Micro-robot coupled to catheter

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016235491-A1
Application number	US-201615044517-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 16, 2016
Priority date	Feb 16, 2015
Publication date	Aug 18, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Provided is a micro-robot which is integratedly or detachably coupled to one end of a catheter or a guidewire for performing a medical operation using the catheter. Steering and drilling are independently performed by using a catheter thinner in thickness than a related art catheter. The a micro-robot is smoothly inserted into a lesion part and removes a risk of injury and infection in an opening operation through precise steering.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A micro-robot coupled to a catheter or a guidewire, characterized in that the micro-robot is coupled to one end of a catheter or a guidewire to perform a steering function or a drilling function on a lesion part by using a magnetic field.

2 . The micro-robot of claim 1 , wherein the micro-robot comprises:
a base part detachably attached to a projection provided in the one end of the catheter, the base part including a center shaft; a drill part rotatably coupled to the center shaft to generate a magnetic torque with an external rotating magnetic field for a drilling function to be performed, a first magnetic material being coupled to the drill part or being coated on an outer portion of the drill part; and a head part coupled to a distal end of the center shaft to generate a magnetic torque with an external steering magnetic field for a steering function to be performed, the head part having a diameter relatively larger than the distal end of the center shaft to limit movement of the drill part, the head part including a second magnetic material, or the second magnetic material being coated on an outer portion of the head part.

3 . The micro-robot of claim 2 , wherein the base part is formed of one soft material selected from a group consisting of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) or flexible materials available for medical treatment.

4 . The micro-robot of claim 3 , wherein
the base part comprises: a coupling hole provided in a bottom of the base part to be detachably attached to a projection of the catheter through forced-fitting; and an outer wall portion, the outer wall portion being shorter in length than the center shaft, the center shaft is provided in a direction vertical to a center of a floor opposite to the bottom, and the outer wall portion is provided in a direction vertical to a border of the floor.

5 . The micro-robot of claim 4 , wherein the center shaft comprises:
a basis axis portion integratedly coupled to a center of the floor, the basis axis portion having a diameter smaller than an internal diameter of the outer wall portion and having a length relatively longer than a length of the outer wall portion; and a coupling axis portion integratedly protruding from a top center of the basis axis portion, the coupling axis portion having a diameter relatively smaller than the diameter of the basis axis portion.

6 . The micro-robot of claim 5 , wherein
the head part is formed of the same material as a material of the base part to surround a surface of the second magnetic material, and the drill part is rotatably assembled to the center shaft, and the head part is integratedly bonded and coupled to a distal end of the coupling axis portion.

7 . The micro-robot of claim 5 , wherein
the drill part comprises: a tube-shaped body having a wall thickness which enables the tube-shaped body to be rotatably inserted between an inner circumference surface of the outer wall portion and an outer circumference surface of the basis axis portion; a body end portion integratedly provided in a distal end of the tube-shaped body, the body end portion including a stepped hole smaller than a diameter of the basis axis portion and a slope outer circumference surface that is rotatably assembled to the coupling axis portion through the stepped hole and has a conical shape similar to a shape of a drill bit; and a spiral groove portion provided in an outer circumference surface of the tube-shaped body and in a slope surface of the body end portion, the drill part is placed in blood or fluid in a blood vessel of a patient to rotate with a magnetic torque based on the external rotating magnetic field, and the spiral groove portion changes an amount of exercise of the fluid to generate a thrust for a drilling function of the drill part.

8 . The micro-robot of claim 6 , wherein the drill part is formed of a hard material or the same soft material as a material of the base part.

9 . The micro-robot of claim 7 , wherein a circumference surface of the drill part corresponds to an inner circumference surface of the tube-shaped body or an inner circumference surface of the stepped hole of the body end portion.

10 . The micro-robot of claim 9 , wherein when a portion of the drill part is disposed in a space which is provided inward from the outer wall portion, a coupling axis portion of the center shaft is bent by a magnetic torque based on the second magnetic material and the external steering magnetic field to perform of a steering function of changing a position and a direction of the head part.

11 . The micro-robot of claim 10 , wherein
the drill part is rotated or reversely rotated by the external rotating magnetic field and a magnetic torque based on the first and second magnetic materials like the coupling axis portion to generate a thrust or a reverse thrust, as the drill part is move based on the thrust or the reverse thrust, rotating of the coupling axis portion is limited by the drill part, and the drill part is rotated to separate or remove a foreign material from a wall surface of the blood vessel of the patient.

12 . The micro-robot of claim 11 , wherein the drilling function and the steering function are independently performed so that when one of the drilling function and the steering function is being performed, other one function is not performed.

13 . The micro-robot of claim 1 , wherein
the one end of the catheter or the guidewire is coupled to a rotary part, based on a ball socket joint, and the rotary part comprises a ball member disposed in a front end of the rotary part.

14 . The micro-robot of claim 13 , wherein the rotary part comprises a rotary member connected to the ball member, a whole portion or a portion of the rotary part being formed of a magnetic material or coated with a magnetic material.

15 . The micro-robot of claim 14 , wherein the rotary member is provided in a spiral shape or a propeller shape.

16 . The micro-robot of claim 14 , wherein fine steering of the rotary part is performed for an open position of a lesion according to steering by the magnetic field, and the rotary part rotates with the magnetic field to open the lesion.

17 . The micro-robot of claim 14 , wherein the rotary part is driven by the magnetic field to suck residues which occur in opening a lesion.

18 . The micro-robot of claim 17 , wherein the rotary part is driven and finely steered by the magnetic field to adjust a flow velocity of drug, discharged by a drug transfer module included in the catheter, or a flow velocity of fluid for sucking residues which occur in opening a lesion.

19 . The micro-robot of claim 1 , wherein the micro-robot detachably coupled to the one end of the catheter or the guidewire comprises a position control module configured to perform fine steering for angle control or position control in a predetermined axial direction by using an output magnetic field in an opening operation using the catheter.

20 . The micro-robot of claim 19 , wherein the micro-robot comprises at least one of a drug transfer module, an ultrasound image module, and electrostimulation module which each perform a unique function when being disposed in a desired lesion part.

Assignees

• Daegu Gyeongbuk Inst Science & Tech

Inventors

• Choi Hong Soo
• Jeon Sang Hun
• Lee Jeong Hun
• Lee Seung Min
• Kim Sang Won

Classifications

• A61B2090/378

  using ultrasound · CPC title

• A61N1/05

  for implantation or insertion into the body, e.g. heart electrode (A61N1/06 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61B34/73

  Manipulators for magnetic surgery · CPC title

• A61N1/00

  Electrotherapy; Circuits therefor (A61N2/00 takes precedence; irradiation apparatus A61N5/00) · CPC title

• A61B34/30 Primary

  Surgical robots · CPC title