Steerable segmented endoscope and method of insertion

• US 7,087,013 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2003
• Issued: 08/08/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Neoguide Systems, Inc. (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Inventors: Frey, Paul DeWitt, Milroy, James Craig, Ohline, Robert Matthew, Tartaglia, Joseph M., McElhaney, Christine Wei Hsien, Belson, Amir
• Primary Examiner(s): KASZTEJNA, MATTHEW JOHN
• Application Number:
  US10/402,599
• Publication Number:
  US 20030191367A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,230 Days
• Field of Search: 600/145, 600/146, 600/117, 600/150, 600/151, 600/152, 600/143, 600/144, 604/95.01, 901/1
• US Class Current: 600/145
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00004 characterised by electronic signal processing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00055 for alerting the user
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0016 using motor drive units
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0053 using distributed actuators, e.g. artificial muscles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0055 Constructional details of insertion parts, e.g. vertebral elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/008 Articulations
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/015 Control of fluid supply or evacuation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/018 for receiving instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/05 characterised by the image sensor, e.g. camera, being in the distal end portion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/31 for the rectum, e.g. proctoscopes, sigmoidoscopes , colonoscopes
• 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 2034/741 Glove like input devices, e.g. "data gloves"
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/742 Joysticks
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/065 Determining position of the probe employing exclusively positioning means located on or in the probe, e.g. using position sensors arranged on the probe

Abstract

A steerable endoscope has an elongated body with a selectively steerable distal portion and an automatically controlled proximal portion. The endoscope body is inserted into a patient and the selectively steerable distal portion is used to select a desired path within the patient'"'"'s body. When the endoscope body is advanced, an electronic motion controller operates the automatically controlled proximal portion to assume the selected curve of the selectively steerable distal portion. Another desired path is selected with the selectively steerable distal portion and the endoscope body is advanced again. As the endoscope body is further advanced, the selected curves propagate proximally along the endoscope body, and when the endoscope body is withdrawn proximally, the selected curves propagate distally along the endoscope body. This creates a serpentine motion in the endoscope body allowing it to negotiate tortuous curves along a desired path through or around and between organs within the body.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

an elongated instrument body having a multiplicity of controllable sections, including at least a first section, a second section and a third section; and

an electronic motion controller configured for controlling each of the first section, the second section, and the third section to assume first, second, and third portions, respectively, of an arbitrary curve when the elongated instrument body is in an initial position, and configured to, when the elongated instrument advances distally from the initial position, control the second section to assume the first portion of the arbitrary curve and the third section to assume the second portion of the arbitrary curve by propagating at least one measured length of at least one side of the second section to at least one side of the third section.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electronic motion controller is further configured to, when the elongated instrument withdraws proximally a distance of approximately one unit of length from the initial position, control the first section to assume the second portion of the arbitrary curve and the second section to assume the third portion of the arbitrary curve.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the elongated instrument body further comprises a selectively steerable distal portion.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an axial motion transducer for measuring axial motion of the elongated instrument body.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an imaging system for transmitting an image from a distal end to a proximal end of the elongated instrument body.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the imaging system comprises a fiberoptic imaging bundle extending from the distal end to the proximal end of the elongated instrument body.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an imaging system for transmitting an image from a distal end of the elongated instrument body to a video monitor.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the elongated instrument body is configured as an endoscope for insertion into a patient'"'"'s body.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the elongated instrument body is configured as a colonoscope for insertion into a patient'"'"'s colon.