METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING PARAMETERS OF LINEAR MOTION IN A SURGICAL INSTRUMENT
First Claim
1. A surgical instrument, comprising:
- a housing;
an elongated shaft extending distally from the housing and defining a first longitudinal axis;
a firing rod disposed within the elongated shaft;
a drive mechanism disposed at least partially within the elongated shaft, the drive mechanism in mechanical cooperation with the firing rod;
a motion sensor that senses a change in the electric field between the firing rod and the elongated shaft; and
a measurement unit that determines a parameter of the motion of the firing rod based on a sensed change in the electric field.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A surgical instrument and method of controlling the surgical instrument are disclosed. The surgical instrument includes a housing and an elongated shaft that extends distally from the housing and defines a first longitudinal axis. The surgical instrument also includes a firing rod disposed in the elongated shaft and a drive mechanism disposed at least partially within the housing. The drive mechanism mechanically cooperates with the firing rod to move the firing rod. A motion sensor senses a change in the electric field (e.g., capacitance, impedance, or admittance) between the firing rod and the elongated shaft. The measurement unit determines a parameter of the motion of the firing rod, such as the position, speed, and direction of the firing rod, based on the sensed change in the electric field. A controller uses the measured parameter of the motion of the firing rod to control the drive mechanism.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A surgical instrument, comprising:
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a housing; an elongated shaft extending distally from the housing and defining a first longitudinal axis; a firing rod disposed within the elongated shaft; a drive mechanism disposed at least partially within the elongated shaft, the drive mechanism in mechanical cooperation with the firing rod; a motion sensor that senses a change in the electric field between the firing rod and the elongated shaft; and a measurement unit that determines a parameter of the motion of the firing rod based on a sensed change in the electric field. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method of determining a parameter of the motion of a firing rod in a surgical instrument, comprising:
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sensing a change in the electric field between a housing portion of a surgical instrument and a firing rod disposed in the housing portion; and determining a parameter of the motion of the firing rod based on the sensed change in the electric field.
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11. A method of operating a surgical instrument, comprising:
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sensing a change in the electric field between a housing portion of a surgical instrument and a firing rod disposed in the housing; determining a parameter of the motion of the firing rod based on the sensed change in the electric field; and controlling the motion of the firing rod based on the determined parameter of the motion of the firing rod. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification