APPARATUS FOR SIMULATING INSERTION OF AN ELONGATED INSTRUMENT INTO A STRUCTURE AND MEDICAL INSERTION SIMULATOR

• US 20170249866A1
• Filed: 02/26/2016
• Published: 08/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cae Healthcare Canada Inc. (CAE Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cae Healthcare Canada Inc. (CAE Incorporated)
• Inventors: LAVIGUEUR, Maxime, PICARD, Alexandre, MALLACI, Giuseppe, CARON, Francois
• Granted Patent: US 10,134,306 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/018 for receiving instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/10 Computer-aided planning, simulation or modelling of surgical operations
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/76 Manipulators having means for providing feel, e.g. force or tactile feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 23/28 for medicine
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 23/285 for injections, endoscopy, bronchoscopy, sigmoidscopy, insertion of contraceptive devices or enemas
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/00 Simulators for teaching or training purposes for the use of weapons F41; computing aspects G06; protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality H04L67/131

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an apparatus for simulating insertion of an elongated instrument attached to a tether into a structure. The apparatus comprises a casing having an aperture for receiving a distal end of the tether therethrough. The apparatus has a pulley having an outer tether receiving groove on a peripheral portion and an anchoring element therein for anchoring the distal end of the tether, the pulley rotating according to a longitudinal translation of the tether relatively to the casing. The apparatus has a sensing arrangement for sensing an angular position of the pulley representative of a relative longitudinal position of the elongated instrument. The apparatus has a feedback force actuator for applying an adjustable resistive force to a rotation of the pulley according to the sensed angular position and resistance characteristics of the structure. The present disclosure also relates to a medical insertion simulator comprising such an apparatus.

Claims

1. An apparatus for simulating insertion of an elongated instrument attached to a tether into a structure, the apparatus comprising:

a casing having an aperture for receiving tether therethrough;

a pulley having an outer tether receiving groove on a peripheral portion thereof and an anchoring element therein for anchoring the a distal end of the tether extending through the aperture of the casing, the pulley being rotatably mounted in the casing for rotating in response to pulling movement of the tether by a user, the pulley having the shape of a disk in which a radial portion has been removed to provide two opposed radial surfaces, the anchoring element being located at one of the two opposed radial surfaces;

a sensing arrangement for sensing an angular position of the pulley representative of a relative longitudinal position of the elongated instrument attached to the tether in the structure; and

a feedback force actuator connected to an axle of the pulley for applying an adjustable resistive force to a rotation of the pulley according to the sensed angular position of the pulley.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pulley and the feedback force actuator are mounted on a carriage longitudinally slidable in the casing.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the feedback force actuator comprises a stepper motor operatively connected to the axle of the pulley.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a control unit for controlling the feedback force actuator.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the elongated instrument attached to the tether is a medical implantable device.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a retaining plate, the anchoring element consisting of an anchoring point defined by the retaining plate and one of the two opposed radial surfaces when the retaining plate is maintained in contact against the one of the two opposed radial surfaces.

10. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the feedback force actuator further applies resistive force to a translation of the carriage.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the applied resistive force to a translation of the carriage is based on a sensed longitudinal position of the carriage.

5. (canceled)

6. (canceled)

8. A medical insertion simulator comprising:

an apparatus for simulating insertion of an elongated instrument attached to a tether into a structure, the apparatus comprising;

a casing having an aperture for receiving the tether therethrough;

a pulley having an outer tether receiving groove on a peripheral portion thereof and an anchoring element therein for anchoring a distal end of the tether extending through the aperture of the casing, the pulley being rotatably mounted in the casing for rotating in response to a pulling movement of the tether by a user;

a sensing arrangement for sensing an angular position of the pulley representative of a relative longitudinal position of the elongated instrument attached to the tether in the structure; and

a feedback force actuator connected to an axle of the pulley for applying an adjustable resistive force to a rotation of the pulley;

the tether, the distal end of the tether being anchored to the anchoring element of the pulley and the elongated instrument being attached to the tether;

a control unit for controlling the feedback force actuator;

a processing unit for receiving the sensed angular position of the pulley and a model of a patient'"'"'s internal structure and associated resistance characteristics of the structure, the processing unit further determining the adjustable resistive force to apply to the rotation of the pulley according to previously received information for operating the control unit, the processing unit further producing a visual display image of the patient'"'"'s internal structure and movement of the elongated instrument attached to the tether therein; and

a display unit for displaying the produced visual display image.

12. The medical insertion simulator of claim 8, wherein the pulley and the feedback force actuator are mounted on a carriage longitudinally slidable in the casing.

13. The medical insertion simulator of claim 12, wherein the feedback force actuator further applies resistive force to a translation of the carriage.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the applied resistive force to a translation of the carriage is based on a sensed longitudinal position of the carriage.