Medical system for reproducing a state of contact of the treatment section in the operation unit

• US 5,339,799 A
• Filed: 04/17/1992
• Issued: 08/23/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Katsuya, Yamaguchi, Seiji, Matsuno, Kiyotaka, Adachi, Hideyuki, Nakamura, Masakazu, Sato, Michio, Kami, Kuniaki, Tanaka, Yasundo, Fuse, Eiichi, Fukaya, Takashi, Umeyama, Koichi, Kosaka, Yoshihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Apley, Richard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Leubecker, John P.
• Application Number:
  US07/870,338
• Time in Patent Office: 858 Days
• Field of Search: 128/774, 128/739, 128/4-6, 128/751, 128/755, 73/866.5, 73/865.7, 73/865.8, 901/33, 901/34, 340/407, 434/112, 434/175, 434/275, 414/2, 414/4, 414/5, 414/730, 414/740, 606/205, 606/206, 606/207
• US Class Current: 600/117
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/32056 Surgical snare instruments for removing or smashing calculi A61B2017/2212; tonsillotomes A61B17/26
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3478 Endoscopic needles, e.g. for infusion biopsy needles A61B10/0233; catheters with injection needles A61M25/0067
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3494 with safety means for protection against accidental cutting or pricking, e.g. limiting insertion depth, pressure sensors for the peridural space A61B17/3401
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/14 Probes or electrodes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/24 with a catheter A61B18/26, A61B18/28 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00398 using powered actuators, e.g. stepper motors, solenoids
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00973 pedal-operated
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1407 Loop
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/2238 with means for selectively laterally deflecting the tip of the fibre
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/741 Glove like input devices, e.g. "data gloves"
• 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 34/70 Manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/76 Manipulators having means for providing feel, e.g. force or tactile feedback
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 3/04 involving servo mechanisms servo-actuated heads B25J15/02

Abstract

A medical system according to the present invention comprises a medical apparatus including an operation unit manipulated by a surgeon and a treatment section formed away from the operation unit for treating a subject, a detector or a pressure sensor for detecting a state of contact between the subject and the treatment section, and a reproduction mechanism for amplifying a small contact pressure according to the output of the detector and thus reproduce the state of contact so that the surgeon can perceive the state of contact.

Claims

1. A medical system, comprising:

a medical apparatus for applying medical care to a subject and including an operation unit that a surgeon manipulates and a treatment section located away from and operably connected to said operation unit to treat the subject in association with the manipulation of said operation unit, wherein said treatment section includes a treatment adapting means for grasping or resecting an examined region of the subject;

an observation means for observing at least a state of contact between said treatment section formed in the distal portion of said medical apparatus and the examined region of the subject to be treated with said treatment section, wherein said observation means includes an endoscope having an objective optical system in the distal portion of an elongated insertion tube;

a detecting means operably connected to said treatment adapting means for detecting a state of contact between said treatment section and the subject; and

a reproducing means operably connected to said operation unit for reproducing the state of contact according to an output of said detecting means so that the surgeon can tactilely perceive the state of contact.

2. A medical system according to claim 1, wherein said reproducing means is an amplification reproducing means for amplifying and reproducing the state of contact so that the surgeon can tactilely perceive the state of contact.

3. A medical system according to claim 1, wherein said endoscope includes a channel and said treatment adapting means runs through said channel.

4. A medical system according to claim 1, wherein said objective optical system includes a solid-state imaging device for photoelectrically transferring optical images formed by the objective optical system.

5. A medical system according to claim 4, further comprising a monitor for displaying images relative to said optical images that said solid-state imaging device transfers photoelectrically.

6. A medical system according to claim 1, wherein said detecting means includes a contact force detecting means for detecting a contact force acting on said treatment section when said treatment section touches the subject, and said reproducing means amplifies a contact force detected by said contact force detecting means and feeds back said contact force so that an operation member of said operation unit which is manipulated to perform grasping or resection using said treatment section will be driven negatively to the manipulation for increasing said contact force.

7. A medical system according to claim 1, further comprising a tension detecting means for detecting a tension acting on said treatment section when said treatment section touches said subject, wherein said reproducing means amplifies a tension detected by said tension detecting means and feeds back said tension so that a grasping operation member of said operation unit will be driven negatively to the manipulation for increasing the tension.

8. A medical system according to claim 1, further comprising a manipulation rate detecting means for detecting a manipulation rate at which the surgeon manipulates said operation unit.

9. A medical system according to claim 8, wherein said operation unit comprises a movable member and wherein said manipulation rate detecting means detects a moving rate of said movable member for operating said treatment section formed in said operation unit.

10. A medical system according to claim 8 wherein said manipulation rate detecting means includes a rotary encoder.

11. A medical system according to claim 8 wherein said manipulation rate detecting means includes a treatment section driving means for moving said treatment section according to an output of said manipulation rate detecting means.

12. A medical system according to claim 11 wherein said treatment section driving means includes a motor.

13. A medical system according to claim 11, further comprising a converting means for establishing a proportional relationship between a manipulation rate detected by said manipulation rate detecting means and an operation rate of operating said treatment section.

14. A medical system according to claim 13, further comprising a changing means for changing said relationship established by said converting means.

15. A medical system according to claim 1 further comprising a restricting means for restricting the operation of said operation unit according to an output of said detecting means.