Patents Assigned to Auris Health, Inc.
  • Flexible and steerable elongate instruments with shape control and support elements
    Patent number: 11464586
    Abstract: An instrument having a flexible and elongated body includes at least a lumen and a flex member disposed within the lumen. The flex member may be capable of providing steering control to a first portion of the elongate body while providing load bearing support to a second portion of the elongate body. A pull wire may be disposed within the flex member, and at least a distal portion of the pull wire may be coupled to the elongate body and a proximal portion of the pull wire may be operatively coupled to a control unit. The control unit may be coupled to a proximal portion of the elongate body. In addition, a control member may be operatively coupled to the control unit such that a distal portion of the control member may be positioned near a proximal portion of the flex member. The control member may be configured to support the flex member and control the movement or displacement of the flex member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: Auris Health, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffery B. Alvarez, Enrique Romo, Francis Macnamara
  • Robot-assisted driving systems and methods
    Patent number: 11464591
    Abstract: Systems and methods for driving a flexible medical instrument to a target in an anatomical space with robotic assistance are described herein. The flexible instrument may have a tracking sensor embedded therein. An associated robotic control system may be provided, which is configured to register the flexible instrument to an anatomical image using data from the tracking sensor and identify one or more movements suitable for navigating the instrument towards an identified target. In some embodiments, the robotic control system drives or assists in driving the flexible instrument to the target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: Auris Health, Inc.
    Inventors: Sean Walker, Curtis Caton, Terence Welsh, Neha Virmani, Yu Chiu, June Park
  • Torque-based catheter articulation
    Patent number: 11452844
    Abstract: A robotic surgical system configured for the articulation of a catheter comprises an input device, a control computer, and an instrument driver having at least one motor for displacing the pull-wire of a steerable catheter wherein the control computer is configured to determine the desired motor torque or tension of the pull-wire of a catheter based on user manipulation of the input device. The control computer is configured to output the desired motor torque or tension of the pull-wire to the instrument driver, whereby at least one motor of the instrument driver implements the desired motor torque to cause the desired pull-wire tension to articulate the distal tip of the catheter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: Auris Health, Inc.
    Inventors: J. Scot Hart, Francis Macnamara
  • Advanced basket drive mode
    Patent number: 11439419
    Abstract: A robotic system includes a robotic manipulator configured to: manipulate a medical instrument having a basket; open the basket at a first opening speed and a second, faster opening speed; and close the basket at a first closing speed and a second, faster closing speed. The system includes an input device configured to receive one or more user interactions and initiate one or more actions by the robotic manipulator, including directly controlled movement and/or pre-programmed motions. Control circuitry of the robotic system is configured to: in response to receiving a first user interaction via the input device, trigger a first pre-programmed motion of the robotic manipulator to open the basket at the second, faster opening speed; and in response to receiving a second user interaction via the input device, trigger a second pre-programmed motion to close the basket at the second, faster closing speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: Auris Health, Inc.
    Inventors: Jiayi Lin, Chauncey F. Graetzel, Sarah Plewe, Rachel Leigh Chok
  • Tilt mechanisms for medical systems and applications
    Patent number: 11432981
    Abstract: A robotic medical system can include a patient platform. The patient platform includes a tilt mechanism. The tilt mechanism can include a lateral tilt mechanism and a longitudinal tilt mechanism. The lateral tilt mechanism can include a tilt plate and a pivot housing. A linear actuator mounted on the tilt plate can apply a linear force to the pivot housing. The lateral tilt mechanism can also include a first linear guide that extends along a first axis, and the pivot housing can translate along the first linear guide. Application of the linear force to the pivot housing tilts the tilt plate by causing the pivot housing to translate along the first linear guide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: Auris Health, Inc.
    Inventor: Christian de Jesus Ruiz
  • Flexible instrument localization from both remote and elongation sensors
    Patent number: 11426095
    Abstract: A system and method of tracking a flexible elongate instrument within a patient is disclosed herein. The system is configured to obtain remote localization measurement data of the flexible elongate instrument and obtain elongation measurement data of the flexible elongate instrument. This data is combined and transformed to a coordinate reference frame to produce a localization of the flexible elongate instrument that is more accurate than the remote localization measurements or elongation measurement data alone. The combined localization is then provided to a localization consumer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: Auris Health, Inc.
    Inventors: Sean Walker, Dave Camarillo, Matt Roelle, Christopher Sewell, Aditya Koolwal
  • Apparatus and methods for fiber integration and registration
    Patent number: 11419518
    Abstract: Systems and methods for integrating and/or registering a shape sensing fiber in or to various instruments are described herein. Registration fixtures and registration techniques for matching the coordinate system of a fiber to the coordinate system of an elongate instrument or other device are provided. Various systems and methods for integrating a shape sensing fiber into an elongate instrument or other device are also described herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: Auris Health, Inc.
    Inventors: Serena H. Wong, Jason J. Hsu, Francis Macnamara, Gene Reis, Randall L. Schlesinger, Neal A. Tanner
  • Catheter insertion system and method of fabrication
    Patent number: 11413428
    Abstract: A robotic instrument driver for elongate members includes a first carriage positionable on a bed and beside a patient access site for manipulating a first elongate member, and a second carriage positionable proximate the bed, the second carriage configured to articulate the first elongate member, wherein the second carriage is movable independent from the first carriage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: Auris Health, Inc.
    Inventor: Alan Yu
  • Medical systems incorporating pulley sharing
    Patent number: 11399905
    Abstract: Provided is a robotic system that includes a surgical instrument with a wrist that allows N degrees of freedom of movement. The N degrees of freedom can be controlled by N+1 cable segments. The wrist can include a first set pulleys configured to rotate about a first axis and a second set of pulleys configured to rotate about a second axis. The wrist can further comprise one or more pulleys configured to engage two of the cable segments, wherein at least one of the pulleys is shared by a first cable segment and a second cable segment. The first cable segment and the second cable segment that share the pulley can be independent from one another. In some circumstances, the surgical instrument can be actuated in N+1 degrees of movement by advancing or retracting at least two of N+1 cable segments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: Auris Health, Inc.
    Inventors: Travis Michael Schuh, Bruce R. Woodley
  • Navigation of tubular networks
    Patent number: 11403759
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses provide improved navigation through tubular networks such as lung airways by providing improved estimation of location and orientation information of a medical instrument (e.g., an endoscope) within the tubular network. Various input data such as image data, EM data, and robot data are used by different algorithms to estimate the state of the medical instrument, and the state information is used to locate a specific site within a tubular network and/or to determine navigation information for what positions/orientations the medical instrument should travel through to arrive at the specific site. Probability distributions together with confidence values are generated corresponding to different algorithms are used to determine the medical instrument's estimated state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: Auris Health, Inc.
    Inventors: David S. Mintz, Atiyeh Ghoreyshi, Prasanth Jeevan, Yiliang Xu, Gehua Yang, Matthew Joseph Leotta, Charles V. Stewart
  • Electromagnetic distortion detection
    Patent number: 11395703
    Abstract: Systems and methods for electromagnetic distortion detection are disclosed. In one aspect, the system includes an electromagnetic (EM) sensor configured to generate an EM sensor signal in response to detection of the EM field. The system may also include a processor configured to calculate a baseline value of a metric indicative of a position of the EM sensor at a first time and calculate an updated value of the metric during a time period after the first time. The processor may be further configured to determine that a difference between the updated value and the baseline value is greater than a threshold value and determine that the EM field has been distorted in response to the difference being greater than the threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: Auris Health, Inc.
    Inventors: David Burdick Berman, Christopher K. Sramek, Hedyeh Rafii-Tari, Prasanth Jeevan, Nicolas E. Robert
  • Object capture with a basket
    Patent number: 11382650
    Abstract: A method for capturing an object in a cavity in a patient is described. The method includes advancing a ureteroscope into the cavity containing the object. A basket is advanced through a working channel of the ureteroscope. The basket is opened within the cavity and is positioned so as to enclose the object. Then, two actions are performed simultaneously. The basket is collapsed while simultaneously the basket tool is advanced forward so that the object remains within the basket, ideally near the center of the basket, as the basket closes around the object. Once the object is captured, the basket is retracted to remove the object out of the cavity. Further, this process may be automated by having the method carried out by robotic arms acting in tandem, with one or more robotic arms advancing the basket tool or ureteroscope, and another robotic arm collapsing the basket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: Auris Health, Inc.
    Inventors: David P. Noonan, Joseph A. Urban, Jr., Varun Agrawal
  • Remote catheter manipulator
    Patent number: 11376085
    Abstract: A robotic instrument driver for elongate members includes a first elongate member, and at least one manipulator mechanism configured to manipulate the first elongate member, and at least one articulating drive configured to articulate the first elongate member, positionable on a bed and beside a patient access site. The manipulator and articulating drive are positioned relative to each other a distance less than the insertable length of the first elongate member, stationary in position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: Auris Health, Inc.
    Inventor: Alan Yu
  • Systems, methods, and workflows for concomitant procedures
    Patent number: 11369448
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and workflows for concomitant procedures are disclosed. In one aspect, the method includes manipulating a flexible instrument using a first robotic arm of a robotic system, manipulating a rigid instrument using a second robotic arm of the robotic system, displaying feedback from the flexible instrument, and displaying feedback from the rigid instrument.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: Auris Health, Inc.
    Inventors: Alexander Tarek Hassan, Enrique Romo
  • Systems and methods for a medical clip applier
    Patent number: 11369386
    Abstract: Certain aspects relate to systems and techniques for articulating medical instruments. In one aspect, the instrument includes a wrist having at least one degree of freedom of movement, and an end effector coupled to the wrist. The end effector can include a cartridge for delivering a plurality of clips to tissue. The wrist may include one or more cables capable of moving an actuator with one degree of freedom of movement within the end effector to advance one or more clips through the end effector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: Auris Health, Inc.
    Inventor: Daniel T. Wallace
  • Systems and methods for saturated robotic movement
    Patent number: 11357586
    Abstract: Systems and methods for saturated robotic movement are provided. In one aspect, there is provided a robotic system, including a robotic arm configured to control movement of a medical instrument, and a processor configured to: receive a first user input from a user for moving the medical instrument with the robotic arm, determine that moving the robotic arm according to the first user input would cause a contact point of the robotic arm to contact or cross a collision boundary surrounding an object, and guide the movement of the robotic arm such that the contact point of the robotic arm continuously moves along the collision boundary based in part on the first user input, in response to the determination that moving the robotic arm according to the first user input would cause the contact point to contact or cross the collision boundary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Auris Health, Inc.
    Inventors: Yanan Huang, Nima Sarli, Ying Mao, David Stephen Mintz
  • Medical instrument having translatable spool
    Patent number: 11350998
    Abstract: Medical instruments having a translatable spool are disclosed. In one aspect, a medical instrument configured for use with a robotic system includes an instrument base configured to couple to a robotic drive mechanism of the robotic system and an elongate shaft coupled to the instrument base. The elongate shaft has a distal end. The medical instrument also includes a pull wire fixedly coupled to the distal end of the elongate shaft, the pull wire being configured to actuate the elongate shaft, and a rotatable spool in the instrument base. The rotatable spool is configured to direct the pull wire to the elongate shaft at an angle. The rotatable spool is configured to translate in coordination with actuation of the elongate shaft to control the angle of the pull wire relative to the elongate shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Auris Health, Inc.
    Inventors: Alan Yu, Jason Lee
  • Systems and methods for aligning an elongate member with an access site
    Patent number: 11344377
    Abstract: Systems and methods align an elongate member with an access site. An alignment system for controlling an alignment of a robotically controlled elongate member at an access site on a patient may include a longitudinal support rail and support arms coupled with and extending from the longitudinal support rail to form an alignment joint. One or more of the support arms may be configured to maintain the alignment of the elongate member with the access site during a surgical procedure. A method of aligning an elongate member with an access site may include determining a position of a stabilizer of an alignment joint and the access site on a patient, coupling the stabilizer to the access site on the patient, and automatically aligning the instrument driver with the stabilizer on the patient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Auris Health, Inc.
    Inventor: Alan Lau Yu
  • Floating electromagnetic field generator system and method of controlling the same
    Patent number: 11324554
    Abstract: Floating electromagnetic field generator systems and methods are provided. The system comprises a surgical bed portion. The system also comprises a brace component disposed within the surgical bed portion. Additionally, the system comprises a first arm that is attached to the brace component. The first arm is positioned adjacent to the surgical bed portion. Additionally, the first arm has at least one field generator coil embedded therein. The system also comprises a second arm that is attached to the brace component. The second arm is positioned adjacent to the surgical bed portion. Additionally, the second arm has at least one field generator coil embedded therein. The second arm is positioned parallel to the first arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: Auris Health, Inc.
    Inventors: Jason Lee, Christopher Sramek, Gregory J. Kintz, David S. Mintz, Alan Yu
  • Electromagnetic distortion detection and compensation
    Patent number: 11324558
    Abstract: Systems and methods for electromagnetic (EM) distortion detection and compensation are disclosed. In one aspect, the system includes an instrument, the system configured to: determine a reference position of the distal end of the instrument at a first time based on EM location data, determine that the distal end of the instrument at a second time is static, and determine that the EM location data at the second time is indicative of a position of the distal end of the instrument having changed from the reference position by greater than a threshold distance. The system is further configured to: determine a current offset based on the distance between the position at the second time and the reference position at the first time, and determine a compensated position of the distal end of the instrument based on the EM location data and the current offset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: Auris Health, Inc.
    Inventors: Chauncey F. Graetzel, Subashini Srinivasan, Yuriy Malinin, Shyamprasad Konduri