WO2011053029A2

WO2011053029A2 - Jaw structure of surgical instrument

Info

Publication number: WO2011053029A2
Application number: PCT/KR2010/007498
Authority: WO
Inventors: 최승욱; 이민규
Original assignee: 주식회사 이턴
Priority date: 2009-10-30
Filing date: 2010-10-29
Publication date: 2011-05-05
Also published as: WO2011053029A3

Abstract

The present invention relates to a jaw structure for a surgical instrument. The surgical instrument jaw structure, comprises: a pair of jaws mounted at the end portion of the surgical instrument and used for a grip operation; an elastic skin applied to a surface facing the pair of jaws, the elastic skin being transformed when pressed by an object according to the grip operation of the jaws; and a sensing block interposed between the jaw and the elastic skin, for measuring a reaction force applied to the jaws based on the degree of transformation of the elastic skin. Since the grip surface of the pair of jaws is covered with an elastic material, it is easier to grip an object during a surgical operation, and damage to the object can be minimized even if the jaws are gripped with an excessive force. A force sensor array is arranged on the other side of the elastic skin to intuitively sense the reaction force applied to the jaws, in a manner similar to the way a human feels.

Description

Jaw structure of surgical instruments

The present invention relates to a jaw structure of a surgical instrument.

Recently, surgery using a robot has been in the spotlight, and a robot for surgery with a robot arm is used for the robot surgery. Surgical instruments (instrument) may be mounted to the front end of the robot arm, looking at Figure 1, which is an instrument mounted to the surgical robot, and Figure 2, a general laparoscopic surgical tool that is held by a doctor, the instrument 54 is a housing (108) or effector 112 mounted to the handle 108, the shaft 102 extending therefrom, and the distal end 106 of the shaft 102 and inserted into the surgical site to perform the operations necessary for surgery. Is made of.

As an effector for a surgical instrument, a pair of jaws may be used to perform a grip operation. In the case of the instrument mounted on the surgical robot, it is not operated by human force but by the driving force generated and transmitted from the robot, so the person who directly manipulates the reaction force applied to the jaw during the grip operation In many cases, excessive force may be exerted more than necessary, which may cause injury or damage to the object being gripped by the jaw during surgery, that is, tissue of the human body.

The background art described above is technical information possessed by the inventors for the derivation of the present invention or acquired during the derivation process of the present invention, and is not necessarily a publicly known technique disclosed to the general public before the application of the present invention.

According to the present invention, the object can be easily grasped during surgery, the object can be minimized even when excessive force is applied in the grip operation, and the reaction force applied to the jaw can be intuitively sensed similarly to a human feeling. It is to provide a jaw structure of the surgical instrument that can be.

According to one aspect of the invention, a pair of jaws mounted on the distal end of the surgical instrument to grip (grip) and a pair of jaws are covered on opposite sides of the jaw, the grip operation of the jaw Therefore, the jaw structure of the surgical instrument including an elastic skin that is pressed and deformed by the object, and a sensing portion interposed between the jaw and the elastic skin to measure the reaction force applied to the jaw from the degree of deformation of the elastic skin. Is provided.

The elastic skin can be detachably coupled to the jaw so that it can be replaced for single use in the course of use of the instrument, and the jaw, the sensing part and the elastic skin can also be joined together and made in one piece.

The sensing unit may include an array of force sensors that are arranged on the entire area of the elastic skin covering the jaw, and in this case, the sensing unit may further include a processor configured to receive a signal from the sensing unit. The processor may receive a signal from a force sensor located at a site where the elastic skin is deformed to generate information about the object.

On the other hand, according to another aspect of the present invention, a pair of jaws mounted on the distal end of the surgical instrument and the grip is covered on the opposite surface of the pair of jaws, by the object in accordance with the grip operation of the jaw A jaw structure of a surgical instrument is provided that includes an elastic skin that is pressed and deformed.

On the other hand, according to another aspect of the present invention, a reaction force including a base, an elastic skin covered by the base, and a sensing portion interposed between the base and the elastic skin to measure the reaction force applied to the base from the degree of deformation of the elastic skin. A sensing structure is provided.

Other aspects, features, and advantages other than those described above will become apparent from the following drawings, claims, and detailed description of the invention.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, by covering the grip surface of the pair of jaws with an elastic material, it is possible to easily grip the object during the operation process and to minimize the damage to the object even if excessive force is applied to the jaw during the grip operation By arranging the force sensor array on the back side of the elastic skin, the reaction force applied to the jaw can be intuitively sensed similar to the human feel.

1 and 2 are a perspective view showing a surgical instrument according to the prior art.

Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the jaw structure of the surgical instrument according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 4 is a side view showing the jaw structure of the surgical instrument according to an embodiment of the present invention.

5 is a conceptual diagram showing the jaw structure of the surgical instrument according to an embodiment of the present invention.

6 is a view showing a state in which a force sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention is installed.

7 is a graph showing the operating state of the force sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention.

8 is a conceptual diagram showing the operation of the jaw structure of the surgical instrument according to an embodiment of the present invention.

9 is a view showing the operating state of the jaw structure of the surgical instrument according to an embodiment of the present invention with a graph.

As the invention allows for various changes and numerous embodiments, particular embodiments will be illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in the written description. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to specific embodiments, it should be understood to include all transformations, equivalents, and substitutes included in the spirit and scope of the present invention. In the following description of the present invention, if it is determined that the detailed description of the related known technology may obscure the gist of the present invention, the detailed description thereof will be omitted.

Terms such as first and second may be used to describe various components, but the components should not be limited by the terms. The terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular example embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the present invention. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In this application, the terms "comprise" or "have" are intended to indicate that there is a feature, number, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof described in the specification, and one or more other features. It is to be understood that the present invention does not exclude the possibility of the presence or the addition of numbers, steps, operations, components, components, or a combination thereof.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, and in the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings, the same or corresponding components are given the same reference numerals and redundant description thereof will be omitted. Shall be.

Figure 3 is a perspective view showing a jaw structure of the surgical instrument according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 4 is a side view showing a jaw structure of the surgical instrument according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 5 is a view of the present invention Conceptual view showing a jaw structure of the surgical instrument according to an embodiment, Figure 6 is a view showing a state in which a force sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention is installed, Figure 7 is a force sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention This graph shows the operating status of. 3 to 7, the shaft 1, the jaw 10, the elastic skin 12, the force sensor 14, and the processor 16 are shown.

The present embodiment is characterized in that the jaw portion mounted to the tip of the surgical instrument is covered with an elastic material such as rubber or silicone, so that the grip operation can be effectively performed without precisely controlling the grip force of the jaw.

As described above, the conventional surgical instrument may have a case in which excessive force is applied to the jaw during the grip operation, the jaw structure according to the present embodiment of the pair of jaws 10 in the grip operation process It is designed to leave a small gap so that the surface, that is, the metal surface does not directly contact.

In this case, the jaws 10 may not be in contact with each other because of gaps between metal surfaces, and thus the jaws 10 may not be gripped. For this purpose, the jaw structure according to the present embodiment may have a skin made of elastic material. It fills in the gap between the pair of jaws (10), and was able to grip properly.

In this way, when the elastic skin 12 is applied to the jaw 10, even if the force applied to the jaw 10 is excessive, the metal surfaces of the pair of jaws 10 do not directly touch the object, but the elastic skin Since 12 can be deformed by being pressed by the object, it is possible to minimize the damage of the grip object (for example, tissue of the human body).

To this end, the jaw structure according to the present embodiment is made of a structure in which the elastic skin 12 is covered on the surface of the pair of jaws 10 mounted on the distal end of the surgical instrument.

As described above, the pair of jaws 10 are grip effectors, which serve to hold tissues, organs, and blood vessels of the surgical patient in response to the movement of the doctor's finger in the surgery.

Elastic skin 12 is covered on the surface of the jaw (10), that is, opposite surfaces of the pair of jaws (10), the component that comes into contact with the object as the jaw (10) performs a grip operation, It is made of a material such as rubber or silicone that can be deformed by pressing the object according to the shape and strength of the. The surfaces of the jaws 10 covered by the elastic skin 12, that is, the surfaces facing each other of the pair of jaws 10, will be described hereinafter as 'grip surfaces'.

Furthermore, the jaw structure according to the present embodiment has a structure in which a sensing unit is installed on the bottom surface of the elastic skin 12.

The sensing unit is a component installed between the bottom surface of the elastic skin 12 or the surface of the grip surface, that is, the grip surface and the elastic skin 12, and the jaw 10 may be deformed as the elastic skin 12 is deformed. It measures the reaction force exerted on).

As the sensing unit according to the present embodiment, a force sensor 14 may be installed. The force sensor 14 senses a state and a degree of deformation of the elastic skin 12 in the grip process of the jaw 10, and therefrom. By measuring the reaction force by the object, it performs a function to determine the shape, strength and the like of the object.

The concept of the jaw structure according to the present embodiment in which the force sensor 14 is interposed between the jaw 10 and the elastic skin 12 is as shown in FIG. 5.

Since the force sensor 14 senses the deformation degree of the elastic skin 12, in order to grasp the shape in which the elastic skin 12 is deformed by the object, the sensing unit according to the present embodiment is a force sensor arranged on the entire grip surface. (14) may be made of an array.

The force sensor array may be configured by arranging unit force sensors at predetermined intervals, and may use a force sensor array that covers a predetermined area and senses a force applied to a specific point, as shown in FIG. The sensor array can be connected to the processor 16. The processor 16 receives a signal from each force sensor, calculates a reaction force applied to a specific position, and may be embedded in the instrument as shown in FIG.

On the other hand, when using a force sensing resistor (FSR) array as the force sensor 14 according to the present embodiment, as the elastic skin is deformed due to the pressing of the object (see 'O' in Figure 7), that is, the force sensor array As a force is applied, a graph of resistance values generated in the force sensor array may be shown as shown in FIG. 7. The force-resistance graph can be analyzed to determine the shape or strength of the object.

On the other hand, the elastic skin 12 according to the present embodiment may be integrally coupled to the jaw 10, it may be detachably coupled so that it can be replaced for one use at every use. That is, by making the skin covered on the jaw 10 with a disposable material that is disposable, only the body is disinfected for reuse of the instrument, and the jaw 10 does not need to be disinfected. Only replaceable.

Alternatively, the jaw structure according to the present embodiment may be implemented in a structure in which the force sensor 14 and the elastic skin 12 are integrally bonded to the jaw 10, for example, the force sensor 14 and the metal surface. The jaw may be made of a material to which the elastic skin 12 is bonded.

On the other hand, the elastic skin 12 according to the present embodiment is not necessarily coupled to cover only the grip surface, and if necessary, such as when electrical insulation is required, the elastic skin to cover not only the grip surface but also the entire jaw 10. (12) may be combined.

8 is a conceptual diagram showing the operation of the jaw structure of the surgical instrument according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 9 is shown with a graph showing the operating state of the jaw structure of the surgical instrument according to an embodiment of the present invention Drawing. 8 and 9, the shaft 1, the jaw 10, the elastic skin 12, the force sensor 14, and the processor 16 are shown.

The jaw structure according to the present embodiment may be connected to a processor 16 that receives a sensing signal from the force sensor 14 array and calculates a reaction force. That is, when a predetermined portion of the elastic skin 12 is deformed according to the grip operation of the jaw 10, a sensing signal is generated from the force sensors 14 positioned at the deformed portion, and according to the present embodiment 16 receives the signals generated from the force sensors 14 to calculate the reaction force that deforms the elastic skin 12 and as a result information about the object (see 'O' in FIG. 8), for example The shape and strength of the object can be grasped.

For example, when an FSR (force sensing resistor) array is installed as the force sensor 14 according to the present embodiment, the reaction force applied to the jaw 10 due to the grip of the object is reduced from the deformed degree of the elastic skin 12. It can be measured indirectly.

FSR is a polymer film device whose resistance value decreases as the pressure applied to the surface of the sensor increases. The FSR is used for human touch control of electronic devices such as automotive electronic systems, medical systems, and industrial PCs. It may have a force sensitivity optimized for use. FSR has similar characteristics to load cells and strain gauges, but can be used more appropriately for qualitative measurements than for sophisticated measurements.

If the grip operation is performed without putting elastic skin on the jaw, the object gripped by the jaw presses a specific point of the force sensor array installed on the grip surface, thereby measuring the reaction force directly from the force sensor located at the point. It can only measure the reaction force at the point where the object touches the grip surface, so that information about the shape of the object cannot be measured. In addition, when the object is an object that is not strong enough, such as tissues or blood vessels of the human body, the force sensor measures the reaction force while the object is somewhat deformed by the grip action of the jaw, so that the object may be damaged, as well as the object. The measurement results regarding the shape and strength of the may not be accurate.

On the other hand, the jaw structure according to the present embodiment is not a method of measuring the reaction force applied to the jaw 'directly' so that the force sensor array mounted on the grip surface directly touches the object by the grip operation, but not the force sensor ( 14) The grip operation is performed while the array is wrapped with the elastic skin 12, thereby measuring the reaction force applied to the jaw 10 'indirectly' from the extent to which the elastic skin 12 is pressed and deformed by the object. It is adopted.

As such, indirectly measuring the reaction force, the elastic skin 12 will be pressed a lot (instead of the object deformed) in the protruding portion of the object, depending on the shape of the object, the elastic skin 12 is less in the less protruding portion Since it will be pressed, not only the strength of the object can be measured properly, but also the information on the shape of the object can be grasped more accurately.

For example, when holding an object such as that shown in FIG. 9 (see 'O' in FIG. 9), the force sensor array of the portion where the elastic skin is pressed by the rounded portion of the object is compared to the 'force-resistance graph 1'. The resistance value of the same distribution can be output, and the force sensor array of the portion where the elastic skin is pressed by the pointed portion of the object can output the resistance value of the same distribution as the 'force-resistance graph 2'. It is as mentioned above that the intensity | strength of an object can be measured and the information regarding a shape can be grasped | ascertained from such a graph.

That is, in the jaw structure according to the present embodiment, by installing the force sensor 14 array on the grip surface of the jaw 10 and covering the elastic material thereon, as in the case of holding an object with a human finger, It is possible to detect whether the object is a hard object, a soft object, or some form of object, similar to what a person feels.

As described above, the present embodiment implements a jaw structure in which the force sensor 14 and the elastic skin 12 are coupled to a metal surface, so that the reaction force applied to the jaw 10 may be felt as if a person feels it. Intuitive sensing is possible.

In the above-described embodiment, a case in which FSR, which is a method using a resistance that changes according to reaction force, has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and a piezoelectric element, a conductive rubber, a piezo film, and a capacitance are described. Of course, it is possible to use a force measuring sensor of various methods, such as using.

In the above, the technical concept of the present invention has been described in the case where the jaw of the surgical instrument is applied, but the present invention is not limited thereto and may be applied to general component materials for measuring force. That is, the present invention is to be implemented in the form of a reaction force sensing structure consisting of a structure covering the elastic skin on the base, and a sensing unit for measuring the reaction force applied to the base from the degree of deformation of the elastic skin between the base and the elastic skin. It may be.

Although described above with reference to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention described in the claims below It will be appreciated that modifications and variations can be made.

Claims

A pair of jaws mounted on the distal end of the surgical instrument for grip operation;

An elastic skin which is covered on opposite surfaces of the pair of jaws and is depressed by an object according to the grip operation of the jaws;

A jaw structure of a surgical instrument interposed between the jaw and the elastic skin, comprising a sensing unit for measuring the reaction force applied to the jaw from the degree of deformation of the elastic skin.
The method of claim 1,

The elastic skin is a jaw structure of the surgical instrument, characterized in that coupled to the jaw detachably, so that it can be replaced for a single use in the process of using the instrument.
The method of claim 1,

The jaw structure of the surgical instrument, characterized in that the jaw, the sensing unit and the elastic skin are bonded to each other to be produced integrally.
The method of claim 1,

The sensing unit jaw structure of the surgical instrument, characterized in that it comprises a force sensor array (array) that is arranged in the entire area the elastic skin covers the jaw.
The method of claim 4, wherein

Further comprising a processor for receiving a signal from the sensing unit,

The processor is a jaw structure of a surgical instrument, characterized in that for receiving information from the force sensor located in the site where the elastic skin is deformed to generate information about the object.
A pair of jaws mounted on the distal end of the surgical instrument for grip operation;

A jaw structure of a surgical instrument is covered on the opposite sides of the pair of jaws, and including an elastic skin that is pressed by the object in accordance with the grip operation of the jaw.
Support and;

An elastic skin covered by the support;

And a sensing unit interposed between the base and the elastic skin to measure a reaction force applied to the base from the degree of deformation of the elastic skin.