Motorized surgical instrument

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9005230-B2
Application number	US-201313745176-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 18, 2013
Priority date	Sep 23, 2008
Publication date	Apr 14, 2015
Grant date	Apr 14, 2015

Abstract

A surgical cutting and fastening instrument that is motorized. The instrument comprises in one embodiment a charge accumulator device, separate from a battery, that provides additional power to the motor under certain conditions. In addition, the motor may comprise multiple windings.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A surgical instrument comprising:
an end effector comprising a moveable firing member;
an electric motor for actuating the firing member; and
a motor control circuit for controlling the motor, wherein the motor control circuit comprises:
a power source connected to the motor for electrically powering the motor;
a charge accumulator device; and
a switching circuit connected to the power source and the charge accumulator device, wherein the switching circuit comprises a network of switches defining a charge state and a discharge state, wherein in the charge state the power source is connected to the charge accumulator device not in series to electrically charge the charge accumulator device, wherein in the charge state, the power source is connected to the motor and provides electric current to the motor, and wherein in the discharge state the charge accumulator is connected in series with the power source to provide additional power to the motor, wherein the network of switches does not assume the charge state and the discharge state simultaneously.

2. The surgical instrument of claim 1 , wherein the charge accumulator device comprises a capacitor.

3. The surgical instrument of claim 2 , wherein the charge accumulator device comprises an ultracapacitor.

4. The surgical instrument of claim 1 , wherein the power source comprises a plurality of series connected battery cells.

5. The surgical instrument of claim 4 , further comprising a power source selection switch connected to the power source for connecting, when in a first state, all of the battery cells to the motor, and, when in a second state, a subset of the battery cells to the motor.

6. The surgical instrument of claim 1 , wherein the end effector comprises a circular-cutting end effector.

7. The surgical instrument of claim 1 , wherein the end effector comprises a linear-cutting end effector.

8. The surgical instrument of claim 1 , wherein the motor control circuit further comprises a current control circuit, connected to the power source, for varying the current supplied to the motor from the power source, such that the motor has at least:
a first, low power operational mode for a first portion of a cutting stroke cycle of the surgical instrument; and
a second, high power operational mode for a second portion the cutting stroke cycle of the surgical instrument.

9. The surgical instrument of claim 1 , wherein:
the motor comprises at least two windings; and
the motor control circuit is for selectively connecting the at least two windings in series or in parallel.

10. The surgical instrument of claim 1 , wherein the moveable firing member comprises at least one of a cutting instrument and a staple driver.

11. A surgical instrument comprising:
an end effector comprising a moveable firing member;
an electric motor for actuating the firing member;
a firing trigger switch;
a motor control circuit for controlling the motor, wherein the motor control circuit comprises:
a power source comprising a negative terminal and a positive terminal, wherein the firing trigger, when actuated, closes a connection between the power source and the electric motor for providing an electric current to the electric motor;
a charge accumulator device comprising a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the charge accumulator device is configured to be chargeable with a voltage potential across the first and second terminals; and
a switching circuit connected to the power source and the charge accumulator device, wherein the switching circuit comprises:
a first switch in series with the firing trigger switch that, when closed, provides a current path from the positive terminal of the power source to the electric motor;
a second switch that, when closed, provides a current path from the positive terminal of the power source to the first terminal of the charge accumulator device wherein when the second switch is closed, the charge accumulator device is not in series with the power source; and
a third switch that, when closed, provides a current path from the negative terminal of the power source to the second terminal of the charge accumulator device.

12. The surgical instrument of claim 11 , wherein when the first switch is closed, the second switch is open, and the third switch is open, the switching circuit powers the motor with the power source.

13. The surgical instrument of claim 11 , wherein when the first switch is closed, the second switch is open, and the third switch is closed, the switching circuit powers the motor with the power source and simultaneously charges the charge accumulator device to the voltage potential.

14. The surgical instrument of claim 11 , wherein when the first switch is open, the second switch is closed, and the third switch is open, the switching circuit connects the charge accumulator device to the power source in series and powers the motor with the power source and the charge accumulator device.

15. The surgical instrument of claim 11 , wherein the charge accumulator device comprises a capacitor.

16. The surgical instrument of claim 15 , wherein the charge accumulator device comprises an ultracapacitor.

17. The surgical instrument of claim 11 , wherein the moveable firing member comprises at least one of a cutting instrument and a staple driver.

18. A surgical instrument comprising:
an end effector comprising a moveable firing member;
an electric motor for actuating the firing member;
a motor control circuit for controlling the motor, wherein the motor control circuit comprises:
a power source;
a charge accumulator device; and
control means for:
in a first instance, connecting the electric motor to the power source for powering the motor with the power source;
in a second instance, connecting the electric motor to the power source for powering the motor with the power source and simultaneously connecting the charge accumulator device to the power source for charging the charge accumulator device, wherein a voltage provided to the electric motor in the second instance is substantially equal to a voltage provided to the electric motor in the first instance; and
in a third instance, connecting the charge accumulator device to the power source in series for powering the electric motor with the power source and the charge accumulator device.

19. The surgical instrument of claim 18 , wherein the moveable firing member comprises at least one of a cutting instrument and a staple driver.

20. The surgical instrument of claim 18 , wherein the charge accumulator device comprises at least one of a capacitor and an ultracapacitor.

Assignees

• Ethicon Endo Surgery Inc

Inventors

• Yates David C
• Huitema Thomas W
• 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

• H02J7/575

  Parallel/serial switching of connection of batteries to charge or load circuit · CPC title

• H02J2105/46

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

• A61B2017/00017

  Electrical control of surgical instruments · CPC title

• A61B2017/00734

  battery operated · CPC title