Insertable device and system for minimal access procedure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9393076-B2
Application number	US-201314073483-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 6, 2013
Priority date	Jul 15, 2003
Publication date	Jul 19, 2016
Grant date	Jul 19, 2016

Abstract

The present invention provides a system and single or multi-functional element device that can be inserted and temporarily placed or implanted into a structure having a lumen or hollow space, such as a subject's abdominal cavity to provide therewith access to the site of interest in connection with minimally invasive surgical procedures. The insertable device may be configured such that the functional elements have various degrees of freedom of movement with respect to orienting the functional elements or elements to provide access to the site from multiple and different orientations/perspectives as the procedure dictates, e.g., to provide multiple selectable views of the site, and may provide a stereoscopic view of the site of interest.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for minimally-invasive surgical procedures within an operative space of a patient, the system comprising:
a) at least one device, insertable into the operative space, the insertable device comprising:
i) an elongate body having a longitudinal first axis, adapted and configured so as to be fully insertable into the operative space, the body comprising a first body portion, substantially coaxial with the first axis, and a second body portion substantially coaxial with the first axis, axially rotatably connected to the first body portion, permitting relative rotation between the first and second body portions about the first axis;
ii) a first actuator provided in the body, adapted and configured to effect rotational movement of the first body portion with respect to the second body portion;
iii) a camera mounted to the first body portion for rotation about a second axis, substantially transverse to the first axis; and
iv) a second actuator provided in the body, adapted and configured to effect rotation of the camera about the second axis; and

b) a driving device communicatively connected to the insertable device, the driving device comprising:
i) at least one controller that provides a driving signal to at least one of the first and second actuators to control movement of the camera; and
ii) an image tracking module for tracking movement of at least one object in a field of view of the camera, wherein the controller controls movement of the camera based on signals from the image tracking module such that the camera is adapted and configured to move based on the movement of the at least one object.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller controls movement of the camera so as to maintain the at least one object within a field of view of the camera.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the image tracking module is adapted and configured to track movement of a user-identified object.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the tracking module:
receives a first set of image data of a site of interest including a representation of the at least one object;
receives tracking instruction regarding the at least one object;
receives a second set of image data; and
tracks movement of the at least one object based on differences between the first set of image data and the second set of image data.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the tracking module tracks the at least one object based on RGB color components, color centroid, gray-level regions, geometric features, texture, edges, corners, curvature, size, orientation, area, motion, or fiducial markers, or by optical flow, automatic vergence, triangulation or probability algorithms.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the camera is adapted and configured for repeated retraction into and extraction from the body of the insertable device by way of control of at least one of the first and second actuators.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller autonomously controls movement of the camera based on signals from the image tracking module in at least one degree of freedom by way of control of one or more of the first and second actuators.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein a user controls movement of the camera in at least one other degree of freedom by way of control of one or more of the first and second actuators.

9. A system for minimally-invasive surgical procedures within an operative space of a patient, the system comprising:
a) at least one device, insertable into the operative space, the at least one insertable device comprising:
i) an elongate body having a longitudinal first axis, adapted and configured so as to be fully insertable into the operative space, the body comprising a first body portion, substantially coaxial with the first axis, and a second body portion substantially coaxial with the first axis, axially rotatably connected to the first body portion, permitting relative rotation between the first and second body portions about the first axis;
ii) a first actuator provided in the body, adapted and configured to effect rotational movement of the first body portion with respect to the second body portion;
iii) a first functional element comprising a first camera mounted to the first body portion for rotation about a second axis, substantially transverse to the first axis; and
iv) a second actuator provided in the body, adapted and configured to effect rotation of the first functional element about the second axis; and

b) a driving device communicatively connected to the at least one insertable device, the driving device comprising:
i) at least one controller that provides a driving signal to at least one of the first and second actuators to control movement of the first functional element; and
ii) an image tracking module for tracking movement of at least one object in a field of view of the first camera, wherein the controller controls movement of the first functional element based on signals from the image tracking module such that the first functional element is adapted and configured to move based on the movement of the at least one object.

10. The system of claim 9 , the insertable device further comprising:
a) a third body portion substantially coaxial with the first axis, axially rotatably connected to the second body portion, permitting relative rotation between the second and third body portions about the first axis;
b) a third actuator provided in the body, adapted and configured to effect rotational movement of the third body portion with respect to the second body portion; and
c) a second functional element mounted to the third body portion for rotation about a third axis, substantially transverse to the first axis.

11. The system of claim 10 ,
a) wherein the second functional element is a second camera;
b) wherein the image tracking module is adapted and configured for tracking a plurality of objects in respective fields of view of each of the first and second cameras; and
c) wherein the controller controls movement of each of the first and second cameras independently from one another based on signals from the image tracking module.

12. The system of claim 10 ,
a) wherein the second functional element is a second camera;
b) wherein the image tracking module is adapted and configured for tracking a single object in respective fields of view of each of the first and second cameras; and
c) wherein the controller controls movement of each of the first and second cameras based on signals from the image tracking module such that the first and second cameras converge on the single object for stereoscopic imaging of the single object.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein the second functional element is biological sensor.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the second functional element is an oximeter.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the driving device additionally controls the biological sensor.

16. The system of claim 10 , wherein the second functional element is a surgical effector.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the second functional element is a light source.

18. The system of claim 16 , wherein the second functional element is a grasper.

19. The system of claim 16 , wherein the driving device additionally controls the surgical effector.

20. A system for minimally-invasive surgical procedures within an operative space of a patient, the system comprising: a) at least one device, insertable into the operative space, the at least one insertable device comprising: i

Assignees

• Univ Columbia

Inventors

• Fowler Dennis L
• Allen Peter K
• Miller Andrew T

Classifications

• A61B2017/320069

  for ablating tissue · CPC title

• A61B34/30 Primary

  Surgical robots · CPC title

• A61B90/30

  Devices for illuminating a surgical field, the devices having an interrelation with other surgical devices or with a surgical procedure · CPC title

• A61B90/361

  Image-producing devices, e.g. surgical cameras · CPC title

• A61B34/72

  Micromanipulators · CPC title