Medical tool for reduced penetration force with feedback means

• US 8,777,944 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2012
• Issued: 07/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Actuated Medical, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Actuated Medical, Inc.
• Inventors: Mulvihill, Maureen L., Park, Brian M., Frankhouser, Paul L.
• Primary Examiner(s): DOUGHERTY, SEAN PATRICK
• Application Number:
  US13/672,505
• Publication Number:
  US 20130072857A1
• Time in Patent Office: 614 Days
• Field of Search: 600573-584, 606181-185, 606/42, 606/169, 604/22
• US Class Current: 606/42
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 10/025 for taking bone, bone marrow or cartilage samples
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3401 Puncturing needles for the peridural or subarachnoid space or the plexus, e.g. for anaesthesia local anaesthesia A61M19/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3403 Needle locating or guiding means guides for suture needles A61B17/0482; guiding or tracking by nuclear magnetic resonance G01R33/285
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3415 for introducing tubes or catheters, e.g. gastrostomy tubes, drain catheters A61B17/3417 takes precedence; body piercing catheter guide needles A61M25/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3423 Access ports, e.g. toroid shape introducers for instruments or hands access sites for liquids A61M39/0247
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3476 Powered trocars, e.g. electrosurgical cutting, lasers, powered knives
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0011 piezoelectric
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00115 with audible or visual output with imaging means A61B90/37, A61B34/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00123 and automatic shutdown
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/32007 with suction or vacuum means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320089 node location
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/3413 guided by ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/064 for measuring force, pressure or mechanical tension
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/20 Surgical navigation systems; Devices for tracking or guiding surgical instruments, e.g. for frameless stereotaxis
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/1585 Needle inserters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/581 by audible feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/582 by tactile feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/583 by visual feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/065 Guide needles
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 37/0092 using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic vibrations, e.g. phonophoresis
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/00 : Devices for bringing media into the body in a subcutaneous, intra-vascular or intramuscular way; Accessories therefor, e.g. filling or cleaning devices, arm-rests vaccination appliances for veterinary use A61D1/025 ; tube connectors, tube couplings, valves or branch units specially adapted for medical use A61M39/00; containers specially adapted for medical or pharmaceutical purposes A61J1/00; combinations of vial and syringe for mixing or transferring their contents A61J1/20; holders for containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/16
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/158 : Needles for infusions; Accessories therefor, e.g. for inserting infusion needles, or for holding them on the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/20 : Automatic syringes, e.g. with automatically actuated piston rod, with automatic needle injection, filling automatically A61M5/142 , A61M5/46 take precedence; hypodermic projectiles F42B12/54
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/3287 : Accessories for bringing the needle into the body; Automatic needle insertion A61M5/20, A61M5/31525 take precedence

Abstract

A medical device for reducing the force necessary to penetrate living being tissue using a variety of reciprocating motion actuators, including piezoelectric, voice coil, solenoids, pneumatics or fluidics. The reciprocating actuator drives a penetrating member, such as a needle, through the tissue at a reduced force while the device detects the passage of the penetrating member through the tissue. Upon passage of the penetrating member through the tissue, electrical power to the reciprocating actuator is automatically terminated. One exemplary method for detecting this passage is via a fluid-containing syringe that is coupled to a channel within the penetrating member. Once the penetrating member tip has passed through the living tissue, the fluid within the syringe no longer experiences any pressure and a plunger within the syringe displaces indicating passage of the penetrating member tip. This motion can provide direct tactile feedback to an operator of the medical device or can automatically open a switch providing electrical power to the medical device. Alternatively, a pressure transducer can also monitor the pressure within the penetrating member channel and automatically activate the switch to cut off the electrical power.

Claims

1. A method for reducing the force needed to penetrate living being tissue, said method comprising:

applying biasing force to a biasing element;

vibrating a penetrating member against the living being tissue using a reciprocating actuator that converts electrical energy to reciprocating motion;

detecting passage of said penetrating member through said living being tissue by detection of a change in fluid pressure of the penetrating member by detecting movement of the biasing element, wherein the biasing element dispenses fluid into the penetrating member and through the penetrating member and into the living being tissue, and wherein the movement of the biasing element that is detected is movement when the biasing element dispenses the fluid into the penetrating member and through the penetrating member and into the living being tissue; and

automatically cutting off the electrical energy to said reciprocating actuator when said penetrating member has passed through said living being tissue.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the biasing element has a plunger within a fluid-containing syringe that is in fluid communication with a channel within said penetrating member, and wherein the movement of the basing element that is detected is movement of the plunger relative to the fluid-containing syringe.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said plunger is coupled to a switch that provides electrical energy to said reciprocating actuator.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of detecting passage of said penetrating member comprises a pressure actuator that monitors pressure within a channel of said penetrating member and wherein said pressure actuator provides an output that controls operation of a switch that provides electrical energy to said reciprocating actuator.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said vibrating actuator is at least one piezoelectric element.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said vibrating actuator is a Langevin actuator.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said vibrating actuator is a voice coil.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said vibrating actuator is one of a pneumatic and fluidic actuator.

9. The method of claim 3 further comprising the step of using said plunger to aspirate matter from the living being.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of detecting passage of said penetrating member comprises a pressure actuator that monitors pressure within said living being tissue and wherein said pressure actuator provides an output that controls operation of a switch that provides electrical energy to said reciprocating actuator.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of detecting passage of said penetrating member comprises a pressure actuator that monitors pressure adjacent to said penetrating member and wherein said pressure actuator provides an output that controls operation of a switch that provides electrical energy to said reciprocating actuator.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the vibrating step comprises vibrating the penetrating member as the penetrating member penetrates through the living being tissue.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the vibrating step comprises vibrating the penetrating member at an ultrasonic frequency.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of detecting the passage of said penetrating member through said living being tissue comprises a movement of the biasing element that is in fluid communication with a channel within said penetrating member via a side port.