Guide tool for catheter insertion

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9782292-B2
Application number	US-201414563230-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 8, 2014
Priority date	Dec 6, 2013
Publication date	Oct 10, 2017
Grant date	Oct 10, 2017

Abstract

The present disclosure describes a catheter guide tool. More particularly, the catheter guide tool is a bi-stable device used for the insertion and advancement of a catheter. The catheter guide tool includes a gimbal. A guide axis runs through the gimbal. A catheter advancement mechanism is coupled to the gimbal and configured to advance the catheter along the guide axis. The guide tool also includes a pivot assembly coupling the gimbal to a support platform. The pivot assembly is configured to pivot the guide axis from a first position perpendicular to a target surface to a second position tangential to the target surface along a single primary plane of rotation of the gimbal.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A catheter guide tool comprising:
a gimbal comprising a guide axis;
a catheter advancement mechanism coupled to the gimbal and configured to advance a catheter along the guide axis; and
a pivot assembly comprising:
a first two-bar linkage coupling the gimbal to a support platform and positioned substantially within a single primary plane of rotation of the gimbal; and
a second two-bar linkage coupling the gimbal to the support platform and positioned substantially perpendicular to the single primary plane of rotation of the gimbal, the pivot assembly configured to pivot the guide axis from a first position perpendicular to a target surface to a second position substantially tangential to the target surface along the single primary plane of rotation of the gimbal.

2. The catheter guide tool of claim 1 , wherein the second two-bar linkage is coupled to the gimbal by a first rotational joint and to the support platform by a second rotational joint.

3. The catheter guide tool of claim 1 , wherein the pivot assembly is bi-stable between the first position and the second position.

4. The catheter guide tool of claim 1 , wherein the gimbal further comprises at least one interior gimbal to provide limited movement to within about 0.001° and about 10° of the primary plane of rotation.

5. The catheter guide tool of claim 1 , wherein the catheter advancement mechanism is configured to scale an output movement to between about 1/10 and about 1/10000 of an input movement.

6. The catheter guide tool of claim 1 , wherein the catheter advancement mechanism has a movement resolution between about 0.1 μm and about 100 μm.

7. The catheter guide tool of claim 1 , further comprising an actuator to drive the pivot assembly from the first position to the second position.

8. The catheter guide tool of claim 1 , wherein the catheter advancement mechanism further comprises at least one force sensor.

9. The catheter guide tool of claim 1 , wherein the support platform further comprises an articulating arm.

10. The catheter guide tool of claim 1 , wherein the pivot assembly further comprises a damper.

11. A method for inserting a catheter, the method comprising:
providing a catheter guide tool comprising:
a gimbal comprising a guide axis;
a catheter advancement mechanism coupled to the gimbal and configured to advance a catheter along the guide axis; and
a pivot assembly comprising:
a first two-bar linkage coupling the gimbal to a support platform and positioned substantially within a single primary plane of rotation of the gimbal; and
a second two-bar linkage coupling the gimbal to the support platform and positioned substantially perpendicular to the single primary plane or rotation of the gimbal, the pivot assembly configured to pivot the guide axis from a first position perpendicular to a target surface to a second position substantially tangential to the target surface along a single primary plane of rotation of the gimbal;

advancing a catheter tip into an incision of an organ;
pivoting the gimbal to the second position about the catheter tip; and
advancing the catheter tip toward an anatomical target within the organ.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the incision is made in a sclera of an eye.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising advancing the tip of the catheter toward the posterior of the eye.

14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising injecting a fluid through the catheter tip.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the linkage is bi-stable between the first position and the second position.

16. The method of claim 11 , further comprising scaling an output movement by the catheter guide tool to between about 1/10 and about 1/10000 of an input movement to the catheter guide tool.

17. The method of claim 11 , further comprising pivoting the gimbal to the second position with an actuator.

18. The method of claim 11 , further comprising damping the pivoting of the gimbal to the second position with a damper.

Assignees

• Charles Stark Draper Laboratory Inc

Inventors

• Hufford Kevin
• Trainor Christopher V

Classifications

• A61F9/007 Primary

  Methods or devices for eye surgery · CPC title

• A61M25/01

  Introducing, guiding, advancing, emplacing or holding catheters (A61M25/10 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61B34/77

  Manipulators with motion or force scaling · CPC title

• A61B2090/064

  for measuring force, pressure or mechanical tension · CPC title

• A61B90/11

  with guides for needles or instruments, e.g. arcuate slides or ball joints · CPC title