Supply device for operation of at least one medical instrument, method for generation of a control program

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9247982-B2
Application number	US-201013497108-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 21, 2010
Priority date	Sep 21, 2009
Publication date	Feb 2, 2016
Grant date	Feb 2, 2016

Abstract

A supply device for the operation of at least one medical instrument, in particular an electrosurgical instrument and/or a cryosurgical instrument and/or a water jet surgical instrument. The supply device includes a control unit for the control of the at least one medical instrument and a memory unit for the storage of configuration data which describe a state device with a plurality of states. The control unit is designed such that it reads in configuration data and converts the state device into a control program and controls the at least one medical instrument according to the control program. This ensures efficient control of medical instruments because the control programs used can be more efficiently checked for their correctness and updated accordingly.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A supply device for operating an RF generator for supplying at least one medical instrument, the supply device comprising:
a memory unit for storing a framework program and configured to store configuration data representing at least one state device, each state device corresponding to a different one of a plurality of operation modes of the RF generator, having a plurality of states, and assigning at least one setpoint to at least one state of the respective state device; and
a control unit for executing the framework program in order to read in the configuration data, and control the RF generator according to the plurality of operation modes.

2. The supply device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one medical instrument is selected from the group consisting of an electrosurgical instrument, a cryosurgical instrument, a water jet surgical instrument and a combination thereof.

3. The supply device of claim 1 , further comprising:
an interface configured to write the configuration data to the memory unit.

4. The supply device of claim 1 , wherein the configuration data comprises at least one control table.

5. The supply device of claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to control the at least one medical instrument by emitting control signals to control the at least one medical instrument according to the at least one setpoint.

6. The supply device of claim 5 , further comprising:
a measurement unit for measuring at least one sensor signal to which is assigned the at least one setpoint, the control unit configured to control the at least one medical instrument such that the setpoint is substantially maintained.

7. The supply device of claim 6 , wherein the control unit is configured to establish an operating point at which the at least one sensor signal does not exceed the assigned at least one setpoint.

8. The supply device of claim 6 , wherein:
the state device comprises at least one transition of at least one first state into at least one second state,
the configuration data comprises at least one transition rule, and
the control unit is further configured to switch from a first control mode according to the at least one first state into a second control mode according to the at least one second state when the at least one transition rule is satisfied.

9. The supply device of claim 8 , wherein:
at least one first setpoint is assigned to the at least one first state and at least one second setpoint is assigned to the at least one second state,
the at least one first setpoint and the at least one second setpoint relating to the same sensor signal, and
the control unit is further configured to:
capture, based on the configuration data, how a transfer of the sensor signal from the at least one first setpoint to the at least one second setpoint has to occur, and
undertake a corresponding control operation.

10. The supply device of claim 8 , wherein the at least one transition rule comprises at least one condition relating to at least one sensor signal.

11. The supply device of claim 10 , wherein:
at least two transitions are assigned to the at least one state by the configuration data,
an order is assigned to each of the at least two transitions by the configuration data, and
the control unit is further configured to, when controlling the at least one medical instrument in a control mode according to the state with the at least two transitions, check the at least one condition of the at least two transitions according to the order.

12. The supply device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of operation modes comprises at least one of cutting mode, coagulation mode, monopolar instrument mode, bipolar instrument mode and a mode based on tissue type.

13. A method for controlling an RF generator for supplying at least one medical instrument, the method comprising:
reading into a framework program configuration data that represents at least one state device, each state device corresponding to a different one of a plurality of operation modes of the RF generator and having a plurality of states;
assigning at least one setpoint to a current state of the plurality of states by the configuration data; and
using the framework program to control the RF generator according to the plurality of operation modes.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the at least one medical instrument is selected from the group consisting of an electrosurgical instrument, a cryosurgical instrument, a water jet surgical instrument and a combination thereof.

15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
writing configuration data of an external memory to an internal memory of the supply device.

16. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
measuring a sensor signal with a measuring device;
comparing the sensor signal with the setpoint assigned to the current state; and
emitting a control signal to set the sensor signal according to the setpoint.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of operation modes comprises at least one of cutting mode, coagulation mode, monopolar instrument mode, bipolar instrument mode and a mode based on tissue type.

18. A method for controlling an RF generator for supplying at least one medical instrument, the method comprising:
reading into a framework program configuration data that describe a represents at least one state device, each state device corresponding to a different one of a plurality of operation modes of the RF generator and having a plurality of states;
using the framework program to control the RF generator in a current state of a current operation mode by:
assigning at least one transition rule to the current state;
measuring at least one sensor signal with a measuring device;
comparing the at least one sensor signal with the at least one transition rule assigned to the current state;
when the at least one transition rule is satisfied, determining a next state; and
controlling the RF generator according to the next state.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the at least one transition rule comprises a plurality of conditions that each relate to a sensor signal.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the plurality of operation modes comprises at least one of cutting mode, coagulation mode, monopolar instrument mode, bipolar instrument mode and a mode based on tissue type.

Assignees

• Fritz Martin
• Schall Heiko
• Erbe Elektromedizin

Inventors

• Fritz Martin
• Schall Heiko

Classifications

• A61B2018/00958

  for switching between different working modes of the main function · CPC title

• A61B18/00 Primary

  Surgical instruments, devices or methods for transferring non-mechanical forms of energy to or from the body (eye surgery A61F9/007; ear surgery A61F11/00) · CPC title

• A61B18/12

  by passing a current through the tissue to be heated, e.g. high-frequency current · CPC title

• A61B18/1482

  having a long rigid shaft for accessing the inner body transcutaneously in minimal invasive surgery, e.g. laparoscopy · CPC title

• A61B2018/00083

  low, i.e. electrically insulating · CPC title