Abstract: A motive-power transmitting mechanism includes: an elongated driving member that passes through a joint portion that can be flexed or bent and connects an end effector and a motive-power generating portion, and that transmits a motive power generated by the motive-power generating portion to the end effector; and a biasing member that expands/contracts between the driving member and a stationary member disposed in an area surrounding the driving member to bias the driving member, wherein the driving member generates a component force in a direction parallel to a longitudinal axis of the driving member on a basis of a biasing force of the biasing member, and the component force increases in a same direction as a direction of the motive power with an increase in a displacement amount of the driving member in a direction along the longitudinal axis in association with flexing or bending of the joint portion.

Abstract: A grasping mechanism including a first grasping piece and a second grasping piece that are coupled with each other so as to be pivotable about a pivoting axis, a pulling pulley that is supported by the second grasping piece so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis parallel to the pivoting axis, and a wire whose distal end is secured to one grasping piece and that is wound around the pulling pulley so that a resultant force of tensile forces on both sides of the pulling pulley flanking the rotation axis generates a rotational moment about the pivoting axis in a closing direction of the second grasping piece.

Abstract: A flexible-manipulator guide member is provided in an inserted portion of a flexible manipulator including the elongated flexible inserted portion, the movable portion disposed at the distal end of the inserted portion, a drive portion disposed at the base end of the inserted portion, and the elongated driving-force transmitting member that transmits motive power of the drive portion to the movable portion, and is provided with a lumen through which the driving-force transmitting member passes in the longitudinal direction, wherein the lumen has a twisted shape about the longitudinal axis of the inserted portion.

Abstract: A swing mechanism according to the present invention includes: a first swing member that swings about a first swing shaft; a second swing member that is provided in the first swing member and that swings about a second swing shaft; a traction pulley that is supported by the second swing member and that rotates about a rotational shaft; a fixed pulley that rotates about the second swing shaft; and a wire that is looped around the fixed pulley and the traction pulley. On both sides of the traction pulley, tensions are generated in the same directions by a traction force applied to the other end of the wire. The traction pulley is disposed at a position at which the tensions in the wire acting on the rotational shaft brings about a moment for causing the second swing member to swing.

Abstract: A flexible-manipulator guide member is provided in an inserted portion of a flexible manipulator including the elongated flexible inserted portion, the movable portion disposed at the distal end of the inserted portion, a drive portion disposed at the base end of the inserted portion, and the elongated driving-force transmitting member that transmits motive power of the drive portion to the movable portion, and is provided with a lumen through which the driving-force transmitting member passes in the longitudinal direction, wherein the lumen has a twisted shape about the longitudinal axis of the inserted portion.

Abstract: A force transmission mechanism includes a force adjuster that receives a driving force and that is configured to change a force transmission efficiency, and also includes a driving member that is configured to connect an end effector and the force adjuster via a joint section and transmit the driving force. The force adjuster converts the driving force into a linear force via a rotational force, and increases the conversion efficiency from the driving force to the linear force such that an amount of increase in the force transmission efficiency increases with increasing displacement amount of the driving member when the driving member is displaced in accordance with flexing or curving of the joint section.

Abstract: A medical gripping tool includes: an elongated insertion section; a gripping section; an operating unit; and a wire that transmits, to the gripping section, a driving force input to the operating unit. The gripping section includes a pair of gripping pieces supported so as to be relatively swivelable. The pair of gripping pieces include a pair of first gripping sections, and a pair of second gripping sections that are disposed at positions farther away from a swiveling axis than the pair of first gripping sections are. In a state in which the pair of gripping pieces are closed by the driving force transmitted by the wire, opposed surfaces of the pair of first gripping sections are disposed with a first distance therebetween, and opposed surfaces of the pair of second gripping sections are disposed with a second distance, which is longer than the first distance, therebetween.

Abstract: Provided is a medical wire including: a main wire-strand portion that is formed of a plurality of main wire strands and that extends over the entire length of the medical wire; and at least one sub wire-strand portion that is disposed at an outer circumference of the main wire-strand portion, that is secured to the main wire-strand portion, and that is formed of a sub wire strand, wherein the diameter of the sub wire strand is at least twice the diameter of the main wire strand, and a first region having a relatively small lateral cross-sectional area and a second region having a lateral cross-sectional area that is greater than that of the first region are included.

Abstract: A joint structure of a manipulator includes: swiveling members that are coupled so as to be able to swivel via a rolling contact; shafts that constitute bending joints between the swiveling members and that are parallel to each other; pulleys that are rotatably supported about the shafts; and a connector attached to the shafts so as to be able to swivel about longitudinal axes of the shafts. The connector includes supports that are disposed on axial ends of the shafts so as to sandwich the pulleys therebetween in a direction of the longitudinal axis, and a beam that extends in between the supports to couple the supports to each other.

Abstract: A force transmitting mechanism includes: a force adjusting portion that is disposed between a joint portion of an instrument and a force generating portion and that receives force from the force generating portion; and a driving member that passes through the joint portion, that connects the end effector and the force adjusting portion, and that transmits the force applied from the force adjusting portions to the end effector, wherein, by means of displacement of the driving member associated with flexing or bending of the joint portion, the force adjusting portion increases the force transmission efficiency so that an amount of increase in the force transmission efficiency increases with an increase in a displacement amount of the driving member.

Abstract: In a medical manipulator, the surgical tool drive unit includes: a pair of input members that has a first input member and a second input member, are arranged in a pair at a first end portion in an attachment and detachment direction with respect to the surgical tool unit, are capable of advancing and retracting parallel to each other, and transmit the driving force in an advance direction when the pair of input members are advanced to the surgical tool unit side; and a drive source that causes at least one of the pair of input members to advance and retract.

Abstract: A bending mechanism includes: an elongated support member; a swivel that is supported at a distal end of the support member so as to swivel around an axis that intersects a longitudinal axis of the support member; a transmitter that are arranged along the longitudinal axis of the support member, transmits a driving force applied at a proximal end thereof, and makes the swivel swivel relative to the support member; and a regulator that regulates stress generated in the transmitter at each swivel position of the swivel with respect to the support member such that the stress does not exceed a prescribed threshold.

Abstract: A medical manipulator includes an insertion portion, an arm portion, a light irradiation section irradiating a luminous flux having an optical axis parallel to an arm axial line, an imaging section imaging a locus of an optical image, a rotational movement portion rotating the arm portion around a reference axial line, and an initialization control unit performing initialization control to aligning the arm portion with the reference axial line, in which the initialization control unit includes: a locus acquisition control section controlling the light irradiation section, the rotational movement portion, and the imaging section to acquire a locus of the luminous flux, a convergence determination section computing a diameter of the locus and determines whether or not the diameter of the locus has converged, a driving amount correction section obtaining a driving amount of the first redundant joint and performs driving, and a convergence operation control section.

Abstract: A medical treatment tool includes an elongated insertion section; a grasper supported by a distal end of the insertion section so as to be openable and closable; a generator disposed at a proximal end of the insertion section and generating a force to drive the grasper; a transmitter transmitting the force generated by the generator to the distal end of the insertion section; an amplifier amplifying the force transmitted through the transmitter; and a toggle amplifying and converting the force amplified by the amplifier into a force directed to open or close the grasper.

Abstract: A gripping mechanism according to the present invention is provided with: two gripping pieces pivoted about a pivoting axis; a gripper main body that supports the gripping pieces at a distal-end portion; a pulley that is supported about a rotation axis that is parallel to the pivoting axis; an opening wire that is wound around the pulley that has one end secured to the gripping pieces or the gripper main body, and that causes tensile forces that cause the rotation axis to be moved in one direction pulley, wherein the pulley is disposed so that a resultant force of the tensile forces in the opening wire that acts on the rotation axis becomes greater than the pulling force, and so that a moment that causes the gripping pieces to be pivoted in the directions in which the gripping pieces are opened relative to each other is generated.

Abstract: The medical instrument 1 includes a wire 5, a flexible sheath 6 through which the wire 5 is inserted, a wire driving unit 4 for driving the wire 5, a passive unit 2 that is put into operation as the wire 5 is driven, a sheath pulling unit 14, 17, 21, 51, and a sheath lock unit 12, 13, 20 for locking movement of the sheath 6.

Abstract: A swing mechanism according to the present invention includes: a first swing member that swings about a first swing shaft; a second swing member that is provided in the first swing member and that swings about a second swing shaft; a traction pulley that is supported by the second swing member and that rotates about a rotational shaft; a fixed pulley that rotates about the second swing shaft; and a wire that is looped around the fixed pulley and the traction pulley. On both sides of the traction pulley, tensions are generated in the same directions by a traction force applied to the other end of the wire. The traction pulley is disposed at a position at which the tensions in the wire acting on the rotational shaft brings about a moment for causing the second swing member to swing.

Abstract: A flexible-manipulator guide member is provided in an inserted portion of a flexible manipulator including the elongated flexible inserted portion, the movable portion disposed at the distal end of the inserted portion, a drive portion disposed at the base end of the inserted portion, and the elongated driving-force transmitting member that transmits motive power of the drive portion to the movable portion, and is provided with a lumen through which the driving-force transmitting member passes in the longitudinal direction, wherein the lumen has a twisted shape about the longitudinal axis of the inserted portion.

Abstract: The medical instrument a wire, a flexible sheath through which the wire is inserted, a wire driving unit for driving the wire, a passive unit that is put into operation as the wire is driven, a sheath pulling unit for pulling the sheath, a sheath lock unit for locking movement of the sheath, and a control unit for switching among a run-up mode in which the passive unit and the wire driving unit are still disconnected, a sheath free mode in which the sheath is not locked and so set free, a sheath slack adjustment mode in which a slack in the sheath is adjusted to lock the sheath in place and a master/slave mode in which the passive unit connected to the wire driving unit is put into a drivable state.

Abstract: A gripping mechanism includes: two gripping pieces pivoted relative to each other about a pivot axis; a base supporting at least one of the gripping pieces; a pulley rotatably supported about a rotation axis parallel to the pivot axis; a wire wound around the pulley, causing tensile forces that move the rotation axis in one direction to act, and transmitting a pressing force; and a force-receiving portion receiving the pressing force. The pulley is disposed so that a resultant force of the tensile forces of the wire acting on the rotation axis generates a moment causing the gripping pieces to be pivoted in a direction causing the gripping pieces to be closed. The force-receiving portion is disposed so that the pressing force applied from the wire generates a moment causing the gripping pieces to be pivoted in a direction causing the gripping pieces to be opened.