Medical instrument and adjustment method of medical instrument

• US 10,441,375 B2
• Filed: 01/03/2017
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Hasegawa, Mitsuaki, Yoshii, Toshihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Fenstermacher, David M
• Application Number:
  US15/396,913
• Publication Number:
  US 20170105805A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,015 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0057 Constructional details of force transmission elements, e.g. control wires
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/29 Forceps for use in minimally invasive surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2905 flexible
• 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 2034/715 Cable tensioning mechanisms for removing slack
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/064 for measuring force, pressure or mechanical tension
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/30 Surgical robots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/37 Master-slave robots A61B34/35 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/71 Manipulators operated by drive cable mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 15/0019 End effectors other than grippers
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 15/0028 with movable, e.g. pivoting gripping jaw surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 19/00 Accessories fitted to manipulators, e.g. for monitoring, for viewing; Safety devices combined with or specially adapted for use in connection with manipulators safety-devices in general F16P; protection against radiation in general G21F
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 3/00 Manipulators of master-slave type, i.e. both controlling unit and controlled unit perform corresponding spatial movements
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/065 Snake robots
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1045 comprising tensioning means

Abstract

A medical instrument according to the present invention includes an end effector that fulfills a predetermined function, a motor unit that generates power for driving the end effector, a transmission member that is connected to the end effector and the motor unit so as to transmit the power to the end effector, a tension holding portion that has a tension generation portion and a tension pulley which is connected to the tension generation portion and which comes into contact with the transmission member the tension pulley being configured to move such that tension applied to the transmission member in a predetermined magnitude, and a switch that can fix a position of the tension pulley.

Claims

1. A medical instrument comprising:

an instrument unit comprising;

an end effector fulfilling a predetermined function; and

a wire;

an adapter comprising;

a motor for generating power to drive the end effector; and

a fixing portion; and

a tension holding portion comprising;

a pulley movable in translation along a direction and with which the wire comes into contact; and

a spring for biasing the pulley;

wherein the tension holding portion being configured to maintain a tension applied to the wire at a predetermined magnitude due to a movement of the pulley in the direction;

the wire is connected to both the end effector and the motor so as to transmit the power generated by the motor to the end effector;

the fixing portion is configured to fix a position of the pulley; and

when the instrument unit is mounted on the adapter, the motor and the wire are connected with each other while the pulley is fixed by the fixing portion so as to be immovable in the direction.

2. The medical instrument according to claim 1, wherein the pulley comprises a plurality of pulleys.

3. The medical instrument according to claim 2, wherein at least two of the plurality of pulleys are biased by one of the spring or two or more springs.

4. The medical instrument according to claim 1, wherein an annular power transmission route is formed between the motor and the end effector by the wire.

5. An adjustment method of a medical instrument including an instrument unit having an end effector that fulfills a predetermined function and a wire, an adapter having a motor that generates power to drive the end effector and a fixing portion, the wire being connected to the end effector and the motor so as to transmit the power to the end effector, the adjustment method comprising:

applying a tension having a predetermined magnitude to the wire by a tension holding portion that has a spring and a pulley biased by the spring and with which the wire comes into contact; and

fixing a position of the pulley in translation,

wherein when the instrument unit is mounted on the adapter, the motor and the wire are connected with each other while the pulley is fixed by the fixing portion so as to be immovable in translation.

6. The adjustment method of a medical instrument according to claim 5, further comprising:

prior to the step of fixing the position of the pulley, connecting the motor and the wire to each other so that the power is capable of being transmitted.

7. The adjustment method of a medical instrument according to claim 5, wherein slack in the wire is removed by applying the tension having the predetermined magnitude to the wire.