Medical instrument positioner

• US 6,659,956 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2001
• Issued: 12/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CIVCO Medical Instruments Company Incorporated (Roper Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Barzell Whitmore Maroon Bells, Inc. (Roper Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wilson, Roger F., Uccello, Salvatore A., Whitmore, Willet F. III, Brauner, Stephen E., Barzell, Winston E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jaworski, Francis J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, MAULIN M
• Application Number:
  US09/893,984
• Publication Number:
  US 20030014039A1
• Time in Patent Office: 893 Days
• Field of Search: 600/439, 600/562, 600/461, 600/7, 600/459, 600/462, 604/155, 604/154, 607/128, 128/DIG.12, 128/DIG.1
• US Class Current: 600/461
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/12 in body cavities or body tracts, e.g. by using catheters catheters per se A61M25/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4209 by using holders, e.g. positioning frames
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/50 Supports for surgical instruments, e.g. articulated arms

Abstract

The present invention relates to a medical instrument positioning device for controlled placement of a wide variety of medical instruments, such as an ultrasound transducer probe. The positioning device comprises a base member and a central shaft operatively associated with the base, a carriage member having a cavity configured and dimensioned to receive at least a portion of a medical instrument and slideably connected to the central shaft, a drive member coupled to the carriage member and engageable with the central shaft for movement with the central shaft and disengagement from the central shaft for sliding movement along the central shaft, and a quick release member operatively associated with the drive member. The quick release member has an inactive configuration in which the drive member engages the central shaft and an active configuration in which the drive member disengages the central shaft.

Claims

1. A medical instrument positioning device comprising:

a base member having a base and a central shaft operatively associated with the base;

a carriage member (a) having a cavity configured and dimensioned to non-rotatably secure at least a portion of a medical instrument with respect to the carriage member and (b) slideably connected to the central shaft;

a drive member coupled to the carriage member and engageable with the central shaft for controlled movement dependent on the central shaft and disengageable from the central shaft for sliding movement independent of and with respect to the central shaft; and

a quick release member operatively associated with the drive member and having an inactive configuration in which the drive member engages the central shaft for controlled movement of the carriage member and drive member and an active configuration in which the drive member disengages the central shaft for independent sliding movement of the carriage member and drive member.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the base further comprises:

first and second crossbars; and

first and second elongated, spaced parallel side rails, with the first and second side rails parallel with the central shaft.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein the base has a coupler for connection to a support stand.

4. The device of claim 2 wherein the central shaft is threaded and rotatably connected at first and second ends thereof to the first and second crossbars, and wherein rotation of the central shaft with the quick release member in the inactive configuration causes incremental movement of the drive member along the central shaft.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein at least one of the drive member and carriage member includes first and second flanges extending therefrom and the first and second side rails each include a slot for slideably receiving one of the flanges.

6. The device of claim 4 wherein the drive member further comprises an engagement member and wherein the quick release member comprises a release lever operatively associated with the engagement member, the engagement member configured and dimensioned to receive at least a portion of the release lever and upon actuation of the release member the engagement member either engages or disengages the central shaft.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein the carriage member further comprises a probe securing member to support the medical instrument and a fastener, wherein the probe securing member and fastener secure the medical instrument in the cavity of the carriage member.

8. The device of claim 1 further comprising a safety release element that uncouples the drive member from the carriage member when a movement force on the carriage member exceeds a threshold value.

9. The device of claim 8 wherein the safety release element comprises a magnet on the carriage member and a magnet on the drive member, the magnets magnetically coupling the drive member and the carriage member.

10. The device of claim 9 wherein the magnetic field of one of the magnets is adjustable to adjust the threshold value.

11. The device of claim 10 wherein the adjustable magnet is movable with respect to the other magnet to thereby adjust the threshold value.

12. The device of claim 11 further comprising a set screw for moving the adjustable magnet.

13. The device of claim 11 wherein the adjustable magnet is located on the carriage member.

14. The device of claim 1 wherein the base member includes at least one scale to provide indicia of displacement of the carriage member along the base member.

15. The device of claim 14 wherein the carriage member further comprises a carriage scale marker to indicate the numerical position of the carriage member on the base member.

16. The device of claim 1 wherein the base member further comprises a rotatable motor engagement member attached at a first end to the central shaft and removably coupled to a motor at a second end.

17. The device of claim 16 wherein at least a portion of the motor engagement member is made of a non-conductive material to electrically isolate the motor and the device.

21. The medical instrument positioning device of claim 1, wherein the cavity of the carriage member is configured longitudinally with respect to the carriage member and is configured to receive at least the portion of the instrument laterally therein.

18. A medical instrument positioning device comprising:

a base member having a base and a central shaft operatively associated with the base;

a carriage member having a cavity configured and dimensioned to receive at least a portion of a medical instrument and slideably connected to the central shaft;

a drive member removably coupled to the carriage member and engageable with the central shaft for movement along the central shaft; and

a safety release element that uncouples the drive member from the carriage member when a movement force on the carriage member exceeds a threshold value.

19. The device of claim 18 wherein the safety release element comprises a first plurality of magnets on the carriage member and a second plurality of magnets on the drive member, the first and second plurality of magnets magnetically coupling the drive member and the carriage member.

20. The device of claim 19 wherein the magnetic fields of at least some of the first and second plurality of magnets are adjustable to adjust the threshold value.

22. The medical instrument positioning device of claim 18, wherein the cavity of the carriage member is configured longitudinally with respect to the carriage member and is configured to receive at least the portion of the instrument laterally therein.

23. A medical instrument positioning device comprising:

a base member having a base and a central shaft operatively associated with the base;

a carriage member (a) comprising a longitudinal cavity configured and dimensioned to laterally receive at least a portion of a medical instrument and (b) translatable with respect to the central shaft;

a drive member operable to translate the carriage member with respect to the central shaft, the drive member being engageable with the central shaft for controlled movement dependent on the central shaft and disengageable from the central shaft for translational movement independent of the central shaft; and

a quick release member operatively associated with the drive member and having an inactive configuration in which the drive member engages the central shaft for controlled movement of the drive member and an active configuration in which the drive member disengages the central shaft for translation of the drive member independent of the central shaft.