Medical apparatus and method of use thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12478764-B2
Application number	US-202117373437-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 12, 2021
Priority date	Jul 16, 2020
Publication date	Nov 25, 2025
Grant date	Nov 25, 2025

Abstract

An articulated medical device having a hollow core, capable of large degrees of maneuverability through small spaces of a patient to reach a target with minimal invasiveness, and once the medical device has reached the target, allowing for finite movement of the distal end of the medical device to hone in on one or more targets or areas of interest, without having to move the remainder of the medical device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A medical apparatus comprising:
a bendable body having a proximal portion and a distal portion, the distal portion including a first bending section and a second bending section, with the first bending section in a position distal and next to the second bending section and the second bending section in a position distal to the proximal portion, the first bending section including: at least two guide rings disposed in the bendable body and spaced a distance from one another to create a cavity, a tip, and a wall extending a length of the first bending section and operating to encapsulate the at least two guide rings, wherein the wall comprises a resilient outer lining and a resilient inner lining for encapsulating the at least two guide rings; a first control wire running through the proximal portion and the second bending section and being connected to a distal end of the first bending section; a second control wire running through the proximal portion and being connected to a distal end of the second bending section; at least two lumens in the bendable body extending a length of the bendable body through the first bending section and the second bending section; an actuator attached to a proximal end of the first control wire and to a proximal end of the second control wire, wherein the actuator operates to actuate the first control wire and the second control wire independently; and a controller or processor that operates to: select one of, or switch between, a plurality of modes; in a case where the controller or processor has selected or switched to a targeting mode of the plurality of modes, control the first control wire and/or the second control wire, via the actuator, to bend the first bending section and/or the second bending section such that the first bending section and the second bending section operate to be manipulated by actuation of the first control wire and the second control wire, respectively, while manipulating the proximal portion so that: (i) the first bending section and the second bending section operate to bend or to be moved or oriented while a posture of the proximal portion is not moved by the controller or processor, (ii) the second bending section is disposed or positioned at or near a location to reach or be near a target, sample, or object, and (iii) the first bending section operates to be manipulated in any direction to reach the target, sample, or object without moving the second control wire after the second bending section has reached or is disposed at or near the location or near the target, sample, or object; and in a case where the controller or processor has selected or switched to a follow a leader mode of the plurality of modes, control the first bending section to bend automatically or in accordance with an instruction received from or input by a user of the medical apparatus, and control the second bending section to bend based on: (i) a bending amount of the first bending section in a distance in which the bendable body is advanced after the first bending section is bent, and/or (ii) a bending amount of the first bending section in a case where the bendable body is advanced and the second bending section reaches a position where the first bending section was bent over a distance or along a path, wherein a coverage area for the first bending section of the distal portion or for the bendable body, based on the location and bending planes/angles of the second bending section of the distal portion or of the bendable body is shown on a display, and the controller or processor further operates to: (i) ensure a desired coverage area to reach and/or view the target, sample, or object, and (ii) calculate bending angles and trajectory to situate the medical apparatus in a position to allow for viewing and/or reaching of two or more predetermined points in the target, sample, or object without having to further move one of the proximal portion, the first bending section of the distal portion, and/or the second bending section of the distal portion, where the target, sample, or object is a lesion and the coverage area includes the two or more predetermined points in the lesion.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the manipulation of the first bending section is accomplished while the second bending section is stationary.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the manipulation of the first bending section is one or more of the following: rotation, fore and aft travel, panning, translation, movement in two axes, and/or movement in three axes.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least two guide rings are attached to at least a portion of the wall.

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the resilient inner lining defines a hollow chamber.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a support wire slideably situated in one of the at least two lumens.

7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least two lumens extend through the at least two guide rings.

8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a third bending section proximal to both the first bending section and the second bending section, the third bending section being proximally next to the second bending section and the third bending section being in a position distal and next to the proximal portion; and a third control wire running through the proximal portion and being connected to a distal end of the third bending section, wherein the at least two lumens further extend through the third bending section, and wherein the actuator is attached to a proximal end of the third control wire, and the actuator further operates to actuate the first control wire, the second control wire, and the third control wire independently.

9 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first control wire and the at least two lumens comprise or include a radio opaque material.

10 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller or processor further operates to:
calculate a path of the bendable body.

11 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller or processor further operates to one or more of the following:
switch between two or more of the plurality of modes, where the two or more of the plurality of modes includes at least the targeting mode and the follow the leader mode, or the plurality of modes includes at least the targeting mode, the follow the leader mode, and/or a different mode or a parking mode; and/or switch to a parking mode of the plurality of modes, where controller or processor further operates to control the medical apparatus to be disposed at a set or predetermined parking location based on a target location and/or degrees of freedom to ensure that the coverage area is reachable or targetable.

12 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller or processor further operates to one or more of the following:
translate a position of the tip of the first bending section in space without affecting an orientation of the tip of the first bending section and/or without affecting a position of the medical apparatus; and/or translate a position of the tip of the first bending section in space such that a set or predetermined, finite adjustment of a location or locations in the target, sample, or object is achieved and/or such that an increase in surface area coverage for the target, sample, or object is achieved compared to a case where the position of the tip of the first bending section is not translated.

13 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller or processor further operates to one or more of the following:
(i) deform the first bending section and/or the s

Assignees

• Canon Usa Inc

Inventors

• Ninni Brian

Classifications

• A61B2034/301

  for introducing or steering flexible instruments inserted into the body, e.g. catheters or endoscopes · CPC title

• A61B34/71

  Manipulators operated by drive cable mechanisms · CPC title

• A61B34/30

  Surgical robots · CPC title

• A61M25/0108

  using radio-opaque or ultrasound markers · CPC title

• A61M2025/015

  Details of the distal fixation of the movable mechanical means · CPC title