Method of robotically performing a neurovascular procedure

Inventors

Lau, Lilip

Assignees

Imperative Care Inc

Abstract

A method of performing a neurovascular procedure includes the steps of providing an access catheter having an access catheter hub; coupling the access catheter hub to a hub adapter, movably carried by a support table; driving the access catheter in response to movement of the hub adapter along the table until the access catheter is positioned to achieve supra-aortic vessel access; removing the access catheter and access catheter hub from the hub adapter; and coupling a procedure catheter hub having a procedure catheter to the hub adapter.

Core Innovation

The invention provides a method of performing a neurovascular procedure using a robotically driven access catheter system that achieves supra-aortic vessel access. An access catheter is coupled to a catheter hub, and the access catheter hub is magnetically coupled to a hub adapter across a sterile barrier. Axial movement of the hub adapter causes a magnetic force across the sterile barrier on the catheter hub, producing axial movement of the catheter hub and the access catheter along the sterile barrier, with the hub adapter being axially movably carried by a support table.

The method drives the access catheter axially in response to movement of the hub adapter until the access catheter is positioned to achieve supra-aortic vessel access. After supra-aortic vessel access is achieved, the access catheter is decoupled from the hub adapter. The method then magnetically couples a procedure catheter to the hub adapter across the sterile barrier so that the procedure catheter moves axially in response to axial movement of the hub adapter, and drives the procedure catheter axially in response to axial movement of the hub adapter along the support table.

The described system further supports embodiments in which magnetic coupling across a sterile barrier transmits axial motion while maintaining sterility, and can include hubs, drive magnets, and driven magnets configured for the hub adapter and catheter hubs. It also describes control and sensing/feedback concepts associated with the robotic drive system, including elastic force measurement using a series elastic actuator concept with magnetic coupling, and position sensing using optical, magnetic, inductive, and encoder-based approaches. The document further describes additional detection and visualization features, including bubble detection and clot visualization via a clot retrieval/filter device.

Claims Coverage

The provided independent claim is directed to a method of performing a neurovascular procedure that uses magnetic coupling across a sterile barrier to transmit axial motion from a hub adapter carried by a support table to an access catheter hub and catheter, and then to a procedure catheter hub and catheter. Independent-claim inventive features are concentrated in transmitting hub-adapter axial motion across the sterile barrier and sequencing decoupling and subsequent coupling for the procedure catheter, with dependent claims further refining magnet coupling details and sensing/force/aspiration aspects.

The claimed approach centers on transmitting axial motion across a sterile barrier using magnetic coupling between a hub adapter and catheter hubs: first to drive an access catheter to supra-aortic vessel access, then to decouple, and subsequently to magnetically couple and drive a procedure catheter axially in response to the hub adapter’s axial motion.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications