Flexible-manipulator guide member and flexible manipulator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016287346-A1
Application number	US-201615180139-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 13, 2016
Priority date	Dec 20, 2013
Publication date	Oct 6, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A flexible-manipulator guide member is provided in an inserted portion of a flexible manipulator including the elongated flexible inserted portion, the movable portion disposed at the distal end of the inserted portion, a drive portion disposed at the base end of the inserted portion, and the elongated driving-force transmitting member that transmits motive power of the drive portion to the movable portion, and is provided with a lumen through which the driving-force transmitting member passes in the longitudinal direction, wherein the lumen has a twisted shape about the longitudinal axis of the inserted portion.

First claim

1 . A flexible-manipulator guide member that is provided in an inserted portion of a flexible manipulator equipped with the elongated flexible inserted portion; a movable portion disposed at a distal end of the inserted portion; a drive portion disposed at a base end of the inserted portion; and an elongated driving-force transmitting member that transmits motive power of the drive portion to the movable portion, the flexible-manipulator guide member comprising:
a lumen through which the driving-force transmitting member passes in a longitudinal direction thereof, wherein the lumen has a twisted shape about a longitudinal axis of the inserted portion.

2 . The flexible-manipulator guide member according to claim 1 , wherein the lumen is formed in a spiral shape.

3 . The flexible-manipulator guide member according to claim 2 , wherein the lumen satisfies the following conditional expression:
2π r /√( a 2 −1)≦ l≦ 6.25 RdL R /r,
where, R is the radius of curvature of the inserted portion, r is the radius of the spiral shape, l is the pitch of the spiral shape, dL R is the maximum tolerance of the driving-force transmitting member with respect to a relative path-length difference, and a is the maximum tolerance of a ratio of the path length of the spiral shape to the pitch of the inserted portion.

4 . The flexible-manipulator guide member according to claim 2 , wherein the pitches of the spiral shape of the lumen differ at respective positions in the longitudinal direction of the inserted portion.

5 . The flexible-manipulator guide member according to claim 1 , wherein two or more of the lumens are provided.

6 . The flexible-manipulator guide member according to claim 5 , wherein a plurality of pairs of lumens are provided, the two lumens of each pair being disposed next to each other.

7 . The flexible-manipulator guide member according to claim 2 , wherein two or more of the lumens are provided, and the pitches of the spiral shapes of the individual lumens differ from each other.

8 . The flexible-manipulator guide member according to claim 5 , wherein the multiple lumens are provided at different positions in radial directions.

9 . The flexible-manipulator guide member according to claim 5 that is formed of a multi-lumen tube having flexibility.

10 . The flexible-manipulator guide member according to claim 9 , wherein the flexibilities of the multi-lumen tube differ at respective positions in the longitudinal direction.

11 . A flexible-manipulator guide member that is provided in an inserted portion of a flexible manipulator equipped with the elongated flexible inserted portion; a movable portion disposed at a distal end of the inserted portion; a drive portion disposed at a base end of the inserted portion; and elongated driving-force transmitting members that transmit motive power of the drive portion to the movable portion, the flexible-manipulator guide member comprising:
three or more lumens through which the driving-force transmitting members pass in longitudinal directions thereof, wherein the lumens have a braided shape along the longitudinal axis of the inserted portion.

12 . The flexible-manipulator guide member according to claim 11 , wherein the multiple lumens are provided at different positions in radial directions.

13 . The flexible-manipulator guide member according to claim 11 that is formed of a multi-lumen tube having flexibility.

14 . The flexible-manipulator guide member according to claim 13 , wherein the flexibilities of the multi-lumen tube differ at respective positions in the longitudinal direction.

15 . A flexible manipulator comprising:
an elongated flexible inserted portion; a movable portion disposed at a distal end of the inserted portion; a drive portion disposed at a base end of the inserted portion; an elongated driving-force transmitting member that transmits motive power of the drive portion to the movable portion; and the flexible-manipulator guide member according to claim 1 .

16 . The flexible manipulator according to claim 15 , wherein the inserted portion is provided with a flexible outer sheath through which the flexible-manipulator guide member passes in the longitudinal direction.

17 . A flexible manipulator comprising:
an elongated flexible inserted portion; a movable portion disposed at a distal end of the inserted portion; a drive portion disposed at a base end of the inserted portion; an elongated driving-force transmitting member that transmits motive power of the drive portion to the movable portion; and the flexible-manipulator guide member according to claim 11 .

18 . The flexible manipulator according to claim 17 , wherein the inserted portion is provided with a flexible outer sheath through which the flexible-manipulator guide member passes in the longitudinal direction.

19 . A flexible manipulator comprising:
an elongated flexible inserted portion; a movable portion disposed at a distal end of the inserted portion; a drive portion disposed at a base end of the inserted portion; an elongated driving-force transmitting member that transmits motive power of the drive portion to the movable portion; and the flexible-manipulator guide member according to claim 9 , wherein the flexible-manipulator guide member is provided with, separately from the lumen, a through-path that passes therethrough in the longitudinal direction.

20 . The flexible manipulator according to claim 19 , wherein the through-path is formed of a groove formed in an outer surface of the flexible-manipulator guide member.

21 . The flexible manipulator according to claim 19 , wherein, as compared with the lumen, the through-path is disposed radially farther inward in the flexible-manipulator guide member.

22 . The flexible manipulator according to claim 19 , wherein the inserted portion is provided with a flexible outer sheath through which the flexible-manipulator guide member passes in the longitudinal direction.

23 . A flexible manipulator comprising:
an elongated flexible inserted portion; a movable portion disposed at a distal end of the inserted portion; a drive portion disposed at a base end of the inserted portion; an elongated driving-force transmitting member that transmits motive power of the drive portion to the movable portion; and the flexible-manipulator guide member according to claim 13 , wherein the flexible-manipulator guide member is provided with, separately from the lumen, a through-path that passes therethrough in the longitudinal direction.

24 . The flexible manipulator according to claim 23 , wherein the through-path is formed of a groove formed in an outer surface of the flexible-manipulator guide member.

25 . The flexible manipulator according to claim 23 , wherein, as compared with the lumen, the through-path is disposed radially farther inward in the flexible-manipulator guide member.

26 . The flexible manipulator according to claim 23 , wherein the inserted portion is provided with a flexible outer sheath through which the flexible-manipulator guide member passes in the longitudinal direction.

Assignees

• Olympus Corp

Inventors

• Hyodo Ryoji
• Kishi Kosuke
• Yamanaka Noriaki

Classifications

• A61B34/71 Primary

  Manipulators operated by drive cable mechanisms · CPC title

• A61B34/30 Primary

  Surgical robots · CPC title

• A61B2034/301

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