JP7590924B2 - Robotic medical equipment operation stand, robotic infusion stand, and medical equipment operation system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a robotic medical equipment operation table, a robotic infusion table, and a medical equipment operation system.

In recent years, the introduction of robots into medical settings has been considered as a way to improve the workability of the medical environment. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an operating table equipped with a robotic arm. This document describes how a user operates the robotic arm using an operating device to move a table on which a patient is placed in accordance with the medical procedure being performed on the patient.

JP 2018-158009 A

In addition to the method described in Patent Document 1, there is a growing demand for robots to be able to operate medical equipment remotely by users. For example, in a situation where a patient is isolated due to an infectious disease or the like, there may be a need to operate medical equipment quickly. In such cases, it is required that the medical equipment operator be able to operate the medical equipment from outside, without having to go through complicated procedures such as donning protective clothing before entering an isolated area. The medical equipment used here has a wide variety of input devices for operation, such as buttons, switches, dials, etc., and their operating positions, and there is a demand for these devices to be able to be operated without developing a remote system for each device.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and the problem that the present invention aims to solve is to provide a robot-equipped medical equipment operation stand, a robot-equipped IV stand, and a medical equipment operation system that can remotely operate multiple types of multiple medical equipment using a robot.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention employs the following means.
That is, the robot-equipped medical equipment operation table of the present invention comprises a stand, a medical equipment fixed to the stand, a robot fixed to the stand and capable of operating the medical equipment, and a control device that communicates with a remote input device and controls the robot.
According to this invention, the control device can communicate with a remote input device to operate the medical equipment by the robot, so that even if the medical equipment is in an isolated location, the operator can operate the medical equipment without directly touching it.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the robot includes a robot arm having a plurality of joints, and a stick that is attached to the tip of the robot arm and can be moved back and forth by a drive source.
In one embodiment of this, the robot is equipped with a robotic arm having multiple joints, and a reciprocating stick is attached to the tip of the arm, so that the robot can be operated in relation to various input devices of the medical equipment.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the stand includes a medical device support section and a pillar, the medical device is supported by the medical device support section, and the medical device support section is rotatably attached to the pillar extending in the vertical direction.
In one aspect, the medical device is rotatably mounted on the post, facilitating adjustment or replacement of the medical device.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the stand includes legs, and casters having a locking mechanism for enabling the stand to be moved are attached to the legs.
In this embodiment, casters having a locking mechanism are attached to the legs, so that the medical equipment operation table can be moved and fixed to any desired location.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the control device includes a recording unit that records an operation history of the medical device by the robot.
In this embodiment, the control device includes a recording unit that records an operation history, so that a record of treatment given to a patient can be automatically saved.

In one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a robotic IV stand, wherein the medical device is a syringe pump equipped with an input device such as a button or dial.
According to the present invention, a medical device that can be remotely controlled can be used more effectively.

In another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a medical equipment operation system comprising the above-mentioned robot-equipped medical equipment operation console or robot-equipped infusion stand, and a server that communicates with the control device of the robot-equipped medical equipment operation console or robot-equipped infusion stand via a network, wherein the control device communicates with the server information including operation instructions and operation history of the medical equipment.
According to the present invention, the robot-equipped medical equipment operation console or the robot-equipped infusion stand communicates with the server via a network, making it possible to operate multiple medical equipment operation consoles and infusion stands and manage the operation history.

The present invention provides a robotic medical device operation stand, a robotic infusion stand, and a medical device operation system that can remotely operate multiple types of multiple medical devices using a robot.

1 is a perspective view of a robot-equipped medical device operation console according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. FIG. 2 is a front view of a robot-equipped medical device operation console according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view of a robot-equipped medical device operation console according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a main part of a robot-equipped medical device operation console according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a plan view of a medical device mounted on a robot-equipped medical device operation console according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining remote operation of a robot-equipped medical device operation console according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view of a robot-equipped medical device operation console according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining remote operation of a robot-equipped medical device operation console according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining remote operation of a robot-equipped medical device operation console according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a medical device operation system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, a description will be given of an embodiment of a robotic medical equipment operation table, a robotic infusion table, and a medical equipment operation system according to the present invention.
First Embodiment
Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a robot-equipped medical device operation console according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 shows a front view of the robot-equipped medical device operation console. Fig. 3 shows a plan view of the robot-equipped medical device operation console.

As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the robot-equipped medical equipment operation table 1 includes a stand 3, a medical equipment 5 fixed to the stand 3, a robot 7 fixed to the stand 3 and capable of operating the medical equipment 5, and a control device 11 that communicates with a remote input device and controls the robot 7. The stand 3 includes four legs 3a, a top plate 3b, a middle plate 3c, and a bottom plate 3d. The top plate 3b, middle plate 3c, and bottom plate 3d are arranged in this order from the top, and are fixed so that items can be placed on the four legs 3a. In this embodiment, the robot-equipped medical equipment operation table 1 is used as a robot-equipped infusion table 10 that includes multiple syringe pumps 27 as the medical equipment 5.

Three pillars 3f are fixed onto the top plate 3b, and a diagonal brace 3g connects the tops of two of the pillars 3f, and a diagonal brace 3h is provided that is connected to the diagonal brace 3g and connects to the top of the remaining pillar 3f. A number of medical devices 5 are fixed to these three pillars 3f. Two more pillars 3k are fixed onto the top plate 3b, and a camera 4a is attached to the pillars 3k by a support 4c so that the imaging direction can be adjusted.

The robot 7 is fixed on the top plate 3b via a pedestal 3e. The robot 7 is equipped with a robot arm 13 having multiple joints on the pedestal 3e. FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the main parts of the robot 7, and a stick 15 and a camera 4b are attached to the tip of the robot arm 13, which is reciprocated by a drive source 14. The drive source 14 may be an electric actuator or an air cylinder that drives a piston with gas. In this embodiment, an air cylinder 14 is used, and the stick 15 reciprocates in conjunction with the intake and exhaust of gas by the intake and exhaust sections 14a and 14b. In the event of an emergency such as a power outage, the air in the air cylinder is exhausted and the stick 15 returns to its reference position (non-protruding position).

The control device 11, which communicates with the remote input device and controls the robot 7, is placed on the bottom plate 3d and is connected to the remote input device and the robot 7 so as to be able to communicate with them. The control device 11 is implemented on an information processing device such as a personal computer. The control device 11 may be software or a program executed by a CPU or GPU in the information processing device. The control device 11 has a recording unit 23 that records the operation history of the robot 7 of the medical device 5 described below. The recording unit 23 may be constructed on a hard disk or a flash disk implemented in a personal computer. In addition, the control device 11 is not limited to a personal computer, and any control device may be selected as long as it can communicate with the remote input device and control the robot 7, such as a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) or an IPC (Industrial Computer).

Figure 5 is a plan view of the medical device 5 fixed to the stand 3 in this embodiment. In this embodiment, a syringe pump 27 is used as the medical device 5. The syringe pump 27 is attached so that a syringe 27a filled with a medicinal liquid can inject the medicinal liquid into a patient via a tube (not shown). The injection amount and injection speed of the medicinal liquid of the syringe pump are set and the injection is triggered by an input device 25, and two displays 27b are provided for setting and confirming the operation. In this embodiment, the robotic medical device operation table 1 is used as a robotic infusion table 10 equipped with a plurality of these syringe pumps 27.

Figure 6 is a schematic diagram for explaining the remote operation of the robot-equipped medical equipment operation console 1 according to this embodiment. The left side of the page shows the remote input device side E, and the right side of the page shows the remotely operated device side F. In this embodiment, a display 71, a keyboard 72, and a controller 73 are used as the remote input devices 9. These remote input devices are connected to the control device 11 of the robot-equipped medical equipment operation console 1, which is in an isolated area F together with the patient C, by wire 74 or wirelessly 74 such as Bluetooth or 2.5 GHz wireless. A game controller may be used as the controller 73.

The operation of the robot-equipped medical equipment operation console 1 configured as above will be described below.
<Robot pre-programming>
5, these medical devices 5 can be medical devices 5 that are normally operated by human hands, and the operation method thereof follows the operation method of each individual medical device 5. That is, the medical device 5 is provided with an input device 25 for setting, driving, etc., and these input devices are operated by human hands in normal operation.

In this embodiment, the robot 7 is programmed (learned) in advance to perform these operations by human hands. That is, the settings and operation of the syringe pump 27 in FIG. 5 are programmed to be performed by the stick 15 at the tip of the robot arm 13, just as a human hand would operate the buttons 25a, dials 25b, etc., and each setting and operation is assigned to, for example, each key on the keyboard 72 or controller 73. Alternatively, they are assigned on the touch panel of the display 71. As shown in FIG. 3, multiple syringe pumps 27 are fixed to the support 3f, and the robot 7 is programmed to set and operate each syringe pump 27, including their positional relationship. That is, as shown by the dashed arrow in the figure, each syringe pump 27 is programmed in advance to move freely in the space above the top board 3b and operate each input device 25.

<Robot movement>
As shown in Fig. 6, the robot 7 programmed as described above is used to operate the remote input device 9 to operate the robot-equipped medical device operation console 1. The settings of each syringe pump 27 are performed by pressing an assigned key on the keyboard 72, controller 73, or display 71 as described above. The key press is transmitted to the control device 11 via a wire 74 or wirelessly 74 such as Bluetooth or 2.5 GHz wireless, and transmitted to the robot 7 by processing in the control device 11. The robot 7 is driven according to a predetermined program as described above to set the continuous dosage, rapid dosage, etc. of the syringe pump 27. That is, the stick 15 moves to a position with a gap in front of the setting button 25a or dial 25b and stops. For example, the tip of the stick 15 stops 5 mm in front of the corresponding input device 25.

A camera 4b is attached to the tip of the robot arm 13, and the image data from this camera 4b is displayed on a display 71. Whether the tip of the stick 15 has been moved to the correct position and is stationary can be confirmed from the image on the display 71. After confirming that the position of the stick 15 is correct, the operator of the remote input device 9 presses, for example, a specified key on the controller 73. This press triggers the stick 15 to protrude due to the air cylinder that is the driving source 14, and presses the button 25a of the syringe pump 27, or rotates the dial 25b, thereby setting the continuous dosage, rapid dosage, etc. of the syringe pump 27.

When the syringe pump 27 is driven after the above-mentioned settings have been made, that is, when administering medicinal liquid to patient C, the assigned key on the keyboard 72, controller 73, or display 71 is pressed to drive the syringe pump 27. The key press is transmitted to the control device 11, which drives the robot 7, and moves the tip of the stick 15 of the robot arm 13 to a position with a gap in front of the button 25a that triggers the driving of the syringe pump 27 (administration of medicinal liquid to patient C), and stops there. For example, the tip of the stick 15 stops 5 mm in front of the corresponding button 25a.

A camera 4b is attached to the tip of the robot arm 13, and the image data captured by this camera 4b is displayed on a display 71. Whether the tip of the stick 15 has been moved to the correct position and is stationary can be confirmed from the image on the display 71. After confirming that the position of the stick 15 is correct, the operator of the remote input device 9 presses, for example, a specified key on the controller 73. This press triggers the stick 15 to protrude due to the air cylinder that serves as the drive source 14, and presses the button 25a of the syringe pump 27, and the medicinal liquid is administered to the patient C.

During the above-mentioned operations, as shown in Figures 1 to 3, the camera 4a attached to the support 3k captures the movements of the robot 7, and the movements can be observed successively on the display 71. If an abnormal operation or situation is detected, measures such as an emergency stop of the robot are taken using a predetermined procedure (key). As mentioned above, a camera 4b is also attached to the tip of the robot arm 13, and the operator of the remote input device 9 can move the imaging position of the camera 4b attached to the robot arm 13 by operating the joystick of the controller 73 or the like depending on the situation. By moving the imaging position of the camera 4b, the state of each medical device 5 can be observed, for example, as shown by the dashed arrow in Figure 3.

As described above, the robot-equipped medical device operation console 1 in this embodiment can be installed in an isolated area, and the operator can use the remote input device 9 from outside the isolated area to control the robot 7 and operate multiple types of multiple medical devices 5. Therefore, the operator does not need to wear protective clothing and enter the isolated area to operate the medical devices 5, and can quickly respond to patient C without the trouble of putting on and taking off protective clothing. The cost of using protective clothing is also reduced. In addition, multiple remote input devices 9 connected to multiple robot-equipped medical device operation consoles 1 can be installed in one room, for example, and one operator can operate multiple robot-equipped medical device operation consoles 1, making it possible to respond to a large number of patients with a small number of personnel.

When the medical device 5 is a syringe pump 27, the stick 15 of the robot 7 stops briefly in front of the button 25a that triggers administration, allowing the next operation of the syringe pump 27 to be confirmed. A camera 4b is attached to the tip of the robot arm 13, allowing reliable confirmation by observing the image. Therefore, the medicinal liquid is reliably administered to the patient C. The control device 11 is equipped with a recording unit 23 that records the operation history of the robot 7 of the medical device 5. Therefore, the operation history of multiple types of multiple medical devices 5 for the patient C can be automatically recorded.

In this embodiment, the syringe pump 27 is used as an example of the medical device 5, but this is not limiting, and any medical device, such as an infusion pump or artificial respirator, can be used as long as the input device can be operated by the robot 7. A camera 4b is attached to the tip of the robot arm 13, and the imaging range can be changed as the robot arm 13 moves, making it possible to observe the situation around the robot-equipped medical device operation table 1. In addition, a microphone and a speaker may be attached to communicate with the patient C through the microphone and the speaker. The operation of each medical device 5 is programmed in advance by the robot 7, so any medical device 5 can be used as an operation target for the robot-equipped medical device operation table 1 of this embodiment as long as the medical device 5 can be placed within the movable range of the robot 7.

In this embodiment, the medical device 5 is fixed to three pillars 3f, but the number of pillars 3f is not limited to three, and any number can be provided depending on the shape and number of medical devices 5 required to be fixed to the pedestal 3. For example, two pillars or four or more pillars may be provided. Similarly, the number of pillars 3k to which the camera 4a is attached may be any number depending on the installation situation of the camera 4a required. The height of the pillars 3f and 3k is also selected to be an appropriate size depending on the implementation situation.
In addition, in the robot-equipped medical equipment operation table 1 in this embodiment, casters 3m with a locking mechanism are attached to the legs 3a of the platform 3 to enable it to move freely, but the platform 3 may be placed on an unmanned transport vehicle so that it can be moved automatically.
In this embodiment, the display 71 is used as a means for monitoring the operation of the robot-equipped medical equipment operation platform 1, but the present invention is not limited to this and any image observation means may be used. For example, a head-mounted display or the like may be used instead of the display 71.

Second Embodiment
FIG. 7 is a plan view of the robot-equipped medical device operation platform 20 in this embodiment. This embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the platform 3 includes a medical device support section 17 and a support column 19, the medical device 5 is supported by the medical device support section 17, and the medical device support section 17 is rotatably attached to the support column 19 extending in the vertical direction. In this embodiment, the medical device 5 is supported by the medical device support section 17 rotatably attached to the support column 19. Therefore, when the medical device 5 is maintained or replaced, the medical device support section 17 can be moved to a position outside the platform 3 where the medical device 5 can be easily operated, as shown by the white arrow in FIG. 7. Therefore, the medical device 5 can be easily maintained, adjusted, or replaced. The other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment, and the same actions and effects as those in the first embodiment can be obtained.

Third Embodiment
FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram for explaining the remote operation of the robot-equipped medical equipment operation table 1, 10, 20 in this embodiment. This embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that a personal computer 8 is used as the remote input device 9. The personal computer 8 has a display 81, and a keyboard 72 and a controller 73 are connected by wire. The control device 11 is connected to the personal computer 8 by a wired LAN or WiFi 82. In this embodiment, communication with the control device 11 is performed using network equipment such as LAN or WiFi that is generally used in hospitals, etc., so that the control device 11 can be connected without specially extending the individual wired wire of the remote input device 9 as in the first embodiment, or without being restricted by the wireless distance of Bluetooth or 2.5 GHz wireless. As long as the facility has a LAN or WiFi network, the locations of the rooms in which the robot-equipped medical equipment operation table 1, 10, 20 and the remote input device 9 are located are not particularly restricted, and the medical device 5 can be operated from any room. The other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, and the same actions and effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained.

Fourth Embodiment
FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram for explaining the remote operation of the robot-equipped medical device operation consoles 1, 10, and 20 in this embodiment. This embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that a personal computer 8 is used as the remote input device 9. The personal computer 8 has a display 81, and a keyboard 72 and a controller 73 are connected by wire. The control device 11 is connected to the personal computer 8 by a cloud network 29. In this embodiment, the cloud network 29 is used to communicate with the control device 11, so that the control device 11 can be connected without specially extending the individual wired wire of the remote input device 9 as in the first embodiment. As long as the environment allows connection to the cloud network 29, the area in which the remote input device 9 is installed is not particularly restricted, and theoretically, the medical device 5 can be operated from any area in the world. The other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment, and the same actions and effects as those in the first embodiment can be obtained.

Fifth Embodiment
10 is a block diagram of a medical device operation system 100 in this embodiment. The medical device operation system 100 includes the above-mentioned robot-equipped medical device operation consoles 1, 10, 20, and a server 31 that communicates with these robot-equipped medical device operation consoles 1, 10, 20 via a network 29. As the network 29, for example, a cloud network 29 may be used. In this medical device operation system 100, the control devices 11 of the multiple robot-equipped medical device operation consoles 1, 10, 20 communicate with the server 33 to exchange information including operation instructions and operation history of the above-mentioned medical device 5. Therefore, it is possible to centrally manage the operations and operation history of the multiple medical device operation consoles 1, 10, 20.

1, 20 Robot-equipped medical equipment operation table 10 Robot-equipped infusion table 100 Medical equipment operation system 3 Stand 3a Legs 3f, 3k, 19 Support 3m Caster 5 Medical equipment 7 Robot 9 Remote input device 11 Control device 13 Robot arm 14 Driving source (air cylinder)
15 Stick 17 Medical device support unit 23 Recording unit 25 Input device 25a Button 25b Dial 27 Syringe pump 29 Network (cloud network)
31 Server

Claims (7)

A stand;
a medical device having an input device and fixed to the stand;
a robot fixed to the platform and capable of operating the medical device;
A control device that communicates with a remote input device and controls the robot;
Equipped with
the robot has a robot arm having a plurality of joints, and a stick for operating the input device is attached to a tip of the robot arm, the stick being capable of reciprocating motion by a drive source;
The control device is a robotic medical equipment operation console that moves and stops the stick so that the tip of the stick is positioned at a position with a gap in front of the input device when the medical equipment is operated . 2. The robot-equipped medical equipment operation platform of claim 1, wherein the platform comprises a medical equipment support section and a pillar , the medical equipment is supported by the medical equipment support section, and the medical equipment support section is rotatably attached to the pillar extending in the vertical direction. 3. The robot-equipped medical equipment operation platform according to claim 1 , wherein the platform includes legs, and casters having a locking mechanism for enabling the platform to be moved are attached to the legs. The robot-equipped medical device operation platform according to claim 1 , wherein the control device includes a recording unit that records an operation history of the medical device by the robot . 5. The robot-equipped medical instrument operation desk according to claim 1, wherein the medical instrument is a syringe pump having a button or a dial as the input device . The robot-equipped medical device operation platform according to claim 1 , wherein a camera is attached to the tip of the robot arm for capturing an image of the position of the tip of the stick. The robot-equipped medical device operation console according to any one of claims 1 to 6 ,
A server that communicates with the control device via a network,
A medical device operation system in which the control device communicates with the server information including operation instructions and operation history of the medical device.

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