Minimally-invasive smart devices

• US 20040102733A1
• Filed: 11/21/2002
• Published: 05/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Palasis, Maria, Naimark, Wendy, Tung, Henry
• Granted Patent: US 7,611,482 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/65
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00022 Sensing or detecting at the treatment site
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/028 Microscale sensors, e.g. electromechanical sensors [MEMS]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/145 Measuring characteristics of blood in vivo, e.g. gas concentration, pH value; Measuring characteristics of body fluids or tissues, e.g. interstitial fluid, cerebral tissuemeasuring of blood pressure or blood flow A61B5/02; non-radiation detecting or locating of foreign bodies in blood A61B5/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14539 for measuring pH
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6885 Monitoring or controlling sensor contact pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0002 with a pressure sensor at the distal end
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0003 having an additional lumen transmitting fluid pressure to the outside for measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3344 Measuring or controlling pressure at the body treatment site
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3368 Temperature

Abstract

There is provided a minimally-invasive smart device which can detect enviornmental conditions in the vicinity of a target site within a patient'"'"'s body and autonomously determine whether the medical device on the distal end of the instrument should be activated to perform, or inhibited from performing, a desired minimally-invasive medical procedure. The smart device includes a medical device affixed to the distal end of a lumen, at least one environmental condition sensor adapted to detect an environmental condition adjacent to the medical device, and at least one medical device actuator which responds to signals from an environmental condition sensor to either cause the medical device to perform the desired medical procedure or to inhibit operation of the medical device actuator.

Claims

1. An apparatus for autonomous actuation of a medical device during a minimally-invasive medical procedure, comprising:

at least one environmental condition sensor carried by the medical device adapted to detect an environmental condition adjacent to the medical device; and

at least one medical device actuator carried by the medical device controlled in response to at least one signal from said at least one environmental condition sensor.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein when a first predetermined environmental condition is detected by at least one of said plurality of environmental condition sensors, at least one of said plurality of medical device actuators is actuated.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein when a second predetermined environmental condition is detected by at least another one of said plurality of environmental condition sensors, at least another one of said plurality of medical device actuators is inhibited from actuation.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the medical device is one of an infusion catheter and an injection catheter.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the medical device actuator is one of a valve and a needle deploying device.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the medical device is a balloon catheter.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the medical device actuator permits the balloon to be inflated.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least one of said environmental condition sensors is a mechanical sensor.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the at least one mechanical sensor is a pressure sensor.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the at least one mechanical sensor is a differential pressure sensor.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the at least one mechanical sensor is a pressure-sensitive valve.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the at least one mechanical sensor is a contact sensor comprising an probe connected at a sensor end to a piezoelectric sensor.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least one of said environmental condition sensors is a biological sensor.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the at least one biological sensor is a biochemical sensor.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the at least one biochemical sensor senses nitric oxide.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the at least one biochemical sensor senses pH.

17. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the at least one biochemical sensor is an oxygen sensor.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the at least one biological sensor is coated with receptor ligands.

19. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the receptor ligands are endothelial cell integrins.

20. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the receptor ligands are vascular cell integrins.

21. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the receptor ligands are monoclonal antibodies.

22. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least one of said environmental condition sensors is a thermal sensor.

23. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least one of said environmental condition sensors is a magnetic sensor.

24. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least one of said environmental condition sensors is an electrostatic sensor.

25. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the medical device is affixed to a distal end of an endoscope during a minimally-invasive medical procedure.