Monitoring of internal systems to detect and track cartridge motion status

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12035910-B2
Application number	US-202318137170-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 20, 2023
Priority date	Feb 26, 2021
Publication date	Jul 16, 2024
Grant date	Jul 16, 2024

Abstract

A surgical end effector includes a cartridge. The cartridge includes first and second sensor arrays disposed in the cartridge. The first sensor array is configured to sense a function of a first component located within the cartridge and the second sensor array is configured to sense a function of a second component located within the cartridge. The first and second sensor arrays are electrically coupled to an electronic circuit. The electronic circuit includes a control circuit configured to receive signal samples from the first sensor array, receive signal samples from the second sensor array, and process the signals samples received from the first and second sensor arrays to determine a status of the cartridge.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An end effector for a surgical instrument, the end effector comprising: a cartridge comprising:
at least one sensor array disposed in the cartridge, the sensor array configured to sense a function of at least one component located within the cartridge;
wherein the at least one sensor array is electrically coupled to an electronic circuit, wherein the electronic circuit comprises a control circuit configured to:
receive signal samples from the at least one sensor array; and
process the received signals samples to determine a status of the cartridge.

2. The end effector of claim 1 , wherein the at least one component is a staple driver and the at least one sensor array is configured to sense motion of the staple driver.

3. The end effector of claim 1 , wherein the at least one component is a sled and the at least one sensor array is configured to sense motion of the sled.

4. The end effector of claim 1 , wherein the at least one component comprises first and second components and the at least one sensor array comprises first and second sensor arrays, the first sensor array configured to sense a function of the first component and the second sensor array configured to sense a function of the second component.

5. The end effector of claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor array comprises a plurality of sensor elements disposed longitudinally in the cartridge from a proximal end to a distal end thereof.

6. The end effector of claim 5 , wherein the at least one component is comprised of a ferromagnetic material detectable by each of the plurality sensor elements.

7. The end effector of claim 6 , wherein movement of the at least one component induces a current in one or more of the plurality of sensor elements.

8. The end effector of claim 5 , the sensing of the at least one component proximate to successive sensor elements of the at least one sensor array is indicative of movement of the at least one component longitudinally within the cartridge.

9. The end effector of claim 5 , wherein each of the plurality of sensor elements comprise a hall sensor.

10. The end effector of claim 5 , wherein each of the plurality of sensor elements are coupled with the electronic circuit via a multiplexer configured to convey signal samples from each of the plurality of sensor elements in turn.

11. The end effector of claim 1 , wherein the electronic circuit comprises a memory for storing data indicative of the received signal samples.

12. The end effector of claim 1 , wherein operation of the end effector comprises the function of the at least one component, and wherein the control circuit is further configured to process the received signal samples to determine when the sensed function of the at least one component deviates from an expected value which would result in the operation of the end effector deviating from an expected operation, and based thereon intervene in the operation of the end effector.

13. The end effector of claim 1 , wherein the electronic circuit is located within the cartridge.

14. A method of monitoring a status of a cartridge located in an end effector of a surgical instrument, the end effector including a cartridge including at least one sensor array disposed in the cartridge, the at least one sensor array configured to sense a function of at least one component located within the cartridge, wherein the at least one sensor array is electrically coupled to an electronic circuit, wherein the electronic circuit includes a control circuit, the method comprising:
receiving, by the control circuit, signal samples from the at least one sensor array;
processing, by the control circuit, the received signals samples to determine a status of the cartridge.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the at least one component is a staple driver and the at least one sensor array is configured to sense motion of the staple driver.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the at least one component is a sled and the at least one sensor array is configured to sense motion of the sled.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the at least one component comprises first and second components and the at least one sensor array comprises first and second sensor arrays, the first sensor array configured to sense a function of the first component and the second sensor array configured to sense a function of the second component.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein the at least one sensor array comprises a plurality of sensor elements disposed longitudinally in the cartridge from a proximal end to a distal end thereof.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising determining by the control circuit, based on the received signal samples indicating the sensing of the at least one component proximate to successive sensor elements of the at least one sensor array, that the at least one component has moved longitudinally within the cartridge.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein each of the plurality of sensor elements comprise a hall sensor.

21. The method of claim 18 , wherein each of the plurality of sensor elements are coupled with the electronic circuit via a multiplexer configured to convey signal samples from each of the plurality of sensor elements in turn.

22. The method of claim 18 , wherein the at least one component is comprised of a ferromagnetic material detectable by each of the plurality sensor elements.

23. The method of claim 22 , further comprising determining that the at least one component is moving based on current induced in one or more of the plurality of sensor elements.

24. The method of claim 14 , storing data indicative of the received signal samples in a memory coupled with the control circuit.

25. The method of claim 14 , wherein operation of the end effector comprises the function of the at least one component, and wherein the method further comprises processing, by the control circuit, the received signal samples and based thereon, determining when the sensed function of the at least one component deviates from an expected value which would result in the operation of the end effector deviating from an expected operation, and further based thereon intervening in the operation of the end effector.

26. The method of claim 14 , wherein the electronic circuit is located within the cartridge.

27. A surgical instrument, comprising:
an end effector comprising:
a cartridge comprising:
at least one sensor array disposed in the cartridge and configured to sense a function of at least one component located within the cartridge;
an electronic circuit electrically coupled to the at least one sensor array, wherein the electronic circuit comprises a control circuit configured to:
receive at least one signal from the at least one sensor array indicative of at least one reading performed thereby; and
process the received signals to determine a status of the cartridge.

28. The surgical instrument of claim 27 , wherein the at least one component is a staple driver and the at least one sensor array is configured to sense motion of the staple driver.

29. The surgical instrument of claim 27 , wherein the at least one component is a sled and the at least one sensor array is configured to sense motion of the sled.

30. The surgical instrument of claim 27 , wherein the at least one sensor array comprises a plurality

Assignees

• Cilag Gmbh Int
• Cllag Gmbh Int

Inventors

• Shelton Iv Frederick E
• Adams Shane R
• Harris Jason L
• Aronhalt Taylor W
• Hunter Morgan R

Classifications

• H02J7/70

  characterised by the mechanical construction · CPC title

• G01B7/16

  for measuring the deformation in a solid, e.g. by resistance strain gauge · CPC title

• B25J15/0019

  End effectors other than grippers · CPC title

• A61B2017/07285

  characterised by its cutter · CPC title

• A61B2017/07278

  characterised by its sled or its staple holder · CPC title