Input unit for a medical instrument and medical system with an input unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12402869-B2
Application number	US-202217869869-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 21, 2022
Priority date	Jul 28, 2021
Publication date	Sep 2, 2025
Grant date	Sep 2, 2025

Abstract

One exemplary embodiment relates to an input unit ( 10 ) for operating a medical instrument ( 12 ) with a hollow shaft ( 14 ) extending along a longitudinal axis (L) for receiving guide wires ( 20 ), with a tool ( 16 ) arranged on the distal side of the shaft ( 14 ), extending along an extension axis (E) and a control unit ( 18 ) arranged proximally on the shaft ( 14 ) for handling the tool ( 16 ) by means of the guide wires ( 20 ), comprising first input means ( 22 ) for continuous, pivoting and rotation-true, preferably uninterrupted and/or absolute, conversion of an ergonomically limited user input, in particular a natural user movement of movable first operating means, into an adjustment movement of the tool ( 16 ) in a first handling mode, in order to pivot the tool ( 16 ) by means of the control unit ( 18 ) relative to the longitudinal axis (L) in a limited way and/or to rotate about the extension axis (E) in a limited way.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An input unit configured for operating a medical instrument having a hollow shaft extending along a longitudinal axis for receiving guide wires, with a tool arranged distally on the shaft and a control unit arranged proximally on the shaft for handling the tool by means of the guide wires, comprising:
first input means for the continuous, pivoting and/or rotation-true conversion of an ergonomically limited user input into an adjustment movement of the tool in a first handling mode in order to pivot the tool to a limit relative to the longitudinal axis by means of the control unit and/or to rotate it to a limit about the extension axis, wherein
the input unit has second input means for at least partially, non-absolutely converting at least one further user input into an endless rotational movement (ω E ) of the tool about the tool's extension axis in a second handling mode, wherein the first input means is arranged as a control handle that can be pivoted relative to a rest position with a first rotary element arranged at the control handle for rotation-true rotation of the tool in the first handling mode and the second input means are formed either as at least one second rotary element for controlling the second handling mode or as switching means for switching of the first rotary member between controlling the first and second handling modes.

2. The input unit according to claim 1 , wherein
the switching means are designed as a pressure switch and are arranged on the control handle in such a way that the first rotary element and the pressure switch can be operated with one hand.

3. The input unit according to claim 1 , wherein
the first and/or the at least one second rotary element is configured to be rotated about a common extension axis of the pivotable control handle, wherein the first and the at least one second rotary element are arranged one above the other along the extension axis of the control handle, so that the rotary elements can be operated with one hand.

4. The input unit according to one of claim 1 , wherein
the first rotary element is translationally adjustable as a switching means between a first position and at least a second position along the extension axis of the control handle, in order to switch between the first and the second handling mode in addition to the input of the rotational movement (ω E ), wherein the first rotary element engages in the first or the at least one second position.

5. The input unit according to claim 1 , wherein
the first rotary element is freely mounted in sections and can rotate against an end stop as switching means.

6. The input unit according to claim 5 , wherein
the end stop is a spring mechanism configured in such a way that the switching means can be switched over when a force and/or torque is applied to the spring mechanism when a threshold value is reached and/or exceeded.

7. The input unit according to claim 1 , wherein
the at least one second rotary element is rotatably mounted about a rest position, by a restoring torsion spring, to control a speed and a direction of the endless rotary movement (ω E ) in the second handling mode by the further user input.

8. The input unit according to claim 1 , wherein
the input unit comprises storage means with different transfer functions for converting the rotational movement (ω z′ ) of the ergonomic or other user input into the rotational movement (ω E ) of the tool, wherein these transfer functions are selectable by the second input means and wherein the second input means are configured either as various second rotating elements with differently assigned transfer functions, or as switching means configured to select the transfer function of the first rotating element by a key combination or a print time on the switching means.

9. The input unit according to claim 8 , wherein
the input unit with the storage means is configured such that the transfer function converts the ergonomic user input in the first handling mode in the form of an input angle into a larger or smaller rotation-like, and/or time-dependent increasing or decreasing output angle of the rotational movement (ω E ) of the tool.

10. The input unit according to claim 8 , wherein
the input unit with the storage means is configured such that a the transfer function converts the further user input in the second handling mode in the form of an input angle into a fast or slow and/or dynamically increasing or decreasing output angular velocity of the endless rotation (ω E ) of the tool.

11. The input unit according to claim 8 , wherein
the transfer function on the storage means is selected depending on the tool connected to the medical instrument.

12. The input unit according to claim 8 , wherein the transfer function on the storage means is automatically selected depending on the tool connected to the medical instrument.

13. The input unit according to claim 1 , wherein
the first rotating element has markings to identify in the first handling mode an absolute or pivoting and/or rotation-true conversion of an ergonomic user input into a rotational movement (ω E ) of the tool, and for visually checking a match of an input angle of the first rotating element with an output angle of the tool.

14. The input unit according to claim 1 , wherein the first input means is a joystick and the first input means provides an uninterrupted and/or absolute conversion of the ergonomically limited user input.

15. The input unit according to claim 1 , wherein the first rotary element and the pressure switch can be operated at the same time.

16. The input unit according to claim 1 , wherein the ergonomically limited user input is a natural user movement of the movable first operating means.

17. A medical system, according to claim 1 , and with at least one medical instrument, comprising a hollow shaft extending along the longitudinal axis for receiving guide wires for a tool, the tool arranged on the distal side of the shaft and formed along an extension axis configured for medical use on patients, a control unit arranged proximally on the shaft and operatively connected to the tool via the guide wires in order to move the tool in a first handling mode and in a second handling mode.

18. The medical system according to claim 17 , wherein the medical system comprises a spatially adjustable disc which is in operative contact with the guide wires in order to pivot the tool along the longitudinal axis of the shaft by the guide wires, wherein the disc together with the shaft and the guide wires are endlessly rotatable about the longitudinal axis.

19. The medical system of claim 17 , wherein the medical system is an end effector and/or a surgical robot with at least one input unit.

Assignees

• Storz Karl Se & Co Kg

Inventors

• Grüner Sven Axel
• Schneider Janosz
• Längle Dominik
• Stefan Jochen
• Ahrens Thorsten

Classifications

• A61B34/74

  Manipulators with manual electric input means · CPC title

• A61B2034/301

  for introducing or steering flexible instruments inserted into the body, e.g. catheters or endoscopes · CPC title

• A61B34/30 Primary

  Surgical robots · CPC title

• A61B34/71

  Manipulators operated by drive cable mechanisms · CPC title

• A61B2034/742

  Joysticks · CPC title