Estimating state of ultrasonic end effector and control system therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12295639-B2
Application number	US-202418647890-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 26, 2024
Priority date	Dec 28, 2017
Publication date	May 13, 2025
Grant date	May 13, 2025

Abstract

Various aspects of a generator, ultrasonic device, and method for estimating a state of an end effector of an ultrasonic device are disclosed. The ultrasonic device includes an electromechanical ultrasonic system defined by a predetermined resonant frequency, including an ultrasonic transducer coupled to an ultrasonic blade. A control circuit measures a complex impedance of an ultrasonic transducer, wherein the complex impedance is defined as Z g (t)=V g (t)/I g (t). The control circuit receives a complex impedance measurement data point and compares the complex impedance measurement data point to a data point in a reference complex impedance characteristic pattern. The control circuit then classifies the complex impedance measurement data point based on a result of the comparison analysis and assigns a state or condition of the end effector based on the result of the comparison analysis.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A surgical system comprising:
an ultrasonic device comprising a jaw clamp and an electromechanical ultrasonic system defined by a predetermined resonant frequency,
wherein the electromechanical ultrasonic system comprises an ultrasonic transducer coupled to an ultrasonic blade via an ultrasonic waveguide;

a surgical hub system comprising a communication circuit, wherein the surgical hub system is in communication with the ultrasonic device;
a generator configured to supply power to the ultrasonic transducer, wherein the generator comprises a control circuit to:
cause a drive circuit to apply a drive signal to the ultrasonic transducer, wherein the drive signal is defined by a magnitude and a frequency;
sweep the frequency of the drive signal from below the predetermined resonant frequency to above the predetermined resonant frequency;
measure and record impedance circle variables R e and X e , and admittance circle variables G e and B e ;
compare the measured impedance circle variables R e and X e and the measured admittance circle variables Ge and Be to reference impedance circle variables R ref and X ref , and reference admittance circle variables G ref and B ref , respectively; and
determine a state or condition of an end effector of the ultrasonic device based on the result of the comparison.

2. The surgical system of claim 1 , wherein the reference impedance circle variables R ref and X ref , and the reference admittance circle variables G ref and B ref are stored in a database of the ultrasonic device.

3. The surgical system of claim 1 , wherein the reference impedance circle variables R ref and X ref , and the reference admittance circle variables G ref and B ref correspond to an open and unloaded jaw clamp.

4. The surgical system of claim 1 , wherein the reference impedance circle variables R ref and X ref , and the reference admittance circle variables G ref and B ref correspond to the jaw clamp fully clamped on a moist chamois.

5. The surgical system of claim 1 , wherein the reference impedance circle variables R ref and X ref , and the reference admittance circle variables G ref and B ref are accessible to the surgical hub system from a cloud-based memory storage unit.

6. The surgical system of claim 1 , wherein the drive signal is a periodic signal.

7. The surgical system of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to:
plot real resistance values R e and imaginary impedance values X e on a two-dimensional graph; and
fit the real resistance values R e and the imaginary impedance values X e to a circle having a radius and offset values.

8. The surgical system of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to:
plot real conductance values G e and imaginary susceptance values B e on a second two-dimensional graph; and
fit the real conductance values G e and the imaginary susceptance values B e to a second circle having a second radius and second offset values.

9. The surgical system of claim 1 , wherein the generator is disposed within a generator module of the surgical hub system.

10. A surgical system comprising:
a smart surgical device;
a surgical hub system comprising a communication circuit, wherein the surgical hub system is in communication with the smart surgical device;
a generator configured to supply power to the smart surgical device, wherein the generator comprises a control circuit to:
cause a drive circuit to apply a drive signal to the smart surgical device, wherein the drive signal is defined by a magnitude and a frequency;
sweep the frequency of the drive signal from below a predetermined resonant frequency of the smart surgical device to above the predetermined resonant frequency;
measure and record impedance circle variables R e and X e , and admittance circle variables G e and B e ;
compare the measured impedance circle variables R e and X e and the measured admittance circle variables G e and B e to reference impedance circle variables R ref and X ref , and reference admittance circle variables G ref and B ref , respectively; and
determine a state or condition of an end effector of the smart surgical device based on the result of the comparison.

11. The surgical system of claim 10 , wherein the reference impedance circle variables R ref and X ref , and the reference admittance circle variables G ref and B ref are stored in a database of the ultrasonic smart surgical device instrument.

12. The surgical system of claim 10 , wherein the reference impedance circle variables R ref and X ref , and the reference admittance circle variables G ref and B ref are accessible to the surgical hub system from a cloud-based memory storage unit.

13. The surgical system of claim 10 , wherein the drive signal is a periodic signal.

14. The surgical system of claim 10 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to:
plot real resistance values R e and imaginary impedance values X e on a two-dimensional graph; and
fit the real resistance values R e and the imaginary impedance values X e to a circle having a radius and offset values.

15. The surgical system of claim 10 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to:
plot real conductance values G e and imaginary susceptance values B e on a second two-dimensional graph; and
fit the real conductance values G e and the imaginary susceptance values B e to a second circle having a second radius and second offset values.

16. The surgical system of claim 10 , wherein the generator is disposed within a generator module of the surgical hub system.

17. A method of controlling a surgical system comprising:
applying, by a control circuit, a drive signal to an ultrasonic transducer of an electromechanical ultrasonic system, wherein the drive signal is defined by a magnitude and a frequency;
sweeping, by the control circuit, the frequency of the drive signal from below a predetermined resonant frequency of the electromechanical ultrasonic system to above the predetermined resonant frequency of the electromechanical ultrasonic system;
measuring and recording, by the control circuit, impedance circle variables R e and X e , and admittance circle variables G e and B e ;
obtaining, by a surgical hub system comprising a communication circuit, reference impedance circle variables R ref and X ref , and reference admittance circle variables G ref and B ref , from a cloud-based memory storage unit;
comparing, by the control circuit, the measured impedance circle variables R e and X e and the measured admittance circle variables G e and B e to the reference impedance circle variables R ref and X ref , and the reference admittance circle variables G ref and B ref , respectively; and
determining, by the control circuit, a state or condition of an end effector of the electromechanical ultrasonic system based on the result of the comparison.

18. The method of controlling the surgical system of claim 17 , further comprising:
plotting, by the control circuit, real resistance values R e and imaginary impedance values X e on a two-dimensional graph; and
fitting, by the control circuit, the real resistance values R e and the imaginary impedance values X e to a circle having a radius and offset values.

19. The method of controlling the surgical system of claim 17 , further comprising:
plotting, by the control circuit, real conductance values G e and imaginary susceptance values B e on a second two-dimensional graph; and
fit

Assignees

• Cilag Gmbh Int

Inventors

• Nott Cameron R
• Stulen Foster B
• Quigley Fergus P
• Brady John E
• Trees Gregory A
• Sawhney Amrita Singh
• Ortiz Rafael J Ruiz
• Scoggins Patrick J
• Denzinger Kristen G
• Faller Craig N
• Jayme Madeleine C
• Cuti Alexander R
• Schneider Matthew S
• Boudreaux Chad P
• Black Brian D
• Rockman Maxwell T
• Bishop Gregory D
• Shelton Iv Frederick E
• Yates David C

Classifications

• G06F1/022

  Waveform generators, i.e. devices for generating periodical functions of time, e.g. direct digital synthesizers (G06F1/025, G06F1/03 take precedence) · CPC title

• A61B18/14

  Probes or electrodes therefor · CPC title

• A61B17/320068

  using mechanical vibrations, e.g. ultrasonic (A61B17/22012 takes precedence; dental tooth drilling devices operated by vibration A61C3/03; removing intra-ocular material using mechanical vibrations A61F9/00745) · CPC title

• A61B8/4483

  characterised by features of the ultrasound transducer · CPC title

• A61B2017/00106

  ultrasonic · CPC title