DEVICE FOR REMOVING KIDNEY STONES

• US 20140309655A1
• Filed: 03/11/2014
• Published: 10/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Calcula Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Calcula Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: GAL, David, BONNEAU, Raymond Arthur, SNOW, David Wellman
• Granted Patent: US 9,232,956 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/127
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/22032 having inflatable gripping elements balloon catheters A61M25/10
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/221 Gripping devices in the form of loops or baskets for gripping calculi or similar types of obstructions surgical snare instruments A61B17/32056
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2212 having a closed distal end, e.g. a loop
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2215 having an open distal end
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320064 with tissue or sample retaining means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3614 using optical fibre
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/20 Surgical navigation systems; Devices for tracking or guiding surgical instruments, e.g. for frameless stereotaxis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/37 Surgical systems with images on a monitor during operation
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/109 having balloons for removing solid matters, e.g. by grasping or scraping plaque, thrombus or other matters that obstruct the flow

Abstract

A system for removing a kidney stone from a ureter may include: an elongate, flexible, outer shaft having a distal end configured to be advanced into the ureter and a proximal end; an elongate, flexible, inner shaft extending through at least part of the outer shaft; an expandable stone retention member extending through at least part of the inner shaft and moveable along the longitudinal axis relative to the inner shaft; an elongate, flexible camera positioned coaxially within the retention member shaft, such that a distal end of the camera is located at or near a distal end of the inner shaft; and a handle coupled with the proximal end of the outer shaft, a proximal end of the inner shaft, and a proximal end of the retention member shaft.

Claims

1. A system for removing a kidney stone from a ureter, the system comprising:

an elongate, flexible, outer shaft having a distal end configured to be advanced into the ureter and a proximal end;

an elongate, flexible, inner shaft extending through at least part of the outer shaft, wherein at least one of the outer shaft or the inner shaft is moveable along a longitudinal axis relative to the other shaft;

an expandable stone retention member extending through at least part of the inner shaft and moveable along the longitudinal axis relative to the inner shaft, wherein the stone retention member comprises a retention member shaft and a stone retention portion disposed at a distal end of the retention member shaft;

an elongate, flexible camera positioned coaxially within the retention member shaft, such that a distal end of the camera is located at or near a distal end of the inner shaft; and

a handle coupled with the proximal end of the outer shaft, a proximal end of the inner shaft, and a proximal end of the retention member shaft, the handle comprising;

a shaft actuator for moving at least one of the inner shaft relative to the outer shaft or the outer shaft relative to the inner shaft; and

a retention member actuator for advancing the stone retention member out of the distal end of the inner shaft.

2. A system as in claim 1, further comprising a compliant ureter wall protection member attached to the outer shaft at or near its distal end.

3. A system as in claim 2, further comprising a wall protection member shaft disposed between the outer shaft and the inner shaft, wherein a first end of the wall protection member is coupled with the distal end of the outer shaft, and a second end of the wall protection member is coupled with a distal end of the wall protection member shaft.

4. A system as in claim 3, wherein the wall protection member comprises an inflatable balloon, and wherein a space between the outer shaft and the wall protection member shaft comprises an inflation lumen in fluid communication with the balloon.

5. A system as in claim 4, further comprising an inflation device attachable to a balloon inflation port on the handle that is in fluid communication with the inflation lumen.

6. A system as in claim 5, further comprising an irrigation fluid delivery device attachable to an irrigation port on the handle, for providing irrigation fluid during removal of a kidney stone.

7. A system as in claim 6, further comprising a suction port on the handle for providing suction force through at least one of the inner shaft or the retention member shaft.

8. A system as in claim 5, wherein the balloon is configured to at least partially deflate automatically when the stone retention member and a retained stone are pulled into the balloon.

9. A system as in claim 8, wherein the inflation device comprises a syringe, and wherein automatic deflation of the balloon causes a plunger of the syringe to automatically retract.

10. A system as in claim 4, wherein the balloon has a proximal taper with a first taper angle and a distal taper with a second taper angle that is greater than the first taper angle.

11. A system as in claim 4, wherein the wall protection member shaft is movable along the longitudinal axis relative to the outer shaft, and wherein sliding the wall protection member shaft proximally relative to the outer shaft causes the balloon to invaginate.

12. A system as in claim 11, further comprising a wall protection member shaft actuator on the handle.

13. A system as in claim 1, wherein the handle further comprises at least one irrigation fluid port in fluid communication with a space between the inner shaft and the retention member shaft, wherein the space acts as an irrigation fluid channel.

14. A system as in claim 1, further comprising a handle extension slidably disposed at least partially within a portion of the handle and coupled with the outer shaft.

15. A system as in claim 1, wherein the stone retention portion of the stone retention member comprises an expandable basket.

16. A system as in claim 1, wherein the camera is selected from the group consisting of a fiber optic camera, a CCD image sensor and CMOS device.

17. A system as in claim 1, wherein the camera is removable from the system.

18. A system as in claim 17, wherein the camera is reusable for multiple kidney stone removal procedures.

19. A device for removing a kidney stone from a ureter, the device comprising:

an elongate, flexible, outer shaft having a distal end configured to be advanced into the ureter and a proximal end;

an elongate, flexible, inner shaft extending through at least part of the outer shaft, wherein at least one of the outer shaft or the inner shaft is moveable along a longitudinal axis relative to the other shaft;

an expandable stone retention member extending through at least part of the inner shaft and moveable along the longitudinal axis relative to the inner shaft, wherein the stone retention member comprises a retention member shaft having a distal end and stone retention portion disposed at its distal end, and wherein the retention member shaft forms a camera lumen configured to allow a flexible camera to be positioned coaxially within it; and

a handle coupled with the proximal end of the outer shaft, a proximal end of the inner shaft, and a proximal end of the retention member shaft, the handle comprising;

a shaft actuator for moving at least one of the inner shaft relative to the outer shaft or the outer shaft relative to the inner shaft; and

a retention member actuator for advancing the stone retention member out of the inner shaft distal end.

20. A device as in claim 19, wherein the handle further comprises a camera attachment portion for attaching a proximal portion of the camera.

21. A device as in claim 19, further comprising a wall protection member coupled with the distal end of the outer shaft.

22. A device as in claim 21, further comprising a wall protection member shaft slidably disposed between the inner shaft and the outer shaft, wherein the wall protection member is attached at one end to the distal end of the outer shaft and at an opposite end to a distal end of the wall protection member shaft.

23. A device as in claim 22, wherein the wall protection member comprises an inflatable balloon, and wherein a space between the wall protection member shaft and the outer shaft comprises an inflation lumen in fluid communication with the balloon.

24. A device as in claim 23, wherein the handle further comprises a balloon inflation port in fluid communication with the inflation lumen.

25. A device as in claim 23, wherein the handle further comprises an irrigation port in fluid communication with a space between the inner shaft and the retention member shaft, wherein the space acts as an irrigation fluid channel.