# US 10,441,375 B2 · Medical instrument and adjustment method of medical instrument > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,441,375 B2 - Document ID: US10441375B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/396,913 - Filed: 2017-01-03 - Published: 2017-04-20 - Granted: 2019-10-15 - Earliest claimed: 2014-07-10 - Assignees: Olympus Corporation - Applicants: Olympus Corporation - Inventors: Mitsuaki Hasegawa; Toshihiro Yoshii - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10441375B2 ## CPC - A61B 34/37: Leader-follower robots (A61B34/35 takes precedence) - A61B 34/30: Surgical robots - A61B 34/71: {Manipulators operated by drive cable mechanisms} - B25J 3/00: Manipulators of leader-follower type, i.e. both controlling unit and controlled unit perform corresponding spatial movements - B25J 9/065: {Snake robots} - B25J 9/1045: {comprising tensioning means} - B25J 15/0019: {End effectors other than grippers} - B25J 15/0028: {with movable, e.g. pivoting gripping jaw surfaces} - 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) - A61B 1/0057: {Constructional details of force transmission elements, e.g. control wires} - A61B 17/29: Forceps for use in minimally invasive surgery - A61B 2017/2905: {flexible} - A61B 2034/301: {for introducing or steering flexible instruments inserted into the body, e.g. catheters or endoscopes} - A61B 2034/715: {Cable tensioning mechanisms for removing slack} - A61B 2090/064: {for measuring force, pressure or mechanical tension} - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - B25J: MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES ({manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery A61B34/70; manipulators used in cleaning hollow articles B08B9/04}; manipulators associated with rolling mills B21B39/20; manipulators associated with forging machines B21J13/10; {manipulators associated with picking-up and placing mechanisms B23P19/007}; means for holding wheels or parts thereof B60B30/00; {vehicles with ground-engaging propulsion means, e.g. walking members B62D57/02, B62D57/032; devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials between conveyors B65G47/90, B65G47/91; manipulators with gripping or holding means for transferring packages B65H67/065}; cranes B66C; {manipulators used in the protection or supervision of pipe-line installations F17D5/00; walking equipment adapted for nuclear steam-generators F22B37/006}; manipulators specially adapted for, or associated with, nuclear reactors G21C; {apparatus used for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor H10P72/50}) ## 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 ### Claim 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. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The medical instrument according to claim 1, wherein the pulley comprises a plurality of pulleys. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) 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. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) 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. ### Claim 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. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) 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. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) 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.