Shape memory alloy enabled robotic modular mass debrider
AssigneesThe Regents of the University of California, City of Hope
InventorsJun Sheng, Behnam Badie
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A steerable apparatus for modular debriding is disclosed. The steerable apparatus can include: a shaft comprising a central lumen that extends along a length of the shaft; an adapter coupled to a proximal end of the shaft; at least one bearing comprising a central opening and positioned along the shaft such that the central opening is concentric with the central lumen and the adapter; at least one disk coupled to the shaft or to the at least one bearing; a pair of shape memory alloy (SMA) springs; a housing; a tip structure coupled to a distal end of the housing; and rotatable SMA cutting wire loops.
Claims20
A steerable apparatus for modular debriding, comprising:
- a shaft comprising a central lumen that extends along a length of the shaft;
- an adapter coupled to a proximal end of the shaft;
- at least one bearing comprising a central opening and positioned along the shaft such that the central opening is concentric with the central lumen and the adapter;
- at least one disk coupled to the shaft or to the at least one bearing;
- a pair of shape memory alloy (SMA) springs, the at least one disk or the at least one bearing being positioned along the shaft and between the pair of SMA springs such that the pair of SMA springs are spaced apart from one another along the length of the shaft by the at least one disk or the at least one bearing;
- a housing comprising (i) a top cover positioned at a top surface of the housing and (ii) a bottom cover positioned at a bottom surface of the housing, wherein the shaft, the central lumen, the at least one bearing, and the pair of SMA springs are disposed within the housing;
- a tip structure coupled to a distal end of the housing;
- and
- rotatable SMA cutting wire loops disposed on an external surface of the housing and coupled to the top cover and the tip structure.
A steerable apparatus for modular debriding, comprising:
- a rigid tube;
- a precurved flexible tube disposed within the rigid tube and advanceable beyond a distal end of the rigid tube;
- a first flexible tube disposed within the precurved flexible tube and the rigid tube, a distal end of the first flexible tube extendable beyond a distal end of the precurved flexible tube;
- a second flexible tube disposed within the first flexible tube, the precurved flexible tube, and the rigid tube, a distal end of the second flexible tube extendable beyond the distal end of the precurved flexible tube and the distal end of the first flexible tube;
- and
- a tip structure coupled to the distal end of the second flexible tube and comprising rotatable shape memory alloy (SMA) cutting wire loops, each of the rotatable SMA cutting wire loops disposed between a distal portion of the tip structure and an exterior surface of at least one of the distal end of the first flexible tube,
- wherein the rigid tube, the precurved flexible tube, the first flexible tube, and the second flexible tube are coupled to one another so as to form a steerable tool operable to navigate the tip structure based on a direction of the precurved flexible tube and while the tip structure is located inside a mass,
- wherein the direction of the precurved flexible tube is based on translating the rigid tube and translating and rotating the precurved flexible tube,
- wherein the rotatable SMA cutting wire loops are configured to twist, expand, and rotate based on rotation of respective proximal ends of the first flexible tube and the second flexible tube with respect to one another.
A steerable apparatus for modular debriding, comprising:
- a rigid tube;
- a tube comprising one or more notches located at a distal end of the tube;
- a straight flexible tube, disposed within the rigid tube and the tube, comprising a proximal end, wherein the straight flexible tube includes along its length one or more openings configured to align with the one or more notches;
- a tip structure located at the distal end of the tube and configured to cap the straight flexible tube at one end;
- and
- metallic wires forming loops disposed between the tip structure and the tube,
- wherein the rigid tube, the tube, and the straight flexible tube are coupled to one another so as to form a steerable tool operable to navigate the tip structure,
- wherein rotation of the proximal end allows the metallic wires to be twisted and expanded.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.