Malleable suction instrument with offset position sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12042233-B2
Application number	US-202117239762-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 26, 2021
Priority date	May 12, 2020
Publication date	Jul 23, 2024
Grant date	Jul 23, 2024

Abstract

An apparatus such as a suction instrument includes a position sensor proximate to a distal tip of a malleable shaft. A sensor wire couples the position sensor to a processor of an image guided surgery system such that signals generated by the position sensor can be interpreted to determine the position of the surgical instrument. The malleable shaft includes a malleable outer shaft and a flexible inner tube. The flexible inner tube includes a primary lumen that can provide suction, fluid, or various deployable surgical tools, and an inner lumen that holds the sensor wire. Protected within the inner lumen, the sensor wire runs the length of the shaft and exits the inner lumen and passes through a slot in the outer shaft to reach the position sensor. A heat shrink cover wraps the distal tip, sealing the components together and providing an opening suitable for suction.

First claim

We claim:

1. An apparatus comprising:
(a) a body;
(b) a shaft assembly extending distally from the body, wherein the shaft assembly includes:
(i) an outer shaft, wherein the outer shaft includes a distal opening and a slot at the distal opening,
(ii) an inner tube positioned within the outer shaft, wherein a distal opening of the inner tube is longitudinally offset from the distal opening of the outer shaft and aligned with the slot, and
(iii) an inner lumen positioned on an interior wall of the inner tube;

(c) a position sensor;
(d) a sensor cover that contains the position sensor and is positioned in the slot proximate to a distal opening of the inner lumen; and
(e) a sensor wire that is configured to transmit signals from the position sensor, wherein the sensor wire is positioned in the inner lumen and exits the inner lumen via the distal opening of the inner lumen and enters the sensor cover to couple with the position sensor.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a shaft cover that encircles the sensor cover and the outer shaft to seal any gaps where the sensor cover meets the outer shaft, and to seal any open portions of the slot.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the shaft cover comprises a heat wrap cover that is adapted to loosely fit to the sensor cover and the outer shaft and then be tightly sealed by a heat treatment.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the sensor cover:
(i) obstructs a majority of the distal opening of the inner lumen, and
(ii) obstructs less than about 15% of the circular area of the distal opening of the outer shaft.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the sensor wire is configured to translate within the inner lumen while still being coupled with the position sensor.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the inner lumen twists along the interior of the inner tube such that:
(i) a proximal opening of the inner lumen is positioned on an interior sidewall of the inner tube, and
(ii) the distal opening of the inner lumen is positioned on an interior top of the inner tube.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the outer shaft is comprised of a malleable material and the inner tube is comprised of a flexible material.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein:
(i) the malleable material of the outer shaft comprises a stainless steel, and
(ii) the flexible material of the inner tube comprises a polymer.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the sensor cover has a diameter, wherein the slot has a width, and wherein the diameter of the sensor cover exceeds the width of the slot such that the sensor cover occupies the full width of the slot.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the longitudinal axis of the sensor cover is offset from the longitudinal axis of the inner lumen, and wherein a portion of the sensor wire flexes at an angle to allow the sensor wire to span between the inner lumen and the offset sensor cover.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a diameter of the sensor wire substantially occupies a diameter of the inner lumen.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the position sensor includes at least one coil configured to generate position data based upon interactions with an alternating magnetic field and transmit the position data via the sensor wire.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein an opening of the sensor cover is angled such that a proximal edge of the sensor cover extends upwardly from the outer shaft at less than a 90-degree angle.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the body comprises a longitudinal channel that terminates at a distal channel opening and the shaft assembly is positioned in the distal channel opening and coupled to the body.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the sensor wire:
(i) enters the body a hole in the body that is proximate to a proximal opening of the inner lumen, and
(ii) enters the inner lumen via the proximal opening of the inner lumen.

16. An apparatus comprising:
(a) a shaft assembly that includes:
(i) an outer shaft having a distal opening and a slot at the distal opening,
(ii) an inner tube positioned within the outer shaft, wherein a distal opening of the inner tube is longitudinally offset from the distal opening of the outer shaft and aligned with the slot, and
(iii) an inner lumen positioned on an interior wall of the inner tube;

(b) a position sensor; and
(c) a sensor wire configured to transmit signals from the position sensor, wherein the sensor wire:
(i) is contained within the inner lumen and isolated from the interior of the inner tube, and
(ii) exits the inner lumen via a distal opening of the inner lumen, passes through the slot, and couples with the position sensor.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , further comprising a sensor cover that holds the position sensor and is positioned in the slot proximate to the distal opening of the inner lumen.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the sensor cover:
(i) obstructs a majority of the distal opening of the inner lumen, and
(ii) obstructs less than about 15% of the circular area of the distal opening of the outer shaft.

19. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the inner lumen twists along the interior of the inner tube such that:
(i) the proximal opening of the inner lumen is positioned on an interior sidewall of the inner tube, and
(ii) the distal opening of the inner lumen is positioned on an interior top of the inner tube.

20. A method for assembling a suction instrument comprising:
(a) coupling a shaft assembly with a body, wherein the shaft assembly includes:
(i) an outer shaft, wherein the outer shaft includes a distal opening and a lateral slot extending proximally from the distal opening,
(ii) an inner tube positioned within the outer shaft, wherein a distal opening of the inner tube is longitudinally offset from the distal opening of the outer shaft and aligned with the slot, and
(iii) an inner lumen positioned on an interior wall of the inner tube;

(b) inserting a position sensor into a sensor cover;
(c) inserting the sensor cover into the slot, proximate to a distal opening of the inner lumen; and
(d) routing a sensor wire through the inner lumen, wherein the sensor wire is coupled with the position sensor and is configured to transmit signals from the position sensor.

Assignees

• Acclarent Inc

Inventors

• Shameli Ehsan
• Fang Itzhak
• Ebrahimi Babak
• Akbarian Fatemeh
• Borjian Roozbeh

Classifications

• A61M2207/00

  Methods of manufacture, assembly or production · CPC title

• A61B2034/2051

  Electromagnetic tracking systems · CPC title

• A61B2034/2072

  Reference field transducer attached to an instrument or patient · CPC title

• A61M1/71

  Suction drainage systems (containers therefor A61M1/60, A61M1/64; negative pressure wound therapy systems A61M1/90) · CPC title

• A61M1/84

  Drainage tubes; Aspiration tips (for negative pressure wound therapy A61M1/90; for surgical cutting instruments A61B17/32) · CPC title