Systems and methods for internal tissue penetration

• US 7,715,896 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2003
• Issued: 05/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stryker European Operations Holdings, LLC (Stryker Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Ramzipoor, Kamal, Koger, James D., Chopra, Gopal
• Primary Examiner(s): Casler; Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): KISH, JAMES M
• Application Number:
  US10/394,079
• Publication Number:
  US 20040186368A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,608 Days
• Field of Search: 600/424, 600/437, 600/466, 600/462, 600/407
• US Class Current: 600/407
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00082 Balloons
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00087 Tools A61B17/00234 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00135 Oversleeves mounted on the endoscope prior to insertion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/3132 for laparoscopy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/32002 with continuously rotating, oscillating or reciprocating cutting instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3478 Endoscopic needles, e.g. for infusion biopsy needles A61B10/0233; catheters with injection needles A61M25/0067
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00247 Making holes in the wall of the heart, e.g. laser Myocardial revascularization
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22075 with motorized advancing or retracting means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22077 with a part piercing the tissue A61B2017/22044 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22078 for rotating the instrument within a channel, e.g. an optical fibre
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320004 abrasive
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00392 Transmyocardial revascularisation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/378 using ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3782 transmitter or receiver in catheter or minimal invasive instrument
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0066 Optical coherence imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0084 for introduction into the body, e.g. by catheters A61B5/1459 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/12 in body cavities or body tracts, e.g. by using catheters catheters per se A61M25/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/445 Details of catheter construction

Abstract

A medical system is a medical device, such as a catheter, that includes an inner core and an imager that is extendable from within an elongated tubular member and configured to penetrate a body tissue within a living body. The elongated tubular member has a distal end and is configured to slideably receive the inner core. The distal end is further configured to allow the inner core to advance outside the elongated member. The inner core has a distal end and is configured to rotate radially around a longitudinal axis of the elongated member. The device can further include an imager located at the distal end of the inner core, and the imager can be configured to image a body tissue and output an image signal to an imaging system communicatively coupled with the imager. The imaging system is configured to generate an image of the body tissue from the image signal of the imager when the imager is rotated and placed into contact with the body tissue such that the imager penetrates the body tissue.

Claims

1. A method of penetrating a body tissue of a living body, comprising:

advancing a distal end of an elongated tubular member into a living body, the member configured to slideably receive an inner core, wherein a distal end of the inner core is disposed within the tubular member;

rotating the inner core of the elongated member radially around a longitudinal axis;

advancing the distal end of the inner core past the distal end of the member such that an imager located at the distal end of the inner core is placed into contact with a body tissue, wherein the body tissue comprises skin or cerebral ventricle membrane; and

penetrating the body tissue skin or cerebral ventricle membrane with the imager by rotating the inner core and the imager at the distal end of the inner core wherein penetration is effected by rotation and axial force and wherein the imager is configured to penetrate by a process consisting of applying axial force while rotating the imager.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein rotating the inner core comprises imaging the body tissue with the imager.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising generating an image of the body tissue with an imaging system.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising locating an optimum penetration region of the body tissue with the imager.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the distal end of the elongated member is inserted into a lumen of the body and rotating the inner core comprises imaging the lumen.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the body lumen is a body canal.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising advancing the distal end of the elongated member into contact with the body tissue prior to advancing the distal end of the inner core past the distal end of the elongated member.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising stopping the advancement of the distal end of the inner core once a pre-determined length of the inner core has advanced past the distal end of the elongated member.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising gauging how far the inner core has advanced past the distal end.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the imager is an acoustic transducer configured to image at an imaging angle offset from the longitudinal axis of the elongated member.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein a distal end of the imager is configured to facilitate penetration of the body tissue.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein a distal end of the imager is substantially flat.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising measuring a level of torque applied to the inner core with a control system when the core is rotating.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising stopping advancement of the inner core if a maximum torque threshold is reached.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the level of torque increases during penetration and subsequently decreases, further comprising stopping advancement of the inner core when the level of torque decreases to a pre-determined level.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising imaging the body tissue with the imager while the imager is penetrating the body tissue.