CANNULA INSERTION SYSTEM

Abstract

A cannula insertion system for inserting a cannula into a blood vessel of a human or animal includes one or more sensors to provide one or more sensor signals representative for a location of the blood vessel, a processing device to determine a location of the blood vessel on the basis of the one or more sensor signals, a cannula insertion device to insert the cannula into the blood vessel, a positioning system supporting the cannula insertion device, and a control device arranged to control the positioning system to position, on the basis of the determined location of the blood vessel. The one or more sensors include a contact sensor to be placed on a target area of the skin of the human or animal to enable measurement with the contact sensor. The cannula insertion system includes a coupler liquid application device to apply contact liquid to the skin.

Claims

1. A cannula insertion system for inserting a cannula into a blood vessel of a human or animal, comprising: one or more sensors to provide one or more sensor signals representative for a location of the blood vessel, a processing device to determine a location of the blood vessel on the basis of the one or more sensor signals, a cannula insertion device to insert the cannula into the blood vessel, a positioning system supporting the cannula insertion device, and a control device arranged to control the positioning system to position, on the basis of the determined location of the blood vessel, the cannula insertion device in a suitable position to insert the cannula into the blood vessel, wherein the one or more sensors comprise a contact sensor to be placed on a target area of the skin of the human or animal to enable measurement with said contact sensor, and wherein the cannula insertion system comprises a coupler liquid application device to apply before and/or during measuring with the contact sensor coupler liquid on the target area of the skin of the human or animal, wherein the coupler liquid is used as contact liquid between the contact sensor and the skin to improve measurement accuracy of the contact sensor, wherein the coupler liquid application device is operated by the cannula insertion system, and wherein the coupler liquid application device is a spray device arranged to spray coupler liquid on the target area.

2. The cannula insertion system of claim 1, wherein the coupler liquid is an alcohol based liquid and/or the coupler liquid is an antiseptic liquid.

3. The cannula insertion system of claim 1, wherein the coupler liquid is a sprayable ultrasound gel.

4. The cannula insertion system of claim 1, wherein the coupler liquid application device comprises a container to hold the coupler liquid and a spray nozzle in fluid communication with the container, wherein the spray nozzle is positioned to spray coupler liquid onto the target area.

5. The cannula insertion system of claim 4, wherein at least the spray nozzle is movable by the positioning system.

6. The cannula insertion system of claim 4, wherein the container is a replaceable container.

7. The cannula insertion system of claim 1, wherein the coupler liquid application device comprises a pump to apply coupler liquid on the target area, wherein the pump is operated by the control device.

8. The cannula insertion system of claim 1, wherein the contact sensor is movable, and movements of the contact sensor are controlled by the control device.

9. The cannula insertion system of claim 1, wherein the contact sensor is an ultrasound transducer.

10. The cannula insertion system of claim 1, wherein the cannula insertion device, the contact sensor and the coupler liquid application device are arranged in a measurement and cannula insertion unit, and wherein the measurement and cannula insertion unit is movable by the positioning system under control of the control device.

11. The cannula insertion system of any of the preceding claims, wherein the control device and the processing device are integrated in a single processing unit, for example a PC.

12. The cannula insertion system of claim 1, wherein the cannula insertion system is an autonomous cannula insertion system constructed to autonomously insert the cannula into the blood vessel.

13. The cannula insertion system of claim 1, wherein the positioning system comprises a robot arm.

14. The cannula insertion system of claim 1, wherein the cannula is a needle.

15. The cannula insertion system of claim 1, wherein the cannula insertion system is constructed to autonomously draw blood from the blood vessel.

16. A method for determining a location of a blood vessel of a human or animal, using the cannula insertion system of claim 1, the method comprising the steps of: applying, using the coupler liquid application device, before and/or during measuring with the contact sensor, coupler liquid onto the target area of the skin of the human or animal, wherein applying the coupler liquid comprises spraying the coupler liquid with the spray device, measuring with the contact sensor to provide one or more sensor signals representative for a location of the blood vessel, and determining a location of a blood vessel on the basis of the one or more sensor signals.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the method comprises the step of determining with one or more sensors the target area.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS:

[0055] Further characteristics and advantages of the cannula insertion system of the invention will now be explained by description of an embodiment of the invention, whereby reference is made to the appended drawings, in which:

[0056] FIG. 1 shows schematically a cannula insertion system according to an embodiment of the invention;

[0057] FIG. 2 shows a measurement and cannula insertion unit according to an embodiment of the invention; and

[0058] FIG. 3 shows schematically a spray device according to an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION:

[0059] FIG. 1 shows a cannula insertion system, generally denoted by reference numeral 1. The cannula insertion system 1 is configured to autonomously insert a cannula 2, for example a needle into a blood vessel V of a human or animal. The cannula insertion system 1 as shown in FIG. 1 is in particular configured to autonomously draw blood from a blood vessel. In alternative embodiments, the cannula insertion system 1 may be configured to arrange a cannula in a blood vessel V for venous medication and/or infusions.

[0060] To draw blood from the blood vessel V, the cannula insertion system 1 may be arranged to determine a location of a blood vessel underneath the skin S of the human or animal, insert a cannula 2 into the blood vessel V and draw blood from the blood vessel V without direct interaction of an operator of the cannula insertion system 1.

[0061] Autonomous cannula insertion systems are known in the prior art. For example, US2008/0275396 A1 discloses an automated cannula insertion system for autonomously inserting a cannula into a blood vessel of a human or an animal, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.

[0062] The cannula insertion system 1, shown on FIG. 1, comprises an ultrasound transducer 3 to obtain one or more sensor signals that are representative for the location of a blood vessel V in the human or animal. The ultrasound transducer 3 is a contact sensor. During use contact between the ultrasound transducer 3 and the skin S is required in order to obtain relevant data with respect to the location of the blood vessel V. An ultrasound transducer positioning system 4 is provided to guide the ultrasound transducer along the skin S of the human or animal in a target area T. This target area T is an area of the skin S underneath which the presence of a blood vessel V suitable for insertion of a cannula 2 is expected and which is examined by the ultrasound transducer 3. A control device 5 controls the position of the ultrasound transducer 3 by sending a control signal to the ultrasound transducer positioning system 4.

[0063] The target area T may be determined by obtaining images of the skin of a human or animal, for example using a NIR (near infrared) sensor 30, and determining on the basis of the images an area in which it is likely that a blood vessel suitable for insertion of a cannula will be found.

[0064] The ultrasound transducer 3 provides a sensor signal representative for a location of the blood vessel V. The sensor signal is fed into a processing device 6 which is arranged to process the sensor signal. The control device 5 and the processing device 6 may be comprised in a single processer 7, such as a PC.

[0065] In practice, multiple sensors may be used to collect data relevant for the determination of the location of a blood vessel V underneath the skin S of a human or animal. These sensors may include contact sensors, that need to be placed on the skin S to obtain relevant data, and non-contact sensors, that can obtain information at a distance from the skin S.

[0066] On the basis of the sensor signal, or sensor signals, the processing device 6 determines the location of a blood vessel V suitable for the insertion of the cannula 2. On the basis of this location, the processing device 6 may determine an insertion path for insertion of the cannula 2 into the blood vessel V.

[0067] The cannula 2 is arranged on a cannula insertion device 8. The cannula insertion device 8 is arranged to insert the cannula 2 through the skin S and into the blood vessel V along the insertion path determined by the processing device 6. The cannula insertion device 8 is supported by a positioning system 9 that is arranged to bring the cannula insertion device 8 in a position from which the cannula insertion device 8 may move the cannula 2 along the insertion path. The cannula insertion device 8 and the positioning system 9 are controlled by the control device 5.

[0068] It is remarked that in alternative embodiments, the cannula insertion device 8 and the position system 9 may be integrated in a single cannula positioning device.

[0069] Once the cannula 2 is inserted into the blood vessel V, the cannula insertion system 1 is arranged to draw blood from the human or animal by filling one or more blood collection containers with blood. The cannula insertion system may comprise a blood container handling system to fill and close these blood collection containers. When sufficient blood has been drawn from the human or animal, the cannula insertion device 8 may withdraw the cannula 2 from the blood vessel V and out of the skin S. Thereafter, the positioning system 9 may move the cannula insertion device 8 to a location where there is no or substantially less risk that the cannula 2 will penetrate the skin S, when, for example, the body part in which the blood vessel V is present, such as an arm is withdrawn from a cannula insertion position in the cannula insertion system 1.

[0070] As indicated above, the ultrasound transducer 3 is a contact sensor. This means that in order to obtain proper data to determine a location of a blood vessel, the ultrasound transducer has to be brought into contact with the skin S. Usually a coupler medium, in particular ultrasound gel, is applied to the skin S of the target area T before the placement of the ultrasound transducer 3 on the skin S. This coupler medium improves substantially the transmission of ultrasound waves between the body of the human or animal and the ultrasound transducer 3. The application of such coupler medium, in particular ultrasound gel, is known in the art. This known ultrasound gel is manually applied on the skin before the ultrasound transducer is placed on the skin.

[0071] Thus, in a prior art automated cannula insertion system a human interaction, the manual application of ultrasound gel on the skin of the human or animal and/or on the ultrasound transducer is required; for example, the ultrasound gel may manually be applied on the ultrasound transducer in the form of a gel liquid or a gel pad.

[0072] The cannula insertion system 1 as shown in FIG. 1 comprises a spray device 10 arranged to spray a coupler liquid on the skin S of the target area T. The spray device 10 can be positioned in a suitable position by a spray device positioning system 11 controlled by the control device 5. The activation of the spray device 10 to spray the coupler liquid is also controlled by the control device 5. By using a spray device 10 to apply coupler liquid to the skin S, the coupler medium will only be applied after the human or animal has placed the respective body part in a cannula insertion location of the cannula insertion system 1.

[0073] The spray device 10, or at least its spray nozzle 12, may be positioned by the spray device positioning system 11 to spray the coupler liquid on the target area T of the skin S. Furthermore, since the activation of the spray device 10, as well as the positioning of the spray device 10 is controlled by the control device 5, there is no human interaction needed to provide a coupler liquid on the target area T of the skin S. As a result, the cannula insertion system 1 can autonomously perform the step of spraying coupler liquid on the skin S within the target area. This obviates the human interaction needed in known embodiments of automated cannula insertion systems to apply ultrasound gel on the target area T of the skin S.

[0074] The spray device 10 that is controlled by the control device 5 has the further advantage that, when needed, the spray device 10 can apply further coupler liquid after measurement with the ultrasound transducer 3 has been started. In some circumstances, it may be required that additional coupler medium is applied during measurements with the ultrasound transducer 3. The cannula insertion system 1 may be arranged to apply, when desired, additional coupler liquid, for example when the measurements take longer than a predetermined period, or when it is concluded from measurements that there is insufficient coupler liquid present on the skin S of the target area T. This additional coupler liquid may be applied by the spray device 10 autonomously, without any direct human interaction being required.

[0075] The coupler liquid may be any liquid that acts as a coupler medium for the ultrasound transducer and that can be sprayed by the spray device 10. The coupler liquid may be an alcohol based liquid, a sprayable ultrasound gel, or any other sprayable coupler medium.

[0076] It is advantageous that the coupler liquid is an antiseptic liquid. By using an antiseptic coupler liquid, the coupler liquid can be used both as a coupler medium and a disinfectant for the target area T of the skin S. The application of an antiseptic coupler liquid will disinfect the target area T just before the cannula 2 will be inserted through the skin S.

[0077] The antiseptic coupler liquid may for example be an alcohol based liquid that will evaporate relatively quickly after it has been sprayed onto the skin S of the target area T. This has the advantage that the coupler medium will substantially be evaporated when the body part will be taken out of the cannula insertion location of the cannula insertion system 1. This reduces the risk of contamination of the cannula insertion system 1. Any other liquid that functions as a coupler medium and which evaporates relatively quickly may also be applied.

[0078] FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of a measurement and cannula insertion unit 20 in which the ultrasound transducer 3, the cannula insertion device 8 and the spray device 10, or at least the spray nozzle 12 thereof, are arranged in single unit. The advantage of such single measurement and cannula insertion unit 20 is that one positioning system has to be provided for positioning the ultrasound transducer 3, the cannula insertion device 8 and the spray device 10 in a desired position. Further, since that the ultrasound transducer 3, the cannula insertion device 8 and the spray device 10 are integrated in a single unit, it is prevented that the ultrasound transducer 3, the cannula insertion device 8 and the spray device 10 may collide during movements thereof.

[0079] It is remarked that the cannula insertion device 8 is configured to move the needle 2 in a linear movement between a retracted position and an extended position in order to move the needle 2 along the insertion path. In FIG. 2, the needle 2 is shown in the extended position in which the needle 2 will be pierced through the skin S when the ultrasound transducer 3 is positioned on the surface of the skin S. It will be clear that during measurements with the ultrasound transducer 3, the needle insertion device 8 will hold the needle 2 in the retracted position (translated to the right hand side in FIG. 2) to enable the ultrasound transducer to be placed on the skin S without the needle 2 contacting the skin S.

[0080] The positioning system of the measurement and cannula insertion unit 20 shown in FIG. 2 comprises a robot arm 21. This robot arm 21 thus acts as the ultrasound transducer positioning system 4, the positioning system 9 and the spray device positioning system 11. The spray nozzle 12 is arranged at a suitable location to spray coupler liquid on the target area T of the skin S without the need to reposition the ultrasound transducer 3 to a large extent. For example, when the measurement and cannula insertion unit 20 is moved in the direction M while the ultrasound transducer is positioned on the skin S, the spray device 10 may spray coupler liquid on a part of the skin S just before the ultrasound transducer 3 moves over this part of the skin S.

[0081] FIG. 3 shows the spray device 10 in more detail. The spray device 10 comprises a spray nozzle 12, a container 13 and a pump 14. The spray nozzle 12 is in fluid communication with the container by a coupler liquid conduit 15. The coupler liquid conduit 15 runs through the pump 14. The pump 14 is connected to the control device 5. When the delivery of coupler liquid is desired the control device 5 will, when the spray nozzle 12 is positioned in the desired position, activate the pump 14 to pump coupler liquid from the container 13 to the spray nozzle 12 from which the coupler liquid will be sprayed onto the target area T.

[0082] The pump 14 may be any pump capable of pumping the coupler liquid from the container to the spray nozzle 12 with sufficient pressure to form a spray jetting from the spray nozzle 12. The pump 14 is for example a piston pump.

[0083] The container 13 is preferably a replaceable container. This replaceable container can be replaces by another container when the coupler liquid in the first container is depleted. In another embodiment, the container 13 may be refillable.

[0084] The spray nozzle 12 is movably mounted in the cannula insertion system 1 to enable positioning of the spray nozzle 12 with respect to the target area T on the skin S of the human or animal. The spray device positioning system 11 is configured to move the spray nozzle 12 to the desired location. The container 13 and the pump 14 may also be supported by the spray device positioning system 11 and move together with the spray nozzle 12. In an alternative embodiment, the container 13 and/or the pump 14 may be mounted on a fixed position in the cannula insertion system 1. This has the advantage that only the relatively light spray nozzle 12 has to be supported by the spray device positioning system 11. A flexible coupler liquid conduit may be provided to the movable spray nozzle 12 to provide the spray nozzle 12 with coupler liquid.

[0085] Embodiments of a cannula insertion system can be described as:

[0086] Embodiment 1. A cannula insertion system for inserting a cannula into a blood vessel of a human or animal, comprising: [0087] one or more sensors to provide one or more sensor signals representative for a location of the blood vessel, [0088] a processing device to determine a location of the blood vessel on the basis of the one or more sensor signals, [0089] a cannula insertion device to insert the cannula into the blood vessel, [0090] a positioning system supporting the cannula insertion device, and [0091] a control device arranged to control the positioning system to position, on the basis of the determined location of the blood vessel, the cannula insertion device in a suitable position to insert the cannula into the blood vessel, [0092] characterized in that the one or more sensors comprise a contact sensor to be placed on a target area of the skin of the human or animal to enable measurement with said contact sensor, and in that the cannula insertion system comprises a coupler liquid application device to apply before and/or during measuring with the contact sensor coupler liquid on the target area of the skin of the human or animal, wherein the coupler liquid is used as contact liquid between the contact sensor and the skin to improve measurement accuracy of the contact sensor.

[0093] Embodiment 2. The cannula insertion system of embodiment 1, wherein the coupler liquid application device is a spray device arranged to spray coupler liquid on the target area.

[0094] Embodiment 3. The cannula insertion system of embodiment 1 or 2, wherein the coupler liquid is an alcohol based liquid and/or the coupler liquid is an antiseptic liquid.

[0095] Embodiment 4. The cannula insertion system of any of the embodiments 1-3, wherein the coupler liquid is a sprayable ultrasound gel.

[0096] Embodiment 5. The cannula insertion system of any of the preceding embodiments, wherein the coupler liquid application device comprises a container to hold the coupler liquid and a spray nozzle in fluid communication with the container, wherein the spray nozzle is positioned to spray coupler liquid onto the target area.

[0097] Embodiment 6. The cannula insertion system of embodiment 5, wherein at least the spray nozzle is movable by the positioning system.

[0098] Embodiment 7. The cannula insertion system of embodiment 5 or 6, wherein the container is a replaceable container.

[0099] Embodiment 8. The cannula insertion system of any of the preceding embodiments, wherein the coupler liquid application device comprises a pump to apply coupler liquid on the target area, wherein the pump is operated by the control device.

[0100] Embodiment 9. The cannula insertion system of any of the preceding embodiments, wherein the contact sensor is movable, and movements of the contact sensor are controlled by the control device.

[0101] Embodiment 10. The cannula insertion system of any of the preceding embodiments, wherein the contact sensor is an ultrasound transducer.

[0102] Embodiment 11. The cannula insertion system of any of the preceding embodiments, wherein the cannula insertion device, the contact sensor and the coupler liquid application device are arranged in a measurement and cannula insertion unit, wherein the measurement and cannula insertion unit is movable by the positioning system under control of the control device.

[0103] Embodiment 12. The cannula insertion system of any of the preceding embodiments, wherein the control device and the processing device are integrated in a single processing unit, for example a PC.

[0104] Embodiment 13. The cannula insertion system of any of the preceding embodiments, wherein the cannula insertion system is an autonomous cannula insertion system constructed to autonomously insert the cannula into the blood vessel.

[0105] Embodiment 14. The cannula insertion system of any of the preceding embodiments, wherein the positioning system comprises a robot arm.

[0106] Embodiment 15. The cannula insertion system of any of the preceding embodiments, wherein the cannula is a needle.

[0107] Embodiment 16. The cannula insertion system of any of the preceding embodiments, wherein the cannula insertion system is constructed to autonomously draw blood from the blood vessel.

[0108] Embodiment 17. A method for determining a location of a blood vessel of a human or animal, using the cannula insertion system of any of the embodiments 1-16, the method comprising the steps of [0109] applying, using the coupler liquid application device, before and/or during measuring with the contact sensor, coupler liquid onto the target area of the skin of the human or animal, and [0110] measuring with the contact sensor to provide one or more sensor signals representative for a location of the blood vessel, [0111] determining a location of a blood vessel on the basis of the one or more sensor signals.

[0112] Embodiment 18. The method of embodiment 17, wherein the method comprises the step of determining with one or more sensors the target area.

[0113] Embodiment 19. The method of embodiment 17 or 18, wherein applying the coupler liquid comprises spraying the coupler liquid with a spray device.