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Publication Number
US-12167942-B2
Publication Date
2024-12-17
Expiration Date
Abstract
A surgery assisting device holds a surgical instrument having an end to be inserted into a body cavity of a patient, and controls one or more of a position or an orientation of the surgical instrument. The surgery assisting device includes a first arm and second arms. The first arm has a first end supported by a base and includes a first movable part having movement with one or more degrees of freedom. The second arms are arranged at a second end of the first arm and hold the surgical instrument. Each of the second arms includes second movable parts having movement with five or more degrees of freedom.
Core Innovation
The invention relates to a surgery assisting device configured to hold a surgical instrument having an end to be inserted into a body cavity of a patient, and configured to control at least one of a position or an orientation of the surgical instrument. The device comprises a first arm supported by a base with a first movable part having at least one degree of freedom, and second arms arranged at a second end of the first arm. Each second arm holds the surgical instrument and comprises second movable parts having at least five degrees of freedom in total, including a rotating part, a first link part, a second link part, and a gimbal part.
The rotating part is arranged at a portion in which the second arm is secured to the first arm and is configured to rotate about a rotation axis extending in a vertical direction with one degree of freedom. The first link part and the second link part are arranged between the rotating part and the gimbal part and each comprises a plurality of parallel links, so that each link part rotates about a rotation axis extending in a direction orthogonal to the vertical directions with a degree of freedom of rotation parallel to the other of the first link part or the second link part in the vertical direction. The gimbal part includes multiple joints, and a distal gripper holds the surgical instrument.
A controller estimates a pivot position on the instrument shaft using sensor information associated with displacements, including movement information from the second arm, and an equation that uses the rear-end position, the shaft axis orientation, and a distance parameter with correction using an inner product. The controller then controls the second arm so that the pivot position remains on the shaft when the surgical instrument’s orientation or arrangement changes. This pivot-point constraint is described as facilitating trocar/port passage and reducing tissue loading near the body surface, and as enabling easier setup by manipulating only the second arm, with passive/active operation where the second movable parts are operable during insertion.
Claims Coverage
The independent claims are clm-00001 and clm-00014. They define two inventive features centered on a surgery assisting device architecture with a first arm and multiple second arms having specified degrees of freedom, and controller/sensor-based pivot-point maintenance on the instrument shaft.
Arm-and-second-arm configuration with at least five degrees of freedom second movable parts
A surgery assisting device configured to hold a surgical instrument and control at least one of a position or an orientation of the surgical instrument, comprising a first arm having a first end supported by a base with a first movable part with at least one degree of freedom, and second arms arranged at a second end of the first arm, the second arms each configured to hold the surgical instrument and comprising second movable parts having movement with at least five degrees of freedom in total, including a rotating part, a first link part, a second link part, and a gimbal part.
Rotating part with vertical rotation axis and orthogonal-axis link-part rotation
The rotating part configured to rotate about a rotation axis extending in a vertical direction with one degree of freedom, and wherein each of the first link part and the second link part comprises a plurality of parallel links, the first link part and the second link part being configured to rotate about a rotation axis extending in a direction orthogonal to the vertical directions with a degree of freedom of rotation parallel to the other of the first link part or the second link part in the vertical direction.
Controller-based pivot-point constraint on the instrument shaft axis
A controller configured to set a pivot point on an axis of the shaft and control movements of the plurality of second movable parts so that a position of the pivot point remains unchanged when the surgical instrument’s orientation or arrangement position is changed, with displacements detected by sensors and arithmetic processing used to estimate the position of the pivot point.
The claim coverage focuses on a surgery assisting device using a first arm plus multiple second arms, where each second arm achieves at least five degrees of freedom via a rotating part, parallel-link first and second link parts, and a gimbal part; it further defines sensor-based estimation and controller control to keep a pivot point fixed on the shaft axis despite changes in instrument orientation or arrangement.
Stated Advantages
Facilitates trocar/port passage.
Reduces tissue loading near the body surface.
Enables easier setup by manipulating only the second arm.
Enables passive/active operation in which the second movable parts are operable during insertion.
Documented Applications
Surgery performed with a surgical instrument whose end is inserted into a body cavity of a patient, including trocar/port aperture passage through a patient’s body surface.
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