CATHETER ORIENTATION CONTROL SYSTEM MECHANISMS

• US 20110144576A1
• Filed: 12/14/2010
• Published: 06/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Voyage Medical, Inc.
• Inventors: ROTHE, Chris A., SAADAT, Vahid
• Application Number:
  US12/967,288
• Publication Number:
  US 20110144576A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/95.04
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00042 for mechanical operation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00148 using anchoring means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0052 Constructional details of control elements, e.g. handles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0057 Constructional details of force transmission elements, e.g. control wires
• 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 90/53 connected to the surgeon's body, e.g. by a belt
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0136 Handles therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0147 with movable mechanical means, e.g. pull wires

Abstract

Catheter orientation control system mechanisms which facilitate the operation of multiple degrees of freedom of a steerable catheter system can be used for any procedure where catheter orientation relative to the body is desirable. Such systems may comprise a handle having a distal portion which is rotatable independently of the remainder of the handle to enable the handle to maintain a stationary configuration relative to the operator while the catheter distal end is torqued in any configuration by utilizing a single hand and/or single finger to effect complex configurations. Orientation indicators may be incorporated to track the deflectable distal end by visualizing the indicators through an imaging hood on the distal end corresponding to orientation markers on the control handle. Articulation of a steering mechanism in a direction relative to the orientation markers deflects the catheter distal end in a corresponding direction relative to the visualized orientation markers.

Claims

1. A catheter control handle, comprising:

a housing having an elongate catheter extending therefrom;

a proximal steering control positioned along the housing and in communication with a proximal steerable section which is articulatable by the proximal steering control and located near a distal end of the catheter; and

,

a distal steering control positioned along the housing such that the distal steering control is operable via a single finger and which is in communication with a distal steerable section which is articulatable by the distal steering control and located distal to the proximal steerable section.

2. The handle of claim 1 wherein the housing comprises a distal handle portion coupling the housing to the catheter which is attached to the distal handle portion.

3. The handle of claim 2 wherein the distal handle portion is rotatable about a longitudinal axis of the housing relative to the housing.

4. The handle of claim 2 wherein the distal handle portion is tapered.

5. The handle of claim 3 wherein the distal handle portion is rotatable up to 720 degrees or more.

6. The handle of claim 3 further comprising a locking mechanism movable between a locked and unlocked position which selectively locks a position of the distal handle portion relative to the housing.

7. The handle of claim 2 further comprising a stop which limits rotation of the distal handle portion.

8. The handle of claim 1 wherein the proximal steering control comprises a rotational control element positioned along the handle.

9. The handle of claim 1 wherein the proximal steerable section is constrained to articulate within a single plane.

10. The handle of claim 1 wherein the distal steering control is angled relative to a longitudinal axis of the housing.

11. The handle of claim 10 wherein the distal steering control is angled such that the distal steering control is off-set relative to the proximal steering control.

12. The handle of claim 1 wherein the distal steerable section is articulatable in at least two or more planes.

13. The handle of claim 1 wherein the distal steering control is coupled to at least one pullwire connected to the distal steerable section.

14. The handle of claim 1 further comprising a locking mechanism positioned along the distal steering control and movable between a locked and unlocked position which selectively locks a position of the distal steerable section.

15. The handle of claim 1 further comprising a hood with a hood membrane extending from a distal end of the catheter.

16. The handle of claim 15 wherein the hood or a hood membrane define one or more positional indicators located around a periphery such that the one or more positional indicators correspond to one or more indicators located around a periphery of the distal steering control.

17. The handle of claim 1 further comprising a platform having one or more support members each defining a receiving portion sized to accommodate the housing.

18. The handle of claim 17 wherein a position of the platform relative to a patient body is adjustable.

19. The handle of claim 1 wherein the distal steering control is operable via multiple additional fingers.

20. A method for controlling a catheter, comprising:

maintaining a handle housing and catheter extending from the handle in a first orientation;

actuating a proximal steering control positioned along the handle via at least one finger such that a proximal steerable section located near a distal end of the catheter articulates within a single plane; and

,

actuating a distal steering control positioned along the handle in a first direction via a single finger such that a distal steerable section of the catheter articulates in a corresponding first direction.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising rotating a distal handle portion of the handle housing to reorient the catheter from a first orientation to a second orientation while maintain a position of a remaining portion of the handle relative to a user.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising actuating the distal steering control in the first direction via the single finger such that the distal steerable section of the catheter articulates in the corresponding first direction.

23. The method of claim 21 further comprising locking a position of the distal handle portion relative to the remaining portion of the handle.

24. The method of claim 20 further comprising advancing the catheter intravascularly into a patient body prior to actuating the proximal steering control.

25. The method of claim 20 wherein maintaining comprises positioning the distal steerable section within a heart of a patient.

26. The method of claim 20 further comprising locking a position of the distal steering control such that a configuration of the distal steerable section is maintained.

27. The method of claim 20 wherein manipulating comprises further manipulating the distal steering control along at least a second direction such that the distal steerable section articulates in a corresponding second direction.

28. The method of claim 20 further comprising visualizing through a hood projecting from a distal end of the catheter while maintaining the handle housing.

29. The method of claim 20 further comprising:

visually identifying at least a first positional indicator located along the hood corresponding to a desired direction of articulation; and

manipulating the distal steering control toward a first positional indicator located on the distal steering control which corresponds to the first positional indicator located along the hood.

30. The method of claim 20 further comprising adjusting a position of the handle housing relative to a patient body via an adjustable platform.

31. The method of claim 20 wherein actuating a distal steering control comprises actuating via two or more fingers.

32. A catheter control handle, comprising:

a housing having an elongate catheter extending therefrom;

a distal handle portion coupling the housing to the catheter which is attached to the distal handle portion and which is rotatable about a longitudinal axis of the housing relative to the housing;

a proximal steering control positioned along the housing and in communication with a proximal steerable section which is articulatable by the proximal steering control and located near a distal end of the catheter; and

,

a distal steering control positioned along the housing such that the distal steering control is operable via a single finger and which is in communication with a distal steerable section which is articulatable by the distal steering control and located distal to the proximal steerable section.

33. The handle of claim 32 wherein the distal handle portion is tapered.

34. The handle of claim 32 wherein the distal handle portion is rotatable up to 720 degrees or more.

35. The handle of claim 32 further comprising a stop which limits rotation of the distal handle portion.

36. The handle of claim 32 wherein the proximal steering control comprises a rotational control element positioned along the handle.

37. The handle of claim 32 wherein the proximal steerable section is constrained to articulate within a single plane.

38. The handle of claim 32 wherein the distal steering control is angled relative to a longitudinal axis of the housing.

39. The handle of claim 38 wherein the distal steering control is angled such that the distal steering control is off-set relative to the proximal steering control.

40. The handle of claim 32 wherein the distal steerable section is articulatable in at least two or more planes.

41. The handle of claim 32 wherein the distal steering control is coupled to one or more pullwires connected to the distal steerable section.

42. The handle of claim 41 further comprising an isolation coil positioned about each one of the one or more pullwires.

43. The handle of claim 42 wherein the housing or distal handle defines a space within which the one or more pullwires are rotatable upon one another when the distal handle portion is rotated relative to the housing.

44. The handle of claim 32 further comprising a hood with a hood membrane extending from a distal end of the catheter.

45. The handle of claim 44 wherein the hood or a hood membrane define one or more positional indicators located around a periphery such that the one or more positional indicators correspond to one or more indicators located around a periphery of the distal steering control.

46. The handle of claim 32 further comprising a locking mechanism movable between a locked and unlocked position which selectively locks a position of the distal handle portion relative to the housing.

47. The handle of claim 32 further comprising a locking mechanism positioned along the distal steering control and movable between a locked and unlocked position which selectively locks a position of the distal steerable section.

48. The handle of claim 32 further comprising a platform having one or more support members each defining a receiving portion sized to accommodate the housing.

49. The handle of claim 48 wherein a position of the platform relative to a patient body is adjustable.

50. The handle of claim 32 wherein the distal steering control is operable via multiple additional fingers.

51. A catheter control handle, comprising:

a housing having an elongate catheter extending therefrom; and

a steering control positioned along the housing whereby the steering control is operable via a single finger to articulate a steerable section positioned near or at a distal end of the catheter.

52. The handle of claim 51 wherein the housing comprises a distal handle portion coupling the housing to the catheter which is attached to the distal handle portion.

53. The handle of claim 52 wherein the distal handle portion is rotatable about a longitudinal axis of the housing relative to the housing.

54. The handle of claim 52 wherein the distal handle portion is tapered.

55. The handle of claim 53 wherein the distal handle portion is rotatable up to 720 degrees or more.

56. The handle of claim 52 further comprising a stop which limits rotation of the distal handle portion.

57. The handle of claim 51 wherein the steering control is angled relative to a longitudinal axis of the housing.

58. The handle of claim 57 wherein the steering control is angled to be off-set relative to a proximal steering control positioned along the handle.

59. The handle of claim 51 wherein the steerable section is articulatable in at least two or more planes by the steering control.

60. The handle of claim 51 wherein the steering control is coupled to at least one pullwire connected to the steerable section.

61. The handle of claim 51 further comprising a hood with a hood membrane extending from a distal end of the catheter.

62. The handle of claim 61 wherein the hood or a hood membrane define one or more positional indicators located around a periphery such that the one or more positional indicators correspond to one or more indicators located around a periphery of the distal steering control.

63. The handle of claim 51 further comprising a locking mechanism movable between a locked and unlocked position which selectively locks a position of the distal handle portion relative to the housing.

64. The handle of claim 51 further comprising a locking mechanism positioned along the distal steering control and movable between a locked and unlocked position which selectively locks a position of the distal steerable section.

65. The handle of claim 51 further comprising a platform having one or more support members each defining a receiving portion sized to accommodate the housing.

66. The handle of claim 65 wherein a position of the platform relative to a patient body is adjustable.