Flexible surgical devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9055960-B2
Application number	US-94674110-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 15, 2010
Priority date	Nov 15, 2010
Publication date	Jun 16, 2015
Grant date	Jun 16, 2015

Abstract

A surgical device can include a tube comprising a wall having a plurality of slits oriented generally transverse to a longitudinal axis of the tube. Each of the slits may be defined by opposing surfaces. The surgical device can further include a force transmission element coupled to the tube. In a flexible state of the tube, at least some of the opposing surfaces defining respective slits are separated from one another, and in a stiffened state of the tube, a force exerted on the force transmission element causes the opposing surfaces of each slit to contact one another.

First claim

We claim:

1. A surgical device comprising:
a tube comprising a wall having a plurality of slits oriented generally transverse to a longitudinal axis of the tube, wherein each slit is defined by opposing surfaces, the tube comprising a proximal segment and a distal segment;
a plurality of force transmission elements coupled to the tube and actuatable to alter the distal segment of the tube between a flexible state and a stiffened state;
a plurality of routing members, each routing member including an attachment surface coupled to a surface of the wall of the tube, the routing members configured to receive and route the force transmission elements along a length of the tube while permitting the length of the tube to flex and compress, wherein some of the routing members are coupled to the proximal segment and some of the routing members are coupled to the distal segment; and
a decoupling structure that reduces force applied to the proximal segment when a force is applied to the distal segment by the force transmission elements;
wherein in the flexible state of the tube, at least some of the opposing surfaces defining respective slits are separated from one another;
wherein in the stiffened state of the tube, a force exerted on the force transmission elements causes the opposing surfaces of each slit to contact one another so that the tube is straight and compressed along the longitudinal axis of the tube in the stiffened state; and
wherein in the stiffened state of the tube, the force exerted on the force transmission elements causes first and second portions of distal segment of the tube to rotate with respect to each other around the longitudinal axis of the tube.

2. The device of claim 1 , further comprising an actuator coupled to the force transmission elements.

3. The device of claim 2 , further comprising:
a sensor that senses information regarding a configuration of the tube; and
a control system that receives the configuration information from the sensor.

4. The device of claim 3 , wherein the sensor comprises an optical fiber sensor.

5. The device of claim 2 , wherein the actuator comprises a motor.

6. The device of claim 2 , wherein the force exerted on the force transmission elements is a baseline tension force that places the distal segment of the tube in the stiffened state;
wherein the actuator is backdrivable to overcome the baseline tension force of the force transmission elements to place the distal segment of the tube in the flexible state.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the force transmission elements is actively controlled to bend the tube.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the tube is a passive flexible segment of a serial link structure comprising a proximal link segment coupled to the proximal segment of the tube by a proximal joint pair and a distal link segment coupled to the distal segment of the tube by a distal joint pair.

9. The device of claim 8 , further comprising a an end effector coupled to the distal link segment.

10. The device of claim 1 , wherein the tube is at least a portion of a surgical device configured for minimally invasive surgery.

11. The device of claim 1 , wherein the tube has an outer diameter ranging from 2 mm to 12 mm.

12. The device of claim 1 , wherein the tube has an outer diameter ranging from 2 mm to 8 mm.

13. The device of claim 1 , wherein the tube comprises a stainless steel or a shape memory alloy.

14. The device of claim 1 , wherein the slits comprise laser cuts.

15. The device of claim 1 , wherein the slits provide a range of bending about the longitudinal axis of the tube from 10 degrees to 45 degrees.

16. The device of claim 1 , wherein the slits provide a range of bending about the longitudinal axis of the tube of 10 degrees per inch of the tube.

17. The device of claim 1 , wherein the tube bends substantially isotropically.

18. The device of claim 1 , wherein uncut regions of the tube wall that connect slit ends follow a helical path around a periphery of the tube.

19. The device of claim 18 , wherein the uncut regions on a first length of the tube follow a right-hand helical path and the uncut regions on a second length of the tube follow a left-hand helical path.

20. The device of claim 1 , wherein the force transmission elements are positioned within the tube.

21. The device of claim 1 , wherein the force transmission elements comprise tension elements.

22. The device of claim 21 , wherein the tension element comprises a metal or polymer.

23. The device of claim 21 , wherein the tension element comprises a cable.

24. The device of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the slits extend through the routing members.

25. The device of claim 1 , wherein the decoupling structure comprises an incompressible sheath configured to receive one of the force transmission elements along a length of the tube.

26. The device of claim 25 , wherein the incompressible sheath comprises a hypotube.

27. The device of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the force transmission elements comprises a rod.

28. A method comprising:
longitudinally compressing a first segment of at least two segments of a surgical instrument tube when a command to place the first segment of the tube in a stiffened state is received, wherein longitudinally compressing the first segment comprises causing opposing surfaces of a plurality of slits in the first segment of the tube around a circumference of the tube to contact one another so that the first segment is straight and further comprises causing first and second portions of first segment of the surgical instrument tube to rotate with respect to one another around a longitudinal axis of the tube, wherein each slit has opposing ends that are bounded by connecting elements, wherein a decoupling structure reduces a force placed on a second segment of the at least two segments of the surgical instrument tube when the force is applied to longitudinally compress the first segment such that opposing surfaces of a plurality of slits in the second segment of the tube do not contact one another; and
reducing the longitudinal compression on the first segment of the surgical instrument tube when a command to place the first segment of the tube in a flexible state is received, wherein reducing the longitudinal compression on the first segment comprises allowing the opposing surfaces of at least some of the slits to be separated from one another.

29. The method of claim 28 further comprising, after the command to place the tube in a flexible state is received:
measuring a configuration of the tube;
receiving a command that indicates a desired configuration of the tube;
determining an actuation input necessary to move the tube from the measured configuration to the desired configuration; and
transmitting the actuation input to a force transmission element associated with the tube.

30. The method of claim 29 , wherein measuring a configuration of the tube comprises interrogating a sensor that measures position and/or orientation information about the tube.

31. The method of claim 28 , further comprising, after a command to place the tube in a stiffened state or a flexible state is received: transmitting an actuation input to force transmission elements associated with the tube.

32. T

Assignees

• Stoy Katherine D
• Prisco Giuseppe Maria
• Au Samuel Kwok Wai
• Fenech Carolyn
• Intuitive Surgical Operations

Inventors

• Stoy Katherine D
• Prisco Giuseppe Maria
• Au Samuel Kwok Wai
• Fenech Carolyn

Classifications

• A61B34/71 Primary

  Manipulators operated by drive cable mechanisms · CPC title

• A61B2017/00309

  Cut-outs or slits · CPC title

• A61B2017/003

  Steerable · CPC title

• A61B2019/2249

  Human Necessities · mapped topic

• A61B19/2203 Primary

  Human Necessities · mapped topic