ROBOTIC MEDICAL INSTRUMENT SYSTEM
A medical system and method of performing a medical procedure on a patient are provided. An electrical controller directs an electromechanical driver to bend an elongated member back upon itself to place a active work element in a working relationship with an intermediate work element, and to respectively control the active work element and intermediate work element, in unison, to perform a medical procedure. The electrical controller may be remote from the electromechanical driver, and may be coupled to the electromechanical driver via external cabling. The electrical controller may have a user interface for receiving commands from a user. In this case, the movements made at the user interface correspond to movements of the medical instrument.
1 . A medical system, comprising: a medical instrument having an elongated member having a distal tip, an active work element located at the distal tip, and an intermediate work element located on the elongated member proximal to the distal tip;
an electromechanical driver coupled to the medical instrument; and
an electrical controller configured for directing the electromechanical driver to bend the elongated member back upon itself to place the active work element in a working relationship with the intermediate work element, and to respectively control the active work element and intermediate work element, in unison, to perform a medical procedure.
2 . The medical system of claim 1 , wherein the electrical controller is remote from the electromechanical driver.
3 . The medical system of claim 2 , wherein the electrical controller is coupled to the electromechanical driver via external cabling.
4 . The medical system of claim 1 , wherein the electrical controller has a user interface for receiving commands from a user.
5 . The medical system of claim 4 , wherein movements made at the user interface correspond to movements of the medical instrument.
6 . The medical system of claim 1 , wherein the electromechanical driver has a motor array.
7 . The medical system of claim 1 , wherein the entire length of the elongated member is flexible.
8 . The medical system of claim 1 , wherein the active working element and the intermediate working element are suturing tools, and the medical procedure is a suturing procedure.
9 . The medical system of claim 8 , wherein one of the suturing tools has a needle, and another of the suturing tools has an anvil that cooperates with the needle to perform the suturing procedure.
10 . The medical system of claim 1 , wherein the active working element and the intermediate working element are sewing tools, and the medical procedure is a sewing procedure.
11 . The medical system of claim 10 , wherein one of the sewing tools has a needle, and another of the sewing tools has a hook end effector that cooperates with the needle to perform the sewing procedure.
12 . The medical system of claim 11 , wherein the one sewing tool has a presser foot, and the needle is configured for reciprocating relative to the presser foot.
13 . The medical system of claim 11 , wherein the needle is configured for pulling a loop of suture material through an anatomical wall, and the hook end effector is configured for grabbing the loop of material before the needle pulls the loop of suture material through the anatomical wall.
14 . A method of performing a medical procedure on a patient, the comprising:
conveying control signals from an electrical controller to a drive unit; and
operating the drive unit in accordance with the control signals to advance a first medical instrument within the patient, to bend the medical instrument back upon itself to place an active work element located on the medical instrument adjacent an intermediate work element located on the medical instrument, and respectively controlling the active work element and intermediate work element, in unison, to perform a medical procedure.
15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein control signals are remote control signals.
16 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the control signals are conveyed from the electrical controller to the drive unit in response to user commands.
17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the user commands are movements made at a user interface that correspond to movements of the medical instrument.
18 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising operating the drive unit in accordance with the control signals to advance the instrument within the patient.
19 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the active working element and the intermediate working element are suturing tools, and the medical procedure is a suturing procedure.
20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein one of the suturing tools has a needle, another of the suturing tools has an anvil, the suturing procedure is performed by placing a fold of an anatomical wall between the needle and anvil, and passing a suture through the fold using the needle.
21 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the active working element and the intermediate working element are sewing tools, and the medical procedure is a sewing procedure.
22 . The method of claim 21 , wherein one of the sewing tools has a needle, another of the sewing tools has a hook end effector, and the sewing procedure is performed by pulling a loop of suture material through an anatomical wall using the needle, and grabbing the loop of suture material with the hook end effector before the needle pulls the loop of suture material through the anatomical wall.
23 . The method of claim 22 , wherein the one of the sewing tools has a presser foot, and the sewing procedure is further performed by reciprocating the needle relative to the presser foot.