WO2015060207A1 - Manipulator system control method and manipulator system - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided is a control method for a manipulator system equipped with a manipulator having an end effector and a joint section and a manipulation input device which enables a moving direction of the end effector to be input via an operating member, wherein the joint section has a first joint which can swing about a first axis which aligns with the direction in which the end effector and the joint section are arranged and a second joint which is positioned ahead of the first joint and can swing about a second axis which is perpendicular to the first axis, said control means including a reception step (S2) for receiving a moving direction, a rotation step (S3) for actuating the first joint on the basis of the moving direction, a bending step (S6) for actuating the second joint, and a transition step (S5) for transitioning from the rotation step (S3) to the bending step (S6) in accordance with a change in the physical quantity of an operation performed on the operating member.

Description

Manipulator system control method and manipulator system

The present invention relates to a manipulator system control method and a manipulator system.

Conventionally, a medical manipulator system including a treatment instrument having an end effector and a joint part and an operation input device manually operated by an operator is known (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 3). The surgeon can remotely control the end effector in the body by operating the joint using the operation input device at hand. The operation input device of Patent Document 1 includes a master arm having a joint structure similar to the joint structure of the joint. The operation input devices of Patent Documents 2 and 3 include a joystick-type or key-type operation member.

Japanese Patent No. 5011060 JP 2009-101077 A JP-A-10-262900

However, in a treatment instrument having a rotary joint that can rotate around the longitudinal axis of the treatment instrument and a flexion joint that can bend in a direction crossing the longitudinal axis in order from the proximal end side, depending on the posture of the rotary joint, In some cases, the end effector cannot be moved directly in a desired direction only by operating the joint.

In such a case, in the operation input device of Patent Document 1, it is necessary to operate both the rotary joint and the flexion joint in combination, and the operator must calculate the operation direction and operation amount of these joints. Don't be. Such an operation is very complicated and requires a skill. In addition, when a plurality of joints are simultaneously operated using an operation input device having a similar structure to the treatment tool, there is a problem that the amount of movement of the master arm increases and it is difficult to reduce the size of the operation input device.
On the other hand, the operation input devices of Patent Documents 2 and 3 are suitable for miniaturization. However, as the rotary joint rotates, the correspondence between the bending direction of the bending joint of the treatment instrument displayed on the display and the input direction of the operating member at hand changes. As a result, the consistency with respect to the input / output direction is lost, and the operator cannot obtain the feedback of the operation direction of the operation member, so that the end effector cannot be operated intuitively.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and in a manipulator system including a manipulator having a rotating joint and a bending joint in order from the base end side, in any direction the end effector can be operated only by a simple operation. It is an object of the present invention to provide a manipulator system control method and a manipulator system that can be operated intuitively and that can downsize an operation input device.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following means.
A first aspect of the present invention includes a manipulator including an end effector and a joint portion in order from the distal end side, and an operation input device capable of inputting a moving direction of the end effector, and the joint portion includes the end effector and A first joint capable of swinging about a first axis along an arrangement direction with the joint portion, and a second axis positioned nearer to the distal side than the first joint and perpendicular to the first axis A manipulator system in which the operation input device has an operation member operable by an operator, and the moving direction is input by operating the operation member. A control method comprising: a receiving step for receiving the moving direction from the operation input device; a rotating step for operating the first joint based on the moving direction received in the receiving step; After the step, the bending step for operating the second joint based on the movement direction received in the receiving step, and the rotation step according to a change in the magnitude of the physical quantity of the operation performed on the operation member A manipulator system control method including a transition step of shifting from the bending step to the bending step.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, when the operation member is operated by the operator, the movement direction corresponding to the operation is received in the reception step, and the first joint is operated in the rotation step. The swinging direction of the second joint is adjusted to the moving direction, and then, in the bending step, the end effector moves in the moving direction by the operation of the second joint. Accordingly, the end effector can be moved in the moving direction regardless of the input moving direction.

In this case, in the transition step, the operated joint is switched from the first joint to the second joint in accordance with the change in the magnitude of the physical quantity of the operation performed on the operation member. In other words, the operator desires the end effector by a simple operation by giving an operation corresponding to the moving direction of the end effector to the operation member and then changing the physical quantity (for example, time, distance, pressure) of the operation. It can be moved intuitively in the direction. Further, since the operation input device only needs to be able to input at least the moving direction of the end effector, it can have a simple configuration and can be miniaturized.

In the first aspect, the receiving step receives the moving direction corresponding to a two-dimensional position or direction in which the operating member is operated, and the transition step is the same position or the same direction of the operation. In accordance with the change in the physical quantity, the rotation step may be shifted to the bending step.
By doing in this way, an operator operates the same position of an operation member or only operates an operation member in the same direction, and a 1st joint and a 2nd joint operate | move in order. That is, the surgeon can move the end effector with little movement of the hand arranged on the operation member.

In the first aspect, the physical quantity may be a time during which the operation member is operated or a movement amount of the operation member.
By doing so, the first joint and the second joint are sequentially turned by continuing the operation once given to the operation member by the operator or by changing the movement amount of the operation member. Operate. Thereby, the movement of the operator's hand necessary for moving the end effector can be further reduced.

The first aspect includes a bending direction determining step for determining whether or not a swingable direction of the second joint coincides with the moving direction, and the transition step includes the bending direction determining step. When it is determined that the swingable direction of the second joint coincides with the movement direction, the process may proceed to the bending step.
In this way, the end effector can be accurately moved in the input movement direction.

A second aspect of the present invention includes a manipulator having an end effector and a joint part in order from the distal end side, and an operation input device capable of inputting a moving direction of the end effector, wherein the joint part includes the end effector and the end effector. A first joint capable of swinging about a first axis along an arrangement direction with the joint portion, and a second axis positioned nearer to the distal side than the first joint and perpendicular to the first axis A manipulator system in which the operation input device has an operation member operable by an operator, and the moving direction is input by operating the operation member. A control method comprising: a receiving step of receiving the moving direction from the operation input device; a rotating step of operating the first joint based on the moving direction received in the receiving step; After the turning step, the swingable direction of the second joint is between the bending step for operating the second joint based on the moving direction received in the receiving step and the rotating step. A bending direction determination step for determining whether or not the movement direction coincides with the movement direction; and when the bending direction determination step determines that the swingable direction of the second joint coincides with the movement direction; A manipulator system control method including a transition step of transition from a rotation step to the bending step.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, when the first joint starts operating in the rotation step, it is determined in the bending direction determination step whether or not the rocking direction of the second joint matches the movement direction, When the swinging direction of the second joint coincides with the moving direction, the transition step shifts to the bending step. Accordingly, the end effector can be moved in the moving direction regardless of the input moving direction.

In this case, the operator can intuitively move the end effector in a desired direction by simply performing an operation corresponding to the moving direction of the end effector to the operation member. Further, since the operation input device only needs to be able to input at least the moving direction of the end effector, it can have a simple configuration and can be miniaturized.

In the first aspect and the second aspect, a return step of returning the second joint to a predetermined initial position may be included.
By doing so, the second joint can be returned to a predetermined initial position, for example, a position where the end effector, the first joint, and the second joint are arranged in a straight line.

In the first aspect and the second aspect, the return step may include a return command receiving step for receiving a return command for instructing the return of the second joint to the initial position.
In this way, the operator can return the second joint to a predetermined initial position at an arbitrary timing by inputting a return command.

In the first aspect and the second aspect, an operation speed of the first joint in the rotation step may be larger than an operation speed of the second joint in the bending step.
By doing so, the direction of the second joint is quickly adjusted, and the subsequent bending operation of the second joint is slowly performed. Accordingly, usability can be improved when a treatment such as an incision is performed using the movement of the end effector by the bending operation of the second joint.

A third aspect of the present invention includes an end effector and a joint portion in order from the distal end side, and the joint portion can swing around a first axis along the arrangement direction of the end effector and the joint portion. A manipulator having a first joint and a second joint which is located on the distal end side of the first joint and is swingable about a second axis perpendicular to the first axis; and operated by an operator An operation input device capable of inputting a movement direction of the end effector by operating the operation member, and the first input based on the movement direction input to the operation input device. A control device that sequentially activates the joint and the second joint, the control device actuates the first joint, and then changes in the magnitude of the physical quantity of the operation performed on the operation member The second joint is made according to Is a manipulator system to be.

A fourth aspect of the present invention includes an end effector and a joint portion in order from the distal end side, and the joint portion can swing around a first axis along the arrangement direction of the end effector and the joint portion. A manipulator having a first joint and a second joint which is located on the distal end side of the first joint and is swingable about a second axis perpendicular to the first axis; and operated by an operator An operation input device capable of inputting a movement direction of the end effector by operating the operation member, and the first input based on the movement direction input to the operation input device. A control device that sequentially operates the joint and the second joint, the control device operates the first joint, and then the swingable direction of the second joint is the moving direction. If the second joint is Is a manipulator system to be.

According to the present invention, it is possible to intuitively operate the end effector in any direction with only a simple operation, and the operation input device can be reduced in size.

1 is an overall configuration diagram of a manipulator system according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is the (a) front view and (b) side view which looked at the structure of the end effector and joint part of the treatment tool with which the manipulator system of FIG. It is a front view which shows the structure of the operation input apparatus with which the manipulator system of FIG. 1 is provided. It is a side view which shows the modification of the end effector and joint part of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the modification of the operation input device of FIG. It is a figure explaining the operating method of the end effector using the direction key of FIG. 3, and has shown the operation | movement of the joint part in (a) reception step, (b) rotation step, and (c) bending step. It is a figure explaining the relationship between the coordinate system of (a) endoscope insertion part and treatment tool, (b) endoscope image, and (c) direction key. It is a flowchart which shows the control method of the manipulator system which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the modification of the control method of the manipulator system of FIG. (A), (b) It is a front view of the modification of an operation input device provided with a mode switching button. It is a figure explaining the modification of the control method of a manipulator system, and has shown the operation | movement of the joint part in (a) reception step, (b) return step, (c) rotation step, and (d) bending step. It is a figure explaining another modification of the control method of a manipulator system, and shows operation of a joint part in (a) reception step, (b) rotation step, and (c) bending step. It is a front view of the modification of the operation input device provided with a return button. (A), (b), (c) It is a figure which shows the modification of the operation input device provided with a joystick, and is a figure explaining operation | movement of a joystick.

Hereinafter, a medical manipulator system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
As shown in FIG. 1, a manipulator system 100 according to the present embodiment includes a flexible endoscope 1 and a treatment instrument (manipulator) that can be inserted into a channel 12 of the endoscope 1 along the longitudinal direction. 2, an operation input device 3 for inputting an operation instruction for the treatment tool 2 by an operator (operator), and a control device 4 for controlling the joint portion 23 of the treatment tool 2.

The endoscope 1 includes an elongated insertion portion 11 having flexibility, and a channel 12 formed through the insertion portion 11 in the longitudinal direction. Further, the endoscope 1 has a camera 13 for taking a bird's-eye view of the treatment instrument 2 protruding from the outlet of the channel 12 on the distal end surface, and outputs an endoscope image acquired by the camera 13 to the display unit 5. To do.
Note that the endoscope 1 is not limited to softness, and may be hard according to the application.

The treatment instrument 2 includes an elongated body 21 having flexibility, an end effector 22 that is positioned on the distal end side of the body 21 and treats a treatment site, and a joint 23 that connects the body 21 and the end effector 22. And a drive unit 24 for driving the joint unit 23. In FIG. 1, the drive unit 24 is provided integrally with the control device 4, but the drive unit 24 may be separate from the control device 4.
The end effector 22 is a tip member used for general surgical treatment tools such as forceps, scissors, needle holders, electrodes, and staplers.

As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the joint portion 23 includes a first joint 23a and a second joint 23b in order from the proximal end side. The first joint 23 a is a rotary joint provided so as to be rotatable around a first axis A <b> 1 that is coaxial with the central axis of the trunk portion 21. The end effector 22 can be rotated in the circumferential direction by the rotation of the first joint 23a. The second joint 23 b is a bending joint that is provided so as to be swingable around a second axis A 2 that is perpendicular to the first axis A 1, and that can be bent in a direction that intersects the central axis of the body portion 21. By bending the second joint 23b, the end effector 22 can move in a direction intersecting with the central axis of the trunk portion 21. Here, the end effector 22 has a left-right (LR) direction defined, and the second joint 23b and the end effector 22 are provided to be movable in the LR direction.

In addition, in this embodiment, in order to simplify description, although the joint part 23 provided only with two joints 23a and 23b is demonstrated, in addition to these two joints 23a and 23b, the joint part 23 is further joint. May be provided. For example, a third joint that can swing around a third axis perpendicular to the first axis A1 may be further provided on the distal end side of the second joint 23b.

The drive unit 24 receives a first control signal or a second control signal, which will be described later, from the control device 4, drives the first joint 23a according to the first control signal, and the second control signal according to the second control signal. The joint 23b is driven.

As shown in FIG. 3, the operation input device 3 includes a main body 31 having a shape and dimensions that can be held by one hand of an operator (operator), and direction keys (operation members) provided on the main body 31. 32. The direction key 32 is provided at a position where it can be operated by the thumb T of one hand holding the main body 31. The direction key 32 is defined in up, down, left, and right (UDLR) directions, and is configured to be able to input two-dimensional directions, preferably all directions. The operation input device 3 transmits the direction in which the direction key 32 is pressed as the input direction (movement direction) to the control device 4 by wireless communication, for example.

4 and 5 show modifications of the end effector 22 and the operation input device 3. As shown in FIG. 4, the gripping forceps as the end effector 22 may swing to both sides thereof. In this case, an open / close switch 34 for opening and closing the grasping forceps is provided on the back side of the main body 31 with respect to the direction key 32, for example.

The control device 4 sequentially generates the first control signal and the second control signal based on the input direction received from the operation input device 3, and transmits the generated control signal to the drive unit 24. Is controlled in two stages. Specifically, when receiving the input direction, the control device 4 first rotates the first joint 23a so that the LR direction of the end effector 22 in the endoscopic image matches the input direction. The first control signal is generated, and the first control signal is transmitted to the drive unit 24, thereby rotating the first joint 23a. After the LR direction of the end effector 22 in the endoscopic image matches the input direction, the control device 4 subsequently generates a second control signal for bending the second joint 23b in the input direction, By transmitting the second control signal to the drive unit 24, the second joint 23b is bent. As described above, the first joint 23a and the second joint 23b are sequentially operated with the lapse of the pressing time (physical quantity) of the direction key 32, whereby the end effector 22 is moved in the direction input to the direction key 32. Move.

For example, as shown in FIGS. 6A to 6C, the LR direction of the end effector 22 in the endoscopic image matches the LR direction of the endoscopic image (LR direction in FIG. 6). When the lower left corner of the direction key 32 is pressed (see FIG. 6A), the control device 4 rotates the first joint 23a by 45 ° counterclockwise in the endoscopic image. The LR direction of the end effector 22 is directed to an oblique direction connecting the upper right and lower left of the endoscopic image (see FIG. 6B). Next, the control device 4 bends the second joint 23b in the L direction (see FIG. 6C). Thereby, the end effector 22 moves to the lower left as input to the direction key 32.

Here, as long as the control device 4 continuously receives the input direction from the operation input device 3, the control device 4 sequentially generates the first control signal and the second control signal in the above-described procedure. If transmission in the input direction from the operation input device 3 is interrupted, the control device 4 stops the drive unit 24 by stopping the generation of the control signal. That is, the operator can operate the first joint 23a and the second joint 23b in order by continuously depressing the same direction of the direction key 32 to move the end effector 22 in a desired direction. .

As described above, in order to align the end effector 22 with respect to the input direction, the control device 4 needs to recognize the current LR direction of the end effector 22 in the endoscope image. 7A to 7C show the coordinate system Σ _endoscope of the insertion portion 11, the coordinate system Σ _instrument of the treatment instrument 2 in the insertion portion 11, the coordinate system Σ _{display of the} endoscope image, and the main body 31. This shows the relationship with the coordinate system Σ _master .

The orientation of the end effector 22 in the endoscopic image in the LR direction is determined using, for example, an image recognition technique such as detection of the shape of the end effector 22 in the endoscopic image or detection of a marker provided on the end effector 22. Detected. Alternatively, after the treatment instrument 2 is inserted into the channel 12, an initial operation is performed so that the LR direction of the end effector 22 in the endoscopic image faces a predetermined initial direction, and the rotation angle of the first joint 23a thereafter May be detected by an encoder or the like, and the current LR direction of the end effector 22 may be calculated by integrating the detected rotation angles. Alternatively, instead of performing the initial operation, the cross-sectional shape of the channel 12 and the body portion 21 may be non-circular, or the channel 12 may be disposed in the channel 12 so that the relative position in the circumferential direction of the body portion 21 with respect to the insertion portion 11 is constant. A structure for preventing the rotation of the body portion 21 may be provided.

Next, the operation of the manipulator system 100 configured as described above will be described with reference to FIG.
In order to treat an affected area using the manipulator system 100 according to the present embodiment, first, the insertion unit 11 is inserted into the body, and is inserted at a position where a treatment site is observed in an endoscopic image displayed on the display unit 5. The tip of the part 11 is arranged. Next, the treatment instrument 2 is inserted into the channel 12. The surgeon can observe the end effector 22 and the joint portion 23 protruding from the outlet of the channel 12 with an endoscopic image. The orientation of the end effector 22 in the endoscopic image in the LR direction is detected by providing a structure in which the relative position between the endoscope 1 and the treatment instrument 2 is constant as described above, or by image recognition or the like. The detected direction is stored in the control device 4 (step S1).

Next, the operator grasps the main body 31 so that the UDLR direction of the endoscopic image and the UDLR direction of the direction key 32 substantially coincide with each other, and starts to move the end effector 22 by pressing the direction key 32. . While the direction key 32 is kept pressed, the input direction is continuously transmitted from the operation input device 3 to the control device 4 (reception step S2). The control device 4 first rotates the first joint 23a by generating a first control signal according to the received input direction (rotation step S3), and matches the LR direction of the end effector 22 with the input direction (bending). Direction determination step S4). After the direction adjustment of the end effector 22 is completed (YES in step S4), when the input direction is still received (transition step S5), the control device 4 continues to send the second control signal. By generating, the second joint 23b is bent in the input direction (bending step S6). As a result, the end effector 22 moves in the input direction.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, when the end effector 22 cannot be directly moved in the input direction only by bending the second joint 23b, the first joint 23a is first rotated to rotate the second joint 23b. The second joint 23b is aligned so that the bendable direction of the joint 23b coincides with the input direction, and then the second joint 23b bends in the input direction. At this time, the operator does not need to calculate the operation direction and the operation amount of each joint 23a, 23b, or to operate each of the two joints 23a, 23b, and presses the end effector 22 of the direction key 32. Just keep pressing the direction you want to move.

Here, the operation speed of the first joint 23a is preferably larger than the operation speed of the second joint 23b. By doing in this way, the direction alignment to an input direction can be performed quickly and the swing operation of the 2nd joint 23b can be performed slowly. Such a configuration is preferable because it is easy to use when the tissue is incised using the operation of the second joint 23b.

Thus, there is an advantage that the end effector 22 can be intuitively moved in any desired direction by only a single simple operation. In addition, since the surgeon does not need to visually check the directional key 32 at hand, it is possible to keep an eye on the end effector 22 in the endoscopic image, and to focus attention on the operation of the end effector 22. There is an advantage that can be. Furthermore, since only the moving direction of the end effector 22 is necessary for the control of the joints 23a and 23b, and the direction key 32 having a simple configuration is sufficient, a small operation input device 3 that can be held with one hand is realized. Can do.

The first joint 23a can be rotated clockwise and counterclockwise. However, the rotation direction of the first joint 23a in the rotation step S3 may be a predetermined direction, depending on the situation. May be selected. For example, the control device 4 may select the clockwise direction or the counterclockwise direction that requires a smaller amount of rotation. Alternatively, when the angle of the first joint 23a when the LR direction of the endoscopic image matches the LR direction of the end effector 22 in the endoscopic image is 0 °, the first joint When the rotation angle of 23a exceeds 90 °, the LR direction of the endoscopic image and the LR direction of the end effector 22 in the endoscopic image are reversed, and the end effector while observing the endoscopic image 22 intuitive operation becomes difficult. In order to avoid such a situation, the rotation direction of the first joint 23a may be controlled so that the rotation angle of the first joint 23a is within a range of −90 ° to + 90 °. Further, when the rotation angle approaches the operation limit, the rotation angle may be rotated 180 degrees and then rotated in the direction in which the rotation amount is small.

In the present embodiment, the first joint 23a and the second joint 23b are operated in order by long pressing the direction key 32, but instead, the direction key 32 is pushed. The first joint 23a and the second joint 23b may be sequentially operated by changing the amount (physical amount, movement amount).

For example, referring to FIG. 9, a case where the direction key 32 is configured to be able to change the pressing amount in two steps of half-pressing and full-pressing will be described. First, the operator presses the direction key 32 half-pressed. (Reception step S2). In a state where the direction key 32 is half-pressed (NO in transition step S7), the control device 4 generates the first control signal to rotate the first joint 23a (rotation step S3), and the second The direction of the joint 23b is aligned (bending direction determination step S4). After the rotation of the first joint 23a stops (YES in Step S4), the operator fully presses the direction key 32 (Reception Step S2). In the state where the direction key 32 is fully pressed (YES in transition step S7), the control device 4 generates the second control signal and bends the second joint 23b (bending step S6). The effector 22 moves in the input direction.

As described above, even when the amount of pressing of the direction key 32 is changed, the first joint 23a and the second joint 23b are sequentially operated in order while the thumb T is placed at the same position of the direction key 32. Can do. Further, unlike the configuration using the long press described above, the operator can determine the timing of the start of bending of the second joint 23b, and the usability can be further improved.

If the direction key 32 is fully pressed before the direction adjustment of the second joint 23b is completed, it can be dealt with by one of the following first to third methods. One of the following first to third methods may be selected by the surgeon.

As a first method, the rotation of the first joint 23a is continued until the direction alignment of the second joint 23b is completed, and the second joint 23b is bent after the direction alignment is completed.
As a second method, when the direction key 32 is fully pressed, the rotation of the first joint 23a is stopped and the bending of the second joint 23b is started.
As a third method, the operation of both the joints 23a and 23b is forcibly stopped, and a notification signal indicating that the direction alignment of the second joint 23b is incomplete is output. The forced stop can be canceled by, for example, pressing any direction of the direction key 32 halfway.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B, a rotation mode for rotating the first joint 23a and a bending mode for bending the second joint 23b are alternatively selected. A mode changeover switch 7 may be provided in the main body 31. The mode switch 7 is provided at a position where it can be operated with a finger different from the thumb T, and the surgeon can switch the mode while the thumb T is placed on the direction key 32.

The mode change-over switch 7 shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B is a push button type, and as shown in FIG. 10A, when the mode change-over switch 7 is in the non-depressed state, the control device 4 The rotation mode is selected, and the first joint 23a is rotated when the direction key 32 is pressed. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 10B, when the mode changeover switch 7 is in the pressed state, the control device 4 selects the bending mode and moves the second joint 23b when the direction key 32 is pressed. Bend. However, in the bending mode, the control device 4 determines whether or not the LR direction of the end effector 22 in the endoscopic image matches the input direction, and the operation of the second joint 23b is performed only when they match. It is supposed to let you.
Thus, by providing the mode changeover switch 7, the end effector 22 can be operated intuitively and with the thumb T placed at the same position of the direction key 32.

Further, in the present embodiment, when another direction is input to the direction key 32 in a state where the second joint 23b is bent, as shown in FIGS. After performing a return step (see FIG. 11B) for returning the joint 23b of the second joint 23b to an initial position where the end effector 22 and the body portion 21 are arranged in a straight line (that is, to 0 °). The rotation step S3 and subsequent steps (see FIGS. 11C and 11D) may be executed.

When the first joint 23a is rotated while the second joint 23b is bent, the movement range of the end effector 22 is widened. Therefore, before the first joint 23a is rotated, the end effector 22 can be smoothly moved even in a narrow space by executing a return step to return the second joint 23b to the initial position.
Alternatively, as shown in FIGS. 12A to 12C, the rotation step S3 and subsequent steps may be executed while the second joint 23b is bent.

Furthermore, a first mode in which the rotation step S3 and subsequent steps are executed after the return step is executed, and a second mode in which the rotation step S3 and subsequent steps are executed while the return step is omitted and the second joint 23b is bent. It may be configured to be switchable depending on the situation. For example, when the end effector 22 is in contact with tissue and an external force greater than or equal to a predetermined value is applied to the end effector 22, the first mode is selected, and the magnitude of the external force is less than the predetermined value The second mode may be selected.

This mode switching may be automatically performed by the control device 4. For example, when an external force of a predetermined value or more is applied to the end effector 22, the operator is switched to the first mode. An alert for prompting may be output. In the second mode, only the rotation step S3 may be executed and the bending step S6 may be prohibited. Alternatively, a means for selectively selecting the first mode and the second mode (for example, a switch similar to the mode change-over switch 7 in FIG. 10) is provided in the main body 31, and the operator can select the first mode and the second mode. One of the two modes may be selectable.

In the present embodiment, the return button 8 may be provided on the main body 31 as shown in FIG. The return button 8 is also preferably provided at a position on the main body 31 that can be operated with a finger different from the thumb T. In this case, the control device 4 receives a return command from the operation input device 3 when the return button 8 is pressed (return command receiving step), and based on the return command, at least the second joint 23b is set to the initial position. Force return.
By doing so, the surgeon can return the second joint 23b to the initial position at an arbitrary timing. In this case, not only the second joint 23b but also the first joint 23a has a predetermined initial position (for example, the LR direction of the endoscopic image and the LR direction of the end effector 22 in the endoscopic image). It may be configured to return to a matching position.

In the present embodiment, the direction key 32 has been described as the operation member. Instead, as shown in FIGS. 14A to 14C, two-dimensional plural directions, preferably all directions. Alternatively, a joystick 33 that can be tilted may be used.

In this case, in response to half-press and full-press of the direction key 32, the control device 4 shifts from the rotation step S3 to the bending step S6 in accordance with the change in the tilt angle (physical amount, movement amount) of the joystick 33. For example, the joystick 33 is configured to be able to change the tilt angle between a shallow first angle (see FIG. 14B) and a deep second angle (see FIG. 14C). The control device 4 is configured to execute the rotation step S3 when the tilt angle of the joystick 33 is the first angle, and to execute the bending step S6 when the tilt angle of the joystick 33 is the second angle. Also good.
Even in this case, the surgeon intuitively moves the end effector 22 in any desired direction by simply tilting the joystick 33 in one direction and then changing the tilt angle. Can do.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Endoscope 11 Insertion part 12 Channel 13 Camera 2 Treatment tool (manipulator)
21 body 22 end effector 23 joint 23a first joint 23b second joint 24 drive unit 3 operation input device 31 main body 32 direction key (operation member)
33 Joystick (operating member)
4 Control Device 5 Display Unit 7 Mode Changeover Switch 8 Return Button 100 Manipulator System A1 First Axis A2 Second Axis T Thumb S2, S5 Reception Step S3 Rotation Step S4 Bending Direction Determination Step S5, S7 Transition Step S6 Bending Step

Claims (10)

A manipulator having an end effector and a joint portion in order from the distal end side, and an operation input device capable of inputting the moving direction of the end effector, the joint portion being along the arrangement direction of the end effector and the joint portion A first joint that can swing around a first axis, and a second joint that can swing around a second axis that is positioned distal to the first joint and perpendicular to the first axis A control method of a manipulator system in which the operation input device has an operation member operable by an operator, and the movement direction is input by operating the operation member,
A receiving step of receiving the moving direction from the operation input device;
A rotating step of actuating the first joint based on the movement direction received in the receiving step;
A bending step of actuating the second joint based on the direction of movement received in the receiving step after the rotating step;
A control method for a manipulator system including a transition step of shifting from the rotation step to the bending step according to a change in the magnitude of a physical quantity of an operation performed on the operation member. The receiving step receives the moving direction corresponding to a two-dimensional position or direction in which the operating member is operated,
The manipulator system control method according to claim 1, wherein the transition step transitions from the rotation step to the bending step in accordance with a change in the physical quantity of the operation at the same position or in the same direction. 3. The manipulator system control method according to claim 2, wherein the physical quantity is a time during which the operation member is operated or a movement amount of the operation member. A bending direction determination step of determining whether or not a swingable direction of the second joint coincides with the movement direction;
4. The transition step according to claim 1, wherein the transition step transitions to the bending step when it is determined in the bending direction determination step that the swingable direction of the second joint coincides with the movement direction. The control method of the manipulator system in any one. A manipulator having an end effector and a joint portion in order from the distal end side, and an operation input device capable of inputting the moving direction of the end effector, the joint portion being along the arrangement direction of the end effector and the joint portion A first joint that can swing around a first axis, and a second joint that can swing around a second axis that is positioned distal to the first joint and perpendicular to the first axis A control method of a manipulator system in which the operation input device has an operation member operable by an operator, and the movement direction is input by operating the operation member,
A receiving step of receiving the moving direction from the operation input device;
A rotating step of actuating the first joint based on the movement direction received in the receiving step;
A bending step of actuating the second joint based on the direction of movement received in the receiving step after the rotating step;
A bending direction determination step of determining whether or not a swingable direction of the second joint coincides with the movement direction during the rotation step;
Control of the manipulator system including a transition step of shifting from the rotation step to the bending step when it is determined in the bending direction determining step that the swingable direction of the second joint coincides with the moving direction Method. The method for controlling a manipulator system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a return step of returning the second joint to a predetermined initial position. The manipulator control method according to claim 6, wherein the return step includes a return command receiving step of receiving a return command for commanding the return of the second joint to the initial position. The control method of the manipulator system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein an operation speed of the first joint in the rotation step is higher than an operation speed of the second joint in the bending step. A first joint comprising an end effector and a joint portion in order from the distal end side, wherein the joint portion is swingable about a first axis along an arrangement direction of the end effector and the joint portion; A manipulator having a second joint that is swingable around a second axis that is positioned distal to the joint and perpendicular to the first axis;
An operation input device having an operation member operable by an operator and capable of inputting a moving direction of the end effector by operating the operation member;
A controller that sequentially activates the first joint and the second joint based on the movement direction input to the operation input device;
The manipulator system in which the control device operates the first joint and then operates the second joint in accordance with a change in the magnitude of the physical quantity of the operation performed on the operation member. A first joint comprising an end effector and a joint portion in order from the distal end side, wherein the joint portion is swingable about a first axis along an arrangement direction of the end effector and the joint portion; A manipulator having a second joint that is swingable around a second axis that is positioned distal to the joint and perpendicular to the first axis;
An operation input device having an operation member operable by an operator and capable of inputting a moving direction of the end effector by operating the operation member;
A controller that sequentially activates the first joint and the second joint based on the movement direction input to the operation input device;
The control device operates the first joint, and then operates the second joint when the swingable direction of the second joint matches the moving direction.

Images