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Apparatus and method for implantation of devices into soft tissue

  • US 9,408,571 B2
  • Filed: 06/18/2013
  • Issued: 08/09/2016
  • Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2012
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A method to insert a device into tissue of a patient, the method comprising the steps of:

  • a. loading the device for implantation into a clamping mechanism connected to an actuator, wherein the device comprises one or more implantation shanks that will form one or more implantation sites on the tissue when implanted into the tissue;

    b. referencing a position of the device with respect to the actuator;

    c. locating an implantation vicinity of the tissue;

    d. identifying an initial implantation location within the implantation vicinity;

    e. capturing a raw image of a field of view of the implantation vicinity, wherein the initial implantation location is contained within the field of view;

    f. referencing a surface of the tissue in the field of view with respect to the actuator;

    g. analyzing a portion of the raw image containing the initial implantation location to generate a map of sensitive structures in the tissue that could be damaged by the one or more implantation shanks of the device at the initial implantation sites during implantation to form one or more initial implantation sites;

    h. comparing the one or more initial implantation sites of the device with the map of the sensitive structures in the tissue to determine severity of damage to the tissue;

    i. virtually reorienting the one or more initial implantation sites to one or more subsequent implantation sites to form a subsequent implantation location;

    j. comparing the one or more subsequent implantation sites of the device with the map of the sensitive structures in the tissue to determine severity of damage to the tissue;

    k. repeating steps i and j until every horizontal and angular position in the field of view has a computed severity of damage to form a plurality of severity of damage calculations;

    l. identifying an optimal implantation location from the plurality of severity of damage calculations;

    m. adjusting the device to the optimal implantation location;

    n. actuating the device to be implanted along a single, longitudinal axis toward the optimal implantation location through a distance that is determined based on a depth of the device in the tissue and the instantaneous distance between the actuator and the surface of the tissue;

    o. detecting an actual point and an actual time of contact between the surface of the tissue and the device;

    p. applying an adjustment to the distance the actuator will travel and a speed it is travelling based on a comparison of an expected point and an expected time of contact calculated using the referenced positions of the actuator and the tissue surface and a programmed speed of the actuator and the actual point and the actual time of contact measured during the implantation;

    q. measuring a force between the device and the surface of the tissue during implantation;

    r. applying an adjustment to the distance the actuator will travel and the speed the actuator is travelling based on a comparison of an expected force during implantation based on experimental data for the tissue into which the device is being implanted and the actual force measured during implantation of the device;

    s. releasing the device that was implanted after it has reached its target depth in the tissue by retracting the clamping surfaces from the device;

    t. retracting the actuator; and

    u. recording data that was collected during implantation of the device so it can be used for diagnostic purposes.

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