IP Library Granted Patent US 12708248
Granted Patent B2
US 12708248 · App. 18/813,881 · Granted Aug 18, 2026

Medical manipulator system and manipulation device

Inventors: Shota Sawada (Kokubunji, JP); Noriaki Yamanaka (Hachioji, JP); Takahiro Komuro (Hachioji, JP); Yuji Sakaki (Tachikawa, JP); Kosuke Kishi (Mitaka, JP); Michito Matsuoka (Hachioji, JP); Tatsuya Horiuchi (Sagamihara, JP); Masao Nichogi (Koza-gun, JP); Shu Kambe (Tokyo, JP); Toshihiro Yoshii (Hachioji, JP); Hiroshi Ashiba (Hachioji, JP); Hiroki Jinnai (Musashino, JP); Soichiro Koshika (Koganei, JP); Ryota Yanagawa (Hachioji, JP)
Assignee: OLYMPUS MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORP.
A61B1/00006A61B1/00039A61B1/00133A61B1/0016A61B1/0051A61B1/0057A61B34/37A61B34/71G16H40/63A61B2034/301A61B2090/066A61M25/0147
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12708248
App. No.
18/813,881
Granted
Aug 18, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A medical manipulator system includes: a medical manipulator including an insertion portion having a bending portion and a wire connected to the bending portion; a drive device connected to the medical manipulator and driving the wire to bend the bending portion, wherein the drive device pulls the wire at a higher speed when the wire is slack than when the wire is not slack, and determines whether the wire is slack or not based on a comparison between a threshold tension estimated from a shape of the insertion portion and a tension of the wire.

Claims (39)

1 . A medical manipulator system comprising:

a medical manipulator including an insertion portion having a bending portion and a wire connected to the bending portion;

an actuator configured to drive the wire to bend the bending portion; and

a controller configured to:

receive a manipulation input for controlling the actuator to drive the wire to bend the bending portion;

control the actuator to pull the wire at a higher speed when the wire is slack than when the wire is not slack, and

determine whether the wire is slack or not based on a comparison between a threshold tension estimated based on a shape of the insertion portion and a tension of the wire.

2 . The medical manipulator system according to claim 1 , wherein the threshold tension is the tension of the wire when the to bend the bending portion starts to bend.

3 . The medical manipulator system according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:

determine whether the wire is slack based on a range in which the wire is slack, the range being estimated based on the shape of the insertion portion.

4 . The medical manipulator system according to claim 1 , wherein the wire has a first wire and a second wire fixed on both sides of a central axis extending in a longitudinal direction of the bending portion, and the first wire and the second wire have slack even when the bending portion is in a straight state.

5 . The medical manipulator system according to claim 4 , wherein the controller is further configured to:

estimate an amount of change in slack of the second wire based on an amount of change in slack of the first wire; and

estimate a range in which the second wire is slack.

6 . The medical manipulator system according to claim 4 , wherein the controller is further configured to control the actuator to adjust an amount of slack of the first wire and the second wire by pulling or releasing the first wire and the second wire.

7 . The medical manipulator system according to claim 6 , wherein, when the controller determines that the insertion portion is bent and a path length of at least on of the first wire or the second wire has increased, the controller is further configured to control the actuator to release the first wire or the second wire by an amount corresponding to the increase in the path length.

8 . The medical manipulator system according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:

estimate an excess length of the wire; and

estimate a total bending angle of the insertion portion based on the excess length.

9 . A system comprising:

a control device configured to:

receive a manipulation input for controlling an actuator to drive a wire connected to a bending portion of an insertion portion of a medical manipulator, to bend the bending portion;

control the actuator to pull the wire at a higher speed when the wire is slack, compared to when the wire is not slack; and

determine whether the wire is slack or not based on a comparison between a threshold tension estimated based on a shape of the insertion portion and a tension of the wire.

10 . The system according to claim 9 , wherein the threshold tension is a tension of the wire when the bending portion starts to bend.

11 . The system according to claim 9 , wherein the control device is further configured to determine whether the wire is slack or not based on a range in which the wire is slack, the range being estimated based on the shape of the insertion portion.

12 . The system according to claim 9 , wherein the control device is further configured to:

determine an excess length of the wire; and

estimate a total bending angle of the insertion portion based on the excess length.

13 . A method comprising:

receiving a manipulation input for controlling an actuator to drive a wire connected to a bending portion of an insertion portion of a medical manipulator, to bend the bending portion;

controlling the actuator to pull the wire at a higher speed when the wire is slack compared to when the wire is not slack; and

determining whether the wire is slack or not based on a comparison between a threshold tension estimated based on a shape of the insertion portion and a tension of the wire.

14 . The control method according to claim 13 , wherein the threshold tension is the tension of the wire when the bending portion starts to bend.

15 . The control method according to claim 13 , further comprising:

determining whether the wire is slack based on a range in which the wire is slack, the range being estimated from the shape of the insertion portion.

16 . The control method according to claim 13 , further comprising:

estimating an excess length of the wire together with determining whether the wire is slack or not; and

estimating a total bending angle of the insertion portion based on the excess length.