Intelligent Fiber Optic Systems, Inc.

The University of Texas System

Seok Chang Ryu

Behzad M Moslehi

Richard James Black

Mark R Cutkosky

Vahid Sotoudeh

Joannes Mario Costa

Fereydoun Faridian

Levy Oblea

Shivanand Pattanshetti

Rohith Karthikeyan

A biopsy needle has a cylindrical shell outer cannula and a stylet consisting of an inner stylet and outer stylet, both of which are inserted into the cylindrical cannula. The outer stylet has a series of strain relieved slits which provide bending over a deflection region in one direction, and the outer stylet is formed from a material such as a shape memory alloy (SMA) having a superelastic phase. The deflection is generated by an SMA wire spanning a deflection extent and attached to the outer stylet on either side of the deflection extent. The inner stylet, when positioned inside the outer stylet, has one or more actuation fibers which couple optical energy into the SMA wire or hollow SMA tube, causing a deflection of the outer stylet over the deflection extent, with the optical energy provided to the actuation fibers for control of the deflection. Additional fibers may be placed in the inner stylet to measure temperature and to measure deflection.

Steerable biopsy needle with fiber-activated shape memory alloy

A biopsy needle has a cylindrical shell outer cannula and a stylet consisting of an inner stylet and outer stylet, both of which are inserted into the cylindrical cannula. The outer stylet has a series of strain relieved slits which provide bending over a deflection region in one direction, and the outer stylet is formed from a material such as a shape memory alloy (SMA) having a superelastic phase. The deflection is generated by an SMA wire spanning a deflection extent and attached to the outer stylet on either side of the deflection extent. The inner stylet, when positioned inside the outer stylet, has one or more actuation fibers which couple optical energy into the SMA wire, causing a deflection of the outer stylet over the deflection extent, with the optical energy provided to the actuation fibers for control of the deflection. Additional fibers may be placed in the inner stylet to measure temperature and to measure deflection.

Shape sensing biopsy needle

Embodiments disclosed herein are directed to surgical cannulas and methods relating thereto. In some embodiments, a method includes cutting one or more lines in a tubular member to form a tubular body and a hinge of a surgical cannula. In some embodiments, a surgical cannula includes a fiber brag grating (FBG) reflector mounted to a tendon for deflecting a distal tip of the surgical cannula. A controller is coupled to the FBG reflector and is configured to determine a tension in the tendon based on reflected light from the FBG reflector. In some embodiments, a surgical cannula includes a tubular body including a plurality of apertures extending therethrough.

Surgical cannulas and related methods

A biopsy needle has a cylindrical shell outer cannula and a stylet consisting of an inner stylet and outer stylet, both of which are inserted into the cylindrical cannula. The outer stylet has a series of strain relieved slits which provide bending over a deflection region in one direction, and the outer stylet is formed from a material such as a shape memory alloy (SMA) having a superelastic phase. The deflection is generated by an SMA wire spanning a deflection extent and attached to the outer stylet on either side of the deflection extent. The inner stylet, when positioned inside the outer stylet, has one or more actuation fibers which couple optical energy into the SMA wire, causing a deflection of the outer stylet over the deflection extent, with the optical energy provided to the actuation fibers for control of the deflection.

Steerable biopsy needle

Growing community of inventors

College Station, TX, United States of America

Seok Chang Ryu