Medical treatment system with energy delivery device for limiting reuse
First Claim
1. A method for limiting the use of an energy delivery device having an optical fiber and a memory device comprising the steps of:
- storing a shelf life of said optical fiber in said memory device;
determining whether said shelf life has expired; and
disabling said energy delivery device when said shelf life has expired.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention provides an energy delivery device for use with a medical treatment system for the more efficacious treatment of patients during laser surgery which limits the number of uses or prevents reuse of the energy delivery device after a certain threshold limit has been reached. The energy delivery device comprises a diffusing optical fiber and a memory device having data programmed therein and being operatively connected to an energy generator the optical fiber includes a temperature sensor for generating a temperature signal in a closed loop manner. The data stored in the memory device includes a multiplicity of use parameters, usage limits, usage counts, and count limits all relating to the properties of the medical treatment system. The use parameters may include an elapsed time, a total treatment time, and a number of treatment sites. A main processor is also included for calculating a temperature from the temperature signal and for updating the use parameters in response to data received by the main processor. The main processor is also used to compare the use parameters to their corresponding usage limits. The main processor can create and increment a usage count when at least one of the use parameters exceeds its corresponding usage limit. Thereafter, the main processor compares the usage count to the count limit and disables the energy delivery device when the usage count exceeds a predetermined count limit.
170 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for limiting the use of an energy delivery device having an optical fiber and a memory device comprising the steps of:
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storing a shelf life of said optical fiber in said memory device;
determining whether said shelf life has expired; and
disabling said energy delivery device when said shelf life has expired. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A medical treatment system comprising:
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an energy delivery device including a memory device and a predetermined shelf life, said shelf life stored in said memory device; and
a processor for determining when an actual date is beyond the expiration of said shelf life, said processor disabling the use of said energy delivery device when said shelf life has expired. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A medical treatment system for performing a medical procedure comprising:
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an energy delivery device including an optical fiber and a memory device, said optical fiber including a temperature sensor at a distal end thereof for generating a temperature signal in a closed loop manner, said optical fiber having a multiplicity of use parameters and a count limit and at least one usage limit corresponding to at least one of said multiplicity of use parameters all relating to said optical fiber, said multiplicity of use parameters and said at least one usage limit and said count limit being stored in said memory device, and said optical fiber and said memory device being affixed to said energy delivery device, and wherein said multiplicity of use parameters include at least an elapsed time, a total treatment time, and a number of treatment sites; and
a processor for calculating a temperature from said temperature signal and for updating at least one of said multiplicity of use parameters in response to data received by said processor and for comparing said use parameter to its corresponding usage limit, said processor creating and incrementing a usage count when at least one of said multiplicity of use parameters exceeds its usage limit, said processor comparing said usage count to said count limit and disabling said energy delivery device when said usage count exceeds said count limit. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification