Handle and articulator system and method

• US 20070135733A1
• Filed: 12/09/2005
• Published: 06/14/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Heraeus Materials SA (Heraeus Holding GMBH)
• Original Assignee: Heraeus Materials SA (Heraeus Holding GMBH)
• Inventors: Soukup, Thomas, Townsend, Gregory, Kuester, William, Pederson, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 7,892,186 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/585
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00469 for insertion of instruments, e.g. guide wire, optical fibre
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2919 details of linkages or pivot points
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0136 Handles therefor

Abstract

The invention includes an assembly having a handle for articulating an articulator in an ergonomically improved manner. The handle can be adapted to articulate a distal portion of the articulator when squeezed. The handle can have at least one accessible attachment mechanism useful for reattachably attaching the articulator and the handle during a medical procedure. The invention also includes methods of making and using such a handle.

Claims

1. An assembly including a handle for articulating an articulator, the handle comprising at least one accessible attachment mechanism useful for reattachably attaching the articulator and the handle during a medical procedure.

2. An assembly according to claim 1, wherein the handle provides a one-to-one torqueability ratio.

3. An assembly according to claim 1, wherein the handle is adapted to navigate a distal end of the articulator through a tortuous pathway.

4. An assembly according to claim 1, wherein the handle comprises a biasing member to bias a distal end of the articulator to a desired position.

5. An assembly according to claim 4, wherein the biasing member comprises a spring.

6. An assembly according to claim 1, wherein the handle comprises a biasing member to bias a distal end of the articulator to a straight position.

7. An assembly according to claim 1, wherein the handle comprises a biasing member to bias a distal end of the articulator to a curved position.

8. An assembly according to claim 1, wherein the handle is adapted to lock a distal end of the articulator in a desired position.

9. An assembly according to claim 1, wherein the articulator includes a first wire and a second wire, the articulator having a distal end being articulatable by moving the first wire relative to the second wire.

10. An assembly according to claim 9, the handle adapted to move the first wire relative to the second wire by applying a longitudinal force differential between the first wire and the second wire.

11. An assembly according to claim 10, wherein the handle comprises a first portion and a second portion, the first portion being functionally coupled to a proximal portion of the first wire and the second portion being functionally coupled to a proximal portion of the second wire, the first and second portions being movable relative to each other.

12. An assembly according to claim 10, wherein the handle comprises a first portion and a second portion, the first portion being reattachably attached to the proximal portion of the first wire and the second portion being reattachably attached to the proximal portion of the second wire.

13. An assembly according to claim 12, wherein the first portion is reattachably attached to the first wire by a first collet and a first collet nut, and the second portion is reattachably attached to the second wire by a second collet and a second collet nut.

14. An assembly according to claim 13, wherein the handle has a proximal end and a distal end, the first collet and first collet nut being proximate the proximal end and the second collet and second collet nut being proximate the distal end to provide easy access for detaching and reattaching the articulator and the handle.

15. An assembly according to claim 1, wherein the handle comprises a first actuating member pivotably coupled to a first portion and a second actuating member pivotably coupled to a second portion, the first and second actuating members useful for actuating the articulation of a distal end of the articulator.

16. An assembly according to claim 1, wherein the articulator comprises a first wire having a distal portion and a proximal portion and a second wire having a distal portion and a proximal portion, the second wire being disposed in a lumen defined by the first wire and the distal portion of the second wire being functionally coupled to the distal portion of the first wire.

17. An assembly according to claim 1, wherein the articulator comprises a plurality of notches.

18. An assembly according to claim 1, wherein the articulator has an adjustable stiffness.

19. An assembly according to claim 1, wherein the articulator has an adjustable length.

20. An assembly according to claim 1, the handle being able to deflect a distal portion of the articulator when squeezed.

21. An assembly according to claim 1, wherein the handle includes a first portion adapted to be engaged by one or both of the thumb and the palm of a human hand.

22. An assembly according to claim 1, wherein the handle includes a first actuating member adapted to engaged by one or both of the index and middle fingers of the human hand.

23. An assembly according to claim 14, wherein the handle has a stop to keep the first wire from exiting the handle.

24. An assembly according to claim 1, further comprising the articuluator reattachably attached to the handle.

25. An assembly according to claim 24, wherein the articulator is steerable.

26. An assembly according to claim 24, wherein the articulator has one or more of an adjustable length and stiffness.

27. An assembly according to claim 24, wherein the articulator is steerable and has one or more of an adjustable length and stiffness.

28. An assembly according to claim 24, wherein the articulator comprises a first wire with a first feature longitudinally offset from a second feature to provide relatively complex articulator shapes.

29. An assembly according to claim 28, wherein the first and second features independently comprise notches, resected portions, and/or strengthened portions.

30. An assembly according to claim 24, wherein the articulator comprises an enlarged distal end.

31. An assembly according to claim 30, wherein the enlarged distal end comprises a basket useful for collecting clots.

32. An assembly according to claim 30, wherein the enlarged distal end comprises a membrane useful for occluding a tortuous pathway.

33. An assembly according to claim 24, further including a coating provided over at least the distal end of the articulator.

34. An assembly according to claim 24, wherein the articulator comprises an atraumatic distal tip.

35. An assembly according to claim 24, wherein the articulator comprises a second wire disposed within a lumen defined by a first wire, the first wire comprising a polymer.

36. A handle for articulating an articulator, the handle comprising at least one accessible attachment mechanism useful for reattachably attaching the articulator and the handle during a medical procedure, the handle being able to deflect a distal portion of the articulator when squeezed.

37. A method of using a handle, the method comprising the steps of

performing a first step of a medical procedure, the medical procedure including navigating a distal end of an articulator through a tortuous pathway;

detaching the articulator and the handle;

performing a second step of a medical procedure; and

reattaching the handle and the articulator.

38. The method of claim 37, the articulator being able to form a generally helical curve, further including the steps of twisting the articulator to attach it to a wall of the tortuous pathway and pushing the medical device over the articulator.

39. An assembly comprising an articulator comprising proximal and distal end portions, and a corresponding handle, the articulator and handle being adapted to be mated at the proximal end portion, in order to permit the resulting assembly to be operated in an ergonomically improved manner.

40. The assembly of claim 39, wherein the articulator can be releasably mated with the handle.

41. The assembly of claim 39, the ergonomically improved manner comprises single-handed operation.

42. The assembly of claim 39, wherein the articulator can be releasably mated with the handle and the ergonomically improved manner comprises single-handed operation.

43. The assembly of claim 39, wherein the distal end of the articulator can be controlled so as to form a plurality of desired shapes.

44. The assembly of claim 43, wherein the distal end provides a non-traumatic distal end.

47. The assembly of claim 39, wherein the articulator operates on a “

push-pull”

basis that involves the use of relative motion as between a plurality of parts.

48. The assembly of claim 47, wherein the parts comprise a core wire and an adjacent or surrounding stylet or guidewire.

49. The assembly of claim 39, wherein the single handed fashion comprises finger operation and hand movement such as turning and/or advancing.

45. The assembly of 39, wherein the assembly adapted to control the movement of the articulator in a desired manner within a three dimensional coordinate system, including X, Y and Z axes corresponding to the X dimension, linearly (in a proximal-distal direction), the Y dimension, radially, emanating from the core of the articulator, and the Z dimension, in a generally concentric dimension, as by rotating around the central axis of the articulator.

46. The assembly of claim 45, wherein the assembly can be operated to provide a controlled array of distal end portion forms that include straight, bends;

curves and combinations thereof.