Cordless Hand-Held Ultrasonic Cautery Cutting Device

• US 20090143799A1
• Filed: 11/06/2008
• Published: 06/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Covidien AG (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Covidien AG (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Palmer, Matthew A., Smith, Kevin W., Deville, Derek Dee, Bales, Thomas O.
• Application Number:
  US12/266,226
• Publication Number:
  US 20090143799A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/169
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1285 for minimally invasive surgery
• 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 2017/00017 Electrical control of surgical instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0023 disposable
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0046 with a releasable handle; with handle and operating part separable for prosthetic joint-implanting tools A61F2/4603
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00477 Coupling A61B2017/0046 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00734 battery operated
• 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 2017/320097 with stapling means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320098 with transverse or torsional motion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00595 Cauterization
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/02 Localised ultrasound hyperthermia hyperthermia in general A61F7/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

A disposable ultrasonic surgical handle includes a disposable handle body defining a battery-holding compartment shaped to receive a battery therein and operable to couple a proximal end of an ultrasonic waveguide to an ultrasonic transducer therethrough. The body has a transducer dock exposed to the environment and interchangeably housing the transducer and a waveguide attachment dock shaped to align and attach the proximal end of the waveguide to the transducer and hold them at the body when the respectively docked at the transducer and attachment docks. A disposable driving-wave generation circuit in the handle body electrically contacts the battery and the transducer when the battery and the transducer are disposed respectively in the battery-holding compartment and the transducer dock. The circuit generates an output waveform sufficient to cause ultrasonic movement along the waveguide by exciting the transducer when the transducer is coupled to the waveguide.

Claims

1. A disposable ultrasonic surgical handle, comprising:

a disposable handle body defining a battery-holding compartment shaped to receive a battery therein and operable to couple a proximal end of an ultrasonic waveguide to an ultrasonic transducer therethrough, the handle body having;

a transducer dock exposed to the environment and shaped to interchangeably house at least a portion of the transducer thereat;

a waveguide attachment dock shaped to align and attach the proximal end of the waveguide to the transducer and thereby hold the waveguide and the transducer at the handle body when the transducer is docked in the transducer dock and the waveguide is docked in the waveguide attachment dock; and

a disposable driving-wave generation circuit in the handle body and disposed to electrically contact the battery and the transducer when the battery and the transducer are disposed respectively in the battery-holding compartment and the transducer dock, the generation circuit operable to generate an output waveform capable of causing ultrasonic movement at the output of the transducer.

2. The handle according to claim 1, further comprising a disposable ultrasonic waveguide having a proximal couple part connected to the handle body.

3. The handle according to claim 2, wherein the waveguide is axially fixedly and rotatably freely connected to the handle body.

4. The handle according to claim 1, wherein the driving-wave generation circuit comprises at least one of:

a control circuit;

a drive circuit; and

a matching circuit.

5. The handle according to claim 1, wherein:

the transducer dock is operable to rotatably connect the transducer therein with respect to the handle body; and

the attachment dock and the transducer dock are disposed to directly physically couple the waveguide and the transducer and cause a corresponding rotation of the transducer with respect to the handle body when the waveguide rotates.

6. The handle according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the attachment dock and the transducer dock is operable to limit a maximum amount of rotation of the transducer therein with respect to the handle body.

7. The handle according to claim 1, wherein the handle body has a handgrip portion and the battery-holding compartment is within the handgrip portion.

8. The handle according to claim 1, wherein the battery-holding compartment has an interior and further comprising a compartment door movably attached to the handle body at the battery-holding compartment, the door having:

an open position permitting entry and removal of the battery respectively into and out from the compartment; and

a closed position aseptically sealing the compartment from the environment.

9. The handle according to claim 1, wherein the handle body has a lower portion in which the battery-holding compartment is disposed and an upper portion in which the transducer dock is disposed.

10. The handle according to claim 1, further comprising a device identifier communicatively coupled to at least one of the battery-holding compartment, the transducer dock, and the waveguide attachment dock and operable to communicate at least one piece of information about the handle body.

11. The handle according to claim 1, wherein the at least one piece of information is at least one of a handle identifier, an information list of previous use, and a waveguide identifier.

12. The handle according to claim 11, wherein the device identifier is operable to communicate with at least one of:

the battery when the battery is in the battery-holding compartment;

the transducer when the transducer is in the transducer dock; and

the waveguide when the waveguide is in the attachment dock.

13. The handle according to claim 1, wherein:

the handle body has a battery ejector at the battery-holding compartment; and

the battery ejector is operable to cause at least a portion of the battery within the battery-holding compartment to eject therefrom.

14. An ultrasonic surgical instrument assembly, comprising:

a disposable ultrasonic waveguide having a proximal couple part; and

a disposable handle body defining a battery-holding compartment shaped to receive a battery therein and operable to couple the proximal couple part of the waveguide to an ultrasonic transducer therethrough, the handle body having;

a transducer dock exposed to the environment and shaped to interchangeably house at least a portion of the transducer thereat;

a waveguide attachment dock shaped to align and attach the proximal couple part of the waveguide to the transducer and thereby hold the waveguide and the transducer at least partially within the handle body when the transducer is docked in the transducer dock and the waveguide is docked in the waveguide attachment dock; and

a disposable driving-wave generation circuit disposed in the handle body and disposed to electrically contact the battery and the transducer when the battery and the transducer are disposed respectively in the battery-holding compartment and the transducer dock, the generation circuit operable to generate an output waveform sufficient to generate ultrasonic movement along the waveguide by exciting the transducer when the transducer is coupled to the waveguide.

15. The assembly according to claim 14, wherein the battery-holding compartment has an interior and further comprising a compartment door movably attached to the handle body at the battery-holding compartment, the door having:

an open position permitting entry and removal of the battery respectively into and out from the compartment; and

a closed position aseptically sealing the compartment from the environment.

16. The assembly according to claim 14, wherein the transducer dock is operable to releasably couple the ultrasonic transducer thereat.

17. The assembly according to claim 14, wherein the driving-wave generation circuit comprises at least one of:

a control circuit;

a drive circuit; and

a matching circuit.

18. The assembly according to claim 14, wherein:

the transducer dock is operable to rotatably connect the transducer therein with respect to the handle body; and

the attachment dock and the transducer dock are disposed to directly physically couple the waveguide and the transducer and cause a corresponding rotation of the transducer with respect to the handle body when the waveguide rotates.

19. The assembly according to claim 14, wherein at least one of the waveguide attachment dock and the transducer dock is operable to limit a maximum amount of rotation of the transducer therein with respect to the handle body.

20. The assembly according to claim 14, wherein:

the handle body has a battery ejector at the battery-holding compartment; and

the battery ejector is operable to cause at least a portion of the battery within the battery-holding compartment to eject therefrom.