Method for operating a surgical instrument

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11986201-B2
Application number	US-202016895264-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 8, 2020
Priority date	Dec 30, 2019
Publication date	May 21, 2024
Grant date	May 21, 2024

Abstract

Methods of operating a surgical instrument are disclosed herein.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for selecting operational control programs of a surgical system, wherein the surgical system comprises an actuation module and a plurality of surgical instrument attachments configured to be attached to and used with the actuation module, wherein the method comprises:
attaching a first surgical instrument attachment of the plurality of surgical instrument attachments to the actuation module;
inputting patient-specific data into a control circuit;
identifying, by the control circuit, the first surgical instrument attachment based upon the patient-specific data;
identifying, by the control circuit, subsystems of the first surgical instrument attachment, wherein an identifiable set of subsystems includes:
a closure system that performs a closure stroke to close an end effector of the surgical system;
a firing system that performs a firing stroke to incise patient tissue captured within the end effector of the surgical system;
a firing system that performs a firing stroke to staple patient tissue captured within the end effector of the surgical system;
a firing system that performs a firing stroke to incise and staple patient tissue captured within the end effector of the surgical system;
an actuation system that performs a closure stroke and a firing stroke to at least one of incise and staple patient tissue;
a rotation system that rotates the end effector about a longitudinal axis;
an articulation system that articulates the end effector about a single articulation joint; and
an articulation system that articulates the end effector about two articulation joints;

selecting, by the control circuit based upon the patient-specific data, an operational control program specific to the first surgical instrument attachment and the identified subsystems of the first surgical instrument attachment.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising manually adjusting the selected operational control program.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising identifying logged usage of the first surgical instrument attachment from prior use and adjusting the selected operational control program based on the identified logged usage of the first surgical instrument attachment.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
detaching the first surgical instrument attachment from the actuation module;
attaching a second surgical instrument attachment of the plurality of surgical instrument attachments to the actuation module;
identifying, by the control circuit, the second surgical instrument attachment;
identifying, by the control circuit, subsystems of the second surgical instrument attachment;
selecting, by the control circuit based upon the patient-specific data, an operational control program specific to the second surgical instrument attachment and the identified subsystems of the second surgical instrument attachment, wherein the selected operational program of the first surgical instrument attachment is different than the selected operational program of the second surgical instrument attachment.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selected operational control program comprises a plurality of optional operational control programs from which a user can manually select to be used with the first surgical instrument attachment.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising overriding the selected operational control program with a manually-selected operational control program.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the patient-specific data comprises data related to a type of tissue expected to be operated on.

8. A method for selecting operational control programs of a surgical system, wherein the surgical system comprises an actuation interface and a plurality of surgical instrument attachments configured to be attached to the actuation interface, wherein the actuation interface comprises a motor configured to actuate a function of an attached surgical instrument attachment, wherein the method comprises:
coupling a first surgical instrument attachment of the plurality of surgical instrument attachments to the actuation interface to couple the motor to a drive system of the first surgical instrument attachment;
inputting data relating to a level of expertise of a surgeon implementing the surgical system into a control circuit;
identifying, by the control circuit, the first surgical instrument attachment when the first surgical instrument attachment is attached to the actuation interface;
identifying, by the control circuit, subsystems of the first surgical instrument attachment; and
defining, by the control circuit based upon the inputted data relating to the level of expertise, an operational control program specific to the first surgical instrument attachment and the identified subsystems of the first surgical instrument attachment.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising identifying logged usage of the first surgical instrument attachment from prior use and adjusting the defined operational control program based on the identified logged usage of the first surgical instrument attachment.

10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
decoupling the first surgical instrument attachment from the actuation interface;
coupling a second surgical instrument attachment of the plurality of surgical instrument attachments to the actuation interface;
identifying, by the control circuit, the second surgical instrument attachment;
identifying, by the control circuit, subsystems of the second surgical instrument attachment;
defining, by the control circuit, an operational control program specific to the second surgical instrument attachment and the identified subsystems of the second surgical instrument attachment, wherein the defined operational program of the first surgical instrument attachment is different than the defined operational program of the second surgical instrument attachment.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the defined operational control program comprises a plurality of optional operational control programs from which a user can manually select to be used with the first surgical instrument attachment.

12. The method of claim 8 , further comprising overriding the defined operational control program with a manually-selected operational control program.

13. The method of claim 8 , further comprising disabling a subsystem of the first surgical instrument attachment, based upon the level of expertise of the surgeon.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising placing the subsystem of the first surgical instrument into a training mode.

15. A method for selecting operational control programs of a modular surgical system, wherein the modular surgical system comprises an actuation module and a plurality of surgical instrument attachments configured to be attached to and used with the actuation module, wherein the method comprises:
inputting patient-specific data into a control circuit;
attaching a first surgical instrument attachment of the plurality of surgical instrument attachments to the actuation module;
identifying, by the control circuit, the first surgical instrument attachment by way of an onboard memory of the first surgical instrument attachment;
identifying, by the control circuit, subsystems of the first surgical instrument attachment by way of the onboard memory of the first surgical instrument attachment; and
selecting, by the control circuit based upon the patient-specific data, an operational control program specific to the first surgical instrument attachment and the identified subsystems of the first surgical instrument attachment.

Assignees

• Ethicon Llc
• Cilag Gmbh Int

Inventors

• Shelton Iv Frederick E
• Adams Shane R
• Ross Nicholas J
• Harris Jason L
• Patel Sudhir B

Classifications

• A61B17/32 Primary

  Surgical cutting instruments ({A61B18/042 takes precedence; suture cutters A61B17/0467;} implements for ligaturing and cutting {A61B17/122, A61B17/12; instruments for rupturing the amniotic membrane A61B17/4208; specially adapted knives for eye surgery A61F9/0133}) · CPC title

• 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

• A61B2017/00039

  Electric or electromagnetic phenomena other than conductivity, e.g. capacity, inductivity, Hall effect · CPC title

• A61B2017/00137

  Details of operation mode · CPC title

• A61B2017/00367

  Details of actuation of instruments, e.g. relations between pushing buttons, or the like, and activation of the tool, working tip, or the like · CPC title