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Title:
STEERABLE ENDOSCOPE AND IMPROVED METHOD OF INSERTION
Document Type and Number:
WIPO Patent Application WO/2001/074235
Kind Code:
A1
Abstract:
A steerable endoscope has an elongated body (102) with a selectively steerable distal portion (104) and an automatically controlled proximal portion (104). The endoscope body is inserted into a patient and the selectively steerable distal portion is used to select a desired path within the patient's body. When the endoscope body is advanced, an electronic motion controller (140) operates the automatically controlled proximal portion to assume the selected curve of the selectively steerable distal portion. Another desired path is selected with the selectively steerable distal portion and the endoscope body is advanced again. As the endoscope body is further advanced, the selected curves propagate proximally along the endoscope body, and when the endoscope body is withdrawn proximally, the selected curves propagate distally along the endoscope body. This creates a serpentine motion in the endoscope body that allows it to negotiate tortuous curves along a desired path through or around and between organs within the body.

Inventors:
BELSON AMIR (US)
Application Number:
PCT/US2001/010907
Publication Date:
October 11, 2001
Filing Date:
April 03, 2001
Export Citation:
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Assignee:
BELSON AMIR (US)
International Classes:
G02B23/24; A61B1/00; A61B1/005; A61B1/008; A61B1/01; A61B1/04; A61B1/31; (IPC1-7): A61B1/005
Foreign References:
US4930494A1990-06-05
US5482029A1996-01-09
US5159446A1992-10-27
Other References:
SLATKIN A B ET AL: "THE DEVELOPMENT OF A ROBOTIC ENDOSCOPE", PROCEEDINGS 1995 IEEE/RSJ INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON INTELLIGENT ROBOTS AND SYSTEMS: HUMAN ROBOT INTERACTION AND COOPERATIVE ROBOTS. PITTSBURGH,PA, AUG. 5 - 9, 1995, PROCEEDINGS OF THE IEEE/RSJ INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON INTELLIGENT ROBOTS AND SYST, vol. 2, 5 August 1995 (1995-08-05), pages 162 - 171, XP000697561, ISBN: 0-7803-3006-4
Attorney, Agent or Firm:
Han, Johney U. (LLP 755 Page Mill Road Palo Alto, CA, US)
Download PDF:
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Claims:
I claim:
1. A method of advancing an instrument along a selected path, the method comprising: selectively steering a distal portion of the instrument to assume a first selected curve along a desired path; and advancing the instrument distally while controlling a proximal portion of the instrument to assume the first selected curve of the distal portion.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising : further advancing the instrument distally while controlling the proximal portion to propagate the first selected curve proximally along the proximal portion of the instrument.
3. The method of claim 1, further comprising: withdrawing the instrument proximally while controlling the proximal portion to propagate the first selected curve distally along the proximal portion of the instrument.
4. The method of claim 1, further comprising: selectively steering the distal portion of the instrument to assume a second selected curve along the desired path ; and advancing the instrument proximally while controlling the proximal portion to propagate the first and second selected curves proximally along the proximal portion of the instrument.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the proximal portion of the instrument is automatically controlled by an electronic motion controller.
6. The method of claim 5, further comprising : measuring axial motion of the instrument with an axial motion transducer.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the proximal portion of the instrument is controlled such that the first selected curve remains approximately fixed in space as the instrument is advanced proximally and/or withdrawn proximally.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein the instrument is an endoscope inserted into a patient's body.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the instrument is a colonoscope inserted into a patient's colon.
10. A method of advancing an elongated instrument along a selected path, the elongated instrument having a multiplicity of controllable sections, including a first section, a second section and a third section, each section representing one unit of length, the method comprising: controlling the first section to assume a first selected curve along a desired path; advancing the elongated instrument distally a distance of approximately one unit of length while controlling the second section to assume the first selected curve; controlling the first section to assume a second selected curve along the desired path; and further advancing the elongated instrument distally a distance of approximately one unit of length while controlling the second section to assume the second selected curve and controlling the third section to assume the first selected curve.
11. The method of claim 10, further comprising: controlling the first section to assume a third selected curve along the desired path; and further advancing the elongated instrument distally a distance of approximately one unit of length while controlling the second section to assume the third selected curve and controlling the third section to assume the second selected curve.
12. The method of claim 11, further comprising: withdrawing the elongated instrument proximally a distance of approximately one unit of length while controlling the first section to assume the third selected curve, controlling the second section to assume the second selected curve and controlling the third section to assume the first selected curve.
13. The method of claim 10, wherein the proximal portion of the instrument is automatically controlled by an electronic motion controller.
14. The method of claim 10, wherein the elongated instrument is an endoscope inserted into a patient's body.
15. The method of claim 10, wherein the elongated instrument is a colonoscope inserted into a patient's colon.
16. Apparatus comprising: an elongated instrument body having a selectively steerable distal portion and an automatically controllable proximal portion, the selectively steerable distal portion being configured to selectively assume a selected curve along a desired path, and the automatically controllable proximal portion being configured to propagate the selected curve proximally along the proximal portion of the elongated instrument body as the elongated instrument body is advanced distally.
17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the automatically controllable proximal portion is further configured to propagate the selected curve distally along the proximal portion of the elongated instrument body as the elongated instrument body is withdrawn proximally.
18. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising: an imaging system for transmitting an image from a distal end to a proximal end of the elongated instrument body.
19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the imaging system comprises a fiberoptic imaging bundle extending from the distal end to the proximal end of the elongated instrument body.
20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the elongated instrument body is configured as an endoscope for insertion into a patient's body.
21. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the elongated instrument body is configured as a colonoscope for insertion into a patient's colon.
22. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising: an electronic motion controller for controlling the automatically controllable proximal portion to propagate the selected curve proximally or distally along the proximal portion of the elongated instrument body.
23. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising: an axial motion transducer for measuring axial motion of the elongated instrument body.
24. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising : an axial motion transducer for measuring axial motion of the elongated instrument body.
25. Apparatus comprising: an elongated instrument body having a multiplicity of controllable sections, including a first section, a second section and a third section, each section representing one unit of length; and an electronic motion controller configured for controlling each of the first section, the second section and the third section to assume first, second and third portions of a selected curve when the elongated instrument body is in an initial position, and configured to, when the elongated instrument advances distally a distance of approximately one unit of length from the initial position, control the second section to assume the first portion of the selected curve and the third section to assume the second portion of the selected curve.
26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the electronic motion controller is further configured to, when the elongated instrument withdraws proximally a distance of approximately one unit of length from the initial position, control the first section to assume the second portion of the selected curve and the second section to assume the third portion of the selected curve.
27. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the elongated instrument body further comprises a selectively steerable distal portion.
28. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising: an axial motion transducer for measuring axial motion of the elongated instrument body.
29. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising: an imaging system for transmitting an image from a distal end to a proximal end of the elongated instrument body.
30. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the imaging system comprises a fiberoptic imaging bundle extending from the distal end to the proximal end of the elongated instrument body.
31. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising: an imaging system for transmitting an image from a distal end of the elongated instrument body to a video monitor.
32. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the elongated instrument body is configured as an endoscope for insertion into a patient's body.
33. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the elongated instrument body is configured as a colonoscope for insertion into a patient's colon.



 
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