MEDICAL ROBOT IN PARTICULAR FOR GUIDING ELONGATE FLEXIBLE MEDICAL PARTS

• US 20160008574A1
• Filed: 03/07/2014
• Published: 01/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Biomed Packaging Systems Inc., Robocath
• Original Assignee: Jack W. Kaufman, James Brown
• Inventors: Bencteux, Philippe, Deboeuf, Sbastien, Marignier, Jacques
• Granted Patent: US 9,636,479 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 2090/376 using X-rays, e.g. fluoroscopy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/30 Surgical robots
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/002 Packages specially adapted therefor combined with means for introducing catheters, e.g. dispensers, A61M25/0113; catheter kit packages for surgical articles A61B50/30
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0113 Mechanical advancing means, e.g. catheter dispensers

Abstract

The invention concerns a medical robot for guiding elongate flexible medical parts, comprising: a fixed base having an outer peripheral wall; a container which is movable relative to the fixed base by a degree of freedom of rotation, the container comprising an inner peripheral wall defining with the outer peripheral wall a first compartment; and the outer peripheral wall having an aperture which opens into the interior of the first compartment and via which the first elongate flexible part can be moved.

Claims

1. Medical robot for guiding elongate flexible medical parts, comprising:

a fixed base having an outer peripheral wall (12),

a container (13) which is movable relative to the fixed base by a degree of freedom of rotation, the container comprising an inner peripheral wall (42) defining with the outer peripheral wall (12) a first compartment (14), the container comprising a second compartment (17) integral with the inner peripheral wall (12),

the first and second compartments (14, 17) being adapted for respectively receiving first and second elongate flexible parts (6, 37) to be inserted into a tubular passage of a patient,

the first compartment (14) comprising an entry (50) capable of being assembled to an end of the first elongate flexible part (6),

the second compartment (17) comprising an exit (18) associated with the entry (50) of the first compartment, the second elongate flexible part (37) being movable through the exit (18) and the entry (50) so as to extend into the first hollow tubular elongate flexible part (6),

the outer peripheral wall (12) having an aperture (53) which opens into the interior of the first compartment (14), through which the first elongate flexible part (6) can be moved.

2. Medical robot according to claim 1, wherein the degree of freedom is a rotation about a vertical axis (Z).

3. Medical robot according to claim 1 or 2, comprising a drive module (19) adapted to generate movement of the second elongate flexible part (37) relative to the container (13) by at least a degree of freedom.

4. Medical robot according to claim 3, wherein the exit (18) is associated with the entry (50) via the drive module (19).

5. Medical robot according to claim 3 or 4, wherein a hollow introducer tube (107) comprises a first end integral in translation with the inner peripheral wall (42) and which can be assembled to said first end of the first elongate flexible part, and a second end assembled to an exit (19b) of the drive module (19).

6. Medical robot according to one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the second compartment (17) comprises an outer peripheral wall (41), and wherein an intermediate space (15) is defined between the outer peripheral wall (41) of the second compartment and the inner peripheral wall (42), the drive module (19) being housed within the intermediate space (15).

7. Medical robot according to one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the drive module (19) is a second drive module, the medical robot further comprising a first drive module (16) adapted to generate movement of the first elongate flexible part (6) relative to the fixed base by at least a degree of freedom.

8. Medical robot according to claim 7, wherein the first drive module (16) is assembled to the aperture (53).

9. Medical robot according to either of claims 7 and 8, comprising a motor (59) adapted to drive the container (13) for the degree of freedom, the second drive module (19) and the motor (59) being enslaved to one another.

10. Medical robot according to one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the hollow introducer tube (107) is a second hollow introducer tube, and wherein a first hollow introducer tube (106) comprises a first end (106a) secured to the outer peripheral wall (12) and assembled to the aperture (53), and a second end (106b) assembled to the first drive module (16).

11. Medical robot according to one of claims 3 to 10, wherein each drive module (16, 19) can be operated to generate one and/or the other among a translational movement of the respective elongate flexible part (6, 37) along its axis and a rotational movement of the respective elongate flexible part (6, 37) about its axis.

12. Medical robot according to claim 11, wherein each drive module (16, 19) comprises a base (20) defining an axis, and a mobile unit (35) that is rotatable relative to the base with respect to this axis, the mobile unit comprising a movement application system (31a, 31b) that can be operated to generate translational movement of the respective elongate flexible part (6, 37) along this axis.

13. Medical robot according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the fixed base (12) and the container (13) are in the form of consumable and/or sterilizable elements.

14. Medical robot according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein, in a second configuration, the second compartment (17) comprises an exit (18) separated from the entry (50) of the first compartment, the second elongate flexible part (37) being movable through the exit (18) to extend within the first hollow tubular elongate flexible part (6).

15. Medical robot according to claim 14 wherein, in the second configuration, a ramp (108) guides the second elongate flexible part (37) parallel to the first elongate flexible part (6) and externally thereto.