Ultrasonic surgical apparatus

• US 20040249318A1
• Filed: 06/01/2004
• Published: 12/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Tanaka, Kazue
• Granted Patent: US 8,211,132 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 601/2
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/320068 using mechanical vibrations, e.g. ultrasonic A61B17/22012 takes precedence; dental tooth drilling devices operated by vibration A61C3/03; removing intra-ocular material using mechanical vibrations A61F9/00745
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0003 of parts of the instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00123 and automatic shutdown

Abstract

A probe is connected to an ultrasonic vibrator and can transmit ultrasonic vibrations to a living body tissue. A PLL circuit can generate a drive signal for driving the ultrasonic vibrator. A P-value detecting circuit detects a voltage peak value and current peak value of the drive signal to be supplied from the PLL circuit to the ultrasonic vibrator. A standardizing circuit standardizes voltage information and current information of the drive signal based on a result of the P-value detecting circuit. A comparing circuit is a comparing unit for comparing voltage information standardized by the standardizing circuit and current information standardized by the standardizing circuit. A CPU identifies an abnormality of the probe based on a comparison result of the comparing circuit.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic surgical apparatus, comprising:

an ultrasonic vibrator which can generate ultrasonic vibrations;

a probe which is connected to the ultrasonic vibrator and can transmit the ultrasonic vibrations;

drive signal generating means which can generate a drive signal for driving the ultrasonic vibrator;

drive signal distortion detecting means which can detect a waveform distortion of the drive signal to be supplied from the drive signal generating means to the ultrasonic vibrator; and

probe abnormality identifying means for identifying an abnormality of the probe based on a detection result of the drive signal distortion detecting means.

2. The ultrasonic surgical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the drive signal distortion detecting means compares a voltage waveform and current waveform of the drive signal; and

the probe abnormality identifying means identifies that the probe has an abnormality in accordance with whether or not a difference between the voltage waveform and current waveform of the drive signal fits in a predetermined range.

3. The ultrasonic surgical apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the drive signal distortion detecting means compares a standardized voltage waveform and standardized current waveform of the drive signal.

4. An ultrasonic surgical apparatus, comprising:

an ultrasonic vibrator which can generate ultrasonic vibrations;

a probe which is connected to the ultrasonic vibrator and can transmit the ultrasonic vibrations to a living body tissue;

driving signal generating means which can generate a drive signal for driving the ultrasonic vibrator;

peak detecting means which can detect a voltage peak value and current peak value of the drive signal to be supplied from the drive signal generating means to the ultrasonic vibrator;

drive signal standardizing means for standardizing voltage information and current information of the drive signal based on a result of the peak detecting means;

comparing means for comparing voltage information standardized by the drive signal standardizing means and current information standardized by the drive signal standardizing means; and

probe abnormality identifying means for identifying an abnormality of the probe based on a comparison result of the comparing means.

5. An ultrasonic surgical apparatus, comprising:

an ultrasonic vibrator which can generate ultrasonic vibrations;

a probe which is connected to the ultrasonic vibrator and can transmit the ultrasonic vibrations;

drive signal generating means which can generate a drive signal for driving the ultrasonic vibrator;

resonance point detecting means which can detect a resonance point of the ultrasonic vibrator connecting to the probe by changing a frequency of the drive signal to be supplied from the drive signal generating means to the ultrasonic vibrator;

resonance point track and control means which starts a control operation on the drive signal generating means when the resonance point detecting means detects the resonance point and can track and control the resonance point;

drive current setting means which can set a current value of the drive signal;

current control means for controlling stepwise increase of current of the drive signal based on a current set value set by the drive current setting means after the resonance point track and control means starts a control operation;

impedance monitoring means for monitoring impedance changes of the ultrasonic vibrator based on the drive signal for increasingly supplying current in stages by the current control means; and

horizontal vibration occurrence identifying means for identifying whether or not horizontal vibrations are occurring in the probe based on a monitoring result by the impedance monitoring means.

6. The ultrasonic surgical apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the horizontal vibration occurrence identifying means identifies that horizontal vibrations are occurring in the probe when the impedance changes have an upward tendency.

7. An ultrasonic surgical apparatus, comprising:

an ultrasonic vibrator which can generate ultrasonic vibrations;

a probe which is connected to the ultrasonic vibrator and can transmit the ultrasonic vibrations;

a drive signal generating circuit which can generate a drive signal for driving the ultrasonic vibrator;

a drive signal distortion detecting circuit which can detect a waveform distortion of the drive signal to be supplied from the drive signal generating circuit to the ultrasonic vibrator; and

a probe abnormality identifying circuit for identifying an abnormality of the probe based on a detection result of the drive signal distortion detecting circuit.

8. The ultrasonic surgical apparatus according to claim 7, wherein:

the drive signal distortion detecting circuit compares a voltage waveform and current waveform of the drive signal; and

the probe abnormality identifying circuit identifies that the probe has an abnormality in accordance with whether or not a difference between the voltage waveform and current waveform of the drive signal fits in a predetermined range.

9. The ultrasonic surgical apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the drive signal distortion detecting circuit compares a standardized voltage waveform and standardized current waveform of the drive signal.

10. An ultrasonic surgical apparatus, comprising:

an ultrasonic vibrator which can generate ultrasonic vibrations;

a probe which is connected to the ultrasonic vibrator and can transmit the ultrasonic vibrations to a living body tissue;

a driving signal generating circuit which can generate a drive signal for driving the ultrasonic vibrator;

a peak detecting circuit which can detect a voltage peak value and current peak value of the drive signal to be supplied from the drive signal generating circuit to the ultrasonic vibrator;

a drive signal standardizing circuit for standardizing voltage information and current information of the drive signal based on a result of the peak detecting circuit;

a comparing circuit for comparing voltage information standardized by the drive signal standardizing circuit and current information standardized by the drive signal standardizing circuit; and

a probe abnormality identifying circuit for identifying an abnormality of the probe based on a comparison result of the comparing circuit.

11. An ultrasonic surgical apparatus, comprising:

an ultrasonic vibrator which can generate ultrasonic vibrations;

a probe which is connected to the ultrasonic vibrator and can transmit the ultrasonic vibrations;

a drive signal generating circuit which can generate a drive signal for driving the ultrasonic vibrator;

a resonance point detecting circuit which can detect a resonance point of the ultrasonic vibrator connecting to the probe by changing a frequency of the drive signal to be supplied from the drive signal generating circuit to the ultrasonic vibrator;

a resonance point track and control circuit which starts a control operation on the drive signal generating circuit when the resonance point detecting circuit detects the resonance point and can track and control the resonance point;

a drive current setting circuit which can set a current value of the drive signal;

a current control circuit for controlling stepwise increase of current of the drive signal based on a current set value set by the drive current setting circuit after the resonance point track and control circuit starts a control operation;

an impedance monitoring circuit for monitoring impedance changes of the ultrasonic vibrator based on the drive signal for increasingly supplying current in stages by the current control circuit; and

a horizontal vibration occurrence identifying circuit for identifying whether or not horizontal vibrations are occurring in the probe based on a monitoring result by the impedance monitoring circuit.

12. The ultrasonic surgical apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the horizontal vibration occurrence identifying circuit identifies that horizontal vibrations are occurring in the probe when the impedance changes have an upward tendency.

13. An abnormality detecting method for an ultrasonic surgical apparatus including an ultrasonic vibrator which can generate ultrasonic vibrations and a probe which is connected to the ultrasonic vibrator and can transmit the ultrasonic vibrations, the method comprising the steps of:

generating a drive signal for driving the ultrasonic vibrator;

detecting a waveform distortion of the drive signal to be supplied to the ultrasonic vibrator; and

identifying an abnormality of the probe based on a result of a detection of a waveform distortion of the drive signal.

14. The abnormality detecting method according to claim 13, wherein:

the step of detecting the waveform distortion comprises a step of comparing a voltage waveform and current waveform of the drive signal; and

the step of identifying the abnormality comprises a step of identifying that the probe has an abnormality in accordance with whether or not a difference between the voltage waveform and current waveform of the drive signal fits in a predetermined range.

15. The abnormality detecting method according to claim 14, wherein the step of detecting the waveform distortion comprises a step of comparing a standardized voltage waveform and standardized current waveform of the drive signal.

16. An abnormality detecting method for an ultrasonic surgical apparatus including an ultrasonic vibrator which can generate ultrasonic vibrations and a probe which is connected to the ultrasonic vibrator and can transmit the ultrasonic vibrations to a living body tissue, the method comprising the steps of:

generating a drive signal for driving the ultrasonic vibrator;

detecting a voltage peak value and current peak value of the drive signal to be supplied to the ultrasonic vibrator;

standardizing voltage information and current information of the drive signal based on a result of the detected voltage peak value and current peak value;

comparing the standardized voltage information and the standardized current information; and

identifying an abnormality of the probe based on a result of a comparison between the standardized voltage information and the standardized current information.

17. An abnormality detecting method for an ultrasonic surgical apparatus including an ultrasonic vibrator which can generate ultrasonic vibrations and a probe which is connected to the ultrasonic vibrator and can transmit the ultrasonic vibrations, the method comprising the steps of:

generating a drive signal for driving the ultrasonic vibrator;

detecting a resonance point of the ultrasonic vibrator connecting to the probe by changing a frequency of the drive signal to be supplied to the ultrasonic vibrator;

tracking and controlling the resonance point when the resonance point is detected;

setting a current value of the drive signal;

controlling stepwise increase of current of the drive signal based on the current set value set after tracking and controlling of the resonance point are started;

monitoring impedance changes of the ultrasonic vibrator based on the drive signal for increasingly supplying current in stages; and

identifying whether or not horizontal vibrations are occurring in the probe based on a result of monitoring of the impedance changes.

18. The abnormality detecting method according to claim 17, wherein whether horizontal vibrations are occurring in the probe or not is identified when the impedance changes have an upward tendency.