This document relates to medical devices. More specifically, this document relates to steerable medical devices such as steerable sheaths, catheters, and introducers.
The following summary is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of the detailed description, but not to define or delimit any invention.
Steerable medical devices are disclosed. According to some aspects, a steerable medical device includes a handle having a handle body and a knob that is rotatable with respect to the handle body. A first gear is associated with the knob. A slide assembly is housed within the handle. The slide assembly includes a first lead screw. A second gear is associated with the slide assembly. A third gear is housed within the handle and is coupled between the first gear and the second gear. Rotation of the knob drives rotation of the first gear, rotation of the first gear drives rotation of the third gear, rotation of the third gear drives rotation of the second gear, and rotation of the second gear drives rotation of the lead screw. An elongate tool extends from the handle, and least one control wire is coupled between the slide assembly and the tool. Rotation of the lead screw causes tensioning of the control wire, and tensioning of the control wire causes deflection of the tool.
In some examples, the first gear is an internal gear of the rotatable knob, the second gear is a sun gear that is fixed to the lead screw, and the third gear is a planetary gear that is coupled between the internal gear and the sun gear. The medical device can optionally further include an additional planetary gear coupled between the internal gear and the sun gear. The planetary gear(s) can optionally be fixed in position with respect to the internal gear and the sun gear.
In some examples, the slide assembly further includes a slider coupled to the lead screw and to the control wire. Rotation of the lead screw can cause translation of the slider with respect to the lead screw, and translation of the slider can cause tensioning of the control wire.
In some examples, the first gear is a first bevel gear that is mounted to the knob, the second gear is a second bevel gear that is mounted to the slide assembly, and the third gear is a third bevel gear coupled between the first bevel gear and second bevel gear. The first bevel gear can optionally be fixed to the knob. The first bevel gear, second bevel gear, third bevel gear, and lead screw can optionally be translatable with respect to the knob and the handle body.
In some examples, rotation of the lead screw causes translation of the lead screw, and translation of the lead screw causes tensioning of the control wire.
In some examples, the tool is a sheath, a catheter, or an introducer.
Handles for medical devices are also disclosed. According to some aspects, a handle for a medical device includes a handle body and a knob that is rotatable with respect to the handle body. A first gear is associated with the knob. A slide assembly is housed within the handle body or the knob, and the slide assembly includes a first lead screw. A second gear is associated with the slide assembly. A third gear is housed within the handle body or the knob and is coupled between the first gear and the second gear. Rotation of the knob drives rotation of the first gear, rotation of the first gear drives rotation of the third gear, rotation of the third gear drives rotation of the second gear, and rotation of the second gear drives rotation of the lead screw.
In some examples, the first gear is an internal gear of the rotatable knob, the second gear is a sun gear that is fixed to the lead screw, and the third gear is a planetary gear that is coupled between the internal gear and the sun gear. The handle can optionally further include an additional planetary gear coupled between the internal gear and the sun gear. The planetary gear(s) can optionally be fixed in position with respect to the internal gear and the sun gear.
In some examples, the slide assembly further includes a slider coupled to the lead screw. Rotation of the lead screw can cause translation of the slider with respect to the lead screw.
In some examples, the first gear is a first bevel gear that is mounted to the knob, the second gear is a second bevel gear that is fixed to the slide assembly, and the third gear is a third bevel gear coupled between the first bevel gear and second bevel gear. The first bevel gear can optionally be fixed to the knob. The first bevel gear, second bevel gear, third bevel gear, and lead screw can optionally be translatable with respect to the knob and the handle body.
In some examples, rotation of the lead screw causes translation of the lead screw.
Methods for operating medical devices are also disclosed. According to some aspects, a method for operating a medical device includes: a. rotating a knob of a handle; b. transmitting rotation of the knob to a lead screw of a slide assembly via at least one gear housed within the handle, to cause rotation of the lead screw; c. causing tensioning of a control wire by rotation of the lead screw; and d. causing deflection of a tool by tensioning of the control wire.
In some examples, step a. includes rotating an internal gear of the knob.
In some examples, step b. includes rotating a rotating a planetary gear engaged with the internal gear, and rotating a sun gear that is engaged with the planetary gear and fixed to the lead screw.
In some examples, step c. includes translating a slider along the lead screw to cause tensioning of the control wire.
In some examples, step a. includes rotating a first bevel gear mounted to the knob.
In some examples, step b. includes rotating a third bevel gear engaged with the first bevel gear, and rotating a second bevel gear engaged with the third bevel gear and mounted to the lead screw.
In some examples, step c. includes translating a slider along the lead screw to cause tensioning of the control wire.
In some examples, step c. includes translating the lead screw to cause tensioning of the control wire.
The accompanying drawings are for illustrating examples of articles, methods, and apparatuses of the present disclosure and are not intended to be limiting. In the drawings:
Various apparatuses or processes or compositions will be described below to provide an example of an embodiment of the claimed subject matter. No example described below limits any claim and any claim may cover processes or apparatuses or compositions that differ from those described below. The claims are not limited to apparatuses or processes or compositions having all of the features of any one apparatus or process or composition described below or to features common to multiple or all of the apparatuses or processes or compositions described below. It is possible that an apparatus or process or composition described below is not an embodiment of any exclusive right granted by issuance of this patent application. Any subject matter described below and for which an exclusive right is not granted by issuance of this patent application may be the subject matter of another protective instrument, for example, a continuing patent application, and the applicants, inventors or owners do not intend to abandon, disclaim or dedicate to the public any such subject matter by its disclosure in this document.
Generally disclosed herein are steerable medical devices that include a handle and a tool such as a sheath, a catheter, or an introducer. The handle can enable the user to manipulate or steer the tool in a desired direction. More specifically, the handle can include a knob that is rotatably coupled to a body of the handle. In operation, rotation of the knob in a first direction can allow the user to steer or deflect the tool in a first direction, whereas the rotation of the knob in a second direction can allow the user to steer or deflect the tool in a second direction. The rotation of the knob can be converted into a deflection of the tool via a slide assembly, which can be within the handle, and one or more control wires, which are connected between the slide assembly and the tool. The slide assembly can include a lead screw (also referred to as a bolt). Rotation of the knob can cause rotation of the lead screw. Rotation of the lead screw can cause linear translation of the lead screw, or can cause linear translation of a slider along the lead screw. This translation, whether of the lead screw itself or of the slider, causes a tensioning of the control wire(s), which results in a deflection of the tool. For simplicity, details of the slider and the control wires are not disclosed herein. However, related sliders and control wires are disclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 10,661,057 (Davies et al.), which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Furthermore, steerable medical devices including sliders and control wires are sold Baylis Medical Company, Inc. (Montreal, Canada) under the brand name SureFlex® Steerable Guiding Sheath.
The steerable medical devices disclosed herein are configured to avoid or minimize or reduce unwanted relaxing in the deflection of the tool, and to avoid or minimize or reduce slop in the steering of the tool. More specifically, in the steerable medical devices disclosed herein, a gear train is provided between the knob and the slide assembly. The gear train can allow for the lead screw to have a relatively small thread pitch, which can reduce slop. Furthermore, the gear train can allow for the lead screw to rotate faster than the knob. This can compensate for the reduced linear displacement per knob revolution as a result of the small thread pitch. Furthermore, the gear train can provide mechanical resistance to unwinding, without increasing overall system friction.
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As used herein, the term ‘associated with’ can mean mounted to, secured to, fixed to, adhered to, connected to, integral with, part of, movable with, and/or built into. Accordingly, the statement that “the handle 102 includes a first gear 118 associated with the knob 108” can mean, for example, that the first gear 118 is built into the knob 108 (as will be described below with reference to
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In the example shown, the planetary gear (i.e. the third gear 122) is fixed in position with respect to the internal gear (i.e. the first gear 118) and sun gear (i.e. the second gear 120). That is, the planetary gear does not orbit the sun gear. In alternative examples, the planetary gear can orbit the sun gear.
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In an alternative example, the lead screw 812 of
While the above description provides examples of one or more processes or apparatuses or compositions, it will be appreciated that other processes or apparatuses or compositions may be within the scope of the accompanying claims.
To the extent any amendments, characterizations, or other assertions previously made (in this or in any related patent applications or patents, including any parent, sibling, or child) with respect to any art, prior or otherwise, could be construed as a disclaimer of any subject matter supported by the present disclosure of this application, Applicant hereby rescinds and retracts such disclaimer. Applicant also respectfully submits that any prior art previously considered in any related patent applications or patents, including any parent, sibling, or child, may need to be revisited.
This application is a continuation of and claims the benefit of International Application Number PCT/IB2021/057570, entitled “STEERABLE MEDICAL DEVICE, HANDLE FOR A MEDICAL DEVICE, AND METHOD FOR OPERATING A MEDICAL DEVICE,” and filed Aug. 17, 2021, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Number 63/076,472, entitled STEERABLE MEDICAL DEVICE, HANDLE FOR A MEDICAL DEVICE, AND METHOD FOR OPERATING A MEDICAL DEVICE,” and filed Sep. 10, 2020, which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.
Number | Date | Country | |
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63076472 | Sep 2020 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | PCT/IB2021/057570 | Aug 2021 | WO |
Child | 18181979 | US |