Surgical instruments employing sensors

• US 20060273135A1
• Filed: 05/31/2006
• Published: 12/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Tyco Healthcare Group LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Beetel, Robert J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,717,312 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 227/175.100
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/068 Surgical staplers , e.g. containing multiple staples or clampsstaplers containing only one staple A61B17/10; magazines or containers for staples A61B17/105; for performing anastomosis A61B17/115; staplers in general B25C5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0686 having a forming anvil staying below the tissue during stapling
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/072 for applying a row of staples in a single action , e.g. the staples being applied simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/07207 the staples being applied sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/115 Staplers for performing anastomosis in a single operation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1155 Circular staplers comprising a plurality of staples
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/128 for applying or removing clamps or clips
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/29 Forceps for use in minimally invasive surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00022 Sensing or detecting at the treatment site
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00039 Electric or electromagnetic phenomena other than conductivity, e.g. capacity, inductivity, Hall effect
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00106 ultrasonic
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00119 alarm; indicating an abnormal situation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/07214 Stapler heads
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/061 for measuring dimensions, e.g. length
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/065 for measuring contact or contact pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/0811 for the position of a particular part of an instrument with respect to the rest of the instrument, e.g. position of the anvil of a stapling instrument
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/10 Computer-aided planning, simulation or modelling of surgical operations
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/06 Measuring instruments not otherwise provided for

Abstract

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a surgical instrument for operating on tissue is provided. The surgical instrument includes an end effector including a first tissue engaging member and a second tissue engaging member in juxtaposed relation to the first tissue engaging member; a gap determination element operatively associated with each of the first tissue engaging member and the second tissue engaging member for measuring a gap distance between the first tissue engaging member and the second tissue engaging member; and a tissue contact determining element operatively associated with a respective tissue contacting surface of at least one of the first tissue engaging member and the second tissue engaging member. The present disclosure also relates to methods of using the surgical instrument.

Claims

1. A surgical instrument for operating on tissue, comprising:

an end effector including a first tissue engaging member and a second tissue engaging member in juxtaposed relation to the first tissue engaging member;

a gap determination element operatively associated with each of the first tissue engaging member and the second tissue engaging member for measuring a gap distance between the first tissue engaging member and the second tissue engaging member; and

a tissue contact determining element operatively associated with a respective tissue contacting surface of at least one of the first tissue engaging member and the second tissue engaging member.

2. The surgical instrument according to claim 1, further comprising a processor operatively connected to the gap determination element and to each of the tissue contact determining elements.

3. The surgical instrument according to claim 2, wherein each of the first and second tissue engaging elements includes at least one tissue contact determining element supported on the tissue contacting surface thereof.

4. The surgical instrument according to claim 1, wherein the gap determination element is selected from the group consisting of a slide potentiometer, a rotational potentiometer, a linear variable differential transformer, a magneto-resistive element, capacitive elements, electromagnetic induction sensors, Hall effect sensors, and optical based sensors.

5. The surgical instrument according to claim 1, wherein the tissue contact determining element is selected from the group consisting of pressure sensors, electrical contacts and sensing circuits, force transducers, piezoelectric elements, piezoresistive elements, metal film strain gauges, semiconductor strain gauges, inductive pressure sensors, capacitive pressure sensors, and potentiometric pressure transducers.

6. The surgical instrument according to claim 1, wherein the surgical instrument is a stapler.

7. The surgical instrument according to claim 6, further comprising a processor operatively connected to the gap determination element and to each of the tissue contact determining elements.

8. The surgical instrument according to claim 7, wherein each of the first and second tissue engaging elements includes at least one tissue contact determining element supported on the tissue contacting surface thereof.

9. The surgical instrument according to claim 6, wherein the gap determination element is selected from the group consisting of a slide potentiometer, a rotational potentiometer, a linear variable differential transformer, a magneto-resistive element, capacitive elements, electromagnetic induction sensors, Hall effect sensors, and optical based sensors.

10. The surgical instrument according to claim 6, wherein the tissue contact determining element is selected from the group consisting of pressure sensors, electrical contacts and sensing circuits, force transducers, piezoelectric elements, piezoresistive elements, metal film strain gauges, semiconductor strain gauges, inductive pressure sensors, capacitive pressure sensors, and potentiometric pressure transducers.

11. The surgical instrument according to claim 8, wherein the tissue contact determining element transmits a signal to the processor when a tissue is positioned between the first and second tissue engaging elements and when the tissue contacting surface of each of the first and second tissue engaging elements contacts the tissue.

12. The surgical instrument according to claim 11, wherein the signal transmitted to the processor, when the tissue contacting surface of each of the first and second tissue engaging elements contacts the tissue, is the initial tissue thickness.

13. The surgical instrument according to claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to monitor at least one of a compression force and a strain on the tissue as the tissue is compressed between the first and second tissue engaging members.

14. The surgical instrument according to claim 13, wherein the processor is configured to activate a signal when at least one of the compression force and strain on the tissue achieves a predetermined level of compression or strain.

15. The surgical instrument according to claim 14, wherein the predetermined level of compression or strain on the tissue is maintained in a data look-up table.

16. The surgical instrument according to claim 15, wherein the data look-up table includes predetermined levels of compression or strain for numerous tissue types.

17. The surgical instrument according to claim 14, wherein the predetermined level of compression or strain is a percentage of the initial tissue thickness.

18. The surgical instrument according to claim 1, further comprising at least one first force measuring sensor provided on a surface of the first tissue engaging member, wherein each first force measuring sensor is oriented in an outward direction from an outer surface thereof, and at least one second force measuring sensor provided on the second tissue engaging member, wherein each second force measuring sensor is oriented in an outward direction from an outer surface thereof.

19. The surgical instrument according to claim 18, wherein each first and second force measuring sensor functions to measure forces acting thereon as a result of tissue pressing thereagainst.

20. The surgical instrument according to claim 18, further comprising a gauge operatively connected to each of the first and second force measuring sensors.

21. A method of performing a surgical procedure on tissue comprising the steps of:

providing a surgical instrument including an end effector including a first tissue engaging member and a second tissue engaging member in juxtaposed relation to the first tissue engaging member;

positioning the first and second tissue engaging members on opposite sides of the tissue;

approximating the first and second tissue engaging members until the tissue contact determining element is engaged;

recording an initial distance between the first and second tissue engaging members as an initial tissue thickness;

further approximating the first and second tissue engaging members to compress the tissue therebetween;

monitoring at least one of a compression force and a strain on the tissue; and

terminating the approximation of the first and second tissue engaging members when at least one of the compression force and the strain on the tissue reaches a predetermined level.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the surgical instrument includes:

a gap determination element operatively associated with each of the first tissue engaging member and the second tissue engaging member for measuring a gap distance between the first tissue engaging member and the second tissue engaging member; and

a tissue contact determining element operatively associated with a respective tissue contacting surface of at least one of the first tissue engaging member and the second tissue engaging member.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein the surgical instrument further comprises a processor operatively connected to each of the gap determining elements and tissue contact determining elements.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein the tissue contact determining elements transmit a signal to the processor when the first and second tissue engaging members are in contact with the tissue.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein the gap determining elements transmit signals to the processor regarding a distance between the first and second tissue engaging members.

26. The method according to claim 25, further comprising the step of determining at least one of the compression force and strain on the tissue as a result of the reduction in distance between the first and second tissue engaging members.

27. The method according to claim 26, further comprising the step of activating an indicator when at least one of the compression force and strain on the tissue achieves the predetermined level of compression or strain.

28. The method according to claim 27, further comprising the step of setting the predetermined level of compression or strain for the tissue prior to the compression of the tissue.

29. The method according to claim 28, wherein the surgical instrument is a stapler.

30. The method according to claim 29, further comprising the step of firing the surgical stapler when at least one of the compression force and the strain on the tissue is approximately equal to the predetermined level of compression or strain.

31. The method according to claim 30, wherein the gap determination element is selected from the group consisting of a slide potentiometer, a rotational potentiometer, a linear variable differential transformer, a magneto-resistive element, capacitive elements, electromagnetic induction sensors, Hall effect sensors, and optical based sensors.

32. The method according to claim 31, wherein the tissue contact determining element is selected from the group consisting of pressure sensors, electrical contacts and sensing circuits, force transducers, piezoelectric elements, piezoresistive elements, metal film strain gauges, semiconductor strain gauges, inductive pressure sensors, capacitive pressure sensors, and potentiometric pressure transducers.

33. The method according to claim 21, further comprising the step of monitoring a tension force exerted on the tissue.