasing member 221 provided on the hand 212 side, and a second biasing member 222 connected to the first biasing member 221. The first biasing member 221 and the second biasing member 222 are, for example, coil springs.

[0060] In the third embodiment, the first biasing member 221 is connected to the hand 212 and slides the hand 212. A weight 223 is provided which is connected to the second biasing member 222 and is slid by the second biasing member 222. Although not shown, a guide portion is provided for guiding the sliding weight 223. The hand 212 and the weight 223 are connected via a wire 224 and a pulley 225. As a result, the hand 212 and the weight 223 pull each other along the insertion direction of the specimen collecting member 101 (the direction in which the hand 212 extends).

[0061] The weight of the hand 212 and the weight of the weight 223 are approximately equal. The hand 212 and the weight 223 are provided in a housing 226. The housing 226 is attached to the tip of the arm 211.

[0062] Moreover, the side of the first biasing member 221 opposite to the side connected to the hand 212 is a fixed end. Moreover, the side of the second biasing member 222 opposite to the side connected to the weight 223 is a fixed end. Moreover, the biasing forces (repulsive forces) of the first biasing member 221 and the second biasing member 222 are sufficiently large relative to the weights of the hand 212 and the weight 223. Moreover, the insertion force (sliding force) for inserting the specimen collecting member 101 of the hand 212 is ensured by the difference between the biasing force of the first biasing member 221 and the biasing force of the second biasing member 222.

[0063] In the third embodiment, even when the hand 212 is tilted, the sliding force maintaining mechanism 220 maintains the sliding force on the specimen collecting member 101 held by the hand 212 constant by making the difference between the biasing forces of the first biasing member 221 and the second biasing member 222 constant. That is, as shown in FIG. 10, when the hand 212 is arranged along the horizontal direction, the first biasing member 221 and the second biasing member 222 are not subjected to the gravity acting on the hand 212 and the weight 223, respectively. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 11, when the hand 212 is tilted with respect to the horizontal direction, a component of the gravity acting on the hand 212 is applied to the first biasing member 221, and a component of the gravity acting on the weight 223 is applied to the second biasing member 222. However, since the weight of hand 212 and the weight of weight 223 are approximately equal, even if hand 212 is tilted relative to the horizontal direction, the magnitude of one component of gravity applied to first biasing member 221 and the magnitude of one component of gravity applied to second biasing member 222 are approximately equal. Therefore, even if hand 212 is tilted relative to the horizontal direction, the difference in the biasing forces between first biasing member 221 and second biasing member 222 becomes constant, so that it is possible to keep the sliding force on specimen collecting member 101 gripped by hand 212 constant.

[0064] [Effects of the third embodiment] In the third embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

[0065] In the third embodiment, as described above, even if the hand 212 is tilted, the difference in the biasing forces between the first biasing member 221 and the second biasing member 222 becomes constant, so that the sliding force retaining mechanism 220 is provided to retain a constant sliding force on the specimen collecting member 101 held by the hand 212. As a result, even if the hand 212 is tilted, the sliding force on the specimen collecting member 101 held by the hand 212 is retained constant, so that excessive force from the specimen collecting member 101 to the subject S can be prevented.

[0066] In the third embodiment, as described above, the first biasing member 221 is connected to the hand 212 and slides the hand 212, and the weight 223 is connected to the second biasing member 222 and is slid by the second biasing member 222. As a result, even if the hand 212 tilts and slides, changing the length (biasing force) of the first biasing member 221, the length (biasing force) of the second biasing member 222 also changes due to the sliding of the weight 223, so that the difference in biasing force between the first biasing member 221 and the second biasing member 222 can be kept constant. Therefore, even if the hand 212 tilts, the sliding force on the specimen collecting member 101 held by the hand 212 can be kept constant by the first biasing member 221, the second biasing member 222, and the weight 223.

[0067] [Fourth embodiment] Next, the configuration of a specimen collecting robot system 400 according to a fourth embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 12 and Fig. 13. In the specimen collecting robot system 400, the slave robot 310 is a dual-arm robot. The slave robot 310 is a horizontal articulated robot. The specimen collecting robot system 400 is an example of a "robot system" in the claims.

[0068] The slave robot 310 includes a first arm 311a and a second arm 311b. A hand 312a for gripping the specimen collecting member 101 is provided at the tip of the first arm 311a. The second arm 311b is provided with a hand 312b and a second image capturing device 313b for capturing an image of the subject S provided on the hand 312b. In the specimen collecting robot system 400, an image captured by the second image capturing device 313b is displayed on the display device 30. The hand 312a of the first arm 311a is provided with the first image capturing device 313a. That is, the display device 30 displays both the image captured by the first image capturing device 313a and the image captured by the second image capturing device 313b. The display device 30 is an example of a "second display device" in the claims. A display device on which the image captured by the second image capturing device 313b is displayed may be provided separately from the display device 30.

[0069] 13, in the specimen collecting robot system 400, the master robot 320 includes a first operation system 321 and a second operation system 322. The first operation system 321 and the second operation system 322 are, for example, joysticks. The first operation system 321 includes a control unit 321a, a drive unit 321b (servo motor), and an encoder 321c. The second operation system 322 includes a control unit 322a, a drive unit 322b (servo motor), and an encoder 322c.

[0070] The slave robot 310 includes a control unit 310a, a drive unit 310b (servo motor) and an encoder 310c for the first arm 311a, and a drive unit 310d (servo motor) and an encoder 310e for the second arm 311b. An operator O operates at least one of the first operation system 321 and the second operation system 322 of the master robot 320, and an operation command is calculated by the control software 341 of the control device 340. The calculated operation command is then input to the control unit 310a of the slave robot 310. As a result, the slave robot 310 is driven.

[0071] [Effects of the fourth embodiment] In the fourth embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

[0072] In the fourth embodiment, as described above, the hand 312a for gripping the specimen collecting member 101 is provided at the tip of the first arm 311a, the second image capturing device 313b for capturing an image of the subject S is provided at the second arm 311b, and the image captured by the second image capturing device 313b is displayed on the display device 30. Here, when the first image capturing device 313a is provided at the hand 312a of the first arm 311a, it is possible to capture an image of the face of the subject S from the front, but it is difficult to grasp the sense of distance to the subject S. Therefore, as described above, by providing the second image capturing device 313b at the second arm 311b and capturing an image of the face of the subject S from the side, the operator O can easily grasp the sense of distance to the subject S.

[0073] [Variations] It should be noted that the embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The scope of the present disclosure is indicated by the claims, not by the description of the embodiments above, and further includes all modifications (variations) within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims.

[0074] For example, in the above first embodiment (similarly in the second and third embodiments), an example has been shown in which the slave robot 10 is a vertical articulated robot, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the slave robot may be a robot other than a vertical articulated robot, such as a horizontal articulated robot, as in the fourth embodiment.

[0075] In the above-mentioned first embodiment (similarly in the second to fourth embodiments), the irradiating unit 14 irradiates the linear guide light GL, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, as shown in FIG. 14 and FIG. 15, the irradiating unit may irradiate the circular guide light GL1. As a result, when the distance between the irradiating unit (slave robot 10) and the subject S is large (see FIG. 14), the diameter of the circular guide light GL1 becomes large. When the distance between the irradiating unit (slave robot 10) and the subject S is small (see FIG. 15), the diameter of the circular guide light GL1 becomes small. That is, since the diameter of the circular guide light GL1 changes depending on the distance between the irradiating unit (slave robot 10) and the subject S, the operator O can intuitively recognize the distance to the subject S.

[0076] 16, the irradiating unit may irradiate the guide light GL2 to be scanned. That is, the guide light GL2 is scanned linearly in the horizontal direction from the irradiating unit. As a result, the guide light GL2 operated in the horizontal direction on the display device 30 and the specimen collecting member 101 extending in the vertical direction on the display device 30 are displayed in a cross shape, so that the operator O can easily recognize the insertion direction and insertion position of the specimen collecting member 101. As shown in FIG. 17, the irradiating unit may irradiate the guide light GL3 in a cross shape to be scanned in the horizontal and vertical directions.

[0077] In the above first to fourth embodiments, an example has been shown in which the display device 30 displays the circle C indicating at least one of the force from the specimen collecting member 101 in contact with the subject S and the insertion depth of the specimen collecting member 101 into the subject S, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the force and the insertion depth may be displayed by a line graph instead of the circle C.

[0078] In addition, in the first to fourth embodiments, the irradiating unit 14 irradiates the laser light, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the irradiating unit 14 may irradiate light other than the laser light as the guide light.

[0079] Further, in the above first to fourth embodiments, the specimen collecting member 101 has a rod shape, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. The specimen collecting member 101 may have a shape other than a rod shape.

[0080] In the above first embodiment (as well as the second to fourth embodiments), an example has been described in which the slave robot 10 grips the specimen collecting member 101, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. The slave robot 10 may grip a test tool or a diagnostic tool other than the specimen collecting member 101. [Explanation of symbols]

[0081] 10. Slave Robot 11 Arm 12, 112, 212, 312a Hands 13 First imaging device (imaging device) 14 Irradiation unit 16 Distance measurement unit 20 Master Robot 30 Display device (1st display device, 2nd display device) 100, 200, 300, 400 Sample collection robot system (robot system) 101 Sample collection materials (testing equipment) 113 Grip force detection unit 140 Control device (hand adjustment control unit) 220 Sliding force retention mechanism 221 First biasing member 222 second biasing member 223 Weight 311a 1st Arm 311b 2nd Arm 313a First imaging device 313b Second imaging device C Circle (sign) O Operator (treatment person) S Subject Sa nasal cavity GL, GL1, GL2, GL3 Guide light

Claims

1. a slave robot that collects a specimen from a subject using a specimen collecting member; an illumination unit provided in the slave robot and configured to illuminate the subject with guide light for guiding a direction in which the specimen collecting member is to be inserted; A first imaging device that images the subject; a first display device on which an image captured by the first image capturing device is displayed; a master robot that remotely controls the slave robot; an image of the subject irradiated with the guide light is displayed on the first display device; A specimen collecting robot system, wherein the first display device displays a mark indicating at least one of the force from the specimen collecting member contacting the subject and the insertion depth of the specimen collecting member into the subject, centered on the point where the guide light is irradiated onto the subject.

2. The specimen collection member includes a specimen collection member for collecting a specimen from the nasal cavity of the subject, The specimen collecting robot system according to claim 1 , wherein the irradiation unit irradiates the guide light near the nasal cavity of the subject so as to guide a direction in which the specimen collecting member is inserted into the nasal cavity of the subject.

3. The specimen collecting robot system according to claim 1 , wherein the irradiating unit irradiates the subject with a linear guide light, an annular guide light, or a scanning guide light.

4. The specimen collecting robot system according to claim 1 , wherein the irradiation unit irradiates a laser beam as the guide beam.

5. The specimen collection member has a rod shape, the slave robot includes an arm and a hand attached to an end of the arm, the first image capturing device is attached to the hand, 5. The specimen collecting robot system according to claim 1, wherein the irradiation unit is attached to the hand so as to irradiate the guide light along an axis of the rod-shaped specimen collecting member.

6. A slave robot that collects a specimen from a subject using a specimen collection member; an illumination unit provided in the slave robot and configured to illuminate the subject with guide light for guiding a direction in which the specimen collecting member is to be inserted; An imaging device for imaging the subject; a display device on which an image captured by the imaging device is displayed; a master robot that remotely controls the slave robot; an image of the subject irradiated with the guide light is displayed on the display device; the slave robot includes an arm and a hand attached to an end of the arm, a distance measuring unit provided on the hand for measuring a distance to the subject; A specimen collecting robot system, wherein, when the distance measured by the distance measuring unit becomes equal to or less than a predetermined threshold, an action is taken to avoid contact between the slave robot and the subject.

7. The specimen collecting robot system according to claim 6 , wherein when the distance measured by the distance measuring unit becomes equal to or less than the predetermined threshold, the operation of the slave robot is stopped.

8. the slave robot includes an arm and an electromagnetic hand attached to a tip of the arm and configured to grasp the specimen collecting member; The specimen collecting robot system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising a hand adjustment control unit that adjusts the gripping force of the electromagnetic hand so that the gripping force on the specimen collecting member becomes a predetermined gripping force when gripping the specimen collecting member.

9. a gripping force detection unit provided in the hand for detecting the gripping force of the hand, The sample collecting robot system of claim 8 , wherein the hand adjustment control unit adjusts the gripping force of the electromagnetic hand when the gripping force detected by the gripping force detection unit exceeds a predetermined gripping force range.

10. A slave robot that collects a specimen from a subject using a specimen collection member; an illumination unit provided in the slave robot and configured to illuminate the subject with guide light for guiding a direction in which the specimen collecting member is to be inserted; An imaging device for imaging the subject; a display device on which an image captured by the imaging device is displayed; a master robot that remotely controls the slave robot; an image of the subject irradiated with the guide light is displayed on the display device; the slave robot includes an arm and a hand attached to a tip of the arm and configured to grasp the specimen collecting member; A specimen collecting robot system including a first biasing member provided on the hand side and a second biasing member connected to the first biasing member, and further including a sliding force maintaining mechanism that maintains a constant sliding force on the specimen collecting member held by the hand by keeping the difference in biasing force between the first biasing member and the second biasing member constant even when the hand is tilted.

11. the first biasing member is connected to the hand and causes the hand to slide; The specimen collecting robot system according to claim 10 , further comprising a weight connected to the second biasing member and slid by the second biasing member.

12. A slave robot that collects a specimen from a subject using a specimen collection member; an illumination unit provided in the slave robot and configured to illuminate the subject with guide light for guiding a direction in which the specimen collecting member is to be inserted; A first imaging device that images the subject; a first display device on which an image captured by the first image capturing device is displayed; a master robot that remotely controls the slave robot; an image of the subject irradiated with the guide light is displayed on the first display device; The slave robot is A first arm; a second arm; A hand for gripping the specimen collecting member is provided at the tip of the first arm, The second arm is provided with a second imaging device that images the subject, The specimen collecting robot system further comprises a second display device on which an image captured by the second imaging device is displayed.

13. A slave robot that holds a medical examination tool and performs treatment on a subject; an irradiation unit provided in the slave robot and configured to irradiate guide light for guiding a direction in which the examination instrument is moved with respect to the subject; An imaging device for imaging the subject; a display device on which an image captured by the imaging device is displayed; a master robot that remotely controls the slave robot; an image of the subject irradiated with the guide light is displayed on the display device; The display device displays a mark indicating at least one of the force from the examination instrument contacting the subject and the insertion depth of the examination instrument into the subject, centered on the point where the guide light is irradiated onto the subject.

Images