Device and method for measuring tissue temperature

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12396646-B2
Application number	US-202017632899-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 5, 2020
Priority date	Aug 7, 2019
Publication date	Aug 26, 2025
Grant date	Aug 26, 2025

Abstract

A device and a method for measuring temperature. At least one illumination device emits light with an illumination spectrum into tissue. At least one detector receives the diffuse reflection of the light with a remission spectrum from the tissue. The detector converts the remission spectrum into a detector signal. The detector signal is sent to a computing unit that calculates a remission spectrum from the detector signal. The computing unit calculates an absorption spectrum of the tissue by comparing the illumination spectrum with the remission spectrum, calculates at least one absorption maximum from the absorption spectrum, and calculates a temperature in the tissue by comparing the absorption maximum with at least one reference.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for measuring temperature, comprising the steps of:
emitting light with an illumination spectrum into tissue from a plurality of illumination devices;
receiving a diffuse reflection of the light with a diffuse reflection spectrum from the tissue by a plurality of detectors, wherein the plurality of illumination devices and the plurality of detectors are alternatingly formed or arranged in or on one instrument branch and are in electrical connection with a computing unit, or the plurality of illumination devices and the plurality of detectors are alternatingly formed or arranged in or on each of two opposite instrument branches and are in electrical connection with a computing unit;
converting the diffuse reflection spectrum into a detector signal using the plurality of detectors;
sending the detector signal to the computing unit;
evaluating the diffuse reflection spectrum from the detector signal with the computing unit;
evaluating an absorption spectrum of the tissue by comparing the illumination spectrum to the diffuse reflection spectrum with the computing unit;
determining at least one absorption maximum from the absorption spectrum with the computing unit; and
calculating a temperature in the tissue by comparing the at least one absorption maximum to at least one reference with the computing unit.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of storing at least one reference in the form of an absorption maximum at a particular temperature in the computing unit.

3. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of applying the plurality of illumination devices and the plurality of detectors to the tissue.

4. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of controlling and/or regulating and/or switching off a device with the computing unit based on the temperature in the tissue and/or a tissue impedance.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method is carried out during a sealing operation.

6. A medical instrument comprising:
at least one instrument branch comprising at least one electrode adapted to be supplied with current for sealing and/or cutting tissue, wherein the current is controllable and/or regulated by a computing unit; and
at least one optical temperature measuring device comprising a plurality of illumination devices and a plurality of detectors, the plurality of illumination devices and the plurality of detectors being alternatingly formed or arranged in or on one of the at least one instrument branch and which are in electrical connection with the computing unit, or the plurality of illumination devices and the plurality of detectors being alternatingly formed or arranged in or on each of two opposite instrument branches of the at least one instrument branch and are in electrical connection with a computing unit, wherein:
the computing unit is adapted to transform signals from the plurality of detectors into temperature values;
the plurality of illumination devices are adapted to emit light with an illumination spectrum into the tissue;
the plurality of detectors are adapted to receive a diffuse reflection of a light emitted with a diffuse reflection spectrum from the tissue, convert the diffuse reflection spectrum into a detector signal, and send the detector signal to the computing unit; and
the computing unit is adapted to:
evaluate the diffuse reflection spectrum from the detector signal,
evaluate an absorption spectrum of the tissue by comparing the illumination spectrum to the diffuse reflection spectrum,
determine at least one absorption maximum from the absorption spectrum, and
calculate at least one calculated temperature value in the tissue by comparing the at least one absorption maximum to at least one reference.

7. The medical instrument according to claim 6 , wherein the computing unit is connected with the at least one optical temperature measuring device such that a current intensity, a voltage and/or a frequency of an electric current applied to the at least one electrode is variable in response to the at least one calculated temperature value.

8. A medical instrument comprising:
at least one instrument branch comprising at least one electrode adapted to be supplied with current for sealing and/or cutting tissue, wherein the current is controllable and/or regulated by a computing unit; and
at least one optical temperature measuring device comprising a plurality of illumination devices and a plurality of detectors, each of the plurality of illumination devices and the plurality of detectors being alternatingly formed or arranged in or on the at least one instrument branch or alternately on two opposite instrument branches and which are in electrical connection with the computing unit, the computing unit adapted to transform signals from the plurality of detectors into temperature values, wherein the plurality of detectors and/or the plurality of illumination devices include(s) at least one light tunnel.

9. The medical instrument according to claim 8 , wherein the plurality of illumination devices and the plurality of detectors share an end of the at least one light tunnel.

10. The medical instrument according to claim 8 , wherein the at least one light tunnel is filled with a scattering bulk material.

11. The medical instrument according to claim 6 , wherein a surface of the at least one electrode is made of a reflecting material.

12. The medical instrument according to claim 6 , wherein the plurality of detectors comprises a first detector and a second detector, and wherein one of the plurality of illumination devices is spaced farther from the first detector than from the second detector.

13. The medical instrument according to claim 6 , wherein the at least one optical temperature measuring device is arranged on a plane which is lower than a contact surface of the at least one electrode.

14. The medical instrument according to claim 6 , wherein the at least one instrument branch comprises a first instrument branch and a second instrument branch, and wherein the first instrument branch comprises the plurality of illumination devices and the second instrument branch comprises the plurality of detectors.

15. The medical instrument according to claim 6 , wherein the plurality of illumination devices are arranged obliquely/angled on/at/in the at least one instrument branch or have an oblique/angled surface with respect to a tissue contact surface or light emission surface.

16. The medical instrument according to claim 6 , wherein the plurality of detectors are arranged obliquely/angled on/at/in the at least one instrument branch or have an oblique/angled surface with respect to a tissue contact surface.

17. The medical instrument according to claim 6 , wherein an optical element is arranged obliquely/angled on/at/in a contact surface of the at least one instrument branch.

Assignees

• Aesculap Ag

Inventors

• Huber Christian
• Rothweiler Christoph
• Russ Detlef
• Fugger Oliver
• Hibst Raimund

Classifications

• A61B2018/00601

  Cutting · CPC title

• A61B2017/00057

  Light · CPC title

• A61B5/01

  Measuring temperature of body parts {; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue} (clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20) · CPC title

• A61B5/0084

  for introduction into the body, e.g. by catheters (A61B5/1459 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61B2018/00797

  measured by multiple temperature sensors · CPC title