Flexible instrument

• US 20020087048A1
• Filed: 11/16/2001
• Published: 07/04/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/1998
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: endoVia Medical, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: endoVia Medical, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Rogers, Gary, Brock, David L., Weitzner, Barry, Lee, Woojin
• Application Number:
  US10/011,449
• Publication Number:
  US 20020087048A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/114
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/00234 for minimally invasive surgery A61B17/0218, A61B17/0469, A61B17/12013, A61B17/1285, A61B17/29, A61B17/320016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0469 Suturing instruments for use in minimally invasive surgery, e.g. endoscopic surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0483 Hand-held instruments for holding sutures A61B17/0469 takes precedence; other holders for needles or sutures A61B17/06061; surgical forceps A61B17/28; surgical pincettes A61B17/30
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/29 Forceps for use in minimally invasive surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3421 Cannulas
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3462 with means for changing the diameter or the orientation of the entrance port of the cannula, e.g. for use with different-sized instruments, reduction ports, adapter seals expandable cannulas A61B17/3417
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00026 Conductivity or impedance, e.g. of tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00088 using thermistors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/003 Steerable
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00331 with preformed bends
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00477 Coupling A61B2017/0046 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2927 the angular position of the head being adjustable with respect to the shaft
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2939 Details of linkages or pivot points
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2051 Electromagnetic tracking systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2059 Mechanical position encoders
• 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 2034/305 Details of wrist mechanisms at distal ends of robotic arms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/715 Cable tensioning mechanisms for removing slack
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/742 Joysticks
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/744 Mouse
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/365 : augmented reality, i.e. correlating a live optical image with another image
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/378 : using ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/506 : using a parallelogram linkage, e.g. panthograph
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/10 : Computer-aided planning, simulation or modelling of surgical operations
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/20 : Surgical navigation systems; Devices for tracking or guiding surgical instruments, e.g. for frameless stereotaxis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/30 : Surgical robots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/35 : for telesurgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/37 : Master-slave robots A61B34/35 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/70 : Manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/71 : Manipulators operated by drive cable mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/72 : Micromanipulators
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/77 : Manipulators with motion or force scaling
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0084 : for introduction into the body, e.g. by catheters A61B5/1459 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/015 : By temperature mapping of body part
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4893 : Nerves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/36 : Image-producing devices or illumination devices not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/361 : Image-producing devices, e.g. surgical cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 3/04 : involving servo mechanisms servo-actuated heads B25J15/02
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/104 : with cables, chains or ribbons

Abstract

A remote control flexible instrument system, employing a shaft which supports a tool, is described in which the has proximal and distal ends with at least a portion thereof extending through a lumen of the human body so as to locate the shaft at an internal target site. A master station including an input device provides control of the instrument situated at a slave station. The master station can control at least one degree-of-freedom of the flexible instrument. A controller intercouples the master and slave stations and is operated in accordance with a computer algorithm that receives a command from the input device for controlling at least one degree-of-freedom of the catheter so as to respond in accordance with action at the input device. The flexible instrument further comprises a controlled flexible segment along the shaft, for controlled bending at the flexible segment to guide the shaft and to dispose the tool at an operative site.

Claims

1. A medical device comprising:

a mechanically drivable mechanism coupled with a shaft including a flexible segment, a distal end of the shaft supporting a tool for insertion into a subject;

a drive unit coupled with the mechanically drivable mechanism and disposed remotely from the sterile field, for intercoupling drive from the drive unit to the mechanically drivable mechanism, the drive unit capable of activating the flexible segment via the mechanically drivable mechanism for actuation of the tool and positioning of the tool at an operative site within the subject.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the drive unit is maintained in a stationary position relative to the shaft even as the shaft is actuated.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the drive unit is fixedly supported in position relative to an operating table that supports the subject.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the drive unit is fixedly supported by a bracket supported by the operating table, permitting removable positioning of the drive unit.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the drive unit comprises an electromechanical drive unit.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the drive unit intercouples drive to the shaft via mechanical cabling.

7. The device of claim 1, further comprising a support for holding the shaft at a predetermined position over the subject.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the support is fixed in position relative to the subject at least during a medical procedure.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the drive unit and the mechanically drivable mechanism are intercoupled by mechanical cabling.

10. The device of claim 9, further comprising a coupling and decoupling interface between the mechanical cabling and the drive unit, enabling the mechanical cabling to be respectively coupled and decoupled with the drive unit.

11. The device of claim 1, further comprising a receiver coupled to the drive unit for receiving the mechanically drivable mechanism.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the receiver and the mechanically drivable mechanism are engageable and disengageable from each other.

13. The device of claim 12, further comprising a first mechanical cabling that intercouples the shaft and the mechanically drivable mechanism, and a second mechanical cabling that intercouples the drive unit and the receiver.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein the mechanically drivable mechanism together with the shaft and tool are constructed and arranged as a single piece disposable unit.

15. The device of claim 1, wherein the shaft is remotely controllably drivable by a user via a user input device remote from the shaft.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the user input device is electrically interconnected to the drive unit through a computation system.

17. The device of claim 1, wherein the drive unit comprises a plurality of motors for controlling multiple degrees-of-freedom of the shaft.

18. The device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of motors actuating the shaft are maintained in a fixed relative position during actuation.

19. The device of claim 1, wherein mechanically drivable mechanism coupled to the shaft is readily manually portable.

20. The device of claim 1, wherein the drive unit is readily manually portable.

21. The device of claim 11, wherein the receiver is readily attachable and detachable with the drive unit, and the receiver is readily portable when detached.

22. An apparatus for use in a body cavity or vessel, comprising:

a catheter having a proximal end and a distal end, for placement in the body cavity or vessel;

a tool positioned at the distal end of the catheter;

a flexible segment positioned between the distal and proximal ends of the catheter; and

cables extending from a drive unit through the flexible segment, the drive unit being operable from a remote site and capable of bending the flexible segment via the cables.

24. The surgical instrument of claim 23, wherein the flexible shaft includes at least one deformable section and at least one shaft cable connected to the deformable section for exerting a pulling or pushing force on the deformable section, the shaft cable being drivably interconnected to the motor driven cables, the drive unit controlled from a user control mechanism for remotely controlling bending of the deformable section.

25. The surgical instrument of claim 23, wherein the drive unit, the motor driven cables and the flexible shaft are readily manually portable.

26. The surgical instrument of claim 23, wherein the one or more motor driven cables are readily interconnectible to and disconnectible from the flexible shaft at one end of the cables and are readily attachable to and detachable from the drive unit at the other end of the cables.

23. A remotely driven surgical instrument comprising:

an elongate flexible shaft having a proximal end and a distal end supporting a surgical tool, the shaft being insertable into a subject for disposition of the tool at an operative site of the subject;

an electronically controllable drive unit mounted in a location remote from the subject;

the remote drive unit including one or more motors drivably interconnected to the proximal end of the flexible shaft by one or more motor driven cables which are readily drivably interconnectable to and disconnectable from the proximal end of the flexible shaft.