CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present patent application is a U.S. National Phase of Chinese International Application No. PCT/CN2017/099886 entitled “FLEXIBLE SURGICAL INSTRUMENT SYSTEM” and filed on Aug. 31, 2017. Chinese International Application No. PCT/CN2017/099886 claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 201610797565.6 filed on Aug. 31, 2016. The entire contents of each of the above-identified applications are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present application relates to a flexible surgical instrument system.

BACKGROUND ART

Multi-port laparoscopic minimally invasive surgery has occupied an important position in surgery because of it having small incision and rapid postoperative recovery. At present, the da Vinci surgical robot of the Intuitive Surgical, Inc. can assist doctors in completing the multi-port laparoscopic minimally invasive surgery.

After the multi-port laparoscopic surgery, single-port laparoscopic surgery and natural orifice transluminal non-invasive surgery have also been further developed and have less trauma to the patient and higher postoperative outcomes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of this, the present application discloses a flexible surgical instrument system, which can be better applied to a single-port laparoscopic surgery robotic system through a single surgical incision, and can also be applied to a multi-port laparoscopic surgery robotic system.

In order to achieve the above object, the present application provides the following technical solutions. According to a first aspect of the present application, provided is a flexible surgical instrument system, comprising a flexible surgical instrument composed of a distal structural body, a proximal structural body, a driving transmission mechanism and a middle connecting body, wherein a proximal end of the distal structural body is linked to the middle connecting body, and the driving transmission mechanism is linked to the proximal structural body via the middle connecting body; the distal structural body comprises at least one distal structural segment each comprising a distal fixing disk and structural backbones; the proximal structural body comprises at least one proximal structural segment each comprising a proximal fixing disk, structural backbones, and driving backbones; and the driving transmission mechanism comprises an introducing part, a driving part, and a reversing part, wherein the introducing part is configured to introduce a rotational power from the outside into the driving part, the reversing part is configured to implement a cooperative motion of the driving part, and the driving part is configured to convert the rotational power into a linear power to cooperatively push/pull the driving backbones to turn the proximal structural segment in any direction, and in turn to drive the distal structural segment to turn in an opposite direction.

In an embodiment, the middle connecting body comprises a proximal structural body fixing end disk, structural backbone guide channels, and driving backbone guide channels, wherein a distal end of the structural backbone guide channel is fixedly connected to the driving transmission mechanism, and a proximal end thereof is fixedly connected to the proximal structural body fixing end disk; distal and proximal ends of the driving backbone guide channel are fixedly connected to the driving transmission mechanism and the proximal structural body fixing end disk, respectively; when the structural backbones on the distal structural segment are securely connected, in one-to-one correspondence, to or are the same as the structural backbones on the proximal structural segment, a proximal end of the structural backbone is securely connected to the proximal fixing disk, and a distal end thereof passes through the structural backbone guide channel and is then securely connected to the distal fixing disk; and a distal end of the driving backbone is fixedly connected to the driving part, and a proximal end thereof passes through the driving backbone guide channel and is then fixedly connected to the proximal fixing disk.

In an embodiment, the driving transmission mechanism further comprises a main body part, and the driving part comprises several linear driving mechanisms, wherein each of the linear driving mechanisms comprises a first threaded rod rotatably mounted on the main body part, and a first slider threadedly fitted with the first threaded rod; a proximal end of the first threaded rod is securely connected to the introducing part, and a distal end thereof extends into the reversing part; and the first slider of each of the linear driving mechanisms, functioning as an output end, is securely connected, in one-to-one correspondence, to the driving backbones.

In an embodiment, the introducing part comprises a driving shaft rotatably mounted on the main body part, a first male coupling securely connected to a proximal end of the driving shaft, and a coupling securely connected to a distal end of the driving shaft. The reversing part comprises several sets of reversing gears mounted on the main body part, wherein each set of reversing gears comprises two intermeshing gears securely connected to two of the first threaded rods, respectively. The rotational power from the outside is transmitted to the first threaded rod located inside the driving part through the first male coupling, the driving shaft and the coupling, and drives the corresponding two first threaded rods to rotate in opposite directions by means of the set of reversing gears, and the first threaded rods drive the first sliders to slide in opposite directions, thereby converting the rotational power into a linear power for cooperatively pushing or pulling the driving backbones to turn the proximal structural segment in any direction, and in turn to drive the distal structural segment to turn in an opposite direction.

In an embodiment, the main body part comprises a distal cover plate, a distal fixing plate, a middle fixing plate, and a proximal fixing plate, which are securely connected to form an integral body. The driving shaft is rotatably mounted between the proximal fixing plate and the middle fixing plate. The first threaded rod is rotatably mounted between the distal fixing plate and the middle fixing plate. The set of reversing gears are mounted between the distal cover plate and the distal fixing plate.

In an embodiment, the flexible surgical instrument system further comprises a surgical end effector located at a distal end of the distal structural body. The driving transmission mechanism further comprises a surgical end effector driving mechanism, wherein the surgical end effector driving mechanism comprises a second threaded rod rotatably mounted on the main body part, a second slider threadedly fitted with the second threaded rod, and a surgical end effector actuation wire with a proximal end thereof being securely connected to the second slider, and a distal end thereof passing through the distal structural body and then being securely connected to the surgical end effector. A proximal end of the second threaded rod is securely connected to the coupling, the rotational power from the outside is transmitted to the second threaded rod through the first male coupling, the driving shaft and the coupling, and the second threaded rod drives the second slider to linearly slide, and in turn pushes/pulls the surgical end effector actuation wire to control the action of the surgical end effector.

In an embodiment, the surgical actuator driving mechanism further comprises a fixing end plate fixed onto the middle fixing plate via several support columns, and a actuation wire guide channel with a proximal end being fixed onto the fixing end plate, and a distal end extending into the first distal structural segment and being fixed onto a distal spacer disk of the first distal structural segment. The second threaded rod is rotatably mounted between the fixing end disk and the middle fixing plate. A proximal end of the surgical end effector actuation wire is securely connected to the second slider, and a distal end thereof passes through the fixing end plate, the actuation wire guide channel and the distal structural body and is then securely connected to the surgical end effector.

In an embodiment, the linear driving mechanism further comprises a shaft fixedly connected between the distal fixing plate and the middle fixing plate, the first slider being slidably connected to the shaft. The second slider is slidably connected to one of the support columns.

In an embodiment, the system further comprises a driving unit linked to the driving transmission mechanism, the driving unit comprising a driving motor, an input gear connected to an output shaft of the driving motor, an idle gear and an output gear meshing with the input gear, a second male coupling fixedly connected to the output gear, and female couplings respectively connected to the first male coupling and the second male coupling. The driving motor transmits the rotational motion to the second male coupling through the input gear, the idle gear and the output gear, and drives the driving shaft to rotate via the female couplings and the first male coupling.

In an embodiment, the driving unit further comprises a connection plate arranged at a proximal end of the driving unit, and the flexible surgical instrument system is fixedly mounted on an end disk of a multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm via the connection plate. The multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm comprises four or more joints, the joints being able to implement the overall lateral deflection and the overall feed freedom of the flexible surgical instrument system with an abdomen entrance point as the fixed point, and being able to implement the overall rotation freedom of the flexible surgical instrument about its own axis.

In an embodiment, the system further comprises a flexible surgical instrument housing forming a housing structure of the flexible surgical instrument with the distal cover plate, and a sterile barrier arranged between the flexible surgical instrument and the driving unit, wherein the proximal structural body, the driving transmission mechanism and the middle connecting body are all located inside the flexible surgical instrument housing. The sterile barrier comprises a structural fixing cylinder connected to the flexible surgical instrument and the driving unit respectively, a sterile barrier cover plate and a sterile barrier base plate fixedly connected to a proximal end of the structural fixing cylinder to form a closed structure, and a sterile membrane fixedly connected to an outer edge of the structural fixing cylinder and coated outside the driving unit and the multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm. The female couplings are rotatably arranged between the sterile barrier cover plate and the sterile barrier base plate.

In an embodiment, the distal structural segment further comprises a plurality of distal spacer disks distributed therein at intervals, wherein structural backbones of the distal structural segment pass through structural backbone passage holes distributed in each of the distal spacer disks, and have the distal ends thereof fixed onto the distal fixing disk. The proximal structural segment further comprises a plurality of proximal spacer disks distributed therein, wherein the proximal ends of the structural backbones of the proximal structural segment are fixed on the proximal fixing disk and the distal ends thereof pass through the structural backbone passage holes distributed in the proximal spacer disks in sequence, and are then securely connected in one-to-one correspondence to or are the same as the structural backbones of the distal structural segment.

In an embodiment, the structural backbones of the distal structural segment and/or the structural backbones of the proximal structural segment are elastic elongated rods or elongated tubes made of a nickel titanium alloy or stainless steel. In the case of using a plurality of the distal structural segments or a plurality of the proximal structural segments, if the structural backbones of a preceding distal structural segment or proximal structural segment use elastic elongated tubes, the structural backbones of the next distal structural segment or proximal structural segment are able to pass through the elastic elongated tubes or directly pass through the structural backbone passage holes in the distal spacer disks or in the proximal spacer disks. The number of the structural backbones of each of the distal structural segments or the proximal structural segments is three or more.

In an embodiment, the distal structural body is externally covered with an envelope, wherein a proximal end of the envelope is securely connected to the middle fixing plate via a first fixing clamp. The envelope is of a rigid envelope between the distal fixing plate and the middle fixing plate, and of a flexible envelope between the distal fixing plate and the surgical end effector.

In an embodiment, the envelope is further externally covered with an outer sleeve, wherein the outer sleeve is fixed onto the distal fixing plate via a second fixing clamp; if the outer sleeve is a rigid pre-bent sleeve, the outer sleeve passes through a sheath fixed to a single surgical incision, the sheath provides a channel for an instrument required for single-port laparoscopic surgery; and if the outer sleeve is a rigid straight sleeve, the outer sleeve passes through a sheath containing only one channel, the sheath is fixed to a surgical incision.

In an embodiment, the number of proximal structural segments in the proximal structural body is equal to the number of distal structural segments in the distal structural body.

According to a second aspect of the present application, provided is a flexible surgical instrument, comprising a flexible surgical instrument composed of a distal structural body, a proximal structural body, a driving transmission mechanism and a middle connecting body, wherein a proximal end of the distal structural body is linked to the middle connecting body, and the driving transmission mechanism is linked to the proximal structural body via the middle connecting body; the distal structural body comprises at least one distal structural segment each comprising a distal fixing disk and structural backbones; the proximal structural body comprises at least one proximal structural segment each comprising a proximal fixing disk, structural backbones, and driving backbones; and the driving transmission mechanism comprises an introducing part, a driving part, and a reversing part, wherein the introducing part is configured to introduce a rotational power from the outside into the driving part, the reversing part is configured to implement a cooperative motion of the driving part, and the driving part is configured to convert the rotational power into a linear power to cooperatively push or pull the driving backbones to turn the proximal structural segment in any direction, and in turn to drive the distal structural segment to turn in the opposite direction.

The present application adopts the above technical solutions, which have the following advantages: 1. a flexible continuous body structure comprising a proximal structural body, a middle connecting body and a distal structural body is used as the main body and cooperates with a driving transmission mechanism, wherein the distal structural body is linked to the proximal structural body via the middle connecting body, the driving transmission mechanism is linked to the proximal structural body via the middle connecting body, and when the driving transmission mechanism drives the proximal structural segment of the proximal structural body to turn in any direction, the corresponding distal structural segment of the distal structural body correspondingly turns in the opposite direction, and a flexible surgical arm formed by the distal structural body and an envelope is thus capable of turning in any direction; 2. a redundant arrangement of structural backbones (the number thereof being more than three) is used in the distal structural body, the middle connecting body and the proximal structural body, thereby improving the safety, reliability and load capacity of the flexible surgical instrument; 3. the flexible surgical instrument system of the present application can be connected to a multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm, so that a large-scale motion is realized by the multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm, and the small-scale precise and flexible motion is realized by the flexible surgical arm in the patient; 4. the surgical end effector actuation wire of the present application enters the interior of the driving transmission mechanism through the distal structural body, and a surgical end effector driving mechanism for driving the surgical end effector actuation wire to perform linear motion is provided inside the driving transmission mechanism, so that the action of the surgical end effector can be controlled; 5. the flexible surgical instrument of the present application is quickly connected to the driving unit via a sterile barrier, thereby effectively isolating the sterilized flexible surgical instrument from other unsterilized parts, and ensuring the clinical practicability of surgery; and 6. if the outer sleeve is a rigid pre-bent sleeve, the present invention can be applied to single-port laparoscopic surgery; and if the outer sleeve is a rigid straight sleeve, the present invention can also be applied to multi-port laparoscopic surgery.

