The present invention relates generally to apparatuses and methods for rotating, or spinning, medical devices and, more specifically, to apparatuses and methods for manually spinning medical devices. In particular, the present invention includes apparatuses and methods for spinning needles, catheters, wires, trocars, and other elongate medical instruments that may be used to enable or effect a medical procedure within the body of a subject.
In one aspect, the present invention includes various embodiments of an apparatus for causing an elongate medical instrument to rotate, or spin, about its longitudinal axis. Such an apparatus may be referred to herein as a “rooter.” In a specific embodiment, such an apparatus includes a housing, a rotatable element within the housing, retention elements for securing the rotatable element in place relative to the housing, and an actuator that causes the rotatable element to rotate within the housing.
The rotatable element may be configured to engage an elongate medical instrument, such as a catheter, a needle, a wire, a trocar, or another elongate element that may be used to enable or effect a medical procedure within the body of a subject. In various embodiments, at least one end of the rotatable element, which is accessible from an end of the housing, may be configured to receive and retain the elongate medical instrument. In some embodiments, the rotatable element may comprise an elongate member with a longitudinal axis, about which the rotatable element may rotate, or spin. In a more specific embodiment, the rotatable element may include a helical ridge, similar to the thread of a bolt or screw.
The rotatable element may be disposed within an interior of the housing in a manner that enables the rotatable element to spin about its longitudinal axis. As the rotatable element rotates within the housing, which may remain substantially stationary (e.g., within a user's grasp, etc.), a medical element engaged by the rotatable element may rotate.
An actuator may be associated with the rotatable element in such a way as to cause the rotatable element to rotate. In a specific embodiment, the actuator may include an external element configured for manual operation, as well as an internal element that interacts with the rotatable element. In embodiments where the rotatable element has a helical ridge, the internal element of the actuator may be positioned between longitudinally adjacent locations of the helical ridge. In such embodiments, the actuator may move longitudinally relative to the rotatable element (e.g., in directions substantially parallel to the rotational axis of the rotatable element, etc.), while the internal element of the actuator and the helical ridge of the rotatable element interact with one another to cause the rotatable element, as well as any medical element engaged thereby, to rotate, or spin.
Longitudinal movement of the actuator may be enabled by an elongate slot that extends through the housing, along at least a portion of its length. The elongate slot may receive an intermediate element of the actuator, holding the actuator in place as it is moved along the length of the rotatable element.
The present invention also includes systems for effecting medical processes. A system of the present invention includes a rooter, as well as an elongate medical instrument, such as a catheter, a wire, a needle, a drill bit, a trocar, or another elongate element that may be used to enable or effect a medical procedure within the body of a subject, associated with the rooter. The rooter may be manually operable. As the rooter operates, it causes the elongate medical instrument to rotate or spin.
In another aspect, the present invention includes methods for rotating or spinning elongate medical instruments. In such a method, an elongate medical instrument is associated with (e.g., engaged by, etc.) a rotatable element of a rooter. Manual operation of an actuator of the rooter (e.g., as a user holds the rooter with one hand and moves the actuator with the user's thumb or finger, etc.) causes the rotatable element, along with the elongate medical instrument that has been secured to the rotatable element, to rotate or spin. The rotating elongate medical instrument may be used to effect a variety of medical procedures, depending at least in part upon the type of elongate medical instrument that has been assembled with the rooter.
Other aspects, as well as features and advantages of various aspects, of the present invention will become apparent to those of skill in the art from consideration of the ensuing description, the accompanying drawings, and the appended claims.
In the drawings:
With reference to
The housing 20, which is also shown in
The distal end 26, which is the end of the housing 20 that may be located farthest from an individual during use of the rooter 10 (
As seen in
The longitudinal slot 34, illustrated in
The rotatable element 40 of the embodiment of rooter 10 (
In the depicted embodiment, the rotatable element 40 includes an intermediate portion 45, as well as a distal portion 42 and a proximal portion 50 at opposite ends of the intermediate portion 45.
The intermediate portion 45, which may be generally cylindrical in shape, includes a rotation facilitator 47. In the illustrated embodiment, the rotation facilitator 47 comprises a helical ridge, which protrudes from an outer surface 46 of the intermediate portion 45. In particular, the helical ridge 47 may wrap circumferentially around the intermediate portion 45. The helical ridge 47 extends along at least a portion of the length of the intermediate portion 45. In some embodiments, the helical ridge 47 may extend along only a part of the intermediate portion 45, as in the depicted embodiment, where the ends of the helical ridge 47 are spaced apart from corresponding ends of the intermediate portion 45.
The distal portion 42 of the rotatable element 40 may also be cylindrical in shape. In the embodiment shown in
The proximal portion 50 of the rotatable element 40 may likewise have a cylindrical shape. In some embodiments, the proximal portion 50 may be configured to protrude beyond the proximal end 30 of the housing 20 of a rooter 10 of the present invention. The proximal portion 50 may be configured to engage or be engaged by the proximal retention element 70 (
A circumferential rim 54, which extends around and protrudes from the outer surface 46 of the rotatable element 40, may delimit, or define a boundary between, the intermediate portion 45 of the rotatable element 40 and its proximal portion 50. The circumferential rim 54 may provide a stop for an actuator 90 (
In some embodiments, a rooter 10 (
In some embodiments, a fixed handle 110 may protrude from the cap 56. A configuration of the fixed handle 110 may enable a user to at least partially grasp the rooter 10 (
The cap 56 may, in some embodiments, be held in place on the proximal end 30 of the housing 20 by way of the proximal retention element 70, an embodiment of which is depicted in
The receptacle 74 may be configured to engage or to be engaged by the proximal portion 50 (
An opening 79 may extend through the proximal end 78 of the proximal retention element 70. In some embodiments, such as that illustrated by
In some embodiments, the proximal retention element 70 may be configured to engage an elongate medical instrument 200 (
The distal retention element 60, an embodiment of which is illustrated by
The distal end 68 of the distal retention element 60 may include an opening 69, which may be configured to receive an elongate medical instrument 200 (
In addition to being configured to receive an elongate medical instrument 200 (
Turning now to
In the depicted embodiment, the actuator 90 comprises a cylindrical element 92 with an aperture 94 extending through its length. The aperture 94 is configured to receive the rotatable element 40 (
In addition to including an element configured to cause the rotatable element 40 to rotate, an actuator 90 of a rooter 10 of the present invention may include an intermediate element 98, which may be configured to reside within and move back and forth through the longitudinal slot 34 in the housing 20.
On an opposite side of the intermediate element 98, the actuator 90 may include a manual trigger 100, which may be engaged by a portion of a user's hand, such as a finger or thumb.
In some embodiments, such as that depicted by
In some embodiments, the automatic return of the actuator 90 to its initial position may also cause the rotatable element 40 to rotate in its opposite direction.
In other embodiments, including embodiments where movement of the rotatable element 40 in a single direction (e.g., clockwise or counterclockwise) is desired or oscillatory movement of the rotatable element 40 is not desired, the actuator 90 of a rooter 10 of the present invention may be configured to return to its initial position without causing further rotation of the rotatable element 40. Without limiting the scope of the present invention, an actuator 90 may disengage the rotation facilitator 47 of the rotatable element 40 as the actuator 90 returns to its initial position, or the actuator 90 may otherwise be configured to return to its initial position without disengaging the rotation facilitator (e.g., the actuator 90 may include a ratchet mechanism that allows it to return to its initial position without disengaging the rotation facilitator 47, etc.).
Returning reference to
Assembly of the housing 20 and the actuator 90 may include introduction of the cylindrical element 92 of the actuator into the opening 32 at the proximal end 30 of the housing 20, with the intermediate element 98 of the actuator 90 located within the longitudinal slot 34 through the housing 20. The manual trigger 100 is, of course, located outside of the housing 20, and protrudes from the housing 20.
The distal portion 42 of the rotatable element 40 may be introduced into the opening 32 at the proximal end 30 of the housing 20 to assemble the rotatable element 40 with the housing 20. The distal portion 42 of the rotatable element 40 is then moved distally through the interior 24 of the housing 20, until the distal portion 42 reaches the distal end 26 of the housing 20. The distal portion 42 of the rotatable element 40 may then be introduced into and through the opening 28 in the distal end 26 of the housing 20, until the distal portion 42 of the rotatable element 40 protrudes from the distal end 26 of the housing 20.
With the distal portion 42 of the rotatable element 40 protruding from the distal end 26 of the housing 20, the longitudinal position of the rotatable element 40 within the interior 24 of the housing 20 may be fixed or substantially fixed by coupling the distal retention element 60 to the distal portion 42 of the rotatable element 40.
When the housing 20 and the rotatable element 40 are assembled, the proximal portion 50 of the rotatable element 40 protrudes beyond the proximal end 30 of the housing 20. To hold the rotatable element 40 and the actuator 90 within the interior 24 of the housing 20, the cap 56 may then be placed over the proximal end 30 of the housing 20. More specifically, the receptacle 57 of the cap 56 may be positioned over the proximal end 30 of the housing 20. Additionally, the proximal portion 50 of the rotatable element 40 may be aligned with the aperture 59 through the end 58 of the cap 56. As the cap 56 moves distally relative to the housing 20 and the rotatable element 40, the proximal portion 50 of the rotatable element 40 may be positioned around proximal portion 50 of the rotatable element 40.
The cap 56 may be held in place relative to the proximal end 30 of the housing 20 by coupling the proximal retention element 70 to the protruding proximal portion 50 of the rotatable element 50.
Other embodiments of rooters that incorporate teachings of the present invention are shown in
In
Referring now to
Stationary sleeve 20″ is configured to be longitudinally retained within a retention section 51″ of a rotatable element 40″ of the rooter 10″. The retention section 51″ is defined by a pair of spaced apart circumferential rims 54a″ and 54b″ protruding from the outer surface 46″ of the rotatable element 40″, and a smooth, cylindrically shaped portion of the outer surface 46″ located between the circumferential rims 54a″ and 54b″. Although the retention section 51″ is depicted in
The translatable sleeve 25″ is configured to interact with a rotation facilitator 47″ of the rotatable element 40″. In the depicted embodiment, the translatable sleeve 25″ may be configured like, or similar to, the cylindrical element 92 of the actuator 90 described in reference to
Retention elements 60″ and 70″ on opposite ends 48″ and 49″, respectively, of the rotatable element 40″. In the depicted embodiment, retention element 60″ may prevent movement of the translatable sleeve 25″ beyond its corresponding end 48″ of the rotatable element 40″. (Of course, in embodiments where the retention section 51″ of the rotatable element 40″ is located at or nearer to a distal portion 42″ of the rotatable element 40″, the proximal retention element 70″ located adjacent to a proximal portion 50″ of the rotatable element 40″ may prevent the translatable sleeve 25″ from moving beyond its corresponding end 49″ of the rotatable element 40″). One or both retention elements 60″ and 70″ may be configured to engage an elongate medical instrument 200 (
The handle 120″ includes two handle members 100″ and 110″. The handle members 110″ and 100″ extend from the stationary sleeve 20″ and the translatable sleeve 25″, respectively. In the depicted embodiment, each handle member 100″, 110″ is pivotally associated with its corresponding sleeve 20″, 25″. Handle members 100″ and 110″ cross at somewhat intermediate locations 105″ and 115″, respectively, and are joined to one another at those locations by a hinge 125″. As the handle members 100″ and 110″ are drawn together or forced apart, the translatable sleeve 25″ interacts with the rotation facilitator 47″ of the rotatable element 40″, causing the rotatable element 40″ to rotate.
In another embodiment, shown in
The gear rack 96″″ of the actuator 90″″ may be associated with the manual trigger 92″″ in such a way that, when the manual trigger 92″″ is depressed or otherwise actuated, the gear rack 96″″ moves in a desired direction. In the depicted embodiment, depression of the manual trigger 92″″ causes the gear rack 96″″ to move in a first direction across, or transverse to, the length of a rotatable element 40″″ of the rooter 10″″, which is disposed within an interior of the housing 20″″. When the manual trigger 92″″ is released, the resilient element 93″″, if any, may cause the gear rack 96″″ to move in an opposite, second direction across the rotatable element 40″″.
A gear 47″″ with teeth that are configured and spaced to mesh with teeth of the gear rack 96″″ is positioned along the length of the rotatable element 40″″ at a location where the gear 47″″ will cooperate with the gear rack 96″″. As the manual trigger 92″″ moves and causes the gear rack 96″″ to move, the gear rack 96″″ rotates the gear 47″″. Rotation of the gear 47″″, in turn, rotates the rotatable element 40″″, along with any elongate medical instrument 200 (
Turning now to
In use, a proximal end 202 of an elongate medical instrument 200 may introduced into an opening 69 in the distal end 68 of the distal retention element 60 of the rooter 10. When the elongate medical instrument 200 comprises a relatively short device, such as a needle, trocar, or the like, insertion of the proximal end 202 of the elongate medical instrument 200 into the opening 69 may at least partially couple the elongate medical instrument 200 to the rooter 10 without inserting the elongate medical instrument 200 further into the rooter 10. In embodiments where the elongate medical instrument 200 comprises a longer device, such as a catheter, wire or the like, its proximal end 202 may be inserted only into the opening 69 of the distal end 68 of the distal retention element 60, or the proximal end 202 may be inserted further into the rooter 10. Without limiting the scope of the present invention, the proximal end 202 of the elongate medical instrument 200 may also be pushed proximally through the conduit 55 of the rotatable element 40 of the rooter 10, and through the opening 79 through the proximal end 78 of the proximal retention element 70 of the rooter 10.
With the elongate medical instrument 200 in place, it may be rotationally coupled to the rooter 10. In embodiments where the distal retention element 60 and/or the proximal retention element 70 of the rooter 10 includes features that lock onto, grasp, or otherwise engage a surface 208 of the elongate medical instrument 200, rotational coupling of the elongate medical instrument 200 to the rooter 10 occurs during assembly of the elongate medical instrument 200 with the rooter 10. In other embodiments, at least one separate locking device 210 may be assembled with and lock onto, grasp, or otherwise engage the surface 208 of the elongate medical instrument 200, then each locking device 210 may be coupled to the distal retention element 60 or the proximal retention element 70 of the rooter 10. Rotational coupling of the elongate medical instrument 200 to the distal retention element 60 or the proximal retention element 70 may be effected in a manner that causes the elongate medical instrument 200 to rotate as the distal retention element 60 and/or the proximal retention element 70 rotates.
A distal end 204 of the elongate medical instrument 200 may be introduced into a body of a subject at a desired location. In some embodiments, the distal end 204 may be inserted into the subject's body before the elongate medical instrument 200 is assembled with the rooter 10. In other embodiments, the rooter 10 may be assembled with an elongate medical instrument 200 that has already been introduced, or at least partially introduced, into the subject's body.
Rotation of the elongate medical instrument 200 (e.g., about its longitudinal axis 201, etc.) may be effected by causing the rotatable element 40, as well as the distal retention element 60 and/or the proximal retention element 70, to rotate (e.g., about longitudinal axis 41, etc.). In the illustrated embodiment, such rotation may be caused by moving the manual trigger 100 of the rooter 10's actuator 90 along the length of the rooter 10's housing 20. As the manual trigger 100 is moved along the length of the housing 20, the intermediate element 98 of the actuator 90 moves through the longitudinal slot 34 in the housing 20, which causes the cylindrical element 92 of the actuator 90 within the interior 24 of the housing to move along the length of the rotatable element 40. As the cylindrical element 92 moves along the length of the rotatable element 40, drive features 96 (
When the proximal end 202 of a tubular elongate medical instrument 200 (e.g., a catheter, a tube, etc.) is accessible from or proximally beyond the proximal end of the rooter (e.g., beyond the proximal end 78 of the proximal retention element 70 of the rooter 10, etc.), other activities (e.g., aspiration, infusion, introduction of other elongate medical instrument 200, etc.) may be effected through the elongate medical instrument 200 while it is assembled with the rooter 10 and, in some embodiments, as the elongate medical instrument 200 is rotated, spun, or oscillated.
In various embodiments, a rooter 10 of the present invention may be used to enable or effect a variety of medical procedures. Without limiting the scope of the present invention, medical procedures in which a rooter may be useful include imaging, drug delivery, feeding, stimulation, recording, pacing, temperature sensing, tissue resection, and implant delivery.
In some embodiments, use of a rooter 10 to manipulate an elongate medical instrument 200 may facilitate introduction of the elongate medical instrument 200 into the body of a subject. In other embodiments, an elongate medical instrument 200 may be rotated, spun or oscillated with a rooter 10 to facilitate further introduction of the elongate medical instrument 200 into the body of a subject, or its removal from the subject's body.
In still other embodiments, rotation, spinning, or oscillation of an elongate medical instrument 200 may enable the removal of substances (e.g., clots, blockages, etc.) from the body of a subject or from another medical device (e.g., a tube, catheter, etc.) within the subject's body.
In some embodiments, when medical personnel introduce an elongate medical instrument 200 into the body of a subject through the skin, a natural orifice, a surgical access site, or other natural or man-made structure, they may encounter friction or obstructions. Some of the causes of friction or obstructions include, without limitation, tortuous pathways, lesions, viscous fluid (e.g., blood clots, etc.), other devices, and combinations of any of the foregoing. Use of a rooter 10 to twist, spin, or oscillate the elongate medical instrument 200 may counteract any friction that may be encountered as the elongate medical instrument 200 is introduced into the body, or during tracking to facilitate device introduction. As a non-limiting example, a rooter 10 may be used to torque a guide wire, which may enable the guide wire to drill through, or cross, lesions or occlusions within a subject's vasculature. In another example, a rooter 10 may rotate a catheter as the catheter is advanced over a wire into a subject's body, including situations where merely pushing the catheter will not cause it to advance along the wire.
Still another example of use of a rooter 10 includes rotation of a needle, such as a biopsy needle to facilitate the cutting and removal of tissue or another material from the body of a subject, to access (including intraosseous access, etc.) and/or sample bone marrow, a needle for use in spinal interventions, or a needle for providing general access to an internal location of a subject's body.
Use of a rooter 10 may also be useful for removing leads, such as those used with pacemakers or defibrillators. As leads are removed, rotation, spinning, or oscillation of the leads, or of a sheath that has been introduced over the leads, may cut endothelium or fibrin sheaths that may hinder removal of the leads from the subject's vasculature.
Although the foregoing description contains many specifics, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention or of any of the appended claims, but merely as providing information pertinent to some specific embodiments that may fall within the scopes of the invention and the appended claims. Other embodiments of the invention may also be devised which lie within the scopes of the invention and the appended claims. Features from different embodiments may be employed in combination. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated and limited only by the appended claims and their legal equivalents. All additions, deletions and modifications to the invention, as disclosed herein, that fall within the meaning and scopes of the claims are to be embraced thereby.
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