Surgical fluid management system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9289541-B2
Application number	US-19677708-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 22, 2008
Priority date	Aug 22, 2008
Publication date	Mar 22, 2016
Grant date	Mar 22, 2016

Abstract

A surgical fluid manager includes a pump releasably engageable to tubing and a user interface. The user interface is configured to enable finger-touch selection of a fluid flow rate through the tubing and configured to operate in at least one of a first mode or a second mode. In the first mode, the flow rate is controlled via direct selection of one of a plurality of selectable digital numeric values, while in the second mode the flow rate is controlled via user selection of one alphanumeric identifier within a scale of alphanumeric identifiers. Each respective alphanumeric identifier directly corresponds to just one instrument size within a scale of instrument sizes.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A surgical fluid manager comprising:
a positive displacement pump releasably engageable to tubing; and
a graphical user interface including a selection-display mechanism including a first input portion and a second input portion, the selection-display mechanism configured to provide electronic finger-touch selection of a fluid flow rate through the tubing and through a first surgical instrument connectable to the tubing, wherein the graphical user interface is configured to convertibly operate between:
a first mode configured to directly control the flow rate via user selection through the first input portion of one of a plurality of displayable, selectable digital numeric values; and
a second mode configured to directly control the flow rate via user selection, through the second input portion, of one alphanumeric size identifier within a scale of displayable alphanumeric size identifiers, wherein each respective alphanumeric size identifier directly corresponds to just one surgical instrument size within a scale of different surgical instrument sizes, and wherein the different surgical instrument sizes relate to substantially the same type of surgical instrument, including the first surgical instrument,
wherein the second input portion includes a display element that displays the one selected alphanumeric size identifier without numerically displaying the selected flow rate and wherein the displayed selected alphanumeric size identifier varies within the display element upon selection of each different respective alphanumeric identifier within the scale of displayable alphanumeric size identifiers.

2. The surgical fluid manager of claim 1 wherein the respective surgical instrument sizes are determined by a cross-sectional area of a respective one of the surgical instruments and wherein each respective surgical instrument includes an irrigation conduit through which the fluid flows.

3. The surgical fluid manager of claim 1 wherein the user interface comprises:
a console positionable external to a sterile field and supporting the positive displacement pump; and
a remote control in communication with the console and positionable within the sterile field, wherein the remote control is separate from and independent of the respective surgical instrument,
wherein both the console and the remote control provide the electronic finger-touch selection of the flow rate via one of the respective first and second modes and wherein at least the console includes the first input portion and the second input portion.

4. The surgical fluid manager of claim 3 wherein the user interface, including at least one of the console and the remote control, comprises:
an adjustment mechanism configured to cause, via a third input portion independent of the respective first and second inputs, at least one of an increase or a decrease in the selected flow rate, from the respective first or second inputs, by a numeric value via discrete intervals corresponding to a preset fraction of the selected flow rate that was based on the respective first or second input portions.

5. The surgical fluid manager of claim 3 wherein the user interface, including both the console and the remote control, comprises:
an adjustment mechanism configured to cause, via a third input portion of the selection-display mechanism that is independent of the respective first and second input portions, at least one of an increase or a decrease in the selected flow rate by a numeric value via discrete intervals of at least one order of magnitude less than the order of magnitude of the selected flow rate that was selected via the respective first or second input portions.

6. The surgical fluid manager of claim 1 wherein in the second mode, the second input portion of the selection-display mechanism is configured to select the flow rate via the respective alphanumeric size identifiers in correspondence with performing a surgical procedure using at least one of successively larger surgical instruments or successively smaller surgical instruments throughout the procedure, wherein the display element is configured to display one respective size identifier at a time and to iteratively vary the displayed alphanumeric size identifier with the next selected successive alphanumeric size identifier that corresponds to the next instrument size for the procedure.

7. A surgical fluid manager comprising:
a positive displacement pump releasably engageable to tubing; and
a user interface including a first input portion and a second input portion in which each are configured to enable electronic finger-touch selection of a first fluid flow rate, according to a first order of magnitude, through the tubing and through a first surgical instrument connectable to the tubing, wherein the respective first and second input portions are each configured to directly control the first fluid flow rate via user selection of one of a plurality of displayable, selectable, discrete digital numeric values, wherein the user interface includes:
a console positionable external to a sterile field, supporting the positive displacement pump, and including the first input portion; and
a remote control in wireless communication with the console and positionable within the sterile field, wherein the remote control is separate from and independent of the respective surgical instrument, and wherein the remote control includes the second input portion, and
wherein at least the remote control includes a third input portion, separate and independent of the respective first and second input portions, configured to cause at least one of an increase or a decrease in the selected first fluid flow rate, while fluid is flowing during operation of the pump, by a numeric value via discrete intervals of at least one order of magnitude less than the first order of magnitude of the selected first fluid flow rate.

8. A surgical fluid manager comprising:
a positive displacement pump releasably engageable to tubing; and
a user interface including a flow rate selection mechanism configured to enable electronic finger-touch selection of a fluid flow rate through the tubing and through a first surgical instrument connectable to the tubing, wherein the flow rate selection mechanism directly controls the flow rate without displaying the directly controlled flow rate via user selection of one alphanumeric size identifier within a scale of displayable, alphanumeric size identifiers, wherein each respective alphanumeric size identifier directly corresponds to just one surgical instrument size within a scale of different surgical instrument sizes and to just one preset flow rate within a scale of different preset flow rates, wherein the different surgical instrument sizes relate to substantially the same type of surgical instrument, including the first surgical instrument, and wherein the flow rate selection mechanism is configured to iteratively vary the displayed alphanumeric size identifier with each different selected alphanumeric size identifier so that the alphanumeric size identifiers are displayed one at a time.

9. The surgical fluid manager of claim 8 wherein the user interface is configured to enable selection of the flow rate via the alphanumeric size identifiers in correspondence with performing a surgical procedure using at least one of successively larger surgical instruments or successively smaller surgical instruments throughout the procedure in which each successive alphanumeric size identifier corresponds to the next instrument size for the procedure.

10. The surgical fluid manager of claim 8 , comprising:
a displayable, adjustment mechanism configured to cause, via user selection while fluid is

Assignees

• Norman Gerould W
• Carpenter Charles F Scott
• Koltz Jr Michael L
• Viviano Stephen R
• Medtronic Inc

Inventors

• Norman Gerould W
• Carpenter Charles F Scott
• Koltz Jr Michael L
• Viviano Stephen R

Classifications

• A61M3/022

  Volume; Flow rate · CPC title

• A61B2017/00212

  using remote controls · CPC title

• A61M3/0208

  before use · CPC title

• A61B2017/00225

  Systems for controlling multiple different instruments, e.g. microsurgical systems · CPC title

• A61M2205/3334

  Measuring or controlling the flow rate · CPC title