Ntn Corporation

Nagoya Institute of Technology

Nagoya University

National University Corporation Nagoya

Institute of Technology Ntn Corporation

National University Corporation Nagoya Institute of Technology

Yoshitaka Nagano

Yukihiro Nishio

Hiroshi Isobe

Takayoshi Ozaki

Hideo Fujimoto

Takashi Koike

Akihito Sano

Toru Takahashi

Koji Sato

Makoto Yasui

Kenichi Iwamoto

Tatsuya Yamasaki

Koichi Okada

Yoshio Fujikawa

Isao Hori

Shigeru Miyachi

Tomotaka Ohshima

A remote controlled actuator includes an elongated spindle guide section and a distal end member fitted to a distal end thereof for alteration in attitude. The distal end member rotatably supports a spindle for holding a tool. The spindle guide section includes a rotary shaft for transmitting rotation of a tool rotation drive source to the spindle. An attitude altering member inserted in a guide hole is selectively advanced or retracted by an attitude control drive source. An initial attitude hold control unit controls the attitude control drive source so that an initial attitude holding force necessary to maintain the distal end member in the initial attitude can be applied to the attitude altering member. An attitude alteration control unit controls the attitude control drive source so that the attitude of the distal end member can be altered by a force larger than the initial attitude holding force.

Remote-controlled actuator

An insertion device of a coil includes a delivery wire driving unit, a secondary catheter driving unit, and a control circuit. A platinum coil for coil embolization is attached to the tip of a delivery wire. The delivery wire driving unit is provided in the proximity of the entrance of a Y connector such that the delivery wire is advanced and moved back. The secondary catheter driving unit is provided in the proximity of the entrance of a Y connector such that the secondary catheter is advanced and moved back. The control circuit controls the delivery wire driving unit so as to insert the delivery wire by a predetermined insertion force. If the delivery wire cannot be inserted, the control circuit controls the secondary catheter driving unit such that the secondary catheter is advanced after being moved back, and then controls the delivery wire driving unit so as to insert the delivery wire.

Insertion device and insertion method of coil

A remote-controlled actuator assembly includes a guide section () of an elongated shape, a distal end member () fitted to a tip end of the guide section for alteration in attitude, an operating tool () in the distal end member, and a restraining tool () for aligning the distal end member straight with the guide section. The distal end member is altered in attitude through advancing/retracting attitude altering members () in the guide section by attitude altering drive sources (), which are controlled by an attitude control unit (). An advance or retraction position detector () detects an advance/retraction position of the attitude altering members while the attitude altering members applying a preload to the distal end member restrained by the restraining tool. The attitude control unit uses the detection value as information on the advance/retraction position corresponding to an initial position-attitude of the distal end member.

Remote-controlled actuator assembly

A link actuating device connects an output member to an input member through three or more link mechanisms for alteration in posture. Each of the link mechanisms includes end portion link members on input and output sides, and an intermediate link member. The link mechanisms are of such shapes that geometric models representing the link members by straight lines are such that input and output side portions are symmetrical to each other relative to an intermediate portion of each of the intermediate link members. Immobilizing mechanisms are provided in all of the link mechanisms to immobilize the output member in an arbitrary attitude relative to the input member. A structure body is provided to connect the input and output member to each other while being in contact with contacted portions formed in the input and output member.

Link actuating device

A tool tip position detecting device for a remote controlled actuator having an elongated spindle guide, a tool fitted to a tip thereof and a main body housing having a base end of the spindle guide connected thereto. The device includes an external force free position detector for detecting the tip position of the tool from a detection value thereof, a strain detector for detecting a strain of the spindle guide, and a corrector for correcting the tip position of the tool, which has been detected by the external force free position detector, with the use of a detected strain value of the strain detector.

Device for detecting tool tip position of remote-controlled actuator

An actuator main body mounted on an operating bench includes a main body base end housing fixed to the operating bench, an elongated spindle guide section having its base end connected with the main body base end housing, a distal end member fitted to a front end thereof for alteration in attitude, and a tool rotatably provided in the distal end member. Within the spindle guide section, a rotary shaft for transmitting a rotation of a tool rotation drive source to the tool and an attitude altering member for altering the attitude of the distal end member are provided. Within the main body base end housing, an attitude altering drive mechanism for selectively advancing or retracting the attitude altering member when driven by an attitude altering drive source is provided.

Remote controlled actuator assembly

A remote controlled actuator includes an elongated spindle guide section (), a distal end member () fitted to the distal end thereof for alteration in attitude, and a drive unit housing () connected with a base end of the spindle guide section (). The distal end member () rotatably support a spindle () holding a tool (). The spindle guide section () includes a rotary shaft () for transmitting a rotation of the spindle () and an attitude altering member () for altering the attitude of the distal end member () both within an outer shell pipe () forming an outer shell. The attitude altering member () is reciprocally movably inserted in a guide pipe () within the outer shell pipe (). A guide pipe restraining unit () is provided for restraining the guide pipe () from moving within the outer shell pipe ().

There is provided an insertion device allowing a doctor to alone perform an operation to insert a medical linear body. The insertion device, operated to insert a delivery wire () into a human body () through a blood vessel (), includes a foot switch () generating and outputting a signal to control starting/stopping a drive device () moving the delivery wire () in its longitudinal direction. Furthermore, the insertion device includes an insertion force sensor () operative to measure longitudinally compressive force exerted to the delivery wire (), and a speaker () and a display () informing an operator of the compressive force measured by the insertion force sensor ().

Insertion device

A remote control actuator includes a spindle guide section (), a distal end member () fitted to the tip of the spindle guide section for alteration in attitude, a tool () provided rotatably in the distal end member, a tool rotation drive source () for rotating the tool, and an attitude altering drive source () for altering the attitude of the distal end member. The spindle guide section has therein a rotary shaft () for transmitting a rotation of the tool rotation drive source to the tool, and an attitude altering member () capable of being selectively advanced or retracted by the attitude altering drive source for altering the attitude of the distal end member. A position detector () is provided for detecting the advanced or retracted position of the attitude altering member at a site distant from the attitude altering drive source.

According to this load detection method, load (Fi) in insertion of a linear body having flexibility in an inlet of a hollow tube inserted in a bending vessel in a body is detected, an image of the hollow tube or the linear body is taken, a degree of bending of the hollow tube or the linear body is detected based on the image, and load (Fo) at a tip end of the linear body is calculated based on the detected insertion load (Fi) and the degree of bending. Therefore, the load (Fo) at the tip end of the thin linear body can readily be detected.

Load detection device and load detection method

A linear body drive device capable of safely and reliably operating a linear body is provided. A linear body insertion device includes a drive portion, an operation portion, a sensor portion and a processing portion serving as a measurement portion, and an output portion serving as a notification portion. The drive portion drives a linear body having flexibility. The operation portion includes an input member (an operation lever) operated by an operator for controlling performance of the drive portion. The sensor portion included in the measurement portion detects compressive force in a direction of longitudinal axis applied to the linear body, based on a degree of bending of the linear body driven by the drive portion. The output portion provides notification of data of compressive force detected by the measurement portion.

Linear body drive device

A measurement device capable of sensing presence of an obstacle within a vessel from outside the vessel in operating a linear body inserted in the vessel is provided. According to this measurement device, an easy-to-use measurement device capable of measuring compressive force in a direction of longitudinal axis applied to the linear body that has a sheath thicker than the linear body, such as a wire having a coil for embolizing an aneurysm attached at a tip end, without lowering measurement accuracy, can be provided. In addition, a length of a restraint portion is minimized, to achieve a smaller size of the measurement device. Moreover, the measurement device capable of measuring compressive force in the direction of longitudinal axis applied to the linear body regardless of magnitude of buckling load of the linear body can be provided, and the same measurement device is applicable to linear bodies of various materials, which leads to cost efficiency.

Device for measuring compressive force of flexible linear body

A remote controlled actuator includes a spindle guide section of an elongated configuration, a distal end member fitted to a tip end of the spindle guide section for alteration in attitude, and a drive unit housing to which a base end of the spindle guide section is connected. The distal end member rotatably supports a spindle then holding a tool. The spindle guide section includes a hollow outer shell pipe, a rotary shaft and a guide pipe, and an attitude altering member for altering an attitude of the distal end member is inserted within the guide pipe. A hollow of the outer shell pipe includes a round hole portion at a center and a grooved portion depressed radially outwardly from the round hole portion. The rotary shaft is arranged within the round hole portion whereas the guide pipe is arranged within the grooved portion.

There is provided a drive device for a linear body, that allows a treatment to be immediately, manually resumed when an emergency arises. A drive device for a linear body includes a securing portion capable of securing a Y connector having a through hole, and an actuator including a driving roller and a driven roller moving the linear body that is inserted in the through hole of the Y connector in the longitudinal direction of the linear body. The drive device allows the linear body and the Y connector to be integrally, manually attached to and detached from the securing portion.

Growing community of inventors

Iwata, Japan

Yoshitaka Nagano