Johns Hopkins University

Other

Dan Stoianovici

Louis R Kavoussi

Doru Petrisor

Dumitru Mazilu

Alexandru Patriciu

Louis Litchfield Whitcomb

Russell H Taylor

Jean-Paul Wolinsky

Misop Han

Lucian Gruionu

Chunwoo Kim

Sunghwan Lim

Keenan A Wyrobek

Gabor Fichtinger

Mohamad Allaf

Changhan Jun

Wesley Warren Ludwig

Brian Matlaga

Richard Matthew Wiard

Stephen Jackman

Stephen A Basile

Roger D Demaree

Jeffrey A Cadeddu

Ioan Julian Iordachita

Peter Sebrechts

Doyoung Chang

Felix Schafer

Alexandru Patricui

An embodiment in accordance with the present invention provides a remote center of motion robot. The RCM here is a parallelogram bar type RCM mechanism with a novel joint arrangement. The novel joint arrangement facilitates the mounting of the medical instrument and offers improved clearance relative to the patient. Moreover, the robot was built to guide a bone biopsy cannula, needle, or drill. Even though exact interventional values are unknown, it is expected that the forces exerted laterally on the needle-guide are higher than those encountered for slender needle insertion into soft tissue. For this, the RCM has been built with novel structure to enhance stiffness.

Remote center of motion robot

An embodiment in accordance with the present invention provides a robot structure that includes an MM-Safe pneumatic stepper motor and optical encoding technologies. The present invention includes a needle guide and a needle depth limiter. The needle for biopsy is inserted through the needle guide and the depth of inserting is limited by the needle depth limiter. The robot is configured to control this procedure. The robot structure is adapted for biopsy, a novel way of setting the depth of needle insertion, image-to-robot registration. The system includes control for the robot.

Needle-guide robot with preset depth of insertion

Featured is a vertebral body manipulation instrument or vertebral body manipulation device being configured and arranged to allow correction of vertebral translation. Such a vertebral body manipulation device embodies one or more identical modules that are configured as needed for correcting the deformity. Such a vertebral body manipulation device also is usable in combination with a plurality of vertebral anchors, such vertebral anchors being any such vertebral anchors as are known to those skilled in the art (e.g., conventional spinal pedicle screw instrumentation) or hereinafter developed so as to form a spinal implant system. Also featured are treatment methods utilizing such a vertebral body manipulation device.

Vertebral body manipulation device and methods

An embodiment in accordance with the present invention provides a method for accurate and objective quantification of stone fragment size. The method includes intraoperative measurement of objects during URS. The method analyzes URS procedures for ureteral and renal stones during basket extraction of fragments. An instrument is passed through an instrument channel of the ureteroscope and advanced until it is adjacent to the stone fragment to be measured. The measurement of stone fragment size is based on the known distance of a tip of the instrument in the ureteroscope's visual field.

Method of size measurement in mono-vision scope image

A novel way of mounting a harmonic drive gearhead to a cylindrically shaped motor reduces the overall size of the actuator assembly. Specifically, the motor is mounted within the harmonic drive and its bearings, a space that is typically occupied by a harmonic drive component. This is made possible by redesigning the harmonic drive such that it is able to surround the motor and provide for a compact footprint for the actuator assembly.

Harmonic drive actuator gearhead

Featured is a robot and a needle delivery apparatus. Such a robot comprises a plurality of actuators coupled to control locating any of number of intervention specific medical devices such as intervention specific needle injectors. Such a robot is usable with image guided interventions using any of a number of types of medical imaging devices or apparatuses including MRI. The end-effector can include an automated low needle delivery apparatus that is configured for dose radiation seed brachytherapy injection. Also featured is an automated seed magazine for delivering seeds to such an needle delivery apparatus adapted for brachytherapy seed injection.

Multi-imager compatible robot for image-guided interventions and fully automated brachytherapy seed

An embodiment in accordance with the present invention provides a robot structure that includes an MRI-Safe pneumatic stepper motor and optical encoding technologies. The present invention includes a needle guide and a needle depth limiter. The needle for biopsy is inserted through the needle guide and the depth of inserting is limited by the needle depth limiter. The robot is configured to control this procedure. The robot structure is adapted for biopsy, a novel way of setting the depth of needle insertion, image-to-robot registration. The system includes control for the robot.

The present invention is directed to a method for calculating tumor detection probability of a biopsy plan and for generating a 3D biopsy plan that maximizes tumor detection probability. A capsule shaped volume is modeled to represent the volume that a biopsy core may sample. An optimization method is used to generate a 3D biopsy plan that maximizes probability of tumor detection for predefined biopsy core numbers and length. Risk of detecting insignificant tumors, also determined by size, and probability of a false negative result is automatically calculated. The present invention also includes a method to determine number and length of biopsy cores required for individual patients determined by the balance of the insignificant/significant probability of detection, prostate size and shape, based upon the previously explained 3D biopsy plan generation method.

Geometric biopsy plan optimization

Featured is a medical instrument driver, a robotic apparatus embodying such a medical instrument driver and methods related thereto for inserting a medical instrument into tissue of a mammal (e.g., human). Such medical instruments include medical needles, biopsy needles, trocars, cutters and introducers. Such a medical instrument driver according to the present invention is configured and arranged so that medical instrument is rotated as it is being moved longitudinally for insertion into the tissue such that the medical instrument is spiraling as it pierces and traverses the tissue to the target area.

Rotating needle driver and apparatuses and methods related thereto

The Vertebral Osteotomy Saw Guide allows precise osteotomies to be performed through the vertebral column in conjunction with a thread-wire saw. The guide is designed so that it can mount to rods commonly used during spinal surgery for spinal stabilization. The mount of the guide is a polyaxial mount, allowing the angle of the guide mount to be adjusted and locked to create a desired cutting plane to produce a precise osteotomy. The guide itself consists of two interdigitated pulley wheels that allow the thread-wire saw to pass smoothly through the guide. The simple, but unique design of the guide allows a surgeon to perform an osteotomy through the vertebral column cutting from one side of the vertebral column to the other. This unique orientation allows the osteotomy to be performed away from critical structures in the region (the spinal cord, aorta, and inferior vena cava).

Vetebral osteotomy saw guide

An embodiment in accordance with the present invention provides a device and method for a transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) guided prostate biopsy. The device includes an ultrasound wand equipped with a lateral fire ultrasound sensor. The ultrasound wand also defines a channel having an oblique path though the wand. The channel accommodates a biopsy needle, which can be pivoted as well inserted through the channel to different depths in order to perform a biopsy of the prostate. The device therefore uses only three degrees-of-freedom of movement in order to obtain the biopsy samples. Additionally, the ultrasound wand can be used to generate a three-dimensional image of the prostate.

Cohesive robot-ultrasound probe for prostate biopsy

A stepper motor suitable for use in a medical imaging environment has (a) a cylindrical central gear having an external surface with circumferentially distributed and radially directed teeth, (b) a shaft for mounting the central gear such that it is constrained to move in rotational motion about its centerline, (c) a cylindrical hoop gear having a bore with an internal surface having circumferentially distributed and radially directed teeth, (d) level arm crank mechanisms for mounting the hoop gear such that it is constrained to move in translational-circular motion about the central gear's centerline, wherein this central gear is further configured to fit within the hoop gear's bore in such a manner that a plurality of the central gear and hoop gear teeth intermesh and cooperate so that the planetary movement of the hoop gear causes the central gear to rotate, and (e) piston mechanisms for applying a fluid pressure driven force to specified points on the hoop gear so as to cause its movement.

Pneumatic stepper motor

An MRI safe robot for guiding transrectal prostate biopsy comprises a support arm, a robot body operatively connected to the support arm and a transrectal biopsy device operatively connected to the robot body. The transrectal biopsy device includes an endorectal extension and a biopsy needle device, the endorectal extension including an MRI coil for MRI imaging of the prostate. The robot body includes a first driver module for generating rotational motion of the endorectal extension and a second driver module for angulating the biopsy needle device toward a target area of the prostate for biopsy. The biopsy needle device is rotatable relative to the endorectal extension about a fixed axis and translatable through the endorectal extension. Each of the first and second driver modules include at least one pneumatic motor, wherein the MRI images are used by a physician to determine the target area for biopsy.

Growing community of inventors

Baltimore, MD, United States of America

Dan Stoianovici