MEDICAL TOOL FOR REDUCED PENETRATION FORCE WITH FEEDBACK MEANS

• US 20100004558A1
• Filed: 09/14/2009
• Published: 01/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Actuated Medical, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Piezo Resonance Innovations, Inc.
• Inventors: Frankhouser, Paul L., Mulvihill, Maureen L., Park, Brian M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,328,738 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/567
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 10/025 for taking bone, bone marrow or cartilage samples
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3401 Puncturing needles for the peridural or subarachnoid space or the plexus, e.g. for anaesthesia local anaesthesia A61M19/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3403 Needle locating or guiding means guides for suture needles A61B17/0482; guiding or tracking by nuclear magnetic resonance G01R33/285
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3415 for introducing tubes or catheters, e.g. gastrostomy tubes, drain catheters A61B17/3417 takes precedence; body piercing catheter guide needles A61M25/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3423 Access ports, e.g. toroid shape introducers for instruments or hands access sites for liquids A61M39/0247
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3476 Powered trocars, e.g. electrosurgical cutting, lasers, powered knives
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0011 piezoelectric
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00115 with audible or visual output with imaging means A61B90/37, A61B34/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00123 and automatic shutdown
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/32007 with suction or vacuum means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320089 node location
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/3413 guided by ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/064 for measuring force, pressure or mechanical tension
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/20 Surgical navigation systems; Devices for tracking or guiding surgical instruments, e.g. for frameless stereotaxis
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/1585 Needle inserters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/581 by audible feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/582 by tactile feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/583 by visual feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/065 Guide needles
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 37/0092 using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic vibrations, e.g. phonophoresis
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/00 : Devices for bringing media into the body in a subcutaneous, intra-vascular or intramuscular way; Accessories therefor, e.g. filling or cleaning devices, arm-rests vaccination appliances for veterinary use A61D1/025 ; tube connectors, tube couplings, valves or branch units specially adapted for medical use A61M39/00; containers specially adapted for medical or pharmaceutical purposes A61J1/00; combinations of vial and syringe for mixing or transferring their contents A61J1/20; holders for containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/16
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/158 : Needles for infusions; Accessories therefor, e.g. for inserting infusion needles, or for holding them on the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/20 : Automatic syringes, e.g. with automatically actuated piston rod, with automatic needle injection, filling automatically A61M5/142 , A61M5/46 take precedence; hypodermic projectiles F42B12/54
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/3287 : Accessories for bringing the needle into the body; Automatic needle insertion A61M5/20, A61M5/31525 take precedence

Abstract

A medical device for reducing the force necessary to penetrate living being tissue using a variety of reciprocating motion actuators, including piezoelectric, voice coil, solenoids, pneumatics or fluidics. The reciprocating actuator drives a penetrating member, such as a needle, through the tissue at a reduced force while the device detects the passage of the penetrating member through the tissue. Upon passage of the penetrating member through the tissue, electrical power to the reciprocating actuator is automatically terminated. One exemplary method for detecting this passage is via a fluid-containing syringe that is coupled to a channel within the penetrating member. Once the penetrating member tip has passed through the living tissue, the fluid within the syringe no longer experiences any pressure and a plunger within the syringe displaces indicating passage of the penetrating member tip. This motion can provide direct tactile feedback to an operator of the medical device or can automatically open a switch providing electrical power to the medical device. Alternatively, a pressure transducer can also monitor the pressure within the penetrating member channel and automatically activate the switch to cut off the electrical power.

Claims

1. A medical device for penetrating living being tissue, said device comprising:

a penetrating member which is reciprocated away from and into said medical device for reducing the force needed to penetrate living being tissue;

a driving actuator coupled to said penetrating member for converting electrical energy into reciprocating motion when energized; and

an electrical power cut off for automatically de-energizing said medical device when said penetrating member has passed through the living being tissue.

2. The medical device of claim 1 wherein said driving actuator comprises:

an actuator having a distal end and said penetrating member coupled thereto, said actuator including a first channel extending to said distal end, said actuator further including at least one piezoelectric element for converting electrical energy into oscillatory motion when energized;

said actuator further comprising a second channel having a first end in communication with said first channel and a second end positioned at an exterior surface of said actuator; and

said actuator displacing said distal end and said penetrating member in oscillatory motion when said at least one piezoelectric element is energized.

3. The medical device of claim 2 wherein said at least one piezoelectric element is adapted for vibrating at a frequency to produce sinusoidal displacement of said penetrating member.

4. The medical device of claim 2 wherein said first channel extends through said penetrating member and a third channel extends through said at least one piezoelectric element, said first and third channels being aligned, and wherein said actuator further comprises an anchor having a fourth channel extending therethrough along a longitudinal axis of said anchor, said fourth channel being aligned with said first and third channels to form a continuous channel through said actuator.

5. The medical device of claim 2 wherein said first channel extends through a portion of said penetrating member.

6. The medical device of claim 1 wherein said penetrating member is one of a hypodermic needle, catheterization needle, Tuohy needle, bone biopsy trocar, spinal needle, nerve block needle, trocar access ports and interventional radiology needle.

7. The medical device of claim 2 wherein said actuator is a Langevin actuator.

8. The medical device of claim 7 wherein said distal end of said Langevin actuator defines an anti-node.

9. The medical device of claim 1 wherein an exterior surface of said actuator comprises a side port for providing fluid communication with, or passage of a catheter within, said penetrating member.

10. The medical device of claim 2 wherein said second channel in communication with first channel extends radially from a longitudinal axis of said actuator and is centered at a location defining a zero-node.

11. The medical device of claim 1 further comprising a fluid-containing syringe coupled to a port within said actuator, said fluid-containing syringe comprising a moveable biasing element disposed therein and wherein said biasing element is in fluid communication with a channel within said penetrating member, said biasing element providing an indicator when said penetrating member has passed through the living being tissue.

12. The medical device of claim 1 further comprising a fluid-containing syringe coupled to a port within a needle attachment fitting of said medical device, said fluid-containing syringe comprising a moveable plunger disposed therein and wherein said plunger is in fluid communication with a channel within said penetrating member, said plunger providing an indication when said penetrating member has passed through the living being tissue.

13. The medical device of claim 1 further comprising a loss of resistance pump system interfaced with said actuator, said loss of resistance pump comprising a visual indicator that automatically indicates entry of said penetrating member within a desired bodily area.

14. The medical device of claim 13 wherein said visual indicator comprises an LED.

15. The medical device of claim 12 wherein said plunger provides one of a visual, audible or tactile indication that said penetrating member has passed through the living being tissue.

16. The medical device of claim 12 wherein said plunger activates said electrical power cut off.

17. The medical device of claim 1 wherein a pressure transducer detects pressure within said channel of said penetrating member and activates said electrical power cut off.

18. The medical device of claim 1 wherein said driving actuator comprises a voice coil coupled to said penetrating member, said voice coil converting electrical energy into oscillatory motion when energized.

19. The medical device of claim 18 wherein said voice coil comprises a coil surrounding permanent magnets and said penetrating member.

20. The medical device of claim 19 further comprising springs positioned on opposite sides of said coil and permanent magnets.

21. The medical device of claim 18 wherein said voice coil comprises permanent magnets surrounding a coil and said penetrating member.

22. The medical device of claim 18 wherein said voice coil comprises a pair of concentric coils surrounding said penetrating member.

23. The medical device of claim 1 wherein said reciprocating actuator is one of a pneumatic or fluidic actuator.

24. The medical device of claim 12 wherein said plunger is used to aspirate matter from said living being via said medical device.

25. A method for reducing the force needed to penetrate living being tissue, said method comprising:

reciprocating a penetrating member against the living being tissue using a reciprocating actuator that converts electrical energy to reciprocating motion;

detecting the passage of said penetrating member through said living being tissue; and

automatically cutting off the electrical energy to said reciprocating actuator when said penetrating member has passed through said living being tissue.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein said step of detecting the passage of said penetrating member through said living being tissue comprises the movement of a plunger within a fluid-containing syringe that is in fluid communication with a channel within said penetrating member.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein said plunger is coupled to a switch that provides electrical energy to said reciprocating actuator.

28. The method of claim 25 wherein said step of detecting the passage of said penetrating member comprises a pressure actuator that monitors pressure within a channel of said penetrating member and wherein said pressure actuator provides an output that controls the operation of a switch that provides electrical energy to said reciprocating actuator.

29. The method of claim 25 wherein said reciprocating actuator is at least one piezoelectric element.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein said reciprocating actuator is a Langevin actuator.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein said reciprocating actuator is a voice coil.

32. The method of claim 30 wherein said reciprocating actuator is one of a pneumatic and fluidic actuator.

33. The method of claim 37 further comprising the step of using said plunger to aspirate matter from the living being using said medical device.