Placement manipulator and attachment for positioning a puncture instrument

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10695087-B2
Application number	US-201715787536-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 18, 2017
Priority date	Oct 19, 2016
Publication date	Jun 30, 2020
Grant date	Jun 30, 2020

Abstract

An apparatus ( 51 ) includes a needle placement manipulator ( 1 ) and an attachment ( 52 ) for the manipulator. The manipulator includes a needle holder and a rotary mechanism. The rotary mechanism ( 3, 4 ) has a remote center of motion (RCM: 11 ) and is configured to position a needle holder ( 5 ) such that the axis of the needle holder traces a conical region of coverage ( 108 ), the conical region of coverage having the apex thereof at the RCM and the base thereof in a direction towards a subject of needle placement ( 14 ). The attachment supports the guide mechanism and is configured to be mounted onto the subject of needle placement. The attachment includes a guide portion ( 183 c ) configured to change an inclination of the rotary mechanism with respect to the subject of needle placement such that the axis of the needle holder intersects an insertion target ( 14 ) located outside of the conical region of coverage.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a needle holder having an axis and configured to hold a needle-like instrument aligned relative to a subject of needle placement;
a rotary mechanism having a remote center of motion and configured to rotate the needle holder such that the axis of the needle holder passes through the remote center of motion and traces a first conical region of coverage on the subject of needle placement;
a base body rigidly fixed to the rotary mechanism; and
an attachment that supports the base body and is configured to be mounted onto the subject of needle placement,
wherein the attachment changes an inclination of the base body with respect to the subject of needle placement and shifts the first conical region of coverage by an angle proportional to the change in inclination such that the axis of the needle holder intersects an insertion target located outside of the first conical region of coverage.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the base body comprises a cylindrical portion and the attachment comprises an axial fitting portion configured to be fitted with the cylindrical portion of the base body.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the attachment comprises:
a movable portion and a fixed portion; and
a brake unit configured to inhibit movement of the movable portion relative to the fixed portion.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3 ,
wherein the fixed portion includes a mount surface configured to be disposed on a surface of the subject of needle placement,
wherein the rotary mechanism comprises a rotary guide having a rotational axis that intersects the remote center of motion at an angle, and
wherein the rotary guide is configured to move the needle holder so as to position the axis of the needle holder to any position within the first conical region of coverage.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4 ,
wherein the mount surface includes a curved surface that adapts to a shape of the subject of needle placement, and
wherein the remote center of motion is located on a point along the curved surface.

6. The apparatus according to claim 3 ,
wherein each of the movable portion and the fixed portion includes a spherical surface which form a spherical guide extending along a spherical locus, and
wherein the spherical guide guides the movable portion relative to the fixed portion about a center point of the spherical locus.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6 ,
wherein the rotary mechanism includes a rotary guide having a rotational axis that intersects the remote center of motion at an angle, and
wherein the center point of the spherical locus coincides with the remote center of motion.

8. The apparatus according to claim 3 ,
wherein each of the movable portion and the fixed portion comprises a cylindrical surface which form a cylindrical guide, and
wherein the movable portion moves along the cylindrical guide relative to the fixed portion about a central axis which is common to both cylindrical surfaces.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the remote center of motion of the rotary mechanism intersects with the central axis of the cylindrical surfaces.

10. The apparatus according to claim 3 ,
wherein the attachment further comprises a rotatable bearing configured to rotate the movable portion relative to the fixed portion more than 360 degrees about an axis.

11. The apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the attachment is disposed between the base body and an RF (radio frequency) coil disposed on a surface of the subject of needle placement.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11 ,
wherein the attachment further comprises a mount portion for determining a position of the attachment relative to the RF coil, and for maintaining the position of the RF coil in place.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12 ,
wherein an adhesive material is disposed on part of the mounting portion to temporarily bond the RF coil to the fixed portion of the attachment, and
wherein a position of the attachment relative to the RF coil is maintained by an adhesive force of the adhesive material.

14. The apparatus according to claim 3 ,
wherein the brake unit comprises a pressing unit that presses a contact portion provided at the fixed portion against the movable portion,
wherein a position or posture of the movable portion is fixed by the pressing unit, and
wherein the fixed position or posture of the movable portion is released by attenuating a pushing force of the pressing unit or by temporarily changing a direction of the pushing force.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14 ,
wherein the brake unit comprises a piezoelectric element provided at the fixed portion, a contact portion disposed at an end of the piezoelectric element, and an elastic member that presses the contact portion against the movable portion, and
wherein the fixed position or posture of the movable portion is released by applying an alternating voltage to the piezoelectric element.

16. The apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the attachment comprises:
a fixed portion,
a first movable portion configured to move relative to the fixed portion; and
a second movable portion configured to move relative to the first movable portion,

wherein a first guide is formed between the fixed portion and the first movable portion, and a second guide is formed between the first movable portion and the second movable portion, the second guide being configured to support and guide the second movable portion with respect to the first movable portion.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16 ,
wherein the fixed portion includes a mount surface configured to be disposed on a surface of the subject of needle placement,
wherein the mount surface includes a curved surface that adapts to a shape of the subject of needle placement, and
wherein one or more of a distance from the first guide to the curved surface and a distance from the second guide to the curved surface are constant.

18. The apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein at least one of the first guide and the second guide comprises a linear guide that supports and linearly guides the first movable portion or the second movable portion.

19. The apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein at least one of the first guide and the second guide comprises a cylindrical guide that supports and guides the first movable portion or the second movable portion on a cylindrical surface.

20. The apparatus according to claim 19 ,
wherein the fixed portion includes a mount surface configured to be disposed on a surface of the subject of needle placement,
wherein the mount surface includes a curved surface that adapts to a shape of the subject of needle placement,
wherein the mount surface of the fixed portion comprises a spherical surface, and
wherein a center of the spherical surface including the mount surface of the fixed portion intersects a central axis of the cylindrical guide.

21. The apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein at least one of the first guide and the second guide comprises a spherical guide that supports and guides the first movable portion or the second movable portion along a spherical locus.

22. The apparatus according to claim 21 ,
wherein the first guide and the second guide comprises a spherical guide that supports and guides the first movable portion or the second movable portion along the spherical locus, and
wherein a center of t

Assignees

• Canon Usa Inc
• Brigham & Womens Hospital Inc

Inventors

• Arimitsu Yasumichi
• Fujimoto Kosuke
• Ninni Brian
• Hata Nobuhiko
• Tuncali Kemal

Classifications

• A61B90/11 Primary

  with guides for needles or instruments, e.g. arcuate slides or ball joints · CPC title

• A61B2090/374

  NMR or MRI · CPC title

• A61B2017/3407

  including a base for support on the body · CPC title

• G01R33/287

  involving active visualization of interventional instruments, e.g. using active tracking RF coils or coils for intentionally creating magnetic field inhomogeneities · CPC title

• A61B17/3403 Primary

  Needle locating or guiding means · CPC title