FLEXIBLE AND STEERABLE ELONGATE INSTRUMENTS WITH SHAPE CONTROL AND SUPPORT ELEMENTS

• US 20100280449A1
• Filed: 04/29/2009
• Published: 11/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Auris Health, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Hansen Medical Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: ALVAREZ, Jeffery B., ROMO, Enrique, LEWIS, Casey, YEE, William K., MACNAMARA, Francis, TANNER, Neal A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,254,123 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/95.04
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00078 with stiffening means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0055 Constructional details of insertion parts, e.g. vertebral elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0057 Constructional details of force transmission elements, e.g. control wires
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/00234 for minimally invasive surgery A61B17/0218, A61B17/0469, A61B17/12013, A61B17/1285, A61B17/29, A61B17/320016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00017 Electrical control of surgical instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00305 Constructional details of the flexible means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00318 Steering mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00327 with actuating members moving in opposite directions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/301 for introducing or steering flexible instruments inserted into the body, e.g. catheters or endoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/303 specifically adapted for manipulations within body lumens, e.g. within lumen of gut, spine, or blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/30 Surgical robots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/71 Manipulators operated by drive cable mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/015 Details of the distal fixation of the movable mechanical means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0161 wherein the distal tips have two or more deflection regions
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0293 Catheter, guide wire or the like with means for holding, centering, anchoring or frictionally engaging the device within an artificial lumen, e.g. tube
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0136 Handles therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0138 having flexible regions as a result of weakened outer material, e.g. slots, slits, cuts, joints or coils
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0144 having flexible regions as a result of inner reinforcement means, e.g. struts or rods
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0147 with movable mechanical means, e.g. pull wires
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/02 Holding devices, e.g. on the body

Abstract

An instrument having a flexible and elongated body includes at least a lumen and a flex member disposed within the lumen. The flex member may be capable of providing steering control to a first portion of the elongate body while providing load bearing support to a second portion of the elongate body. A pull wire may be disposed within the flex member, and at least a distal portion of the pull wire may be coupled to the elongate body and a proximal portion of the pull wire may be operatively coupled to a control unit. The control unit may be coupled to a proximal portion of the elongate body. In addition, a control member may be operatively coupled to the control unit such that a distal portion of the control member may be positioned near a proximal portion of the flex member. The control member may be configured to support the flex member and control the movement or displacement of the flex member. Furthermore, the flex member may be configured to selectively decouple articulation or steering forces of a first portion of the elongate body away from a second portion of the elongate body; thereby, preventing compression of the second portion of the elongate body while maintaining elasticity or flexibility of the second portion of the elongate body.

Claims

1. A steerable elongate instrument, comprising:

an elongate body having a first lumen and a second lumen within the elongate body,

a flex member disposed within the second lumen; and

a pull wire disposed within the flex member, wherein a distal portion of the pull wire being coupled to a distal location or portion of the elongate body and a proximal portion of the pull wire being operatively coupled to a control unit, wherein the control unit being coupled to a proximal portion of the elongate body.

2. The elongate instrument of claim 1, wherein a distal portion of the flex member being coupled to the elongate body.

3. The elongate instrument of claim 1, wherein a proximal portion of the flex member being coupled to the control unit.

4. The elongate instrument of claim 1, wherein a proximal portion of the flex member being fixedly coupled to the control unit.

5. The elongate instrument of claim 1, wherein the flex member includes a service loop or a buffer loop.

6. The elongate instrument of claim 1, wherein the distal portion of the pull wire coupled to the elongate body through a control ring, the control ring being fixedly coupled to the elongate body.

7. The elongate instrument of claim 1, further comprising a liner disposed within the second lumen.

8. The elongate instrument of claim 7, wherein the liner being disposed between the second lumen and the flex member.

9. The elongate instrument of claim 1, further comprising a support member wherein a distal portion of the support member being fixedly coupled to the distal portion of the elongate body and a proximal portion of the support member being operatively coupled to a distal portion of the flex member.

10. The elongate instrument of claim 9, wherein the proximal portion of the support member slidably engages a distal portion of the flex member.

11. The elongate instrument of claim 10, wherein the support member engages the flex member through a lumen of the flex member.

12. The elongate instrument of claim 1, wherein the flex member is a coil tube.

13. The elongate instrument of claim 1, wherein the flex member is a ring tube.

14. The elongate instrument of claim 1, wherein the liner is a tube.

15. A steerable elongate instrument, comprising:

an elongate body having a primary lumen and a plurality of secondary lumens within the elongate body;

a plurality of flex members, each of the plurality of flex members being respectively disposed within each of the plurality of secondary lumens; and

a plurality of pull wires, each of the pull wires being respectively disposed within each of the flex members, wherein distal portion of each of the pull wires being coupled to different locations or portions of the elongate body and proximal portion of each of the pull wires being operatively coupled to a control unit, wherein the control unit being coupled to a proximal portion of the elongate body.

16. A steerable elongate instrument, comprising:

an elongate body having a plurality of lumens within the elongate body;

a plurality of flex members, each of the flex members being respectively disposed within each of the lumens; and

a plurality of pull wires, each of the pull wires being respectively disposed within each of the flex members, wherein distal portion of each of the pull wires being coupled to different locations or portions of the elongate body and proximal portion of each of the pull wires being operatively coupled to a control unit, wherein the control unit being coupled to a proximal portion of the elongate body.

17. A steerable elongate instrument, comprising:

an elongate body having a first lumen and a second lumen within the elongate body;

a flex member disposed within the second lumen, and the flex member is configured to provide steering control to a first portion of the elongate body and load bearing support to a second portion of the elongate body; and

a pull wire disposed within the flex member, wherein a distal portion of the pull wire being coupled to a distal portion of the elongate body and a proximal portion of the pull wire being operatively coupled to a control unit, wherein the control unit being coupled to a proximal portion of the elongate body and the control unit configured to operate the pull wire for applying forces to articulate or steer the first portion of the elongate body.

18. The elongate instrument of claim 17, wherein a distal portion of the flex member being coupled to the elongate body.

19. The elongate instrument of claim 18 wherein a proximal portion of the flex member being coupled to the control unit, the coupling configured to support forces transmitted through the flex member.

20. The elongate instrument of claim 18, wherein the coupling being configured to decouple articulation or steering forces of the first portion of the elongate body away from the second portion of the elongate body to the flex member, thereby preventing compression of the second portion of the elongate body from the articulation or steering forces while maintaining elasticity or flexibility of the second portion of the elongate body.

21. The elongate instrument of claim 17, wherein a proximal portion of the flex member being coupled to the control unit such that the articulation or steering forces are transmitted through the flex member to the control unit.

22. The elongate instrument of claim 17, further comprising a liner being disposed within the second lumen configured to provide a slidable surface for the flex member to slide within the second lumen.

23. The elongate instrument of claim 22, wherein the slidable surface of the liner decouples the flex member from the elongate body.

24. The elongate instrument of claim 17, wherein the pull wire is coupled to the elongate body through a control ring, the control ring being fixedly coupled to the elongate body.

25. The elongate instrument of claim 17, further comprising a support member wherein a distal portion of the support member being fixedly coupled to the distal portion of the elongate body and a proximal portion of the support member being operatively coupled to a distal portion of the flex member, the support member configured to provide structural support to the distal portion of the elongate body.

26. The elongate instrument of claim 25, wherein the proximal portion of the support member configured to slide along the distal portion of the flex member.

27. The elongate instrument of claim 26, wherein the proximal portion of the support member slide along inside a lumen of the flex member.

28. The elongate instrument of claim 17, further comprising:

a stop disposed within the second lumen, wherein the stop being configured to couple the elongate body with the flex member and prevent the flex member from advancing through the second lumen beyond the stop, and wherein the coupling of the stop with the flex member decouples forces from the first portion of the elongate body from being transmitted to the second portion of the elongate body, such that articulation or steering forces from the first portion are transmitted to the flex member.

29. The elongate instrument of claim 28 wherein a proximal portion of the flex member being coupled to the control unit, the coupling configured to support the forces transmitted through the flex member.

30. The elongate instrument of claim 17, wherein the flex member includes a service loop or buffer loop configured to provide service or buffer relief when the elongate body is articulated or steered.

31. A steerable elongate instrument, comprising:

an elongate body having a primary lumen and a plurality of secondary lumens within the elongate body;

a plurality of flex members, each of the flex members being respectively disposed within each of the plurality of secondary lumens, the flex members configured to provide steering control to different distal portions of the elongate body and load bearing support to different proximal portions of the elongate body; and

a plurality of pull wires, each of the plurality of pull wires being respectively disposed within each of the flex members, wherein distal portion of respective pull wires being coupled to different distal locations or portions of the elongate body and proximal portion of respective pull wires being operatively coupled to a control unit, wherein the control unit being coupled to a proximal portion of the elongate body and the control unit configured to operate the pull wires for applying forces to articulate or steer the different distal portions of the elongate body.

32. A steerable elongate instrument, comprising:

an elongate body having a plurality of lumens within the elongate body;

a plurality of flex members, each of the flex members being respectively disposed within each of the plurality of lumens, the flex members configured to provide steering control to different distal portions of the elongate body and load bearing support to different proximal portions of the elongate body; and

a plurality of pull wires, each of the pull wires being respectively disposed within the each of the flex members, wherein distal portion of respective pull wires being coupled to different distal locations or portions of the elongate body and proximal portion of respective pull wires being operatively coupled to a control unit, wherein the control unit being coupled to a proximal portion of the elongate body and the control unit configured to operate the pull wires for applying forces to articulate or steer the different distal portions of the elongate body.

33. An instrument, comprising:

a flexible and elongate body including at least a lumen;

a flex member disposed within the lumen, the flex member configured to provide steering control to a first portion of the elongate body while providing load bearing support to a second portion of the elongate body; and

a pull wire disposed within the flex member, wherein at least a distal portion of the pull wire being coupled to the elongate body and a proximal portion of the pull wire being operatively coupled to a control unit, wherein the control unit being coupled to a proximal portion of the elongate body.

34. The instrument of claim 33, wherein the flex member is configured to selectively decouple articulation or steering forces of a first portion of the elongate body away from a second portion of the elongate body, thereby preventing compression of the second portion of the elongate body while maintaining elasticity or flexibility of the second portion of the elongate body.

35. A method of shape control of an elongate instrument, comprising:

inserting at least a first portion of an elongate instrument into a patient through either an incision or orifice;

advancing at least the first portion of the elongate instrument through a pathway inside the patient;

manipulating at least a second portion of the elongate instrument to conform, adopt, or match a shape or curvatures of the pathway as the elongate instrument is being advanced through the pathway; and

steering at least the first portion of the elongate instrument around other curvatures of the pathway.

36. The method of shape control of claim 35, further comprising decoupling articulation or steering forces of the first portion of the elongate instrument away from the second portion of the elongate instrument.

37. The method of shape control of claim 35, further comprising maintaining the conformed, adopted, or matched shape or curvatures of the pathway by the second portion of the elongate instrument, decoupling the first portion from the second portion, and steering the first portion of the elongate instrument.

38. A method of shape control of an elongate instrument, comprising:

inserting at least a portion an elongate instrument into a patient through either an incision or orifice;

advancing at least a first portion of the elongate instrument through a pathway inside the patient;

steering at least the first portion of the elongate instrument around a curvatures in the pathway; and

decoupling articulation or steering forces of the first portion of the elongate instrument from a second portion of the elongate instrument.

39. The method according to claim 38, further comprising:

manipulating the elongate instrument to conform, adopt or match a shape or curvatures of the pathway as the elongate instrument is being advanced through the pathway.

40. The method according to claim 38, wherein the act of decoupling articulation or steering forces of the first portion of the elongate instrument comprises:

preventing a flex member from moving in reaction to the articulating or steering forces; and

compressing the flex member to support the articulating or steering forces.