Connection Cable and Method for Activating a Voltage-Controlled Generator

• US 20110028969A1
• Filed: 10/12/2010
• Published: 02/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Tyco Healthcare Group LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Sartor, Joe D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,004,121 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/42
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1206 Generators therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00702 Power or energy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00892 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/30 Surgical robots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/37 Master-slave robots A61B34/35 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6616 with resistor
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/12 for medicine and surgery

Abstract

A connection cable is disclosed for controlling a voltage-controlled generator such as an electrosurgery generator from a controlling device such as a robotic surgery system. The cable includes a first connector adapted to connect to a voltage-controlled generator and a second connector adapted to connect to a controlling device. Within the cable is a voltage divider interdisposed between the first connector and the second connector. The voltage divider is configured to divide a reference voltage provided by the voltage-controlled generator into at least one control voltage which is selectable by the controlling device. The cable additionally includes a plurality of electrical wires which operatively connect the first connector, the second connector and the voltage divider. During robotic electrosurgery, said operating parameters can be actuated by a surgeon operating at the robotic surgical system console, which causes a corresponding control voltage to be switched to a control voltage input on an electrosurgery generator, which, in turn, generates a corresponding electrosurgical signal in response thereto.

Claims

1. A system for performing robotic electrosurgery, the system comprising:

an electrosurgery generator configured to sense the presence of a control signal of a first type and to produce a corresponding electrosurgical signal in response thereto;

a robotic surgery system having at least one surgical instrument, the robotic surgery system configured to accept at least one user input from a surgeon whereby a desired electrosurgery signal is selected, the robotic surgery system further configured to provide at least one control signal of a second type corresponding to the selected electrosurgery signal; and

an interface configured to convert the control signal of the first type into a corresponding control signal of the second type.

2. The system according to claim 1 wherein the control signal of a first type is a control voltage.

3. The system according to claim 1 wherein the control signal of a second type is a switch closure.

4. The system according to claim 1 wherein the interface includes a connection cable, which produces at least one control voltage corresponding to the control signal of a second type

5. The system according to claim 4 wherein the connection cable includes a voltage divider having a plurality of resistors connected in series.

6. The system according to claim 1 wherein said interface is further configured to operatively transmit the electrosurgical signal to the at least one surgical instrument.

7. A method for activating a voltage-controlled generator from a controlling device, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a voltage-controlled generator and a controlling device electrically coupled thereto;

dividing a reference voltage provided by the voltage-controlled generator into at least one control voltage;

receiving at least one control signal originating within the controlling device;

selecting at least one control voltage in accordance with the received control signal; and

applying the selected control voltage to a control input of the voltage-controlled generator, causing a resultant signal to be generated in response thereto.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising the step of transmitting the signal to a destination device.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the destination device is a surgical instrument.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein the voltage-controlled generator is an electrosurgery generator.

11. The method according to claim 7, wherein the controlling device is a robotic surgery system.

12. The method according to claim 7, wherein the resultant signal is an electrosurgery signal.

13. A system for performing robotic electrosurgery, the system comprising:

an electrosurgery generator configured to sense the presence of a control signal of a first type and to produce a corresponding electrosurgical signal in response thereto;

a robotic surgery system having at least one surgical instrument, the robotic surgery system configured to accept at least one user input from a surgeon whereby a desired electrosurgery signal is selected, the robotic surgery system further configured to provide at least one control signal of a second type corresponding to the selected electrosurgery signal; and

a connection cable adapted to operably couple the electrosurgery generator and the robotic surgery system, and configured to convert the control signal of the first type into a corresponding control signal of the second type.

14. The system according to claim 13 wherein the control signal of a first type is a control voltage.

15. The system according to claim 13 wherein the control signal of a second type is a switch closure.

16. The system according to claim 13 wherein the connection cable produces at least one control voltage corresponding to the control signal of a second type

17. The system according to claim 16 wherein the connection cable includes a voltage divider having a plurality of resistors connected in series.

18. The system according to claim 13 wherein the connection cable is further configured to operatively transmit the electrosurgical signal to the at least one surgical instrument.