Insertable device and system for minimal access procedure

Abstract

The present invention provides a system and single or multi-functional element device that can be inserted and temporarily placed or implanted into a structure having a lumen or hollow space, such as a subject's abdominal cavity to provide therewith access to the site of interest in connection with minimally invasive surgical procedures. The insertable device may be configured such that the functional elements have various degrees of freedom of movement with respect to orienting the functional elements or elements to provide access to the site from multiple and different orientations/perspectives as the procedure dictates, e.g., to provide multiple selectable views of the site, and may provide a stereoscopic view of the site of interest.

1 . A device insertable into a structure having a lumen, comprising: 
 a first housing;    at least one functional element movably connected to the first housing; and    at least one actuating element connected to the first housing and the functional element for moving the functional element in relation to the first housing in a first degree of rotational freedom essentially orthogonal to an elongated axis of the device for retracting and extracting the functional element from the first housing.    
     
     
         2 . The insertable device of  claim 1 , wherein the functional element comprises a data acquisition device.  
     
     
         3 . The insertable device of  claim 2 , wherein the data acquisition device is selected from the group comprising a camera element, a sensor, an ultrasound probe, and a haptic feedback device.  
     
     
         4 . The insertable device of  claim 2 , wherein the sensor is selected from the group comprising an oxygen sensor, a stress or strain sensor, a temperature sensor, and a pressure sensor.  
     
     
         5 . The insertable device of  claim 1 , wherein the functional element comprises an effector.  
     
     
         6 . The insertable device of  claim 5 , wherein the effector is selected from the group comprising a light, a laser, a dissecting instrument, a needle, a grasper, a scalpel, a diathermy instrument, a cautery instrument, a suturing instrument, and a stapling instrument.  
     
     
         7 . The insertable device of  claim 1 , wherein the functional element comprises a camera element comprising one of a CMOS imaging sensor and a CCD image sensor.  
     
     
         8 . The insertable device of  claim 1 , wherein the functional element is a camera element that comprises a lens housing having a lens therein, and an imaging sensor mounted in the lens housing for making focal adjustments.  
     
     
         9 . The insertable device of  claim 1 , wherein the functional element is movably connected to the first housing, allowing the functional element to be moved in at least one of a second degree of rotational freedom essentially inline with an elongated axis of the device and a third a third degree of translation freedom essentially inline with the elongated axis, and wherein the at least one actuating element is for moving the functional element in relation to the first housing in at least one of the second degree and the third degree of freedom.  
     
     
         10 . The insertable device of  claim 9 , wherein the at least one actuating element comprises a plurality of actuating elements, wherein each of the plurality of actuating elements is for moving the functional element in relation to the first housing in one of the degrees of freedom.  
     
     
         11 . The insertable device of  claim 1 , wherein the device is a probe-like instrument for minimal access procedures and the first housing has a tubular body.  
     
     
         12 . The insertable device of  claim 11 , wherein the probe-like instrument includes at least one selected from the group comprising an endoscope, a grasper, and a dissector.  
     
     
         13 . The insertable device of  claim 1 , comprising a second housing rotatably attached to the first housing and wherein the at least one actuating element is further connected to the second housing, the actuating element capable of moving the functional element in relation to the first housing in a second degree of rotational freedom essentially inline with an elongated axis of the device by rotating the first housing in relation to the second housing.  
     
     
         14 . The insertable device of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one functional element is movably connected to the first housing allowing the functional element to move in a third degree of translational freedom essentially inline with an elongated axis of the device, and wherein the at least one actuating element is for moving the functional element along the third degree of freedom.  
     
     
         15 . The insertable device of  claim 14 , further comprising a shuttle capable of moving in relation to the first housing along the elongated axis of the device, wherein the functional element is movably connected to the shuttle for moving the shuttle along the elongated axis.  
     
     
         16 . The insertable device of  claim 15 , further comprising a driving device and at least one electrical circuit disposed within the first housing for coupling at least one of the functional element, the shuttle, and the at least one actuating device to a driving device.  
     
     
         17 . The insertable device of  claim 16 , wherein the electrical circuit comprises at least one wire disposed within at least a portion of a length of the first housing and at least one contact associated with the shuttle, wherein the contact remains in contact with the wire as the shuttle moves within the first housing.  
     
     
         18 . The insertable device of  claim 17 , wherein the contact comprises a ball bearing disposed in a recess in the shuttle.  
     
     
         19 . The insertable device of  claim 17 , wherein the contact is biased toward the wire to maintain continuous contact with the wire as the shuttle moves within the first housing.  
     
     
         20 . The insertable device of  claim 16 , comprising at least one electrical circuit for conducting energy and at least one electrical circuit for communicating data.  
     
     
         21 . The insertable device of  claim 16 , wherein at least one of the functional element, the shuttle, and the actuating device share at least a portion of the electrical circuit.  
     
     
         22 . A device insertable into a structure having a lumen, comprising: 
 a first housing;    a second housing rotatably connected to the first housing;    at least one camera element comprising an image sensor movably connected to the first housing; and    at least one actuating element connected to the first housing and the camera element, for moving the camera element in relation to the first housing in at least one degree of freedom selected from the group consisting of: 
 a first degree of rotational freedom essentially orthogonal to an elongated axis of the device,  
 a second degree of rotational freedom essentially inline with the elongated axis, and  
 a third degree of longitudinal freedom essentially inline with the elongated axis.  
   
     
     
         23 . A minimal access system comprising a driving device communicatively connected to at least one device insertable into a structure having a lumen, wherein the insertable device comprises: 
 a first housing;    at least one functional element movably connected to the first housing; and    at least one actuating element connected to the first housing and the functional element for moving the functional element in relation to the first housing in at least one degree of freedom, and wherein the driving device comprises at least one controller that provides a driving signal to control movement of the functional element in the at least one degree of freedom.    
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the controller produces a signal for controlling the functional element.  
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 24 , wherein the functional element comprises a camera element and wherein the controller provides a signal for controlling the camera element.  
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 24 , further comprising an input device, wherein the controller controls the functional element based on signals from an input device.  
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 24 , wherein the functional element comprises an effector and wherein the controller provides a signal for operating the effector.  
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 27 , wherein the effector is selected from the group comprising a laser element, a dissecting instrument, a diathermy instrument, and a cautery instrument, and wherein the controller provides an energy signal for at least one of cutting, cauterizing, coagulating, and ablating.  
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 27 , wherein the effector is selected from the group comprising a needle, scissors, a stapling instrument, a suturing instrument, a scalpel, and a grasper and wherein the controller provides a signal for actuating the functional element.  
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the controller controls movement of the functional element at least initially based on signals from an input device.  
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 23 , further comprising an image tracking module for tracking movement of at least one object in a field of view of the camera element and wherein the functional element comprises a camera element and wherein controller controls movement of the camera element based on signals from the image tracking module.  
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein the controller controls movement of the camera element for maintaining the object in the field of view of the camera element.  
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein the image tracking module tracks movement of a user-identified object.  
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein the tracking module: 
 receives a first set of image data of a site of interest;    receives instruction regarding the at least one object represented in the first set of image data to be tracked;    receives a subsequent set of image data; and    tracks movement of the at least one object based on differences between the first set of image data and the subsequent set of data.    
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 34 , wherein the tracking module tracks the at least one object based on the object's RGB color components.  
     
     
         36 . The system of  claim 31 , further comprising an image tracking module for tracking a plurality of objects in the field of view of the camera elements wherein the functional element comprises a plurality of camera elements, and wherein the controller controls movement of the camera elements independently based on signals from the image tracking module.  
     
     
         37 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the device comprises a plurality of camera elements, and wherein the controller controls movement of the camera elements based on signals from an image tracking module that tracks movement of at least one object in a field of view of the camera element for guiding the angle of the plurality of camera elements toward the object.  
     
     
         38 . The system of  claim 27 , further comprising sensor elements.  
     
     
         39 . The system of  claim 37 , wherein the driving device integrates control of the camera elements, the sensor elements, and the effectors.  
     
     
         40 . A minimal access system comprising a driving device communicatively connected to at least one device insertable into a structure having a lumen, wherein the insertable device comprises: 
 a first housing;    at least one camera element moveably connected to the first housing for allowing the camera element to move in at least one degree of freedom; and    at least one actuating element connected to the first housing and the camera element, for moving the camera element in relation to the first housing in the at least one degree of freedom, and wherein the driving device comprises:    at least one controller for providing a driving signal for controlling movement of the camera element in the at least one degree of freedom; and    an image tracking module for tracking movement of at least one object in a field of view of the camera element, wherein the controller controls movement of the camera element based on a signal from the image tracking module for maintaining the object in the field of view of the camera element.