Interchangeable instrument
First Claim
1. An interchangeable instrument apparatus, comprising:
- a plurality of separate instrument members each capable of assisting in a different phase of a medical procedure to be performed at an operative site within the anatomy;
an instrument storage chamber for releasably receiving said plurality of instrument members, accommodated in separate storage locations within said instrument storage chamber;
an instrument driver constructed and arranged for cooperative positioning relative to said instrument storage chamber, for selective alignment with one of said instrument members at a time, and for displacing said aligned instrument member from-said instrument storage chamber toward the operative site;
at least one of said instrument driver and instrument storage chamber being positionally controllable so as to provide relative displacement therebetween to selectively align said instrument driver with different ones of said instrument members;
at least one of said plurality of separate instrument members including a fluid dispensing member.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and associated method for delivering to an internal body site a selected one of a plurality of instruments including fluid-dispensing instruments. An instrument storage chamber is providing having passages for separately accommodating the plurality of instruments. An outlet guide tube couples from the instrument storage chamber and receives a selected one of these instruments for delivery to an internal operative site. An indexing mechanism is provided associated with the chamber for causing relative displacement between the instruments and the outlet guide tube. An instrument driver displaces the registered instrument from the chamber into the outlet guide tube for delivery to the internal operative site.
169 Citations
45 Claims
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1. An interchangeable instrument apparatus, comprising:
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a plurality of separate instrument members each capable of assisting in a different phase of a medical procedure to be performed at an operative site within the anatomy; an instrument storage chamber for releasably receiving said plurality of instrument members, accommodated in separate storage locations within said instrument storage chamber; an instrument driver constructed and arranged for cooperative positioning relative to said instrument storage chamber, for selective alignment with one of said instrument members at a time, and for displacing said aligned instrument member from-said instrument storage chamber toward the operative site; at least one of said instrument driver and instrument storage chamber being positionally controllable so as to provide relative displacement therebetween to selectively align said instrument driver with different ones of said instrument members; at least one of said plurality of separate instrument members including a fluid dispensing member. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method of delivering to an internal operative site a selected one of a plurality of instruments, said method comprising the steps of:
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storing a plurality of separate instruments in a storage chamber with each instrument capable of assisting in a different phase of a medical procedure to be performed at the operative site, and with at least one of said instrument members including a fluid dispensing member; providing an instrument driver constructed and arranged for; positionally controlling at least one of said instrument driver and instrument storage chamber so as to provide relative displacement therebetween and so as to selectively align said instrument driver with said instrument members one at a time, and to displace said one aligned instrument member from said instrument storage chamber. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. An interchangeable instrument system, comprising:
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a storage retainer that supports a plurality of separately arranged instruments, and further includes inlet and outlet ports, said outlet port arranged in alignment with a target or operative site where said instrument is to be delivered for performing a medical procedure; a work implement supported at said distal end of each instrument; at least one of said work implements comprising a fluid releasing device; an instrument transporter in alignment with said inlet port, and adapted to engage a registered instrument disposed in said storage retainer, so as to deliver said selected instrument, via said outlet port to the target or operative site; said instrument transporter, in addition to engagement with said instrument, also operatively coupling with and enabling operation of said work implement of said instrument; said storage retainer being selectively operable, upon command, to permit different instruments to align between said inlet and outlet ports. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. An interchangeable instrument system, comprising:
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an instrument retainer having multiple storage location for receiving a plurality of instruments disposed separately in said respective storage locations; at least one of said plurality of instruments including a fluid dispensing member; an instrument driver constructed and arranged for cooperative positioning relative to said instrument retainer, for selective alignment with one of said instruments at a time, and for displacing said aligned instrument from said instrument retainer toward the operative site; an indexing mechanism controlling the position of said instrument retainer so as to selectively align different ones of said instruments with said instrument driver; and an actuation member disposed at a user interface for controlling said indexing mechanism. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. An interchangeable instrument system, comprising:
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a plurality of medical instruments; an instrument retainer for releasably holding said plurality of instruments; at least one of said instruments retained in said instrument retainer including a fluid dispensing instrument; an instrument transporter associated with said instrument retainer, for selective alignment with one of said instruments at a time, and for displacing said aligned instrument from said instrument from said instrument retainer toward an operative site in a subject. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
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Specification