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EP-4740990-A1 - SYSTEM AND HAPTIC FEEDBACK DEVICE TO PROVIDE HAPTIC FEEDBACK

EP4740990A1EP 4740990 A1EP4740990 A1EP 4740990A1EP-4740990-A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system (1000) providing a haptic feedback improving its functionality. The system (1000) comprises a haptic feedback device (100) and communicates with a catheter (110). In operation, the haptic feedback device (100) forms a strap and each of the plurality of actuating regions (104) is arranged along a circumference a of the haptic feedback device (100). Further, in operation spatial information is transmitted from at least one of a plurality of sensing locations (112) to the haptic feedback device (100) and in accordance with the transmitted spatial information at least one of the plurality of actuating regions (104) is actuated to provide the haptic feedback. Further, the present invention relates to a haptic feedback device (100) for providing a haptic feedback. The haptic feedback device (100) comprises a main body (102) and a plurality of actuating regions (104) that each comprise one actuator (106) and at least one ball element (108). The actuator (106) of one actuating region (104) can be actuated independently of the actuators (106) of the other actuating regions (104) to provide the haptic feedback. Further, in operation, the actuator (106) is actuated based on a signal from a catheter (110).

Inventors

  • MCDERMOTT, BERNARD
  • OPALINSKA, Marta Edyta
  • HART, STEPHEN

Assignees

  • Creganna Unlimited Company
  • TE Connectivity Solutions GmbH

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20241112

Claims (15)

  1. System (1000) for providing haptic feedback, the system (1000) comprising a catheter (110) and a haptic feedback device (100); wherein the catheter (110) communicates with the haptic feedback device (100); wherein of the haptic feedback device (100) comprises a main body (102) and a plurality of actuating regions (104); wherein, in operation, the haptic feedback device (100) forms a strap and each of the plurality of actuating regions (104) is arranged along a circumference (a) of the haptic feedback device (100); and wherein the catheter (110) comprises a plurality of sensing locations (112) arranged along a circumference (b) of a distal tip (113) of the catheter (110); wherein, in operation, spatial information is transmitted from at least one of the plurality of sensing locations (112) to the haptic feedback device (100) and wherein in accordance with the transmitted spatial information at least one of the plurality of actuating regions (104) is actuated to provide the haptic feedback.
  2. The system (1000) according to claim 1, wherein the number of actuating regions (104) corresponds to the number of sensing locations (112); and wherein, in operation, a spatial arrangement of the plurality of actuating regions (104) along the circumference (a) of the haptic feedback device (100) corresponds to a spatial arrangement of the plurality of sensing locations (112) along the circumference (b) of the distal tip (113).
  3. The system (1000) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the sensing locations (112) comprise tactile sensors, capacitive sensors or resistive sensors; wherein each of the plurality of actuating regions (104) of the haptic feedback device (100) comprises one actuator (106) and at least one ball element (108); wherein the actuator (106) of one actuating region (104) can be actuated independently of the actuators (106) of the other actuating regions (104) to provide the haptic feedback.
  4. The system (1000) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the haptic feedback indicates a force that is exerted on the catheter (110) and wherein a magnitude of the haptic feedback can be varied in accordance with a magnitude of the force as exerted on the catheter (110).
  5. The system (1000) according to claim 2, wherein the actuation of one of the plurality of actuating regions (104) indicates that a force is exerted on the sensing location (112) having a spatial position that corresponds to a respective spatial position of the said actuated actuating region (104).
  6. The system (1000) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the haptic feedback device (100) comprises at least four actuating regions (104) and wherein the catheter (110) comprises at least four sensing locations (112).
  7. Haptic feedback device (100) for providing a haptic feedback, the haptic feedback device (100) comprising: a main body (102) and a plurality of actuating regions (104); wherein each of the plurality of actuating regions is arranged along a length (a) of the haptic feedback device (100); and wherein each of the plurality of actuating regions (104) comprises one actuator (106) and at least one ball element (108); wherein the actuator (106) of one actuating region (104) can be actuated independently of the actuators (106) of the other actuating regions (104) to provide the haptic feedback; wherein, in operation, the haptic feedback device (100) communicates with a catheter (110) and wherein, in operation, the actuator (106) of the plurality of actuating regions (104) is actuated based on a signal from the catheter (110).
  8. The haptic feedback device (100) according to claim 7, wherein the main body (102) is formed from a silicone having a first hardness and each actuating region (104) is formed from a silicone having a second hardness, the second hardness being different from the first hardness.
  9. The haptic feedback device (100) according to one of claims 7 or 8, wherein the at least one ball element (108) of each actuating region (104) is arranged above the respective actuator (106) and is molded into a polymer having a different material composition than the main body (102) and the respective actuating region (104).
  10. The haptic feedback device (100) according to one of claims 7 to 9, wherein each of the plurality of actuating regions (104) comprises three ball elements (108).
  11. The haptic feedback device (100) according to one of claims 7 to 10, wherein the haptic feedback device (100) is wearable by an operator (118) and in operation provides the haptic feedback to the operator (118) based on the signal from the catheter (110).
  12. The haptic feedback device (100) according to claim 11, wherein the haptic feedback indicates a force that is exerted on the catheter (110) and wherein a magnitude of the haptic feedback can be varied in accordance with the magnitude of the force as exerted on the catheter (110).
  13. The haptic feedback device (100) according to one of claims 11 or 12, wherein the haptic feedback device (100) provides a directional haptic feedback to the operator (118) and wherein the directional haptic feedback indicates a location of the force as exerted on the catheter (110).
  14. The haptic feedback device (100) according to one claims 7 to 13, wherein the haptic feedback device (100) is connectable to a processing and storing mechanism, wherein, in operation, the haptic feedback device (100) collects and processes operational data and stores the data at the storing mechanism.
  15. The haptic feedback device (100) according to one of claims 7 to 14, wherein the actuators (106) of the plurality of actuating regions (104) comprise piezoelectric actuators and/or wherein the actuators (106) of the plurality of actuating regions (104) comprise eccentric rotating mass actuators and/or wherein the actuators (106) of the plurality of actuating regions (104) comprise linear resonant actuators.

Description

The present disclosure relates to a system and a haptic feedback device for providing haptic feedback. Minimally invasive intravascular procedures allow the performance of therapeutic treatments of locations within a patient's body while requiring only relatively small access incisions. An intravascular procedure may, for example eliminate the need for open-heart surgery, reducing risks, costs, and time associated with an open-heart procedure. The intravascular procedure also enables faster recovery times with lower associated costs and risks of complication. An example of an intravascular procedure that significantly reduces procedure and recovery time and cost over conventional surgery is a heart valve replacement or repair procedure in which an artificial valve or valve repair device is guided to the heart through the patient's vasculature. For example, in a TAVR (transcatheter aortic valve replacement) procedure an aortic valve replacement device typically enters the femoral artery through a small incision in the groin area and traverses up the aorta, around the aortic arch to the location of the aortic valve where the prosthetic valve is deployed inside the native valve, taking over its function. Furthermore, the present disclosure is also applicable to various other minimally invasive procedures in which a catheter needs to be moved within a cavity, while minimizing the potential damage to boundaries of the cavity. Interventional physicians generally use x-ray fluoroscopy for navigation and visualization of transcatheter delivery devices and procedures. This requires the physician to spend extensive hours standing in the x-ray fields with head and hands exposed to x-rays and bodies protected by heavy protective aprons. This has long-term health implications both from exposure to x-rays and orthopedic issues. Visualization of tissue using fluoroscopy is generally poor with use of enhancing contrast limited due to toxic effects on patients. Many procedures are carried out in calcified or weak and diseased tissues and there are risks that excessive device tip contact can result in damage to the vessels and can cause embolic debris to be released into bloodstream potentially causing strokes. Physicians have very little to no tactile discrimination of tissue texture, roughness, density or features at the device tip. These problems are solved by the subject-matter of the independent claims. Advantageous examples are the subject-matter of the dependent claims. The general idea is to provide an array of sensors on the distal end of an interventional device in an orientation around the circumference of the device with an interface device with the same spatial orientation of haptic interfaces as the orientation of sensors. This preferably allows the user to determine the location of contact of the catheter tip and the contact force at that location. Such an interface device can be a band to be placed on the wrist on the wrist or alternately on a finger, arm or other suitable area. Such distally located tactile sensors on trans-catheter devices will assist atraumatic navigation through various anatomies. For example: can allow the determination of TAVR device tip forces against the aortic arch wall during placement, monitoring of crossing device pressure on the septum and indications of catheter tip forces to aid tracking and navigation through tortuous anatomies. Contact force feedback will allow the physician to reduce the contact force by adjusting the position of the catheter tip by rotation of the distal end, by withdrawing and advancing at a different tip angle, by reducing force or speed of advancement, by steering the tip away from contact or other means. Such a system will also reduce reliance on fluoroscopy for navigation and enable robotic assisted procedures, thereby reducing x-ray exposure to the surgical team and allowing specialists to perform procedures remotely. Such devices will act as an extension of physicians hand inside the anatomy to allow a sense of touch and tactile discrimination of texture, roughness, density and geometries. This will facilitate the detection of specific features by internal palpation such as lumps or tumors. Such devices may also find use as training aids for inexperienced practitioners. Such navigation devices can improve efficacy and outcomes of both non-robotic and robotically assisted procedures. In particular, the present disclosure is based on the idea to provide a haptic feedback device and further to provide a system that includes this haptic feedback device and a catheter. The haptic feedback device as described below and the system for providing the haptic feedback both individually solve the above-identified problems. The haptic feedback device provides feedback by actuating individual parts of the feedback device and the system uses an advantageous arrangement between the sensing parts at the catheter and the actuating parts at the feedback device to provi