MEDICAL ASSIST DEVICE

• US 20170020557A1
• Filed: 07/21/2015
• Published: 01/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon USA, Inc. (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon USA, Inc. (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Onuma, Kazufumi
• Granted Patent: US 10,639,065 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3403 Needle locating or guiding means guides for suture needles A61B17/0482; guiding or tracking by nuclear magnetic resonance G01R33/285
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00075 Motion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/3407 including a base for support on the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/3409 including needle or instrument drives
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/0808 for indicating correct assembly of components, e.g. of the surgical apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/374 NMR or MRI
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/11 with guides for needles or instruments, e.g. arcuate slides or ball joints

Abstract

A medical assistance device is provided for insertion of a needle-like instrument. The device comprises a guide unit, a mechanism including the guide unit, a driving source configured to drive the mechanism, a needle sensor; and an anti-driving unit. The medical assistance device can detect the insertion state of a needle-like device and, when required, the anti-driving unit prevents operation of the driving source.

Claims

1. A medical assist device comprising:

a guide unit configured to guide a needle-like instrument to an insertion trajectory;

a mechanism including the guide unit;

a driving source configured to drive the mechanism, the driving source allowing changing of a position and a posture of the mechanism and a position and a posture of the guide unit included in the mechanism to change the insertion trajectory of the needle-like instrument;

a needle sensor configured to detect the needle-like instrument disposed at a predetermined position; and

an anti-driving unit configured to prevent the driving source from driving the mechanism,

wherein the anti-driving unit is actuated in response to a detection signal from the needle sensor.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the needle sensor detects attachment of the needle-like instrument at the predetermined position to the guide unit.

3. The device according to claim 1,

wherein the needle sensor includes a push switch, and

wherein the push switch is pressed by attaching the needle-like instrument at the predetermined positon to the guide unit, and the needle sensor detects the attachment of the needle-like instrument to the guide unit.

4. The device according to claim 1,

wherein the needle sensor includes a light emitting element and a light receiving element,

wherein the light emitting element and the light receiving element are positioned in such a manner that while the needle-like instrument is not attached to the guide unit, the light receiving element receives light emitted from the light emitting element, and while the needle-like instrument is attached at the predetermined position to the guide unit, the light emitted from the light emitting element is interrupted, and

wherein the needle sensor detects the attachment of the needle-like instrument to the guide unit in response to a detection signal from the light receiving element.

5. The device according to claim 1,

wherein the needle sensor includes a light emitting element and a light receiving element,

wherein the light emitting element and the light receiving element are positioned in such a manner that while the needle-like instrument is not attached to the guide unit, the light receiving element fails to receive light emitted from the light emitting element, and while the needle-like instrument is attached at the predetermined position to the guide unit, the needle-like instrument reflects the light emitted from the light emitting element and the reflected light enters the light receiving element, and

wherein the needle sensor detects attachment of the needle-like instrument to the guide unit in response to a detection signal from the light receiving element.

6. The device according to claim 1,

wherein the needle sensor includes a detecting unit configured to detect attachment of the needle-like instrument and a distance detecting unit configured to detect a distance of movement of the needle-like instrument relative to the guide unit, and

wherein the distance detecting unit detects movement of the needle-like instrument relative to the guide unit by a predetermined distance while the needle-like instrument is being attached to the guide unit.

7. The device according to claim 6,

wherein the distance detecting unit includes

a roller-shaped member configured to rotate in contact with the needle-like instrument, and

a rotation amount detecting section configured to detect an amount of rotation of the roller-shaped member, and

wherein the distance detecting unit detects the distance of movement of the needle-like instrument relative to the guide unit based on the amount of rotation detected by the rotation amount detecting section.

8. The device according to claim 5,

wherein the needle-like instrument has a surface having different reflectivities, and

wherein the distance detecting unit detects movement of the needle-like instrument relative to the guide unit by a predetermined distance based on a change in intensity of reflected light incident on the light receiving element.

9. The device according to claim 1,

wherein the needle sensor includes a signal applying unit configured to apply a weak electrical signal to the needle-like instrument and a signal detecting unit configured to detect the weak electrical signal from a body surface of a patient, and

wherein the weak electrical signal travels through the body surface of the patient and is detected by the signal detecting unit only upon contact and insertion of the needle-like instrument with and into the patient, and the anti-driving unit is actuated in response to the detected signal.

10. The device according to any of claim 1, wherein the anti-driving unit interrupts a driving instruction or electric power to the driving source.

11. The device according to any of claim 1,

wherein the anti-driving unit is disposed between the driving source and the mechanism, and

wherein the anti-driving unit prevents a driving force from being transmitted from the driving source to the mechanism.

12. The device according to claim 1, wherein the anti-driving unit contacts the mechanism or the driving source to prevent driving of the mechanism.

13. The device according to claim 1,

wherein the driving source includes a vibration-type actuator that includes an electromechanical energy transducer, a vibrating member configured to be excited to vibrate in response to a driving signal applied to the electromechanical energy transducer, and a moving member having a frictional surface in friction contact with the vibrating member, and the moving member is driven in a predetermined direction by vibration of the excited vibrating member,

wherein the electromechanical energy transducer includes a first electromechanical energy transducer element and a second electromechanical energy transducer element out of positional phase,

wherein a first alternating current voltage as a first driving signal is applied to the first electromechanical energy transducer element to excite the vibrating member to first vibration, and a second alternating current voltage as a second driving signal is applied to the second electromechanical energy transducer element to excite the vibrating member to second vibration, and

wherein the vibration-type actuator drives the moving member by either of the first vibration and the second vibration of the vibrating member or combined vibration of the first and second vibrations.

14. The device according to claim 13, wherein the anti-driving unit interrupts either of the first driving signal and the second driving signal.

15. The device according to claim 13, wherein the anti-driving unit allows either of the first driving signal and the second driving signal to be in phase with or in opposite phase to the other driving signal.

16. The device according to claim 1,

wherein the guide unit is detachable from the mechanism,

wherein the device further includes a detachment sensor configured to detect detachment of the guide unit from the mechanism, and

wherein the anti-driving unit is stopped from preventing driving in response to a detection signal from the detachment sensor.