Surgical cutting instrument that analyzes tissue thickness

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9307987-B2
Application number	US-201414496775-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 25, 2014
Priority date	Dec 24, 2009
Publication date	Apr 12, 2016
Grant date	Apr 12, 2016

Abstract

A surgical instrument with a tissue-clamping end effector, where actuation of the instrument is locked out when the thickness of the tissue clamped in the end effector is not within a specified thickness range. The end effector may comprise a tissue thickness module that senses the thickness of the tissue clamped in the end effector. The surgical instrument also comprises a control circuit in communication with the tissue thickness module. The control circuit prevents actuation of a working portion of the end effector when the thickness of the tissue clamped in the end effector is not within the specified thickness range.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A surgical instrument comprising:
an electric motor;
a power source connected to the motor for supplying electric power to the electric motor;
a tissue-clamping end effector that comprises:
a moveable working portion that is moveable upon actuation of the electric motor;
a cartridge assembly that comprises a tissue thickness sensor for sensing a thickness of tissue clamped in the end effector; and

a control circuit in communication with the tissue thickness sensor, wherein the control circuit automatically prevents actuation of the moveable working portion when the thickness of the tissue clamped in the end effector is not within a specified thickness range based on at least:
thickness data from the tissue thickness sensor for the tissue clamped in the end effector; and
model type data for the cartridge assembly.

2. The surgical instrument of claim 1 , wherein the end effector comprises first and second opposing jaw members for clamping the tissue.

3. The surgical instrument of claim 2 , wherein the tissue thickness sensor comprises a Hall effect sensor.

4. The surgical instrument of claim 3 , wherein the tissue thickness sensor communicates data to the control circuit, the data comprising:
data indicative of the thickness of the tissue clamped in the end effector; and
data indicative of the model type of the cartridge assembly.

5. The surgical instrument of claim 4 , wherein the control circuit comprises a processing unit programmed to determine whether the tissue clamped in the end effector is within the specified thickness range for the cartridge assembly based on the data communicated to the control circuit by the tissue thickness sensor, including the data indicative of the thickness of the tissue clamped in the end effector and the data indicative of the model type of the cartridge assembly.

6. The surgical instrument of claim 2 , wherein the control circuit comprises solid state memory, wherein the solid state memory stores thickness range data for one or more model types for the cartridge assembly.

7. The surgical instrument of claim 6 , wherein the processing unit is programmed to determine whether the tissue clamped in the end effector is within the specified thickness range for the cartridge assembly based on the data communicated to the control circuit by the tissue thickness sensor by comparing the data indicative of the thickness of the tissue clamped in the end effector to stored thickness range data for the model type of the cartridge assembly.

8. The surgical instrument of claim 7 , wherein:
the surgical instrument further comprises a drive shaft that drives the moveable working portion;
the electric motor actuates the drive shaft; and
the power source comprises a battery pack that supplies the electric power to the electric motor.

9. The surgical instrument of claim 8 , wherein the tissue thickness sensor is in wireless communication with the control circuit.

10. The surgical instrument of claim 9 , wherein the tissue thickness sensor is in wireless communication with a visual display unit.

11. The surgical instrument of claim 9 , wherein the tissue thickness sensor is in wireless communication with a remote computer system.

12. The surgical instrument of claim 9 , wherein:
the tissue thickness sensor comprises a first radio module; and
the control circuit comprises a second radio module, wherein the first radio module wirelessly communicates with the second radio module.

13. The surgical instrument of claim 1 , wherein the moveable working portion comprises a cutting instrument.

14. A method of operation for a surgical instrument, wherein the surgical instrument comprises:
an electric motor;
a power source connected to the motor for supplying electric power to the electric motor;
a tissue-clamping end effector that comprises:
a moveable working portion that is moveable upon actuation of the electric motor;
a cartridge assembly that comprises a tissue thickness sensor that senses thickness of tissue clamped in the end effector; and

a control circuit in communication with the tissue thickness sensor,
the method comprising:
clamping tissue in the end effector;
sensing, by the tissue thickness sensor, a thickness of the tissue clamped in the end effector;
transmitting, by the tissue thickness sensor to the control circuit, data indicative of the thickness of the tissue clamped in the end effector;
determining, by the control circuit, whether the thickness of the tissue clamped in the end effector is within a specified range based on a model type for the cartridge assembly; and
upon a determination by the control circuit that the thickness of the tissue clamped in the end effector is not within the specified range, preventing, by the control circuit, actuation of the moveable working portion.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein transmitting, by the tissue thickness sensor to the control circuit, the data indicative of the thickness of the tissue clamped in the end effector comprises wirelessly transmitting, by the tissue thickness sensor to the control circuit, the data indicative of the thickness of the tissue clamped in the end effector.

16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising, prior to determining, by the control circuit, whether the thickness of the tissue clamped in the end effector is within a specified range based on the model type for the cartridge assembly, transmitting, by the tissue thickness sensor to the control circuit, data, indicative of the model type of the cartridge assembly.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein:
transmitting, by the tissue thickness sensor to the control circuit, the data indicative of the thickness of the tissue clamped in the end effector comprises wirelessly transmitting, by the tissue thickness sensor to the control circuit, the data indicative of the thickness of the tissue clamped in the end effector; and
transmitting by the tissue thickness sensor to the control circuit, the data indicative of the model type of the cartridge assembly comprises wirelessly transmitting, by the tissue thickness sensor to the control circuit, the data indicative of the model type of the cartridge assembly.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein:
the power source is connected to the motor via at least one switch; and
the step of preventing, upon the determination by the control circuit that the thickness of the tissue clamped in the end effector is not within the specified range, actuation of the moveable working portion comprises controlling, by the control circuit, the at least one switch that connects the power source to the electric motor.

19. The method of claim 14 , wherein sensing, by the tissue thickness sensor, the thickness of the tissue clamped in the end effector comprises sensing, by a Hall effect sensor of the tissue thickness sensor, the thickness of the tissue clamped in the end effector.

20. The method of claim 14 , wherein determining, by the control circuit, whether the thickness of the tissue clamped in the end effector is within the specified range based on the model type for the cartridge assembly comprises comparing the received data indicative of the thickness of the tissue clamped in the end effector to data stored in a memory unit of the control circuit indicative of the specified thickness range for the model type of the cartridge assembly.

21. A surgical instrument comprising:
a tissue-clamping end effector that comprises:
a moveable working portion; and
a

Assignees

• Ethicon Endo Surgery Inc
• Ethicon Endo Surgery Llc

Inventors

• Swensgard Brett E
• Smith Bret W
• Laurent Ryan J

Classifications

• A61B2017/00734

  battery operated · CPC title

• A61B18/1445

  at the distal end of a shaft, e.g. forceps or scissors at the end of a rigid rod · CPC title

• A61B17/105 Primary

  Wound clamp magazines (for packaging sharps A61B50/3001) · CPC title

• A61B17/068 Primary

  Surgical staplers {, e.g. containing multiple staples or clamps}({staplers containing only one staple A61B17/10; magazines or containers for staples A61B17/105;} for performing anastomosis A61B17/115; {staplers in general B25C5/00}) · CPC title

• A61B2017/320052

  Guides for cutting instruments · CPC title