CN112043391A - Surgical instrument, slave operation device, and surgical robot - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides a surgical instrument, slave operation equipment applying the surgical instrument and a surgical robot with the slave operation equipment, wherein the surgical instrument comprises an end effector, a driving device and cables, and the cables comprise a first driving cable, a first pair of cables and a second pair of cables; the end effector of the present invention is driven by different driving principles in two directions of the pitching motion, namely, the pitching motion in the first direction is driven by a special pitching driving cable, and the pitching motion in the other direction is driven by the driving cable for driving the end effector to yaw.

Description

Surgical instrument, slave operation device, and surgical robot

Technical Field

The present invention relates to the field of medical instruments, and in particular, to a driving device for a surgical instrument, a surgical instrument using the driving device, a slave operation device using the surgical instrument, and a surgical robot having the slave operation device.

Background

The minimally invasive surgery is a surgery mode for performing surgery in a human body cavity by using modern medical instruments such as a laparoscope, a thoracoscope and the like and related equipment. Compared with the traditional minimally invasive surgery, the minimally invasive surgery has the advantages of small wound, light pain, quick recovery and the like.

With the progress of science and technology, the minimally invasive surgery robot technology is gradually mature and widely applied. The minimally invasive surgical robot generally comprises a master operation console and a slave operation device, wherein the master operation console is used for sending control commands to the slave operation device according to the operation of a doctor so as to control the slave operation device, and the slave operation device is used for responding to the control commands sent by the master operation console and carrying out corresponding surgical operation.

A surgical instrument is detachably connected to the slave operating device, the surgical instrument includes a driving device and an end effector for performing a surgical operation, the driving device is used for connecting the surgical instrument to the slave operating device and receiving a driving force from the slave operating device to drive the end effector to move, the driving device is connected with the end effector through a driving cable, and the driving device is used for controlling the movement of the end effector through the driving cable. End effectors typically include three degrees of freedom of movement, i.e., opening and closing, pitch and yaw, and some end effectors also have rotational movement, with the yaw and opening movement of the end effector being controlled by one set of drive cables and the pitch movement of the end effector being controlled by another set of drive cables.

When a surgical operation is performed in a human body, many complex scenes are often needed, one of the scenes is that the end effector needs to be lifted in one direction with larger force, and when the end effector is lifted in the opposite direction, the end effector does not need to be lifted with larger force, for example, when the end effector of the surgical instrument is lifted in one direction, a part of human tissue needs to be pressed in one direction, when the end effector is lifted in the other direction, the end effector needs to provide larger force to lift or press the human body combination, and when the end effector is released, the end effector does not need to provide larger force.

The forces required to pitch the end effector in both directions are the same, which either causes the end effector to pitch in one direction and not provide the required high force, or causes the end effector to pitch in both directions with a high force, which results in unnecessary wasted space because a larger drive cable or a thicker cable is required to output a higher pitch force.

Disclosure of Invention

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a surgical instrument, a slave operation device to which the surgical instrument is applied, and a surgical robot having the slave operation device, the surgical instrument including:

the end effector comprises a first support, a second support, a first clamping part and a second clamping part, the second support is rotatably connected to the first support, and the first clamping part and the second clamping part are rotatably connected to the second support;

the driving cable comprises a first driving cable, a first pair of cables and a second pair of cables, the far end of the first pair of cables is arranged on the first clamping part, the far end of the second pair of cables is arranged on the second clamping part, one end of the first driving cable is connected to the second support, the first support is provided with a first pulley block and a second pulley block for guiding the first pair of cables and the second pair of cables, the second pulley block is positioned between the first pulley block and the first clamping part or the second clamping part, the part of the first driving cable between the second support and the first support and the part of the first pair of cables between the first pulley block and the first support are positioned on the same side of the first pulley block, and the part of the second pair of cables between the first pulley block and the first support is positioned on the opposite side of the first pulley block;

a drive device for driving the second support to rotate relative to the first support via the first pair of cables and the first drive cable to cause the end effector to perform a pitch motion and for driving the end effector via the first pair of cables and the second pair of cables to perform a yaw motion.

Preferably, the first pair of cables is wound around the first pulley block and the second pulley block in a manner opposite to that of the second pair of cables.

Preferably, the portion of the first pair of cables between the first clamping portion and the second pulley block and the portion of the second pair of cables between the second clamping portion and the second pulley block are respectively located on both sides of the axis of rotation of the second bracket relative to the first bracket.

Preferably, the first pair of cables includes a second drive cable and a third drive cable, a distal end of the second drive cable and a distal end of the third drive cable are both disposed on the first clamping portion, and the second drive cable is wound on the first and second sets of pulleys in the same manner as the third drive cable is wound on the first and second sets of pulleys.

Preferably, the second pair of cables includes a fourth drive cable and a fifth drive cable, a distal end of the fourth drive cable and a distal end of the fifth drive cable are both disposed on the second clamping portion, and the third drive cable is wound on the first and second sets of pulleys in the same manner as the second drive cable is wound on the first and second sets of pulleys.

Preferably, the first pulley block comprises a first pulley, a second pulley, a third pulley and a fourth pulley which are sequentially arranged on the same pin, the second pulley block comprises a fifth pulley, a sixth pulley, a seventh pulley and an eighth pulley which are sequentially arranged on the same pin, the far end of the second driving cable is guided by the rear part of the second pulley and then guided by the front part of the sixth pulley and finally installed on the first clamping part, and the far end of the third driving cable is guided by the rear part of the third pulley and then guided by the front part of the seventh pulley and then installed on the first clamping part.

Preferably, the distal end of the fourth driving cable is guided by the front portion of the first pulley and then guided by the rear portion of the fifth pulley and then installed at the second clamping portion, and the distal end of the fifth driving cable is guided by the front portion of the fourth pulley and then guided by the rear portion of the eighth pulley and then installed at the second clamping portion.

Preferably, the first support is provided with a first through hole for allowing the first driving cable to pass through, a second through hole for allowing the second driving cable to pass through, and a third through hole for allowing the second driving cable to pass through, the first through hole, the second through hole and the third through hole are located on the same side of the first plane, and the first plane passes through an axis of the first pulley block and an axis of the second pulley block.

Preferably, the first support has a fourth through hole for passing the fourth driving cable and a fifth through hole for passing the fifth driving cable, and the fourth through hole and the fifth through hole are located on the same side of the first plane and located on opposite sides of the first plane from the first through hole, the second through hole, or the third through hole.

Preferably, the straight line passing through the centers of the second through hole and the third through hole is parallel to the straight line passing through the centers of the fourth through hole and the fifth through hole.

Preferably, the second through hole, the third through hole, the fourth through hole, and the fifth through hole are formed in a trapezoidal shape.

Preferably, the first through hole, the second through hole, the third through hole and the fourth through hole form a parallelogram.

Preferably, the driving device includes: one end of the first driving cable is connected to the driving unit, and the driving unit drives the pitching motion of the end effector through the first driving cable and the first pair of cables;

the decoupling mechanism comprises a main decoupling piece and a slave decoupling piece, the main decoupling piece is arranged coaxially with the driving unit, and the main decoupling piece is used for rotating coaxially with the driving unit and driving the slave decoupling piece to move so as to increase the length of one pair of cables in the first pair of cables and the second pair of cables in the driving device and reduce the length of the other pair of cables in the driving device, so that the driving unit drives the end effector to execute pitching motion.

Preferably, the primary decoupling member is configured to drive the secondary decoupling member in a linear motion to vary the length of the first and second pairs of cables within the drive device.

Preferably, the slave decoupling assembly comprises a sliding frame, a first guide part and a second guide part which are respectively arranged at two ends of the sliding frame, the first pair of cables extends to the end effector after being guided by the first guide part, the second pair of cables extends to the end effector after being guided by the second guide part, and the master decoupling assembly changes the lengths of the first pair of cables and the second pair of cables in the driving device by driving the sliding frame to move along a straight line.

Preferably, the slave decoupling assembly further comprises a first decoupling cable and a second decoupling cable connected to opposite ends of the carriage, and the master decoupling assembly is connected to the carriage via the first decoupling cable and the second decoupling cable, and the master decoupling assembly is configured to drive the carriage to move by manipulating the first decoupling cable and the second decoupling cable.

Preferably, the main decoupling element is connected to the carriage in a geared manner.

Preferably, the main decoupling element has a cam structure, and the main decoupling element is configured to rotate to drive the cam structure to abut against the carriage to drive the carriage to move.

Preferably, the driving device further comprises a first guide wheel and a second guide wheel, the first pair of cables extends to the end effector after being guided by the first guide wheel and then being guided by the first guide portion, and the second pair of cables extends to the end effector after being guided by the second guide wheel and then being guided by the second guide portion.

Preferably, the direction of movement of the carriage is parallel to the portion of the first pair of cables between the first guide and the first guide wheel.

Preferably, the direction of movement of the carriage is parallel to the portion of the second pair of cables between the second guide and the second guide wheel.

Preferably, the driving device further comprises a third guide wheel and a fourth guide wheel, the first pair of cables is guided by the first guide part and then guided by the third guide to extend to the end effector, and the second pair of cables is guided by the second guide part and then guided by the fourth guide wheel to extend to the end effector.

Preferably, the axis of the third guide wheel is parallel to the axis of the fourth guide wheel and perpendicular to the axis of the first guide wheel or the axis of the second guide wheel.

Preferably, the direction of movement of the carriage is parallel to the portion of the first pair of cables between the first guide and the third guide wheel, and the direction of movement of the carriage is parallel to the portion of the second pair of cables between the second guide and the fourth guide wheel.

Preferably, the drive unit and the primary decoupling member are rotated in a first direction to increase the length of the first pair of cables on the end effector and decrease the length of the second pair of cables on the end effector, and the secondary decoupling member is moved upon actuation of the primary decoupling member to decrease the length of the first pair of cables in the drive assembly and increase the length of the second pair of cables in the drive assembly.

Preferably, the drive unit and the primary decoupling member are adapted to rotate in a second direction opposite the first direction to decrease the length of the first pair of cables on the end effector and increase the length of the second pair of cables on the end effector, and the secondary decoupling member is adapted to move upon actuation of the primary decoupling member to increase the length of the first pair of cables in the drive assembly and decrease the length of the second pair of cables in the drive assembly.

Preferably, the drive unit and the primary decoupling member are rotated such that the length of the second or fourth drive cable on the end effector varies by an amount equal to twice the distance traveled by the secondary decoupling member within the drive device.

Preferably, the primary decoupling member is rotated in a first direction to release the first decoupling cable and retract the second decoupling cable such that the carriage moves to decrease the length of the first pair of cables within the drive device and increase the length of the second pair of cables within the drive device.

Preferably, the primary decoupling member is rotated in a second direction opposite the first direction to pull the first decoupling cable and release the second decoupling cable such that the carriage moves to increase the length of the first pair of cables within the drive device and decrease the length of the second pair of cables within the drive device.

Preferably, the main decoupling element is configured to rotate such that the length of the second or fourth drive cable on the end effector varies by an amount equal to twice the distance the carriage moves within the drive device.

Preferably, the second bracket has an annular groove at a proximal end thereof, and the distal end of the first drive cable is received in the annular groove and forms a wrap angle therein.

Preferably, the radius of each pulley of the second set of pulleys is R1, the radius of the main decoupling member is R2, the radius of the driving unit is R2, the bottom groove radius R1 of the annular groove, the radius of the second set of pulleys R1, the radius of the main decoupling member R2 and the radius of the driving unit R2 satisfy the following relations:

wherein N is the number of the guide parts and is an even number.

Preferably, the number N of the guide portions is 2.

The slave operation equipment comprises a mechanical arm and the surgical instrument, wherein the surgical instrument is mounted on the mechanical arm, and the mechanical arm is used for manipulating the movement of the surgical instrument.

A surgical robot includes a master operation console and a slave operation device which performs corresponding operations according to instructions of the master operation console.

The end effector of the surgical instrument is driven by different driving principles in two directions of pitching motion from pitching motion, namely the pitching motion towards the first direction is driven by a special pitching driving cable, and the pitching motion towards the other direction is driven by the driving cable for driving the end effector to yaw.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic structural view of a slave manipulator of a surgical robot according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic structural diagram of a main console of a surgical robot according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a robotic arm of the slave manipulator apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a schematic structural view of a surgical instrument according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 5A-5H are schematic structural views of an end effector according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6A is a perspective view of a first bracket of an end effector of one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6B is a top view of the first support of the end effector of one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6C is a top view of a first support of an end effector of another embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 7A-7C are pitch views of a drive unit in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8A is an enlarged schematic view of a portion of the first guide portion and the first guide wheel of the embodiment shown in FIG. 7A;

FIG. 8B is an enlarged schematic view of the first guide and third guide wheel portions of the embodiment shown in FIG. 7A;

FIG. 9 is a schematic view of a driving device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 10 is a schematic view of a driving device according to an embodiment of the invention.

Detailed Description

To facilitate an understanding of the invention, the invention will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. Preferred embodiments of the present invention are shown in the drawings. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete.

It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being "disposed on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or intervening elements may also be present. When an element is referred to as being "connected" to another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or intervening elements may also be present. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "left," "right," and the like as used herein are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only embodiments. As used herein, the terms "distal" and "proximal" are used as terms of orientation that are conventional in the art of interventional medical devices, wherein "distal" refers to the end of the device that is distal from the operator during a procedure, and "proximal" refers to the end of the device that is proximal to the operator during a procedure.

Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. The terminology used herein in the description of the invention is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the term "and/or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

The minimally invasive surgical robot generally comprises a slave operation device and a master operation console, wherein fig. 1 shows the slave operation device 100 according to an embodiment of the invention, fig. 2 shows the master operation console 200 according to an embodiment of the invention, a surgeon performs related control operations on the slave operation device 100 on the master operation console 200, and the slave operation device 100 performs a surgical operation on a human body according to an input instruction of the master operation console 200. The master operation console 200 and the slave operation device 100 may be disposed in one operation room or in different rooms, and even the master operation console 200 and the slave operation device 100 may be far apart, for example, the master operation console 200 and the slave operation device 100 are respectively located in different cities, the master operation console 200 and the slave operation device 100 may transmit data by wire, or may transmit data by wireless, for example, the master operation console 200 and the slave operation device 100 are located in one operation room and transmit data by wire, or the master operation console 200 and the slave operation device 100 are respectively located in different cities and transmit data by 5G wireless signals.

As shown in fig. 1, the slave manipulator 100 includes a plurality of mechanical arms 110, each of the mechanical arms 110 includes a plurality of joints and a mechanical holding arm 130, the plurality of joints are linked to realize the movement of the mechanical holding arm 130 with a plurality of degrees of freedom, a surgical instrument 120 for performing a surgical operation is mounted on the mechanical holding arm 130, the surgical instrument 120 is inserted into a human body through a trocar 140 fixed to a distal end of the mechanical holding arm 130, and the mechanical arms 110 are used to manipulate the movement of the surgical instrument 120 to perform the surgical operation. Surgical instrument 120 is removably mounted on a manipulator arm 130 so that different types of surgical instruments 120 may be readily replaced or surgical instruments 120 may be removed to wash or sterilize surgical instrument 120. As shown in fig. 3, the arm 130 includes an arm body 131 and an instrument mounting bracket 132, the instrument mounting bracket 132 is used for mounting the surgical instrument 120, and the instrument mounting bracket 132 can slide on the arm body 131 to advance or withdraw the surgical instrument 120 along the arm body 131.

As shown in fig. 4, surgical instrument 120 includes a drive mechanism 170 and a distal end effector 150 disposed at a proximal end and a distal end, respectively, of surgical instrument 120, and a long shaft 160 disposed between drive mechanism 170 and end effector 150, drive mechanism 170 being configured to be coupled to instrument mount 132 of instrument arm 130, and instrument mount 132 having a plurality of actuators (not shown) disposed therein, the plurality of actuators being coupled to drive mechanism 170 to transmit a driving force of the actuators to drive mechanism 170. Long shaft 160 is used to connect drive device 170 and end effector 150, long shaft 160 being hollow for the passage of a drive cable therethrough, and drive device 170 being used to cause end effector 150 to perform an associated surgical procedure by movement of end effector 150 via the drive cable.

Fig. 5A-5D are schematic structural views of an end effector 150 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and as shown in fig. 5A and 5B, the end effector 150 includes a first bracket 210 and a second bracket 310, a distal end of the first bracket 210 has a first support post 211 and a second support post 212, a proximal end of the first bracket 210 has a first base frame 213, one end of the base frame 213 is connected to the long shaft 160, another end of the first base frame 213 extends toward a distal end of the end effector 150 to form the first support post 211 and the second support post 212, and the first support post 211, the second support post 212, and the first base frame 213 form a substantially U-shaped clamp structure.

A first pin 214 and a second pin 215 are provided between the first support column 211 and the second support column 212, the first pin 214 is fixedly connected at one end to the first support column 211 and at the other end to the second support column 212, similarly, the second pin 215 is fixedly connected at one end to the first support column 314 and at the other end to the second support column 212, and the first pin 214 and the second pin 215 are provided side by side on the first support column 211 and the second support column 212, wherein the first pin 214 is closer to the base frame 213 of the first support 210 than the second pin 215.

A first set of pulley blocks is arranged on the first pin 214, a second set of pulley blocks is arranged on the second pin 215, the first set of pulley blocks comprises a first pulley 221, a second pulley 222, a third pulley 223 and a fourth pulley 224 which are arranged on the first pin 214 in sequence, the second set of pulley blocks comprises a fifth pulley 225, a sixth pulley 226, a seventh pulley 227 and an eighth pulley 228 which are arranged on the second pin 215 in sequence, the first pulley 211 to the eighth pulley 218 are all used for guiding the driving cable, and since the pulleys for guiding the driving cable are arranged on the first bracket 210 and no pulley is arranged on the second bracket 310, the volume of the second bracket 310 can be made smaller, so that the volume of the end effector 150 is smaller and there is no risk of the pulley falling off.

The second bracket 310 is provided with a third support 311, a fourth support 312, and a pitching wheel 314, the third support 311 and the fourth support 312 are formed by extending from the pitching wheel 314 along the distal end of the end effector 150, the third support 311, the fourth support 312, and the pitching wheel 314 form a substantially U-shaped frame, the pitching wheel 314 of the second bracket 310 is mounted on the first bracket 210 by a second pin 312, and the second bracket 310 is rotatable around an axis AA' passing through the second pin 215 to implement the pitching motion of the end effector 150.

A third pin 313 is arranged between the third support column 311 and the fourth support column 312 of the second bracket 310, the third pin 313 is perpendicular to the second pin 215, and one end of the third pin 313 is fixedly connected to the other end of the third support column 311 and fixedly connected to the fourth support column 312. The end effector 150 further comprises a grip 410, the second pulley block being located between the first pulley block and the grip 410, the grip 410 comprising a first grip 411 and a second grip 412, the first grip 411 and the second grip 412 being rotatably arranged on the second bracket 310 by a third pin 313, the first grip 411 and the second grip 412 being rotatable around an axis BB' passing through the third pin 313 to enable an opening and closing and/or yawing movement of the end effector 150, the first grip 411 and the second grip 412 being jaws for gripping tissue, or an anastomat for suturing, or a cauterizer for electrocautery, etc.

The orientation indicators in fig. 5A are for ease of describing the manner in which the drive cables are routed around end effector 150, with distal and proximal indications referring to the distal and proximal directions of end effector 150, and with forward, rearward, left and right indications referring to the forward, rearward, left and right directions of end effector 150 from the perspective of fig. 5A, and with the other indications not being directional indications, it is easier to deduce the orientation of end effector 150 from fig. 5A. The drive cables disposed at end effector 150 include a first drive cable, a first pair of cables, and a second pair of cables, wherein the first pair of cables includes a second drive cable 152A and a third drive cable 152B, wherein the second drive cable 152A and the third drive cable 152B cooperate to effect manipulation of the rotation of the second clamp portion 412 about the third pin 313, and wherein the first drive cable 151 cooperates with the second drive cable 152A and the third drive cable 152B to effect manipulation of the pitch motion of end effector 150; the second pair of cables includes a fourth drive cable 153A and a fifth drive cable 153B, the fourth drive cable 153A and the fifth drive cable 153B cooperating to effect manipulation of the first jaw 411 for rotation about the third pin 313, and the second drive cable 152A, the third drive cable 152B cooperating with the fourth drive cable 153A and the fifth drive cable 153B to effect opening and closing and yaw movement of the end effector 150.

The distal end of the first driving cable 151 has a first mounting end 151A, and the second bracket 310 has a first mounting cavity for receiving the first mounting end 151A, and the first mounting end 151A is received in the first mounting cavity to connect the first driving cable 151 to the second chassis 310. The distal ends of the first and second pairs of cables have a second mounting end 152C and a third mounting end 153C, respectively, the first and second clamping portions 411 and 412 have a second mounting cavity 411A and a third mounting cavity 412A, respectively, and the second mounting cavity 411A and the third mounting cavity 412A are configured to receive the third mounting end 153C and the second mounting end 152C, respectively, to connect the first and second pairs of cables with the second and first clamping portions 412 and 411, respectively.

To effect the first drive cable 151 and the second and third drive cables 152A, 152B cooperating together to effect a pitch motion of the manipulation end effector 150, the first pair of cables is wound over the first and second pulley sets in a manner opposite to the second pair of cables on the first and second pulley sets on the side of the end effector 150, the second drive cable 152A is wound over the first and second sets of pulleys in a manner similar to the third drive cable 152B over the first and second sets of pulleys, and the fourth drive cable 153A is wound over the first and second sets of pulleys in a manner similar to the fifth drive cable 153B over the first and second sets of pulleys. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5C, the proximal end of the second drive cable 152A is coupled to the drive unit in the drive device 170, and the distal end of the second drive cable 152A is guided by the rear portion of the second pulley 222 and continues toward the distal end of the end effector 150, and guided by the front portion of the sixth pulley 226 and continues along the distal end of the end instrument 150 and finally is mounted by the second mounting end 152C in the third mounting cavity 412A in the second clamping portion 412; third drive cable 152B is routed through the rear of third pulley 223 and continues toward the distal end of end effector 150 and is routed through the front of seventh pulley 227 and continues toward the distal end of end effector 150 and finally is mounted by second mounting end 152C in third mounting cavity 412A in second clamping portion 412.

The distal end of fourth drive cable 153A continues through the forward guide of first pulley 221 and toward the distal end of end effector 150, and through the rearward guide of fifth pulley 225 and toward the distal end of end instrument 150 and finally through third mounting end 153C into second mounting cavity 411A of first clamping portion 411, and the distal end of fifth drive cable 153B continues through the forward guide of fourth pulley 224 and toward the distal end of end effector 150, and through the rearward guide of eighth pulley 218 and toward the distal end of end instrument 150 and finally through third mounting end 153C into second mounting cavity 411A on first clamping portion 411.

Second drive cable 152A and third drive cable 152B cooperate together to operate second grip 412 to rotate about axis BB 'of third pin 313, and fourth drive cable 153A and fifth drive cable 153B cooperate together to operate first grip 411 to rotate about axis BB' of third pin 313, whereby second drive cable 152A, third drive cable 152B, fourth drive cable 153A, and fifth drive cable 153B cooperate together to operate first grip 411 and second grip 412 to effect opening and closing and/or yaw movement of end effector 150.

In addition, the first drive cable 151A cooperates with the steering grip 410 and the second support 310 to rotate about the axis AA 'of the second pin 215, along with the second drive cable 152A and the third drive cable 152B, to effect a pitch motion of the end effector 150, and since the axis AA' of the second pin 215 is perpendicular to the third pin 313, the yaw motion and the pitch motion of the end effector 150 are also orthogonal.

Specifically, as shown in fig. 5C-5D, when drive mechanism 170 simultaneously retracts second drive cable 152A and third drive cable 152B and simultaneously releases first drive cable 151, fourth drive cable 153A, and fifth drive cable 153B, grip 410 and second support 310 rotate counterclockwise about axis AA' of second pin 215, and end effector 150 performs the pitch motion shown in fig. 5D; as drive mechanism 170 retracts first drive cable 151A and/or simultaneously retracts fourth drive cable 153A and fifth drive cable 153B, grip 410 and second support 310 rotate clockwise about axis AA' of second pin 215, and end effector 150 performs a pitch motion as shown in fig. 5E.

When the drive mechanism 170 pulls in the third drive cable 152B and the fifth drive cable 153B and simultaneously releases the second drive cable 152A and the fourth drive cable 153A, the clamp 410 rotates clockwise about the axis BB' of the third pin 313 and the end effector 150 performs a yaw motion as shown in fig. 5F. When drive device 170 pulls third drive cable 152B and fourth drive cable 153A and simultaneously releases second drive cable 152A and fifth drive cable 153B, first clamp 411 rotates counterclockwise about axis BB 'of third pin 313, second clamp 412 rotates clockwise about axis BB' of third pin 313, and end effector 150 performs the opening movement of clamp 410 shown in fig. 5G. The above-described pitch, yaw, and opening and closing motions of the end effector 150 may also be performed simultaneously, as shown

A first drive cable 151, a first pair of cables, and a second pair of cables are shown cooperating to operate end effector 150 to simultaneously perform pitch, yaw, and opening and closing movements. It will be appreciated that when the direction of movement of the drive cables is opposite to that described above, the direction of pitch, yaw, and opening and closing of end effector 150 is opposite to that described above and will not be described in detail herein.

In contrast to prior art end effectors, end effector 150 of the present surgical instrument is operated clockwise along second pin axis AA 'by first drive cable 151, while rotation of the end effector counterclockwise along second pin axis AA' is operated by both second drive cable 152A and third drive cable 153A. Since the moment to which the second bracket 310 is subjected by the driving mechanism 170 when the first driving cable 151 is drawn is greater than the moment to which the second bracket 310 is subjected by the driving mechanism 170 when the second driving cable 152A and the third driving cable 152B are drawn, thus, end effector 150 is more powerful when pitching clockwise about axis AA 'than when pitching counterclockwise about axis AA', this is primarily to allow end effector 150 to be used in scenarios where a greater amount of force is required to tilt in one direction, when the utility model is pitched in the opposite direction, the utility model does not need large force, for example, the surgical instrument is needed to pick up a part of human tissue in the surgical operation, or one part of human tissue is pressed in one direction, when the end effector of the surgical instrument tilts towards the direction of picking up or pressing the human tissue, a larger force is required to be provided to pick up or press the human body combination, and otherwise, the larger force is not required to release the human body tissue picked up or pressed by the end effector.

In one embodiment of the present invention, when end effector 150 of the surgical instrument is operated by first drive cable 151 and fourth drive cable 153A in conjunction with fifth drive cable 153B during clockwise rotation about second pin axis AA ', end effector 150 rotates clockwise about second pin axis AA' with a greater force than when end effector 150 is operated by first drive cable 151 alone, allowing the end effector to accommodate scenarios in which a unidirectional pitch operation provides a greater force.

In addition, because the present invention has only one first drive cable dedicated to operating the end effector 150 for pitch motion, and there is less drive cable dedicated to operating the end effector for pitch motion than the prior art, the first and second supports can be made smaller in size, so that the overall end effector is correspondingly smaller in size, simpler in structure, and more convenient to assemble and assemble.

It will be appreciated that in other embodiments, and in contrast to the two embodiments described above, the first drive cable, which is dedicated to operating end effector pitch, operates end effector pitch motion counterclockwise about axis AA ', while the second and third drive cables, which operate end effector opening and closing and yaw, operate end effector pitch motion clockwise about axis AA'.

To effect manipulation of end effector pitch motion using the second and third drive cables that manipulate the end effector to open and close and yaw, as shown in fig. 5C-5G, regardless of the movement of end effector 150, the first portion of cable 152A 'and the second portion of cable 152B' of the first pair of cables between the second pulley set and the third mounting cavity 412A of the second jaw 412 and the third portion of cable 153A 'and the fourth portion of cable 153B' of the second pair of cables between the second pulley set and the second mounting cavity 411A of the first jaw 411 are located on either side of a first plane M passing through the axis AA 'of the second pin 215 and perpendicular to the axis BB' of the third pin 313, wherein the portion of the first pair of cables between the second pulley block and the third mounting cavity 412A and the portion of the third pair of cables between the second pulley block and the second mounting cavity 411A do not include the portion of the first cable and the third pair of cables wound around the second set of pulleys.

As shown in fig. 5C, the portion of the first pair of cables between the second pulley set and the third mounting cavity 412A of the second clamping portion 412 includes a first portion of cable 152A 'of the second drive cable 152A between the sixth pulley 226 and the third mounting cavity 412A and a second portion of cable 152B' of the third drive cable 152B between the seventh pulley 227 and the third mounting cavity 412A, and the portion of the third pair of cables between the second pulley set and the second mounting cavity 411A of the first clamping portion 411 includes a third portion of cable 152A 'of the fourth drive cable 153A between the fifth pulley 225 and the second mounting cavity 411A and a fourth difference cable 152B' of the fifth drive cable 153B between the eighth pulley 228 and the second mounting cavity 411A.

Thus, when drive device 170 simultaneously retracts second drive cable 152A and third drive cable 152B of the first pair of cables and releases first drive cable 151 and fourth drive cable 153A and fifth drive cable 153B of the third pair of cables, second clamp portion 412 is urged by the moment of the first pair of cables to rotate counterclockwise about axis AA' of second pin 215 and end effector 150 performs the pitch motion shown in FIG. 5D. Conversely, when the drive unit 170 pulls in the first drive cable 151 and releases the first pair of cables, the second bracket 310 is pulled by the first drive cable 151 to rotate clockwise about the axis AA' of the second pin 215, and the end effector 150 is tilted as shown in FIG. 5E. In another embodiment, when the driving device 170 retracts the first driving cable 151 and simultaneously retracts the fourth driving cable 153A and the fifth driving cable 153B to release the first pair of cables, the second bracket 310 is pulled by the first driving cable 151 and simultaneously the first clamping portion 411 is pushed by the moment of the second pair of cables, so that the end effector 150 is driven to rotate clockwise by two moments (i.e., the moments of the first driving cable 151 and the second pair of cables), thereby providing a greater force when the end effector 150 tilts clockwise to adapt to more application scenarios.

As shown in FIGS. 5D-5H, regardless of how end effector 150 is pitched, first portion of cable 152A 'and second portion of cable 152B' and third portion of cable 153A 'and fourth portion of cable 153B' are always positioned on opposite sides of first plane M, first portion of cable 152A 'and second portion of cable 152B' are always positioned on the same side of first plane M, and third portion of cable 153A 'and fourth portion of cable 154 are always positioned on the same side of first plane M, such that, regardless of the position of end effector 150, simultaneous retraction of second drive cable 152A and third drive cable 152B causes end effector 150 to experience a moment that drives end effector 150 counterclockwise about axis AA' and clockwise about axis AA ', and, similarly, regardless of the position of end effector 150, simultaneous retraction of fourth drive cable 153A and fifth drive cable 153B causes end effector 150 to experience a moment that drives end effector 150 counterclockwise about axis AA' and clockwise about axis AA The axis AA' moves counterclockwise.

Similarly, the portion of the first pair of cables between the first pulley block and the first chassis 213 of the first bracket 210 and the portion of the third pair of cables between the first pulley block and the first chassis 213 are located on either side of a second plane P passing through the axis of the first pin 214 and the axis AA 'of the second pin 215, respectively, (the second plane P passing through the axis of rotation AA' of the end effector 150 pitch motion and being perpendicular to the end face of the distal end of the first chassis 213), and the portion of the first pair of cables between the first pulley block and the first chassis 213 of the second bracket 210 and the portion of the second pair of cables between the first pulley block and the first chassis 213 do not include portions that wrap over the first pulley block.

As shown in fig. 6A and 6B, the first chassis 213 is provided with through holes for passing the first driving cable, the first pair of cables and the second pair of cables, and specifically, the first chassis 213 has a first through hole 213A for passing the first driving cable 151, a second through hole 213B for passing the second driving cable 152A, a third through hole 213C for passing the third driving cable 152B, a fourth through hole 213D for passing the fourth driving cable 153A and a fifth through hole 213E for passing the fifth driving cable 153B, wherein the first through hole 213A, the second through hole 213B and the third through hole 213C are located on the same side of the second plane P, the fourth through hole 213D and the fifth through hole 213E are located on the other side of the plane P, so that the portion of the first pair of cables between the first pulley block and the first chassis 213 and the portion of the second pair of cables between the first pulley block and the first chassis 213 are located on both sides of the second plane P, and the portions of the first drive cable 151 and the first pair of cables between the first pulley block and the first chassis 213 for a coordinated pitch movement of the manipulation end effector 150 are located on the same side of the second plane P.

A straight line passing through the centers of the second through hole 213B and the third through hole 213C is parallel to a straight line passing through the centers of the fourth through hole 213D and the fifth through hole 213E, and as shown in fig. 6A, connection lines of the centers of the second through hole 213B, the third through hole 213C, the fourth through hole 213D, and the fifth through hole 213E form a trapezoid. This allows the drive cables to extend straight from the first chassis 213 to the first pulley block in parallel with each other, which maximizes the transmission efficiency of the drive cables. In another embodiment of the present invention, as shown in fig. 6C, a line connecting centers of the second through hole 223B, the third through hole 223C, the fourth through hole 223D, and the fifth through hole 223E of the first bracket 220 forms a parallelogram. The proximal ends of the first and second pairs of cables extend through the openings in the first brackets 210, 220 into the long shaft 160 and are ultimately secured to the drive unit 170.

Since the proximal ends of the second and third drive cables 152A, 152B of the first pair and the fourth and fifth drive cables 153A, 153B of the third pair are wound around the drive unit within the drive device 170, the drive unit can only rotate to effect the retraction or release of the first drive cable 151 to the fifth drive cable 153B. However, since the drive unit is unable to translate, it is unable to simultaneously retract or release second drive cable 152A and third drive cable 152A, and likewise, the drive unit is unable to simultaneously retract or release fourth drive cable 153A and fifth drive cable 153B. While clockwise rotation of the end effector 150 about the axis AA 'of the second pin 215 requires retraction of the first drive cable 151 and simultaneous release of the second drive cable 152A and the third drive cable 152B of the first pair of cables in the embodiment shown in fig. 5A, counterclockwise rotation of the end effector 150 about the axis AA' of the second pin 215 requires simultaneous retraction of the second drive cable 152A and the third drive cable 153A of the first pair of cables and simultaneous release of the fourth drive cable 153A and the fifth drive cable 153B of the second pair of cables, in short, a coupling relationship exists between the first drive cable 151, the first pair of cables, and the second pair of cables, which results from orthogonal motions of both the end instrument pitch and yaw, and therefore, prior art drive arrangements are not capable of driving the end effector 150 of the present invention in pitch. Therefore, the present invention also provides a driving device, which can drive the end effector 150 of the present invention, and particularly, the end effector 150 of the present invention to perform the pitching motion, it is understood that the driving device of the present invention can be applied not only to the end effector 150 of the present invention, but also to other end effectors having different structures but the same principle as the end effector 150 of the present invention.

This coupling relationship between the first drive cable 151, the first pair of cables, and the second pair of cables is described in detail below. During rotation of end effector 150 from the straight zero position shown in fig. 5C to the pitch position shown in fig. 5E, when drive device 170 is retracting first drive cable 151, if the target pitch angle that end effector 150 needs to rotate through is α, then a horizontal plane a passing through the axis of second pin 215 needs to be rotated clockwise from the position in fig. 5C to the position in plane B of fig. 5E at a position where the first pair of cables and the second pair of cables leave the second pulley block, and if the radii of the pulleys of the second pulley block are r1, in order for end effector 150 to successfully rotate target pitch angle α, then it is necessary to simultaneously increase the wrap angle lengths of second drive cable 152A and third drive cable 152B on sixth pulley 226 and seventh pulley 227, respectively, by a length L, where L is α r1, and the wrap angle lengths of respective fourth drive cable 153A and fifth drive cable 153B on fifth pulley 225 and eighth pulley 228, respectively, are simultaneously decreased by a length L The length L is reduced. Similarly, if simultaneous retraction of second drive cable 152A and third drive cable 152B is to be achieved such that end effector 150 is rotated counterclockwise from the zero position of fig. 5C by an angle α, to the position shown in fig. 5D, it is necessary to enable the wrap angle lengths of second drive cable 152A and third drive cable 152B on sixth pulley 226 and seventh pulley 227, respectively, to be simultaneously decreased by length L, and correspondingly the wrap angle lengths of third drive cable 153A and fifth drive cable 153B on fifth pulley 225 and eighth pulley 228, respectively, to be simultaneously increased by length L, where L is α r 1.

As shown in fig. 7A, in the driving device 170, the proximal end of the first driving cable 151 is wound around the rotatable first driving unit 171, the second driving cable 152A and the third driving cable 152B are wound around the rotatable second driving unit 172 in opposite directions, the fourth driving cable 153A and the fifth driving cable 153B are wound around the rotatable second driving unit 173 in opposite directions, and the first driving unit 171, the second driving unit 172 and the third driving unit 173 are rotatably mounted in the driving device, so that the second driving unit 172 and the third driving unit 173 can only rotate along their axes and cannot translate, and thus the lengths of the second driving cable 152A and the third driving cable 152B cannot be simultaneously increased or decreased by only rotating the second driving unit 172, and likewise, the lengths of the fourth driving cable 153A and the fifth driving cable 153B cannot be simultaneously increased or decreased by rotating the third driving unit 173, as described above, if it is necessary to simultaneously increase or decrease the lengths of second drive cable 152A and third drive cable 152B and increase or decrease the lengths of fourth drive cable 153A and fifth drive cable 153B to achieve the desired pitch movement of end effector 150, the movement of first drive cable 151 is constrained by the first pair of cables, and the first and second pairs of cables are constrained by each other during manipulation of the end effector pitch movement.

The relationship in which such a variation of one element is limited by another element is referred to as a coupled relationship, i.e., there is a coupled relationship between one element and another element. The restricted relationship for the first drive cable 151, the first pair of cables, and the second pair of cables may be that the first drive cable is restricted to the first pair of cables, thereby completely preventing the first drive cable from moving and preventing the end effector from performing a pitch motion, or that the first drive cable is restricted to the first pair of cables, and that the first pair of cables and the second pair of cables are mutually restricted to each other, such that movement of any one of the first drive cable, the first pair of cables, and the second pair of cables causes undesired movement of the other cable, thereby preventing the end effector from performing a desired operation, for example, when the first drive cable 151 is operating the end effector to pitch motion, movement of the first drive cable may simultaneously cause movement of the first pair of cables and/or the first pair of cables due to the coupling relationship between the first drive cable 151 and the first pair of cables, the end effector may cause opening and closing and/or yawing motions simultaneously with the pitching motions, so that the pitching motions and the opening and/or closing and/or yawing motions of the end effector are mutually influenced, and the pitching motions and the opening and/or closing and/or yawing motions of the end effector are mutually independent, so that the end effector 150 cannot correctly perform the surgical operation. It is therefore desirable to decouple the first drive cable 151, the first pair of cables, and the second pair of cables such that the first drive cable 151 is no longer constrained in its movement by the first pair of cables, the first and second pairs of cables are no longer constrained by one another during operation of the end effector in a pitch motion, and the movement of the drive cables can be independent of one another, non-interfering with one another, or otherwise interfering with one another, such decoupling of the first drive cable 151 from the first pair of cables, and the first and second pairs of cables during operation of the end effector in a pitch motion.

Regarding how to release the coupling relationship between the driving cables, taking the end effector in the embodiment shown in fig. 5A as an example, a conventional decoupling method is to use a software algorithm to perform the decoupling, and the main console 200 controls the first driving unit to drive the first driving cable to move, and at the same time controls the second driving unit and the third driving unit to drive the first pair of cables and the second pair of cables to move, so that the wrap angle length of the first cable and the first pair of cables on the pulley increases by L or decreases by L along with the movement of the third pair of cables, but the decoupling method needs to make the first portion cable 152A 'and the second portion cable 152B' of the first pair of cables on the end effector respectively located on different sides of the first plane M, and the third portion cable 153A 'and the fourth portion cable 153B' of the second pair of cables respectively located on different sides of the first plane M, so that the second driving cable 152A and the third driving cable 152B of the first pair of cables form a cross-first plane M The loop of M, the fourth drive cable 153A and the fifth drive cable 153B of the second pair of cables also form a loop spanning the first plane M, so that decoupling is possible by software control of the movement of the drive unit. However, as mentioned above, the first portion 152A 'and the second portion 152B' of the first pair of cables and the second portion 153A 'and the third portion 153B' of the second pair of cables are both on the same side of the first plane M, and thus the prior art software decoupling method is not capable of decoupling an end effector of the type of the present invention. In addition, the decoupling method using the software algorithm may cause the control program of the surgical robot to be complicated and prone to errors, and the decoupling method using the software algorithm may cause each driving unit of the driving mechanism of the surgical instrument to lose independence, specifically, the driving device has a first driving unit for driving a first driving cable, a second driving unit for driving a first pair of cables, and a third driving unit for driving a second pair of driving cables, and ideally, the controls of the driving units are opposite to each other, however, when the decoupling method using the software algorithm is used, the three driving units need to be controlled to move together at the same time, so that the three driving units lose independence, and control errors are prone to occur. And the software decoupling method does not decouple the drive cables in the embodiment shown in fig. 5A.

The present invention proposes a mechanical decoupling scheme, and a mechanical decoupling mechanism is provided in the driving device 170 of the surgical instrument 120, thereby avoiding the drawbacks of the software algorithm decoupling described above.

Fig. 7A is a schematic diagram of a driving device 170 according to an embodiment of the invention, wherein the driving device 170 is adapted to drive the end effector shown in fig. 5A. The driving device 170 includes a housing 178, a first driving unit 171 located in the housing 178 for driving the end effector 150 to perform a pitch motion, a second driving unit 172 and a third driving unit 173 for driving the end effector 150 to perform an opening and closing, a yaw motion, and a pitch motion, and a fourth driving unit 174 for driving the long shaft 160 to perform a rotation motion. A first drive cable 151 is wound at a proximal end thereof about the first drive unit and at a distal end thereof about the end effector 150, a first pair of cables is wound about the second drive unit 172 with a second drive cable 152A and a third drive cable 152B, respectively, wound in opposite windings, a second pair of cables is wound about the third drive unit 173 with a fourth drive cable 153A and a fifth drive cable 153B, respectively, wound in opposite windings, and a third pair of cables is wound about the fourth drive unit 174 with a sixth drive cable 154A and a seventh drive cable 154B, respectively, wound in opposite windings.

As the actuator drive shaft 171A within the implement mounting bracket 132 rotates the first drive unit 171, the first drive unit 171 pulls or releases the first drive cable 151 to rotate the second bracket 310 about the axis AA' of the second pin 215, as the actuator drive shaft 172A within the instrument mount 132 rotates the second drive unit 172, the second drive unit 172 retracts or releases the second drive cable 152A or the third drive cable 152B to rotate the second clamp 412 about the third pin 313, when the actuator drives the third drive unit 173 to rotate with its shaft 173A, the third drive unit 173 pulls or releases the fourth drive cable 154A or the fifth drive cable 154B to rotate the first gripper 411 about the third pin 313, and the first gripper 411 and the second gripper 412 move about the third pin 313 such that the end effector 150 performs an opening and closing and/or yawing motion. As the actuator within the implement mounting bracket 132 drives the fourth drive unit 174 to rotate about its axis 174A, the fourth drive unit 174 retracts or releases either the seventh drive cable 154A or the eighth drive cable 154B to effect a spinning motion of the drive shaft 160.

The drive device 170 further includes a decoupling mechanism 175 for decoupling the first drive cable 151, the first pair of cables, and the second pair of cables on one side of the end effector 150, the decoupling mechanism 175 including a master decoupling member 1751 and a slave decoupling member, the slave decoupling member including a carriage 1752 and first and second guide portions 1753 and 1754 connected at opposite ends of the carriage, the master decoupling member 1 being connected to opposite ends of the carriage 1752 by first and second decoupling cables 1761 and 1762, the master decoupling member 1751 in turn driving movement of the slave decoupling member by first and second decoupling cables 1761 and 1762. The first and second decoupling cables 1761 and 1762 are wound around the main decoupling element 1751 in opposite manners, and the main decoupling element 1761 and the first drive unit 171 move at the same angular velocity, in this embodiment, the main decoupling element 1751 and the first drive unit 171 are disposed on the same shaft 173A, so that the main decoupling element 1751 and the first drive unit 171 rotate coaxially with the shaft 171A, and in other embodiments, the main decoupling element 1751 and the first drive unit 171 may be disposed on different rotation shafts, respectively. The main decoupling element 1751 and the first drive unit 171 have different radii, the radius of the main decoupling element 1751 is R2, the radius of the first drive unit 171 is R2, wherein R2< R2, the main decoupling element 1751 effecting movement from the decoupling element by pulling or releasing the first or second decoupling cables 1761, 1761. The main decoupling element 1751 and the first driving unit 171 may receive the driving from the same power source, i.e. the actuator in the slave operation device, in other embodiments, the main decoupling element and the first driving unit are disposed on different rotation axes, but the main decoupling element still receives the driving force of the same source as the first driving unit, for example, the main decoupling element and the first driving unit are respectively connected and driven by different manners on the same actuator.

As will be described in greater detail below with respect to how decoupling mechanism 175 is decoupled, second and third drive cables 152A and 152B extend through first and second guide wheels 176A, 1753, and 176C into long shaft 160 and are coupled to end effector 150, as shown in fig. 7A-7C. The fourth driving cable 153A and the fifth driving cable 153B are guided by the second guide wheel 176B, the second guide portion 1754 and the fourth guide wheel 176D and then enter the long shaft to be extended and connected to the end effector 150, the first driving cable 151 is guided by the fifth guide wheel 176E and then enters the long shaft to be extended and connected to the end effector 150, and as for how the first driving cable 151 to the fifth driving cable 153B are connected to the end effector 150, the above description has been given in detail, and the details are not repeated. The secondary decouplers of the decoupling mechanism 175 may slide relative to the housing 178 of the drive device 170, and in particular, the primary decouplers may rotate to pull on the first decoupling cable 1761 and simultaneously release the second decoupling cable 1762, or release the first decoupling cable 1761 and simultaneously release the second decoupling cable 1762, thereby pulling the secondary decouplers for movement within the drive device 170, as the first pair of cables is wrapped around the portion of the first guide portion 1753 and the second pair of cables is wrapped around the portion of the second guide portion 1754, such that the first guide portion 1753 and the second guide portion 1754 respectively drive the first pair of cables and the second pair of cables to change length within the drive device 170 when pulled for movement from the decouplers, thereby releasing the coupling relationship between the first drive cable 151, the first pair of cables, and the second pair of cables.

In order to allow the decoupling mechanism 175 to precisely decouple the first drive cable 151, the first pair of cables, and the second pair of cables, the secondary decoupling element driven by the primary decoupling element 1751 is always moved in a straight line, and the changes in length of the second drive cable 152A, the third drive cable 152B, the fourth drive cable 153A, and the fifth drive cable 154B within the drive device 170 caused by the secondary decoupling element movement are always linear. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 7A-7C, a first decoupling cable 1561 is redirected by fifth guide wheel 176F to extend in the direction of movement of carriage 1752 and is fixed to one end of the slave decoupling member, and likewise, a second decoupling cable 1762 is redirected by seventh guide wheel 176G to extend in the direction of movement of carriage 1752 and is fixed to the other end of the slave decoupling member, this allows the portion of the first decoupling cable 1761 between the fifth guide wheel 176F and the carriage 1752 to be parallel to the direction of motion of the slave decoupling member, and likewise, the portion of the second decoupling cable 1762 between the seventh guide wheel 176G and the carriage 1752 to be parallel to the direction of motion of the slave decoupling member, thus, during decoupling, the first and second decoupling cables 1761 and 1762 pull the velocity of movement of the secondary decoupler carriage 1752 in direct proportion to the linear velocity of rotation of the primary decoupler 1751 and the first drive unit 171. It will be appreciated that in other embodiments, the portion of the first decoupling cable 1761 between the fifth guide wheel 176F and the carriage 1752 is only partially parallel to the direction of motion of the slave decoupler, or the portion of the second decoupling cable 1762 between the seventh guide wheel 176G and the carriage 1752 is only partially parallel to the direction of motion of the slave decoupler, with the non-parallel portion not changing the direction of motion of the carriage, thereby still allowing the slave decoupler to move in a straight line.

In addition, the first to fourth guide wheels 176A to 176D, the fifth guide wheel 176F, the seventh guide wheel 176G, the first guide 1753, and the second guide 1754 are all structures having two pulleys side by side for guiding two drive cables. As shown in fig. 8A, the two side-by-side pulleys of the first guide pulley 176A, the first guide portion 1753, and the third guide pulley 1762 are used to guide the second drive cable 152A and the third drive cable 152B, respectively, the second drive cable 152A is formed with a fifth portion of cable 152Aa between the first guide pulley 176A and the first guide portion 1753 after being guided by the first guide pulley 176A, and the third drive cable 152B is formed with a sixth portion of cable 152Ba between the first guide pulley 176A and the first guide portion 1753, the fifth portion of cable 152Aa and the sixth portion of cable 152Ba not including portions wound around the pulleys, wherein the fifth portion of cable 152Aa and the sixth portion of cable 152Ba are both parallel to the direction of movement of the secondary decoupling member. Therefore, the changes in the lengths of the first and second partial cables 151Aa and 151Ba caused during linear movement of the slave decoupler by the master decoupler 1751 are always linear.

As shown in fig. 8B, the second drive cable 152A forms a seventh portion of cable 152Ab between the first guide 1753 and the third guide wheel 176C, the third drive cable 152B forms an eighth portion of cable 152Bb between the first guide 1753 and the third guide wheel 176C, the seventh portion of cable 152Ab and the eighth portion of cable 152Bb are symmetrical with respect to a center plane H1 of the third guide wheel 176C, the center plane H1 of the third guide wheel 176C is a plane that is centered between the two side-by-side sheaves of the third guide wheel 176C and perpendicular to the axis C1 of the third guide wheel 176C, and likewise, the seventh portion of cable 152Ab and the eighth portion of cable 152Bb do not include portions that wrap around the sheaves. The angles of the seventh portion of cables 152Ab and the eighth portion of cables 152Bb to the central plane H1 are each theta and are small enough so that the lengths of the fifth portion of cables 152Ab and the seventh portion of cables 152Bb are nearly equal to the distance of the shortest straight line of the first guide 1753 and the third guide 176C in the central plane H1 so that the seventh portion of cables 152Ab and the eighth portion of cables 152Bb are also substantially parallel to the direction of movement from the decoupler. Thus, the changes in the lengths of the seventh portion of cables 152Ab and the eighth portion of cables 152Bb that result when the secondary decoupler moves in a straight line upon actuation of the primary decoupler 1751 are also substantially linear.

The portions of the fourth 153A and fifth 153B drive cables of the second pair of cables between the second 176B, second 1754 and fourth 176D guide wheels also have the same arrangement as the first pair of cables described above and will not be described again. Therefore, during decoupling, the rate of change of length of any one of second drive cables 152A through fifth drive cables 153B is directly proportional to the speed of movement of carriage 1752, and as described above, the speed of movement of carriage 1752 is directly proportional to the rotational linear speeds of main decoupler 1751 and first drive unit 171, and therefore the rate of change of length of any one of second drive cables 152A through fifth drive cables 153B is directly proportional to the rotational linear speeds of main decoupler 1751 and first drive unit 171, thereby making the decoupling process precisely controllable.

The decoupling of the drive device 170 is illustrated in fig. 7B and 7C, and as the first drive unit 171 rotates clockwise (in the first direction) as illustrated in fig. 7B, the first drive unit 171 pulls the first drive cable 151 such that the entire end effector 150 performs a pitch motion in the direction illustrated in fig. 5E in order to cause the second frame 220 of the end effector 150 to rotate clockwise about the second axis AA' as illustrated in fig. 5E. As described above, the wrap angle lengths of the second and third drive cables 152A, 152B over the sixth and seventh pulleys 226, 227, respectively, need to be increased by L at the same time, and at the same time, the wrap angle lengths of the fourth and fifth drive cables 153A, 153B over the fifth and eighth pulleys 225, 228 need to be decreased by L at the same time to allow the end effector 150 to smoothly perform a pitch motion. Since the main decoupling 1751 of the decoupling mechanism 175 rotates coaxially with the first drive unit 171, thus, while first drive unit 171 rotates clockwise about axis 171A, main decoupling element 1751 also rotates clockwise about axis 171A, at which time main decoupling element 1751 receives second decoupling cable 1762 and simultaneously releases first decoupling cable 1761, provided main decoupling element 1751 rotates through an arc length of L/2, the slave decoupling member moves L/2 distance in direction a under the pull of the second decoupling cable 1762, causing the lengths of the portions of the second and third drive cables 152A and 153B between the first and third guide wheels 176A and 1753 and 176C to be reduced by L/2 respectively, thus allowing the lengths of the second and third drive cables 152A and 152B, respectively, to be reduced by L within the drive unit 170.

Conversely, the lengths of the portions of the fourth and fifth drive cables 153A, 153B between the second and second guide wheels 176B, 1754 and between the second and fourth guide wheels 1754, 176D are each increased by L/2, thereby increasing the lengths of the fourth and fifth drive cables 153A, 153B within the drive device 170 by L. The first and second pairs of cables vary in length within the drive device by an amount of 2L, so that rotation of the primary decoupling member causes the first or second pair of cables to vary in length on the end effector by an amount equal to four times the distance the secondary decoupling member moves within the drive device. The tilt wheel 314 of the second bracket 310 has an annular groove 314A therein that receives and guides the first drive cable 151, which forms a wrap angle in the annular groove when the end effector 150 is tilted. As shown in fig. 7E, when the end effector 150 pitches clockwise by an angle α, if the groove bottom radius of the annular groove 314A is R1, the wrap angle length of the first drive cable 151 on the annular groove 314 of the pitch wheel 314 is decreased by L1, where L1 ═ R1, since the clockwise pitch motion of the end effector 150 is driven by the first drive unit 171 in the drive device 170, as shown in fig. 7B, in this case, if the angle that the first drive unit 171 rotates for the clockwise pitch motion of the end effector 150 is β, the first drive unit 171 pulls the first drive cable 151 so that the length of the first drive cable 151 around the first drive unit 171 is increased by L1, where L1 ═ R2. Since the main decoupling element 1751 and the first drive unit 1751 rotate coaxially, the main decoupling element 1751 releases the first decoupling cable 1761 and simultaneously pulls the second decoupling cable 1763, so that the distance of pulling the secondary decoupling element to move in the direction a is L/2, accordingly, the length of the first decoupling cable 1761 around the main decoupling element 1761 is reduced by L/2, that is, the length of the first decoupling cable 1767 is released by L/2, and the length of the second decoupling cable 1768 around the main decoupling element 1761 is increased by L/2, where L/2 is β r2, as can be seen from the foregoing description, L α r 1. In summary, through the above four equations: l1 ═ α × R1, L1 ═ β R2, L/2 ═ β R2, and L ═ α R1, the following relationships can be obtained:

the above relation shows that the ratio of the radius of the first drive unit 173 to the radius of the main decoupling element 1761 is 2 times the ratio of the groove bottom radius of the annular groove 314A of the pitch wheel 314 to the radius of the second set of pulleys, which 2 times relation results because there are 2 guides from the decoupling element for guiding the first cable and the first pair of cables, namely the first guide 1753 and the second guide 1754. In other embodiments, the number of guides of the secondary decoupling member may be other numbers, so that the relationship between the radius of the first drive unit and the radius of the primary decoupling member and the radius of the annular groove of the pitch wheel and the radius of the second set of pulleys also varies, for example the secondary decoupling member may have N guide wheels for guiding the first cable and the first pair of cables, so that the ratio of the radius of the first drive unit to the radius of the primary decoupling member is N times the ratio of the groove bottom radius of the annular groove of the pitch wheel to the radius of the second set of pulleys, i.e.:

however, the increase in the number of guides of the secondary decoupling element corresponds to a corresponding increase in the volume of the secondary decoupling element, and it is preferable to use 2 guides for the secondary decoupling element in the above-described embodiment.

The amount of decrease in the length of the second and third drive cables 152A, 152B in the drive unit 170 is thereby equal to the amount of increase required for the wrap angle lengths of the second and third drive cables 152A, 152B over the sixth and seventh pulleys 226, 227, respectively, and the amount of increase in the length of the fourth and fifth drive cables 153A, 153B in the drive unit 170 is equal to the amount of decrease required for the wrap angle lengths of the fourth and fifth drive cables 153A, 153B over the fifth and eighth pulleys 225, 228. Thus, the movement of retracting the first drive cable 151 is no longer limited by the first pair of cables, and the movement of retracting the first drive cable 151 does not cause slack in the second pair of cables at the end effector 150. the decoupling mechanism 175 decouples the second pair of cables from the first drive cable and the end effector 150 executes a clockwise pitch motion as shown in FIG. 5E.

As shown in FIG. 7C, when first drive unit 171 rotates counterclockwise (in the second direction), because main decoupling element 1751 of decoupling mechanism 175 rotates coaxially and angularly with first drive unit 171, while first drive unit 171 rotates counterclockwise with shaft 171A, main decoupling element 1751 also rotates counterclockwise with shaft 171A, at which time main decoupling element 1751 takes up first decoupling cable 1761 and simultaneously releases second decoupling cable 1762, and if main decoupling element 1751 rotates through an arc length of L/2, the slave decoupling element moves in the B direction a distance by L/2 under the pull of first decoupling cable 1761, causing the respective lengths of the portions of second drive cable 152A and third drive cable 153B between first guide wheel 176A and first guide portion 1753 and the respective portions of first guide portion 1753 and third guide wheel 176C to increase by L/2, thereby causing second drive cable 152A and third drive cable 152B to both increase in length within drive unit 170 by L/2, respectively L is added, and conversely, the lengths of the portions of the fourth and fifth drive cables 153A, 153B between the second and second guide wheels 176B, 1754 and the second and fourth guide wheels 1754, 176D are reduced by L/2, respectively. The length of the fourth drive cable 153A and the fifth drive cable 153B within the drive device 170 is thus reduced by L.

The change in the lengths of second drive cable 152A, third drive cable 152B, fourth drive cable 153A, and fifth drive cable 153B at this time reflects the behavior of drive device 170 on the end effector of simultaneously retracting second drive cable 152A and third drive cable 152B and simultaneously releasing fourth drive cable 153A and fifth drive cable 153B.

The amount of increase in the length of the second and third drive cables 152A, 152B in the drive unit 170 is thus equal to the amount of decrease in the wrap angle length of the second and third drive cables 152A, 152B over the sixth and seventh pulleys 226, 227, respectively, and the amount of decrease in the length of the fourth and fifth drive cables 153A, 153B in the drive unit 170 is equal to the amount of increase in the wrap angle length of the fourth and fifth drive cables 153A, 153B over the fifth and eighth pulleys 225, 228. Therefore, the simultaneous retraction of the second drive cable 152A and the third drive cable 152B by the drive device is no longer limited by the fourth drive cable 153A and the fifth drive cable 153B, the decoupling mechanism 175 decouples the first pair of cables from the second pair of cables, and the end effector 150 can smoothly execute the counterclockwise pitch motion shown in fig. 5D.

Another embodiment of the drive assembly of the present invention is shown in fig. 9, where the drive assembly 270 is largely identical to the drive assembly 170 of the previous embodiment, except that the drive assembly 270 is provided with guide wheels for guiding the first and second pairs of cables, that is, the seventh guide wheel 176H, the eighth guide wheel 176I, the ninth guide wheel 176J, and the tenth guide wheel 176K are added to the driving device 270, the second driving cable 152A and the third driving cable 152B are guided by the first guide wheel 176A, the first guide portion 1753, the third guide wheel 176C, the seventh guide wheel 176H, and the ninth guide wheel 176J in sequence and enter the long shaft 160 and extend to the end effector 150, and the fourth driving cable 153A and the fifth driving cable 153B are guided by the second guide wheel 176B, the second guide portion 1754, the fourth guide wheel 176D, the eighth guide wheel 176I, and the tenth guide wheel 176K in sequence and enter the long shaft 160 and extend to the end effector 150. In comparison to the previous embodiment, the portions of the second and third drive cables 152A, 152B between the first and third guide portions 1753, 176C and the portions of the fourth and fifth drive cables 153A, 153B between the second and fourth guide portions 1754, 176D are both parallel to the direction of motion of the slave decoupler such that movement of the slave decoupler causes less error in the linear change in the length of the first and first pairs of cables in the drive 270 than in the previous embodiment.

In another embodiment of the driving device according to the present invention, as shown in fig. 10, a main decoupling member 1751 of a decoupling mechanism 275 of a driving device 370 is connected to a secondary decoupling member 1752 in a gear engagement manner, specifically, the secondary decoupling member has a carriage 2752, both ends of the carriage 2752 are respectively connected to a first guide portion 2753 and a second guide portion 2754, a body of the carriage 3751 has a rack structure, the main decoupling member 2751 has a gear structure engaged with the rack structure of the carriage 3751, and when the main decoupling member 2751 rotates, the main decoupling member 2751 drives the pitch mechanism to move along a straight line, so as to change lengths of a first pair of cables and a second pair of cables in the driving device 370, and thus, release of the first driving cable 151 is achieved. It will be appreciated that the master decoupler 2751 and the slave decoupler of the decoupling mechanism 275 may not only be engaged by a rack and pinion approach, but in other embodiments the master decoupler 2751 and the slave decoupler may also be engaged by two gears. In other embodiments, the primary decoupling member of the secondary decoupling member and the secondary decoupling member may be connected by a cam, i.e., the primary decoupling member includes a cam structure that abuts the carriage of the secondary decoupling member, and when the primary decoupling member rotates, the cam structure abuts the carriage and pushes the carriage of the secondary decoupling member in a linear motion.

The above-mentioned embodiments only express several embodiments of the present invention, and the description thereof is more specific and detailed, but not construed as limiting the scope of the invention. It should be noted that, for a person skilled in the art, several variations and modifications can be made without departing from the inventive concept, which falls within the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present patent shall be subject to the appended claims.

Claims (10)

1. A surgical instrument, characterized in that the surgical instrument comprises:

the end effector comprises a first support, a second support, a first clamping part and a second clamping part, the second support is rotatably connected to the first support, and the first clamping part and the second clamping part are rotatably connected to the second support;

cables including a first drive cable, a first pair of cables, and a second pair of cables, a distal end of the first pair of cables disposed on the first grip, the far ends of the second pair of cables are arranged on the second clamping part, one end of the first driving cable is connected to the second bracket, the first bracket is provided with a first pulley block and a second pulley block for guiding the first pair of cables and the second pair of cables, the second pulley block is positioned between the first pulley block and the first clamping part or the second clamping part, the portion of the first drive cable between the second bracket and the first bracket is on the same side of the first pulley block as the portion of the first pair of cables between the first pulley block and the first bracket, and the part of the second pair of ropes between the first pulley block and the first bracket is positioned at the opposite side of the first pulley block;

a drive device for driving rotation of the second support relative to the first support via the first pair of cables and a first drive cable to cause the end effector to perform a pitch motion and for driving the end effector to perform a yaw motion via the first pair of cables and the second pair of cables.

2. The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein the first pair of cables is routed over the first pulley block and the second pulley block in an opposite manner than the second pair of cables is routed over the first pulley block and the second pulley block.

3. The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein a portion of the first pair of cables between the first clamp and the second pulley set and a portion of the second pair of cables between the second clamp and the second pulley set are located on opposite sides of an axis of rotation of the second bracket relative to the first bracket, respectively.

4. The surgical instrument of claim 2, wherein the first pair of cables includes a second drive cable and a third drive cable, a distal end of the second drive cable and a distal end of the third drive cable both disposed on the first grip, the second drive cable being wound on the first and second sets of pulleys in the same manner as the third drive cable is wound on the first and second sets of pulleys.

5. The surgical instrument of claim 4, wherein the second pair of cables includes a fourth drive cable and a fifth drive cable, a distal end of the fourth drive cable and a distal end of the fifth drive cable both disposed on the second grip, the third drive cable being wound on the first set of pulleys and the second set of pulleys in the same manner as the second drive cable is wound on the first set of pulleys and the second set of pulleys.

6. The surgical instrument of claim 5, wherein the first pulley block comprises a first pulley, a second pulley, a third pulley, and a fourth pulley disposed on a same pin, the second pulley block comprises a fifth pulley, a sixth pulley, a seventh pulley, and an eighth pulley disposed on a same pin, the distal end of the second drive cable is guided through the rear portion of the second pulley, guided through the front portion of the sixth pulley, and finally mounted on the first clamping portion, and the distal end of the third drive cable is guided through the rear portion of the third pulley, guided through the front portion of the seventh pulley, and mounted on the first clamping portion.

7. The surgical instrument of claim 5, wherein a distal end of the fourth drive cable is mounted to the second gripping portion after being guided over a front portion of the first pulley and then over a rear portion of the fifth pulley, and wherein a distal end of the fifth drive cable is mounted to the second gripping portion after being guided over a front portion of the fourth pulley and then over a rear portion of the eighth pulley.

8. The surgical instrument of claim 4, wherein the first bracket has a first through hole for passage of the first drive cable, a second through hole for passage of the second drive cable, and a third through hole for passage of the third drive cable, the first through hole, the second through hole, and the third through hole being located on the same side of a first plane passing through the axis of the first pulley block and the axis of the second pulley block.

9. A slave manipulator apparatus, characterized in that it comprises a robotic arm on which the surgical instrument is mounted and a surgical instrument according to any of claims 1-8 for manipulating the surgical instrument in motion.

10. A surgical robot comprising a master console and a slave console as claimed in claim 34, the slave console performing a corresponding operation according to instructions from the master console.

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