Manipulator Slider Mechanism for Bending Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing manipulator systems face challenges in precisely controlling the bending of elongated guide members within body cavities, leading to inefficient torque transmission and excessive tensile forces on power transmission members, which affects the maneuverability and control of movable portions.
Innovation Solution
A manipulator system with a flexible elongated guide member and a movable slider mechanism, where the slider's movement is correlated with the bending state to adjust the control parameters, ensuring precise control and minimizing excessive tensile forces by using a multilumen tube and a coil tube with different rigidities, and incorporating a locking mechanism to stabilize the system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If a long flexible insertion portion with coil tube is used to enable torque transmission, then the manipulator can reach distant targets in body cavities, but excessive tensile forces are generated on the wire during bending
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a slider as an intermediary component between the wire and the distal end mechanism. The slider moves along the insertion portion when bending occurs, serving as a mediator that absorbs the tensile force generated during bending. This allows the wire to transmit driving force without experiencing excessive tension, while still enabling the distal end to reach distant targets in body cavities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes the connection between the wire and distal end mechanism dynamic rather than fixed. The slider can move freely along the insertion portion, allowing the system to adapt dynamically to bending conditions. This dynamic adjustment reduces tensile force on the wire during bending while maintaining torque transmission capability when needed.
2Ease of operation
If the insertion portion is allowed to bend freely to navigate body cavities, then maneuverability is improved, but precise control of the distal end becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback control by detecting the position of the slider, which corresponds to the bending state of the insertion portion. The control unit uses this feedback information to calculate and adjust the driving force applied to the wire. This ensures that even when the insertion portion bends freely to navigate body cavities, the distal end can be precisely controlled by compensating for the bending effects based on slider position feedback.
3Power
If a fixed connection between wire and distal end mechanism is used, then torque transmission is efficient, but the system cannot accommodate bending of the insertion portion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the fixed connection into a dynamic connection where the slider can move along the insertion portion. This dynamic design allows the system to adapt to bending while maintaining torque transmission capability. When the distal end needs to bend to navigate body cavities, the slider moves to accommodate the bending, and when torque transmission is needed, the slider position provides the necessary mechanical coupling.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a manipulator system including: a driver provided at a proximal end of a flexible elongated guide member to drive a distal end of the elongated guide member, a slider that is fixed to the proximal end of the elongated guide member and that is movable with respect to the driver in a longitudinal direction of the elongated guide member, and a controller that is configured to control the driver so as to change a moving amount of the slider in accordance with a bending state of the elongated guide member.