MEDICAL DEVICES HAVING SMOOTHLY ARTICULATING MULTI-CLUSTER JOINTS

• US 20170095922A1
• Filed: 10/05/2016
• Published: 04/06/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FlexDex Inc.
• Original Assignee: Bruce Johnson, Deepak Sharma, Peter F. Costa, Randall Sullivan, Shorya Awtar
• Inventors: JOHNSON, Bruce, HOLMES, Christopher K., COSTA, Peter F., LAROSE, Brian Douglas, SULLIVAN, Randall, LICHT, James Michael, AWTAR, Shorya, SHARMA, Deepak, ZIMMERMAN, Zachary
• Granted Patent: US 10,959,797 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/005 Flexible endoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/29 Forceps for use in minimally invasive surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00314 Separate linked members
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00323 Cables or rods
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0069 with universal joint, cardan joint
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2908 Multiple segments connected by articulations
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/306 Wrists with multiple vertebrae
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/715 Cable tensioning mechanisms for removing slack
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/031 torque limiting
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/30 Surgical robots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/71 Manipulators operated by drive cable mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/76 Manipulators having means for providing feel, e.g. force or tactile feedback
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/06 characterised by multi-articulated arms
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/065 Snake robots
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/104 with cables, chains or ribbons

Abstract

An articulating joint comprising a multi-cluster joint where every consecutive pair of links is interfaced by a gimbal, which offers rotation about two orthogonal axes within the same plane. Thus, the articulating joint comprises an alternating sequence of links and gimbals. Furthermore, there may be multiple cables attached to one or more of the links. As these cables are selectively pulled and released, one can achieve any desired articulation of the articulating joint. There may be a transmission member extending through the links and gimbals, parallel to the central longitudinal axis of the joint in its nominal non-articulated condition. This transmission member may be either a tension member that is pulled on (e.g. a cable or flexible pull rod) and that loads the articulating joint in compression, or the transmission member may be a flexible push rod that loads the articulating joint in tension.

Claims

1. A medical device having an articulating multi-cluster joint with a tight minimum bend radius that may be smoothly actuated, the device comprising:

an elongate tool shaft;

an articulation input at a proximate end of the tool shaft;

an end-effector at a distal end of the elongate tool shaft;

wherein the multi-cluster joint is between the tool shaft and the end-effector, and includes;

a plurality of joint clusters wherein each joint cluster has a joint cluster axis in a non-articulated state, and when fully articulated has the same minimum bend radius in any direction of articulation that is 1.2×

or less than a diameter of the multi-cluster joint, and wherein each joint cluster provides two orthogonal degrees of rotational freedom, further wherein each joint cluster includes an opening passing through the joint cluster along the joint cluster axis;

an end-effector transmission cable extending through the opening of each joint cluster of the multi-cluster joint; and

a cable management guide routed through the openings of the joint clusters, the cable management guide configured to prevent lateral movement of the end-effector transmission cable within each opening through the joint clusters while permitting the end-effector transmission cable to move axially along the joint cluster axis.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the cable management guide comprises a cable channel to locate the end-effector transmission cable and prevent lateral movement of the end-effector transmission cable within each opening through the joint clusters while permitting the end-effector transmission cable to move axially along the joint cluster axis.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the articulation input comprises a handle connected to the elongate tool shaft by an input joint.

4. The device of claim 1, further wherein each joint cluster includes:

a first half-gimbal guide, a second half-gimbal guide, and a gimbal having a first pair of collinear gimbal spindles and a second pair of collinear gimbal spindles, wherein the two pairs are orthogonal and lie in a cluster plane, further wherein the gimbal is positioned between the first half-gimbal guide and the second half-gimbal guide.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the plurality of joint clusters are arranged adjacently in sequence so that at least one of the first half gimbal guide and a second half gimbal guide of each joint cluster is rigidly coupled to, or formed integrally with, a half gimbal guide of an adjacent joint cluster to form a full gimbal guide.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein each half-gimbal of the full gimbal guide comprises a pair of collinear yokes, each pair of collinear yokes configured to hold one of the pairs of collinear gimbal spindles, further wherein the pair of collinear yokes on the half-gimbal guide on a first side of the full-gimbal guide are arranged in parallel to the pair of collinear yokes on an opposite side of the full gimbal guide.

7. The device of claim 5, wherein each half-gimbal of the full gimbal guide comprises a pair of collinear yokes, each pair of collinear yokes configured to hold one of the pairs of collinear gimbal spindles, further wherein the pair of collinear yokes on the half-gimbal guide on a first side of the full-gimbal guide are arranged in orthogonal to the collinear pair of yokes on an opposite side of the full gimbal guide.

8. The device of claim 1, further wherein the cable management guide is secured to at least one of:

one or more of the plurality of joint clusters, the end-effector, and the tool shaft to prevent rotation of the cable management guide about any of the joint cluster axes.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the cable management guide is secured by one or more of:

an adhesive or a mechanical keying, or a press-fit between an outer surface of the cable management guide and one or more of the joint clusters, end effector or tool shaft.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein each joint cluster provides two orthogonal degrees of rotational freedom in a cluster plane.

11. The device of claim 1, further comprising a second end-effector transmission cable extending through the opening of each joint cluster of the multi-cluster joint.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the end effector transmission cable is a flexible cable that is highly compliant in bending.

13. The device of claim 1, further comprising a set of articulation cables extending from the articulation input along a neutral axis of the multi-cluster joint and positioned laterally outside of the openings of the joint clusters and configured to articulate the multi-cluster joint.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein each joint cluster includes a limit of articulation that is axi-symmetric relative to each respective joint cluster axis, so that each joint cluster provides a uniform articulated sweep and articulated roll.

15. The device of claim 1, wherein the multi-cluster joint is formed by stacking a plurality of gimbals and gimbal guides.

16. The device of claim 1, wherein the multi-cluster joint comprises a plurality of gimbal guides and a plurality of gimbals, wherein the multi-cluster joint is assembled by adjacently stacking a gimbal of the plurality of gimbals between a pair of gimbal guides of the plurality of gimbal guides so that a plurality of gimbal spindles on each gimbal are seated in a plurality of open yokes on the adjacent gimbal guides.

17. The device of claim 1, wherein the minimum bend radius of each joint cluster in any direction of articulation is 1×

or less than the diameter of the multi-cluster joint.

18. The device of claim 1, wherein the minimum bend radius of each joint cluster in any direction of articulation is 0.8×

or less than the diameter of the multi-cluster joint.

19. A medical device having an articulating multi-cluster joint with a tight minimum bend radius that may be smoothly actuated, the device comprising:

an elongate tool shaft;

an articulation input at a proximate end of the tool shaft;

an end-effector at a distal end of the elongate tool shaft;

wherein the multi-cluster joint is between the tool shaft and the end-effector, and includes;

a plurality of joint clusters wherein each joint cluster has a joint cluster axis in a non-articulated state, and when fully articulated has the same minimum bend radius in any direction of articulation that is 1.2×

or less than a diameter of the multi-cluster joint, and wherein each joint cluster provides two orthogonal degrees of rotational freedom, further wherein each joint cluster includes;

a first half-gimbal guide, a second half-gimbal guide, and a gimbal having a first pair of collinear gimbal spindles and a second pair of collinear gimbal spindles, wherein the two pairs are orthogonal and lie in a cluster plane, further wherein the gimbal is positioned between the first half-gimbal guide and the second half-gimbal guide;

a central opening passing through the joint cluster along the joint cluster axis;

a pair of end-effector transmission cables extending through the opening of each joint cluster of the multi-cluster joint, wherein the end-effector transmission cables are compliant in bending; and

a cable management guide routed through the central openings of the joint clusters, the cable management guide configured to prevent lateral movement of the end-effector transmission cables within the central openings of the joint clusters while permitting the end-effector transmission cable to move axially along the joint cluster axis,

wherein the cable management guide is secured to least one of;

one or more of the plurality of joint clusters, the end-effector, and the tool shaft to prevent rotation of the cable management guide about any of the joint cluster axes.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the cable management guide comprises at least one cable channel to locate the end-effector transmission cables to prevent lateral movement of the end-effector transmission cables within each opening through the joint clusters while permitting the end-effector transmission cable to move axially along the joint cluster axis.

21. The device of claim 19, wherein the articulation input comprises a handle connected to the elongate tool shaft by an input joint.

22. The device of claim 19, wherein the plurality of joint clusters are arranged adjacently in series so that at least one of the first half-gimbal guide and a second half-gimbal guide of each joint cluster is rigidly coupled to, or formed integrally with, a half gimbal guide of an adjacent joint cluster to form a full gimbal guide.

23. The device of claim 22, wherein each half-gimbal of the full gimbal guide comprises a pair of collinear yokes, each pair of collinear yokes configured to hold one of the pairs of collinear gimbal spindles, further wherein the pair of collinear yokes on the half-gimbal guide on a first side of the full-gimbal guide are arranged in parallel to the pair of collinear yokes on an opposite side of the full gimbal guide.

24. The device of claim 22, wherein each half-gimbal of the full gimbal guide comprises a pair of collinear yokes, each pair of collinear yokes configured to hold one of the pairs of collinear gimbal spindles, further wherein the pair of collinear yokes on the half-gimbal guide on a first side of the full-gimbal guide are arranged in orthogonal to the pair of collinear yokes on an opposite side of the full gimbal guide.

25. The device of claim 19, wherein the cable management guide is secured by one or more of:

an adhesive, a mechanical keying, and a press-fit between an outer surface of the cable management guide and one or more of the joint clusters, end effector or tool shaft.

26. The device of claim 19, further comprising a set of articulation cables extending from the articulation input along a neutral axis of the multi-cluster joint and positioned laterally outside of the openings of the joint clusters and configured to articulate the multi-cluster joint.

27. The device of claim 19, wherein each joint cluster includes a limit of articulation that is axi-symmetric relative to each respective joint cluster axis so that each joint cluster provides a uniform articulated sweep and articulated roll.

28. The device of claim 19, wherein the multi-cluster joint is formed as a stack, wherein a plurality of gimbal spindles on each gimbal are seated in a plurality of open yokes on the adjacent gimbal guides.

29. The device of claim 19, wherein the minimum bend radius of each joint cluster in any direction of articulation is 1×

or less than the diameter of the multi-cluster joint.

30. The device of claim 19, wherein the minimum bend radius of each joint cluster in any direction of articulation is 0.8×

or less than the diameter of the multi-cluster joint.