Medical master/slave type device for minimally invasive surgery

1. Apparatus for Minimal Invasive Surgery (MIS) comprising

a master device,

a slave device,

a detector for detecting a parameter of, or associated with, the slave device, and

a shape locking system for locking the shape of the master device in response to a parameter detected by the detector, wherein the apparatus further comprises a detector adapted to detect when the slave device touches or moves close to a boundary and for signaling to the shape locking system when the slave device has come within a predetermined distance or is touching the boundary.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the master device and the slave device are operatively connected to one another such that movement of the master device maps directly onto the slave device.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the master device and the slave device each have the same architecture.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the master device and the slave device each comprise a hyper redundant robot.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the detector comprises a sensor adapted to measure contact forces and/or torques applied to the slave device.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the shape locking system is adapted to lock a portion only of the master device.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1 comprising a trigger to enable an operator of the apparatus to activate the shape locking system either partially or totally.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7 further comprising an actuator for actuating the shape locking system.

9. An apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the master device comprises a plurality of shape-lockable elements positioned axially along the length of the master device, which elements are shaped to engage with one another.

10. An apparatus according to claim 9 comprising a tendon extending along the length of the master device.

11. An apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the actuator is operatively connected to the tendon and is adapted to introduce tension into the tendon in order to activate the shape locking system.

12. An apparatus according to claim 9 wherein each shape lockable element comprises a lock portion adapted to engage with the corresponding lock portion on an adjacent element.

13. An apparatus according to claim 12 wherein each element comprises a plurality of lock portions each of which lock portions is adapted to engage with the corresponding one of a plurality lock portions on adjacent element.

14. An apparatus according to claim 13 wherein each element comprises a plurality of pits at one end thereof, and bump an opposite end thereof, the pits being shaped to locate and engage with corresponding bumps on an adjacent element, and vice versa.

15. An apparatus according to claim 13 further comprising a sensor for sensing the shape of the master device.

16. An apparatus according to claim 15 wherein the sensor comprises one or more of: an inertial sensor; an accelerometer; a gyroscope; and magnetometer.

17. Apparatus according to claim 16 wherein the actuator includes a motor.

18. Apparatus according to claim 17 further comprising a master console operatively positioned between the master device and the slave device.

19. A method for carrying out minimal invasive surgery using an apparatus, comprising

providing a master device and a slave device,

causing a detector to detect a parameter of, or associated with, the slave device,

causing a shape locking system to lock the shape of the master device in response to a parameter detected by the detector; and

causing a detector to detect when the slave device touches or move close to a boundary and causing the detector device to signal to the shape locking system when the slave device has come within a predetermined distance or is touching the boundary.