Apparatus for controlling force for manipulation of medical instruments

• US 6,817,973 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2001
• Issued: 11/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Immersion Medical Inc (Immersion Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Immersion Medical Inc (Immersion Corporation)
• Inventors: Cohen, Robert F., Feldman, Philip G., Cunningham, Richard L., Merril, Gregory L., Brown, J. Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Leubecker, John P.
• Application Number:
  US09/811,358
• Publication Number:
  US 20030040737A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,341 Days
• Field of Search: 600/103, 600/104, 600/106, 600/114, 600/117, 600/118
• US Class Current: 600/118
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/018 for receiving instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/29 Forceps for use in minimally invasive surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3417 Details of tips or shafts, e.g. grooves, expandable, bendable; Multiple coaxial sliding cannulas, e.g. for dilating syringe needles A61M5/32; dilators A61M29/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/003 Steerable
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320069 for ablating tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/32007 with suction or vacuum means
• 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 2090/064 for measuring force, pressure or mechanical tension
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/065 for measuring contact or contact pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/70 Manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/76 Manipulators having means for providing feel, e.g. force or tactile feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/03 Automatic limiting or abutting means, e.g. for safety
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0008 having visible markings on its surface, i.e. visible to the naked eye, for any purpose, e.g. insertion depth markers, rotational markers or identification of type

Abstract

Apparatus and method for controlling force applied to and for manipulation of medical instruments. An elongated member of a medical instrument can be sensed, and an actuator can be used to apply force to the medical instrument for control and manipulation of the instrument. Via use of the applied forces, the instrument can be moved to a desired position in a working channel, haptic indications of position can be output to the user, and/or user control over the instrument can be enhanced.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

an elongated member having a distal portion configured to engage tissue in a body and having a manipulable proximal portion, said elongated member configured to be moved in a degree of freedom;

a sensor configured to detect a position of the elongated member and output a position signal based on the position;

a controller coupled to the sensor, the controller configured to output a force signal based on the position signal; and

an actuator configured to apply a haptic feedback to the elongated member based on the force signal, the haptic feedback operative to indicate when the distal portion of the elonaated member has been translated to an end of a working channel that guides the elongated member.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the degree of freedom is a translational degree of freedom.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the degree of freedom is a rotational degree of freedom.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the haptic feedback includes at least one of a detent force, a vibration, a barrier force, a damping force, and a spring force.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the elongated member includes at least one of a guidewire, a catheter, a heart pacing lead, and a stylet.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the distal portion of the elongated member includes at least one of a blade, a serrated edge, a biopsy tool, a trocar tip, an ultrasonic tool, a needle, a vibrating tip, a suturing tool, a retractor, an electrosurgical cutter, an electrosurgical coagulator, a forceps, a needle holder, scissors, an irrigator, an aspirator, a medicator, a laser tool, a cryogenic tool, a flexible steering or guiding tip, and a camera.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said sensor is further configured to detect a movement of the elongated member in the degree of freedom and output a movement signal based on the movement, the force being applied as a haptic feedback based on the movement signal.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the haptic feedback is applied to the elongated member before the elongated member exits a distal end of the working channel.

9. An apparatus, comprising;

an elongated member having a distal portion configured to engage tissue in a body and a manipulable proximal portion, said proximal portion configured to be moved in a degree of freedom;

a sensor configured to detect a first force applied to the elongated member in the degree of freedom and to output a sensor signal based on the first force;

a controller in communication with the sensor and the actuator, the controller configured to output a force signal based on the sensor signal; and

an actuator configured to apply a second force to the elongated member in the degree of freedom based on the force signal, the second force being operative to indicate when the distal portion of the elongated member has been translated to an end of a working channel that guides the elongated member.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the degree of freedom is translational.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the degree of freedom is rotational.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the second force is a rotational force.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the controller is programmable.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein a magnitude of the second force is from about 10 percent to about 90 percent of the first force detected by the sensor.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the second force is applied in a direction opposite an insertion direction of the elongated member.

16. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising an outer member having an orifice into which the elongated member is insertable, the actuator being disposed within the orifice.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the outer member is an endoscope and the orifice is a working channel of the endoscope.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the outer member is an introducer sheath and the elongated member is an endovascular instrument.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the endovascular instrument includes at least one of a guidewire, a catheter, a heart pacing lead, and a stylet.

20. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the actuator is configured to apply the second force to be additive to the first force applied to the elongated member.

21. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the actuator is configured to apply the second force to counteract the first force applied to the elongated member by the user.

22. The apparatus of claim 9, the sensor being a first sensor, the apparatus further comprising a second sensor coupled to the actuator, the second sensor configured to detect the second force.

23. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a position detector coupled to the elongated member, the position detector configured to detect a relative insertion position of the elongated member.

24. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the distal portion comprises at least one of a blade, a serrated edge, a biopsy tool, a trocar tip, an ultrasonic tool, a needle, a vibrating tip, a suturing tool, a retractor, an electrosurgical cutter, an electrosurgical coagulator, a forceps, a needle holder, scissors, an irrigator, an aspirator, a medicator, a laser tool, a cryogenic tool, a flexible steering or guiding tip, and a camera.

25. The apparatus of claim 9, the sensor being a first sensor, the actuator being a first actuator, the apparatus further comprising:

a second sensor configured to detect a rotational force being applied to the elongated member; and

a second actuator configured to apply a rotational force to the elongated member.

26. An apparatus, comprising:

an elongated member having a distal portion configured to engage tissue in a body and a manipulable proximal portion, said proximal portion configured to be moved in a degree of freedom;

a sensor configured to detect a first force applied to the elongated member in the degree of freedom and to output a sensor signal based on the first force;

a controller in communication with the sensor and the actuator, the controller configured to output a force signal based on the sensor signal; and

an actuator configured to apply a second force to the elongated member in the degree of freedom based on the force signal, the second force being operative to indicate when the distal portion of the elongated member has been translated to an end of a working channel that guides the elongated member, the second force being additive to the first force applied to the elongated member.