Methods of advancing a cannula system into a body
AssigneeIntuitive Surgical Operations, Inc.
InventorJaime S. Vargas
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Abstract
A method for advancing a device positioned coaxially with respect to a cannula comprises rigidizing a portion of the cannula and advancing the device until a first preestablished limit of relative displacement between the cannula and the device is reached. The method further comprises relaxing the portion of the cannula and advancing the cannula until a second preestablished limit of relative displacement between the cannula and the device is reached.
Claims24
A method for advancing a device positioned coaxially with respect to a cannula, said method comprising:
- rigidizing a portion of said cannula via an actuator coupled to said cannula;
- advancing said device until a first preestablished limit of relative displacement between said cannula and said device is reached, wherein advancing said device comprises moving a displacement limiting coupling parallel to a longitudinal axis of said cannula;
- relaxing said portion of said cannula;
- and
- advancing said cannula until a second preestablished limit of relative displacement between said cannula and said device is reached, wherein advancing said cannula comprises moving the actuator parallel to a longitudinal axis of said device.
A method for advancing a cannula system into a body, said method comprising:
- inserting a device through a cannula;
- slidably coupling said device to said cannula via a displacement limiting coupling, wherein said device is fixedly coupled to said displacement limiting coupling;
- rigidizing a portion of said cannula;
- advancing said device through said cannula to a preestablished proximal limit;
- relaxing said portion of said cannula;
- and
- advancing said cannula to a preestablished distal limit;
- wherein said preestablished proximal limit and said preestablished distal limit maintain an overlap between said cannula and at least a portion of a steerable region of said device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.