POSITIONING APPARATUS

• US 20170071626A1
• Filed: 05/08/2015
• Published: 03/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2014
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Brigham and Women's Hospital Incorporated, Canon USA, Inc. (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Brigham and Women's Hospital Incorporated, Canon USA, Inc. (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Onuma, Kazufumi, Song, Sang-Eun
• Granted Patent: US 10,251,670 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 10/0233 Pointed or sharp biopsy instruments
• 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 2017/3407 including a base for support on the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/3409 including needle or instrument drives
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/374 NMR or MRI
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/11 with guides for needles or instruments, e.g. arcuate slides or ball joints
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/37 Surgical systems with images on a monitor during operation

Abstract

A positioning apparatus includes a needle guide, a rotation unit, a detector for the rotation position, a position measuring unit, an engageable stopper, and a setting unit for setting position information to a value corresponding to a predetermined position are provided herewith. The positioning apparatus can be used, for example, to position a needle placement manipulator.

Claims

1. A positioning apparatus comprising:

a guide configured to guide needle-shaped medical equipment in a longitudinal direction of the needle-shaped medical equipment;

a rotation unit including the guide and having a contact portion;

a detector configured to detect change in the rotation position of the rotation unit and to output a corresponding signal;

a position measuring unit configured to output position information based on the signal output by the detector;

a stopper, which is engageable with the contact portion of the rotation unit, configured to regulate the rotation of the rotation unit; and

a setting unit configured to set the position information to a value corresponding to a predetermined position.

2. The positioning apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a base,

wherein the rotation unit includes a first rotation member, and a second rotation member;

wherein the first rotation member is fixed to the base;

wherein the second rotation member is located on the first rotation member; and

wherein the stopper is provided to at least one of the first and second rotation members.

3. The positioning apparatus according to claim 2, wherein each of the first rotation member and the second rotation member include a contact member;

and wherein the stopper is engageable with the two contact members, thereby regulating the rotations of the first rotation member and the second rotation member.

4. The positioning apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a driving source configured to drive the rotation unit.

5. The positioning apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising:

a controller configured to control

a first driving source configured to drive the first rotation member, and

a second driving source configured to drive the second rotation member;

wherein the controller controls the first driving source and the second driving source so as to engage the contact member of the second rotation member with the stopper after engaging the contact member of the first rotation member with the stopper.

6. The positioning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the stopper is movable so that the stopper does not intersect with a locus on the space of the contact portion defined by the rotation of the rotation unit.

7. The positioning apparatus according to claim 2, wherein each of the first rotation member and the second rotation member includes a recessed contact member;

wherein the stopper includes a protruding portion;

wherein the protruding portion includes

a first portion which is in contact with the contact member of a single rotation member which is either of the first or second rotation members, and

a second portion which is in contact with the contact member of the other rotation member different from the rotation member with which the first portion is in contact;

wherein, in a state in which the first portion is in contact with the single rotation member, and is also not engaged with the contact member of the single rotation member the second portion is not in contact with the contact member of the other rotation member;

and wherein, in a state in which the first portion is inside of the single rotation member in the radius direction, and is also engaged with the contact member of the single rotation member, the second portion is in contact with the contact member of the other rotation member.

8. The positioning apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a rotation regulation detecting unit configured to detect that the rotation of the rotation unit is regulated by the contact portion and the stopper;

wherein the setting unit sets the value as the position information according to detection of the rotation regulation detecting unit.