Assistive device for positioning a medical instrument relative to an internal organ of a patient

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10057464-B2
Application number	US-201214362951-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 6, 2012
Priority date	Dec 6, 2011
Publication date	Aug 21, 2018
Grant date	Aug 21, 2018

Abstract

The invention relates to an assistive device for positioning a medical instrument ( 2 ) inserted into a natural duct ( 100 ) or an artificial duct of a patient relative to an internal organ (P) of a patient, wherein the device comprises a support ( 1 ) that is to be inserted at least in part into the body of the patient and supports the medical instrument, means for moving the support, wherein said movement means comprise an articulated arm ( 9 ) that includes a plurality of degrees of freedom for moving a proximal end ( 1 a ) of the support, means for acquiring images of the internal organ for positioning the medical instrument relative to the internal organ, wherein the image acquisition means comprise a probe ( 5 ) supported by the support such that the medical instrument and the probe are rigidly connected, and a control unit ( 10 ) for controlling the movement means, which is connected to the image acquisition means and comprises image analyzing means ( 11 ) for generating control commands for the articulated arm in order to control at least one movement of the medical instrument relative to the internal organ. The invention further relates to a method for controlling such a device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An assistive device for positioning a medical instrument ( 2 ), inserted into a natural duct ( 100 ) or an artificial duct of a patient, relative to an internal organ (P) of a patient, the device having:
a support ( 1 ) which is dedicated to be inserted at least in part into the body of the patient and which supports the medical instrument;
movement means for moving the support, said movement means having an articulated arm ( 9 ) which has a plurality of degrees of freedom for moving a proximal end ( 1 a ) of the support, the device structured so that the support is co-manipulated by the articulated arm and an operator of the assistive device, so that a combination of physical forces exerted on the support by the operator and by the articulated arm determine movements and positions of the medical instrument;
image acquisition means for acquiring images of the internal organ in order to position the medical instrument relative to the internal organ, the image acquisition means having a probe ( 5 ) carried by the support, such that the medical instrument and the probe are rigidly connected;
a control unit ( 10 ) which controls the movement means, is connected to the image acquisition means and has image analysis means ( 11 ) for generating control commands for the articulated arm in order to control at least one movement of the medical instrument relative to the internal organ, the analysis means having means ( 12 ) for estimating a distance between the probe ( 5 ) and the internal organ in order to brake a movement of the articulated arm ( 9 ) as a function of said distance; wherein the movement of the articulated arm is increasingly braked as said distance becomes shorter,
wherein the braking is a force opposed to operator movement of the medical instrument.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1 , in which the analysis means have means ( 13 ) for estimating a deformation of the internal organ in order to brake a movement of the articulated arm ( 9 ) as a function of said deformation.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1 , in which the articulated arm ( 9 ) is connected to the proximal end ( 1 a ) of the support ( 3 ) by a connection of the cardan or ball-joint type.

4. The device as claimed in claim 1 , in which the probe ( 5 ) is an ultrasound probe.

5. The device as claimed in claim 1 , having a display screen ( 7 ) for the images taken by the probe ( 5 ).

6. The device as claimed in claim 1 , in which the medical instrument is a needle ( 2 ).

7. A method for controlling an assistive device for positioning a medical instrument, inserted into a natural duct or an artificial duct of a patient, relative to an internal organ of a patient, the method comprising the steps of:
providing the assistive device of claim 1 ;
acquiring at least one image of the internal organ using the acquisition means ( 5 );
analyzing said image using the image analysis means ( 11 );
generating a control command for the articulated arm ( 9 ) as a function of the analysis of the image.

8. A method for controlling an assistive device for positioning a medical instrument, inserted into a natural duct or an artificial duct of a patient, relative to an internal organ of a patient, the method comprising the steps of:
providing the assistive device of claim 2 ;
acquiring at least one image of the internal organ using the acquisition means ( 5 );
analyzing said image using the image analysis means ( 11 );
generating a control command for the articulated arm ( 9 ) as a function of the analysis of the image.

9. A method for controlling an assistive device for positioning a medical instrument, inserted into a natural duct or an artificial duct of a patient, relative to an internal organ of a patient, the method comprising the steps of:
providing the assistive device of claim 3 ;
acquiring at least one image of the internal organ using the acquisition means ( 5 );
analyzing said image using the image analysis means ( 11 );
generating a control command for the articulated arm ( 9 ) as a function of the analysis of the image.

10. A method for controlling an assistive device for positioning a medical instrument, inserted into a natural duct or an artificial duct of a patient, relative to an internal organ of a patient, the method comprising the steps of:
providing the assistive device of claim 4 ;
acquiring at least one image of the internal organ using the acquisition means ( 5 );
analyzing said image using the image analysis means ( 11 );
generating a control command for the articulated arm ( 9 ) as a function of the analysis of the image.

11. A method for controlling an assistive device for positioning a medical instrument, inserted into a natural duct or an artificial duct of a patient, relative to an internal organ of a patient, the method comprising the steps of:
providing the assistive device of claim 5 ;
acquiring at least one image of the internal organ using the acquisition means ( 5 );
analyzing said image using the image analysis means ( 11 );
generating a control command for the articulated arm ( 9 ) as a function of the analysis of the image.

12. A method for controlling an assistive device for positioning a medical instrument, inserted into a natural duct or an artificial duct of a patient, relative to an internal organ of a patient, the method comprising the steps of:
providing the assistive device of claim 4 ;
acquiring at least one image of the internal organ using the acquisition means ( 5 );
analyzing said image using the image analysis means ( 11 );
generating a control command for the articulated arm ( 9 ) as a function of the analysis of the image.

13. An assistive device for positioning a medical instrument, inserted into a natural duct or an artificial duct of a patient, relative to an internal organ of a patient, the device having:
a support which is dedicated to be inserted at least in part into the body of the patient and which supports the medical instrument;
a movement mechanism that moves the support, said movement mechanism having an articulated arm which has a plurality of degrees of freedom for moving a proximal end of the support, the device structured so that the support is co-manipulated by the articulated arm and manually by an operator of the assistive device, so that a combination of physical forces exerted on the support by the operator and by the articulated arm determine movements and positions of the medical instrument;
image acquisition means for acquiring images of the internal organ in order to position the medical instrument relative to the internal organ, the image acquisition means having a probe carried by the support, such that the medical instrument and the probe are rigidly connected;
a control unit which controls the movement mechanism, is connected to the image acquisition means and has image analysis means for generating control commands for the articulated arm in order to control at least one movement of the medical instrument relative to the internal organ, the analysis means having means for estimating a distance between the probe and the internal organ in order to brake a movement of the articulated arm as a function of said distance wherein the analysis means have means for estimating a deformation of the internal organ in order to brake a movement of the articulated arm as a function of said deformation,
wherein the analysis means estimates the deformation of the internal organ based on the images acquired by the image acquisition means.

14. An assistive device for positioning a medical instrument ( 2 ), inserted into a natural duct ( 100 ) or

Assignees

• Univ Pierre Et Marie Curie Paris 6
• Koelis
• Centre Nat Rech Scient
• Univ Sorbonne

Inventors

• Poquet Cecile
• Mozer Pierre
• Baumann Michael
• Vitrani Marie-Aude
• Morel Guillaume
• Leroy Antoine
• Henry Patrick
• Coffin Gregoire

Classifications

• A61B2034/2065

  Tracking using image or pattern recognition · CPC title

• G06T7/0012

  Biomedical image inspection · CPC title

• A61B2090/378

  using ultrasound · CPC title

• A61B34/76

  Manipulators having means for providing feel, e.g. force or tactile feedback · CPC title

• A61B10/0241 Primary

  for prostate · CPC title