Interchangeable instrument

• US 6,860,878 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2002
• Issued: 03/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Auris Health, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: endoVia Medical, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Brock, David L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Philogene, Pedro
• Application Number:
  US10/097,923
• Publication Number:
  US 20030055409A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,082 Days
• Field of Search: 606/1, 606/130, 606/181, 600/102, 600/103, 600/117, 600/118
• US Class Current: 606/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/00234 for minimally invasive surgery A61B17/0218, A61B17/0469, A61B17/12013, A61B17/1285, A61B17/29, A61B17/320016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/00491 Surgical glue applicators surgical adhesives A61L24/00; two-component delivery syringes A61M5/19
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/29 Forceps for use in minimally invasive surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00022 Sensing or detecting at the treatment site
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00026 Conductivity or impedance, e.g. of tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00039 Electric or electromagnetic phenomena other than conductivity, e.g. capacity, inductivity, Hall effect
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00088 using thermistors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00115 with audible or visual output
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00362 Packages or dispensers for MIS instruments A61B2017/0479 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00473 Distal part, e.g. tip or head A61B2017/00464 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00477 Coupling A61B2017/0046 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00482 with a code
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/105 Modelling of the patient, e.g. for ligaments or bones
• 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 2090/365 augmented reality, i.e. correlating a live optical image with another image
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/10 Computer-aided planning, simulation or modelling of surgical operations
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/20 Surgical navigation systems; Devices for tracking or guiding surgical instruments, e.g. for frameless stereotaxis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/30 Surgical robots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/35 for telesurgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/37 : Master-slave robots A61B34/35 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/70 : Manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/71 : Manipulators operated by drive cable mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/72 : Micromanipulators
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/76 : Manipulators having means for providing feel, e.g. force or tactile feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0084 : for introduction into the body, e.g. by catheters A61B5/1459 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0086 : using infrared radiation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/015 : By temperature mapping of body part
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/24 : Detecting, measuring or recording bioelectric or biomagnetic signals of the body or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/415 : the glands, e.g. tonsils, adenoids or thymus
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/416 : the spleen
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/418 : lymph vessels, ducts or nodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4893 : Nerves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 50/30 : Containers specially adapted for packaging, protecting, dispensing, collecting or disposing of surgical or diagnostic appliances or instruments for wound clamps A61B17/10; for ligaturing clips A61B17/122; packages or dispensers for surgical gloves or finger-stalls A61B42/40
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/425 : using detectors specially adapted to be used in the interior of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/36 : Image-producing devices or illumination devices not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/361 : Image-producing devices, e.g. surgical cameras

Abstract

A system and associated method for delivering to an internal body site a selected one of a plurality of instruments including fluid-dispensing instruments. An instrument storage chamber is providing having passages for separately accommodating the plurality of instruments. An outlet guide tube couples from the instrument storage chamber and receives a selected one of these instruments for delivery to an internal operative site. An indexing mechanism is provided associated with the chamber for causing relative displacement between the instruments and the outlet guide tube. An instrument driver displaces the registered instrument from the chamber into the outlet guide tube for delivery to the internal operative site.

Claims

1. A remotely controllable medical apparatus comprising:

a master side including a user interface manually manipulable by a user for sending operation command signals to a signal processor, the signal processor processing the command signals and sending processed signals;

a slave side having instruments controlled from said master side and including;

an instrument driver; and

an instrument exchange mechanism mechanically intercoupled to the instrument driver;

the instrument exchange mechanism comprising;

a plurality of separate instrument members each capable of assisting in a medical procedure to be performed at an operative site; and

an instrument storage chamber for releasably receiving said plurality of instrument members, accommodated in separate storage locations within the instrument storage chamber;

said instrument driver constructed and arranged for cooperative positioning relative to the instrument storage chamber, for selective alignment with one of said instrument members at a time, and for displacing the aligned instrument member from the instrument storage chamber toward the operative site;

at least one of said instrument driver and instrument storage chamber being positionally controllable so as to provide relative displacement therebetween to selectively align said instrument driver with a selected instrument member;

the instrument driver being remotely drivable via the user interface to insert and withdraw selected instruments.

2. A remotely controllable medical apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the selectable instruments comprise at least one of a mechanically actuable member and a fluid dispensing member.

3. A remotely controllable medical apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein said fluid dispensing member comprises a syringe member.

4. A remotely controllable medical apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein the instrument driver supports an actuating member for selectively operating said syringe member to eject fluid at the operative site.

5. A remotely controllable medical apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein said fluid dispensing member comprises a conduit member for coupling a fluid thereby from an external fluid source.

6. A remotely controllable medical apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said instrument storage chamber comprises a rotating chamber having a plurality of passages therein.

7. A remotely controllable medical apparatus as set forth in claim 6 wherein said instrument member has a rest storage position when disposed in the instrument storage chamber, and a working position when coupled to the operative site, and further including an outlet guide tube having a distal end of the instrument member extending from a distal end of the guide tube when the instrument member is in its working position.

8. A remotely controllable medical apparatus as set forth in claim 7 including an indexing device for causing relative displacement between the instrument members and the outlet guide tube for rotating said instrument storage chamber so that different ones of said instrument members may be aligned with said outlet guide tube.

9. A remotely controllable medical apparatus as set forth in claim 8 wherein said instrument driver is supported by a carriage for linear translation of the instrument driver.

10. A remotely controllable medical apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said instrument driver has cabling and said instrument member has cabling.

11. A remotely controllable medical apparatus as set forth in claim 10 further including a coupling interface for selectively connecting the cabling of the instrument driver with the cabling of the instrument member.

12. A remotely controllable medical apparatus as set forth in claim 11 wherein said coupling interface comprises corresponding hooks associated with said instrument driver and said instrument member, and engagable when the driver selects a particular instrument member.

13. A remotely controllable medical apparatus as set forth in claim 12 further including a base piece for supporting a carriage for rotation about a central axis.

14. A remotely controllable medical apparatus as set forth in claim 13 wherein each passage in the instrument storage chamber has an enlarged section to facilitate disengagement of said engagable hook.

15. A remotely controllable medical apparatus as set forth in claim 14 wherein facing ends of said instrument driver and instrument member have interlocking surfaces.

16. A remotely controllable medical apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said instrument member carries a tool at its distal end, said tool being controlled from a drive unit.

17. A remotely controllable medical apparatus as set forth in claim 16 wherein said tool is remotely operated from the user interface by way of an electrical controller.

18. A remotely controllable medical apparatus as set forth in claim 17 including an indexing mechanism for controlling the position of said instrument storage chamber.

19. A remotely controllable medical apparatus as set forth in claim 18 including an actuation member at said user interface for remotely controlling said indexing mechanism.

20. A remotely controllable medical apparatus as set forth in claim 19 wherein the actuation member includes at least one of a switch, touch screen, pointer, or voice activation device.

21. A remotely controllable medical apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said instrument storage chamber is supported for rotation.

22. A remotely controllable medical apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said instrument storage chamber is supported for linear registration.

23. A remotely controllable medical apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said instrument storage chamber stores the instrument members in a parallel array.

24. A remotely controllable medical apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said instrument storage chamber stores the instrument members in a serial array.

25. A remotely controllable medical apparatus comprising:

a user interface manually manipulable by a user for sending operation command signals to a signal processor, the signal processor processing the command signals and sending processed signals;

a remote instrument system controlled via said signal processor from said user interface and for performing a medical procedure at an operative site and comprising;

a drive mechanism; and

an instrument exchange mechanism mechanically intercoupled to the drive mechanism;

the instrument exchange mechanism comprising a shaft and an instrument storage mechanism containing two or more selectable instruments;

the shaft having a lumen which readily receives a selected instrument for insertion and withdrawal from the instrument storage mechanism;

said instrument drive mechanism mechanically intercoupled to the instrument storage mechanism and readily mechanically couplable to and decouplable from a selected instrument;

the instrument drive mechanism being remotely drivable via the user interface to operably couple to and drive an instrument.

26. A remotely controllable medical apparatus as set forth in claim 25 wherein said instrument is of one of the types of, an articulating instrument and a fluid dispensing instrument, and said fluid dispensing instrument comprises a syringe member.

27. A remotely controllable medical apparatus as set forth in claim 25 wherein said drive mechanism comprises an instrument driver.

28. A remotely controllable medical apparatus as set forth in claim 27 wherein the instrument driver supports an actuating member for selectively operating said syringe member to eject fluid at the operative site.

29. A remotely controllable medical apparatus as set forth in claim 25 wherein said instrument is a fluid dispensing instrument that comprises a conduit member for coupling a fluid thereby from an external fluid source.

30. A remotely controllable medical apparatus as set forth in claim 25 wherein said instrument storage mechanism is supported for rotation.

31. A remotely controllable medical apparatus as set forth in claim 25 wherein said instrument storage mechanism is supported for linear registration.

32. A remotely controllable medical apparatus as set forth in claim 25 wherein said instrument storage mechanism stores the instruments in a parallel array.

33. A remotely controllable medical apparatus as set forth in claim 25 wherein said instrument storage mechanism stores the instruments in a serial array.