Articulating arm for medical procedures

• US 20050193451A1
• Filed: 12/30/2003
• Published: 09/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Medicis Technologies Corporation
• Original Assignee: LipoSonix, Inc. (Bausch Health Cos., Inc.)
• Inventors: Desilets, Charles S., Quistgaard, Jens U., Darlington, Gregory Paul, Etchells, Tim
• Application Number:
  US10/751,344
• Publication Number:
  US 20050193451A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 414/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/372 Details of monitor hardware
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/378 using ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/30 Surgical robots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/37 Master-slave robots A61B34/35 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/76 Manipulators having means for providing feel, e.g. force or tactile feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6843 Monitoring or controlling sensor contact pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/00 Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves imaging of objects using sonar G01S15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4218 characterised by articulated arms
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0008 Destruction of fat cells
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/02 Localised ultrasound hyperthermia hyperthermia in general A61F7/00

Abstract

An apparatus for precise positioning of a medical device is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a base, an articulating arm, a position sensor and a means for load balancing. The apparatus may also include a robotic driver and an additional rhythmic motion sensor. The apparatus is used to carry a therapy head for a medical procedure requiring precise positioning of a therapy head, precise movement of a therapy head, or use of a therapy head over a patient body for an extended period of time.

Claims

1. An apparatus for carrying a load during a medical procedure, the apparatus comprising:

a base;

an articulating arm having a distal end and a proximal end secured in a movable fashion to said base;

at least one positional encoder coupled to said arm;

a receptacle at the distal end for carrying an effector;

means for load balancing said arm when said effector is engaged; and

a controller coupled to the positional encoder(s) to track the position of the arm in real time.

2. The apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein said controller is a closed loop control device.

3. The apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein said controller is a position tracking device.

4. The apparatus as described in claim 2, wherein said closed loop control device is also able to track orientation of the arm in real time.

5. The apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the means for load balancing is a robotic driver in electronic communication with said positional encoder(s) wherein the robotic driver can position the articulating arm according to a set of input commands.

6. The apparatus as described in claim 4, wherein said input commands further comprises a series of movement commands for said robotic driver.

7. The apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the means for load balancing is one or more passive force generating device(s).

8. The apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the means for load balancing is one or more active force generating device(s).

9. The apparatus as described in claim 1;

wherein the means-for load balancing is a combination of one or more passive force generating device(s) and one or more active force generating device(s).

10. The apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the means for load balancing is one or more cooperative motors.

11. The apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the means for load balancing is a plurality of springs and counter balancing weights.

12. The apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the medical procedure is a procedure for the reduction in adipose tissue.

13. The apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the therapy head includes a high intensity focused ultrasound transducer.

14. The apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein said encoders are in electronic communication with a computer, and said computer controls said means for load balancing.

15. The apparatus as described in claim 1 further comprising a feather touch.

16. The apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein said base is anchored to a wall, ceiling or other fixture.

17. The apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein said base is a cart.

18. The apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein said base is anchored to an examination table.

19. The apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein encoder(s) are rotational encoders incorporated into one or more joints of said articulating arm.

20. The apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein said encoder(s) are linear encoders.

21. The apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein said encoder(s) are one or more position sensors.

22. The apparatus as described in claim 1, further comprising a motion sensor.

23. An apparatus for precise positioning of a medical device comprising:

a base;

a robotic articulating arm having a base end attached to said base and an unsecured end attached to an effector capable of holding one or more medical devices;

at least one position sensor located substantially near said unsecured end and capable of determining the precise position of said effector relative to a patient and said base; and

a controller in electronic communication with said motion sensor;

wherein the controller utilizes data from the sensor to control the robotic articulating arm to maintain the location of the one or more medical device relative to a patient in real time.

24. The apparatus as described in claim 23, wherein the base is anchored to a wall surface.

25. The apparatus as described in claim 23, wherein said robotic articulating arm has a plurality of arm segments separated by a joint between each said arm segment.

26. The apparatus as described in claim 23, wherein the motion sensor tracks the position of each joint of said articulating arm in addition to the procedural end.

27. The apparatus as described in claim 23, wherein said one or more medical devices may be positionally controlled through said controller.

28. The apparatus as described in claim 23, wherein the controller is a computer utilizing a robotic software controller (PLC).

29. The apparatus as described in claim 23, wherein said one or more medical devices consists of at least one ultrasound transducer.

30. The apparatus as described in claim 29, wherein said ultrasound transducer is a therapeutic ultrasound transducer.

31. The apparatus as described in claim 23, further comprising a joint between said base and said base end, so that said base end may be positioned relative to said base.

32. The apparatus as described in claim 23, wherein said articulating arm is a telescoping arm.

33. The apparatus as described in claim 23, wherein said robotic articulating arm is moveable relative to said base.

34. The apparatus as described in claim 23, further comprising an examination table.

35. The apparatus as described in claim 23, wherein the robotic arm may be manually moved with in a programmed limited space, and the articulating elements prevent any manual movement outside the pre-programmed field of movement.

36. The apparatus as described in claim 23, wherein the base is a fixture.

37. The apparatus as described in claim 36, wherein the fixture is a wall, floor or ceiling of a room.

38. A method of controlling an articulating arm through at least one force generating device comprising the steps of:

(a) determining a desired position for said articulating arm;

(b) converting said desired position to a plurality of component coordinates;

(c) calculating a first time position coordinate for each of said plurality of components;

(d) transmitting a force changing command to said force generating device;

(e) calculating a subsequent time position coordinate for each said plurality of components;

(f) comparing said subsequent time position coordinate to said desired position; and

(g) adjusting said force changing commands until said articulating arm achieves said desired position.

39. A method as in claim 38, wherein adjusting said force changing commands occurs continuously.