Electrically-powered surgical systems for cutting and welding solid organs

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10898219-B2
Application number	US-201715689694-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 29, 2017
Priority date	Aug 29, 2017
Publication date	Jan 26, 2021
Grant date	Jan 26, 2021

Abstract

Surgical systems and methods are provided for controlling actuation and movement of various surgical devices.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A surgical system, comprising:
a surgical tool including a shaft and an end effector formed at a distal end thereof, the end effector having a clamping element and an ultrasonic blade, the clamping element being movable relative to the ultrasonic blade to clamp and treat tissue disposed between the clamping element and the ultrasonic blade;
a closure mechanism configured to selectively move the clamping element towards the ultrasonic blade from an open configuration to a closed configuration at a predetermined clamping velocity (v c ); and
a control system configured to:
maintain v c at a first clamping velocity (v c1 ) greater than a minimum clamping velocity (v min ) until a predetermined clamping force threshold (F o ) is achieved;
determine a closure parameter including at least one of an amount of time required to reach F o and an amount of displacement of the clamping element required to achieve F o ;
determine a tissue characteristic based upon the closure parameter; and
deliver energy to the ultrasonic blade to treat tissue in a feathering treatment according to a feathering treatment protocol based upon the determined tissue characteristic.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein F o is a force resulting from contact of the clamping element with a tissue disposed between the clamping element and the ultrasonic blade.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the feathering treatment is effective to coagulate a tissue disposed between the clamp arm and the ultrasonic blade.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the tissue characteristic is a thickness of a tissue disposed between the clamping element and the ultrasonic blade.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the tissue thickness is less than a predetermined thickness and the control system is configured to operate in the feathering treatment protocol by:
maintaining v c at a third clamping velocity (v c3 ) while a clamping force applied to tissue disposed between the clamp arm and the ultrasonic blade is less than a predetermined second treatment force (F 2 ); and
decreasing v c from v c3 to a fourth clamping velocity (v c4 ) for the remainder of the feathering treatment in response to the clamping force rising to F 2 , wherein v c4 is configured to maintain the clamping force below F 2 .

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein v c3 and v c4 are each approximately constant.

7. The system of claim 4 , wherein the tissue thickness is greater than a predetermined thickness and the control system is configured to operate in the feathering treatment protocol by applying a clamping force to tissue disposed between the clamp arm and the ultrasonic blade at an approximately constant first treatment force (F 1 ).

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the control system is configured to:
allow v c to decrease to a level approximately equal to v min ; and
increase the clamping force to a level between F 1 and a less than a second treatment force (F 2 ) for the remainder of the feathering treatment.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein F 1 is based upon the determined tissue characteristic.

10. The system of claim 1 , further comprising an electrode configured to deliver radiofrequency energy to a tissue disposed between the clamping element and the ultrasonic blade.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the control system is configured to deliver at least one of ultrasonic energy to the ultrasonic blade and radiofrequency energy to the electrode according to a sealing treatment protocol occurring after the feathering treatment for coagulating and cutting a tissue disposed a tissue disposed between the clamping element and the ultrasonic blade.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the control system is further configured to perform the sealing treatment in response to detection that a preselected trigger condition is satisfied.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein trigger condition is movement of the clamping element to a predetermined distance from the ultrasonic blade.

14. The system of claim 12 , wherein the trigger condition is deviation of v c from a velocity set point by a predetermined velocity threshold.

15. The system of claim 12 , wherein the trigger condition is application of a clamping force at a predefined amount of a maximum clamping force F max .

16. A method for treating tissue, comprising:
actuating a motor of a surgical tool including a shaft and an end effector, the end effector formed at a distal end of the shaft and having a clamping element and an ultrasonic blade coupled to an ultrasonic transducer, the clamping element being moveable relative to the ultrasonic blade to a tissue clamping position between an open position and a closed position of the clamping element at a predetermined clamping velocity (v c );
maintaining v c at a first clamping velocity (v c1 ) greater than a minimum clamping velocity (v min ) until a predetermined clamping force threshold (F o ) is achieved;
determining a closure parameter including at least one of an amount of time (t c ) required to reach F o and an amount of displacement of the clamping element δ c required to achieve F 0 ;
determining a tissue characteristic based upon the closure parameter; and
delivering energy to the ultrasonic blade to treat tissue in a feathering treatment according to a feathering treatment protocol based upon the determined tissue characteristic.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein F o is a force resulting from contact of the clamping element with a tissue disposed between the clamping element and the ultrasonic blade.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the feathering treatment is effective to cauterize a tissue disposed between the clamp arm and the ultrasonic blade.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the tissue characteristic is a thickness of a tissue disposed between the clamping element and the ultrasonic blade.

20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising:
determining the tissue thickness to be less than a predetermined thickness;
maintaining v c at a third clamping velocity (v c3 ) while a clamping force applied to tissue disposed between the clamp arm and the ultrasonic blade is less than a predetermined second treatment force (F 2 ); and
decreasing v c from v c3 to a fourth clamping velocity (v c4 ) for the remainder of the feathering treatment in response to the clamping force rising to F 2 , wherein v c4 is configured to maintain the clamping force below F 2 .

Assignees

• Ethicon Llc

Inventors

• Shelton Iv Frederick E
• Henderson Cortney E
• Harris Jason L
• Yates David C
• Messerly Jeffrey D
• Shapiro Cara
• Felder Kevin D
• Young Joshua Dean

Classifications

• A61B2090/067

  for measuring angles · CPC title

• A61B2018/00589

  Coagulation · CPC title

• A61B2090/065

  for measuring contact or contact pressure · CPC title

• A61B2017/00309

  Cut-outs or slits · CPC title

• A61B2018/00404

  Blood vessels other than those in or around the heart · CPC title