Micro tools

• US 7,331,969 B1
• Filed: 06/18/2000
• Issued: 02/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Creganna Solutions
• Original Assignee: Micromuscle AB (TE Connectivity Ltd. (United Kingdom))
• Inventors: Selbing, Anders, Inganäs, Olle, Jager, Edvin
• Primary Examiner(s): Dawson; Glenn K.
• Application Number:
  US10/018,985
• Time in Patent Office: 2,802 Days
• Field of Search: 606/1, 606/108, 606138-200, 606205-211, 606222-233, 604/19, 604/22, 604/507, 604/508, 604/164.01, 604/264, 604/272, 604/523, 623/1.1, 623/1.11, 623/1.18, 623/1.19, 623/1.21, 623/2.1, 623/11.11
• US Class Current: 606/143
• 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 17/122 Clamps or clips , e.g. for the umbilical cord for the vas deferens A61F6/206
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1285 for minimally invasive surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/221 Gripping devices in the form of loops or baskets for gripping calculi or similar types of obstructions surgical snare instruments A61B17/32056
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00017 Electrical control of surgical instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00345 Micromachines, nanomachines, microsystems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00398 using powered actuators, e.g. stepper motors, solenoids
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00867 shape memory effect for prostheses A61F2210/0014
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00871 polymeric
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/1209 detachable by electrical current or potential, e.g. electroactive polymer
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/82 Devices providing patency to, or preventing collapsing of, tubular structures of the body, e.g. stents stent-grafts for tubular structures of the body other than blood vessels A61F2/04; stent-grafts for blood vessels A61F2/07; instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts A61F2/95; for closing wounds, or holding wounds closed A61B17/04 - A61B17/115; dilators A61M29/00

Abstract

Tool arrays for biomedical surgery where the tools consist of layered polymer micromuscles arranged to induce geometrical changes and movements via an electrochemically induced change of volume in at least one polymer layer. The tool or tool arrays are mounted on a carrier having the form of a needle being inserted into a cannula/catheter through which the tools can be electrically actuated via external means to induce a mechanical movement to act upon biological structures.

Claims

1. A tool array for biomedical surgery, comprising:

(i) a plurality of tools each comprising layered polymer microactuators arranged to induce geometrical changes and movements via an electrochemically induced change of volume in at least one polymer layer, and

(ii) said tools being arranged as an array of tools mounted in a carrier having the form of a catheter through which the tools can be electrically actuated via externally to induce a mechanical movement to act upon biological structures.

2. A tool array according to claim 1, characterized in that the layered polymer consists of a single layered polymer.

3. A tool array according to claim 1, characterized in that the layered polymer consists of a bi-layered polymer.

4. A tool array according to claim 1, characterized in that the layered polymer consists of a multilayered polymer and metal layers.

5. A tool array according to claim 1, characterized in that the mechanical movement is used to position a biological structure.

6. A tool array according to claim 1, characterized in that the mechanical movement is used to hold a biological structure.

7. A tool array according to claim 1, characterized in that the mechanical movement is used to fortify a biological structure.

8. A tool array according to claim 1, wherein a number of identical tools are located on the tool array extending inside the catheter, and wherein actuation of a tool closest to an exit of the catheter is arranged to release a tool from the tool array and is arranged to leave it at the point of exit of the catheter in order to mount the tool at/in some biological structure.

9. A tool array according to claim 8, wherein a number of identical tools are located on the tool array extending inside the catheter and where each tool is arranged to become individually actuated.

10. A tool array according to claim 8, characterized in that a number of non-identical tools are located on the tool array extending inside the catheter and where each tool is arranged to become individually actuated.

11. A tool array according to claim 8, characterized in that each individual tool is a clip arranged to join biological tissue or tissue parts, and arranged to hold the said tissue or tissue parts to allow healing.

12. A tool array according to claim 8, wherein the polymer microactuators are built of layers, of which at least one is a conjugated polymer.

13. A tool array according to claim 12, wherein the conjugated polymer is selected from the group consisting of pyrrole, aniline, thiophene, para-phenylene, vinylene, and a phenylene polymer and a copolymer and substituted forms thereof.

14. A tool array according to claim 1, characterized in that an individual tool is a clip arranged to join biological tissues or tissue parts, and arranged to hold the said tissues or issue parts to allow healing.

15. A tool array according to claim 1, wherein the polymer microactuators are built of layers, of which at least one is a conjugated polymer.

16. A tool array according to claim 15, wherein the conjugated polymer is selected from the group consisting of pyrrole, aniline, thiophene, para-phenylene, vinylene, and a phenylene polymer and copolymer, and substituted forms thereof.

17. A tool array according to claim 15, characterized in that the tool is built of bi-layered polymer, where the electrically activated volume change of said, at least one conjugated polymer is arranged to cause a bending of said bi-layer.

18. A tool array according to claim 15, characterized in that the tool is built of multilayered polymer, where the electrically activated volume change of said, at least one conjugated polymer is arranged to cause a bending of said multilayer.