US 11,622,821 B2Granted

Medical manipulator

AssigneeOlympus Corporation

InventorKohei Nakashima

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Abstract

Embodiments of the technology disclosed herein is directed to a medical manipulator capable of detecting an instant when a tip of the medical manipulator is unexpectedly separated from a body tissue and thus avoid making contact with surrounding body tissues. The technology disclosed eliminates the needs for providing a force sensor located on the tip of the medical manipulator. The medical manipulator includes a movable unit at one end and an electric motor, a control unit, and an operation input unit at opposed end thereof. The movable unit includes a treating unit for treating the body tissue. The electric motor is configured to operate the movable unit. The electric motor includes a current sensor or a torque detecting unit for detecting the torque of the motor. The control unit includes a torque reducing unit for reducing the torque transmitted to the movable unit from the electric motor.

Claims12

Dependent claims

A medical manipulator comprising:

an electric motor configured to operate a movable unit comprising an end effector at a distal end for treating a body tissue;
a sensor configured to detect a torque produced by the electric motor;
and
a controller comprising hardware, the controller being configured to:
determine whether a first condition that lasts longer than a specified time is present, the first condition being that an absolute value of the torque produced by the electric motor detected by the sensor is equal to or greater than a specified first threshold;
in response to determining that the first condition that lasts longer than the specified time is present, determine whether a reduction of the absolute value of the torque occurs;
in response to determining that the reduction of the absolute value of the torque occurs, determine whether an amount of the reduction of the absolute value of the torque per unit time is equal to or greater than a second threshold;
and
in response to determining that the amount of the reduction of the absolute value of the torque per unit time is equal to or greater than the second threshold, perform control to avoid the amount of the reduction of the absolute value of the torque per unit time from being equal to or greater than the second threshold.

6 more elements

A method for controlling a medical manipulator comprising a movable unit having an end-effector at a distal end for treating a body tissue, an electric motor configured to operate the movable unit, and a sensor configured to detect a torque produced by the electric motor, the method comprising:

determining that a first condition lasts longer than a specified time, the first condition being that an absolute value of the torque produced by the electric motor detected by the sensor is equal to or greater than a specified first threshold;
in response to determining that the first condition lasts longer than the specified time, determining that a reduction of the absolute value of the torque occurs;
in response to determining that the reduction of the absolute value of the torque occurs, determining that an amount of the reduction of the absolute value of the torque per unit time is equal to or greater than a second threshold;
and
in response to determining that the amount of the reduction of the absolute value of the torque per unit time is equal to or greater than the second threshold, performing control to avoid the amount of the reduction of the absolute value of the torque per unit time from being equal to or greater than the second threshold.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/280,291Filed 20 Feb 2019 · continuation
Priority: 3 Feb 2017
Published: US 2019/0175292 A113 Jun 2019
Granted: 11 Apr 2023
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification13 codes

A61B 34/30
Computer-aided surgery; Manipulators or robots specially adapted for use in surgery: surgical robots
B25J 9/126
Electric: rotary actuators
B25J 9/1633
Characterised by the control loop: compliant, force, torque control, e.g. combined with position control
B25J 9/1676
Characterised by safety, monitoring, diagnostic: avoiding collision or forbidden zones