SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MACRO-MICRO DISTAL DEXTERITY ENHANCEMENT IN MICRO-SURGERY OF THE EYE

• US 20110125165A1
• Filed: 05/18/2009
• Published: 05/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Johns Hopkins University
• Original Assignee: Johns Hopkins University
• Inventors: Simaan, Nabil, Taylor, Russell H., Handa, James T.
• Granted Patent: US 10,406,026 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/130
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/305 Details of wrist mechanisms at distal ends of robotic arms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/30 Surgical robots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/35 for telesurgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/72 Micromanipulators
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/0017 implantable in, or in contact with, the eye, e.g. ocular inserts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/007 Methods or devices for eye surgery
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

A system for operating within an interior region of the eye, or other organ, includes a delivery channel having a proximal portion located exterior to the eye and a distal portion positionable within the interior region of the eye, wherein the distal portion of the delivery channel defines an outer diameter that is smaller than or equal to about 18 gauge, and a micro-robot extendable from the distal portion of the delivery channel, wherein the micro-robot is remotely operable to change shape within the interior region of the eye.

Claims

1. A system for operating within an interior region of an eye, comprising:

a delivery channel having a proximal portion located exterior to the eye, and a distal portion positionable within the interior region of the eye, wherein the distal portion of the delivery channel defines an outer diameter that is smaller than or equal to about 18 gauge; and

a micro-robot extendable from the distal portion of the delivery channel, wherein the micro-robot is remotely operable to change shape within the interior region of the eye.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the micro-robot comprises an elongated finger extending from the distal portion of the delivery channel, and the elongated finger is remotely operable to bend within the interior region of the eye.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising a knife coupled to the elongated finger.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the micro-robot comprises an electro-active polymer.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the electro-active polymer comprises at least one of a conjugated conductive polymer, an ionic polymer, and an ionomeric polymer metal composite.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the micro-robot comprises a gripper extendable from the distal portion of the delivery channel.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the delivery channel is substantially rigid.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the delivery channel comprises a bending delivery channel, and the distal portion is remotely operable to bend within the interior region of the eye.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a remote center of motion unit located exterior to the eye that moves the delivery channel in at least four degrees of freedom with respect to a fixed fulcrum point located on the eye.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the remote center of motion unit comprises a planar six bar mechanism supporting a z-theta stage coupled to the delivery channel.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the micro-robot comprises:

a first jaw;

a second jaw movable with respect to the first jaw between an open position and a closed position;

a first CP joint positioned to move the second jaw to the open position; and

a second CP joint positioned to move the second jaw to the closed position.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the distal portion of the delivery channel defines an outer diameter that is between about 20 gauge and about 25 gauge.

13. A system for operating within an interior region of an eye, comprising:

a bending delivery channel having a proximal portion located exterior to the eye, and a distal portion positionable within the interior region of the eye, the distal portion defining an outer diameter that is smaller than or equal to about 18 gauge;

wherein the distal portion of the bending delivery channel is remotely operable to bend within the interior region of the eye.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the bending delivery channel comprises:

a central backbone; and

a plurality of secondary backbones distributed around the central backbone.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the bending delivery channel further comprises:

a base disk fixed to the central backbone at a first end;

an end disk fixed to the central backbone and the secondary backbones at a second end; and

a spacer disk fixed to the central backbone at a location intermediate the first end and the second end;

wherein the base disk and the spacer disk are slidable with respect to the secondary backbones.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the central backbone and the secondary backbones comprise super-elastic tubes.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising a light source located inside at least one of the central backbone and the secondary backbones.

18. The system of claim 16, further comprising at least one of a needle, a micro-robot, and a pseudo-dexterity device located in the central backbone.

19. The system of claim 13, further comprising a micro-robot extending from the distal end of the bending delivery channel, wherein the micro-robot is remotely operable to change shape within the interior region of the eye.

20. The system of claim 13, further comprising a pre-shaped super-elastic link located within the bending delivery channel, wherein the super-elastic link moves into a pre-set shape when extended from the distal end of the bending delivery channel.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the pre-shaped super-elastic link comprises a micro-needle or a mechanical tweezers.

22. The system of claim 13, further comprising a remote center of motion unit located exterior to the eye that moves the bending delivery channel in at least four degrees of freedom with respect to a fixed fulcrum point located on the eye.

23. The system of claim 13, wherein the distal portion of the delivery channel defines an outer diameter that is between about 20 gauge and about 25 gauge.

24. A method of manufacturing a surgical system, comprising:

providing a delivery channel having a proximal portion and a distal portion, wherein the distal portion defines an outer diameter that is smaller than or equal to about 18 gauge; and

providing a micro-robot positioned to extend from the distal portion of the delivery channel.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

providing a controller in communication with the micro-robot, wherein the controller causes the micro-robot to change shape.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the controller is in communication with the delivery channel and causes the distal portion of the delivery channel to bend.

27. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

coupling a remote center of motion unit to the proximal portion of the delivery channel.

28. The method of claim 24, wherein the distal portion of the delivery channel defines an outer diameter that is between about 20 gauge and about 25 gauge.