Surgical devices and methods utilizing optical coherence tomography (OCT) to monitor and control tissue sealing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10499847-B2
Application number	US-201715422857-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 2, 2017
Priority date	Oct 31, 2012
Publication date	Dec 10, 2019
Grant date	Dec 10, 2019

Abstract

Surgical devices and methods for utilizing optical coherence tomography (OCT) to monitor and control tissue sealing are disclosed. The surgical device includes an end effector assembly that includes first and second jaw members that are movable between a first, spaced-apart position and a second proximate position. An OCT system, at least a portion of which is incorporated into the end effector assembly, is configured to sense properties of the tissue, e.g., the structural density of the tissue, disposed between the first and second jaw members. A tissue-sealing energy source may be disposed within at least one of the jaw members and may provide tissue-sealing energy to tissue disposed between the jaw members. A controller, which is coupled to the OCT system and the tissue-sealing energy source, controls the tissue-sealing energy generated by the tissue-sealing energy source based on the properties of the tissue sensed by the OCT system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of sealing tissue, comprising:
grasping tissue between first and second jaw members of a surgical device;
inserting an optical coherence tomography (OCT) probe between the first and second jaw members while the tissue is grasped, so that a distal end of the OCT probe is adjacent to the tissue;
operating the OCT probe to sense a structural density of the grasped tissue;
correlating the sensed structural density of the grasped tissue to an amount of collagen contained within the grasped tissue;
determining parameters for delivering tissue-sealing energy based upon the amount of collagen contained within the grasped tissue; and
delivering tissue-sealing energy to the grasped tissue based upon the determined parameters for delivering the tissue-sealing energy, thereby generating a tissue seal.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising retracting the OCT probe from in between the first and second jaw members after the operating the OCT probe to sense the structural density of the tissue grasped between the first and second jaw members is complete.

3. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
operating the OCT probe to sense a second structural density of the grasped tissue after the delivering the tissue-sealing energy to the grasped tissue; and
determining a success or quality of the tissue seal based on the sensed second structural density of the tissue.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the tissue-sealing energy is electrical energy or ultrasonic energy.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the operating the OCT probe to sense the structural density of the grasped tissue and the delivering tissue-sealing energy to the grasped tissue occur simultaneously.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second jaw members have first and second light-energy delivery systems housed therein respectively, the tissue-sealing energy delivered to the grasped tissue from the first and second light-energy delivery systems.

7. A method of sealing tissue, comprising:
grasping tissue between first and second jaw members of a surgical device;
inserting an optical coherence tomography (OCT) probe between the first and second jaw members while the tissue is grasped, so that a distal end of the OCT probe is adjacent to the tissue;
operating the OCT probe to sense a structural density of the grasped tissue;
correlating the structural density of the tissue sensed by the OCT probe to collagen content of the tissue;
determining a parameter for delivering tissue-sealing energy based upon the collagen content of the tissue;
delivering tissue-sealing energy to the grasped tissue based upon the determined parameter for delivering the tissue-sealing energy by controlling an amount of the tissue-sealing energy delivered to the grasped tissue based on the collagen content, thereby generating a tissue seal.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the first and second jaw members have first and second light-energy delivery systems housed therein respectively, the tissue-sealing energy delivered to the grasped tissue from the first and second light-energy delivery systems.

Assignees

• Covidien Lp

Inventors

• Latimer Cassandra
• Nau Jr William H

Classifications

• A61B5/0036 Primary

  including treatment, e.g., using an implantable medical device, ablating, ventilating · CPC title

• A61B2018/00648

  using more than one sensed parameter · CPC title

• A61B2018/00702

  Power or energy · CPC title

• A61B2018/00791

  Temperature · CPC title

• A61B18/1445

  at the distal end of a shaft, e.g. forceps or scissors at the end of a rigid rod · CPC title