FLEXIBLE AND STEERABLE ELONGATE INSTRUMENTS WITH TORSION CONTROL

• US 20110152880A1
• Filed: 12/23/2009
• Published: 06/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hansen Medical Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Hansen Medical Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: ALVAREZ, Jeffery B., ROMO, Enrique, CARLSON, Christopher
• Application Number:
  US12/646,894
• Publication Number:
  US 20110152880A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/130
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00314 Separate linked members
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0046 with a releasable handle; with handle and operating part separable for prosthetic joint-implanting tools A61F2/4603
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00477 Coupling A61B2017/0046 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/30 Surgical robots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/71 Manipulators operated by drive cable mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0161 wherein the distal tips have two or more deflection regions
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0105 Steering means as part of the catheter or advancing means; Markers for positioning systems for detection of markers A61B
• 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 25/0147 with movable mechanical means, e.g. pull wires

Abstract

An instrument for performing minimally invasive surgical procedures includes an elongate body and a support member disposed within or along the elongate body. The support member is configured to support steering, articulation, and angular rotational movement of the elongate body, provide torsion control, and support precise and accurate placement of the distal portion of the elongate body so that complex surgical procedure may be performed using the instrument.

Claims

1. -23. (canceled)

24. A flexible elongate body comprising:

a plurality of axially extending members;

a support member wherein the support member is configured to provide torsional stability to the flexible elongate body;

a base member;

an end member;

one or more intermediate spacer members;

wherein one or more of the plurality of axial extending members is secured to each of the base member, the end member and at least one of the intermediate spacer members; and

wherein the other of the plurality of axial extending members is secured to the end member and slidably disposed through apertures in at least one of the intermediate spacer members and the base member.

25. The flexible elongate body of claim 24, wherein the support member is positioned along a length of at least one of the axially extending members.

26. The flexible elongate body of claim 24, wherein the support member is configured to surround at least one of the axially extending members.

27. The flexible elongate body of claim 24, wherein the support member comprises a plurality of coaxially arranged helical members wherein the plurality of helical members comprise first and second helical members wound in opposing directions, wherein the first and second helical members are configured such that when a rotational force is applied to the flexible elongate body the first and second helical members are driven in opposing radial directions interfering with one another in opposing radial directions.

28. The flexible elongate body of claim 27, wherein the first helical member comprises a first winding with features that overlay or interlay with features of an axially adjacent winding of the first helical member such that the overlaying or interlaying of the axially adjacent windings of the first helical member minimizes overlap between radially adjacent windings of the first and second helical members.

29. The flexible elongate body of claim 26, wherein the first helical member is wound from a wire having a cross sectional shape configured to provide overlapping or interlocking between axially adjacent windings of the first helical member.

30. The flexible elongate body of claim 29, wherein the cross sectional shape of the wire is selected from the group consisting of a step shape, parallelogram shape, trapezoidal shape, and T-shape.

31. The flexible elongate body of claim 26, wherein a distance of spacing between axially adjacent windings of the first helical member varies along a length of the first helical member such that bending of the flexible elongate body can be maximized or minimized along different portions of the device.

32. The flexible elongate body of claim 26, wherein spacing between at least two of the axially adjacent windings of the first helical member ranges from about 0.00010 to 0.00045 inches and the flexible elongate body has a bend radius of about 7 mm to 12 mm.

33. The flexible elongate body of claim 24, wherein the support member is configured to surround the plurality of axially extending members.

34. The flexible elongate body of claim 24, wherein the plurality of axially extending members are arranged so one or more of said plurality of axially extending members are disposed about and parallel to a centrally located one of the plurality of axially extending members.

35. The flexible elongate body of claim 33, wherein there are three secondary axially extending members that are disposed about and parallel to the centrally located axially extending member.

36. The flexible elongate body of claim 24, wherein the plurality of axially extending members are configured and arranged so as to be flexible in bending and stiff in the axial direction so that the axially extending members do not deform when the elongate body is being manipulated.

37. The flexible elongate body of claim 24, wherein each of the plurality of axially extending members are configured to include a lumen, and the lumens are configured to receive an actuating member.

38. The flexible elongate body of claim 24, wherein the plurality of axially extending members are configured and arranged so as to form a continuous flexible backbone system.

39. The flexible elongate body of claim 34, wherein the flexible backbone system is configured and arranged so as to be capable of at least two degrees of freedom.

40. The flexible elongate body of claim 24, wherein the plurality of axially extending members are configured and arranged so as to form a continuous non-extensible flexible backbone system.

41. The flexible elongate body of claim 24, wherein a tool is operably coupled to a first end of the flexible elongate body and an actuation device is operably coupled to a second end of the flexible manipulation device, wherein the actuation device is configured and arranged to cause the flexible elongate body to maneuver the operably coupled tool in one or more directions responsive to outputs of the actuation device.

42. The flexible elongate body of claim 24, wherein torsion is transmitted with no or negligible torsion lag or wind-up from a proximal end to a distal end of the elongate body.

43. A method of performing a minimally invasive diagnostic, surgical or therapeutic techniques comprising:

inserting a flexible elongate body into a patient'"'"'s body, the flexible elongate body comprising a plurality of axially extending members and a support member wherein the support member is configured to provide torsional stability to the flexible elongate body;

steering the elongate body from a first position to a second position in the body;

transmitting torsion from a proximal end to a distal end of the elongate body with no or negligible torsion lag or wind-up while maintaining flexibility of the elongate body; and

operating an instrument that is operatively coupled to a distal portion of the elongate body to diagnose or treat a target tissue structure in the body.

44. The flexible elongate body of claim 43, wherein the support member is configured to surround at least one of the axially extending members.

45. The method of claim 43, wherein the support member comprises a first helical member positioned along a length of an axially extending member, and a second helical member positioned along the length of an axially extending member the method further comprising;

actively driving the first helical member in a first direction; and

actively driving the second helical member in a second direction opposite the first direction such that the first and second helical members interfere with one another in opposing radial directions to provide torsional stability to the elongate body.

46. The method of claim 45, further comprising allowing overlay or interlay between features of axially adjacent windings of the first helical member to minimize overlap between radially adjacent windings of the first and second helical members.

47. The method of claim 45, wherein the first helical member is wound from a wire having a cross sectional shape configured to provide overlapping or interlocking between axially adjacent windings of the first helical member.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein the cross sectional shape of the wire is selected from the group consisting of a step shape, parallelogram shape, trapezoidal shape, and T-shape.

49. The method of claim 45, wherein a distance of spacing between axially adjacent windings of the first helical member varies along a length of the first helical member such that bending of the flexible elongate body can be maximized or minimized along different portions of the device.

50. The method of claim 45, wherein spacing between axially adjacent windings of the first helical member ranges from about 0.00010 to 0.00045 inches and the flexible elongate body has a bend radius of about 7 mm to 12 mm.

51. The method of claim 43, wherein the plurality of axially extending members are arranged so one or more of the plurality of axially extending members are disposed about and parallel to a centrally located one of the plurality of axially extending members.

52. The method of claim 43, wherein one or more of the plurality of axial extending members is secured to each of a base member, an end member and at least one intermediate spacer member;

and

wherein the other of the plurality of axial extending members is secured to the end member and slidably disposed in through apertures in at least one of the intermediate spacer members and the base member.

53. The method of claim 43, wherein the plurality of axially extending members are configured and arranged so as to be flexible in bending and stiff in the axial direction so that the axially extending members do not deform when the elongate body is being manipulated.

54. The method of claim 43, wherein each of the plurality of axially extending members are configured to include a lumen, and the lumens are configured to receive an actuating member.

55. The method of claim 43, wherein the plurality of axially extending members are configured and arranged so as to form a continuous flexible backbone system.

56. The method of claim 55, wherein the flexible backbone system is configured and arranged so as to be capable of at least two degrees of freedom.

57. The method of claim 43, wherein the plurality of axially extending members are configured and arranged so as to form a continuous non-extensible flexible backbone system.

58. The method of claim 43, wherein a tool is operably coupled to a first end of the flexible elongate body and an actuation device is operably coupled to a second end of the flexible elongate body, wherein the actuation device is configured and arranged to cause the flexible elongate body to maneuver the operably coupled tool in one or more directions responsive to outputs of the actuation device.

59. The flexible elongate body of claim 43, wherein the support member is configured to surround the plurality of axially extending members.