Patent Application
20110105844
In general, the present invention is directed to devices suitable for use in medical procedures, and in particular, control units, such as control handles, for manually deflecting the distal end of an associated steerable medical device.
It has become well established that there are major public health benefits from regular endoscopic examinations as an aid to the early detection of disease of internal structures such as the alimentary and excretory canals and airways, e.g., the colon, esophagus, lungs, uterus, bladder, bronchi, and other organ systems. A conventional imaging endoscope used for such procedures comprises a flexible tube with a fiber optic light guide that directs illuminating light from an external light source to the distal tip where it illuminates the region (i.e. tissue, occlusion object) to be examined. Frequently, additional optical components are incorporated to adjust the spread of the light exiting the fiber bundle and the distal tip. An objective lens and fiber optic imaging light guide communicating with a camera at the proximal end of the scope, or an imaging camera chip at the distal tip, produce an image that is displayed to the operator. In addition, most endoscopes include one or more working channels through which medical devices such as biopsy forceps, snares, fulguration probes, and other tools may be passed.
Navigation of the endoscope through complex and tortuous paths is critical to success of the examination with minimum pain, side effects, risk, or sedation to the patient. To this end, modern endoscopes include means for deflecting the distal tip of the scope to follow the pathway of the structure under examination, with minimum deflection or friction force upon the surrounding tissue, and to survey targeted examination sites. Control cables similar to bicycle brake cables are carried within the endoscope body in order to connect a flexible portion of the distal end to a set of control knobs at the proximal endoscope handle. By manipulating the control knobs, the operator is usually able to steer the endoscope during insertion and direct it to a region of interest.
In accordance with aspects of the present invention, a control device is provided. The control device includes at least one pair of control wires for deflecting the distal end of an associated device, such as a medical device. The control device also includes a housing configured for receiving the pair of control wires, transmission structure having first and second ends coupled to the ends of the pair of control wires, and a drive member carried by the housing for pulling the pair of wires. The drive member is drivingly engaged to the transmission structure. The control device further includes an actuator operably coupled to the drive member for effecting movement of the drive member. The transmission structure attains a first length in tension, and attains a second, smaller length in compression.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a control device is provided. The control device includes a housing adapted to be connected to a steerable medical device, such as an endoscope, having at least a pair of control wires, a first drive member for applying tension forces against the pair of control wires, and a plurality of electrical switches that, upon actuation, generate control signals for controlling functions on the medical device.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, a single use endoscope is provided. The single use endoscope includes an endoscopic device having a proximal end and a distal end. The endoscopic device further has an articulation region proximate the distal end thereof and a pair of control wires extending from the distal end to the proximal end. The single use endoscope also includes a control unit functionally connected to the endoscopic device for deflecting the distal end of the endoscopic device. The control unit includes a drive member, transmission structure, and a plurality of electrical control switches. The single use endoscope further includes a communications conduit connected to the control unit, wherein the communications conduit is adapted to be functionally connected to a control center of an endoscopic imaging system.
The foregoing aspects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will become more readily appreciated by reference to the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
The present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings where like numerals correspond to like elements. Embodiments of the present invention are directed to systems of the type broadly applicable to numerous medical applications in which it is desirable to insert a steerable imaging device, catheter or similar device into a body lumen or passageway. Specifically, embodiments of the present invention are directed to medical systems that include a steerable device and a control device, such as a control handle, that controls the deflection of the distal end of the steerable device as well as controlling other device functions, such as capturing images, discharging fluids, etc. Several embodiments of the present invention include medical devices that incorporate endoscopic features, such as illumination and visualization capabilities, for endoscopically viewing anatomical structures within the body. As such, embodiments of the present invention can be used for a variety of different diagnostic and interventional procedures, including colonoscopy, upper endoscopy, bronchoscopy, thoracoscopy, laparoscopy, ureteroscopy, hysteroscopy and video endoscopy, etc. Although exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described hereinafter with reference to endoscopes, it will be appreciated that aspects of the present invention have wide application, and may be suitable for use with other medical devices, such as catheters (e.g., guide catheters, electrode catheters, etc.), where manipulation of the distal end by a control handle is desirable. Accordingly, the following descriptions and illustrations herein should be considered illustrative in nature, and thus, not limiting the scope of the present invention, as claimed.
In one embodiment, the endoscope 20 includes a flexible elongated insertion tube 34 having an articulation section 38 disposed at its distal region, and a distal tip 42. The distal tip 42 of the endoscope 20 includes a digital imaging system (not shown) composed of, in one example, a CMOS image sensor, plastic optics, and LED illumination. The endoscope 20 further includes one or more lumens for the purpose of providing endoscopic procedures, and for the purpose of facilitating the insertion and extraction of fluids, gases, and/or medical devices into and out of the body. For example, the lumens may include a working channel 50, irrigation and/or insufflation lumen 54, and an optional suction lumen (not shown), as best shown in the cross sectional view of
The endoscope 20 also includes electrical cables 56 and 58 for supplying power to illumination LEDs and to transmit images back to the control cabinet, respectively. Alternatively, fiber optic cables may be provided for sending and transmitting the same. Each lumen an/or electrical cable extends from the distal tip of the endoscope 20 to the control handle. Finally, the endoscope 20 includes at least one pair of control wires 64A-64B, and preferably two pairs of control wires 64A-64B and 68A-68B, that are connected at the distal tip and terminate through the proximal end of the insertion tube 34.
It will be appreciated that the endoscope 20 may be any single-use or reusable endoscope or similar device, such as a steerable catheter, having a distal tip that is deflectable by at least one pair of control wires. One non-limiting example of a single use endoscope that may be practiced with the present invention is described in co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 10/811,781, filed Mar. 29, 2004, and U.S. application Ser. No. ______, entitled “Video Endoscope”, filed concurrently herewith as Attorney Docket No. BSEN-1-23550, the disclosures of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
Returning to
Each of the lumens and electric cables, as well as electrical cables that transmit control signals from the control handle, as will be described in detail below, terminate at the proximal end of the communications conduit in a communications terminal. The terminal is configured to be cooperatively connected to a cabinet terminal for establishing functional connection between the endoscope 20 and the control cabinet 28. As will be described in detail below, appropriate passageways, electrical cables, and the like interconnect the cabinet terminal to the respective components housed in the control cabinet 28.
Utilities 100 include liquids and/or gases for use in irrigation, such as irrigant 102, additives 104, and aeration 106. Irrigant 102 provides the bulk of the washing medium and consists of, for example, pure water or a saline solution. Additives 104 may include various substances to enhance the wash, such as surfactants, medications, cleaning agents, and other substances added into irrigant 102, either singularly or in combination, upon operator command using control cabinet user interface 166 or controls on the control handle 24. Irrigant 102 and additives 104 are contained in canisters, reservoirs, or other suitable containers that may be external to the control cabinet 28. Aeration 106 is a source of pressurized gas, for example, compressed air, and vacuum 108 is a source of suction. Gases and suction provided in aeration 106 and vacuum 108, respectively, are produced by means of pumps that may be internal or external to the control cabinet 28. Utilities 100 are in fluid connection with manifold 148, which resides in the control cabinet 28, through a series of piping or other suitable plumbing.
Application software 124, including GUI software application 128, system control software application 130, and network software application 134, resides in the control cabinet 28. GUI software application 128 is well known to those skilled in the art, and provides the physician or operator with live endoscopic video images and, optionally, with visual control and feedback on display 176 using control cabinet user interface 166 or GUI navigational controls on the control handle, as will be described in detail below. System control software application 130 is the central control program of application software 124 that receives input from sensors 120 and user interface/control handle and provides system software control for all features and functions necessary to operate the endoscopic imaging system 10. Sensors 120 may include, for example, pressure transmitters and temperature sensors, and are used for real-time electronic feedback of hardware operating parameters such as pressure and temperature. Network software application 134 enables the operation of network connection 160 and is representative of the hardware and software required for local area network connection and connection to the World Wide Web.
The manifold 148 is a mechanical device that is located in or on the control cabinet 28 and that connects the plumbing of one or more utilities 100, for example, irrigant 102 and additives 104, to one or more appropriate lumens, such as the irrigation/insufflation lumen 54, of endoscope 20 through a series of pipes and other passageways that connect to the control cabinet terminal described above. The manifold 148 includes controllable valves, pumps, and the like, for selectively supplying the utilities 100 to the endoscope 20. The manifold 148 is functionally controlled by the operation of system electronics 154, also contained within the control cabinet 28. Alternatively, insufflation air/gas and irrigation liquid may be connected to the imaging endoscope 20 via a connection (not shown) separate from the communications conduit through a port (not shown) in the control handle 24. The connection connects to the irrigation/insufflation lumen of the endoscope 20. In one embodiment of the invention, the irrigation and insufflation lumen are the same lumen in the imaging endoscope. However, it will be appreciated that separate irrigation and insufflation lumens could be provided if desired and if space in the endoscope permits.
The imaging electronics board 158 receives signals transmitted from an image sensor (not shown) and its associated electronics at the distal end of the endoscope 20. Imaging electronics board 158 is electronically connected to system electronics 154. Application software 124 provides commands to imaging electronics board 158 via system electronics 154. The imaging electronics board 158 can enhance the images received or can provide video effects such as zoom, color changes, highlighting, etc., prior to display of the images on a video display 176. The video display 176 may be formed integrally with the control console or as an external monitor. Images produced by the imaging electronics board 158 may also be printed on a digital printer sent to a network server, saved to a computer readable media such as a floppy disc, CD, DVD, etc., or a video tape for later retrieval and analysis by a physician.
The imaging electronics board 158 also provides electrical power to a light source, such as a number of light emitting diodes (LEDs), at the distal end of the imaging endoscope 20. Alternatively, if the endoscope 20 utilizes an external light source, then the control cabinet 28 can include a light intensity light source, such as a laser or arc lamp source, that supplies light to a fiber optic illumination guide within the imaging endoscope 20 in order to illuminate an internal body organ. As will be described in detail below, the supply of power may be controlled by signals received from the control handle when the user desires to activate the light source or adjust the intensity of light produced. In one embodiment of the invention, the imaging board 158 is provided on a standard PC circuit board to allow individual endoscopes to be tested with a personal computer and without the need for an additional control cabinet 128.
It will be appreciated that the aforementioned description of the control cabinet was done for illustrative purposes only. Accordingly, the control cabinet may have many other configurations and/or features. For example, one embodiment of the control cabinet may include an externally mounted manifold. For a description of non-limiting examples of control cabinets that may be practiced with the present invention, including the use of an external manifold, please see co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 10/811,781, filed Mar. 29, 2004, and U.S. application Ser. No. ______, entitled “Video Endoscope”, filed concurrently herewith as Attorney Docket No. BSEN-1-23550, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
As was described above, the control cabinet 28 is connected to the control handle 24 through the communications conduit 80. As best shown in
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the control wires 64A-64B and 68A-68B of the endoscope 20 are operationally connected to the control knobs 204 and 208 in a unique manner. To that end,
The proximal end portions of the pairs of control wires 64A-64B and 68A-68B are coupled to first and second lengths of transmission structure or bead chain 260A and 260B, which are wound around the cooperatively configured sprockets or drive gears 248 and 254, respectively. As best shown in
In use, when tension forces are applied against the spheres 268 as shown in
In another embodiment of the present invention, the spheres 268 of the bead chain 260 may be normally biased into its compressed (e.g. collapsed) state. In one embodiment, a biasing member 290, such as a tension spring, is concentrically arranged over the bead chain 260 and fixedly connected, via welding or the like, at its ends to two spaced apart spheres 268. The biasing member 290 applies a biasing force on the spheres 268. The biasing member helps the bead chain 260 smoothly transition from its compressed or collapsed state, as best shown in
In some embodiments, the transmission structure, such as the bean chains, are connected directly to the control wires. In other embodiment of the present invention, the transmission structure, such as the bean chains, are connected to the control wires using a spring or other biasing member (not shown). In such embodiments, the biasing members 290 discussed above may be omitted. It will be appreciated that the stiffness of the biasing member that interconnects the control wires and the transmission structure can be adjusted to maintain uniform tension in the system during use. Alternatively, the biasing members, such as springs, may be positioned at the distal end of the device for interconnecting the distal ends of the control wires to the distal end of the device.
While the mechanism 200 was shown and described herein, it will be appreciated that other well known or future developed mechanisms for effecting either 2-way or 4-way steering may be practiced with the present invention. For several examples, please see U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,007,406, 4,742,816, 4,762,119, 4,078,555, 4,461,282, and 4,207,873, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference. Additionally, control knobs were shown for rotating the sprockets or drive gears, however, other actuators, such as levers, may be used.
The control handle 25 may further include an entrance port 300 formed in the exterior surface of the control handle housing 242. The entrance port 300 provides access to the working channel 50 described above. In one embodiment, the entrance port 300 may include an attachment point for a vacuum line (see
The first set 320 of switches are located at the back end of the control handle and includes an image control switch 360, a menu switch 368, and a GUI navigational switch 374. The image control switch 360 may be used to capture an image of an internal body cavity or organ in which the endoscope is placed or adjust the image being received from the endoscope. In one embodiment, the images collected may be still images or video images. The images may be adjusted for contrast or otherwise enhanced prior to display or stored on a recordable media. The menu switch 368 allows the operator to display the menu of the video display 176, and the GUI navigational switch 374 allows the operator to navigate the menu displayed on the video display 176 to input various data for controlling the endoscope 20. The navigational switch 374 is preferably a 5-way switch having up, down, right, left, and enter command capabilities.
The second set 340 of switches are located along the side of the control handle housing 242 and includes a suction switch 380, an irrigation switch 384, an insufflation switch 388, and bolus wash switch 392. The irrigation switch 384 activates an irrigation source to supply a liquid such as water through an irrigation lumen of the endoscope 20. The liquid serves to clean a window in front of an image sensor and/or the light source at the distal end of the endoscope 20 as well as an area of the body cavity. The insufflation switch 388 is provided to activate the insufflation source to supply air/gas through a lumen of the endoscope 20. The supply of the insufflation gas expands portions of the body cavity around the distal tip of the endoscope 20 so that the physician can more easily advance the endoscope or better see the tissue in front of the endoscope 20. The suction switch 380 activates a vacuum source to supply vacuum pressure through a lumen of the endoscope 20. The supply of vacuum removes fluid and debris from inside the patient's passageway.
In one embodiment, the one or more of the control switches used may be configured to generate two separate signals based on the distance of actuator travel. As such, depending on the amount of switch depression, one of two control signals is generated and transmitted to the cabinet 28. One such switch is commonly referred to as a “Double-Action Light Touch Switch,” and is commercially available from Panasonic.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the endoscopic device 20, control handle 24, and communications conduit 80 (hereinafter “the single-use endoscope”) may be used for single use application. Thus, upon completion of a patient examination procedure, the single use endoscope is disconnected from the control cabinet 28 and disposed of. A new single-use endoscope is then connected to the control cabinet 28 for the next examination procedure to be performed.
While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it will be appreciated that various changes can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is therefore intended that the scope of the invention be determined from the following claims and equivalents thereof.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 10955910 | Sep 2004 | US |
| Child | 12851069 | US |
