Rotational support for an elongate member

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9452018-B2
Application number	US-201313833531-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2013
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	Sep 27, 2016
Grant date	Sep 27, 2016

Abstract

Various exemplary drive apparatuses and associated methods are disclosed for driving an elongated member, e.g., a guidewire or catheter. An exemplary drive apparatus for driving an elongated member may include a rotational component configured to apply a torque to the elongated member, where the rotational component is positioned a first distance away from an insertion site along the elongated member. The drive apparatus may further include a rotational support configured to apply an assistance torque to the elongated member. The rotational support may be positioned a second distance from the rotational component along the elongated member that is larger than the first distance.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of driving an elongate member, the method comprising:
applying a first torque to the elongate member with a rotational component positioned a first distance away from an insertion site along the elongate member;
applying an assistance torque to the elongate member with a rotational support positioned a second distance away from the insertion site along the elongate member, the second distance being larger than the first distance;
turning a first portion of the elongate member with respect to a second portion of the elongate member; and
restricting the first portion of the elongate member within a predetermined plane.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the assistance torque is greater than the first torque.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the assistance torque is a coarse torque adjustment, and the first torque is a fine torque adjustment.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising adjusting the assistance torque in a first increment, and adjusting the first torque in a second increment smaller than the first increment.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising anchoring an end of the elongate member with the rotational support.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein anchoring the end of the elongate member includes deforming the elongate member adjacent the end.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving an end of the elongate member within a sleeve extending from the end of the elongate member along a length of the elongate member.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the rotational support has an infinite rotational range of motion.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the elongate member is turned 180 degrees from the second portion.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the elongate member is configured to define variable lengths of the elongate member between the rotational component and the rotational support without relative movement between the rotational component and rotational support.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein driving the elongate member comprises driving a guidewire.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising selectively releasing a portion of the assistance torque with the rotational component.

13. A method of driving an elongate member, the method comprising:
applying a first torque to the elongate member with a rotational component positioned a first distance away from an insertion site along the elongate member;
turning a first portion of the elongate member with respect to a second portion of the elongate member, wherein the first portion of the elongate member is turned 180 degrees from the second portion of the elongate member;
anchoring an end of the elongate member with the rotational support; and
applying an assistance torque to the elongate member with a rotational support positioned a second distance away from an insertion site along the elongate member, the second distance being larger than the first distance.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein a portion of the elongate member is positioned intermediate the rotational component and the rotational support.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the elongate member is a guidewire.

16. A drive apparatus for driving an elongate member, the drive apparatus comprising:
a rotational component configured to apply a torque to the elongate member, the rotational component positioned a first distance away from an insertion site along the elongate member; and
a rotational support configured to apply an assistance torque to the elongate member, the rotational support positioned a second distance from the insertion site along the elongate member, the second distance being larger than the first distance,
wherein the rotational support includes a sleeve anchoring an end of the elongate member, the sleeve extending from the end of the elongate member along a length of the elongate member.

17. The drive apparatus of claim 16 , further comprising an intermediate support positioned intermediate the rotational component and the rotational support, the intermediate support configured to maintain a turned portion of the elongate member substantially in a single plane.

18. The drive apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the rotational support is configured to adjust the assistance torque in a first increment, and the rotational component is configured to adjust the first torque in a second increment smaller than the first increment.

Assignees

• Hansen Medical Inc

Inventors

• Yu Alan

Classifications

• A61B34/37 Primary

  Leader-follower robots (A61B34/35 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61B34/30

  Surgical robots · CPC title

• A61B2034/301

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

• A61B19/2203 Primary

  Human Necessities · mapped topic

• A61M25/09041

  Mechanisms for insertion of guide wires · CPC title