Interface device and method for interfacing instruments to vascular access simulation systems

• US 7,308,831 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2002
• Issued: 12/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Immersion Medical Inc (Immersion Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Immersion Medical Inc (Immersion Corporation)
• Inventors: Cunningham, Richard L., Feldman, Philip, Feldman, Ben, Merril, Gregory L.
• Primary Examiner(s): NOORI, MAX H
• Application Number:
  US10/238,990
• Publication Number:
  US 20030069719A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,926 Days
• Field of Search: 738/41, 738/49, 738/623.91, 738/624.51
• US Class Current: 73/841
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 23/28 for medicine
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 23/285 for injections, endoscopy, bronchoscopy, sigmoidscopy, insertion of contraceptive devices or enemas
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 23/30 Anatomical models G09B23/281 - G09B23/288 take precedence

Abstract

An interface device and method for interfacing instruments to a vascular access simulation system serve to interface peripherals in the form of mock or actual medical instruments to the simulation system to enable simulation of medical procedures. The interface device includes a catheter unit assembly for receiving a catheter needle assembly, and a skin traction mechanism to simulate placing skin in traction or manipulating other anatomical sites for performing a medical procedure. The catheter needle assembly and skin traction mechanism are manipulated by a user during a medical procedure. The catheter unit assembly includes a base, a housing, a bearing assembly and a shaft that receives the catheter needle assembly. The bearing assembly enables translation of the catheter needle assembly, and includes bearings that enable the shaft to translate in accordance with manipulation of the catheter needle assembly. The shaft typically includes an encoder to measure translational motion of a needle of the catheter needle assembly, while the interface device further includes encoders to measure manipulation of the catheter needle assembly in various degrees of freedom (e.g., translation, pitch and yaw) and the skin traction mechanism. Alternatively, the shaft may include an additional encoder to measure translational motion of an instrument inserted through the catheter needle assembly. The simulation system receives measurements from the interface device encoders and updates the simulation and display, while providing control signals to the force feedback device to enable application of force feedback to the catheter needle assembly.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a deformable mock skin surface;

a sensor coupled to said mock skin surface and being configured to measure a deformation of said mock skin surface upon a user applying a force via the user'"'"'s digit to said mock skin surface, wherein the sensor transmits a signal based on the measured deformation, wherein a graphical display of a simulated skin surface of said mock skin surface is updated based on the signal to show said measured deformation of said simulated skin surface correspond to said measured deformation.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a processor coupled to the sensor via a communications interface, the processor configured to update values associated with said graphical display.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the processor is configured to produce force feedback data that correlates with the signal.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said simulated skin surface is depicted as deformed in association with said signal.

5. An apparatus for training a medical procedure, comprising:

a mock skin surface;

a sensor coupled to said mock skin surface and configured to measure a deformation of said mock skin surface when the mock skin surface is contacted by a user'"'"'s digit, the sensor configured to transmit a signal based on said measured deformation; and

a graphical display coupled to said sensor and configured to display of a simulated skin surface associated with said mock skin surface, wherein said graphical display of said simulated skin surface is updated based on said transmitted signal to show the simulated skin surface undergoing deformation upon user'"'"'s digit contacting the mock skin surface.

6. An apparatus, comprising:

means for measuring deformation of a mock skin surface upon a user applying a force to said mock skin surface via the user'"'"'s digit, said means for measuring using a sensor coupled to the mock skin surface to produce deformation data; and

means for transmitting a signal based on the deformation data to a processor configured to update with a graphical representation of a simulated skin surface corresponding to the mock skin surface, wherein the graphical representation of the updated simulated skin surface illustrates the deformation applied by the user'"'"'s digit to display a simulated vein in the simulated skin surface.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the measuring means is configured to measure a deformation of the mock skin surface using a potentiometer coupled to the mock skin surface.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the transmitting means is a communications interface.

9. An apparatus, comprising:

means for receiving a signal based on deformation data from a sensor sensing deformation of a mock skin surface upon a user applying a force on the mock skin surface via the user'"'"'s digit, said deformation data representing the deformation of the mock skin surface; and

means for updating a graphical representation of a simulated skin surface corresponding to the mock skin surface to display the simulated skin surface being deformed upon the user applying the force and based on the received deformation data.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, the signal being a first signal, the apparatus further comprising:

means for transmitting a second signal to a device configured to provide force feedback, the second signal including data that correlates with the first signal.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the receiving means is configured to receive the deformation data from a potentiometer that is coupled to the mock skin surface.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the receiving means is configured to receive the deformation data from a potentiometer that is coupled to the mock skin surface via a pulley, around which the mock skin surface is disposed.

13. An apparatus, comprising:

means for measuring deformation of a mock skin surface upon a user applying a force via the user'"'"'s digit on the mock skin surface, the means for measuring using a sensor coupled to the mock skin surface to produce deformation data;

means for transmitting a first signal based on the deformation data to a processor;

means for updating a graphical representation of a simulated skin surface corresponding to the mock skin surface, wherein the graphical representation displays the simulated skin surface being deformed upon the user'"'"'s digit applying the force and based on the received deformation data; and

means for transmitting a second signal to a device configured to provide force feedback, the second signal including data that correlates with the first signal.

14. An apparatus, comprising:

a first input device having a mock skin surface, said first input device being configured to measure a deformation of said mock skin surface and configured to transmit a signal based on the measured deformation;

a force feedback unit coupled to the first input device and configured to provide a force feedback at least partially based on said signal; and

a second input device coupled to said force feedback unit and configured to receive force feedback from said force feedback unit.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:

a first sensor coupled to said second input device, configured to measure a first change in position of said second input device and configured to transmit a first position signal based on the measured first change in position; and

a second sensor coupled to said second input device, configured to measure a second change in position of said second input device and configured to transmit a second position signal based on the measured second change in position, said force feedback unit being configured to provide the force feedback to said second input device at least partially based on said first position signal and said second position signal.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said second input device is configured to be manipulated in at least two directions.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising:

a processor configured to update values associated with a graphical representation of said first interface device and said second interface device; and

an interface device coupled to said first input device and said second input device and configured to transmit said signal, said first position signal and said second position signal to the processor.