IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,660,988
Granted Patent B2
US 12,660,988 · App. 17/678,070 · Granted Jun 23, 2026

Device for automatically inserting and manipulating a medical tool into and within a bodily lumen

Inventors: Simon Sharon (Zichron Yaacov, IL); Idan Boader (Carmiel, IL); Evgeny Kofman (Kiriat-Motzkin, IL); Moshe Shoham (Hoshaya, IL); Eran Cohen (Kiryat-Tivon, IL); Eyal Morag (Tel Aviv, IL)
Assignees: Microbot Medical Ltd.; Technion Research & Development Foundation Limited
A61B1/00147A61B34/30A61B34/35A61B34/37A61B34/70A61M25/0113A61M25/09041B25J9/0021B25J9/102A61B2017/00477A61B2034/301A61M2025/0042A61M2025/0253
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,660,988
App. No.
17/678,070
Filed
Feb 23, 2022
Granted
Jun 23, 2026
Kind
B2
Art Unit
3771
USPC
606/108
Abstract

A compact robotic device for driving movement of two or more elongate surgical tools configured for a telescopic arrangement when said two or more elongate surgical tools are at least partially received within said device, the device comprising: a housing comprising walls which define an inner volume including at least two inner pathways for accommodating the two or more elongate surgical tools; the housing encasing: a plurality of motors, and two or more tool actuation assemblies configured at a position of each of the two or more inner pathways; the actuation assemblies driven by the plurality of motors and configured to operably contact an elongate surgical tool at least partially received in the inner pathway to at least one of advance, retract and/or roll said elongate surgical tool.

Claims (33)

1 . A compact robotic device for driving movement of two or more elongate surgical tools when said two or more elongate surgical tools are at least partially received within said device, said device comprising:

a housing comprising walls which define a shared inner volume; said housing encasing, within said shared inner volume:

at least two inner pathways for accommodating at least a portion of each of said two or more elongate surgical tools;

a plurality of motors;

two or more tool actuation assemblies, each of said two or more actuation assemblies configured at a position of one of said two or more inner pathways; each of said two or more actuation assemblies driven by at least one of said plurality of motors, each of said two or more actuation assemblies configured to operably contact at least one of said two or more elongate surgical tools when said two or more elongate surgical tools are at least partially received in said at least two inner pathways respectively;

wherein all actuation assemblies from said two or more actuation assemblies are contained within said housing;

wherein said plurality of motors are in direct contact with said two or more actuation assemblies within said shared inner volume;

wherein the walls of said housing define at least two entry apertures and at least two exit apertures for the two or more elongate surgical tools such that one entry aperture of the at least two entry apertures and one exit aperture of the at least two exit apertures are located on a first wall of the walls of the housing and a second entry aperture of the at least two entry apertures and a second exit aperture of the at least two exit apertures are located on a second wall opposite the first wall.

2 . The robotic device according to claim 1 , wherein said plurality of motors are in direct contact with said two or more actuation assemblies within said shared inner volume and without any wall, drape, shield or sterile protection separating them.

3 . The robotic device according to claim 1 , wherein each of said two or more inner pathways extends across said inner volume between an entry aperture and an exit aperture, said entry aperture and said exit aperture being configured on opposite walls of said device housing and in communication with said inner volume.

4 . The robotic device according to claim 1 , wherein said at least two inner pathways are parallel to each other and have a similar axial extent.

5 . The robotic device according to claim 1 , wherein each of said actuation assemblies comprises a plurality of wheel pairs, each wheel pair comprising a set of opposing wheels arranged to define said inner pathway therebetween.

6 . The robotic device according to claim 5 , wherein said opposing wheels are configured to rotate to advance or retract said elongate surgical tool within said inner pathway.

7 . The robotic device according to claim 6 , wherein at least some of said opposing wheels are also configured to rotate with said elongate surgical tool along an elongate axis of said elongate surgical tool.

8 . The robotic device according to claim 1 , wherein said tool actuation assemblies are both confined within said walls of said housing, and wherein only portions of said two or more elongate surgical tools, when received within said device, extend outwardly from said walls of said housing to a distance of at least 1 cm away from said housing.

9 . The robotic device according to claim 1 , wherein said inner volume is smaller than 2800 cm^3 and wherein said device has a weight of less than 850 grams.

10 . The robotic device according to claim 1 , wherein dimensions of said housing include a height shorter than 30 cm, a width shorter than 30 cm, a length shorter than 30 cm; wherein each of said at least two inner pathways extends axially along said length.

11 . The robotic device according to claim 1 , wherein said two or more elongate surgical tools include a guidewire and a microcatheter, the guidewire configured to at least partially extend through a lumen of said microcatheter.

12 . The robotic device according to claim 1 , comprising a controller configured to control said plurality of motors for driving said two or more actuation assemblies.

13 . The robotic device according to claim 12 , wherein said controller is controlled remotely by an external remote control device.

14 . The robotic device according to claim 1 , wherein said plurality of motors are positioned along said at least two inner pathways.

15 . The robotic device according to claim 1 , wherein each of said two or more tool actuation assemblies is positioned and configured to at least partially restrict movement of said elongate surgical tool received within said inner pathway.

16 . The robotic device according to claim 1 , wherein one or more of said two or more elongate surgical tools, when received within said inner pathway, extends outwardly from said walls of said housing and forms a curve relative to the external side of said walls.

17 . The robotic device according to claim 1 , wherein each of said two or more tool actuation assemblies is configured to roll and/or linearly translate said elongate surgical tool operably contacted by said actuation assembly.

18 . The robotic device according to claim 1 , comprising a third actuation assembly.

19 . The robotic device according to claim 18 , wherein said third actuation assembly is located within said housing and is operably connected to a fixation location located externally to said housing to move a third elongate surgical tool connected at said fixation location.

20 . A kit comprising:

a robotic device according to claim 1 ;

a guidewire for loading onto said device such that at least a portion of said guidewire extends along one of said at least two inner pathways;

a microcatheter for loading onto said device such that at least a portion of said microcatheter extends along a second of said at least two inner pathways.

21 . A surgical system comprising:

a robotic device according to claim 1 ;

an add-on unit for driving movement of a guiding catheter, said add-on unit mechanically attachable to said housing of said robotic device.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 2, 2022
From: SHARON, SIMON; BOADER, IDAN; KOFMAN, EVGENY; COHEN, ERAN; MORAG, EYAL
To: MICROBOT MEDICAL LTD.
Reel/Frame 059140/0691 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 2, 2022
From: SHOHAM, MOSHE
To: TECHNION RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION LIMITED
Reel/Frame 059281/0136 →
Continuity (5)
Continuation 17233774 · Apr 19, 2021
Continuation In Part PCTIL2020051226 · Nov 26, 2020
Provisional Application 63082508 · Sep 24, 2020
Provisional Application 62941842 · Nov 28, 2019
Related Publication 20220296321A1 · Sep 22, 2022
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