Trajectory guide with instrument immobilizer

• US 20040267284A1
• Filed: 07/20/2004
• Published: 12/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc), Thomson Licensing SA (Vantiva SA)
• Original Assignee: Image-Guided Neurologics Inc (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Parmer, Kari, David, John, Miller, Thomas I.
• Granted Patent: US 7,637,915 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/130
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/347 Locking means, e.g. for locking instrument in cannula
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/374 NMR or MRI
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3933 Liquid markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3954 magnetic, e.g. NMR or MRI
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/11 with guides for needles or instruments, e.g. arcuate slides or ball joints

Abstract

A method and apparatus accurately maintains alignment of a surgical instrument. The apparatus includes a base with an attached movable member. The movable member includes a passage forming a portion of a trajectory path. A relaxable or rigid material has a similar passage in common with the passage of the movable member. If a relaxable material is used, the passage portion of the relaxable region is held open by an inserted stem removably attached to the movable member. The instrument is then inserted into the center of the stem and thus into the trajectory path. The stem is removed by withdrawing it from the movable member over the proximal portion of the instrument. This releases the relaxable region to tightly hold the instrument in place. Alternatively, using a relaxable or rigid component, the component is slid laterally to at least partially offset a passage through the component from the passage of the movable member to reduce a combined effective area of the passages and to grasp an instrument.

Claims

1. A device for immobilizing a surgical instrument, including:

a base;

a movable member coupled to the base yet capable of rotating with respect to the base;

a spread-open first passage in a relaxable material, the first passage sized and shaped to substantially immobilize the instrument with respect to the movable member by self-relaxing the material to narrow the first passage about the instrument.

2. The device of claim 1, further including a stem including an opening, the stem and movable member fitting with each other such that the opening in the stem substantially aligns with the first passage of the movable member.

3. The device of claim 2, in which the stem carries at least one remotely readable locator.

4. The device of claim 1, in which the base includes a groove sized and shaped to accept the instrument after the instrument has been laterally bent into the groove.

5. The device of claim 1, further comprising a locking member that engages and fixes the movable member upon tightening of the locking member when the movable member is properly positioned with respect to the device.

6. The device of claim 1, in which the base includes a mounting seat, sized and shaped to receive at least a portion of the movable member, and a collar, sized and shaped to receive at least a portion of a locking member, the collar including a coupler to detachably engage the mounting seat.

7. The device of claim 6, in which the coupler is selected from at least one of a snap-fit leg and a screw.

8. The device of claim 1, in which the relaxable material is within the movable member.

9. The device of claim 1, in which the relaxable material is within the base but outside of the movable member.

10. The device of claim 1, in which the movable member includes a two-piece ball assembly carrying a relaxable cylindrical stabilizer, the ball and stabilizer having a coaxially aligned passage therethrough, and in which the base includes:

a mounting seat, including a flange and a hemispherically sized and shaped seat to receive at least a portion of the ball; and

a collar, sized and shaped to receive at least a portion of a locking member, the collar including a coupler to detachably engage the mounting seat.

11. The device of claim 10, further including:

a locking member threadedly engaging the collar; and

a guide stem, threadedly engaging the first passage of the movable member and holding open the passage through the relaxable stabilizer, the guide stem including a passage coaxially aligned to the first passage of the movable member.

12. The device of claim 1, further comprising a stem positioned to spread the relaxable material around the first passage until the stem is removed to narrow the first passage about the instrument.

17. The device of claim 1, in which the relaxable material is within the movable ball.

18. The device of claim 1, in which the relaxable material is within the base but outside of the movable ball.

13. A device for immobilizing a surgical instrument, including:

a base, the base including a seat and a collar;

a ball coupled to the base by the collar such that the ball is capable of rotating with respect to the base until the ball is locked into position;

a relaxable material including a spread-open first passage that is sized and shaped to substantially immobilize the instrument with respect to the movable ball, the first passage providing a guiding trajectory for the instrument until the instrument is immobilized; and

a stem, inserted into the first passage of the relaxable material to spread open the first passage until the stem is removed to self-relax the material to narrow the first passage about the instrument.

14. The device of claim 13, in which the stem includes at least one remotely readable locator.

15. The device of claim 13, in which the base includes a groove sized and shaped to accept the instrument after the instrument has been laterally bent into the groove.

16. The device of claim 13, further comprising means for locking the movable ball.