Catheter control systems

• US 9,101,735 B2
• Filed: 07/07/2009
• Issued: 08/11/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Inventors: Rothe, Chris A., Miller, David, Saadat, Vahid, Malchano, Zachary J., Peh, Ruey-Feng, Perea, Juan Diego
• Primary Examiner(s): Sweet, Thomas J
• Assistant Examiner(s): BARRY III, KEVIN GRANT
• Application Number:
  US12/499,011
• Publication Number:
  US 20100004633A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,226 Days
• Field of Search: 600/146, 600/118, 600/131, 600/163, 600/175, 604523-528
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0051 with controlled bending of insertion part
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0052 Constructional details of control elements, e.g. handles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0055 Constructional details of insertion parts, e.g. vertebral elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/015 Details of the distal fixation of the movable mechanical means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0074 Dynamic characteristics of the catheter tip, e.g. openable, closable, expandable or deformable
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0082 Catheter tip comprising a tool
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0105 Steering means as part of the catheter or advancing means; Markers for positioning systems for detection of markers A61B
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0136 Handles therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0147 with movable mechanical means, e.g. pull wires

Abstract

Catheter control systems which facilitate the tracking of an angle of deflection of a catheter distal end can be used for any number of procedures where catheter orientation relative to the body is desirable, e.g., in transseptal access procedures where an accurate angle of puncture of the septal wall is desirable. Such control systems may comprise a steerable handle which is oriented relative to the catheter steerable section to provide for consistent catheter articulation upon corresponding manipulation of the steering ring. Another variation may utilize an orientation indicator to track the deflectable distal end. For instance, an orientation marker as visualized through an imaging hood on the distal end may correspond to identical orientation markers on the control handle such that articulation of a steering mechanism in a direction relative to the orientation markers deflects the catheter distal end in a corresponding direction relative to the visualized orientation markers.

Claims

1. A catheter control handle, comprising:

a housing having an elongate catheter extending therefrom;

a spherical ball pivot supported within the housing;

a steering ring which is shaped to circumferentially encircle a portion of the housing, the steering ring being supported via one or more support members extending radially from the spherical ball pivot;

one or more pullwires attached to the steering ring whereby manipulation of the steering ring in a first direction urges a distal steerable section of the catheter to articulate in a corresponding first direction;

one or more compression coils, wherein each of the compression coils surrounds a corresponding pullwire, couples to a proximal end of the catheter, and extends to a transition manifold located distal to the spherical ball pivot; and

wherein the housing comprises a proximal handle portion extending therefrom, the proximal handle portion comprising a proximal section control to bend a proximal steerable section located proximal to the distal steerable section;

wherein the proximal section control is further configured to bend the proximal steerable section in a single plane by rotating the proximal section control around a longitudinal axis of the handle portion.

2. The handle of claim 1 wherein the housing defines one or more openings corresponding to the one or more support members.

3. The handle of claim 1 wherein the housing defines an elongate housing portion configured to be manipulated via a single hand.

4. The handle of claim 1 wherein the proximal section control is coupled to at least one pullwire connected to the proximal steerable section.

5. The handle of claim 1 wherein the steering ring is configured to articulate the distal steerable section in at least four directions.

6. The handle of claim 1 further comprising an optical adjustment assembly coupled to the housing, wherein the optical adjustment assembly comprises an adjustment control member coupled to a sliding shaft such that actuation of the adjustment control member in a first actuation direction slides the shaft in a first translational direction.

7. The handle of claim 1 further comprising an orientation guide positioned along the housing.

8. The handle of claim 1 further comprising a hood with a hood membrane extending from a distal end of the catheter.

9. The handle of claim 8 wherein the hood or hood membrane define one or more positional indicators located around a periphery such that the one or more positional indicators correspond to one or more indicators located around a periphery of the steering ring.

10. The handle of claim 1 further comprising an imaging assembly positioned within the handle.

11. A method for controlling a catheter, comprising:

maintaining a handle housing and catheter extending from the handle in a first orientation;

manipulating a steering ring circumferentially encircling a portion of the handle housing along a first direction such that a distal steerable section of the catheter articulates in a corresponding first direction, where the steering ring is supported via one or more support members extending radially from a spherical ball pivot positioned within the housing;

orienting the housing and the catheter from the first orientation to a second orientation different from the first orientation;

further manipulating the steering ring along the first direction such that the distal steerable section articulates in the corresponding first direction despite orienting the housing and the catheter to the second orientation; and

rotating a proximal section control around a longitudinal axis of the handle, the proximal section control being part of a proximal handle portion extending from the handle such that a proximal steerable section bends in a single plane relative to the catheter;

wherein one or more pullwires are attached to the steering ring and are each surrounded by a corresponding compression coil which is coupled to a proximal end of the catheter and extends to a transition manifold located distal to the spherical ball pivot.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising advancing the catheter intravascularly into a patient body prior to manipulating.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein maintaining comprises positioning the distal steerable section within a heart of a patient.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein manipulating comprises further manipulating the steering ring along at least a second direction such that the distal steerable section articulates in a corresponding second direction.

15. The method of claim 11 further comprising visualizing through a hood projecting from a distal end of the catheter while manipulating.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

visually identifying at least a first positional indicator located along the hood corresponding to a desired direction of articulation; and

manipulating the steering ring toward a first positional indicator located on the steering ring which corresponds to the first positional indicator located along the hood.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein orienting comprises rotating the housing and the catheter about a longitudinal axis.

18. The method of claim 11 wherein further manipulating comprises further manipulating the steering ring along at least a second direction such that the distal steerable section articulates in a corresponding second direction.