Drive arrangement for an endoscopic shaft-type instrument

• US 10,368,950 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2014
• Issued: 08/06/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Richard Wolf GmbH (Richard & Annemarie Wolf- Stiftung)
• Original Assignee: Richard Wolf GmbH (Richard & Annemarie Wolf- Stiftung)
• Inventors: Wehrheim, Frank, Schweigert, Alexander, Prestel, Stephan, Munnig, Soren, Lambertz, Matthias, Korner, Eberhard
• Primary Examiner(s): Fenstermacher, David M
• Application Number:
  US15/101,498
• Publication Number:
  US 20160302874A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,730 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/301 for introducing or steering flexible instruments inserted into the body, e.g. catheters or endoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/305 Details of wrist mechanisms at distal ends of robotic arms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/30 Surgical robots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/70 Manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/71 Manipulators operated by drive cable mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 3/26 Hooke's joints or other joints with an equivalent intermediate member to which each coupling part is pivotally or slidably connected F16D3/18, F16D3/20 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 19/06 comprising flexible members, e.g. an endless flexible member

Abstract

A drive arrangement for an endoscopic shaft instrument, preferably an instrument which is intended for use in connection with a surgical robot, has a drive arrangement that has an instrument housing (12) on a proximal shaft end. At least one housing shaft (22) is mounted in the instrument housing (12). The shaft is drivingly connected to a traction device which is provided for controlling an instrument head on a distal shaft end. Furthermore, the drive arrangement has a drive unit having at least one drive shaft. The housing shaft (22) can be drivingly connected to said drive shaft. The at least one housing shaft (22) is oriented at an angle to the drive shaft (30) and the drive shaft can be drivingly connected thereto.

Claims

1. A drive arrangement for an endoscopic shank instrument, the drive arrangement comprising:

an instrument housing at the proximal shank end;

at least one housing shaft which is rotatably mounted in the instrument housing and which is repeatedly releasably drive-connected to a pull device, said pull device being provided at a distal shank end for the control of an instrument head;

a drive unit with at least one drive shaft, the drive shaft being drive-connectable with the at least one housing shaft, wherein the at least one housing shaft is aligned obliquely to the drive shaft drive connected thereto; and

further housing shafts, wherein four housing shafts are arranged in pairs one after the other in a direction of a longitudinal axis of the instrument shank, at two sides of the instrument shank which are away from one another.

2. A drive arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the drive unit comprises at least another drive shaft to provide at least two drive shafts which are aligned at an angle to one another and drive-connectable to an equal number of housing shafts.

3. A drive arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the drive unit comprises at least another drive shaft to provide the drive unit with at least two drive shafts which are aligned parallel to one another and drive- connectable to an equal number of housing shafts, wherein the axes of the individual drive shaft and housing shaft within each paired assignment are aligned in an oblique manner.

5. A drive arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the instrument housing tapers, in a plane normal to the longitudinal extension of the instrument shank, into a tip.

6. A drive arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the housing shaft in the instrument housing is set obliquely in a direction pointing away from the instrument shank.

7. A drive arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the housing shaft in the instrument housing is aligned in a slanted manner in a plane which is aligned parallel to the longitudinal extension of the instrument shank and in which the at least one drive shaft lies.

8. A drive arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the drive unit has an essentially closed drive housing which is connectable to the instrument housing by way of a plug-in connection.

9. A drive arrangement according to claim 8, further comprising spring elements provided in the instrument housing, the at least one housing shaft being mounted in a fixed rotational position via at least one of the spring elements with the instrument housing separated from the drive housing.

10. A drive arrangement according to claim 8, wherein the at least one housing shaft in the instrument housing is mounted in an axial direction on one or more spring elements and is axially displaceable against spring force, counter to the joining direction of the instrument housing and the drive housing.

11. A drive arrangement according to claim 8, wherein the at least one drive shaft in the drive housing is mounted in the axial direction on one or more springs elements and is axially displaceable against spring force, counter to the joining direction of the instrument housing and drive housing.

12. A drive arrangement according to claim 8, wherein a guide means for the positional fixation of the drive housing on the instrument housing is provided on the joining surfaces of the instrument housing and drive housing.

4. A drive arrangement for an endoscopic shank instrument, the drive arrangement comprising:

an instrument housing at the proximal shank end;

at least one housing shaft which is rotatably mounted in the instrument housing and which is repeatedly releasably drive-connected to a pull device, said pull device being provided at a distal shank end for the control of an instrument head; and

a drive unit with at least one drive shaft, the drive shaft being drive-connectable with the at least one housing shaft, wherein the at least one housing shaft is aligned obliquely to the drive shaft drive connected thereto, the drive unit having an essentially closed drive housing which is connectable to the instrument housing by way of a plug-in connection, wherein the at least one drive shaft in the drive housing is mounted in the axial direction on one or more springs elements and is axially displaceable against spring force, counter to the joining direction of the instrument housing and drive housing.

13. A drive arrangement for an endoscopic shank instrument, the drive arrangement comprising:

an instrument housing at the proximal shank end;

at least one housing shaft which is rotatably mounted in the instrument housing and which is repeatedly releasably drive-connected to a pull device, said pull device being provided at a distal shank end for the control of an instrument head; and

a drive unit with at least one drive shaft, the drive shaft being drive-connectable with the at least one housing shaft, wherein the at least one housing shaft is aligned obliquely to the drive shaft drive connected thereto, wherein the housing shaft is coupled in movement to the drive shaft via at least one universal joint.

14. A drive arrangement according to claim 13, wherein the universal joint comprises a first part which is connected to the housing shaft and a second part which is connected to the drive shaft, wherein the first and the second part of the universal joint are connectable to one another by a plug-in connection.

15. A drive arrangement for an endoscopic shank instrument, the drive arrangement comprising:

an instrument housing at the proximal shank end;

at least one housing shaft which is rotatably mounted in the instrument housing and which is repeatedly releasably drive-connected to a pull device, said pull device being provided at a distal shank end for the control of an instrument head;

a drive unit with at least one drive shaft, the drive shaft being drive-connectable with the at least one housing shaft, wherein the at least one housing shaft is aligned obliquely to the drive shaft drive connected thereto, the drive unit having an essentially closed drive housing which is connectable to the instrument housing by way of a plug-in connection;

spring elements provided in the instrument housing, the at least one housing shaft being mounted in a fixed rotational position via at least one of the spring elements with the instrument housing separated from the drive housing, wherein a leaf spring element of the spring elements in the instrument housing is assigned to each housing shaft, said leaf spring element in a locking position in each case engaging into a recess which is formed in the region of an outer side of the first part of the universal joint, said first part being arranged on the respective housing shaft.

16. A drive arrangement according to claim 15, wherein projections which project in a joining direction of the instrument housing and the drive housing are formed on the drive housing and on joining together the instrument housing and the drive housing move the leaf spring elements provided in the instrument housing into an unlocking position.

17. A drive arrangement for an endoscopic shank instrument, the drive arrangement comprising:

an instrument housing at the proximal shank end;

at least one housing shaft which is rotatably mounted in the instrument housing and which is repeatedly releasably drive-connected to a pull device, said pull device being provided at a distal shank end for the control of an instrument head; and

a drive unit with at least one drive shaft, the drive shaft being drive-connectable with the at least one housing shaft, wherein the at least one housing shaft is aligned obliquely to the drive shaft drive connected thereto, the drive unit having an essentially closed drive housing which is connectable to the instrument housing by way of a plug-in connection, wherein a fitting bore running through the instrument housing in the joining direction of the instrument housing and the drive housing is formed on the drive housing, and a corresponding fitting bore is formed on the drive housing in a manner departing from a joining surface to the instrument housing, wherein the fitting bores which are formed on the drive housing and the instrument housing are provided for receiving a closure pin.

18. A drive arrangement according to claim 17, wherein a second fitting bore is formed on the instrument housing and crosses the fitting bore running in the joining direction of the instrument housing and drive housing, in which second fitting bore a locking pin is displaceably guided, said locking pin in a locking position engaging into a recess formed on the closure pin.

19. A drive arrangement for an endoscopic shank instrument, the drive arrangement comprising:

an instrument housing at the proximal shank end;

at least one housing shaft which is rotatably mounted in the instrument housing and which is repeatedly releasably drive-connected to a pull device, said pull device being provided at a distal shank end for the control of an instrument head; and

a drive unit with at least one drive shaft, the drive shaft being drive-connectable with the at least one housing shaft, wherein the at least one housing shaft is aligned obliquely to the drive shaft drive connected thereto, the drive unit having an essentially closed drive housing which is connectable to the instrument housing by way of a plug-in connection, wherein the at least one housing shaft in the instrument housing is mounted in an axial direction on at least one spring element and is axially displaceable against spring force, counter to the joining direction of the instrument housing and the drive housing.