Smart cartridge wake up operation and data retention

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12042147-B2
Application number	US-202318210297-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 15, 2023
Priority date	Sep 5, 2014
Publication date	Jul 23, 2024
Grant date	Jul 23, 2024

Abstract

An end effector for use with a surgical stapling instrument is disclosed. The end effector comprises a first jaw, a second jaw movable relative to the first jaw to grasp tissue therebetween, and a staple cartridge. The staple cartridge comprises staples deployable into the tissue. The end effector further comprises a magnetic sensor configured to measure a parameter indicative of an identifying characteristic of the staple cartridge, an impedance sensor configured to measure a parameter indicative of an impedance of the tissue, and a processing unit in communication with the impedance sensor. The processing unit is configured to determine a property of the tissue based on an output of the impedance sensor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A surgical instrument, comprising:
a motor;
an end effector operably coupled to the motor, wherein the end effector comprises a first jaw pivotably coupled at a proximal end thereof with a second jaw, and wherein the motor is configured to actuate the end effector to pivot one of the first or second jaw relative to the other of the first or second jaw to grasp tissue therebetween;
a tissue sensor assembly, comprising:
a first sensor coupled to the end effector, wherein the first sensor is configured to measure a first parameter of the end effector and generate a first signal indictive thereof; and
a second sensor coupled to the surgical instrument, wherein the second sensor is configured to measure a second parameter of the surgical instrument and generate a second signal indicative thereof, wherein the first and second sensors are in signal communication with a processor, wherein the processor comprises a plurality of tables, each different from the other, each of which relates a particular input value to a particular output value, and wherein the processor is configured to select one of the plurality of tables based on the second signal and use the first signal as the particular input value to the selected table to obtain the particular output value related thereto, the obtained particular output value comprising an adjusted measurement of the first parameter.

2. The surgical instrument of claim 1 , wherein the first parameter comprises a distance between a distal end of the first jaw and a distal end of the second jaw, and the second parameter comprises a condition of the surgical instrument.

3. The surgical instrument of claim 2 , wherein the condition comprises one of a characteristic of a staple cartridge coupled to one of the first or second jaws, a characteristic of the end effector, or a clamping condition of the first and second jaws.

4. The surgical instrument of claim 3 , wherein the characteristic of the staple cartridge comprises one of cartridge color, cartridge length, number of uses, or number of remaining uses.

5. The surgical instrument of claim 3 , wherein the clamping condition comprises one of strain on or both the first or second jaws, pressure exerted by the first and second jaws on the grasped tissue, or force applied to actuate the end effector to grasp the tissue.

6. The surgical instrument of claim 2 , wherein the distance, when tissue is grasped, is indicative of one of thickness or compressability of the grasped tissue.

7. The surgical instrument of claim 6 , wherein a location of the grasped tissue between the proximal and distal ends, when the grasped tissue does not completely extend from the distal end to the proximal end, alters a relationship between the distance and the actual thickness or compressability of the grasped tissue.

8. The surgical instrument of claim 2 , wherein the condition is indicative of a location of the grasped tissue between the proximal and distal ends, when the grasped tissue does not completely extend from the distal end to the proximal end.

9. The surgical instrument of claim 1 , wherein the first sensor comprises a hall effect sensor and the signal comprises a hall effect voltage.

10. The surgical instrument of claim 1 , further comprising an analog to digital converter coupled between the first and second sensors and the processor and operative to covert the first and second signals from an analog signal to a digital representation thereof which is communicated to the processor.

11. The surgical instrument of claim 1 , wherein the first and second sensors measure the first and second parameters as the tissue is being grasped over time, the adjusted measurement dynamically varying based thereon, the current value thereof being indicative of tissue characteristics and/or clamping positioning at the moment of measurement.

12. The surgical instrument of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to dynamically adjust operation of the end effector as a function of the adjusted measurement.

13. The surgical instrument of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of tables further relates the particular input to the particular output based on at least one tissue characteristic.

14. The surgical instrument of claim 1 , wherein the surgical instrument comprises a display coupled with the processor, the processor being further configured to cause at least the adjusted measurement to be displayed on the display.

15. The surgical instrument of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of tables approximate an algorithmic function to one of condition or calibrate the first signal based on the second signal.

16. The surgical instrument of claim 1 , further comprising a third sensor in signal communication with the processor and operative to measure a third parameter of the surgical instrument and generate a third signal indicative thereof, wherein the processor is further configured to select one of the plurality of tables based thereon.

17. The surgical instrument of claim 1 , wherein the first and/or second sensors further comprise first and/or second sets of redundant sensors configured to reduce one or more of noise, false signals or drift.

18. A method of operating a surgical instrument comprising a motor and an end effector operably coupled to the motor, wherein the end effector comprises a first jaw pivotably coupled at a proximal end thereof with a second jaw, the method comprising:
actuating, by the motor, the end effector to pivot one of the first or second jaw relative to the other of the first or second jaw to grasp tissue therebetween;
measuring, by a first sensor coupled to the end effector, a first parameter of the end effector and generating a first signal indictive thereof; and
measuring, by a second sensor coupled to the surgical instrument, a second parameter of the surgical instrument and generating a second signal indicative thereof, wherein the first and second sensors are in signal communication with a processor, wherein the processor comprises a plurality of tables, each different from the other, each of which relates a particular input value to a particular output value, and wherein the method further comprises:
selecting, by the processor, one of the plurality of tables based on the second signal and using the first signal as the particular input value to the selected table to obtain the particular output value related thereto, the obtained particular output value comprising an adjusted measurement of the first parameter.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the first parameter comprises a distance between a distal end of the first jaw and a distal end of the second jaw, and the second parameter comprises a condition of the surgical instrument.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the condition comprises one of a characteristic of a staple cartridge coupled to one of the first or second jaws, a characteristic of the end effector, or a clamping condition of the first and second jaws.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the characteristic of the staple cartridge comprises one of cartridge color, cartridge length, number of uses, or number of remaining uses.

22. The method of claim 20 , wherein the clamping condition comprises one of strain on or both the first or second jaws, pressure exerted by the first and second jaws on the grasped tissue, or force applied to actuate the end effector to grasp the tissue.

23. The method of claim 19 , wherein the distance, when tis

Assignees

• Cilag Gmbh Int
• Cllag Gmbh Int

Inventors

• Baber Daniel L
• Swayze Jeffrey S
• Beckman Andrew T
• Shelton Iv Frederick E

Classifications

• H02J7/865

  Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply (H02J7/50 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H02J2105/46

  Medical devices, medical implants or life supporting devices · CPC title

• A61B2562/223

  Optical cables therefor · CPC title

• A61B2562/06

  Arrangements of multiple sensors of different types · CPC title

• A61B2018/00648

  using more than one sensed parameter · CPC title