APPARATUS FOR INSERTING NEEDLE

• US 20110152717A1
• Filed: 06/08/2010
• Published: 06/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: National Cancer Center
• Original Assignee: National Cancer Center
• Inventors: Kim, Soo-Hyeon, KIM, Kwang-Gi, Kim, Hyung-Tae
• Granted Patent: US 8,657,761 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/568
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 10/0233 Pointed or sharp biopsy instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 10/0283 with vacuum aspiration, e.g. caused by retractable plunger or by connected syringe A61B10/025, A61B10/0266 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/30 Surgical robots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/11 with guides for needles or instruments, e.g. arcuate slides or ball joints
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/1585 Needle inserters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/158 Needles for infusions; Accessories therefor, e.g. for inserting infusion needles, or for holding them on the body

Abstract

Provided is an apparatus for inserting a needle capable of obtaining automation of tissue sample collection or drug injection and operation stability by applying a link mechanism between a needle inserted into a specific part of a human body and a power source for providing a drive force. The apparatus includes a needle unit inserted into a human body, a drive unit configured to provide a drive force to the needle unit such that the needle unit reciprocates between an insertion position at which the needle unit is inserted into the human body and a withdrawal position at which the needle unit is withdraw to the outside of the human body, and a guide unit including a plurality of guide links each having at least two links relatively rotated by the drive force of the drive unit and radially disposed around the needle unit, and configured to guide the needle unit such that the needle unit translates between the insertion position and the withdrawal position in a longitudinal direction of the needle unit.

Claims

1. An apparatus for inserting a needle comprising:

a needle unit inserted into a human body;

a drive unit configured to provide a drive force to the needle unit such that the needle unit reciprocates between an insertion position at which the needle unit is inserted into the human body and a withdrawal position at which the needle unit is withdraw to the outside of the human body; and

a guide unit including a plurality of guide links each having at least two links relatively rotated by the drive force of the drive unit and radially disposed around the needle unit, and configured to guide the needle unit such that the needle unit translates between the insertion position and the withdrawal position in a longitudinal direction of the needle unit.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of guide links are disposed around the needle unit at predetermined angular intervals in a circumferential direction.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein at least three guide links are provided to be radially disposed around the needle unit.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the drive unit comprises:

a motor;

a drive shaft connected to the motor and rotated by a drive force provided from the motor; and

a driver connected between the drive shaft and the guide unit to be reciprocated in an axial direction of the drive shaft depending on rotation of the drive shaft.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the drive shaft and the driver are coupled in a ball-screw type such that the driver straightly moves in an axial direction of the drive shaft depending on rotation of the drive shaft.

6. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the guide unit further comprises a guide ring connected to any one of at least two links included in the plurality of guide links to reciprocate in a longitudinal direction of the link.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the guide ring is connected to the driver to move depending on reciprocal movement of the driver, and

the guide link is rotated such that the needle unit reciprocates between the insertion position and the withdrawal position depending on reciprocal movement of the guide ring.

8. The apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a base configured to support at least one of the drive unit and the guide unit,

wherein the guide link comprises:

a first link rotatably supported by the base and connected to the guide link; and

a second link having one side relatively rotatably connected to the first link and the other side rotatably connected to the needle unit.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the first link has a guide slot formed in a longitudinal direction thereof, and

the guide ring has a guide pin inserted into the guide slot to move along the guide slot.

10. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein, when the guide ring moves in the longitudinal direction of the first link, a moving distance of the needle unit is larger than that of the guide ring.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the needle unit comprises:

a housing rotatably connected to the guide link;

a needle inserted into the human body; and

a needle receiving part configured to receive a portion of the needle and detachably coupled inside the housing.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the needle unit further comprises a detachable coupling member provided in at least one of the housing and the needle receiving part to detachably couple the housing and the needle receiving part.

13. An apparatus for inserting a needle comprising:

a needle unit having a needle inserted into a human body and a housing for receiving the needle unit;

a drive unit configured to provide a drive force to the needle unit such that the needle unit reciprocates between an insertion position at which the needle unit is inserted into the human body and a withdrawal position at which the needle unit is withdrawn to the outside of the human body;

a plurality of guide links each having at least two links connected to the needle unit to be relatively rotated with each other, and radially disposed around the needle unit; and

a guide ring interposed between at least one of the plurality of guide links and the drive unit to reciprocate in a longitudinal direction of the guide link such that the needle unit translates between the insertion position and the withdrawal position by a drive force from the drive unit in a longitudinal direction of the needle unit.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the needle is detachably coupled inside the housing.