Robert Ailinger - Norwood MA Stephen Martone - Westford MA
Assignee:
Vision Sciences, Inc. - Natick MA
International Classification:
A61B 100
US Classification:
600121, 600124
Abstract:
A thin-walled elastic sheath that can be stretched axially over an elongated imaging device to closely conform to the device and isolate the device from an external environment, and a method of forming such a sheath, are shown and described. The method includes the steps of heating at least a portion of a sheet of an elastomeric material to an elevated temperature to form a malleable heated portion of the sheet, pressing an elongated forming tool against the sheet at a location central with respect to the heated portion of the sheet, stretching the heated portion of the elastomeric material with the forming tool until an elastic conforming portion of the sheet is conformed to at least a portion of the length of the forming tool, and removing the forming tool from the conforming portion of the sheet to leave the thin-walled, elastic sheath having a wall thickness approximately equal to or less than 0. 006 inches.
Sheath Apparatus For Endoscopes And Methods For Forming Same
Robert E. Ailinger - Norwood MA Stephen M. Martone - Westford MA Katsumi Oneda - Alpine NJ Mark S. Landman - Sharon MA
Assignee:
Vision Sciences, Inc. - Natick MA
International Classification:
A61B 104
US Classification:
600121, 600114
Abstract:
A thin-walled elastic sheath that can be stretched axially over an elongated imaging device to closely conform to the device and isolate the device from an external environment, and a method of forming such a sheath, are shown and described. The method includes the steps of heating at least a portion of a sheet of an elastomeric material to an elevated temperature to form a malleable heated portion of the sheet, pressing an elongated forming tool against the sheet at a location central with respect to the heated portion of the sheet, stretching the heated portion of the elastomeric material with the forming tool until an elastic conforming portion of the sheet is conformed to at least a portion of the length of the forming tool, and removing the forming tool from the conforming portion of the sheet to leave the thin-walled, elastic sheath having a wall thickness approximately equal to or less than 0. 006 inches.
Apparatus And Method For Forming Thin-Walled Elastic Components From An Elastomeric Material
Robert Ailinger - Norwood MA Stephen Martone - Westford MA
Assignee:
Vision Sciences, Inc. - Natick MA
International Classification:
A61B 100
US Classification:
600121, 600920
Abstract:
A thin-walled elastic sheath that can be stretched axially over an elongated imaging device to closely conform to the device and isolate the device from an external environment, and a method of forming such a sheath, are shown and described. The method includes the steps of heating at least a portion of a sheet of an elastomeric material to an elevated temperature to form a malleable heated portion of the sheet, pressing an elongated forming tool against the sheet at a location central with respect to the heated portion of the sheet, stretching the heated portion of the elastomeric material with the forming tool until an elastic conforming portion of the sheet is conformed to at least a portion of the length of the forming tool, and removing the forming tool from the conforming portion of the sheet to leave the thin-walled, elastic sheath having a wall thickness approximately equal to or less than 0. 006 inches.
David L. Brock - Natick MA, US Woojin Lee - Hopkinton MA, US Gary Rogers - Wenham MA, US Barry Weitzner - Acton MA, US Robert E. Ailinger - Norwood MA, US
Assignee:
Hansen Medical, Inc. - Mountain View CA
International Classification:
A61B 19/00
US Classification:
606130, 606 1
Abstract:
A remote control flexible instrument system, employing a shaft which supports a tool, is described in which the has proximal and distal ends with at least a portion thereof extending through a lumen of the human body so as to locate the shaft at an internal target site. A master station including an input device provides control of the instrument situated at a slave station. The master station can control at least one degree-of-freedom of the flexible instrument. A controller intercouples the master and slave stations and is operated in accordance with a computer algorithm that receives a command from the input device for controlling at least one degree-of-freedom of the catheter so as to respond in accordance with action at the input device. The flexible instrument further comprises a controlled flexible segment along the shaft, for controlled bending at the flexible segment to guide the shaft and to dispose the tool at an operative site.
Woojin Lee - Hopkinton MA, US Andres Chamorro, III - Arlington MA, US Robert Ailinger - Norwood MA, US Dwight Meglan - Westwood MA, US
Assignee:
Hansen Medical, Inc. - Mountain View CA
International Classification:
A61B 17/00
US Classification:
606 1, 606130, 606205
Abstract:
A robotically controlled surgical instrument includes a first jaw and a second jaw used to grasp an item, and a drive mechanism that increases the force applied to the item grasped. The drive mechanism and the jaws can be provided with an accommodating mechanism that allows continued movement of the drive mechanism towards a locked position even after the jaws contact a larger item so that the drive mechanism can move to the locked position when grasping items of different sizes.
A camera assembly for positioning within a bodily passageway, including a camera, a catheter adapted to retain the camera, and a rotary coupling interconnecting the catheter and the camera. The catheter is provided with helically-wound threads thereon. The rotary coupling permits the catheter to rotate and thereby move axially while the camera remains rotationally stationary.
Barry D. Weitzner - Acton MA, US Gary S. Rogers - Wenham MA, US Albert Solbjor - Waltham MA, US Dwight Meglan - Westwood MA, US Robert Ailinger - Norwood MA, US David L. Brock - Natick MA, US Woojin Lee - Hopkinton MA, US David Driscoll - Milton MA, US
Assignee:
Hansen Medical, Inc. - Mountain View CA
International Classification:
A61B 1/005
US Classification:
600102, 600117, 600118, 128898
Abstract:
A method of performing a medical procedure on a patient comprises introducing a medical instrument into a patient (e. g. , percutaneously), conveying control signals from a remote controller to a drive unit, and operating the drive unit in accordance with the control signals to actuate the tool located on the medical instrument to secure a stent to an anatomical vessel (e. g. , a blood vessel, such as an abdominal aorta). The tool may be a sewing tool that is controlled to stitch the stent to the anatomical vessel. In one method, the control signals are conveyed from the remote controller to the drive unit in response to user commands. The user commands may be movements made at a user interface that correspond to movements of the medical instrument.