Working mechanism for medical manipulator and cleaning method therefor
View Patent ↗A working mechanism for a medical manipulator and a cleaning method therefor are provided. A working unit of a medical manipulator is equipped with a hollow connecting shaft, wires of a motive force transmitting member disposed in the connecting shaft, and a distal end working unit disposed on one end of the connecting shaft and which is moved by the wires. A cover covers at least a portion of the distal end working unit. A gap is provided between the cover and the connecting shaft, with oblong holes being disposed laterally on right and left sides of the cover. A cleaning agent is made to flow through the holes and the gap and/or a brush may be inserted through the holes and the gap for cleaning the distal end working unit.
1. A working mechanism for a medical manipulator, comprising:
a hollow shaft;
a motive force transmitting member disposed in the shaft;
a working unit disposed at one end of the shaft and equipped with a distal end working unit, which is moved by the motive force transmitting member; and
a cover that covers at least a portion of the distal end working unit and is movable with respect to the shaft together with the distal end working unit,
wherein a gap is provided between the cover and the shaft, the gap partially exposing the motive force transmitting member and communicating with a hollow space of the shaft,
holes are disposed laterally on both sides of the cover, the holes partially exposing a driving part of the distal end working unit which is disposed in the interior of the cover, and
the holes, the gap, and the hollow space defining a flow path, wherein the distal end working unit can be cleaned by flow of a cleaning solution through the flow path.
2. The working mechanism for a medical manipulator according to claim 1 , wherein each of the holes is formed as an elongate slit in a longitudinal direction of the working unit.
3. The working mechanism for a medical manipulator according to claim 2 , wherein both ends of each of the holes have semicircular shapes.
4. The working mechanism for a medical manipulator according to claim 1 , wherein the cover includes a tubular portion on a proximal end side thereof, and a pair of ears which project from sides of the tubular portion toward a distal end of the cover, and
at least one of the holes is provided over an area from the tubular portion to the ear.