Rotating needle driver and apparatuses and methods related thereto

1. A medical instrument driver for causing a medical instrument to be inserted into tissue of a patient, comprising:

an upper mechanism having a translation and rotational mechanism operably coupled to a proximal portion of the medical instrument, the translation and rotational mechanism including:

a translation structure being configured to translate the medical instrument along a long axis of the medical instrument responsive to rotational movement of an end of such structure, and

a rotational structure configured to rotate the medical instrument about the long axis as the medical instrument translates along the long axis; and

a lower mechanism having a distal support that is distal from the translation and rotational mechanism, the distal support having an aperture in which a distal portion of the medical instrument is slidably disposed, wherein

the distal support and the translation and rotational mechanism are arranged such that the distal portion of the medical instrument moves through the aperture, and an insertable end of the medical instrument exits the aperture and is capable of being inserted into the tissue of the patient,

during insertion of the medical instrument into the tissue, the upper mechanism moves along the long axis while the lower mechanism remains substantially fixed, thereby limiting movement of the medical instrument in a plane perpendicular to the long axis during the insertion, and

the translation structure includes: a crank member disposed between a first rotary joint and a second rotary joint, a rod member extending between the second rotary joint and a fourth rotary joint, where the fourth rotary joint is operably coupled to the medical instrument, and a slider joint that is slidably coupled to the rod member and is disposed between the second and fourth rotary joints.

2. The medical instrument driver of claim 1 , wherein the translation and rotational structures cooperate so that the medical instrument spirals into the tissue.

3. The medical instrument driver of claim 1 , wherein the translation structure includes a plurality of rotary joints.

4. The medical instrument driver of claim 3 , further comprising a motor operably coupled to the first rotary joint such that rotation of the motor drives the crank member so that rotation of the motor also thereby causes an end point of the rod member to move essentially along a linear trajectory.

5. The medical instrument driver of claim 4 , wherein the translation structure further includes a plurality of pulleys disposed at each of the first, second and fourth rotary joints and first and second belt members, where the first belt member is arranged so as to extend between the pulleys at the first and second rotary joints and the second belt member is arranged so as to extend between the pulleys at the second and fourth rotary joints.

6. The medical instrument driver of claim 1 , wherein the rotational structure includes a drive motor and gears that are arranged so as to operably couple the medical instrument and the drive motor.

7. The medical instrument driver of claim 1 , further comprising at least one sensor configured and arranged for measuring a force between the distal support and the patient and a force of needle insertion into the tissue.

8. The medical instrument driver of claim 1 , wherein the upper mechanism and the lower mechanism are arranged such that at least a portion of the upper mechanism and at least a portion of the lower mechanism are positioned along the long axis of the medical instrument.

9. An apparatus for causing a medical instrument to be inserted into tissue, said apparatus comprising:

a robotic device having an arm that is movable in one or more dimensions;

a medical instrument driver operably coupled to the medical instrument and operably coupled to the robotic arm, wherein the robotic arm is movable so as to position the medical instrument driver with respect to a target area, wherein said medical instrument driver includes:

an upper mechanism having a translation and rotational mechanism operably coupled to a proximal portion of the medical instrument via a proximal portion of the robotic arm, the translation and rotational mechanism including:

a translation structure being configured to move the medical instrument along a long axis of the medical instrument responsive to rotational movement of an end of such structure, and

a rotational structure configured to rotate the medical instrument about the long axis as the medical instrument moves along the long axis; and

a lower mechanism having a distal support operably coupled to a distal portion of the robotic arm and which is distal from the translation and rotational mechanism, said distal support including an aperture in which a distal portion of the medical instrument is slidably disposed, wherein

the distal support and the translation and rotational mechanism are arranged so the distal portion of the medical instrument moves through and exits the distal support through the aperture such that an insertable end of the medical instrument is capable of being inserted into the tissue of the patient,

during insertion of the medical instrument into the tissue, the upper mechanism moves along the long axis while the lower mechanism remains substantially fixed, thereby limiting movement of the medical instrument in a plane perpendicular to the long axis during the insertion; and

the translation structure includes: a crank member disposed between a first rotary joint and a second rotary joint, a rod member extending between the second rotary joint and a fourth rotary joint, where the fourth rotary joint is operably coupled to the medical instrument, and a slider joint that is slidably coupled to the rod member and is disposed between the second and fourth rotary joints.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the translation and rotational structures cooperate so that the medical instrument spirals into the tissue.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising a motor operably coupled to the first rotary joint such that rotation of the motor drives the crank member, where such rotation of the motor also thereby causes an end point of the rod member to move essentially along a linear trajectory.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the translation structure further includes a plurality of pulleys disposed at each of the first, second and fourth rotary joints and first and second belt members, where the first belt member is arranged so as to extend between the pulleys at the first and second rotary joints and the second belt member is arranged so as to extend between the pulleys at the second and fourth rotary joints.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the rotational structure includes a drive motor and gears that are arranged so as to operably couple the medical instrument and the drive motor.

14. The apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising a first adapter and a second adapter, wherein the first adapter is configured to operably couple the medical instrument to the translation and rotational mechanism, and the second adapter is configured so as to operably couple the medical instrument to the distal support.

15. The medical instrument driver of claim 9 , further comprising at least one sensor configured and arranged for measuring a force between the distal support and the patient and a force of needle insertion into the tissue.

16. The medical instrument driver of claim 9 , wherein the upper mechanism and the lower mechanism are arranged such that at least a portion of the upper mechanism and at least a portion of the lower mechanism are positioned along the long axis of the medical instrument.

17. A medical instrument driver for causing a medical instrument to be inserted into tissue of a patient, comprising:

an upper mechanism having a translation and rotational mechanism operably coupled to a proximal portion of the medical instrument, the translation and rotational mechanism including:

a translation structure being configured to translate the medical instrument along a long axis of the medical instrument responsive to rotational movement of an end of such structure, and

a rotational structure configured to rotate the medical instrument about the long axis as the medical instrument translates along the long axis; and

a lower mechanism having a distal support that is distal from the translation and rotational mechanism, the distal support having an aperture in which a distal portion of the medical instrument is slidably disposed, wherein

the distal support and the translation and rotational mechanism are arranged such that the distal portion of the medical instrument moves through the aperture, and an insertable end of the medical instrument exits the aperture and is capable of being inserted into the tissue of the patient,

during insertion of the medical instrument into the tissue, the upper mechanism moves along the long axis while the lower mechanism remains substantially fixed, thereby limiting movement of the medical instrument in a plane perpendicular to the long axis during the insertion, and

the medical instrument driver further comprises a first adapter and a second adapter, wherein the first adapter is configured to operably couple the medical instrument to the translation and rotational mechanism, and the second adapter is configured so as to operably couple the medical instrument to the distal support.

18. An apparatus for causing a medical instrument to be inserted into tissue, said apparatus comprising:

a robotic device having an arm that is movable in one or more dimensions;

a medical instrument driver operably coupled to the medical instrument and operably coupled to the robotic arm, wherein the robotic arm is movable so as to position the medical instrument driver with respect to a target area, wherein said medical instrument driver includes:

an upper mechanism having a translation and rotational mechanism operably coupled to a proximal portion of the medical instrument via a proximal portion of the robotic arm, the translation and rotational mechanism including:

a translation structure being configured to move the medical instrument along a long axis of the medical instrument responsive to rotational movement of an end of such structure, and

a rotational structure configured to rotate the medical instrument about the long axis as the medical instrument moves along the long axis; and

a lower mechanism having a distal support operably coupled to a distal portion of the robotic arm and which is distal from the translation and rotational mechanism, said distal support including an aperture in which a distal portion of the medical instrument is slidably disposed, wherein

the distal support and the translation and rotational mechanism are arranged so the distal portion of the medical instrument moves through and exits the distal support through the aperture such that an insertable end of the medical instrument is capable of being inserted into the tissue of the patient,

during insertion of the medical instrument into the tissue, the upper mechanism moves along the long axis while the lower mechanism remains substantially fixed, thereby limiting movement of the medical instrument in a plane perpendicular to the long axis during the insertion, and

the apparatus further comprises a first adapter and a second adapter, wherein the first adapter is configured to operably couple the medical instrument to the translation and rotational mechanism, and the second adapter is configured so as to operably couple the medical instrument to the distal support.