US 12,458,210 B2
Pressure rigidization apparatuses and methods
Spencer J. Witte, San Francisco, CA (US); Kai Y. Pohlhammer, San Ramon, CA (US); Neal Tanner, Austin, TX (US); Mark C. Scheeff, Oakland, CA (US); Alexander Q. Tilson, Burlingame, CA (US); James M. Hayes, La Honda, CA (US); and Afshan S. Chandani, Redwood City, CA (US)
Assigned to Neptune Medical Inc., Burlingame, CA (US)
Filed by Neptune Medical Inc., Burlingame, CA (US)
Filed on Sep. 9, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/829,229.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/581,266, filed on Sep. 7, 2023.
Prior Publication US 2025/0082178 A1, Mar. 13, 2025
Int. Cl. A61B 1/00 (2006.01); A61M 25/00 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 1/00078 (2013.01) [A61M 25/0043 (2013.01); A61M 2025/0063 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for rigidizing an elongate rigidizing device at a target pressure, the system comprising:
a pressure line configured to couple to a pressure inlet of the elongate rigidizing device;
a pressure sensor configured to detect pressure;
a vent valve in fluid communication with the pressure line;
a supply valve in fluid communication with the pressure line;
a controller configured to apply a high-pressure pulse of pressurized fluid from a source of pressurized fluid through the pressure line to rigidize the elongate rigidizing device, wherein the high-pressure pulse has a pressure that is higher than the target pressure to rigidize the elongate rigidizing device, further wherein the controller is configured to determine a leak rate and to automatically provide one or more additional pulses of pressurized fluid if the leak rate is greater than a first threshold but less than a second threshold, and trigger an alert if the leak rate is greater than the second threshold.