Forceps device

Abstract

The present invention comprises a housing and a rod-shaped shaft that extends from the housing. Provided to the housing are: a transmission body that generates a drive force for driving a movable part; a wire that transmits the drive force of the transmission body to the movable part; a cable that supplies a current to the movable part; a guide pulley that guides the wire to the inside of the shaft; and a holding member that holds the cable. The holding member has a body portion, an opening, a guide portion, and a through hole. The guide pulley is inserted through the through hole and fixed to the body portion. The opening is formed in a surface of the body portion parallel to the axial direction of the shaft and is in communication with the guide portion. The guide portion holds the cable which has been inserted into the body portion via the opening and guides the cable to the inside of the shaft.

Description

forceps device

[0001] FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE The present disclosure relates to medical forceps devices.

[0002] In surgical procedures, a forceps device (hereinafter also referred to as a manipulator) is used, in which a movable part such as a gripper is attached to the distal end of a thin shaft. A wire is connected to the movable part to transmit a driving force generated by a driving source such as an actuator. In surgical procedures using a surgical robot, a bipolar forceps (hereinafter also referred to as a bipolar forceps) is used, in which an electric wire (hereinafter also referred to as a cable) that conducts high-frequency current is connected to each of a pair of movable parts. By passing a high-frequency current through the movable part, incision or cauterization of biological tissue is performed, thereby achieving minimal invasiveness to the patient. The forceps device disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a housing provided with a pulley and a wire guide, and a shaft extending from the housing. A wire disposed inside the housing is guided into the shaft by the wire guide.

[0003] JP 2012-070857 A

[0004] However, in the forceps device described above, when the gripping portion opens and closes using the wire, the cable connected to the gripping portion may also passively move. In this case, the cable may bend or flex. As a result, the cable disposed inside the housing may become pinched between the wire and the pulley, hindering smooth opening and closing of the gripping portion. Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a forceps device that allows smooth opening and closing.

[0005] A forceps device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a housing and a rod-shaped shaft extending from the housing, the housing being provided with a transmission body that generates a driving force to drive a movable part, a wire that transmits the driving force of the transmission body to the movable part, a cable that supplies current to the movable part, a guide pulley that guides the wire into the shaft, and a holding member that holds the cable, the holding member having a main body, an opening, a guide portion, and a through hole, the main body being fixed by inserting the guide pulley into the through hole, the opening being formed on a surface of the main body that is parallel to the shaft axial direction and communicates with the guide portion, the guide portion holding the cable inserted into the main body through the opening and guiding it into the shaft.

[0006] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a forceps device that is capable of smooth opening and closing operations.

[0007] Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an outline of the overall configuration of a forceps device 10 according to an embodiment. Fig. 2 is a top view for explaining the internal configuration of the forceps device 10 according to an embodiment. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A of the forceps device 10 shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a perspective view for explaining the configuration of a holding member 50 according to an embodiment. Fig. 5 is a front view of the holding member 50 shown in Fig. 4 as viewed from direction A. Fig. 6 is a schematic view for explaining the arrangement of the wires 60 and the cables 70 of the forceps device 10 shown in Fig. 2.

[0008] Modes for carrying out the present disclosure will be described in detail below. The present disclosure is not limited to these examples, but is defined by the claims, and all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims are intended to be included. Regarding the description of each embodiment and the drawings, components having substantially the same or corresponding functional configurations may be designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant description may be omitted. Directions such as parallel, right-angled, orthogonal, horizontal, vertical, up-down, left-right, and front-back may be misaligned to the extent that they do not impair the effects of the embodiments. The shape of the corners is not limited to right angles and may be rounded like an arch. Parallel, right-angled, orthogonal, horizontal, and vertical may include approximately parallel, approximately right-angled, approximately orthogonal, approximately horizontal, and approximately vertical, respectively.

[0009] In addition, the drawings may be emphasized, omitted, or adjusted in proportion to facilitate understanding, and may differ from the actual shapes, positional relationships, and proportions. Hatching lines may be omitted in cross-sectional views.

[0010] In the direction of the shaft axis L of the forceps device 10, the movable part side at the tip is the downstream side, and the opposite side is the upstream side. In each figure, "-Z" indicates the upstream direction, and "+Z" indicates the downstream direction. "+X" indicates the right-hand direction when facing upstream from the movable part side, and "-X" indicates the left-hand direction when facing upstream from the movable part side. "-Y" indicates the downward direction, and "+Y" indicates the upward direction. The directions indicated by X, Y, and Z are mutually orthogonal and each serves as a three-dimensional coordinate axis. With respect to an object, the +X side may be referred to as the right side, the -X side as the left side, the +Y side as the upper side, the -Y side as the lower side, the +Z side as the front side, and the -Z side as the rear side. The X-axis direction may also be referred to as the left-right direction, the Y-axis direction as the up-down direction, and the Z-axis direction as the front-back direction.

[0011] <Embodiment> <Overall Configuration of Forceps Device 10> First, the overall configuration of the forceps device 10 will be described. The forceps device 10 according to this embodiment is a bipolar forceps, and is applied to a master-slave type surgical robot. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of the overall configuration of the forceps device 10 according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 1, the forceps device 10 mainly includes a shaft 20 having a gripping portion and a joint portion as movable portions at its tip, and a housing 30 that is attached to the surgical robot.

[0012] [Shaft 20] The shaft 20 is a rod-shaped member extending from the housing 30. A gripping portion is disposed at the tip of the shaft 20, which is the end opposite the housing 30 (+Z side). A space extending from the housing 30 toward the gripping portion along the Z-axis direction is provided inside the shaft 20. The wire 60 and the cable 70 are disposed in this space. The gripping portion has a configuration similar to that of general openable and closable forceps used for treating patients. In this embodiment, the gripping portion is disposed at the tip of the shaft 20, but other instruments used for treating patients may also be disposed therein. The joint portion is disposed between the gripping portion and the shaft 20 and is configured to change the orientation of the gripping portion by a driving force transmitted from the slider 34a. The specific configuration of the joint portion is not particularly limited and may be a general configuration that allows the orientation of the gripping portion to be changed by a transmitted driving force.

[0013] 1, the housing 30 includes a first housing 32 and a second housing 34. The first housing 32 and the second housing 34 are members that form the outer shape of the housing 30. The first housing 32 and the second housing 34 are disposed parallel to the XZ plane.

[0014] 1, the first housing 32 is the upper part of the housing 30 and is a member that forms the side and top surfaces. A conductive portion 32a is provided in the first housing 32. The conductive portion 32a is disposed on the top surface of the first housing 32 and is a member that guides high-frequency current supplied from the outside into the housing 30.

[0015] The conductive portion 32a is formed using a conductive material, such as a metal material. In this embodiment, the conductive portion 32a is formed using copper or an alloy containing copper. The conductive portion 32a is disposed so as to penetrate the first housing 32 and is connected to the cable 70 inside the housing 30. Note that the specific configuration of the conductive portion is not particularly limited and may be a general configuration capable of conducting the current supplied from the high-frequency power source to the wire 60.

[0016] (Second Housing 34) Fig. 2 is a top view illustrating the internal configuration of the forceps device 10 according to this embodiment. Components necessary for the gripping unit to operate are arranged in the second housing 34. As shown in Fig. 1, the second housing 34 is a plate-shaped member that forms the lower bottom surface of the housing 30. As shown in Fig. 2, the second housing 34 is provided with three sliders 34a, a plurality of wires 60, two cables 70, two first guide pulleys 36, two second guide pulleys 38, three third guide pulleys 40, and a holding member 50.

[0017] The slider 34a is configured to receive a driving force from the manipulator and transmit the driving force to the joints and gripping parts. The slider 34a is also configured to be detachable from the manipulator. The slider 34a is arranged to be movable relative to the housing 30 in the front-to-rear direction. In this embodiment, the slider 34a is described as being arranged to be movable in a linear direction relative to the housing 30. The slider 34a generates a driving force that displaces the movable part by reciprocating. The slider 34a may also be arranged to be rotatable relative to the housing 30.

[0018] Long driven grooves are provided on the lower end surface of the second housing 34. One slider 34a is disposed in each of the three driven grooves, and the sliders 34a are arranged to be movable in the front-to-rear direction within the driven grooves. In other words, the sliders 34a are arranged to be movable in a linear direction relative to the housing 30.

[0019] Some of the three sliders 34a are configured to transmit a driving force to the gripping portion, and the remaining sliders 34a are configured to transmit a driving force to the joint portion. For example, of the three sliders 34a, two sliders 34a are configured to transmit a driving force to the gripping portion, and one slider 34a is configured to transmit a driving force to the joint portion.

[0020] The wire 60 is configured to transmit the driving force transmitted to the slider 34a to the gripping portion and the joint portion. The material and shape of the wire 60 may be any known material or shape and are not particularly limited. One or two wires are arranged on one slider 34a.

[0021] The cable 70 is configured to electrically connect the high-frequency power source and the pair of gripping parts. The cable 70 is arranged inside the housing 30, with one end connected to the gripping parts and the other end connected to a conductive part arranged on the top surface of the first housing 32. Two cables 70 are arranged inside the housing 30, and each is individually connected to one of the gripping parts.

[0022] The first guide pulley 36 and the second guide pulley 38, which serve as guide pulleys, are configured to guide the wound wire 60 to the shaft 20. The first guide pulley 36 is rotatably supported by the first rotary shaft 36a. The first guide pulley 36 is positioned closer to the shaft 20 than the slider 34a. A groove for guiding the wire 60 is formed on the circumferential surface of the first guide pulley 36. The two first guide pulleys 36 are arranged side by side on the right and left sides of the shaft axis L. As shown in FIG. 6 , the two first guide pulleys 36 are fixed to the base end (lower side) of the first rotary shaft 36a. The two first guide pulleys 36 guide the wire 60 extending from the right slider 34a and the wire 60 extending from the left slider 34a, respectively, to the two second guide pulleys 38.

[0023] The second guide pulley 38 is rotatably supported by a second rotating shaft 38a. The second rotating shaft 38a is disposed between the shaft 20 and the first guide pulley 36. That is, the second rotating shaft 38a is disposed closer to the shaft 20 than the first guide pulley 36. The two second guide pulleys 38 are disposed side by side on the right and left sides of the shaft axis L. Note that the rotating shaft need not necessarily be one that rotates itself, but may be one that serves as an axis around which a supported member rotates, and may also be a shaft that is fixed to another member.

[0024] Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of the forceps device 10 shown in Fig. 2. As shown in Fig. 3, the second guide pulley disposed on the right side is composed of an upper guide pulley 38b fixed to the distal end (upper end) of the second rotating shaft 38a, a lower guide pulley 38c fixed to the proximal end (lower end) of the second rotating shaft 38a, and an intermediate guide pulley 38d fixed between the upper guide pulley 38b and the lower guide pulley 38c of the second rotating shaft 38a. Grooves for guiding the wire 60 are formed on the circumferential surfaces of the upper guide pulley 38b, the intermediate guide pulley 38d, and the lower guide pulley 38c, respectively.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 3 , the second guide pulley 38 disposed on the left side is composed of an upper guide pulley 38b fixed to the distal end (upper end) of the second rotating shaft 38a and a lower guide pulley 38c fixed to the proximal end (lower end) of the second rotating shaft 38a. Grooves for guiding the wire 60 are formed on the circumferential surfaces of the upper guide pulley 38b and the lower guide pulley 38c. A holding member 50 is disposed between the upper guide pulley 38b and the lower guide pulley 38c. That is, the upper guide pulley 38b and the lower guide pulley 38c are fixed on the second rotating shaft 38a with the holding member 50 sandwiched therebetween.

[0026] The upper guide pulley 38b of the two second guide pulleys 38 guides the wire 60 extending from the third guide pulley on the right side and the wire 60 extending from the third guide pulley on the left side, respectively, into the interior of the shaft 20. The lower guide pulley 38c of the two second guide pulleys 38 guides the wire 60 extending from the first guide pulley 36 on the right side and the wire 60 extending from the first guide pulley 36 on the left side, respectively, into the interior of the shaft 20. The intermediate guide pulley 38d guides the wire 60 extending from the third guide pulley 40 located in the center in the X-axis direction, into the interior of the shaft 20.

[0027] The third guide pulley 40 is disposed at a position farther from the shaft 20 than the slider 34a, and the wire 60 is wound around it. The three third guide pulleys 40 are disposed side by side in the left-right direction. Each of the third guide pulleys 40 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and a plurality of grooves for guiding the wire 60 are formed in the cylindrical surface. Note that each of the above-mentioned guide pulleys is fixed to the rotating shaft by known techniques such as a set screw or a key. Furthermore, the shape and configuration of each of the above-mentioned guide pulleys can be any known shape, fixing method, and configuration, and are not particularly limited.

[0028] (Holding Member 50) FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating the configuration of the holding member 50 according to this embodiment. FIG. 5 is a front view of the holding member 50 shown in FIG. 4 , viewed from direction A. The holding member 50 holds the wire 60 and guides it into the shaft 20. The holding member 50 is disposed between the first guide pulley 36 and the second guide pulley 38 on the left side. The holding member 50 is made of, for example, PEEK material. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 , the holding member 50 has a main body 50a that defines the outer shape, an opening (first opening 50b) through which the wire 60 is inserted, a guide portion 50c formed inside the main body 50a and having a rectangular parallelepiped guide space, and two through holes (first through hole 50d and second through hole 50e) through which the first rotating shaft 36a and the second rotating shaft 38a are inserted.

[0029] The main body 50a has a first surface formed on the upper side of the main body 50a, a second surface formed on the lower side of the main body 50a, and a side surface sandwiched between the first and second surfaces. The first and second surfaces are parallel to the X-Z plane. The first and second surfaces are generally L-shaped when viewed from the top-bottom direction and are arranged opposite each other. The first surface includes a first opening 50b through which the wire 60 is inserted, a second through-hole 50e, and a protrusion 50g formed to protrude upward (toward the first housing 32). The first opening 50b is a generally rectangular opening formed along the front-to-rear direction and communicates with the guide portion 50c. The first opening 50b is located between the second through-hole 50e and the protrusion 50g.

[0030] The first opening 50b is composed of a first side on the -Z side, a second side on the +X side, a third side on the -X side, and a fourth side on the +Z side. Of the four sides of the first opening 50b, the first to third sides form the base of the proximal end of the protrusion 50g. That is, the protrusion 50g is formed to protrude upward from the first surface along the three sides. In addition to the first opening 50b, the first and second surfaces are provided with a plurality of small openings, for example, for removing weight. This allows the forceps device 10 to be lightweight. In this embodiment, two small openings are formed on the first surface and four small openings are formed on the second surface. However, this is not limited thereto, and the number may be less than two or more than four. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 5, the front end of the side surface has a second opening 50f, which is formed with a guide space penetrating forward.

[0031] The protrusion 50g extends to the left from the first surface, and the entire protrusion, including the extending portion, protrudes upward. Therefore, when viewed from above and below, it has a generally L-shaped appearance. The protrusion 50g is erected so as to surround the first opening 50b on three sides. That is, the protrusion 50g forms a wall surface (support surface) that supports the cable 70 inserted into the first opening 50b. This prevents the cable 70 from bending outward.

[0032] The protruding portion 50g has a protruding surface parallel to the first surface. The protruding surface includes an inclined portion 50h that slopes downward as it approaches the first side of the first opening 50b, and a first through-hole 50d through which the first rotation shaft 36a is inserted. The inclined portion 50h constitutes an inclined surface formed on the first side of the protruding surface. This allows the cable 70 to be inserted smoothly. It is also possible to prevent the cable 70 from being broken.

[0033] The first through-hole 50d is located at the left end of the protruding surface and has a diameter large enough to accommodate the first rotating shaft 36a. The second through-hole 50e is located toward the front of the guide portion 50c and has a diameter large enough to accommodate the second rotating shaft 38a. The positional relationship between the first through-hole 50d and the second through-hole 50e corresponds to the positional relationship between the first rotating shaft 36a and the second rotating shaft 38a. The guide portion 50c extends in the front-rear direction from the first opening 50b and its front end communicates with the second opening 50f. The length (width) of the guide space in the X-axis direction may be long enough to accommodate two cables 70 arranged side by side, and the length (height) of the guide space in the Y-axis direction may be long enough to allow the cables 70 to move in the front-rear direction. This restricts the movement of the cables 70 in the left-right and up-down directions by the inner walls of the guide space, thereby preventing bending or flexing of the cables 70. The length of the guide space in the Z-axis direction only needs to be greater than the distance between the first rotation shaft 36a and the second rotation shaft 38a.

[0034] <Method of Positioning Holding Member 50> Next, a method of positioning the holding member 50 will be described with reference to FIG. 6. Note that FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram for explaining the arrangement of the wire 60 and the cable 70 of the forceps device 10 shown in FIG. 2. The left first guide pulley 36 is fixed to the base end (lower end) of the first rotating shaft 36a, and the lower guide pulley 38c of the left second guide pulley 38 is fixed to the base end (lower end) of the second rotating shaft 38a. In this state, the first rotating shaft 36a is inserted through the first through-hole 50d, and the second rotating shaft 38a is inserted through the second through-hole 50e. Furthermore, the upper guide pulley 38b is inserted through the top of the holding member 50 and fixed onto the second rotating shaft 38a. In this way, by positioning the holding member 50 using the first rotating shaft 36a and the second rotating shaft 38a, it is possible to regulate the relative positions of the cable 70 and the first guide pulley 36 and the second guide pulley 38. Furthermore, because the existing first rotating shaft 36a and the second rotating shaft 38a are used, it is possible to reduce the number of components for fixing the member that holds the cable, thereby achieving weight reduction and cost reduction.

[0035] At this time, the first rotating shaft 36a has the holding member 50 and the first guide pulley 36 arranged in this order from above, and the second rotating shaft 38a has the upper guide pulley 38b, the holding member 50, and the lower guide pulley 38c arranged in this order from above. In addition, the length of the first through hole 50d is greater than the length of the second through hole 50e. This increases the contact area between the inner surface of the first through hole 50d and the first rotating shaft 36a, thereby suppressing rattling of the holding member 50.

[0036] In this embodiment, the retaining member 50 is described as being inserted into and fixed to the first rotating shaft 36a and the second rotating shaft 38a located on the left side of the shaft axis L, but this is not limited to this, and it may be inserted into and fixed to the first guide pulley and the second guide pulley on either side of the shaft axis L.

[0037] <Positional Relationship Between Cable 70 and Wire 60> Next, the configuration of cable 70 held in the guide space by holding member 50 and the positional relationship between cable 70 and wire 60 will be described with reference to Figure 6. Two cables 70 arranged inside housing 30 are guided along inclined portion 50h to first opening 50b. Cable 70 hanging down from inclined portion 50h is supported in the left-right and rearward directions by protruding portion 50g.

[0038] The cables 70 inserted into the guide space through the first opening 50b are guided forward along the inner wall of the guide space. Inside the guide space, the cables 70 are arranged side by side in the left-right direction. The cables 70 are guided to the second opening 50f and then inserted into the shaft 20 through the second opening 50f.

[0039] When the wire 60 is pulled to operate the gripping portion, the cable 70 also moves back and forth due to the force pulling the wire 60. Even in this case, the cable 70 and the wire 60 are guided into the shaft 20 by different paths, so the cable 70 does not get caught between the wire 60 and the guide pulley, and the positional relationship between the wiring path of the wire 60 and the wiring path of the cable 70 can be maintained constant.

[0040] As described above, the forceps device 10 comprises a housing 30 and a rod-shaped shaft 20 extending from the housing 30. The housing 30 is provided with a transmission body that generates a driving force for driving a movable part, a wire 60 that transmits the driving force of the transmission body to the movable part, a cable 70 that supplies current to the movable part, a guide pulley that guides the wire 60 into the shaft 20, and a holding member 50 that holds the cable 70. The holding member 50 has a main body 50a, an opening (first opening 50b), a guide portion 50c, and a through hole. The main body 50a is fixed by inserting the guide pulley into the through hole. The first opening 50b is formed on a surface of the main body 50a that is parallel to the axial direction of the shaft 20 and is in communication with the guide portion 50c. The guide portion 50c holds the cable 70 inserted into the main body 50a via the first opening 50b and guides it into the shaft 20. As a result, the cable 70 is guided into the shaft 20 by the holding member 50 along a route separate from that of the wire 60, preventing the cable 70 from being pinched between the wire 60 and the guide pulley, thereby enabling smooth opening and closing of the gripping portion.

[0041] Although the forceps device has been described above using embodiments, the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications and improvements, such as combinations or substitutions with part or all of other embodiments, are possible within the scope specified in the claims.

[0042] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 Forceps device 20 Shaft 30 Housing 32 First housing 32a Conductive portion 34 Second housing 34a Slider 36 First guide pulley 36a First rotating shaft 38 Second guide pulley 38a Second rotating shaft 38b Upper guide pulley 38c Lower guide pulley 38d Intermediate guide pulley 40 Third guide pulley 50 Holding member 50a Main body 50b First opening 50c Guide portion 50d First through hole 50e Second through hole 50f Second opening 50g Protruding portion 50h Inclined portion 60 Wire 70 Cable L Shaft axis

Claims

1. A forceps device comprising: a housing; and a rod-shaped shaft extending from the housing, wherein the housing is provided with: a transmission body that generates a driving force for driving a movable part; a wire that transmits the driving force of the transmission body to the movable part; a cable that supplies current to the movable part; a guide pulley that guides the wire into the shaft; and a holding member that holds the cable, wherein the holding member has a main body, an opening, a guide part, and a through hole, wherein the main body is fixed by inserting the guide pulley into the through hole, and the opening is formed on a surface of the main body that is parallel to the shaft axial direction and communicates with the guide part, and the guide part holds the cable inserted into the main body through the opening and guides it into the shaft.

2. The forceps device according to claim 1, wherein the guide pulley comprises: a first guide pulley rotatably supported on a first rotating shaft and guiding the wire to the shaft; and a second guide pulley rotatably supported on a second rotating shaft arranged on the shaft side of the first rotating shaft and guiding the wire into the shaft; and the through holes comprise: a first through hole inserted into the first rotating shaft; and a second through hole inserted into the second rotating shaft.

3. The forceps device according to claim 2, wherein the first guide pulley and the second guide pulley are each a pair on either side of the central axis of the shaft, and the holding member is arranged with the through-hole inserted into the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft on one side of the central axis.

4. The forceps device according to claim 3, wherein the first guide pulley is fixed to the lower end of the first rotating shaft, the second guide pulley is composed of an upper guide pulley fixed to the upper end of the second rotating shaft and a lower guide pulley fixed to the lower end of the first rotating shaft, and the holding member is disposed above the first guide pulley on the first rotating shaft, and is disposed between the upper and lower guide pulleys on the second rotating shaft.

5. The forceps device according to claim 4, wherein the holding member regulates the relative positions of the cable, the first guide pulley, and the second guide pulley.

6. A forceps device according to claim 4, wherein the guide portion has a guide space formed to extend parallel to the axial direction of the shaft, and the movement of the cable arranged in the guide space in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the shaft is restricted.

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