# US 6,058,323 A · System and method for treating select tissue in a living being

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- Number: US 6,058,323 A
- Document ID: US6058323A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 08/915,356
- Filed: 1997-08-20
- Granted: 2000-05-02
- Earliest claimed: 1996-11-05
- Inventors: Jerome Lemelson
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US6058323A

## CPC

- A61B 17/320758: {with a rotating cutting instrument, e.g. motor driven (A61B17/320725, A61B17/32075 and A61B17/320783 take precedence; for removing intra-ocular material A61F9/00763; endoscopic rotatable cutting instruments A61B17/32002)}
- A61M 25/0068: {Static characteristics of the catheter tip, e.g. shape, atraumatic tip, curved tip or tip structure}
- A61M 25/0082: {Catheter tip comprising a tool}
- A61M 25/0084: {being one or more injection needles}
- A61M 25/0138: {having flexible regions as a result of weakened outer material, e.g. slots, slits, cuts, joints or coils}
- A61M 25/0158: {with magnetic or electrical means, e.g. by using piezo materials, electroactive polymers, magnetic materials or by heating of shape memory materials}
- A61B 18/1492: {having a flexible, catheter-like structure, e.g. for heart ablation (A61B18/1477 takes precedence)}
- A61B 2010/045: {Needles (pointed biopsy devices with vacuum aspiration A61B10/0283)}
- A61B 2017/003: {Steerable}
- A61B 2017/22077: {with a part piercing the tissue (A61B2017/22044 takes precedence)}
- A61B 2017/320004: {abrasive}
- A61B 2090/3614: {using optical fibre}
- A61M 25/0147: {with movable mechanical means, e.g. pull wires}
- A61M 2025/0057: {Catheters delivering medicament other than through a conventional lumen, e.g. porous walls or hydrogel coatings}
- A61M 2025/0089: {Single injection needle protruding axially, i.e. along the longitudinal axis of the catheter, from the distal tip}
- A61M 2025/0091: {the single injection needle being fixed}
- Y10S 128/925: Neural network
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)
- A61M: DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY (introducing media into or onto the bodies of animals A61D7/00; means for inserting tampons A61F13/26; devices for administering food or medicines orally A61J; containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/05); DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY (surgery A61B; chemical aspects of surgical articles A61L); DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR {(Electrotherapy, e.g. producing anaesthesia by the use of alternating or intermittent currents A61N1/36021)}
- Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS

## Abstract

A computerized imaging system (such as CAT scan, MRI imaging, ultrasound imaging, infrared, X-ray, UV/visible light fluorescence, Raman spectroscopy or microwave imaging) is employed to sense the position of an endoscopic treatment system within the body of a patient. In a preferred embodiment, the system provides real-time computer control to maintain and adjust the position of the treatment system and/or the position of the patient relative to the treatment system; and also provides (if desired) real-time computer control of the operation of the treatment system itself. Other embodiments include scanning mechanisms for directing laser light or other radiation under controlled conditions at select locations within the body.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system for positioning a medical instrument device in the body of a patient comprising:
a computer and a medical device;
a scanning system including an imaging device for generating image information defining select anatomical regions of the patient's body;
a location sensing system for sensing the relative positions of said medical instrument device and said select anatomical regions and feeding coded signals representing the sensed positions to said computer;
said computer programmed for calculating location coordinates of select anatomical regions defined by pixels of images produced by said scanning imaging device and using the coded signals representing the sensed relative positions of said medical instrument device and said select anatomical regions; and
a medical instrument device steering mechanism and a medical instrument device steering controller operable under control of a neural network of said computer, said neural network trained to recognize a select anatomical region and to maintain the medical instrument device within said select anatomical region in real time despite patient movement and changes in the sensed appearance of said select anatomical region.

### Claim 2

A system for positioning a medical instrument device in the body of a patient comprising:
a computer and a medical device;
a scanning system including an imaging device for generating image information defining select anatomical regions of the patient's body;
a location sensing system for sensing the relative positions of said medical instrument device and said select anatomical regions and feeding coded signals representing the sensed positions to said computer;
said computer programmed for calculating location coordinates of select anatomical regions defined by pixels of images produced by said scanning imaging device and using the coded signals representing the sensed relative positions of said medical instrument device and said select anatomical regions; and
at least one patient positioning motor assembly operable under control of a neural network of said computer, said neural network trained to recognize a select anatomical region and to maintain the medical instrument device within said select anatomical region in real time despite patient movement and changes in the sensed appearance of said select anatomical region.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The medical instrument device positioning system of claim 1 wherein said medical instrument device steering mechanism is located within said medical device.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The medical instrument device positioning system of claim 1 wherein said medical instrument device steering mechanism is externally located with respect to the body of said patient.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The medical instrument device positioning system of claim 1 wherein said neural network is a feed forward backprogation neural network.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The medical instrument device positioning system of claim 1 wherein said neural network is a Hopfield neural network.