Interface device and method for interfacing instruments to medical procedure simulation systems

• US 7,931,470 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2003
• Issued: 04/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Immersion Medical Inc (Immersion Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Immersion Medical Inc (Immersion Corporation)
• Inventors: Cohen, Robert F., Feldman, Ben, Brown, J. Michael, Cabahug, Eric, Churchill, Philip J., Alexander, David, Merril, Gregory L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Thai; Xuan M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gishnock; Nikolai A
• Application Number:
  US10/657,144
• Publication Number:
  US 20040048230A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,786 Days
• Field of Search: 623/11.11, 434/262, 434/236, 434/264
• US Class Current: 434/262
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 23/285 for injections, endoscopy, bronchoscopy, sigmoidscopy, insertion of contraceptive devices or enemas

Abstract

An interface device and method for interfacing instruments to a medical procedure simulation system serve to interface peripherals in the form of mock medical instruments to the medical procedure simulation system computer to enable simulation of medical procedures. The interface device includes a housing having a mock bodily region of interest to facilitate insertion of a mock instrument, such as an endoscope tube, into the interface device. The mock bodily region of interest may be pivotable to simulate various patient orientations. The instrument is engaged by a capture mechanism in order to measure rotational and translational motion of the instrument. An actuator is disposed within the interface device to provide force feedback to the instrument. The measured motion is provided to the computer system to reflect instrument motion on the display during the simulation. Alternatively, the interface device may be configured to accommodate instrument assemblies having a plurality of nested instruments (e.g., sheath, catheter and wire), whereby the interface device individually grasps, measures manipulation of and provides force feedback to the nested instruments. In addition, the interface device may be configured to simultaneously accommodate a plurality of independently inserted instruments.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a mock anatomical site having an orifice, the orifice being configured to receive a peripheral device;

a hollow member extending between the orifice and a sensing assembly disposed within a housing, the hollow member being configured to guide the peripheral device between the orifice and the sensing assembly;

a bracket coupled to the mock anatomical site and the housing and configured to allow the mock anatomical site to be moveable in a plurality of degrees of freedom with respect to the housing, wherein at least a portion of the hollow member extends through a portion of the bracket;

a first retainer coupled to a first end of the bracket proximal to the mock anatomical site;

a first ring coupled to the mock anatomical site and the first retainer and configured to rotate about the first retainer to allow the mock anatomical site to pivot with respect to the bracket;

a locking mechanism configured to prevent movement of the mock anatomical site when the locking mechanism is in a locked position;

a second retainer coupled to a second end of the bracket proximal to the housing; and

a second ring coupled to the housing and the second retainer and configured to rotate about the second retainer to allow the bracket to pivot with respect to the housing.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the peripheral device is a guidewire.

2. An apparatus, comprising:

a housing;

a pivotable mock anatomical site having an orifice;

a hollow member extending through a resiliency-providing material and between the orifice and the housing, the hollow member being configured to guide a peripheral device from the orifice into the housing;

a bracket coupled to the mock anatomical site at a first end and the housing at a second end, the bracket configured to allow positioning adjustment of the mock anatomical site in a plurality of degrees of freedom with respect to the housing, wherein at least a portion of the hollow member extends through a portion of the bracket;

a retainer coupled to the first end of the bracket and the mock anatomical site;

a ring coupled to the retainer and configured to rotate about the retainer to allow the mock anatomical site to rotate with respect to the bracket; and

a locking mechanism configured to prevent movement of the mock anatomical site when the locking mechanism is engaged a second retainer coupled to a second end of the bracket proximal to the housing; and

a second ring coupled to the housing and the second retainer and configured to rotate about the second retainer to allow the bracket to pivot with respect to the housing.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the resiliency-providing material is a block of foam.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the mock anatomical site is a simulated patient head.

5. An apparatus for simulation, comprising:

a mock anatomical site having an orifice, the orifice being configured to receive a peripheral device, the mock anatomical site further including a retainer, a first ring disposed proximate to the orifice, the ring being configured to rotate about the retainer to allow the mock anatomical site to pivot in a first direction with respect to a bracket, wherein a first end of the bracket is coupled to the mock anatomical site, the bracket having a second end coupled to a housing having a sensing assembly therein, a second retainer coupled to a second end of the bracket proximal to the housing; and

a second ring coupled to the housing and the second retainer and configured to rotate about the second retainer to allow the bracket to pivot with respect to the housing wherein the bracket is configured to pivot at the second end with respect to the housing to allow the mock anatomical site to be moveable in a plurality of degrees of freedom with respect to the housing;

a locking mechanism configured to prevent movement of the mock anatomical site when the locking mechanism is in a locked position, wherein the mock anatomical site is functionally coupled to a pivotable torsion tube; and

a hollow member extending between the orifice and the sensing assembly through the retainer, at least a portion of the bracket, and the first ring, the hollow member being configured to guide the peripheral device from the orifice to the sensing assembly.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the mock anatomical site is a mock face, and the housing is a mock torso.