SURGICAL TOOL SYSTEM INCLUDING A TOOL AND A CONTROL CONSOLE, THE CONSOLE CAPABLE OF READING DATA FROM A MEMORY INTERNAL TO THE TOOL OVER THE CONDUCTORS OVER WHICH POWER IS SOURCED TO THE TOOL

• US 20090275940A1
• Filed: 05/05/2009
• Published: 11/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stryker Corporation
• Original Assignee: Stryker Corporation
• Inventors: Hoekstra, Paul M., Malackowski, Donald W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,784,415 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/42
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1233 with circuits for assuring patient safety
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/14 Probes or electrodes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1442 Probes having pivoting end effectors, e.g. forceps
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00084 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00178 Electrical connectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00958 for switching between different working modes of the main function
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00988 Means for storing information, e.g. calibration constants, or for preventing excessive use, e.g. usage, service life counter
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/08 Sensors provided with means for identification, e.g. barcodes or memory chips
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/145 Measuring characteristics of blood in vivo, e.g. gas concentration, pH value; Measuring characteristics of body fluids or tissues, e.g. interstitial fluid, cerebral tissuemeasuring of blood pressure or blood flow A61B5/02; non-radiation detecting or locating of foreign bodies in blood A61B5/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/98 using electromagnetic means, e.g. transponders

Abstract

A surgical tool system with a powered tool that includes a memory in which data describing the characteristics of the power signals that are to be sourced to the toll are stored. A control console based on the data in the tool memory sources the power signal to the tool. Both the data signals written out from the tool memory and the power signals from the console are exchanged over common console terminals and common tool terminals. An isolation circuit in the tool prevents the applied power signals from the console from adversely effecting the tool memory.

Claims

1. A powered surgical tool, said tool including:

a body;

terminal components attached to said body for releasably receiving a cable and to which a power signal is applied for actuating said tool;

a power applicator attached to said body designed for application to tissue to perform a therapeutic or diagnostic task upon the application of the power signal to said tool; and

a memory attached to said body in which data are stored that describe the characteristics of the power signal is applied to said tool, said memory configured to, in response to an interrogation signal, write out the data stored in said memory; and

an isolation circuit connected between said memory and said terminal components, said isolation circuit configured to;

when a signal having the characteristics of memory interrogation signal is applied to said terminal components, apply the signal to said memory without appreciably changing the characteristics of the signal; and

when a signal having characteristics different from the characteristics of the interrogation signal is applied to said terminal components, substantially changes the characteristics of the signal applied to said memory.

2. The powered surgical tool of claim 1, wherein:

the interrogation signal applied to said memory through said terminal components is at a select frequency; and

said isolation circuit is configured to, when a signal at a frequency different from the frequency of the interrogation signal is applied to said terminal components, substantially reduces the potential of the signal applied to said memory.

3. The powered surgical tool of claim 1, wherein:

said power applicator is at least one electrode intended for application for tissue;

a conductor extends from at least one terminal over which the signal applied to said terminal components is supplied to said at least one electrode; and

said isolation circuit is connected to said conductor.

4. The powered surgical tool of claim 1, wherein:

a power generator is mounted to said body, said power applicator is connected to said power generator and said power generator is configured to upon application of the power signal, activate said power applicator;

a conductor extends from at least one said terminal over which the signal applied to said to said power generator; and

said isolation circuit is connected to said conductor.

5. The powered surgical tool of claim 1, wherein:

a plurality of separate memories are attached to said body; and

at least one switch is attached to said body for selectively establishing a connection between one of said memories and, through said isolation circuit, said terminal.

6. The powered surgical tool of claims 1, wherein:

at least switch is attached to said body; and

a control circuit is attached to said body, said control circuit configured to;

monitor the state of said switch; and

, in response to the state of said switch control which data in said memory are written out of said memory.

7. The powered surgical tool of claim 1, wherein:

said memory includes a pair of inputs to which said interrogation signal is applied and from which data are written out of said memory; and

said isolation circuit includes an inductor that is connected to said conductor and across the memory inputs.

8. The powered surgical tool of claim 1, wherein:

said memory includes at least one input to which said interrogation signal is applied and from which data are written out of said memory; and

said isolation circuit includes a capacitor that is connected between one of said terminals and the memory input.

9. The powered surgical tool of claim 1, wherein:

said memory is part of an identification device;

said tool includes a sensor that monitors a biological parameter or the state of a user-actuated member, and that generates a variable sensor signal as a function of the monitored parameter or the state of the user-actuated member; and

said identification device is configured to receive the sensor signal and to output a signal based on the sensor signal over said terminal components.

10. A control console for providing power signals to a powered surgical tool, said console including:

a power supply configured to source a power signal having variable characteristics;

terminals to which the power signal is received and through which the power signal is applied to the surgical tool;

a memory reader configured to receive data signals from a memory associated with the surgical tool, the data describing characteristics of the power signal to be sourced to the tool;

an isolation circuit connected between said memory reader and said terminals, said isolation circuit configured to;

apply data signals from the tool memory received over said terminals to said memory reader; and

when, said power supply sources power signals through said terminals, prevents the power signals from adversely affecting said memory reader; and

a controller that receives from said memory reader the data read from the tool memory and that is connected to said power supply for regulating the characteristics of the power signal sourced by said power supply.

11. The control console of claim 10, wherein said isolation circuit is configured to prevent the power signals sourced from said power supply form adversely affecting said memory reader by substantially changing the characteristics of the power supply signals applied to said memory reader.

12. The control console of claim 10, wherein said isolation circuit is configured to, prevent the power signals from adversely affecting said memory reader by, when substantially changing the characteristics of the power signals applied to said memory reader, reduce the potential of the potential of the power signals relative to the potential of the power signals sourced by said power supply.

13. The control console of claim 10, wherein:

said power supply sources the power signals at a first frequency;

said memory reader is configured to receive data signals at a second frequency different from the first frequency; and

said isolation circuit is configured to selectively cause the substantially change in the characteristics of the signal applied to said memory reader as a function of the frequency of the signal applied to said isolation circuit.

14. The control console of claims 10, wherein:

said power supply and said memory reader are configured to operate simultaneously so that, simultaneously while said power supply sources power to the surgical tool of said terminals, said memory reader receives the data signals from the tool memory; and

said isolation circuit is configured to substantially change the characteristics of the power supply signals applied to said memory reader to so that the changed power supply signals do not adversely effect operation of said memory reader.

15. The control console of claim 10, wherein said isolation circuit includes switch components that selectively disconnect said memory reader from said terminals.

16. The control console of any one of claims 10, through 17, wherein:

said memory ready is further configured to output interrogation signals to the tool memory and said isolation circuit is configured to pass the interrogation signals from said memory reader to said terminals without appreciably affecting the characteristics of the interrogation signals.

17. An electrosurgical tool system, said system including:

a control console, said control console having;

a power supply configured to source a power signal, said power supply further configured to vary the characteristics of the sourced power signal;

terminals to which the power signal is received and through which the power signal is output;

a memory reader configured to receive data signals from a tool memory, said memory reader connected to said console terminals for receiving from said console terminals the data signals from said tool memory; and

a controller that receives from said memory reader the data read from said tool memory and that is connected to said power supply for regulating the characteristics of the power signal sourced by said power supply based on the data from said tool memory; and

an electrosurgical tool said tool including;

a body;

terminals that are releasably connected to said console terminals to which the power signal output through the console terminals is applied;

at least one electrode attached to said body through which current is sourced to or sunk from tissue to perform a therapeutic or diagnostic task, the at least one electrode connected to one of said tool terminals for receiving the power signal therefrom; and

a memory attached to said body in which data are stored that describe the characteristics of the power signal is applied to said tool, said memory configured to, write out data signals containing the data stored in said memory, said tool memory being connected to said electrosurgical tool terminals for writing out the data signals over said tool terminals so that the data signals are applied to said console terminals.

18. The electrosurgical tool system of claim 17, wherein said console further includes an isolation circuit connected between said tool terminals and said memory reader said isolation circuit configured to:

apply data signals from said tool memory received over said terminals to said memory reader; and

when, said power supply sources power signals through said terminals, prevents the power signals from adversely affecting said memory reader.

19. The electrosurgical tool system of claim 18, wherein:

said console memory reader is further configured to output interrogation signals to said tool memory; and

said isolation circuit is configured to pass the interrogation signals from said memory reader to said console terminals without appreciably affecting the characteristics of the interrogation signals.

20. The electrosurgical tool system of claim 17, wherein said electrosurgical tool further includes an isolation circuit connected between said tool terminals and said tool memory, said isolation circuit configured to change the characteristics of the power signal sourced through said tool terminals that is applied to said tool memory so that the changed power signal applied to said tool memory does not adversely effect said tool memory.