Steerable surgical needle
AssigneeVanderbilt University
InventorsPhilip J. Swaney, Robert J. Webster, III
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A steerable surgical needle (10) includes an elongated needle shaft (12), a beveled tip portion (14), and a flexural element (16) that connects the needle shaft (12) with the tip portion (14) and permits the tip portion to deflect relative to the needle shaft. A method for steering the surgical needle (10) through tissue includes the steps of advancing the needle in the body tissue to induce tip flexure which causes the needle to follow a curved trajectory, and rotating the needle about its longitudinal axis in place, without advancement, to remove the tip flexure.
Claims29
A steerable surgical needle comprising:
- an elongated needle shaft;
- a beveled tip portion;
- and
- a flexural element that extends between the needle shaft and the tip portion, the flexural element permitting the tip portion to deflect relative to the needle shaft.
A steerable surgical needle comprising:
- an elongated shaft;
- a beveled tip;
- and
- a flexible portion that permits the tip to deflect in a first direction relative to the shaft in response to forces acting on the bevel during needle insertion.
A method for steering through tissue a surgical needle having an elongated needle shaft and a beveled tip that is deflectable relative to the needle shaft, the method comprising the steps of:
- advancing the needle in the body tissue to induce tip flexure which causes the needle to follow a curved trajectory;
- and
- rotating the needle about its longitudinal axis in place, without advancement, to remove the tip flexure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.