MECHANISMS FOR COMPENSATING FOR BATTERY PACK FAILURE IN POWERED SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS

• US 20170189018A1
• Filed: 12/30/2015
• Published: 07/06/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cilag Gmbh International (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery LLC (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Yates, David C., Harris, Jason L., Shelton, IV, Frederick E.
• Granted Patent: US 10,292,704 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 17/072 for applying a row of staples in a single action , e.g. the staples being applied simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/07207 the staples being applied sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00017 Electrical control of surgical instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00022 Sensing or detecting at the treatment site
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00123 and automatic shutdown
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00398 using powered actuators, e.g. stepper motors, solenoids
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0046 with a releasable handle; with handle and operating part separable
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00473 Distal part, e.g. tip or head A61B2017/00464 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00734 battery operated
• 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 2090/064 for measuring force, pressure or mechanical tension
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0276 Determining malfunction
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/16542 for batteries charge condition monitoring in G01R31/36
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/374 with means for correcting the measurement for temperature or ageing
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/382 Arrangements for monitoring battery or accumulator variables, e.g. SoC
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3842 combining voltage and current measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/392 Determining battery ageing or deterioration, e.g. state of health
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/425 Structural combination with electronic components, e.g. electronic circuits integrated to the outside of the casing printed circuits H05K1/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/48 : Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/482 : for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially

Abstract

A surgical instrument has a staple cartridge housing a plurality of staples and an anvil configured to capture tissue therebetween. The surgical instrument also has a firing assembly configured to deploy the plurality of staples into the captured tissue during a firing sequence, and a handle that includes an electric motor operably coupled to the firing assembly, wherein the electric motor is configured to motivate the firing assembly to deploy the plurality of staples into the captured tissue during the firing sequence, and a power pack. The power pack includes rechargeable battery cells configured to power the electric motor, at least one battery-cell health indicator, and an electronic control circuit configured to assess whether a subset of rechargeable battery cells is damaged during the firing sequence based on at least one measurement performed by the at least one battery-cell health indicator.

Claims

1. A surgical instrument, comprising:

a jaw assembly, comprising;

a staple cartridge including a plurality of staples; and

an anvil, wherein at least one of the staple cartridge and the anvil is movable relative to the other one of the staple cartridge and the anvil to capture tissue therebetween;

a firing assembly configured to deploy the plurality of staples into the captured tissue during a firing sequence; and

a handle, comprising;

an electric motor operably coupled to the firing assembly, wherein the electric motor is configured to generate at least one rotational motion to motivate the firing assembly to deploy the plurality of staples into the captured tissue during the firing sequence; and

a power pack separably couplable to the handle, wherein the power pack comprises;

a plurality of rechargeable battery cells configured to power the electric motor;

at least one battery-cell health indicator; and

an electronic control circuit configured to assess whether a subset of the plurality of rechargeable battery cells is damaged during the firing sequence based on at least one measurement performed by the at least one battery-cell health indicator.

2. The surgical instrument of claim 1, further comprising a voltage converter, wherein the electronic control circuit is configured to employ the voltage convertor to step-up an output voltage of the battery pack to complete the firing sequence in response to a determination that a subset of the plurality of rechargeable battery cells is damaged.

3. The surgical instrument of claim 1, further comprising a memory, wherein the electronic control circuit is configured to store a damaged status of the power pack in the memory in response to a determination that a subset of the plurality of rechargeable battery cells is damaged.

4. The surgical instrument of claim 3, wherein the damaged status is cleared after the damaged subset of the plurality of rechargeable battery cells is replaced with undamaged battery cells.

5. The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein the electronic control circuit is configured to deactivate the surgical instrument after completion of the firing sequence in response to a determination that a subset of the plurality of rechargeable battery cells is damaged.

6. The surgical instrument of claim 5, wherein the surgical instrument is reactivated after replacing the power pack with an undamaged power pack.

7. The surgical instrument of claim 1, further comprising a feedback indicator, wherein the electronic control circuit is configured to employ the feedback indicator to issue an alert in response to a determination that a subset of the plurality of rechargeable battery cells is damaged.

8. A surgical instrument, comprising:

a jaw assembly, comprising;

a staple cartridge including a plurality of staples; and

an anvil, wherein at least one of the staple cartridge and the anvil is movable relative to the other one of the staple cartridge and the anvil to capture tissue therebetween;

a firing assembly configured to deploy the plurality of staples into the captured tissue during a firing sequence; and

a handle, comprising;

an electric motor operably coupled to the firing assembly, wherein the electric motor is configured to generate at least one rotational motion to motivate the firing assembly to deploy the plurality of staples into the captured tissue during the firing sequence; and

a power pack separably couplable to the handle, wherein the power pack comprises;

a plurality of rechargeable battery cells configured to power the electric motor;

at least one temperature sensor configured to take at least one temperature reading of the power pack during the firing sequence; and

an electronic control circuit in communication with the at least one temperature sensor, wherein the electronic control circuit is configured to step up an output voltage of the power pack during the firing sequence in response to a determination that the at least one temperature reading exceeds a predetermined value.

9. The surgical instrument of claim 8, wherein the electronic control circuit comprises a memory, and wherein the electronic control circuit is configured to store the predetermined value in the memory.

10. The surgical instrument of claim 8, further comprising a memory, wherein the electronic control circuit is configured to store a damaged status of the power pack in the memory in response to the determination that the at least one temperature reading exceeds the predetermined value.

11. The surgical instrument of claim 10, wherein the damaged status is cleared after the damaged subset of the plurality of rechargeable battery cells is replaced with undamaged battery cells.

12. The surgical instrument of claim 8, wherein the electronic control circuit is configured to deactivate the surgical instrument after completion of the firing sequence in response to the determination that the at least one temperature reading exceeds the predetermined value.

13. The surgical instrument of claim 12, wherein the surgical instrument is reactivated after replacing the power pack with an undamaged power pack.

14. The surgical instrument of claim 8, further comprising a feedback indicator, wherein the electronic control circuit is configured to employ the feedback indicator to issue an alert in response to the determination that the at least one temperature reading exceeds the predetermined value.

15. A surgical instrument, comprising:

a jaw assembly, comprising;

a staple cartridge including a plurality of staples; and

an anvil, wherein at least one of the staple cartridge and the anvil is movable relative to the other one of the staple cartridge and the anvil to capture tissue therebetween;

a firing assembly configured to deploy the plurality of staples into the captured tissue during a firing sequence; and

a handle, comprising;

an electric motor operably coupled to the firing assembly, wherein the electric motor is configured to generate at least one rotational motion to motivate the firing assembly to deploy the plurality of staples into the captured tissue during the firing sequence; and

a power pack separably coupled to the handle, wherein the power pack comprises;

a plurality of rechargeable battery cells configured to power the electric motor;

a voltage sensor configured to take at least one voltage reading of an output voltage of the power pack during the firing sequence; and

an electronic control circuit in communication with the voltage sensor, wherein the electronic control circuit is configured to step up the output voltage of the power pack during the firing sequence in response to a determination that the at least one voltage reading is below a predetermined value.

16. The surgical instrument of claim 15, wherein the electronic control circuit comprises a memory, and wherein the electronic control circuit is configured to store the predetermined value in the memory.

17. The surgical instrument of claim 15, further comprising a memory, wherein the electronic control circuit is configured to store a damaged status of the power pack in the memory sequence in response to the determination that the at least one voltage reading exceeds the predetermined value.

18. The surgical instrument of claim 17, wherein the damaged status is cleared after the damaged subset of the plurality of rechargeable battery cells is replaced with undamaged battery cells.

19. The surgical instrument of claim 15, wherein the electronic control circuit is configured to deactivate the surgical instrument after completion of the firing sequence in response to the determination that the at least one voltage reading exceeds the predetermined value.

20. The surgical instrument of claim 19, wherein the surgical instrument is reactivated after replacing the power pack with an undamaged power pack.

21. The surgical instrument of claim 15, further comprising a feedback indicator, wherein the electronic control circuit is configured to employ the feedback indicator to issue an alert in response to the determination that the at least one voltage reading exceeds the predetermined value.