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US 10,238,457 B2Granted
System and method for endoscopic deployment of robotic concentric tube manipulators for performing surgery
AssigneeVanderbilt University
InventorsS. Duke Herrell, Robert J. Webster, III, Trevor Bruns, Philip J. Swaney, Richard Hendrick
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus (20) for performing endoscopic surgery on a patient (12) includes at least two concentric tube manipulators (150) adapted to carry devices (152, 154) for performing a surgical operation. A transmission (200) operates the concentric tube manipulators (150). An endoscope tube (106) has a proximal end portion fixed to the transmission (200). The concentric tube manipulators (150) extend from the transmission (200) through an inner lumen (102) of the endoscope tube (106) and are operable to extend from a distal end (104) of the endoscope tube.
Claims25
An apparatus for performing endoscopic surgery on a patient, the apparatus comprising:
- a transmission;
- an endoscope tube connected to and extending from the transmission;
- at least two concentric tube manipulators connected to the transmission and extending adjacent to each other at least partially through the endoscope tube, wherein each of the at least two concentric tube manipulators comprises a plurality of nested tubes arranged concentrically along a manipulator axis and being configured for at least one of rotational movement about the manipulator axis and translational movement along the manipulator axis, wherein at least one of the nested tubes has a pre-curved portion, and wherein, for each manipulator, at least one of the nested tubes is configured to assume a pre-curved configuration when extended relative to at least one of the remaining nested tubes and to deflect when retracted relative to the at least one of the remaining nested tubes;
- a motor pack detachably connected to the transmission and comprising motors operable to impart rotation to at least one shaft of the transmission, the control input device and a controller for controlling operation of the motors, wherein the handles are configured for manually imparting gross physical movements of the apparatus as a whole, and wherein the controller is operative to receive from the at least one manually actuatable control input device control signals indicative of desired movements of surgical tools disposed at distal ends of the at least two concentric tube manipulators, the controller being operative to control operation of the motors in order to produce the desired movements of the surgical tools by actuating the motors to cause the transmission to translate and/or rotate the nested tubes of the at least one concentric tube manipulator;
- wherein the transmission is configured to impart the at least one of rotational movement along the manipulator axis and the translational movement along the manipulator axis to the nested tubes of each of the at least two concentric tube manipulators in response to operation of the motors, the apparatus further comprising at least one manually actuatable control input device and a controller for controlling operation of the motors, wherein the controller is operative to receive from the at least one manually actuatable control input device control signals indicative of desired movements of the at least two concentric tube manipulators, the controller being further operative to control operation of the motors in order to produce via the transmission the at least one of rotational movement along the manipulator axis and the translational movement along the manipulator axis that will produce the desired movements of the at least two concentric tube manipulators;
- wherein the transmission, motors, endoscope tube, and at least two concentric tube manipulators when assembled form a robot assembly, the apparatus further comprising a support device that supports the robot assembly and facilitates gross maneuvering and positioning of the robot assembly as a whole, the support device being operable to support the robot assembly at a position and orientation that positions the endoscope tube so as to permit operation of the at least two concentric tube manipulators to perform fine operations from a distal end of the fixed endoscope tube robotically as commanded via the at least one manually actuatable control input device.
3 more elements
An apparatus for performing endoscopic surgery on a patient, the apparatus comprising:
- a transmission;
- motors operatively connected to the transmission;
- endoscope tube connected to and extending from the transmission;
- at least two concentric tube manipulators connected to the transmission and extending at least partially through the endoscope tube, wherein each of the at least two concentric tube manipulators comprises a plurality of nested tubes arranged concentrically along a manipulator axis and being configured for at least one of rotational movement about the manipulator axis and translational movement along the manipulator axis, wherein at least one of the nested tubes has a pre-curved portion, and wherein, for each manipulator, at least one of the nested tubes is configured to assume a pre-curved configuration when extended relative to at least one of the remaining nested tubes and to deflect when retracted relative to the at least one of the remaining nested tubes;
- wherein the transmission is configured to impart the rotational movement and/or translational movement to the nested tubes of the at least two concentric tube manipulators in response to operation of the motors, the apparatus further comprising at least one manually actuatable control input device and a controller for controlling operation of the motors, wherein the controller is operative to receive from the at least one manually actuatable control input device control signals indicative of desired movements of the at least one concentric tube manipulator, the controller being further operative to control operation of the motors in order to rotate and/or translate the nested tubes in a manner that will produce the desired movements;
- the apparatus further comprising a motor pack detachably connectable with the transmission and including the motors and controller, the motor pack comprising motor coupling components configured to engage and mate with corresponding coupling components of the transmission when the motor pack is connected to the transmission, wherein the motor pack further comprises handles for manually imparting gross physical movements of the apparatus as a whole, and wherein the at least one manually actuatable control input device is included on the handles and configured so that the operator can control robotic movement of the at least two concentric tube manipulators while grasping the handles.
3 more elements
An apparatus for performing endoscopic surgery on a patient, the apparatus comprising:
- a transmission;
- motors operatively connected to the transmission;
- an endoscope tube connected to and extending from the transmission;
- at least two concentric tube manipulators connected to the transmission and extending at least partially through the endoscope tube, wherein each of the at least two concentric tube manipulators comprises a plurality of nested tubes arranged concentrically along a manipulator axis and being configured for at least one of rotational movement about the manipulator axis and translational movement along the manipulator axis, wherein at least one of the nested tubes has a pre-curved portion, and wherein, for each manipulator, at least one of the nested tubes is configured to assume a pre-curved configuration when extended relative to at least one of the remaining nested tubes and to deflect when retracted relative to the at least one of the remaining nested tubes;
- wherein the transmission is configured to impart the rotational movement and/or translational movement to the nested tubes of the at least one concentric tube manipulator in response to operation of the motors, the apparatus further comprising at least one manually actuatable control input device and a controller for controlling operation of the motors, wherein the controller is operative to receive from the at least one manually actuatable control input device control signals indicative of desired movements of the at least two concentric tube manipulators, the controller being further operative to control operation of the motors in order to rotate and/or translate the nested tubes in a manner that will produce the desired movements;
- the apparatus further comprising a motor pack detachably connectable with the transmission and including the motors and controller, the motor pack comprising motor coupling components configured to engage and mate with corresponding coupling components of the transmission when the motor pack is connected to the transmission;
- the apparatus further comprising a camera disposed at a distal end of the endoscope, wherein the motor pack further comprises a display screen positioned on a proximal end of the motor pack, the display screen being configured to display to the user a surgical worksite in the area of the distal end of the endoscope.
4 more elements
An apparatus for performing endoscopic surgery on a patient, the apparatus comprising:
- a transmission;
- an endoscope tube connected to and extending from the transmission;
- at least two concentric tube manipulators connected to the transmission and extending at least partially through the endoscope tube, wherein each of the at least two concentric tube manipulators comprises a plurality of nested tubes at least one of which having a portion with a pre-curved elastic construction, each of the at least two concentric tube manipulators further comprising a surgical tool fixed to a distal tip of one of the nested tubes of each of the at least two concentric tube manipulators;
- and
- a motor pack detachably connected to the transmission and comprising motors operable to impart rotation to at least one shaft of the transmission, the motor pack further comprising handles including at least one manually actuatable control input device and a controller for controlling operation of the motors, wherein the handles are configured for manually imparting gross physical movements of the apparatus as a whole, and wherein the controller is operative to receive from the at least one manually actuatable control input device control signals indicative of desired movements of the surgical tools, the controller being operative to control operation of the motors in order to produce the desired movements of the surgical tools by actuating the motors to cause the transmission to translate and/or rotate the nested tubes of the at least one concentric tube manipulator.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.