SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR AUTOMATED MINIMALLY INVASIVE INSTRUMENT COMMAND

• US 20110295248A1
• Filed: 07/09/2010
• Published: 12/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hansen Medical Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Hansen Medical Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Barbagli, Federico, Wallace, Daniel T., Tanner, Neal A., Goldenberg, Alex, Schlesinger, Randall L.
• Application Number:
  US12/833,932
• Publication Number:
  US 20110295248A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/33
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1492 having a flexible, catheter-like structure, e.g. for heart ablation A61B18/1477 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00057 Light
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0007 Pyrometers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00084 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00123 and automatic shutdown
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00477 Coupling A61B2017/0046 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00678 upper
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00702 Power or energy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00708 switching the power on or off
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00779 Power or energy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00791 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00839 Bioelectrical parameters, e.g. ECG, EEG
• 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 2090/062 penetration depth
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/064 for measuring force, pressure or mechanical tension
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/065 for measuring contact or contact pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/25 User interfaces for surgical systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/30 Surgical robots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/37 Master-slave robots A61B34/35 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/76 Manipulators having means for providing feel, e.g. force or tactile feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/77 : Manipulators with motion or force scaling
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1689 : Teleoperation

Abstract

In one embodiment a system may comprise a controller including a master input device; and an electromechanically steerable elongate instrument having proximal interface and portions, the proximal interface portion being configured to be operatively coupled to an electromechanical instrument driver in communication with the controller, the distal portion being configured to be interactively navigated adjacent internal tissue structures of a patient'"'"'s body in response to signals from the controller; wherein the controller is operatively coupled to a treatment interactivity variable sensor selected from the group consisting of: a cardiac electrogram electrode, an RF generator power output sensor, an instrument distal portion impedance sensor, and an instrument distal portion force sensor; and wherein the controller is configured to affect the operation of the electromechanically steerable elongate catheter by automatically executing an instrument movement or treatment command based upon changes in information received from the treatment interactivity variable sensor.

Claims

1. A robotic catheter system, comprising:

a. a controller including a master input device; and

b. an electromechanically steerable elongate instrument having a proximal interface portion and a distal portion, the proximal interface portion being configured to be operatively coupled to an electromechanical instrument driver in communication with the controller, the distal portion being configured to be interactively navigated adjacent internal tissue structures of a patient'"'"'s body in response to signals from the controller;

wherein the controller is operatively coupled to a treatment interactivity variable sensor selected from the group consisting of;

a cardiac electrogram electrode, an RF generator power output sensor, an instrument distal portion impedance sensor, and an instrument distal portion force sensor; and

wherein the controller is configured to affect the operation of the electromechanically steerable elongate catheter by automatically executing an instrument movement or treatment command based upon changes in information received from said treatment interactivity variable sensor.

2. The robotic catheter system of claim 1, wherein the controller is operatively coupled to a cardiac electrogram electrode, and wherein upon sensing that the amplitude of a cardiac electrogram signal from the cardiac electrogram electrode has changed over time at a rate exceeding a predetermined threshold rate, the controller is configured to move the instrument to another position or increase the rate of movement of the instrument.

3. The robotic catheter system of claim 1, wherein the controller is operatively coupled to a cardiac electrogram electrode and an RF generator configured to transmit energy to the distal portion of the elongate instrument at a transmission rate to treat tissues adjacent thereto, and wherein upon sensing that the amplitude of a cardiac electrogram signal from the cardiac electrogram electrode has changed over time at a rate exceeding a predetermined threshold rate, the controller is configured to change the transmission rate.

4. The robotic catheter system of claim 1, wherein the controller is operatively coupled to an RF generator configured to transmit energy to an electrode positioned at the distal portion of the elongate instrument at a transmission rate to treat tissues adjacent thereto, and wherein upon sensing that the transmission rate has changed over time at a rate exceeding a predetermined threshold rate, the controller is configured to move the instrument to another position or increase the rate of movement of the instrument.

5. The robotic catheter system of claim 1, wherein the controller is operatively coupled to an RF generator configured to transmit energy to an electrode positioned at the distal portion of the elongate instrument at a transmission rate to treat tissues adjacent thereto, and wherein upon sensing that the transmission rate has changed over time at a rate exceeding a predetermined threshold rate, the controller is configured to change the transmission rate.

6. The robotic catheter system of claim 1, wherein the controller is operatively coupled to an impedance sensor coupled to the distal portion of the elongate instrument, and wherein upon sensing that the impedance has changed over time at a rate exceeding a predetermined threshold rate, the controller is configured to move the instrument to another position or increase the rate of movement of the instrument.

7. The robotic catheter system of claim 1, wherein the controller is operatively coupled to an impedance sensor coupled to the distal portion of the elongate instrument and an RF generator configured to transmit energy to the distal portion of the elongate instrument at a transmission rate to treat tissues adjacent thereto, and wherein upon sensing that the impedance has changed over time at a rate exceeding a predetermined threshold rate, the controller is configured to change the transmission rate.

8. The robotic catheter system of claim 1, wherein the controller is operatively coupled to force sensor configured to sense interfacial forces between the distal portion of the elongate instrument and adjacent structures, and wherein upon sensing that a sensed force applied at a sensed vector has changed over time at a rate exceeding a predetermined threshold rate or exceeds a predetermined threshold value, the controller is configured to move the instrument to another position in a direction opposite to the sensed force vector.

9. The robotic catheter system of claim 8, wherein the controller is configured to continue moving the instrument in the direction opposite to the sensed forced vector until the sensed force vector decreases by a predetermined percentage, or to a preset threshold value.

10. A method for operating a robotic catheter system, comprising:

transmitting a movement command generated with a master input device to a controller, the controller being operatively coupled to an electromechanically steerable elongate instrument having a proximal interface portion and a distal portion, the proximal interface portion being configured to be operatively coupled to an electromechanical instrument driver in communication with the controller, the distal portion being configured to be interactively navigated adjacent internal tissue structures of a patient'"'"'s body in response to signals from the controller;

wherein the controller is operatively coupled to a treatment interactivity variable sensor selected from the group consisting of;

a cardiac electrogram electrode, an RF generator power output sensor, an instrument distal portion impedance sensor, and an instrument distal portion force sensor; and

wherein the controller is configured to affect the operation of the electromechanically steerable elongate catheter by automatically executing an instrument movement or treatment command based upon changes in information received from said treatment interactivity variable sensor.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the controller is operatively coupled to a cardiac electrogram electrode, and wherein upon sensing that the amplitude of a cardiac electrogram signal from the cardiac electrogram electrode has changed over time at a rate exceeding a predetermined threshold rate, the controller is configured to move the instrument to another position or increase the rate of movement of the instrument.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the controller is operatively coupled to a cardiac electrogram electrode and an RF generator configured to transmit energy to the distal portion of the elongate instrument at a transmission rate to treat tissues adjacent thereto, and wherein upon sensing that the amplitude of a cardiac electrogram signal from the cardiac electrogram electrode has changed over time at a rate exceeding a predetermined threshold rate, the controller is configured to change the transmission rate.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the controller is operatively coupled to an RF generator configured to transmit energy to an electrode positioned at the distal portion of the elongate instrument at a transmission rate to treat tissues adjacent thereto, and wherein upon sensing that the transmission rate has changed over time at a rate exceeding a predetermined threshold rate, the controller is configured to move the instrument to another position or increase the rate of movement of the instrument.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the controller is operatively coupled to an RF generator configured to transmit energy to an electrode positioned at the distal portion of the elongate instrument at a transmission rate to treat tissues adjacent thereto, and wherein upon sensing that the transmission rate has changed over time at a rate exceeding a predetermined threshold rate, the controller is configured to change the transmission rate.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the controller is operatively coupled to an impedance sensor coupled to the distal portion of the elongate instrument, and wherein upon sensing that the impedance has changed over time at a rate exceeding a predetermined threshold rate, the controller is configured to move the instrument to another position or increase the rate of movement of the instrument.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the controller is operatively coupled to an impedance sensor coupled to the distal portion of the elongate instrument and an RF generator configured to transmit energy to the distal portion of the elongate instrument at a transmission rate to treat tissues adjacent thereto, and wherein upon sensing that the impedance has changed over time at a rate exceeding a predetermined threshold rate, the controller is configured to change the transmission rate.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the controller is operatively coupled to force sensor configured to sense interfacial forces between the distal portion of the elongate instrument and adjacent structures, and wherein upon sensing that a sensed force applied at a sensed vector has changed over time at a rate exceeding a predetermined threshold rate or exceeds a predetermined threshold value, the controller is configured to move the instrument to another position in a direction opposite to the sensed force vector.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the controller is configured to continue moving the instrument in the direction opposite to the sensed forced vector until the sensed force vector decreases by a predetermined percentage, or to a preset threshold value.