Robot for surgical operation

• US 4,943,296 A
• Filed: 12/12/1988
• Issued: 07/24/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Life Technology Research
• Original Assignee: Life Technology Research
• Inventors: Dohi, Takeyoshi, Sakuma, Ichiro, Komeda, Takashi, Funakubo, Hiroyasu
• Primary Examiner(s): Thaler, Michael H.
• Application Number:
  US07/285,341
• Time in Patent Office: 589 Days
• Field of Search: 128/303 R, 128/321, 128/322, 128/305, 128/305.1, 128/310, 901/15, 901/8, 606/166, 606/167
• US Class Current: 606/166
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/30 Surgical robots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/50 Supports for surgical instruments, e.g. articulated arms
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/013 Instruments for compensation of ocular refraction A61F9/008 takes precedence; Instruments for use in cornea removal, for reshaping or performing incisions in the cornea
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/042 comprising an articulated arm

Abstract

A robot for surgical operation which comprises arm structure mounted at its one end of a vertical support and extending in a predetermined direction.

The robot comprises a drive mechanism mounted on the other end of the arm structure and adapted to extend substantially horizontally further in said predetermined direction. A head or trepan is mounted at the extended end of and driven by said drive mechanism. Light transmissive fiber or the like mounted on the trepan takes an image of the patient and a controller process the image through video data processing for driving the arm structure, thereby controlling the position and tilt of the trepan with respect to the patient.

Claims

1. A robot for surgical operation, comprising:

(a) two spaced vertical support means;

(b) two sets of articulated arm means, each said set of arm means being rotatably supported at one end thereof to one of said vertical support means and extending substantially horizontally, each set of said arm means consisting of a first elongate member and a second elongate member pivotally connected to each other to provide said articulation, said two sets of arm means being pivotally connected at the free or distal ends thereof to each other;

(c) head drive means mounted on an axis extending through said connected free or distal ends of said two sets of articulated arm means, for driving a vertically movable member into vertical translatory motion and into rotational motion about the longitudinal axis thereof; and

(d) a drive mechanism mounted to the lower end of said vertically movable member for controllably supporting and driving at an extended extremity thereof a hollow cylindrical head, said drive mechanism comprising

a moving pipe for supporting and rocking the head,

a rotary pipe slidably supported within the moving pipe, the head being attached swingably to the rotary pipe attached to controllably swing about the longitudinal axis of the rotary pipe such that rotation of said rotary pipe about the longitudinal axis thereof causes the head to swing about the longitudinal axis of the rotary pipe,

a hollow cylindrical treatment member rotatably supported by the head to provide a predetermined treatment at a treatment end thereof,

a rotary shaft slidably and rotatably supported within the rotary pipe and connected to the head to rotate a surface treatment member attached thereto, and

a link mechanism for connecting said moving pipe to said head so that longitudinal movement of the moving pipe relative to the rotary pipe causes said head to swing about an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said moving pipe.

2. A robot for surgical operation as defined in claim 1, wherein said head comprises an inner cylindrical pipe and an outer cylindrical pipe mounted coaxially with said inner cylindrical pipe so that they define an annular cylindrical air gap between then and the gap is closed at its top end, the lower end of said inner cylindrical pipe being slightly recessed from the lower end of the outer cylindrical pipe, and said outer cylindrical pipe having a hole through its wall.

3. A robot for surgical operation as defined in claim 2, wherein:

the hollow cylindrical treatment member has a cutting edge at the treatment end to effect a tissue cutting motion upon rotation thereof; and

means for reducing an air pressure in said annular cylindrical gap, whereby a tissue cut by the cutting edge is held to the annular air gap and is removable by controlled movement of the head.

4. A robot for surgical operation as defined in claim 3, wherein:

the hollow cylindrical treatment member cutting edge is shaped and sized to perform corneal incision on a patient'"'"'s eye.

5. A robot for surgical operation as defined in claim 1, wherein said inner cylindrical pipe comprises a brightness detecting means inserted through its hollow portion for detecting the brightness of an image of a patient.

6. A robot for surgical operation as defined in claim 1, wherein said robot further comprises a trepan positioning apparatus, comprising:

(A) a brightness detecting means for detecting the brightness of an image of an affected part, said brightness detecting means being provided through the trepan;

(B) a memory means for storing signals from said brightness detecting means;

(C) a video data processing means for processing the signals stored in the memory means;

(D) a monitor means for displaying said signals stored in said memory means;

and the head being controlled in its position with respect to the affected part on the basis of the output signals through video data processing by said video data processing means.

7. A robot for surgical operation as defined in claim 1, wherein said rob further comprises a trepan positioning apparatus comprising:

(A) a brightness detecting means for detecting the brightness of the image of the affected part, said brightness detecting means being provided through the trepan;

(B) a memory means for storing signals from said brightness detecting means;

(C) a video data processing means for processing the signals stored in said memory means;

(D) a monitor means for displaying said signals stored in the memory means;

(E) a tilt detecting means mounted near the front end of the trepan for detecting that the axis of sighting of the brightness detecting means is normal a surface of the affected part;

and the head being controlled in its position with respect to the affected part on the basis of the results of video data processing by said video data processing means and the output of said tile detecting means.

8. A robot for surgical operation as defined in claim 7, wherein said tilt detecting means are air micrometers.

9. A robot for surgical operation as defined in any one of claim 6 to claim 8, wherein said head drive means is manually controlled by an operator on the basis of the output signals from said tilt detecting means, controlling signals through video data processing by said video data processing means, and a display displayed on said monitor means.

10. A robot for surgical operation as defined in any one of claim 6 to claim 8, wherein said head drive means is automatically controlled on the basis of the output signals from said tilt detecting means, controlling signals through video data processing by said video data processing means.

11. A robot for surgical operation as defined in claim 10, wherein said brightness detecting means comprise a light guiding material.

12. A robot for surgical operation as defined in claim 10, wherein said brightness detecting means comprises a CCD.

13. A robot for surgical operation as defined in claim 1, wherein:

the hollow cylindrical treatment member has a cutting edge at the treatment end to effect a tissue cutting motion upon rotation thereof.