TRAJECTORY GUIDE

• US 20100042111A1
• Filed: 08/13/2009
• Published: 02/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Monteris Medical Incorporated (Monteris Medical US, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Monteris Medical Incorporated (Monteris Medical US, Inc.)
• Inventors: Grant, Mark, Dacpano, Genius, Qureshi, Salman
• Granted Patent: US 8,747,418 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/130
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00991 Telescopic means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/3405 using mechanical guide means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/061 for measuring dimensions, e.g. length
• 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 90/11 with guides for needles or instruments, e.g. arcuate slides or ball joints
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/14 Fixators for body parts, e.g. skull clamps; Constructional details of fixators, e.g. pins
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/14 with ball-joint ball-jointed hinges F16C11/06 ; adjustable mountings employing universal joints for lighting devices F21V21/26 - F21V21/30
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/36 Members preventing slipping of the feet
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 2200/022 by friction
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 2200/027 by friction

Abstract

A trajectory guide for providing access to a target site of a living subject along a desired path comprises a baseplate including a clamp lock, a guide member at least partially contained within the baseplate and having a channel therein, a plurality of adjustable legs each including a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is coupled to the baseplate, and a leg lock coupled to each adjustable leg and moveable between an unlocked position and a locked position in order to set a desired length of the adjustable leg, wherein the adjustable legs and the guide member are structured to be adjusted to provide an infinite number of trajectories in thee-dimensional space extending through the channel in the guide member toward a target.

Claims

1. A trajectory guide comprising:

a baseplate including a clamp lock;

a guide member at least partially contained within the baseplate, the guide member having a channel therein;

a plurality of adjustable legs, each leg having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end of each leg is coupled to the baseplate; and

a leg lock coupled to each adjustable leg, wherein each leg lock is moveable between an unlocked position and a locked position in order to set a desired length of the adjustable leg;

wherein the adjustable legs and the guide member are structured to be adjusted to provide an infinite number of trajectories in thee-dimensional space extending through the channel in the guide member toward a target.

2. The trajectory guide of claim 1, wherein the baseplate includes a first clamp member and a second clamp member coupled to the first clamp member, the clamp lock being structured to secure the first clamp member to the second clamp member.

3. The trajectory guide of claim 2, wherein the guide member is disposed between the first clamp member and the second clamp member.

4. The trajectory guide of claim 3 further comprising a plurality of feet, wherein the second end of each of the adjustable legs is structured to be received by a corresponding one of the feet.

5. The trajectory guide of claim 4, wherein each of the adjustable legs includes a first leg portion and a second leg portion, the first leg portion being slideable relative to the second leg portion.

6. The trajectory guide of claim 5, wherein the second leg portion includes a channel structured to slidably receive the first leg portion.

7. The trajectory guide of claim 5, wherein the first leg portion is slideable relative to the second leg portion when the leg lock is in the unlocked position, and wherein the first leg portion is fixed relative to the second leg portion when the leg lock is in the locked position.

8. The trajectory guide of claim 4, wherein the first clamp member is coupled to the second clamp member with a hinge joint.

9. The trajectory guide of claim 4, wherein the first end of each of the adjustable legs is coupled to the baseplate with a hinge joint.

10. The trajectory guide of claim 4, wherein the second end of each of the adjustable legs includes a ball joint, and wherein each of the feet include a socket structured to receive the ball joint.

11. The trajectory guide of claim 4, wherein the clamp lock is a cam lock having a cam lever rotatable between a locked position and an unlocked position, wherein the cam lever engages an outer surface of the first clamp member in the locked position such that a force is exerted onto the guide member.

12. The trajectory guide of claim 11, wherein the cam lever engages with a flange extending from the first clamp member in the unlocked position.

13. The trajectory guide of claim 1, wherein the plurality of adjustable legs comprises a plurality of telescoping legs having a first portion slideable relative to a second portion, the first portion being slideable relative to the second portion when the leg lock is in the unlocked position and the first portion being fixed relative to the second portion when the leg lock is in the locked position.

14. The trajectory guide of claim 13, wherein the baseplate includes a first clamp member and a second clamp member coupled to the first clamp member, the clamp lock being structured to secure the first clamp member to the second clamp member.

15. The trajectory guide of claim 14, wherein the clamp lock includes a cam lever moveable between an unlocked position wherein the guide member is moveable with respect to the top clamp member and the bottom clamp member, and a locked position wherein the guide member is fixed relative to the top clamp member and the bottom clamp member.

16. The trajectory guide of claim 13, wherein the clamp lock is a cam lock.

17. The trajectory guide of claim 13, wherein each of the leg locks is a cam lock.

18. The trajectory guide of claim 17, wherein each cam lock includes a set of teeth that is structured to engage a corresponding set of teeth on the telescoping leg when the cam lock is in the locked position.

19. The trajectory guide of claim 13, wherein the first end of each telescoping leg is operably coupled to the baseplate with a hinge means.

20. The trajectory guide of claim 13 further comprising a plurality of feet, wherein the second end of each of the telescoping legs is structured to be received by a corresponding one of the feet.

21. The trajectory guide of claim 20, wherein the second end of each leg is operably coupled to one of the feet with a ball joint connection.

22. The trajectory guide of claim 1 further comprising an adapter member coupled to the moveable guide member that is structured to receive a tool or an instrument.

23. A method for aligning an instrument with a target comprising:

providing a trajectory guide comprising;

a baseplate including a clamp lock;

a guide member at least partially contained within the baseplate and having a channel therein;

a plurality of adjustable legs, each of the adjustable legs having a first end coupled to the baseplate; and

a leg lock coupled to each of the adjustable legs;

positioning an instrument within the channel of the guide member;

determining a desired length of each of the adjustable legs and a desired orientation of the guide member;

adjusting each of the adjustable legs to the corresponding desired length and locking each of the adjustable legs using the leg lock; and

adjusting the guide member to the desired orientation and locking the guide member with the clamp lock.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein determining the desired orientation of the guide member includes determining a latitude and a longitude of the guide member.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the guide member is a substantially spherical ball member.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein adjusting the guide member to the desired orientation comprises rotating the guide member.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein each of the adjustable legs includes a first leg portion and a second leg portion, and wherein adjusting each of the adjustable legs to the corresponding desired length includes sliding the first leg portion relative to the second leg portion.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein each of the leg locks is moveable between an unlocked position and a locked position in order to set the desired length of the adjustable leg.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the first leg portion is slideable relative to the second leg portion when the leg lock is in the unlocked position, and wherein the first leg portion is fixed relative to the second leg portion when the leg lock is in the locked position.

30. The method of claim 23, wherein each of the leg locks is a cam lock.

31. The method of claim 23, wherein the trajectory guide further comprises a plurality of feet, each of the adjustable legs having a second end structured to be received by a corresponding one of the feet.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the second end of each of the adjustable legs includes a ball joint, and wherein each of the feet includes a socket structured to receive the ball joint.

33. The method of claim 23, wherein the baseplate includes a first clamp member and a second clamp member coupled to the first clamp member, the clamp lock being structured to secure the first clamp member to the second clamp member.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the guide member is disposed between the first clamp member and the second clamp member.