Adjustable probe

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9538910-B2
Application number	US-201414250582-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 11, 2014
Priority date	Apr 11, 2013
Publication date	Jan 10, 2017
Grant date	Jan 10, 2017

Abstract

An optical fiber endoscopic probe used to deliver radiation, in particular laser radiation, during a surgical procedure. The configuration of components of the endoscopic probe in use is adjustable so as to direct the radiation which exits the fiber as desired. The present invention also relates to a device used to direct the exiting beam of radiation in such an endoscopic probe, which may in particular be used in a narrow probe channel, for example for prostate laser surgery, and to a method of surgical treatment using the endoscopic probe.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An endoscopic probe, having a proximal end and a distal end and having one or more channels therethrough;
an optical fiber having a proximal input end and a distal delivery end, the optical fiber being capable of moving within one of the one or more channels in the probe,
the delivery end of the fiber further comprising an adjustment mechanism for directing and redirecting light travelling down the fiber such that the light exits the fiber through the delivery end of the adjustment mechanism in a desired direction,
the adjustment mechanism comprising a rigid, self-supporting curved sheath at least partially surrounding and encompassing the fiber and having proximal and distal ends, the distal end including first, proximal and second, distal adjacent curved sections which are mutually rotatable with respect to one another around the optical fiber;
further comprising a first tubular sleeve, the first tubular sleeve having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion,
a second tubular sleeve, the second tubular sleeve at least partially surrounding the first tubular sleeve in the vicinity of its distal end portion to the vicinity of its proximal end portion;
the second tubular sleeve being rotatable with respect to the first tubular sleeve;
wherein the distal portion of the first tubular sleeve is connected to the proximal portion of the first section of the sheath,
wherein the distal portion of the second tubular sleeve is connected to the proximal portion of the second section of the sheath, and
whereupon, upon actuation of the adjustment mechanism by rotation of the second tubular sleeve with respect to the first tubular sleeve, the second section of the curved sheath rotates relative to the first section of the curved sheath and the shape of the distal end changes from one shape to another shape.

2. An endoscopic probe as recited in claim 1 wherein the curved sections have the same length and curvature.

3. An endoscopic probe as recited in claim 1 wherein the fiber is integral through its first and second portions.

4. An endoscopic probe as recited in claim 1 wherein at least part of the distal end of the sheath permits the transmission of radiation therethrough in use of the probe.

5. An endoscopic probe as recited in claim 4 wherein the distal end of the sheath is configured such that it is in register with the distal end of the fiber which it houses.

6. An endoscopic probe as recited in claim 4 wherein the distal end of the sheath is an aperture.

7. An endoscopic probe as recited in claim 1 wherein one of the first and second adjacent curved sections of the sheath houses a part of the other section of the sheath to form a circumferential sliding bearing therebetween, and the first and second sections of the sheath are mutually rotatable about a common central axis at the sliding bearing.

8. An endoscopic probe as recited in claim 7 wherein the second, distal section of the sheath houses a part of the first, proximal section of the sheath to provide a circumferential sliding bearing therebetween, and the first and second sections of the sheath are mutually rotatable about a common central axis at the sliding bearing.

9. An endoscopic probe as recited in claim 7 wherein the first, proximal section of the sheath houses a part of the second, distal section of the sheath to provide a circumferential sliding bearing therebetween, and the first and second sections of the sheath are mutually rotatable about a common central axis at the sliding bearing.

10. An endoscopic probe as recited in claim 7 wherein the first, proximal and second, distal section of the sheath has adjacent planar end surfaces, which are orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the sheath at the location of the end surfaces, abut in an axial sliding bearing therebetween, and are mutually rotatable about a common central axis at the sliding bearing.

11. An endoscopic probe as recited in claim 7 wherein either surface of the bearing bears an annular ridge co-operating with an annular groove in the opposing surface of the bearing.

12. An endoscopic probe as recited in claim 11 wherein the surface at the annular ridge and/or co-operating annular groove is of a resiliently elastic material.

13. An endoscopic probe as recited in claim 1 wherein the first and second portions of the fiber are discontinuous.

14. An endoscopic probe as recited in claim 13 wherein the first and second portions of the fiber have adjacent planar end surfaces, which are orthogonal to the long axis of the fiber at the location of the end surfaces, abut in a transverse sliding bearing therebetween, and are mutually rotatable about a common central axis at the sliding bearing.

15. An endoscopic probe as recited in claim 13 wherein the first and second adjacent curved portions of the fiber are separated by a plastic transparent index matching material which creates optical coupling between the first and second portions.

16. An endoscopic probe as recited in claim 15 , wherein the ends of the first and second portions of the fiber are flush with the respective ends of the curved section of the sheath at the circumferential sliding bearing, the section of the sheath which is housed in the other section of the sheath has a shoulder abutting the relevant end of the housing curved section to form an axial sliding bearing between the housing and housed sections, such that the housed section does not seat fully in the housing section, and leaves a recess space defined by the ends of the housing and housed sections, and the transparent index matching material which creates optical coupling between the first and second portions of the fiber fills the recess space.

17. An endoscopic probe as recited in claim 1 wherein the second tubular sleeve comprises a manual control to rotate the second tubular sleeve with respect to the first tubular sleeve.

18. An endoscopic probe as recited in claim 1 , wherein the shape of the distal end of the device changes from a sigmoid shape to a C-shape, or from a C-shape to a sigmoid shape.

19. An endoscopic probe as recited in claim 1 wherein the sheath is formed from a biocompatible plastics material or a biocompatible stainless steel.

20. An endoscopic probe as recited in claim 1 wherein the endoscopic probe is a surgical endoscopic probe, the fiber is used to deliver laser radiation to its distal end, and the channel is a working channel of the probe.

21. A method of treatment which comprises the use of an endoscopic probe as recited in claim 1 .

22. A method of treatment as recited in claim 21 which comprises the use of the probe to deliver one or more of visible non-coherent light or laser light from a laser device to illuminate a treatment site from various directions using the visible non-coherent light, or to operate surgically on hard or soft tissue at a treatment site with the laser light, by using an adjustable means in an auxiliary channel in the probe to illuminate the treatment site from a desired direction using non-coherent light or to direct the laser light onto the treatment site in a desired direction.

23. A method of surgical treatment as recited in claim 22 where the channel in use surrounds at least a large proportion of the optical fibre and is narrow which comprises
i) adjusting the adjustable means to a first configuration (smaller than the channel of the probe at its narrowest point);
ii) sliding the optical fibre, with the adjusta

Assignees

• Lumenis Ltd

Inventors

• Khachaturov Arkady

Classifications

• A61B1/07 Primary

  using light-conductive means, e.g. optical fibres · CPC title

• A61B2018/00547

  Prostate · CPC title

• A61B2018/2035

  Beam shaping or redirecting; Optical components therefor (A61B2018/2255 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61B18/22 Primary

  the beam being directed along or through a flexible conduit, e.g. an optical fibre; {Couplings or} hand-pieces therefor · CPC title

• A61B2018/2244

  Features of optical fibre cables, e.g. claddings · CPC title