Deflection mechanism for a surgical instrument, such as a laser delivery device and/or endoscope, and method of use
First Claim
1. A surgical endoscope, comprising:
- a shaft having a working channel formed therein;
a surgical instrument inserted into the working channel, said surgical instrument being at least partially surrounded by a shape memory structure arranged to transform to a curved shape at a transformation temperature that is a few degrees higher than body temperature and thereby steer said surgical instrument, said shape memory structure being bathed by an irrigation fluid supplied to the working channel of the shaft, a temperature of said irrigation fluid determining when said shape memory structure will transform to a curved shape and thereby enable steering of said surgical instrument, a temperature of said irrigation fluid being near body temperature before and after transformation to a curved shape so that the irrigation fluid will be absorbed by a body of a patient without causing any damage.
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Abstract
A mechanism and method for steering a surgical instrument inserted into an endoscope such as a ureteroscope, nephroscope, or cystoscope, and/or for steering the endoscope, utilizes a shape memory structure secured to the surgical instrument or to the endoscope, the shape memory structure having a transformation temperature slightly greater than that of the human body so that bending of the shape memory structure, and therefore of the surgical instrument or endoscope, may be carried out by raising a temperature of irrigation fluid in the working channel. The steering mechanism may be used as a supplement to a tensioned-wire steering mechanism, reducing stress on the endoscope shaft and extending the service life and repair interval of the endoscope. In addition, when the surgical instrument is a glass optical fiber, the steering mechanism may be used to ensure that a tip of the optical fiber is within the field-of-view of fiber optics incorporated into the endoscope.
198 Citations
28 Claims
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1. A surgical endoscope, comprising:
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a shaft having a working channel formed therein;
a surgical instrument inserted into the working channel, said surgical instrument being at least partially surrounded by a shape memory structure arranged to transform to a curved shape at a transformation temperature that is a few degrees higher than body temperature and thereby steer said surgical instrument, said shape memory structure being bathed by an irrigation fluid supplied to the working channel of the shaft, a temperature of said irrigation fluid determining when said shape memory structure will transform to a curved shape and thereby enable steering of said surgical instrument, a temperature of said irrigation fluid being near body temperature before and after transformation to a curved shape so that the irrigation fluid will be absorbed by a body of a patient without causing any damage. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A laser-delivery device arranged to be inserted into a working channel of an endoscope and to deliver laser energy to tissues in vivo, comprising:
a glass optical fiber, said glass optical fiber being at least partially surrounded by a shape memory structure having a transformation temperature a few degrees higher than a temperature of a body into which the endoscope is inserted, said shape memory structure being secured directly to said glass optical fiber, wherein a transformation temperature of said shape memory alloy is a few degrees higher than body temperature and a temperature of said irrigation fluid being near body temperature before and after transformation to said curved shape so that the irrigation fluid will be absorbed by a body of the patient without causing any damage. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
- 25. A method of orienting a surgical instrument inserted into a working channel of an endoscope, comprising the step of raising a temperature of irrigation fluid in the working channel to cause a shape memory structure at an end of the surgical instrument to transform to a predetermined curved shape, wherein a transformation temperature of said shape memory alloy is a few degrees higher than body temperature and a temperature of said irrigation fluid being near body temperature before and after transformation to said curved shape so that the irrigation fluid will be absorbed by a body of the patient without causing any damage.
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28. A surgical instrument, comprising:
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a shaft having a working channel formed therein, said shaft including a first end arranged to be inserted into a patient and a second end extending outside the patient when the first end is inserted into the patient; and
a shape memory structure situated near said first end and arranged to be selectively bathed by an irrigation fluid having a temperature that causes said shape memory structure to transform to a curved shape and thereby enable steering of said shaft, a transformation temperature of said shape memory alloy being a few degrees higher than body temperature and a temperature of said irrigation fluid being near body temperature before and after transformation to a curved shape so that the irrigation fluid will be absorbed by a body of the patient without causing any damage.
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Specification