Surgical instrument including MEMS devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9561031-B2
Application number	US-201113245270-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 26, 2011
Priority date	Apr 25, 2002
Publication date	Feb 7, 2017
Grant date	Feb 7, 2017

Abstract

Surgical instruments are disclosed that are couplable to or have an end effector or a disposable loading unit with an end effector, and at least one micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) device operatively connected to the surgical instrument for at least one of sensing a condition, measuring a parameter and controlling the condition and/or parameter.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A robotic system for performing surgical tasks, the robotic system comprising:
a robotic arm;
an actuation assembly operatively associated with the robotic arm for controlling operation and movement of the robotic arm, the actuation assembly including a processor for storing operational commands;
a loading unit releasably connected to the robotic arm and including:
a head portion for housing an electro-mechanical assembly configured to receive signals from the processor of the actuation assembly;
a pair of jaw members coupled to the head portion; and
at least one micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) device positioned on at least one jaw member of the pair of jaw members, wherein the at least one MEMS device includes:
an energy producing device; and
a sensor configured to sense energy produced by the energy producing device, the at least one MEMS device being configured to determine a distance between the pair of jaw members by timing a duration between initial energy sensing by the sensor and activation of the energy producing device.

2. The robotic system of claim 1 , wherein the loading unit is connected to the robotic arm via a bayonet-type connection.

3. The robotic system of claim 1 , further comprising a controller including a receiver for receiving electrical signals transmitted from the actuation assembly and for controlling operation and movement of the loading unit.

4. The robotic system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one MEMS device is operatively connected to a tissue contacting surface of each of the pair of jaw members.

5. The robotic system of claim 4 , wherein the at least one MEMS device is configured to measure distance between the tissue contacting surfaces of the pair of jaw members.

6. The robotic system of claim 1 , further comprising a feedback control system configured to allow the robotic system to be programmed, before a surgical task is performed, to continuously monitor, in real-time, a plurality of parameters and operations associated with movement of the loading unit.

7. The robotic system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one MEMS device includes a wireless transmitter.

8. The robotic system of claim 1 , wherein the energy producing device is a transducer delivery device and the sensor is a transducer receiving device.

9. The robotic system of claim 1 , further comprising a frame, wherein the robotic arm is connected to the frame and movable in six degrees of freedom relative to the frame.

10. The robotic system of claim 1 , wherein the loading unit includes:
an elongate shaft releasably connected to the head portion of the loading unit; and
a surgical stapler operatively coupled to a distal end of the elongate shaft and configured to engage tissue, the surgical stapler including the pair of jaw members.

11. The robotic system of claim 1 , wherein the energy producing device of the at least one MEMS device is attached to a first jaw member of the pair of jaw members, and the sensor of the at least one MEMS device is attached to a second jaw member of the pair of jaw members.

Assignees

• Heinrich Russell
• Cuny Douglas J
• Covidien Lp

Inventors

• Heinrich Russell
• Cuny Douglas J

Classifications

• A61B2017/07271

  characterised by its cartridge · 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

• A61B34/30

  Surgical robots · CPC title

• A61B2017/0023

  disposable · CPC title

• A61B2018/00702

  Power or energy · CPC title