Controllable steerable instrument

1. A steerable instrument ( 100 ) controllable by a robotic arm ( 200 ), having a proximal end ( 20 ) and a distal ( 40 ) end comprising:

a shaft ( 130 ), a bendable proximal part ( 120 ) configured to bend along a curve and a bendable distal part ( 140 ) configured to bend along a curve,

a connector ( 110 ) having an axis of rotation ( 112 ) configured for dismountable attachment to the robotic arm ( 200 ), attached in fixed rotational relation along a longitudinal axis to the bendable proximal part ( 120 ),

an end effector ( 150 ) having an axis of rotation ( 150 ) attached in fixed rotational relation along a longitudinal axis to the bendable distal part ( 140 ), the steerable instrument ( 100 ) configured such that:

the bendable distal part ( 140 ) bends responsive to bending of the bendable proximal part ( 120 ), and

the end effector ( 150 ) is rotatable around its axis of rotation ( 150 ) when the bendable distal part ( 140 ) is in a bent position by a complementary rotation of the connector ( 110 ) around its axis of rotation ( 112 ),

wherein the rotation of the connector ( 110 ) around its axis of rotation ( 112 ) rotates the bendable proximal part ( 120 ) in a bent position that is transmitted via an axial (A-A′) rotation of the shaft ( 130 ) to the bendable distal part ( 140 ) in the bent position causing rotation of the end effector ( 150 ) around its axis of rotation ( 152 ) while the bendable distal part ( 140 ) is in the bent position, the shaft ( 130 ) is pivotable around a fulcrum zone ( 134 ) on the shaft ( 130 ) and changes direction pivoted around the fulcrum zone ( 134 ) responsive to a complementary movement of the connector ( 110 ),

thereby providing control of the shaft ( 130 ) direction, bending of the bendable distal part ( 140 ), and rotation of the end effector ( 150 ) through robotic movement of the connector ( 110 ).

2. The steerable instrument ( 100 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the connector ( 110 ) is configured to engage with a complementary fitting ( 260 ) of the robotic arm, such that the connector ( 110 ) is maintained in fixed rotational and positional relation with the fitting ( 260 ) and thus rotational and positional movements of the fitting ( 260 ) are directly transmitted to the connector ( 110 ) and to the bendable proximal part ( 120 ).

3. The steerable instrument ( 100 ) according to claim 1 , wherein steerable instrument ( 100 ) is further configured such that the direction of the end effector ( 150 ) is changeable while the shaft is in a fixed rotational position by a complementary movement of the connector ( 110 ).

4. The steerable instrument ( 100 ) according to claim 1 , wherein connector ( 110 ) comprises a rigid member for dismountable attachment to a complementary fitting on the robotic arm ( 200 ).

5. The steerable instrument according to claim 1 , further comprising a motion amplifier region wherein consecutive plane sections therein gradually increase in size in the distal ( 40 ) to the proximal ( 20 ) direction, optionally disposed at least partially within the bendable proximal part ( 120 ), configured such that bending of the bendable distal part ( 140 ) responsive to bending of the bendable proximal part ( 120 ) is motion amplified.

6. The steerable instrument ( 100 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the robotic arm ( 200 ) comprises a base end ( 232 ), an effector end ( 262 ) and a plurality of intervening linkages ( 230 a - h ) connected by joints ( 220 a - i ), wherein the arrangement of links and joints provides at least 6 degrees of freedom of movement to the effector end ( 260 ), wherein the effector end ( 262 ) is attached to a fitting ( 260 ) for dismountable attachment to the connector ( 110 ).

7. A system comprising a steerable instrument ( 100 ) according to claim 1 , and a robotic arm ( 200 ) that comprises a base end ( 232 ), an effector end ( 262 ) and a plurality of intervening linkages ( 230 a - h ) connected by joints ( 220 a - i ), wherein the arrangement of links and joints provides at least 6 degrees of freedom of movement to the effector end ( 260 ), wherein the effector end ( 262 ) is attached to a fitting ( 260 ) for dismountable attachment to the connector ( 110 ).

8. The system according to claim 7 , wherein the last two joints ( FIG. 13 —R 7 , R 8 ) or three joints ( FIG. 10 —R 5 , R 6 , R 7 ; FIG. 11 R 7 , R 8 , R 9 ; FIG. 12 R 7 , R 8 , R 9 ) from the effector end ( 262 ) of the robotic arm ( 200 ) are arranged such that their axes of rotation intersect, and pass through a zone of motion ( 122 ) of the bendable proximal part ( 120 ) or through a geometric centre of the zone of motion ( 122 ), wherein the zone of motion ( 122 ) of the bendable proximal part ( 120 ) is a zone coinciding with a central axis (A-A′) of the shaft where a central axis ( 152 ) of the connector ( 110 ), for different connector ( 110 ) directions, intersects.

9. The system according to claim 7 , wherein robotic arm ( 200 ) comprises an adjustable or non-adjustable supporting arm ( 230 f , 252 ) attachable at a first end to one of the robotic arm ( 200 ) linkages ( 230 f ) and attachable at a second end to:

a trocar ( 264 ) or a clamp for a trocar ( 264 ) and/or

an instrument guide ( 266 ) configured to support a shaft ( 130 ) of the steerable instrument ( 100 ) or a trocar,

wherein the supporting arm ( 230 f , 252 ) maintains the trocar ( 264 ) or an instrument guide ( 266 ) in non-adjustable or adjustable relation to the linkage, and the direction of the linkage controls the direction of the trocar ( 264 ) or an instrument guide ( 266 ).

10. The system according to claim 7 , wherein robotic arm ( 200 ) comprises a dismountable adapter ( 250 ) configured for attachment to an effector end of the existing robotic arm and which adds two or three or more last joints and associated linkages of the robot arm and a new an effector end ( 262 ) for attachment to the steerable instrument ( 100 ),

optionally wherein the adapter ( 250 ) comprises an adjustable or non-adjustable supporting arm ( 230 f , 252 ) attachable at a proximal end to a first link of the adapter ( 250 ) and attachable at a distal end to:

a trocar ( 264 ) or a clamp for a trocar ( 264 ) and/or

an instrument guide ( 266 ) configured to support a shaft ( 130 ) of the steerable instrument ( 100 ) or a trocar ( 264 ),

wherein the supporting arm ( 230 f , 252 ) maintains the trocar ( 264 ) or an instrument guide ( 266 ) in non-adjustable or adjustable relation to the adapter ( 250 ) linkage, and the direction of the linkage controls the direction of the trocar ( 264 ) or an instrument guide ( 266 ).

11. The system according to claim 7 , further comprising a control unit ( 300 ) configured to output control signals to the robotic arm ( 200 ) to effect movements of steerable instrument ( 100 ) that include:

rotation of the shaft ( 130 ) around the fulcrum zone ( 134 ),

rotation of the shaft ( 130 ) axially (A-A′),

displacement of the shaft ( 130 ) axially (A-A′),

bending of the bendable distal part ( 140 ), and

rotation of the end effector ( 150 ) when the bendable distal part ( 140 ) is in a bent position.

12. The system according to claim 11 , where in the control unit ( 300 ) is configured to determine the position of the fulcrum zone ( 134 ) in response to a change in an axial position of the shaft ( 130 ), and wherein the output control signals to the robotic arm ( 200 ) account for a new position of the fulcrum zone ( 134 ) to effect a directional movement of the steerable instrument around a new position of the fulcrum zone ( 134 ).

13. The system according to claim 11 , further comprising a manual input unit ( 400 ), wherein the control unit ( 300 ) is further configured to:

receive a sensor signal from the manual input unit ( 400 ),

output a control signal for the robotic arm ( 200 ) to control movement thereof responsive to the signal from the manual input unit ( 400 ).

14. The system according to claim 13 , wherein the control unit ( 300 ) is further configured to:

transform manual movement sensed by the manual input unit ( 400 ) to a corresponding movement of the instrument ( 200 ),

optionally to scale a corresponding movement of the steerable instrument ( 200 ) compared with a manual movement sensed by the manual input unit ( 400 ),

optionally to scale up bending of the bendable distal part ( 140 ) of the steerable instrument ( 200 ) compared with a corresponding manual movement sensed by the manual input unit ( 400 ), and

optionally to dampen a corresponding movement of the instrument compared with the manual movement sensed by the manual input unit ( 400 ).

15. The system according to claim 11 , wherein the control unit ( 300 ) generates control signals for moving the robotic arm ( 200 ) using a model of the steerable instrument ( 100 ) that treats bendable proximal part ( 120 ) as a joint that moves around a zone of motion ( 122 ) that is a zone coinciding with a central axis (A-A′) of the shaft where a central axis ( 112 ) of the connector ( 110 ) intersects at a different connector ( 110 ) directions, and optionally that treats the bendable distal part ( 140 ) as a joint that moves around a zone of motion ( 142 ) that is a zone coinciding with a central axis (A-A′) of the shaft where a central axis ( 152 ) of the end effector ( 150 ) intersects at a different end effector ( 150 ) directions.

16. A method of controlling a robotic arm ( 200 ) in a system according to claim 7 to move an attached steerable instrument ( 100 ), which method effects movements of steerable instrument ( 100 ) that include:

rotation of the shaft ( 130 ) around the fulcrum zone ( 134 ),

rotation of the shaft ( 130 ) axially (A-A′),

displacement of the shaft ( 130 ) axially (A-A′),

bending of the bendable distal part ( 140 ), and

rotation of the end effector ( 150 ) when the bendable distal part ( 140 ) is in a bent position.