Surgical apparatus permitting recharge of battery-driven surgical instrument in noncontact state

• US 20040116952A1
• Filed: 12/03/2003
• Published: 06/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Sakurai, Tomohisa, Shiga, Akira, Tsukagoshi, Tsuyoshi, Yasunaga, Koji, Hatta, Shinji, Sangu, Hiroyuki, Karasawa, Masaru, Nakamura, Takeaki
• Application Number:
  US10/728,264
• Publication Number:
  US 20040116952A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/169
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1628 Motors; Power supplies
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/29 Forceps for use in minimally invasive surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/32002 with continuously rotating, oscillating or reciprocating cutting instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/14 Probes or electrodes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00022 Sensing or detecting at the treatment site
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00199 with a console, e.g. a control panel with a display
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00398 using powered actuators, e.g. stepper motors, solenoids
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00411 actuated by application of energy from an energy source outside the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00734 battery operated
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320069 for ablating tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320071 with articulating means for working tip
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320082 for incising tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320094 additional movable means performing clamping operation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320095 with sealing or cauterizing means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1226 powered by a battery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/065 for measuring contact or contact pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/0807 Indication means
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 2204/002 using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 30/01 Rechargeable battery operated

Abstract

A surgical instrument can be disinfected or sterilized, and has a rechargeable secondary battery incorporated therein. A distal treatment section of the surgical instrument is ultrasonically oscillated using the secondary battery as a driving power source and used to perform surgery on a living tissue. Electromagnetic energy generated by an energy generation unit located outside the surgical instrument is received by a reception coil incorporated in the surgical instrument with the surgical instrument held in noncontact with the energy generation unit. The electromagnetic energy is then converted into charging power with which the secondary battery is recharged. Thus, the surgical instrument can be readily recharged while left clean.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic treatment instrument, comprising:

an ultrasonic transducer which generates ultrasonic waves and a drive circuit therefor;

a battery to supply energy, including to the drive circuit;

a housing incorporating the ultrasonic transducer, the battery and the drive circuit;

a probe having a distal end protruding from the housing and a part that is coupled with the ultrasonic transducer so that the ultrasonic waves are propagated by the probe outside the housing;

a movable member operable by an operator; and

a sensor circuit which detects movement of the movable member, and

wherein the drive circuit is structured to drive the ultrasonic transducer responsive to an output signal of the sensor circuit.

2. An ultrasonic treatment instrument according to claim 1,

wherein the sensor circuit is composed of a switch which is actuated by the movement of the movable member.

3. An ultrasonic treatment instrument according to claim 2, further comprising a second switch for supplying energy from the battery to the drive circuit.

4. An ultrasonic treatment instrument according to claim 1, wherein the sensor circuit is configured to detect the magnitude of a clamping force generated by the movable member, and to transmit an output signal corresponding to the clamping force to the drive circuit.

5. An ultrasonic treatment instrument according to claim 1,

wherein the sensor circuit is configured to detect the magnitude of a torque developed by the movable member, and to transmit an output signal corresponding to the torque to the drive circuit.

6. The ultrasonic treatment instrument of claim 5, wherein the sensor circuit comprises a torque sensor embedded within an axis of rotation associated with the movable member.

7. The ultrasonic treatment instrument of claim 6, in which the torque sensor comprises a strain gage.

8. The ultrasonic treatment instrument of claim 1, in which the sensor circuit comprises an electrical capacitance force detector.

9. The ultrasonic treatment instrument of claim 1, in which the sensor circuit comprises a piezoelectric element.

10. An ultrasonic treatment instrument, comprising:

an ultrasonic transducer to generate ultrasonic waves and a drive circuit therefor;

a probe coupled to the ultrasonic transducer and having a portion which is positioned adjacent a movable part;

a movable member which is operable to move the movable part; and

a sensor circuit which detects movement of the movable member and which provides an output to the drive circuit of the ultrasonic transducer.