IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,588,962
Granted Patent B2
US 12,588,962 · App. 17/995,711 · Granted Mar 31, 2026

Medical support robot and medical robot system

Inventor: Yasuhiko Hashimoto (Kobe, JP)
Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
A61B34/35A61B90/37A61B90/70B25J5/00A61G12/001
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,588,962
App. No.
17/995,711
Granted
Mar 31, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A medical support robot includes: a storage that houses a medical instrument; at least one robotic arm including a tip including an end effector that handles the medical instrument; a traveling structure that supports the storage and the at least one robotic arm and travels; and circuitry that performs control that may comprising causing the traveling structure to move to a medical robot that is a robot that performs medical practice.

Claims (53)

1 . A medical support robot for providing a support function to a medical robot that directly performs a medical practice on a medical practice target, the medical support robot comprising:

a storage that houses a medical instrument;

at least one robotic arm including a tip including an end effector that handles the medical instrument;

a traveling structure that supports the storage and the at least one robotic arm and travels;

circuitry that performs control comprising causing the traveling structure to move to the medical robot based on position information of the medical robot and position information of the medical support robot; and

a wireless communicator comprising:

a first wireless communicator that communicates with a manipulation inputter of the medical support robot through wireless communication; and

a second wireless communicator that communicates with the medical robot through wireless communication, wherein

the circuitry performs control comprising causing the robotic arm and the end effector to execute one of: a holding operation of causing the medical robot to hold the medical instrument in the storage; and a hold releasing operation of causing the medical robot to release the medical instrument held by the medical robot,

the circuitry receives information of the specified medical robot,

the circuitry performs control in an autonomous manipulation mode comprising executing one of: the holding operation; and the hold releasing operation, based on the information of the medical robot received from the second wireless communicator,

the end effector holds a carrying structure on which a medical practice target person rests; and

the circuitry performs control comprising causing the end effector to hold the carrying structure on which the medical practice target person is resting and causing the traveling structure to move to the medical robot.

2 . The medical support robot according to claim 1 , wherein:

the circuitry receives information of the specified carrying structure and information of the specified medical robot; and

the circuitry performs control comprising causing the traveling structure to move to the carrying structure, causing the end effector to hold the carrying structure, and causing the traveling structure to move to the medical robot based on the information of the carrying structure and the information of the medical robot.

3 . The medical support robot according to claim 1 , further comprising a sound outputter that outputs sounds, wherein

the circuitry performs control comprising receiving sound signals from the manipulation inputter of the medical support robot and causing the sound outputter to output sounds corresponding to the sound signals.

4 . The medical support robot according to claim 1 , further comprising a sound inputter that receives an input of sounds, wherein

the circuitry performs control comprising outputting to the manipulation inputter of the medical support robot sound signals corresponding to the sounds received by the sound inputter.

5 . The medical support robot according to claim 1 , further comprising a display that outputs an image, wherein

the circuitry performs control comprising receiving image signals from the manipulation inputter of the medical support robot and causing the display to output an image corresponding to the image signals.

6 . The medical support robot according to claim 1 , further comprising an imager, wherein

the circuitry performs control comprising outputting to the manipulation inputter of the medical support robot signals of an image taken by the imager.

7 . The medical support robot according to claim 1 , further comprising a position detector that detects a position of the medical support robot, wherein

the circuitry performs control comprising outputting to the manipulation inputter of the medical support robot, information of the position of the medical support robot detected by the position detector.

8 . The medical support robot according to claim 1 , further comprising a position detector that detects a position of the medical support robot, wherein:

the circuitry receives information of the specified medical robot; and

the circuitry performs control comprising causing the traveling structure to move to the medical robot based on the information of the medical robot and information of the position of the medical support robot detected by the position detector.

9 . The medical support robot according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a disinfectant storage that houses disinfectant; and

an ejector that is located at the end effector or the robotic arm and ejects the disinfectant, wherein

the circuitry performs control comprising causing the ejector to eject the disinfectant to the medical robot.

10 . The medical support robot according to claim 9 , wherein:

the circuitry receives information of the specified medical robot; and

the circuitry performs control comprising causing the ejector to eject the disinfectant to the medical robot based on the information of the medical robot.

11 . A medical robot system comprising:

a medical robot of a first type comprising a robot that performs a medical practice;

a medical support robot of a second type that supports the medical robot in performing the medical practice, the medical support robot comprising:

a storage that houses a medical instrument;

at least one robotic arm including a tip including an end effector that handles the medical instrument;

a traveling structure that supports the storage and the at least one robotic arm and travels;

circuitry that performs control comprising causing the traveling structure to move to the medical robot; and

a wireless communicator comprising:

a first wireless communicator that communicates with a manipulation inputter of the medical support robot through wireless communication; and

a second wireless communicator that communicates with the medical robot through wireless communication, wherein

the circuitry performs control comprising causing the robotic arm and the end effector to execute one of: a holding operation of causing the medical robot to hold the medical instrument in the storage; and a hold releasing operation of causing the medical robot to release the medical instrument held by the medical robot,

the circuitry receives information of the specified medical robot,

the circuitry performs control in an autonomous manipulation mode comprising executing one of: the holding operation; and the hold releasing operation, based on the information of the medical robot received from the second wireless communicator; and the manipulation inputter of the medical support robot,

the end effector holds a carrying structure on which a medical practice target person rests; and

the circuitry performs control comprising causing the end effector to hold the carrying structure on which the medical practice target person is resting and causing the traveling structure to move to the medical robot.

12 . The medical robot system according to claim 11 , wherein the manipulation inputter of the medical support robot is located in a space that is isolated from a space where the medical support robot and the medical robot are located.

13 . The medical robot system according to claim 11 , wherein the medical robot is a robot based on a surgical robot or a robot based on a general purpose robot other than the surgical robot.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 13, 2023
From: HASHIMOTO, YASUHIKO
To: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 062956/0088 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2020-071344 · Apr 10, 2020 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230134949A1 · May 4, 2023
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