Active drives for robotic catheter manipulators

• US 10,556,092 B2
• Filed: 08/22/2016
• Issued: 02/11/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Auris Health, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Auris Health, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Yu, Alan L., Lewis, Paul E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Templeton, Christopher L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Knauss, Christian D
• Application Number:
  US15/243,566
• Publication Number:
  US 20160354582A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,268 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00477 Coupling A61B2017/0046 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/301 for introducing or steering flexible instruments inserted into the body, e.g. catheters or endoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/30 Surgical robots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 46/10 specially adapted for instruments, e.g. microscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/95 Instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0147 with movable mechanical means, e.g. pull wires
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/30 End effector

Abstract

An instrument driver comprises opposing rotatable gripping pads. Each of the gripping pads includes an outer circular rim and a center hub. The pads are configured for applying a gripping force to an elongated member. The instrument driver further comprises shafts affixed to the center hubs, and a driver assembly configured for rotating at least one of the shafts, thereby causing the pads to rotate in opposite directions to linearly translate the gripped member. Each of the pads further includes a framework for partially collapsing in response to the gripping force, such that portions of the rims flatten to contact each other. Each rim has a concave gripping surface in order to facilitate vertical centering of the member between the pads. Each of the pads further includes a pair of upper and lower sprockets for interlacing with each other to prevent the elongated member from slipping out between the pads.

Claims

1. A medical system, comprising:

a telescoping catheter assembly, which comprises;

an outer catheter comprising an outer elongate body and an outer catheter steering adapter coupled to a proximal end of the outer elongate body; and

an inner catheter comprising an inner elongate body and an inner catheter steering adapter coupled to a proximal end of the inner elongate body, wherein the inner elongate body is coaxially positioned within the outer elongate body;

an outer catheter interface to which the outer catheter steering adapter is removably mated;

an inner catheter interface to which the inner catheter steering adapter is removably mated, wherein the inner catheter interface is actuatable by a first motor to axially translate the inner catheter; and

a first active feeder affixed between the outer catheter interface and the inner catheter interface and configured to receive the inner elongate body, the first active feeder comprising a first pair of opposing grippers configured to actively translate the inner elongate body into the outer elongate body in coordination with axial translation of the inner catheter interface, to thereby prevent axial buckling of the inner elongate body as the inner catheter interface moves toward the outer catheter interface.

2. The medical system of claim 1, wherein the first pair of opposing grippers is further configured to actively translate the inner elongate body out of the outer elongate body in coordination with axial translation of the inner catheter interface as the inner catheter interface moves away from the outer catheter interface.

3. The medical system of claim 1, wherein the first pair of opposing grippers comprises a first pair of opposing rollers configured to rotate opposite to each other to actively translate the inner elongate body.

4. The medical system of claim 1, wherein the first pair of opposing grippers comprises a first pair of opposing gripping pads configured to linearly translate together to actively translate the inner elongate body.

5. The medical system of claim 1, further comprising a second active feeder affixed proximal to the inner catheter steering adapter, wherein the telescoping catheter assembly further comprises a guidewire coaxially positioned within the inner elongate body, and the second active feeder comprises a second pair of opposing grippers configured to actively translate the guidewire within the inner elongate body.

6. The medical system of claim 5, wherein each of the outer catheter, the inner catheter, and the guidewire is independently translatable, and wherein each of the outer elongate body and the inner elongate body is independently steerable.

7. The medical system of claim 5, wherein the telescoping catheter assembly has a variable bending stiffness dependent on a relative positioning of the guidewire, the inner catheter, and the outer catheter.

8. The medical system of claim 5, wherein the second active feeder is configured to simultaneously translate the guidewire axially within the inner catheter body and roll the guidewire about a longitudinal axis.

9. The medical system of claim 1, wherein each of the outer catheter and the inner catheter comprises at least one pull wire extending from a distal end of the outer catheter and the inner catheter to the outer catheter steering adapter and the inner catheter steering adapter, respectively.

10. The medical system of claim 9, wherein each of the outer catheter steering adapter and the inner catheter steering adapter comprises one or more drive shafts with corresponding spools, wherein each of the spools is operatively coupled to a respective one of the at least one pullwire, wherein the outer steering adapter is configured to selectively tension one or more of the at least one pullwire, to thereby effect articulation of the distal end of the outer elongate body, and wherein the inner steering adapter is configured to selectively tension one or more of the at least one pullwire, to thereby effect articulation of the distal end of the inner elongate body.

11. The medical system of claim 10, wherein each of the inner elongate body and the outer elongate body has four pullwires extending therethrough, and wherein each of the inner catheter steering adapter and the outer catheter steering adapter has a corresponding four drive shafts.

12. The medical system of claim 10, wherein the at least one pullwire comprises two or more pullwires configured to effect multiple articulations in the distal ends of the inner and outer elongate bodies.

13. The medical system of claim 10, further comprising an instrument driver comprising a plurality of articulation motors configured to actuate the one or more drive shafts of the outer catheter steering adapter and the inner catheter steering adapter.

14. The medical system of claim 13, wherein the outer catheter interface is affixed to the instrument driver, and wherein axial movement of the instrument driver translates the outer catheter.

15. The medical system of claim 13, further comprising:

an instrument driver housing, wherein the first motor and the plurality of articulation motors are positioned within the instrument driver housing; and

a sterile barrier, comprising;

a drape positioned over the instrument driver housing; and

a plurality of sterile adapters coupled to the drape.

16. The medical system of claim 15, wherein each of the outer catheter steering adapter and the inner catheter steering adapter is configured to interface with a respective one of the plurality of sterile adapters.

17. The medical system of claim 15, wherein at least a portion of the first active feeder is positioned over the drape on an external side of the instrument driver housing and the sterile barrier.

18. The medical system of claim 1, wherein the outer catheter interface is actuatable by a second motor to axially translate the outer catheter.

19. The medical system of claim 1, wherein the first active feeder is affixed to the outer catheter interface.

20. The medical system of claim 1, wherein the outer catheter interface is a sheath drive block, and the inner catheter interface is a catheter carriage.