Surgical stapling instruments with linear position assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10190888-B2
Application number	US-201615053599-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 25, 2016
Priority date	Mar 11, 2015
Publication date	Jan 29, 2019
Grant date	Jan 29, 2019

Abstract

A surgical stapling instrument includes an elongate body, a cartridge assembly, an anvil assembly, and a linear position assembly including a pair of opposing magnets, and a plurality of sensors. The elongate body has a central shaft longitudinally translatable therethrough. The cartridge assembly is coupled to a distal end of the elongate body. The anvil assembly is selectively connectable to the central shaft of the elongate body. The magnets are mounted to the central shaft. The sensors are fixed within the cartridge assembly and configured to sense a change in a magnetic field of the magnets upon a longitudinal movement of the magnets in response to an actuation of the central shaft to determine a linear position of the anvil assembly relative to the staple cartridge.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A surgical stapling instrument, comprising:
an elongate body having a proximal end and a distal end, the elongate body including a longitudinally translatable central shaft;
a cartridge assembly coupled to the distal end of the elongate body and defining a longitudinal axis, the cartridge assembly including a staple cartridge;
an anvil assembly selectively connectable to a distal end of the central shaft; and
a linear position assembly including:
a pair of opposing magnets mounted to the central shaft, wherein each magnet generates a magnetic field, the pair of opposing magnets each having a north pole and a south pole and being oriented such that the north poles of the pair of opposing magnets are adjacent one another or the south poles of the pair of opposing magnets are adjacent one another; and
a plurality of sensors fixed within the cartridge assembly and configured to sense a change in the magnetic fields upon a longitudinal movement of the pair of opposing magnets in response to an actuation of the central shaft to determine a linear position of the anvil assembly along the longitudinal axis relative to the staple cartridge.

2. The surgical stapling instrument according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sensors is at least one of:
at least three magnetoresistance sensors; or
at least three hall-effect sensors.

3. The surgical stapling instrument according to claim 2 , wherein the plurality of sensors is axially aligned with one another along the longitudinal axis of the cartridge assembly.

4. The surgical stapling instrument according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sensors is laterally offset and parallel with the pair of opposing magnets.

5. The surgical stapling instrument according to claim 1 , wherein the linear position assembly further includes a micro-controller in electrical communication with the plurality of sensors, the micro-controller configured to determine the linear position of the anvil assembly along the longitudinal axis relative to the staple cartridge.

6. The surgical stapling instrument according to claim 5 , wherein the micro-controller is configured to determine the linear position of the anvil assembly by:
determining a linear position of the plurality of magnets relative to each sensor of the plurality of sensors;
determining which sensor of the plurality of sensors has a highest peak-to-peak voltage value; and
determining which sensor of the plurality of sensors has a second highest peak-to-peak voltage value.

7. The surgical stapling instrument according to claim 1 , wherein the linear position assembly further includes a chip assembly at least partially disposed within the cartridge assembly and having the plurality of sensors fixed thereto.

8. A method of determining a linear position of a component of a surgical stapling instrument, comprising:
providing a surgical stapling instrument including:
an elongate body having a proximal end and a distal end, the elongate body including a longitudinally translatable central shaft;
a cartridge assembly coupled to the distal end of the elongate body and defining a longitudinal axis, the cartridge assembly including a staple cartridge;
an anvil assembly selectively connectable to a distal end of the central shaft of the elongate body; and
a linear position assembly including:
a pair of opposing magnets mounted to the central shaft, wherein each magnet generates a magnetic field; and
a plurality of sensors fixed within the cartridge assembly;

sensing, via the plurality of sensors, longitudinal movement of the pair of opposing magnets upon actuation of the central shaft; and
determining a linear position of the anvil assembly relative to the staple cartridge along the longitudinal axis, wherein determining the linear position of the anvil assembly includes:
determining a linear position of the plurality of magnets relative to each sensor of the plurality of sensors;
determining which sensor of the plurality of sensors has a highest peak-to-peak voltage value; and
determining which sensor of the plurality of sensors has a second highest peak-to-peak voltage value.

9. The method according to claim 8 , further comprising at least one of:
determining an angle of direction of the magnetic field emitted by the pair of opposing magnets; or
determining a magnetic flux density of the magnetic field emitted by the pair of opposing magnets.

10. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the pair of opposing magnets are in the form of two magnetic bars each having a north pole and a south pole, the two magnetic bars being oriented such that the north poles of the two magnetic bars are adjacent one another or the south poles of the two magnetic bars are adjacent one another.

11. The method according to claim 8 , wherein determining the linear position of the anvil assembly includes determining a linear position of an anvil head of the anvil assembly relative to a distal end of the staple cartridge.

12. A surgical stapling instrument, comprising:
an elongate body having a proximal end and a distal end, the elongate body including a longitudinally translatable central shaft;
a cartridge assembly coupled to the distal end of the elongate body and defining a longitudinal axis, the cartridge assembly including a staple cartridge;
an anvil assembly selectively connectable to a distal end of the central shaft; and
a linear position assembly including:
a pair of opposing magnets mounted to the central shaft, wherein each magnet generates a magnetic field;
a plurality of sensors fixed within the cartridge assembly and configured to sense a change in the magnetic fields upon a longitudinal movement of the pair of opposing magnets in response to an actuation of the central shaft to determine a linear position of the anvil assembly along the longitudinal axis relative to the staple cartridge; and
a micro-controller in electrical communication with the plurality of sensors, wherein the micro-controller is configured to determine the linear position of the anvil assembly along the longitudinal axis relative to the staple cartridge by:
determining a linear position of the plurality of magnets relative to each sensor of the plurality of sensors;
determining which sensor of the plurality of sensors has a highest peak-to-peak voltage value; and
determining which sensor of the plurality of sensors has a second highest peak-to-peak voltage value.

13. The surgical stapling instrument according to claim 12 , wherein the plurality of sensors is at least one of:
at least three magnetoresistance sensors; or
at least three hall-effect sensors.

14. The surgical stapling instrument according to claim 12 , wherein the plurality of sensors is axially aligned with one another along the longitudinal axis of the cartridge assembly.

15. The surgical stapling instrument according to claim 12 , wherein the plurality of sensors is laterally offset and parallel with the pair of opposing magnets.

16. The surgical stapling instrument according to claim 12 , wherein the linear position assembly further includes a chip assembly at least partially disposed within the cartridge assembly and having the plurality of sensors fixed thereto.

Assignees

• Covidien Lp

Inventors

• Hryb John
• Collins Ethan
• Dussan Luis
• Decker Joseph
• Calderoni Anthony

Classifications

• A61B17/068

  Surgical staplers {, e.g. containing multiple staples or clamps}({staplers containing only one staple A61B17/10; magazines or containers for staples A61B17/105;} for performing anastomosis A61B17/115; {staplers in general B25C5/00}) · CPC title

• G01D5/145 Primary

  influenced by the relative movement between the Hall device and magnetic fields (see G01R33/06) · CPC title

• A61B17/115

  Staplers for performing anastomosis, e.g. in a single operation · CPC title

• A61B17/07207

  the staples being applied sequentially · CPC title

• A61B2017/00119

  alarm; indicating an abnormal situation · CPC title