Oscillating endoscopic catheter for fallopian tube navigation
A falloposcope intended for use with a hysteroscope to access, image, and collect samples from a patient's fallopian tube includes a cannula having an angled tip oriented to engage a fallopian tube os when the cannula is transcervically introduced to a patient's uterus through the hysteroscope. The catheter has a distal viewing tip configured to be advanced from a distal end of the cannula into the patient's uterus through a cervical os. A viewing chamber has a wide proximal end attached to the distal viewing tip of the catheter, and the viewing chamber is at least partially transparent and typically tapers in a distal direction to provide a clear viewing zone for the endoscope as well as atraumatic advancement into the fallopian tube.
1 . A falloposcope comprising:
a cannula having an angled tip oriented to engage a fallopian os when the cannula is transcervically introduced to a patient's uterus;
a catheter having a distal viewing tip configured to be advanced from a distal end of the cannula into the patient's uterus through a cervical os;
a viewing chamber having a wide proximal end attached to the distal viewing tip of the catheter, wherein the viewing chamber is at least partially transparent and tapers in a distal direction to provide both a clear viewing zone for the endoscope and atraumatic advancement into the fallopian tube; and
a cell collection element located on an exterior of the catheter proximal of the viewing chamber.
2 . The falloposcope of claim 1 , wherein the viewing chamber is fully transparent.
3 . The falloposcope of claim 1 , wherein the viewing chamber comprises a pre-shaped, inflatable shell.
4 . The falloposcope of claim 3 , wherein the pre-shaped shell is conical in shape.
5 . The falloposcope of claim 4 , wherein the catheter has a diameter in a range from 0.75 mm to I mm, the base of the pre-shaped shell has a base diameter in a range from 1 mm to 1.25 mm and a length in a range from 4 mm to 7.5 mm when inflated.
6 . The falloposcope of claim 1 , further comprising a handle attached to a proximal end of the cannula and configured to distally advance the catheter from the distal end of the cannula.
7 . The falloposcope of claim 6 , wherein the handle comprises a drive assembly configured to simultaneously advance and rotationally oscillate the catheter.
8 . The falloposcope of claim 7 , wherein the drive assembly comprises a trigger coupled to a ratchet mechanism configured to incrementally advance the catheter.
9 . The falloposcope of claim 8 , wherein the drive assembly further comprises a motor-driven rocker arm that engages and rotationally oscillates the catheter or an extension of the catheter.
10 . The falloposcope of claim 8 , wherein the drive assembly further comprises a pin fixed in the handle, wherein the pin tracks in a serpentine groove formed in an exterior surface of the catheter or an extension of the catheter to cause the catheter to rotationally oscillate as the catheter is advanced by the trigger and ratchet.
11 . A method for accessing a patient's fallopian tube, said method comprising:
transcervically introducing a distal end of a cannula into the patient's uterus to engage the patient's fallopian tube os;
advancing a catheter having a distal viewing tip from a distal end of the cannula into the patient's fallopian tube through the patient's fallopian tube os;
atraumatically advancing the catheter through the patient's fallopian tube while viewing an interior of the fallopian tube through a tapered viewing chamber attached to the distal viewing tip of the catheter, wherein astraumatically advancing the catheter comprises manually grasping a proximal end of the catheter; and
collecting a cell from the fallopian tube, via a cell collection element, wherein the cell collection element is located on an exterior of the catheter proximal of the tapered viewing chamber.
12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein atraumatically advancing the catheter further comprises manually translating and/or rotating the catheter while sensing tactile feedback.
13 . A falloposcope comprising:
a cannula having an angled tip oriented to engage a fallopian os when the cannula is transcervically introduced to a patient's uterus;
a catheter having a distal viewing tip configured to be advanced from a distal end of the cannula into the patient's uterus through a cervical os;
a viewing chamber having a wide proximal end attached to the distal viewing tip of the catheter; and
a cell collection element located on an exterior of the catheter proximal of the viewing chamber,
wherein the catheter is translatably and rotationally received in a lumen of the cannula and wherein a proximal end of the catheter is configured to be manually grasped by a user to allow manual translation and rotation with tactile feedback.
14 . The falloposcope of claim 13 , wherein the viewing chamber is at least partially transparent and tapers in a distal direction to provide both a clear viewing zone for the endoscope and atraumatic advancement into the fallopian tube.