SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR AUTONOMOUS INTRAVENOUS NEEDLE INSERTION

• US 20120190981A1
• Filed: 12/22/2011
• Published: 07/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Veebot Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Veebot, LLC
• Inventors: Harris, Richard J., Mygatt, Joseph B., Harris, Stuart I.
• Granted Patent: US 9,364,171 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/439
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00057 Light
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00106 ultrasonic
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/107 Visualisation of planned trajectories or target regions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/10 Computer-aided planning, simulation or modelling of surgical operations
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/25 User interfaces for surgical systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/30 Surgical robots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14 Devices for taking samples of blood hypodermic syringes A61M5/00; Measuring characteristics of blood in vivo, e.g. gas concentration within the blood, pH-value of blood measuring of blood pressure A61B5/02; non-radiation detecting or locating of foreign bodies in blood A61B5/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15003 for venous or arterial blood
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150068 by tissue compression, e.g. with specially designed surface of device contacting the skin area to be pierced
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150389 Hollow piercing elements, e.g. canulas, needles, for piercing the skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150503 Single-ended needles hollow piercing element tip design A61B5/150396, needle sets for catheters A61M25/06, needles for bringing media into the body A61M5/32
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150732 Needle holders, for instance for holding the needle by the hub, used for example with double-ended needle and pre-evacuated tube,
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15074 Needle sets comprising wings, e.g. butterfly type, for ease of handling
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150748 Having means for aiding positioning of the piercing device at a location where the body is to be pierced means for aiding positioning of devices for bringing media into the body A61M5/427, locating blood vessels A61B5/489
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150946 Means for varying, regulating, indicating or limiting the speed or time of blood collection
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150954 Means for the detection of operative contact with patient, e.g. by temperature sensitive sensor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/153 Devices specially adapted for taking samples of venous or arterial blood, e.g. with syringes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1535 comprising means for indicating vein or arterial entry A61B5/1545 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0891 for diagnosis of blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/11 with guides for needles or instruments, e.g. arcuate slides or ball joints
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/361 : Image-producing devices, e.g. surgical cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/20 : Automatic syringes, e.g. with automatically actuated piston rod, with automatic needle injection, filling automatically A61M5/142 , A61M5/46 take precedence; hypodermic projectiles F42B12/54
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/52 : Arm-rests

Abstract

Systems and methods for autonomous intravenous needle insertion are disclosed herein. In an embodiment, a system for autonomous intravenous insertion include a robot arm, one or more sensors pivotally attached to the robot arm for gathering information about potential insertion sites in a subject arm, a medical device pivotally attached to the robot arm, and a controller in communication with the sensors and the robot arm, wherein the controller receives the information from the sensors about potential insertion sites, and the controller selects a target insertion site and directs the robot arm to insert the medical device into the target insertion site.

Claims

1. An intravenous insertion system comprising:

a robot arm;

one or more sensors pivotally attached to the robot arm for gathering information about potential insertion sites in a subject arm;

a medical device pivotally attached to the robot arm; and

a controller in communication with the sensors and the robot arm,

wherein the controller receives the information from the sensors about potential insertion sites, and the controller selects a target insertion site and directs the robot arm to insert the medical device into the target insertion site.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the one or more sensors include a camera for providing to the controller an image of the subject arm.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the one or more sensors include a rangefinder for providing to the controller a distance to the target insertion site.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the sensors are in a fixed relation to the medical device.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising stabilizing feet designed to stabilize the subject arm as the medical device is being inserted into the target insertion site.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the system includes a medical device holding tool comprising:

a plurality of grippers for holding the medical device;

a first actuating mechanism for actuating the plurality grippers along an actuating axis;

stabilizing feet;

a second actuating mechanism for actuating the stabilizing feet.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the second actuating mechanism is designed to move the stabilizing feet both transversely to the actuating axis and substantially parallel to the actuating axis.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein the medical device holding tool further comprises a fastener for modular attachment to a corresponding fastener on the robot arm.

9. The system of claim 6 wherein the one or more sensors include a ultrasound probe for verifying the existence of a vessel at the target insertion site.

10. An intravenous insertion system comprising:

a robot arm;

a plurality of sensors attached to the robot arm for gathering information about potential insertion sites in a subject arm;

a medical device holding tool detachably engaged to the robot arm, the tool comprising;

a plurality of grippers for holding a medical device to be inserted into the subject arm;

a first actuating mechanism for actuating the plurality grippers;

stabilizing feet; and

a second actuating mechanism for placing the stabilizing feet in the proximity to an insertion site; and

a controller in communication with the plurality sensors, the medical device holding tool, and the robot arm,

wherein the controller receives the information from the sensors about potential insertion sites, and selects a target insertion site and directs the medical device holding tool and the robot arm to insert the medical device into the target insertion site.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the plurality sensors include a camera for providing to the controller an image of the subject arm.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein the sensors include a rangefinder for providing to the controller a distance to the target insertion site.

20. The method of claim 12 further comprising identifying the target insertion site in at least 4 (x, y, z, u) coordinates to guide the insertion of the medical device into the subject arm at the target insertion site.

13. A method for autonomous blood sampling comprising:

securing a subject arm;

identifying a target insertion site based on information received from at least one sensor;

actuating a robot arm to deliver a medical device to the target insertion site, while monitoring the target insertion site;

inserting the medical device into the subject arm at the insertion site.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of identifying the target insertion site comprises:

receiving an image of the subject arm from a camera identifying potential insertion sites;

ranking potential insertion sites based on size, shape, and location of the potential insertion sites; and

prioritizing potential insertion sites based on the ranking

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising presenting to the user potential insertion sites.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

determining the location of an elbow in the subject arm; and

ranking potential targets depending on the location relative to the elbow.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the camera is a near infrared camera in the wavelength from about 720 nanometers to about 780 nanometers to distinguish blood vessels from a surrounding environment.

18. The method of claim 13 further comprising verifying using an ultrasound sensor the existence of a vessel at the target insertion site.

19. The method of claim 13 further comprising receiving information from a rangefinder to orient the medical device for insertion at the target insertion site.