# US 11,298,199 B2 · Manipulator system and method for restricting a retreating motion of a manipulator according to a protrusion state of a manipulator joint > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,298,199 B2 - Document ID: US11298199B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/110,586 - Filed: 2018-08-23 - Published: 2018-12-20 - Granted: 2022-04-12 - Earliest claimed: 2016-02-25 - Assignees: Olympus Corporation - Applicants: Olympus Corporation - Inventors: Ryohei Ogawa; Keigo Takahashi; Kosuke Kishi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11298199B2 ## CPC - A61B 34/37: Leader-follower robots (A61B34/35 takes precedence) - A61B 1/00006: {of control signals} - A61B 1/0002: {provided with data storages} - A61B 1/00045: {Display arrangement} - A61B 1/00057: {provided with means for testing or calibration} - A61B 1/00149: {using articulated arms} - A61B 1/0016: {using motor drive units} - A61B 1/0057: {Constructional details of force transmission elements, e.g. control wires} - A61B 1/008: Articulations - A61B 34/30: Surgical robots - A61B 90/00: Instruments, implements or accessories specially adapted for surgery or diagnosis and not covered by any of the groups A61B1/00 - A61B50/00, e.g. for luxation treatment or for protecting wound edges - B25J 3/00: Manipulators of leader-follower type, i.e. both controlling unit and controlled unit perform corresponding spatial movements - B25J 19/06: Safety devices - A61B 34/70: {Manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery} - A61B 2034/2061: {using shape-sensors, e.g. fiber shape sensors with Bragg gratings} - A61B 2034/301: {for introducing or steering flexible instruments inserted into the body, e.g. catheters or endoscopes} - A61B 2090/061: {for measuring dimensions, e.g. length} - 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 manipulator system includes: a manipulator including an elongated flexible section, a movable section provided at a distal end of the flexible section, and a driver that is provided at a proximal end of the flexible section and that drives the movable section; an insertion section having a channel into which the manipulator is inserted; an advancing/retreating section that advances/retreats the manipulator and that causes the movable section of the manipulator to protrude from, and to be withdrawn into, a distal end of the channel; a protrusion-state acknowledgement section that acknowledges a protrusion state in which an entirety of the movable section protrudes from the distal end of the channel; and a restricting section that, when the protrusion state is acknowledged with the protrusion-state acknowledgement section, restricts further retreating motion of the driver performed by the advancing/retreating section. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A manipulator system comprising: a manipulator including a movable section provided at a distal end of a flexible section, wherein the movable section comprises at least one joint; an insertion section having a proximal end, a distal end and a channel formed between the proximal end of the insertion section and the distal end of the insertion section, the channel being configured to receive the manipulator from the proximal end of the insertion section to the distal end of the insertion section; and a controller configured to; receive a signal indicating whether a predetermined portion of the manipulator protrudes from the distal end of the insertion section; based on the received signal, control a mechanism to move the manipulator distally to a position where an entirety of the movable section protrudes from the distal end of the insertion section; and control a brake to restrict a motion of the manipulator from moving proximally from the position. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The manipulator system according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined portion comprises a distal end side of the movable section. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The manipulator system according to claim 1, wherein the receiving comprises receiving an operation input indicating an operation of the manipulator. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The manipulator system according to claim 1, further comprising: an endoscope configured to acquire an image of a further distal end side than a distal end of the insertion section, wherein the image containing a mark provided on a distal end side of the movable section, the mark being configured to indicate that the movable section protrudes from the distal end of the insertion section, wherein the receiving comprises receiving the signal from a user input based on the observation. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The manipulator system according to claim 1, wherein the channel comprises one of a recessed section or a protruding section, and an external surface of the manipulator comprises an other of the recessed section and the protruding section, the recessed section being configured to engage with the protruding section when the movable section protrudes from the distal end of the insertion section at the position. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The manipulator system according to claim 1, wherein: the signal estimates a curved shape of the insertion section; and the controller calculates, on a basis of the estimated curved shape, an amount of advance/retreat of the manipulator, the amount being such that the predetermined portion of the manipulator protrudes from the distal end of the tube. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The manipulator system according to claim 6, wherein the controller further comprising a memory that stores, in an associated manner, identification information of a site in a body cavity and the curved shape in a state where the insertion section is inserted up to the site and an identification information input that allows the identification information to be input. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The manipulator system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to remove the control to restrict the motion of the manipulator from moving proximally from the position when the movable section is in a linear shape. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The manipulator system according to claim 1, wherein, prior to the restriction of the motion of the manipulator from moving proximally from the position, the controller is further configured to restrict master-slave control of the movable section, and subsequent to the restriction of the motion of the manipulator from moving proximally from the position, the controller is further configured to, permit master-slave control of the movable section based on a master input. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The manipulator system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to further control the manipulator based on a determined shape of the insertion section. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The manipulator system according to claim 1, wherein the controller being further configured to remove the restriction when the movable section takes a predetermined shape. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The manipulator system according to claim 11, wherein the predetermined shape is a straight shape. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The manipulator system of claim 1, further comprising an actuator operatively connected to the at least one joint for driving the at least one joint. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The manipulator system of claim 1, further comprising the mechanism configured to advance/retract the manipulator with respect to the insertion section. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The manipulator system of claim 1, further comprising the brake configured to restrict the motion of the manipulator from moving proximally. ### Claim 16 A method for operating a manipulator system, the method comprising: in a state where a manipulator including a movable section at a distal end of an elongated flexible section and a driver, at a proximal end thereof, for driving the movable section is inserted in a channel of an insertion section in which a curved shape is set and that has flexibility, receiving a signal indicating that a predetermined portion of the movable section protrudes from a distal end of the channel; based on the received signal, moving the manipulator distally to a position where an entirety of the movable section protrudes from the distal end of the insertion section; and controlling a brake to restrict motion of the manipulator from moving proximally form the position. ### Claim 17 A controller for controlling a manipulator system that comprises a manipulator having a movable section provided at a distal end, a tube into which the manipulator is insertable, and a slider to which the manipulator is attachable, the manipulator system causing the movable section to protrude from, and to be withdrawn into, the tube by advancing/retreating the slider, wherein the controller is configured to: receive a signal indicating whether a predetermined portion of the manipulator protrudes from a distal end of the tube, based on the received signal, control the slider to move the manipulator distally to a position where an entirety of the movable section protrudes from the distal end of the insertion section; and based on the received signal, control the slider to restrict a motion of the manipulator from moving proximally from the position. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The controller according to claim 17, wherein the signal indicates a detected curved shape of the tube, the controller calculates an amount of advance/retreat of the slider to indicate whether the predetermined portion of the manipulator protrudes from the distal end of the tube, on a basis of the detected curved shape. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The controller according to claim 17, further comprising a memory that stores an identification information of a site in a body cavity and a curved shape of the tube in a state where the tube is inserted up to the site in association with each other, wherein the predetermined portion of the manipulator is indicated as protruding from the distal end of the tube by calculating an amount of advance/retreat of the slider with which the predetermined portion of the manipulator protrudes from the distal end of the tube, on a basis of the curved shape read from the memory in accordance with an input of the identification information. ### Claim 20 A manipulator system comprising: a manipulator including a movable section provided at a distal end of a flexible section, wherein the movable section comprises at least one joint; an insertion section having a proximal end, a distal end and a channel formed between the proximal end of the insertion section and the distal end of the insertion section, the channel being configured to receive the manipulator from the proximal end of the insertion section to the distal end of the insertion section; and a controller configured to; receive a signal indicating whether a predetermined portion of the manipulator protrudes from the distal end of the insertion section; and when the predetermined portion is determined to protrude from the distal end of the insertion section, control a brake to restrict a motion of the manipulator from moving proximally. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The manipulator system according to claim 20, wherein, prior to the restricting, the controller controls the manipulator to move the manipulator distally to a position and the controller controls the brake to restrict the motion of the manipulator from moving proximally from the position. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The manipulator system according to claim 21, wherein the position is where an entirety of the movable section protrudes from a distal end of the insertion section.