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US 2021/0330354 A1Published application
Veress-type needles with illuminated guidance and safety features
AssigneeThe Brigham and Women's Hospital, Inc.
InventorJon I. Einarsson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present disclosure provides devices and methods for insufflating abdomens of subjects under direct visualization. Such devices and methods, in some implementations, include features for cleaning the devices, and certain implementations of the methods permit procedures wherein it is not necessary to use a typical obturator to place a cannula, resulting in safer procedures.
Claims11
An insufflation needle assembly comprising:
- an outer assembly including an insufflation input port and a hollow distally extending needle or cannula, the hollow distally extending needle or cannula having a distal end and a proximal end, wherein the outer assembly forms a conduit to pass at least one of insufflation gas, liquid and instruments therethrough;
- a flush port in fluid communication with a pressurized source of liquid and the conduit;
- and
- a removable visualization stylet having a proximal end and a distal end, said visualization stylet being slidably disposed within the conduit wherein:
- i) the outer assembly and removable visualization stylet can be coupled together to permit them to be advanced through tissue as a single structural unit;
- ii) a distal end region of the visualization stylet includes an electronic photodetector chip mounted thereon having a distally facing surface to detect incoming light traveling along a proximal direction;
- iii) the visualization stylet further includes a light source to project light beyond the electronic photodetector chip in a distal direction to provide direct illumination;
- and
- iv) light originating from the light source is reflected back to the electronic photodetector chip when the apparatus is traversing through tissue, wherein a distal end of the visualization stylet can be withdrawn proximally within the conduit to permit liquid to be flushed around the distal end of the visualization stylet by way of the flush port while the distal end of the visualization stylet is surrounded by the needle or cannula to effectuate cleaning of the distal end of the visualization stylet.
6 more elements
A method of using an insufflation needle assembly, comprising:
- providing an insufflation needle assembly comprising:
- an outer assembly including an insufflation input port and a hollow distally extending needle or cannula, the hollow distally extending needle having a distal end and a proximal end, wherein the outer assembly forms a conduit to pass at least one of insufflation gas, liquid and instruments therethrough;
- and
- a removable visualization stylet having a proximal end and a distal end, said visualization stylet being slidably disposed within the conduit wherein the outer assembly acts as a sheath that at least partially covers the removable visualization stylet along its length, and further wherein:
- i) the outer assembly and removable visualization stylet can be coupled together to permit them to be advanced through tissue as a single structural unit;
- ii) a distal end region of the visualization stylet includes an electronic photodetector chip mounted thereon having a distally facing surface to detect incoming light traveling along a proximal direction;
- iii) the visualization stylet further includes a light source to project light beyond the electronic photodetector chip in a distal direction to provide direct illumination;
- and
- iv) light originating from the light source is reflected back to the electronic photodetector chip when the apparatus is traversing through tissue;
- creating an incision in skin of an abdomen of a subject;
- advancing a distal end of the insufflation needle assembly into the incision and through successive layers of an abdominal wall of the subject while viewing tissue being advanced through by way of the removable visualization stylet in real time, the removable visualization stylet being configured to view in a distal direction;
- stopping advancing the distal end of the insufflation needle assembly upon observing the visualization stylet extending distally with respect to the hollow distally extending needle indicating that an abdominal cavity of the subject has been reached;
- withdrawing a distal end of the visualization stylet proximally within the conduit;
- flushing liquid around the distal end of the visualization stylet while the distal end of the visualization stylet is surrounded by the needle or cannula to effectuate cleaning of the distal end of the visualization stylet.
11 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.