Patent ID: 12220191

REFERENCE NUMERALS

10. robotic arm;A. active remote-center-of-motion point;100. spatial positioning mechanism;110. base;121. first rotating joint;122. second rotating joint;123. third rotating joint;124. fourth rotating joint;125. fifth rotating joint;126. sixth rotating joint;127. seventh rotating joint;131. first moving joint;132. second moving joint;133. third moving joint;141. first link;142. second link;143. third link;144. fourth link;145. fifth link;146. sixth link;147. seventh link;148. eighth link;149. ninth link;150. tenth link;200. planar motion mechanism;211. first planar link;212. second planar link;213. third planar link;214. fourth planar link;215. fifth planar link;216. sixth planar link;217. seventh planar link;221. first planar rotating joint;222. second planar rotating joint;223. third planar rotating joint;224. fourth planar rotating joint;225. fifth planar rotating joint;230. first planar moving joint;240. slider;300. connection and rotation joint;20. surgical instrument.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

To make the foregoing objectives, characteristics, and advantages of the present invention more apparent and easier to be understood, specific implementations of the present invention are described in detail herein with reference to the figures. Many specific details are described in the following description to facilitate full understanding of the present invention. However, the present invention may be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and a person skilled in the art may make similar improvements without departing from the connotation of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to specific embodiments disclosed below.

It should be understood that, in the description of the present invention, orientations or positional relationships indicated with such terms as “center”, “longitudinal”, “transverse”, “length”, “width”, “thickness”, “up”, “down”, “front”, “back”, “left”, “right”, “vertical”, “horizontal”, “top”, “bottom”, “inside”, “outside”, “clockwise”, “counterclockwise”, “axial”, “radial” are based on the orientations or positional relationship depicted in the figures, and are merely for convenience of describing the present invention and for simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that a device or an element referred to must have a particular orientation or be constructed and operated in a particular orientation. Therefore, these should not be construed as limitations to the present invention.

Besides, the terms “first” and “second” are merely used for description, and shall not be understood as an indication or implication of relative importance or implicit indication of the quantity of the technical features referred to by these terms. Therefore, a feature referred to by “first” or “second” may explicitly or implicitly includes at least one feature. In the description of the present invention, “a plurality of” means at least two, such as two or three, unless otherwise specified.

It should also be noted that, in the present invention, unless otherwise specified and defined, the terms such as “mount”, “connected”, “connect”, and “fixed” should be broadly understood. For example, it may be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integrated connection; it may be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it may be directly connected, or be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium; or it may be internal communication between two elements or an interaction relationship between two elements, unless otherwise specified. For a person of ordinary skills in the art, specific meanings of the foregoing terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific conditions.

In the present invention, unless otherwise specified and limited, if a first feature is described to be “above” or “below” a second feature, it may mean that the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, or the first feature is in indirect contact with the second feature through an intermediate medium. Moreover, if the first feature is described to be “over”, “above”, and “on” the second feature, it may mean that the first feature is directly or diagonally above the second feature, or merely indicates that a horizontal level of the first feature is higher than that of the second feature. If the first feature is described to be “under”, “below”, and “beneath” the second feature, it may mean that the first feature is directly or diagonally below the second feature, or merely indicates that a horizontal level of the first feature is lower than that of the second feature.

It should be noted that, when an element is referred to as being “fixed” or “disposed” on another element, it may be directly on another element, or there may be an intermediate element. When an element is referred to as being “connected to” another element, it may be directly connected to another element or an intermediate element may also exist. The terms “perpendicular”, “horizontal”, “above”, “below”, “left”, and “right” and similar expressions used herein are for illustrative purposes only and do not mean the only implementation.

The technical solutions provided according to the embodiments of the present invention will be described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings. As shown inFIG.1, the present invention provides a robotic arm10that is applied to a robot for minimally invasive surgery. A surgical instrument20is detachably connected to a tail end of the robotic arm10. In this way, an active remote-center-of-motion point A can be positioned before surgery, and the surgical instrument20can be driven to pass through the active remote-center-of-motion point A to perform surgical operations during surgery. The robotic arm10includes three parts, that is, a spatial positioning mechanism100, a planar motion mechanism200, and a connection and rotation joint300. The connection and rotation joint300connects the spatial positioning mechanism100and the planar motion mechanism200.

The spatial positioning mechanism100includes a base110and a joint mechanism including a plurality of joints. A quantity of the joints may be two, three, or more. The plurality of joints are sequentially mounted to the base110, wherein, the joint at a head end of the joint mechanism may be directly connected to the base110, and the joint at a tail end of the joint mechanism is rotatably connected to the connection and rotation joint300.

A tail end of the planar motion mechanism200is connected to the surgical instrument20, and a perpendicular line of a plane where the planar motion mechanism200is located is perpendicular to a rotation axis of the connection and rotation joint300.

A point at which the rotation axis of the connection and rotation joint300intersects with an axis of the surgical instrument20is the active remote-center-of-motion point A. The rotation axis of the connection and rotation joint300always passes through the active remote-center-of-motion point A during the surgery.

In the robotic arm10described above, the joints of the joint mechanism move relative to the base110to drive the connection and rotation joint300, the planar motion mechanism200, and the surgical instrument20to rotate accordingly, such that the connection and rotation joint300, the planar motion mechanism200, and the surgical instrument20can move in a wide range in space. In this way, the active remote-center-of-motion point A can be positioned in a wide range in the space. The tail end of the planar motion mechanism200is described with reference to a position of a moving joint connected to the surgical instrument20in the accompanying drawings. That the tail end of the planar motion mechanism200is connected to the surgical instrument20means that the moving joint located at the tail end of the planar motion mechanism200is connected to the surgical instrument20. The planar motion mechanism200moves in a plane perpendicular to a direction of the rotation axis of the connection and rotation joint300to drive the surgical instrument20to move accordingly, such that the active remote-center-of-motion point A moves in the plane where the planar motion mechanism200is located. In this way, the active remote-center-of-motion point A is positioned precisely in the plane where the planar motion mechanism200is located. The connection and rotation joint300rotates around the rotation axis thereof, driving the planar motion mechanism200and the surgical instrument20to rotate together with it, and therefore the surgical instrument20performs single-degree-of-freedom rotation around the active remote-center-of-motion point A by taking the rotation axis of the connection and rotation joint300as a rotation axis, when it is ensured that the active remote-center-of-motion point A remains stationary. The planar motion mechanism200rotates to drive the surgical instrument20to rotate accordingly, such that when it is ensured that the active remote-center-of-motion point A remains stationary, the surgical instrument20performs single-degree-of-freedom rotation around the active remote-center-of-motion point A by taking a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis of the connection and rotation joint300as the rotation axis. Because the rotation of the surgical instrument20around the active remote-center-of-motion point A can be implemented without requiring the spatial positioning mechanism100to move, collisions which may occur when a plurality of arms move in combination are reduced. Moreover, by defining the point at which the rotation axis of the connection and rotation joint300intersects with the axis of the surgical instrument20as the active remote-center-of-motion point A, setting of the active remote-center-of-motion point A can be conveniently made. Infinite solutions to the same posture of the surgical instrument20can be implemented through linkage actions of the spatial positioning mechanism100, the planar motion mechanism200, and the connection and rotation joint300, making the kinematics solution process simple.

The spatial positioning mechanism100may have various structural forms. In a preferred implementation, as shown inFIG.1andFIG.2, the joint mechanism includes at least two rotating joints. A rotation axis of at least one of the rotating joints is perpendicular to the rotation axis of the connection and rotation joint300. In certain settings, a quantity of the rotating joints may be two, three, or more, among which, a rotation axis of one rotating joint may be perpendicular to the rotation axis of the connection and rotation joint300, or rotation axes of two rotating joints may be perpendicular to the rotation axis of the connection and rotation joint300.

In the robotic arm10described above, the joint mechanism includes at least two rotating joints, which move respectively to drive the connection and rotation joint300, the planar motion mechanism200, and the surgical instrument20to rotate accordingly, such that the connection and rotation joint300, the planar motion mechanism200, and the surgical instrument20move in a wide range in the space. It is defined that the rotation axis of at least one of the rotating joints is perpendicular to the rotation axis of the connection and rotation joint300, such that the connection and rotation joint300, the planar motion mechanism200, and the surgical instrument20can be driven to rotate along a rotation axis perpendicular to the rotation axis of the connection and rotation joint300. In this way, it helps to control the connection and rotation joint300, the planar motion mechanism200, and the surgical instrument20to move in a wide range in the space. Certainly, rotation axes of the at least two rotating joints may also not be perpendicular to the rotation axis of the connection and rotation joint300. Moreover, the rotation axes of the at least two rotating joints may be set based on actual situation of the robotic arm10.

The joint mechanism may have various structural forms. In a preferred implementation, the joint mechanism includes two rotating joints and one moving joint. As shown inFIG.1, the joint mechanism includes a first rotating joint121, a second rotating joint122, and a first moving joint131. A rotation axis of the first rotating joint121is perpendicular to that of the second rotating joint122. The first moving joint131is disposed between the first rotating joint121and the second rotating joint122. A movement direction of the first moving joint131is parallel to the rotation axis of the first rotating joint121. As shown inFIG.2, the joint mechanism includes a first rotating joint121, a second rotating joint122, and a first moving joint131. A rotation axis of the first rotating joint121is perpendicular to that of the second rotating joint122. The first moving joint131is disposed between the base110and the first rotating joint121. A movement direction of the first moving joint131is parallel to the rotation axis of the first rotating joint121. In specific setting, the movement direction of the first moving joint131may completely coincide with the rotation axis of the first rotating joint121, the movement direction of the first moving joint131may alternatively be disposed to be parallel to and offset with respect to the rotation axis of the first rotating joint121.

In the robotic arm10described above, the first rotating joint121, the first moving joint131, and the second rotating joint122are mounted onto the base110. The movement direction of the first moving joint131is parallel to the rotation axis of the first rotating joint121. The rotation axis of the first rotating joint121is perpendicular to that of the second rotating joint122. Moreover, the first rotating joint121and the second rotating joint122are respectively perpendicular to the rotation axis of the connection and rotation joint300. When the spatial positioning mechanism100moves, rotation movements of the first rotating joint121and the second rotating joint122can make the spatial positioning mechanism100rotate in two directions perpendicular to the rotation axis of the connection and rotation joint300, to drive the connection and rotation joint300, the planar motion mechanism200, and the surgical instrument20to rotate accordingly. In this way, the active remote-center-of-motion point A can rotate by taking two directions perpendicular to the rotation axis of the connection and rotation joint300as rotation axes. Movement of the first moving joint131can make the spatial positioning mechanism100move in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis of the connection and rotation joint300, to drive the connection and rotation joint300, the planar motion mechanism200, and the surgical instrument20to move accordingly. In this way, the active remote-center-of-motion point A can move in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis of the connection and rotation joint300. Therefore, by configuring the spatial positioning mechanism100to have the first rotating joint121, the second rotating joint122, and the first moving joint131as described above, the active remote-center-of-motion point A can be conveniently and quickly positioned in a large range in the space. Moreover, the configuration is simple and is easy for action control. Of course, the rotation axis of the first rotating joint121may not be perpendicular to that of the second rotating joint122. Moreover, the rotation axes of the first rotating joint121and the second rotating joint122may not be perpendicular to the rotation axis of the connection and rotation joint300. Setting manners for the rotation axes of the first rotating joint121and the second rotating joint122and for the movement direction of the first moving joint131may base on actual situation of the robotic arm10.

Specifically, as shown inFIG.1andFIG.2, the spatial positioning mechanism100includes three links: a first link141, a second link142, and a third link143. The base110and one adjacent link, and adjacent links of the three links, are respectively connected to each other with a moving joint or a rotating joint. The third link143of the three links that is farthest to the base110is connected to the planar motion mechanism200via the connection and rotation joint300. As shown inFIG.1, the base110is connected to the first link141via the first rotating joint121, the first link141is connected to the second link142via the first moving joint131, and the second link142is connected to the third link143via the second rotating joint122. As shown inFIG.2, the base110is connected to the first link141via the first moving joint131, the first link141is connected to the second link142via the first rotating joint121, and the second link142is connected to the third link143via the second rotating joint122.

In the robotic arm10described above, as shown inFIG.1, when the spatial positioning mechanism100moves, the first rotating joint121rotates to drive the first link141to rotate, causing the first moving joint131, the second link142, the second rotating joint122, and the third link143that are directly or indirectly connected to the first link141rotate accordingly. The third link143drives the connection and rotation joint300, the planar motion mechanism200, and the surgical instrument20that are directly or indirectly connected thereto to rotate accordingly, such that the active remote-center-of-motion point A can rotate by taking a first direction perpendicular to the rotation axis of the connection and rotation joint300as a rotation axis. The first moving joint131moves, driving the second link142to move accordingly, which in turn drives the second rotating joint122and the third link143that are directly or indirectly connected to the second link142to move accordingly, and further, the third link143drives the connection and rotation joint300, the planar motion mechanism200, and the surgical instrument20that are directly or indirectly connected to the third link to move accordingly, which enables the active remote-center-of-motion point A to move in a first direction perpendicular to the rotation axis of the connection and rotation joint300. The second rotating joint122rotates, driving the third link143to rotate, and the third link143in turn drives the connection and rotation joint300, the planar motion mechanism200, and the surgical instrument20that are directly or indirectly connected thereto to rotate accordingly, therefore causing the active remote-center-of-motion point A to rotate by taking a second direction perpendicular to the rotation axis of the connection and rotation joint300as a rotation axis. The first direction is perpendicular to the second direction, which enables the active remote-center-of-motion point A to rotate by taking the two directions perpendicular to the rotation axis of the connection and rotation joint300as rotation axes.

As shown inFIG.2, when the spatial positioning mechanism100moves, the first rotating joint131moves, driving the first link141to move, which drives the first rotating joint121, the second link142, the second rotating joint122, the third link143, the connection and rotation joint300, the planar motion mechanism200, and the surgical instrument20that are directly or indirectly connected to the first link141to move accordingly, and thus causing the active remote-center-of-motion point A to move in a first direction perpendicular to the rotation axis of the connection and rotation joint300. The first rotating joint121rotates, driving the second link142to rotate accordingly, which in turn drives the second rotating joint122, the third link143, the connection and rotation joint300, the planar motion mechanism200, and the surgical instrument20that are directly or indirectly connected to the second link142to rotate accordingly, and therefore causing the active remote-center-of-motion point A to rotate by taking the first direction perpendicular to the rotation axis of the connection and rotation joint300as a rotation axis. The second rotating joint122rotates to drive the third link143to rotate accordingly. The third link143drives the connection and rotation joint300, the planar motion mechanism200, and the surgical instrument20that are directly or indirectly connected thereto to rotate accordingly, such that the active remote-center-of-motion point A rotates by taking a second direction perpendicular to the rotation axis of the connection and rotation joint300as a rotation axis. The first direction is perpendicular to the second direction, which enables the active remote-center-of-motion point A to rotate by taking the two directions perpendicular to the rotation axis of the connection and rotation joint300as rotation axes.

The spatial positioning mechanism100may have various structural forms. In a preferred implementation, as shown inFIG.3, the joint mechanism includes three joints: a third rotating joint123, a fourth rotating joint124, and a fifth rotating joint125. The third rotating joint123, the fourth rotating joint124, and the fifth rotating joint125are mounted sequentially, wherein the third rotating joint123of the three joints that is farthest to the connection and rotation joint300is mounted onto the base110, rotation axes of the third rotating joint123and the fourth rotating joint124of the three joints that are close to the base110are perpendicular to each other, and rotation axes of the fourth rotating joint124and the fifth rotating joint125of the three joints that are away from the base110are parallel to each other.

As shown inFIG.3, in one specific embodiment, the spatial positioning mechanism100further includes three links, that is, a fourth link144, a fifth link145, and a sixth link146. The base110and one adjacent link, and adjacent links of the three links, are respectively connected to each other via the rotating joints. Moreover, the sixth link146of the three links that is farthest to the base110is connected to the planar motion mechanism200through the connection and rotation joint300. In one specific setting, the base110is connected to the fourth link144through the third rotating joint123, the fourth link144is connected to the fifth link145through the fourth rotating joint124, and the fifth link145is connected to the sixth link146through the fifth rotating joint125.

In the robotic arm10described above, when the spatial positioning mechanism100moves, rotation movements of the third rotating joint123and the fourth rotating joint124can make the spatial positioning mechanism100rotate by taking two directions perpendicular to the rotation axis of the connection and rotation joint300as rotation axes, to drive the connection and rotation joint300, the planar motion mechanism200, and the surgical instrument20to rotate accordingly, which enables the active remote-center-of-motion point A to rotate by taking the two directions perpendicular to the rotation axis of the connection and rotation joint300as rotation axes. Rotation of the fifth rotating joint125can make the spatial positioning mechanism100rotate by taking a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis of the connection and rotation joint300as a rotation axis, to drive the connection and rotation joint300, the planar motion mechanism200, and the surgical instrument20to rotate accordingly. In this way, the active remote-center-of-motion point A can rotate in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis of the connection and rotation joint300. Therefore, by configuring the spatial positioning mechanism100to have the foregoing three joints, the active remote-center-of-motion point A can be conveniently and quickly positioned in a large range within a space. Moreover, the configuration is simple and is easy for action control. Certainly, the rotation axis of the third rotating joint123may not be perpendicular to that of the fourth rotating joint124. Moreover, the rotation axes of the third rotating joint123and the fourth rotating joint124may not be perpendicular to the rotation axis of the connection and rotation joint300. Besides, setting manners for the rotation axes of the third rotating joint123, the fourth rotating joint124, and the fifth rotating joint125may base on actual situation of the robotic arm10.

The spatial positioning mechanism100may have various structural forms. As shown inFIG.4, in a preferred implementation, the joint mechanism120includes: two rotating joints, that is, a sixth rotating joint126and a seventh rotating joint127; and two moving joints, that is, a second moving joint132and a third moving joint133. The second moving joint132is disposed adjacent to the third moving joint133. Moreover, a movement direction of the second moving joint132is perpendicular to that of the third moving joint133, while the movement direction of the third moving joint133is parallel to a rotation axis of the sixth rotating joint126. The sixth rotating joint126is disposed between one side of the second moving joint132and the third moving joint133and the base110, and the seventh rotating joint127is disposed at another side of the second moving joint132and the third moving joint133. A rotation axis of the sixth rotating joint126is perpendicular to that of the seventh rotating joint127.

Specifically, as shown inFIG.4, the spatial positioning mechanism100further includes four links: a seventh link147, an eighth link148, a ninth link149, and a tenth link150. Adjacent two of the base110and the four links are connected to each other via a moving joint or a rotating joint, respectively. Moreover, the tenth link150of the four links that is farthest to the base110is connected to the planar motion mechanism200via the connection and rotation joint300. In the specific setting, the base110is connected to the seventh link147via the sixth rotating joint126, the seventh link147is connected to the eighth link148via the second moving joint132, the eighth link148is connected to the ninth link149via the third moving joint133, and the ninth link149is connected to the tenth link150via the seventh rotating joint127.

With the robotic arm10described above, when the spatial positioning mechanism100moves, rotation movements of the sixth rotating joint126and the seventh rotating joint127can enable the spatial positioning mechanism100to rotate by taking a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis of the connection and rotation joint300as a rotation axis, to drive the connection and rotation joint300, the planar motion mechanism200, and the surgical instrument20to rotate accordingly, which therefore enables the active remote-center-of-motion point A to rotate by taking two directions perpendicular to the rotation axis of the connection and rotation joint300as rotation axes. Movements of the second moving joint132and the third moving joint133can enable the spatial positioning mechanism100to move in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis of the connection and rotation joint300, to drive the connection and rotation joint300, the planar motion mechanism200, and the surgical instrument20to move accordingly, which therefore enables the active remote-center-of-motion point A to move in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis of the connection and rotation joint300. Therefore, by configuring the spatial positioning mechanism100to have the two rotating joints and the two moving joints that are described above, the active remote-center-of-motion point A can be conveniently and quickly positioned in a large range within a space. Moreover, the configuration is simple and is easy for action control. Certainly, the rotation axis of the sixth rotating joint126may not be perpendicular to that of the seventh rotating joint127. Moreover, the movement direction of the second moving joint132may not be perpendicular to that of the third moving joint133. Besides, setting manners for the rotation axes of the sixth rotating joint126and the seventh rotating joint127, and for the movement directions of the second moving joint132and the third moving joint133may be determined based on actual situation of the robotic arm10.

The planar motion mechanism200may have various structural forms. In a preferred implementation, as shown inFIG.1andFIG.5, the planar motion mechanism200includes: four links, that is, a first planar link211, a second planar link212, a third planar link213, and a fourth planar link214; and three rotating joints, that is, a first planar rotating joint221, a second planar rotating joint222, and a third planar rotating joint223. The first planar link211, the second planar link212, the third planar link213, and the fourth planar link214are sequentially disposed, with two adjacent links being connected via a rotating joint. The first planar link211of the four links that is arranged at an edge position is connected to the tail end of the spatial positioning mechanism100via the connection and rotation joint300, and the fourth planar link214of the four links that is arranged at another edge position is connected to the surgical instrument20. Rotation axes of the first planar rotating joint221, the second planar rotating joint222, and the third planar rotating joint223are parallel to each other, and the first planar rotating joint221, the second planar rotating joint222, and the third planar rotating joint223are all perpendicular to the rotation axis of the connection and rotation joint300. In the specific setting, the first planar link211, the first planar rotating joint221, the second planar link212, the second planar rotating joint222, the third planar link213, the third planar rotating joint223, and the fourth planar link214are sequentially connected.

Specifically, action control of the active remote-center-of-motion point A meets the following constraint relationships:

γ=a⁢cos⁡(b2+c2+e22⁢bc);β=a⁢cos⁡(a2+e2-d22⁢ae)+a⁢cos⁡(b2+e2-c22⁢be);ande=a2+d2-2⁢ad*cos⁢α.

Wherein, α represents an angle complementary to an angle formed by the first planar link211and the second planar link212; β represents an angle formed by the second planar link212and the third planar link213; γ represents an angle formed by the third planar link213and the fourth planar link214; a represents a straight-line distance between center points of rotation of the first planar rotating joint221and the second planar rotating joint222, b represents a straight-line distance between center points of rotation of the second planar rotating joint222and the third planar rotating joint223, c represents a straight-line distance between the center point of rotation of the third planar rotating joint223and the active remote-center-of-motion point A, and d represents a straight-line distance between the center point of rotation of the first planar rotating joint221and the active remote-center-of-motion point A.

With the robotic arm10described above, when the planar motion mechanism200moves, the first planar rotating joint221rotates, driving the second planar link212, the second planar rotating joint222, the third planar link213, the third planar rotating joint223, the fourth planar link214, and the surgical instrument20to rotate accordingly, to thereby drive the active remote-center-of-motion point A to rotate in a plane perpendicular to the rotation axis of the connection and rotation joint300. The second planar rotating joint222rotates, driving the second planar link212, the third planar link213, the third planar rotating joint223, the fourth planar link214, and the surgical instrument20to rotate accordingly, which enables the active remote-center-of-motion point A to rotate in the plane perpendicular to the rotation axis of the connection and rotation joint300. The third planar rotating joint223rotates, driving the second planar link212, the second planar rotating joint222, the third planar link213, the third planar rotating joint223, the fourth planar link214, and the surgical instrument20to rotate accordingly, which enables the active remote-center-of-motion point A to rotate in the plane perpendicular to the rotation axis of the connection and rotation joint300. Therefore, by configuring the planar motion mechanism200to have a planar four-rod mechanism as mentioned above, the active remote-center-of-motion point A can be conveniently and quickly positioned precisely in a plane where the planar motion mechanism200is located. Moreover, the configuration is simple and is easy for action control. After the active remote-center-of-motion point A is determined, combined action of the first planar rotating joint221, the second planar rotating joint222, and the third planar rotating joint223drives the planar motion mechanism200to rotate around the active remote-center-of-motion point A by taking a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis of the connection and rotation joint300as a rotation axis.

Specifically, to facilitate mounting of the surgical instrument20, as shown inFIG.1, the fourth planar link214is connected to the surgical instrument20through a first planar moving joint230, and a movement direction of the first planar moving joint230is perpendicular to the rotation axis of the first planar rotating joint221.

With the robotic arm10described above, by configuring the first planar moving joint230to be connected to the fourth planar link214and the surgical instrument20, and the movement direction of the first planar moving joint230to be perpendicular to the rotation axis of the first planar rotating joint221, when it is ensured that the active remote-center-of-motion point A remains stationary during surgery, movement of the surgical instrument20within a wound can be achieved by controlling the movement of the first planar moving joint230, which facilitates surgical operations.

To facilitate positioning of the active remote-center-of-motion point A, in a preferred implementation, the robotic arm10further includes a laser generation module. The laser generation module is disposed on the first planar link211and is coaxial with the connection and rotation joint300, and is configured to generate a laser to illuminate a positioning mark on the surgical instrument20, so as to indicate the position of the active remote-center-of-motion point A.

In the robotic arm10as described above, the positioning mark is coated on a rod surface of the surgical instrument20. The laser generation module emits a laser along a direction of the rotation axis of the connection and rotation joint300, and a positioning mark area illuminated by the laser is the position for the active remote-center-of-motion point A. In this way, the active remote-center-of-motion point A can be easily and quickly identified.

The planar motion mechanism200may have various structural forms. In a preferred implementation, as shown inFIG.6, the planar motion mechanism200includes: three sequentially connected links, that is, a fifth planar link215, a sixth planar link216, and a seventh planar link217; a slider240; and two rotating joints, that is, a fourth planar rotating joint224and a fifth planar rotating joint225. The slider240is integrally connected to the fourth planar rotating joint224. The slider240is further connected to the fifth planar link215and is slidable along the fifth planar link215. The fourth planar rotating joint224is connected to the sixth planar link216. The fifth planar rotating joint225is connected to the adjacent sixth planar link216and the adjacent seventh planar link217, respectively. The fifth planar link215may be directly connected to the connection and rotation joint300. A rotation axis of the fourth planar rotating joint224is parallel to that of the fifth planar rotating joint225. The rotation axes of the fourth planar rotating joint224and the fifth planar rotating joint225are perpendicular to the rotation axis of the connection and rotation joint300. The rotation axes of the fourth planar rotating joint224and the fifth planar rotating joint225are perpendicular to a movement direction of the slider240.

As shown inFIG.7, the planar motion mechanism200includes: three sequentially connected links, that is, a seventh planar link217, a fifth planar link215, and a sixth planar link216; a slider240; and two rotating joints, that is, a fourth planar rotating joint224and a fifth planar rotating joint225. The slider240is connected to the fourth planar rotating joint224into an integral piece. The slider240is connected to the fifth planar link215and is slidable along the fifth planar link215. The fourth planar rotating joint224is connected to the sixth planar link216. The fifth planar rotating joint225is respectively connected to the adjacent sixth planar link216and the adjacent fifth planar link215. The fifth planar link215may also be indirectly connected to the surgical instrument20through the sixth planar link216, the slider240, and the fourth planar rotating joint224. A rotation axis of the fourth planar rotating joint224is parallel to that of the fifth planar rotating joint225. The rotation axes of the fourth planar rotating joint224and the fifth planar rotating joint225are perpendicular to the rotation axis of the connection and rotation joint300. The rotation axes of the fourth planar rotating joint224and the fifth planar rotating joint225are perpendicular to a movement direction of the slider240.

In the robotic arm10described above, as shown inFIG.6, when the planar motion mechanism200moves, the slider240slides, driving the fourth planar rotating joint224, the sixth planar link216, the fifth planar rotating joint225, the seventh planar link217, and the surgical instrument20to move accordingly, to enable the active remote-center-of-motion point A to move in a plane perpendicular to the rotation axis of the connection and rotation joint300. The fifth planar rotating joint225rotates, driving the sixth planar link216, the seventh planar link217, and the surgical instrument20to move accordingly, so as to enable the active remote-center-of-motion point A to rotate in the plane perpendicular to the rotation axis of the connection and rotation joint300. As shown inFIG.7, the fifth planar rotating joint225rotates, driving the fifth planar link215, the slider240, the fourth planar rotating joint224, the sixth planar link216, and the surgical instrument20to move accordingly, enabling the active remote-center-of-motion point A to rotate in the plane perpendicular to the rotation axis of the connection and rotation joint300. The slider240slides, driving the fourth planar rotating joint224, the sixth planar link216, and the surgical instrument20to move accordingly, to enable the active remote-center-of-motion point A to move in the plane perpendicular to the rotation axis of the connection and rotation joint300. Therefore, with the configuration of the planar motion mechanism200, the active remote-center-of-motion point A can be conveniently and quickly positioned precisely in a plane where the planar motion mechanism200is located. Moreover, the configuration is simple and is easy for action control. After the active remote-center-of-motion point A is determined, combined linkage action of the fourth planar rotating joint224and the fifth planar rotating joint225drives the planar motion mechanism200to rotate around the active remote-center-of-motion point A by taking a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis of the connection and rotation joint300as a rotation axis.

It should be noted that the rotating joints described above may be driven by motor-driven harmonic reducers, planetary reducers, RV reducers, or other gear transmissions; or may be directly driven by DD motors. The moving of the moving joints described above may be implemented by lifting of a lead screw nut mechanism driven by a motor, direct driving of a linear motor, or by pulling of a wire rope driven by a motor.

In addition, as shown inFIG.8andFIG.5, the present invention further provides a control method for the robotic arm10according to any one of the foregoing technical solutions, which includes the following steps.

Step S801. Controlling a spatial positioning mechanism100to move to enable the rotation axis of the connection and rotation joint300to pass through a trocar orifice. In specific setting, a zero-force control is applied to the joint mechanism of the spatial positioning mechanism100to drive the joint mechanism of the spatial positioning mechanism100, the connection and rotation joint300, the planar motion mechanism200, and the surgical instrument20to move, thereby ensuring that the rotation axis of the connection and rotation joint300passes through the trocar orifice.

Step S802. Controlling the planar motion mechanism200to move to enable an axis of the surgical instrument20to pass through the trocar orifice. In specific setting, the spatial positioning mechanism100is remained stationary to perform a zero-force control on the planar motion mechanism200. The planar motion mechanism200moves to drive the surgical instrument20to move accordingly. When the surgical instrument20is moved such that the axis of the surgical instrument20passes through the trocar orifice, the position of the active remote-center-of-motion point A is adjusted precisely to coincide with the wound.

Step S803. Controlling the connection and rotation joint300and the planar motion mechanism200to rotate, to rotate the surgical instrument20around the active remote-center-of-motion point A. In this case, the active remote-center-of-motion point A is constrained to an optimal position, to meet the foregoing constraint relationship for action control of the active remote-center-of-motion point A.

In the foregoing control method for the robotic arm10, first, with the step S801, the joints of the joint mechanism of the spatial positioning mechanism100are controlled to move relative to the base110, to drive the connection and rotation joint300, the planar motion mechanism200, and the surgical instrument20to rotate accordingly, such that the connection and rotation joint300, the planar motion mechanism200, and the surgical instrument20move in a wide range within a space. In this way, the active remote-center-of-motion point A is positioned in the wide range within the space, such that the rotation axis of the connection and rotation joint300passes through the trocar orifice. Then, with the step S802, the planar motion mechanism200is controlled to move. The planar motion mechanism200moves in the plane perpendicular to the direction of the rotation axis of the connection and rotation joint300to drive the surgical instrument20to move accordingly, such that the active remote-center-of-motion point A moves in the plane where the planar motion mechanism200is located. In this way, the active remote-center-of-motion point A is positioned precisely in the plane where the planar motion mechanism200is located, such that the axis of the surgical instrument20passes through the trocar orifice, and the active remote-center-of-motion point A is positioned to coincide with the wound. Finally, through the step S803, the connection and rotation joint300is controlled to rotate. The connection and rotation joint300rotates around its rotation axis, driving the planar motion mechanism200and the surgical instrument20to rotate accordingly, such that when it is ensured that the active remote-center-of-motion point A remains stationary, the surgical instrument20performs a single-degree-of-freedom rotation around the active remote-center-of-motion point A by taking the rotation axis of the connection and rotation joint300as a rotation axis. The planar motion mechanism200is controlled to rotate to drive the surgical instrument20to rotate accordingly, such that when it is ensured that the active remote-center-of-motion point A remains stationary, the surgical instrument20performs a single-degree-of-freedom rotation around the active remote-center-of-motion point A by taking the direction perpendicular to the rotation axis of the connection and rotation joint300as the rotation axis. According to the foregoing control method for the robotic arm10, a fixed point can be positioned conveniently and accurately. Moreover, it is ensured that the rotation of the surgical instrument20around the active remote-center-of-motion point A can be implemented without requiring the spatial positioning mechanism100to move, thereby reducing collision risk which may occur when a plurality of arms move cooperatively.

As shown inFIG.1, in a preferred implementation, when the tail end of the planar motion mechanism200of the robotic arm10is connected to the surgical instrument20via the first planar moving joint230, after the connection and rotation joint300and the planar motion mechanism200are controlled to move, the method further includes:controlling the first moving joint230to move, to operate the surgical instrument through the active remote-center-of-motion point A.

In the foregoing control method for the robotic arm10, after the step S803, the position of the surgical instrument20in the direction perpendicular to the axis of the connection and rotation joint300is adjusted by controlling the movement of the first planar moving joint230, to facilitate the surgical operations.

Various technical features of the foregoing embodiments can be combined in any manner. For simplicity of description, not all possible combinations of the technical features of the foregoing embodiments are described. However, it should be considered to fall within the scope recited in this specification, provided that there is no contradiction between the combinations of these technical features.

The foregoing embodiments are merely representatives of specific implementations of the present application, the descriptions of which are relatively specific and detailed, but should not be construed as limitations to scope of the present application. It should be pointed out that for persons of ordinary skills in the art, several deformations and improvements can be further made without departing from the concept of the present application, and the deformations and improvements all fall within the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application shall be based on the appended claims.