SURGICAL INSTRUMENT WITH WIRELESS COMMUNICATION BETWEEN CONTROL UNIT AND SENSOR TRANSPONDERS

• US 20100294829A1
• Filed: 06/03/2010
• Published: 11/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cilag Gmbh International (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Shelton, Frederick E. IV, Swayze, Jeffrey S., Giordano, James R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,840,603 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 227/176.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/00 Surgical instruments, devices or methods, e.g. tourniquets A61B18/00 takes precedence; contraceptive devices, pessaries, or applicators therefor A61F6/00; eye surgery A61F9/007; ear surgery A61F11/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/00234 for minimally invasive surgery A61B17/0218, A61B17/0469, A61B17/12013, A61B17/1285, A61B17/29, A61B17/320016 take precedence
• 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 17/07207 the staples being applied sequentially
• 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 2017/00212 using remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00221 with wireless transmission of data, e.g. by infrared radiation or radiowaves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00362 Packages or dispensers for MIS instruments A61B2017/0479 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00398 using powered actuators, e.g. stepper motors, solenoids
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00734 battery operated
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0688 Packages or dispensers for surgical staplers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/07214 Stapler heads
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2927 the angular position of the head being adjustable with respect to the shaft
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320052 Guides for cutting instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2050/3015 transparent
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2050/314 Flexible bags or pouches
• 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 2560/0266 for monitoring or limiting apparatus function
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 50/30 : Containers specially adapted for packaging, protecting, dispensing, collecting or disposing of surgical or diagnostic appliances or instruments for wound clamps A61B17/10; for ligaturing clips A61B17/122; packages or dispensers for surgical gloves or finger-stalls A61B42/40
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/98 : using electromagnetic means, e.g. transponders

Abstract

A surgical instrument is disclosed. The surgical instrument includes a control unit and a staple cartridge including a transponder. The control unit is configured to transmit a first wireless signal to the transponder and to receive a second wireless signal from the transponder to determine one of a first electronic state and a second electronic state of the transponder based on the second wireless signal.

Claims

1. A method of preventing reuse of a staple cartridge in a surgical instrument, the method comprising:

transmitting a first wireless signal to a transponder disposed within the staple cartridge;

receiving a second wireless signal from the transponder to determine one of a first electronic state and a second electronic state of the transponder based on the second wireless signal;

enabling actuation of a cutting instrument of the surgical instrument when the first electronic state is determined; and

transitioning the transponder from the first electronic state to the second electronic state substantially simultaneously with an actuation of the cutting instrument.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising preventing actuation of the cutting instrument when the second electronic state is determined.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising transmitting a third wireless signal to the transponder to electronically alter at least one component of the transponder.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising electronically altering at least one component of the transponder responsive to a movement of the cutting instrument when actuated.

5. A surgical instrument, comprising:

an end effector comprising a moveable cutting instrument to cut an object;

a motor coupled to the end effector to actuate the cutting instrument, each actuation of the cutting instrument corresponding to a firing operation by the surgical instrument; and

a control unit to count a number of firing operations by the surgical instrument and to electronically alter at least one component of the surgical instrument when the number of firing operations is equal to a predetermined number, wherein the altered at least one component prevents firing operations by the surgical instrument in excess of the predetermined number.

6. The surgical instrument of claim 5, wherein each of the at least one component is selected from the group consisting of an electronically-actuated fuse and a switch.

7. A method of configuring a surgical instrument to prevent reuse of a staple cartridge in the surgical instrument, the surgical instrument comprising a control unit to wirelessly communicate with a transponder contained in the staple cartridge, the control unit comprising a processor and a memory, the method comprising:

programming the processor to cause the control unit to;

transmit a first wireless signal to the transponder and determine an electronic state of the transponder based on receipt or non-receipt of a second wireless signal from the transponder by the control unit in response to the transmission of the first wireless signal, wherein a first electronic state of the transponder corresponds to an unfired state of the staple cartridge, and wherein a second electronic state of the transponder corresponds to a fired state of the staple cartridge; and

enable actuation of a cutting instrument of the surgical instrument when the first electronic state is determined and prevent actuation of the cutting instrument when the second electronic state is determined.

8. The method of claim 7, comprising programming the processor to cause the control unit to:

transmit a third wireless signal to the transponder when the cutting instrument is actuated to effect a transition of the transponder from the first electronic state to the second electronic state.

9. The method of claim 7, comprising programming the processor to determine the first electronic state or the second electronic state based on receipt of the second wireless signal by the control unit.

10. The method of claim 7, comprising programming the processor to determine the first electronic state based on receipt of the second wireless signal by the control unit and determine the second electronic state based on nonreceipt of the second wireless signal by the control unit.