Devices, systems, and methods for controlling active drive systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11865272-B2
Application number	US-202217699226-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 21, 2022
Priority date	Apr 21, 2014
Publication date	Jan 9, 2024
Grant date	Jan 9, 2024

Abstract

The present application is related to devices, systems, and methods for controlling active drive systems. In one embodiment, the drive system may include a first surface and a second surface for engaging an elongate member. The first and second surfaces may be attached to a drive mechanism to move the elongate member. The first surface may be slidable relative to the drive mechanism and may have a clearance between the drive mechanism and an end of the first surface during movement of the elongate member in a non-slip condition. A sensor may be associated with the first surface and may be configured to detect movement of the first surface in a slip condition.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
(a) an elongate member;
(b) a drive assembly, the drive assembly being operable to drive movement of the elongate member; and
(c) a drying assembly, the drying assembly including:
(i) first and second drying features configured to remove moisture from the elongate member, and
(ii) a first movable body, the first drying feature being supported by the first movable body, the first movable body being operable to move toward and away from the elongate member to thereby urge the first drying feature toward and away from the elongate member, the drive assembly being operable to drive translational movement of the elongate member through the drying assembly while the elongate member is simultaneously engaged with the first drying feature and the second drying feature.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , the elongate member comprising a catheter.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , the elongate member comprising a guide wire.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , the drive assembly being operable to drive articulating movement of the elongate member.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , the first drying feature comprising an absorbent pad.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , the absorbent pad comprising one or more of gauze, microfiber, cotton, polyester, foam, synthetic fabric, or porous rubber.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 , the drying feature further comprising a filter feature positioned over the pad.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , the drying assembly further comprising:
a second movable body, the second drying feature being supported by the second movable body, the second movable body being operable to move toward and away from the elongate member to thereby urge the second drying feature toward and away from the elongate member.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , the first movable body and the second movable body being movable simultaneously toward the elongate member to thereby simultaneously urge the first drying feature and the second drying feature toward the elongate member, the first movable body and the second movable body further being movable simultaneously away from the elongate member to thereby simultaneously urge the first drying feature and the second drying feature away from the elongate member.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , the first movable body defining a cavity, the first drying feature being removably received in the cavity.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a gripping assembly, the gripping assembly including a first gripping feature configured to selectively grip the elongate member, the gripping assembly being operable to prevent movement of the elongate member via a grip between the first gripping feature and the elongate member.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , the first gripping feature comprising a gripper pad.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 , the first gripping feature being supported by the first movable body.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , the first movable body being operable to move toward the elongate member to thereby simultaneously urge the first drying feature and the first gripping feature toward the elongate member, the first movable body being further operable to move away from the elongate member to thereby simultaneously urge the first drying feature and the first gripping feature away from the elongate member.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , the first drying feature being configured and positioned to engage the elongate member before the first gripping feature engages the elongate member as the first movable body urges the first drying feature and the first gripping feature toward the elongate member.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 , the first drying feature comprising a wiper.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 , the second drying feature being supported by the first movable body, the second drying feature being operable to move toward and away from the elongate member.

18. An apparatus comprising:
(a) an elongate member;
(b) a drive assembly, the drive assembly being operable to drive translational movement of the elongate member in a first longitudinal direction, the first longitudinal direction being parallel to the elongate member; and
(c) a drying assembly, the drying assembly including an absorbent pad, the absorbent pad being positionable to engage the elongate member, the drying assembly being operable to drive movement of the absorbent pad relative to the elongate member along:
a second longitudinal direction, the absorbent pad extending longitudinally along the second longitudinal direction, the second longitudinal direction being perpendicular to the first longitudinal direction.

19. An apparatus comprising:
(a) an elongate member;
(b) a drive assembly, the drive assembly being operable to drive translational movement of the elongate member; and
(c) a drying assembly, the drying assembly including:
(i) a first drying feature configured to remove moisture from the elongate member,
(ii) a second drying feature configured to remove moisture from the elongate member, and
(iii) a fixture that includes an inlet and an outlet, the first and second drying features being supported by the fixture, the fixture being configured to maintain engagement between the first and second drying features and the elongate member, the elongate member configured to extend through the inlet, sequentially contact the first and second drying features, and exit the fixture through the outlet, the drive assembly being operable to drive translational movement of the elongate member while the first and second drying features are engaged with the elongate member.

20. The apparatus of claim 18 , the absorbent pad being configured to translate along the second longitudinal direction that is perpendicular to the translational movement of the elongate member in the first longitudinal direction.

Assignees

• Auris Health Inc

Inventors

• Kokish Arkady
• Walker Sean P
• Balaji Kamini
• Macnamara Francis

Classifications

• A61M25/0113 Primary

  Mechanical advancing means, e.g. catheter dispensers · CPC title

• A61B34/30

  Surgical robots · CPC title

• A61B34/37

  Leader-follower robots (A61B34/35 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61B34/71

  Manipulators operated by drive cable mechanisms · CPC title

• A61B46/10

  specially adapted for instruments{, e.g. microscopes} · CPC title