ROBOTIC CATHETER MANIPULATOR ASSEMBLY

• US 20090247942A1
• Filed: 12/31/2008
• Published: 10/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: St. Jude Medical (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: St. Jude Medical (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kirschenman, Mark B.
• Granted Patent: US 8,317,744 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/95.40
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00477 Coupling A61B2017/0046 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/301 for introducing or steering flexible instruments inserted into the body, e.g. catheters or endoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/064 for measuring force, pressure or mechanical tension
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/376 using X-rays, e.g. fluoroscopy
• 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 34/71 Manipulators operated by drive cable mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0147 with movable mechanical means, e.g. pull wires

Abstract

A robotic catheter manipulator assembly may include a support member including a catheter manipulation base and a sheath manipulation base movable relative to each other and to the support member. Each respective manipulation base may be releasably connectable to a catheter cartridge and a sheath cartridge. A drive mechanism may be provided for moving the catheter and sheath manipulation bases relative to each other and to the support member. The manipulation base or the cartridge may include a first element engageable with a complementary second element slidably engaged with the other one of the manipulation base or the cartridge for controlling movement of a component connected to the cartridge. The cartridge, for example, may be a transseptal cartridge, a catheter cartridge or a sheath cartridge, and the component may respectively be a surgically insertable device such as a transseptal needle, a catheter or a sheath.

Claims

1. A robotic catheter manipulator assembly comprising:

a support member including at least one catheter manipulation base and at least one sheath manipulation base movable relative to each other and to the support member, each respective manipulation base being releasably connectable to at least one catheter cartridge and at least one sheath cartridge; and

at least one drive mechanism for moving the catheter and sheath manipulation bases relative to each other and to the support member.

2. The robotic catheter manipulator assembly according to claim 1, wherein one of the catheter manipulation base and the catheter cartridge includes at least one finger engageable with at least one complementary slider block in the other one of the catheter manipulation base and the catheter cartridge for controlling movement of a catheter by pulling a steering wire attached to the catheter and one of the finger and the slider block.

3. The robotic catheter manipulator assembly according to claim 2, wherein the finger is movable by one of a motor driven lead screw, a ball screw, a belt drive, a rolling ring linear drive and a piezo motor drive.

4. The robotic catheter manipulator assembly according to claim 1, wherein one of the sheath manipulation base and the sheath cartridge includes at least one finger engageable with at least one complementary slider block in the other one of the sheath manipulation base and the sheath cartridge for controlling movement of a sheath by pulling a steering wire attached to the sheath and one of the finger and the slider block.

5. The robotic catheter manipulator assembly according to claim 4, wherein the finger is movable by one of a motor driven lead screw, a ball screw, a belt drive, a rolling ring linear drive and a piezo motor drive.

6. The robotic catheter manipulator assembly according to claim 1, wherein one of the catheter manipulation base and the catheter cartridge includes at least one first element engageable with at least one complementary second element slidably engaged with the other one of the catheter manipulation base and the catheter cartridge for controlling movement of a catheter by pulling a steering wire attached to the catheter and one of the first and second elements.

7. The robotic catheter manipulator assembly according to claim 1, wherein one of the sheath manipulation base and the sheath cartridge includes at least one first element engageable with at least one complementary second element slidably engaged with the other one of the sheath manipulation base and the sheath cartridge for controlling movement of a sheath by pulling a steering wire attached to the sheath and one of the first and second elements.

8. The robotic catheter manipulator assembly according to claim 1, wherein the drive mechanism is one of a motor driven lead screw, a ball screw, a belt drive, a rolling ring linear drive and a piezo motor drive.

9. The robotic catheter manipulator assembly according to claim 1, further comprising at least one recess in one of the catheter manipulation base and the catheter cartridge for engagement with one of:

at least one complementary locator detent on the other one of the catheter manipulation base and the catheter cartridge for alignment of the catheter cartridge relative to the catheter manipulation base, and

at least one complementary locking detent on the other one of the catheter manipulation base and the catheter cartridge for releasable locking of the catheter cartridge with the catheter manipulation base.

10. The robotic catheter manipulator assembly according to claim 1, further comprising at least one recess in one of the sheath manipulation base and the sheath cartridge for engagement with one of:

at least one complementary locator detent on the other one of the sheath manipulation base and the sheath cartridge for alignment of the sheath cartridge relative to the sheath manipulation base, and

at least one complementary locking detent on the other one of the sheath manipulation base and the sheath cartridge for releasable locking of the sheath cartridge with the sheath manipulation base.

11. The robotic catheter manipulator assembly according to claim 1, further comprising means for at least one of aligning and releasably locking the catheter manipulation base with the catheter cartridge.

12. The robotic catheter manipulator assembly according to claim 1, further comprising means for at least one of aligning and releasably locking the sheath manipulation base with the sheath cartridge.

13. The robotic catheter manipulator assembly according to claim 1, wherein the catheter and sheath manipulation bases each include a release lever operable to release a respectively connected catheter and sheath cartridge.

14. The robotic catheter manipulator assembly according to claim 1, wherein the support member lies in a plane disposed at an acute angle relative to a generally horizontally disposed operation bed.

15. The robotic catheter manipulator assembly according to claim 1, wherein the support member lies in a plane disposed generally orthogonal to a generally horizontally disposed operation bed.

16. The robotic catheter manipulator assembly according to claim 1, wherein the catheter and sheath manipulation bases are movable in a plane disposed at an acute angle relative to a generally horizontally disposed operation bed.

17. The robotic catheter manipulator assembly according to claim 1, wherein the catheter and sheath manipulation bases are movable in a plane disposed generally orthogonal to a generally horizontally disposed operation bed.

18. The robotic catheter manipulator assembly according to claim 1, wherein the catheter and sheath manipulation bases are linearly movable relative to each other and to the support member.

19. The robotic catheter manipulator assembly according to claim 1, wherein the catheter manipulation base is disposed generally behind the sheath manipulation base to allow insertion of a catheter into a sheath respectively connected to the catheter and sheath cartridges.

20. A robotic catheter manipulator assembly comprising:

a support member including at least one manipulation base releasably connectable to at least one cartridge, wherein one of the manipulation base and the cartridge includes at least one finger engageable with at least one complementary slider block slidably engaged with the other one of the manipulation base and the cartridge for controlling movement of a component connected to the cartridge; and

a drive mechanism for moving at least one of the finger and the slider block.

21. The robotic catheter manipulator assembly according to claim 20, wherein the cartridge is one of a transseptal cartridge, a catheter cartridge and a sheath cartridge, and the component is respectively one of a transseptal needle, a catheter and a sheath.

22. The robotic catheter manipulator assembly according to claim 20, wherein the drive mechanism is one of a motor driven lead screw, a ball screw, a belt drive, a rolling ring linear drive and a piezo motor drive.

23. The robotic catheter manipulator assembly according to claim 20, wherein the manipulation base is movable by one of a motor driven lead screw, a ball screw, a belt drive, a rolling ring linear drive and a piezo motor drive.

24. The robotic catheter manipulator assembly according to claim 20, further comprising at least one recess in one of the manipulation base and the cartridge for engagement with one of:

at least one complementary locator detent on the other one of the manipulation base and the cartridge for alignment of the cartridge relative to the manipulation base, and

at least one complementary locking detent on the other one of the manipulation base and the cartridge for releasable locking of the cartridge with the manipulation base.

25. The robotic catheter manipulator assembly according to claim 20, further comprising means for aligning and releasably locking the manipulation base with the cartridge.

26. The robotic catheter manipulator assembly according to claim 20, wherein the manipulation base includes a release lever operable to release a connected cartridge.

27. The robotic catheter manipulator assembly according to claim 20, wherein the support member lies in a plane disposed at an acute angle relative to a generally horizontally disposed operation bed.

28. The robotic catheter manipulator assembly according to claim 20, wherein the support member lies in a plane disposed generally orthogonal to a generally horizontally disposed operation bed.

29. The robotic catheter manipulator assembly according to claim 20, wherein the manipulation base is movable in a plane disposed at an acute angle relative to a generally horizontally disposed operation bed.

30. The robotic catheter manipulator assembly according to claim 20, wherein the manipulation base is movable in a plane disposed generally orthogonal to a generally horizontally disposed operation bed.

31. A robotic catheter manipulator assembly comprising:

a support member including at least one manipulation base releasably connectable to at least one cartridge, wherein one of the manipulation base and the cartridge includes at least one first element engageable with at least one complementary second element slidably engaged with the other one of the manipulation base and the cartridge for controlling movement of a component connected to the cartridge; and

a drive mechanism for moving at least one of the first and second elements.

32. The robotic catheter manipulator assembly according to claim 31, wherein the cartridge is one of a transseptal cartridge, a catheter cartridge and a sheath cartridge, and the component is respectively one of a transseptal needle, a catheter and a sheath.

33. The robotic catheter manipulator assembly according to claim 31, wherein the component is a surgically insertable device.

34. The robotic catheter manipulator assembly according to claim 31, wherein the drive mechanism is one of a motor driven lead screw, a ball screw, a belt drive, a rolling ring linear drive and a piezo motor drive.

35. The robotic catheter manipulator assembly according to claim 31, wherein manipulation base is movable by one of a motor driven lead screw, a ball screw, a belt drive, a rolling ring linear drive and a piezo motor drive.

36. The robotic catheter manipulator assembly according to claim 31, further comprising at least one recess in one of the manipulation base and the cartridge for engagement with at least one complementary locator detent on the other one of the manipulation base and the cartridge for alignment of the cartridge relative to the manipulation base.

37. The robotic catheter manipulator assembly according to claim 31, further comprising at least one recess in one of the manipulation base and the cartridge for engagement with at least one complementary locking detent on the other one of the manipulation base and the cartridge for releasable locking of the cartridge with the manipulation base.

38. The robotic catheter manipulator assembly according to claim 31, further comprising means for aligning and releasably locking the manipulation base with the cartridge.

39. The robotic catheter manipulator assembly according to claim 31, wherein the manipulation base includes a release lever operable to release a connected cartridge.

40. The robotic catheter manipulator assembly according to claim 31, wherein the support member lies in a plane disposed at an acute angle relative to a generally horizontally disposed operation bed.

41. The robotic catheter manipulator assembly according to claim 31, wherein the support member lies in a plane disposed generally orthogonal to a generally horizontally disposed operation bed.

42. The robotic catheter manipulator assembly according to claim 31, wherein the manipulation base is movable in a plane disposed at an acute angle relative to a generally horizontally disposed operation bed.

43. The robotic catheter manipulator assembly according to claim 31, wherein the manipulation base is movable in a plane disposed generally orthogonal to a generally horizontally disposed operation bed.

44. The robotic catheter manipulator assembly according to claim 31, wherein one of the first and second elements is a finger and the other of the first and second elements is a pin.

45. The robotic catheter manipulator assembly according to claim 31, wherein one of the first and second elements is a finger and the other of the first and second elements is a slider block.

46. The robotic catheter manipulator assembly according to claim 31, further comprising integrated force sensors operatively connected to the cartridge for permitting active tensioning of steering wires for controlling movement of the component connected to the cartridge.

47. The robotic catheter manipulator assembly according to claim 31, further comprising integrated force sensors operatively connected to the cartridge for limiting stress on the component by limiting movement of the cartridge.