Ultrasonic surgical system and method

• US 20070239028A1
• Filed: 03/29/2006
• Published: 10/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cilag Gmbh International (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Donofrio, William, Houser, Kevin, Stulen, Foster
• Granted Patent: US 9,675,375 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/471
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/320092 with additional movable means for clamping or cutting tissue, e.g. with a pivoting jaw
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00022 Sensing or detecting at the treatment site
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00026 Conductivity or impedance, e.g. of tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00084 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00199 with a console, e.g. a control panel with a display
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320093 additional movable means performing cutting operation
• 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 34/30 Surgical robots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/32 operating autonomously
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/37 Master-slave robots A61B34/35 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/70 Manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/71 Manipulators operated by drive cable mechanisms

Abstract

An ultrasonic surgical system has an ultrasonic unit including an instrument operatively connected to an ultrasonic generator, wherein the instrument has an ultrasonic end effector on the distal end of a shaft. The system further includes a positioning unit including a movable arm adapted for releasably holding the instrument, whereby an operator may direct the positioning unit to position the end effector at a surgical site inside a body cavity of a patient for performing a plurality of surgical tasks. The system further includes a control unit operatively connected to the ultrasonic and positioning units, wherein the control unit is programmable with a surgical subroutine for performing the surgical tasks. The system further includes a user interface operatively connected to the control unit for initiating an operative cycle of the surgical subroutine such that the surgical tasks are automatically performed during the operative cycle.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic surgical system comprising:

an ultrasonic unit including an instrument operatively connected to an ultrasonic generator, wherein said instrument includes an end effector;

a positioning unit including a movable arm, wherein said moveable arm is adapted to hold said instrument of said ultrasonic unit;

a control unit in communication with said ultrasonic unit and said positioning unit, said control unit being programmable with a surgical subroutine for performing a surgical task; and

a user interface in communication with said control unit, said user interface being adapted to initiating an operative cycle of said surgical subroutine such that said surgical task is automatically performed during said operative cycle.

2. The ultrasonic surgical system of claim 1 wherein said movable arm releasably holds said instrument.

3. The ultrasonic surgical system of claim 1 wherein said surgical task includes energizing said end effector according to an ultrasonic power level profile of said surgical subroutine.

4. The ultrasonic surgical system of claim 3 wherein said surgical task includes sweeping said end effector against body tissue.

5. The ultrasonic surgical system of claim 3 wherein said surgical task includes sweeping said end effector in a longitudinal direction within a treatment region according to a longitudinal sweep profile of said surgical subroutine.

6. The ultrasonic surgical system of claim 1 wherein said end effector includes at least one of a clamping element and an ultrasonic blade.

7. The ultrasonic surgical system of claim 6 further comprising an actuating unit having a force transmission assembly operatively connected to said clamping element and in communication with said control unit, wherein said force transmission assembly is adapted to actuate said clamping element and apply a variable clamping force to body tissue

8. The ultrasonic surgical system of claim 1 wherein said end effector includes an ultrasonic blade.

9. The ultrasonic surgical system of claim 8 further comprising an actuating unit having a blade rotation assembly operatively connected to said ultrasonic blade such that the blade rotation assembly may be actuated to rotate the blade about a central axis, and wherein said surgical task includes rotating said ultrasonic blade about said central axis according to a blade rotation profile of said surgical subroutine.

10. The ultrasonic surgical instrument of claim 9 wherein said ultrasonic blade includes a plurality of blade surface portions arranged around said central axis and defining a blade cross-sectional profile, and wherein said ultrasonic blade is rotated such that any one of said surface portions may be presented towards tissue.

11. The ultrasonic surgical system of claim 10 wherein said blade surface portions include at least one of a relatively flat surface portion, a relatively rounded surface portion, a relatively narrow surface portion and an edge surface portion.

12. The ultrasonic surgical system of claim 1 wherein said positioning unit is a surgical robotic apparatus having a work station in communication with said movable arm.

13. The ultrasonic surgical system of claim 1 further comprising a feedback system including at least one sensor positioned in at least one of said ultrasonic, said positioning, and said actuating units and having an associated sensor circuit, wherein said feedback system is operatively connected to said control unit, and wherein a feedback signal associated with an operational performance parameter of said instrument during said operative cycle may be transmitted from said sensor to said control unit such that said control system can process said feedback signal and respond according to said surgical subroutine.

14. The ultrasonic surgical system of claim 13 wherein said feedback system includes an electrical impedance measuring circuit for measuring electrical impedance of tissue being treated.

15. The ultrasonic surgical system of claim 13 wherein said feedback system includes an acoustical impedance measuring circuit for measuring acoustical impedance of tissue being treated.

16. The ultrasonic surgical system of claim 13 wherein said feedback system includes a temperature sensor and a temperature circuit for measuring at least one of a temperature of a tissue being treated, a temperature of said end effector, a temperature of an object near said tissue being treated and a temperature of a fluid surrounding said tissue being treated.

17. An ultrasonic surgical system comprising:

an ultrasonic unit including an instrument operatively connected to an ultrasonic generator, wherein said instrument has an ultrasonic end effector positioned on a distal end of a shaft;

a positioning unit including a movable arm adapted for releasably holding said instrument, whereby an operator may direct said positioning unit to position said end effector at a surgical site inside a body cavity of a patient for performing a plurality of surgical tasks;

a control unit operatively connected to said ultrasonic and positioning units, wherein said control unit is programmable with a surgical subroutine for performing said surgical tasks;

a user interface operatively connected to said control unit for initiating an operative cycle of said surgical subroutine such that said surgical tasks are automatically performed during the operative cycle; and

a feedback system including at least one sensor positioned in at least one of the ultrasonic and positioning units and having an associated sensor circuit, wherein said feedback system is operatively connected to said control unit, and wherein a feedback signal associated with an operational performance parameter of said instrument during said operative cycle may be transmitted from said sensor to said control unit such that said control system can process the feedback signal and respond according to said surgical subroutine.

18. A method for ultrasonically treating a tissue of a patient, said method comprising:

providing an ultrasonic surgical system comprising an ultrasonic unit including an instrument operatively connected to an ultrasonic generator, wherein said instrument includes an end effector, a positioning unit including a movable arm, wherein said moveable arm is adapted to hold said instrument of said ultrasonic unit, a control unit in communication with said ultrasonic unit and said positioning unit and a user interface in communication with said control unit;

programming said control unit with a surgical subroutine for performing a surgical task;

positioning said end effector of said instrument at a surgical site inside a body cavity of said patient; and

initiating said surgical subroutine such that said ultrasonic surgical system automatically performs said surgical task according to said surgical subroutine.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein said surgical task includes energizing said end effector according to an ultrasonic power level profile of said surgical subroutine.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein said surgical task include sweeping said end effector against said tissue according to sweeping sweep profile of said surgical subroutine.