Medical Devices and Methods

• US 20120035416A1
• Filed: 01/16/2010
• Published: 02/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Board of Regents of the University of Texas System (University of Texas System)
• Original Assignee: Board of Regents of the University of Texas System (University of Texas System)
• Inventors: Fernandez, Raul, Scott, Daniel J., Cadeddu, Jeffrey A., Bergs, Richard A., Tang, Shou Jiang
• Granted Patent: US 8,944,997 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/102
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00147 Holding or positioning arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00149 using articulated arms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00179 for off-axis viewing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/05 characterised by the image sensor, e.g. camera, being in the distal end portion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/313 for introducing through surgical openings, e.g. laparoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/00234 for minimally invasive surgery A61B17/0218, A61B17/0469, A61B17/12013, A61B17/1285, A61B17/29, A61B17/320016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3421 Cannulas
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00871 polymeric
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00876 magnetic
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2906 Multiple forceps
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/3449 whereby the instrument channels merge into one single channel
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/304 including a freely orientable platform, e.g. so called 'Stewart platforms'
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/306 using optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/30 Surgical robots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/73 Manipulators for magnetic surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/361 Image-producing devices, e.g. surgical cameras

Abstract

The present invention relates generally to medical devices and methods. The present medical devices comprises a platform comprising a magnetically-attractive material, and a camera coupled to the platform and configured to be moved in at least three degrees of freedom relative to the platform, where the camera'"'"'s movement in each respective degree of freedom is controlled by a separate actuator coupled to the platform. The medical devices further comprise a housing disposed around at least a portion of the camera, the housing being at least partially transparent, and a wiper arm configured to move relative to the housing. Some embodiments of the present multi-degree-of-freedom cameras for a medical procedure, comprises a platform comprising a magnetically-attractive material, an apparatus to moving the platform within a body cavity of a patient when the apparatus is outside the body cavity, the apparatus comprising a magnetic assembly, and a camera coupled to the platform, and configured to be moved in at least three degrees of freedom relative to the platform, where the camera'"'"'s movement in each respective degree of freedom is controlled by a separate actuator coupled to the platform.

Claims

1. A medical device comprising:

a platform comprising a magnetically-attractive material; and

a camera coupled to the platform and configured to be moved in at least three degrees of freedom relative to the platform, where the camera'"'"'s movement in each respective degree of freedom is controlled by a separate actuator coupled to the platform.

2. The medical device of claim 1, further comprising:

a housing disposed around at least a portion of the camera, the housing being at least partially transparent.

3. The medical device of claim 2, further comprising a wiper arm configured to move relative to the housing.

4. The medical device of claim 3, where the wiper arm comprises a resilient wiper blade coupled to the wiper arm, and where the medical device is configured such that the wiper blade contacts the housing such that if the housing moves relative to the wiper arm, at least a portion of the wiper blade maintains contact with the housing.

5. The medical device of claim 3, where the wiper arm is configured to move relative to the platform.

6. The medical device of claim 5, where the housing is coupled in fixed relation to the platform.

7. The medical device of claim 5, where the housing is configured to rotate relative to the platform.

8. The medical device of claim 3, where the housing is configured to rotate relative to the platform.

9. The medical device of claim 8, where the wiper arm is coupled in fixed relation to the platform.

10. The medical device of claim 1, where the platform is configured such that if the platform is disposed in a body cavity of a patient, the platform can be percutaneously coupled to a power source external to the body cavity.

11. The medical device of claim 1, where the platform comprises a power source.

13. The medical device of claim 1, where the platform comprises a body and a camera arm pivotally coupled to the body, the camera is coupled to the camera arm, and the camera arm is configured to be pivoted between a collapsed position and a deployed position.

18. The medical device of claim 1, where the platform includes a lower surface, and the camera has a lens disposed below the lower surface of the platform.

19. The medical device of claim 1, where the platform has two ends and a longitudinal midpoint, and the camera is coupled to the platform such that the camera is nearer the midpoint than either end.

20. The medical device of claim 1, where the device is configured such that the camera can be used to view a 360-degree field-of-view around the platform without moving the platform.

12. (canceled)

14-17. -17. (canceled)

21-26. -26. (canceled)

27. A medical device comprising:

a branched connector having an overtube connection configured to be coupled to an overtube, the branched connector having at least two entry ports that each includes at least one seal structure, one of the seal structures being configured to accept and maintain a seal around a portion of an endoscope, the branched connector being configured to connect to an insuflation device downstream of the seal structure or seal structures for a given entry port for the introduction and maintenance of pneumoperitoneum.

28. The medical device of claim 27, where the branched connector includes a straight portion associated with one of the entry ports, and a side branch portion associated with the other entry port.

29-44. -44. (canceled)

45. A medical device comprising:

a set of multi-degree-of-freedom arms equipped with interchangeable tips, each arm including at least two joints, each joint associated with an actuator.

46. The medical device of claim 45, where the interchangeable tips are configured to be actuatable in one or more degrees of freedom relative to an arm to which the interchangeable tip is coupled.

47. The medical device of any of claims 45, where at least one of the interchangeable tips comprises a camera.

48-56. -56. (canceled)