WORKING MECHANISM AND MANIPULATOR

• US 20080039255A1
• Filed: 08/02/2007
• Published: 02/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Karl Storz Se & Co. Kg
• Original Assignee: Terumo Kabushiki Kaisha, Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Sunaoshi, Takamitsu, JINNO, Makoto, Omori, Shigeru
• Granted Patent: US 8,137,339 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 474/148
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/00234 for minimally invasive surgery A61B17/0218, A61B17/0469, A61B17/12013, A61B17/1285, A61B17/29, A61B17/320016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/062 Needle manipulators
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/29 Forceps for use in minimally invasive surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2929 with a head rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the shaft
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2943 Toothed members, e.g. rack and pinion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/305 Details of wrist mechanisms at distal ends of robotic arms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/306 Wrists with multiple vertebrae
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/30 Surgical robots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/35 for telesurgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/71 Manipulators operated by drive cable mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/72 Micromanipulators
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/74 Manipulators with manual electric input means

Abstract

A working unit includes a gear body disposed forwardly of a tubular member around which a wire is wound and having a rotational axis disposed substantially parallel to the tubular member, and a first gear and a second gear for transmitting rotation of a gear body to another gear body. The numbers of turns of wires, the size of a main shaft, and the size of a gear body, which are positioned forwardly of the tubular member, have no adverse effect on the manner in which a wire is wound around the tubular member. The wire can be wound around the tubular member over a wide region thereof for increasing the angular displacement of the gear body. The increased angular displacement of the gear body makes it possible to increase the angular displacement and rotational torque of the gear body.

Claims

1. A working mechanism comprising:

a first flexible power transmitting member;

a first tubular member, said first flexible power transmitting member being wound around said first tubular member, said first tubular member being rotatable about its own axis;

a second flexible power transmitting member disposed substantially parallel to said first flexible power transmitting member and extending in sandwiching relation to said first tubular member;

a second tubular member having a rotational axis extending substantially parallel to said first tubular member, said second flexible power transmitting member being wound around said second tubular member;

a driven rotor having a rotational axis extending substantially parallel to said first tubular member;

a first rotation transmitting mechanism for transmitting rotation of said first tubular member to said driven rotor;

a first working unit operable in ganged relation to rotation of said driven rotor; and

a second working unit operable in ganged relation to rotation of said second tubular member.

2. A working mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said first rotation transmitting mechanism comprises a pair of gears.

3. A working mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said second tubular member has a diameter set to a value equal to or greater than a sum of a diameter of said first tubular member and diameters of two of said first flexible power transmitting member.

4. A working mechanism according to claim 1, comprising:

a plurality of said first flexible power transmitting members;

a plurality of said driven rotors;

an intermediate tubular member disposed between said first tubular member and said second tubular member; and

a second rotation transmitting mechanism for transmitting rotation of said intermediate tubular member to said driven rotors;

wherein one of said first flexible power transmitting members is wound around said intermediate tubular member.

5. A working mechanism according to claim 1, comprising:

two of said first flexible power transmitting members;

two of said first tubular members;

two of said driven rotors;

wherein said two of said first tubular members are disposed coaxially with each other and oriented opposite to each other; and

said two of said driven rotors are disposed coaxially with each other and oriented opposite to each other.

6. A working mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said second tubular member and said driven rotor are disposed coaxially with each other.

7. A working mechanism according to claim 1, further comprising:

a joint drive gear mounted on said driven rotor;

a support bar extending from said second tubular member;

an end effector connected to said support bar; and

a joint driven gear mounted on said end effector and held in mesh with said joint drive gear;

wherein when said first flexible power transmitting member circulatively rotates, said first tubular member operates at least one joint of said end effector through said driven rotor, said joint drive gear, and said joint driven gear; and

when said second flexible power transmitting member circulatively rotates, said second tubular member angularly moves said end effector in a yawing direction.

8. A manipulator comprising:

a first input member and a second input member;

a first rotational source and a second rotational source which are rotatable in response to operation of said first input member and said second input member;

a first flexible power transmitting member including a rear portion wound around said first rotational source and a front portion wound in a plurality of turns around a first tubular member;

a second flexible power transmitting member disposed substantially parallel to said first flexible power transmitting member and extending forwardly on both sides of said first rotational source, said second flexible power transmitting member including a rear portion wound around said second rotational source, said second flexible power transmitting member being wound around a second tubular member disposed forwardly of said first tubular member;

a driven rotor disposed forwardly of said first tubular member and having a rotational axis disposed substantially parallel to said first tubular member;

a rotation transmitting mechanism for transmitting rotation of said first tubular member to said driven rotor;

a first working unit operable in ganged relation to rotation of said driven rotor; and

a second working unit operable in ganged relation to rotation of said second tubular member.