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Method and apparatus for determining parameters of linear motion in a surgical instrument

US8960520B2 · US · B2

Patent metadata
FieldValue
Publication numberUS-8960520-B2
Application numberUS-201113033621-A
CountryUS
Kind codeB2
Filing dateFeb 24, 2011
Priority dateOct 5, 2007
Publication dateFeb 24, 2015
Grant dateFeb 24, 2015

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  1. Title

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  2. Abstract

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  3. Assignees and inventors

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  4. Key dates

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  5. First independent claim

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  6. CPC / IPC classifications

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  7. Citations and related patents

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Abstract

Official abstract text for this publication.

A surgical instrument and method of controlling the surgical instrument are disclosed. The surgical instrument includes a housing and an elongated shaft that extends distally from the housing and defines a first longitudinal axis. The surgical instrument also includes a firing rod disposed in the elongated shaft and a drive mechanism disposed at least partially within the housing. The drive mechanism mechanically cooperates with the firing rod to move the firing rod. A motion sensor senses a change in the electric field (e.g., capacitance, impedance, or admittance) between the firing rod and the elongated shaft. The measurement unit determines a parameter of the motion of the firing rod, such as the position, speed, and direction of the firing rod, based on the sensed change in the electric field. A controller uses the measured parameter of the motion of the firing rod to control the drive mechanism.

First claim

Opening claim text (preview).

What is claimed is: 1. A surgical instrument, comprising: a housing; an elongated shaft extending distally from the housing and defining a first longitudinal axis; a firing rod disposed at least partially within the elongated shaft; a drive mechanism disposed at least partially within the elongated shaft, the drive mechanism being in mechanical cooperation with the firing rod; a sensor that senses a change in an electric field between the firing rod and the elongated shaft…

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Frequently asked questions

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What does patent US8960520B2 cover?
A surgical instrument and method of controlling the surgical instrument are disclosed. The surgical instrument includes a housing and an elongated shaft that extends distally from the housing and defines a first longitudinal axis. The surgical instrument also includes a firing rod disposed in the elongated shaft and a drive mechanism disposed at least partially within the housing. The drive mec…
Who is the assignee on this patent?
Mccuen David M, Covidien Lp
What technology area does this patent fall under?
Primary CPC classification A61B17/07207. Mapped technology areas include Human Necessities.
When was this patent published?
Publication date Tue Feb 24 2015 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time) (B2). Legal status and post-grant events are not shown on this page.
What related patents are in patentsdb?
We list 8 related publications on this page (citations in our corpus or others sharing the same primary CPC).