Integrated system for powered surgical tools

• US 6,329,778 B1
• Filed: 12/29/1999
• Issued: 12/11/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Stryker Corporation
• Original Assignee: Stryker Corporation
• Inventors: Culp, Jerry A., Monk, David E., Schemansky, Kevin J.
• Primary Examiner(s): IP, SHIK LUEN PAUL
• Application Number:
  US09/474,982
• Time in Patent Office: 713 Days
• Field of Search: 318/254, 318/430-439, 318/632, 318/799, 433/131, 433/133, 433/104, 606/170, 606/167, 606/180, 604/22
• US Class Current: 318/434
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1622 Drill handpieces A61B17/1626, A61B17/1628 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1626 Control means; Display units
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/32002 with continuously rotating, oscillating or reciprocating cutting instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/14 Probes or electrodes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00017 Electrical control of surgical instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00137 Details of operation mode
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00199 with a console, e.g. a control panel with a display
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00367 Details of actuation of instruments, e.g. relations between pushing buttons, or the like, and activation of the tool, working tip, or the like
• 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 2017/00464 for use with different instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00477 Coupling A61B2017/0046 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00482 with a code
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00973 pedal-operated
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320069 for ablating tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320071 with articulating means for working tip
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320084 Irrigation sleeves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/258 providing specific settings for specific users
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/90 Identification means for patients or instruments, e.g. tags
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/98 using electromagnetic means, e.g. transponders
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6018 : providing set-up signals for the apparatus configuration

Abstract

An integrated surgical tool system (30) for energizing different powered surgical handpieces (32, 33). Internal to each handpiece is a non-volatile memory (72) which stores data regarding the operating parameters of the handpiece. This data, includes information about the speeds at which any motor internal to the handpiece should be driven, the maximum current that should be drawn by the handpiece and the maximum internal temperature of the handpiece. The handpiece is plugged into a complementary control console (36). The control console reads the data in the internal memory. Based on the retrieved data and manual control signals, the control console supplies energization signals to the handpiece so as to cause the appropriate actuation of the handpiece.

Claims

1. A control console for providing an energization signal to a surgical handpiece that is removably connected to said control console, the surgical handpiece having a variable speed motor that is actuated in response to application of the energization signal, said control console comprising:

a motor control assembly for generating the energization signal for application to the handpiece motor, wherein said motor control assembly, in response to a first motor control signal, selectively modulates the energization signal; and

a processor connected to;

said handpiece motor for receiving an indication of the speed of the motor;

a removable memory that is integral with the surgical handpiece, the removable memory containing data representative of the maximum current the handpiece motor should draw at a plurality of different speeds; and

to said motor control assembly for applying the first motor control signal to said motor control assembly wherein, said processor is configured to;

determine when a new surgical handpiece is attached to said control console, and when a new surgical handpiece is attached to said control console, to read the data in the removable memory integral with the surgical handpiece;

calculate a maximum allowed current that can be drawn by the motor based on the speed of the motor and the data in the handpiece memory representative of the maximum current for the plurality of speeds; and

compare the current drawn by the motor to the maximum allowed current and, based on the comparison, to selectively generate the first motor control signal applied to said motor control assembly.

2. The control console of claim 1, wherein:

said processor further receives a speed select signal; and

, based of the speed select signal, said processor asserts a SPEED_SET_POINT signal to said motor control assembly;

said motor control assembly selectively modulates the energization signal applied to the handpiece motor based on the SPEED_SET_POINT signal.

3. The control console of claim 2, wherein the SPEED_SET_POINT signal asserted by said processor assembly is a different signal from the first motor control signal generated by said processor.

4. The control console of claim 2, wherein said motor control assembly is connected to the handpiece motor for monitoring rotation of a rotor internal to the motor and said motor controller, based on the rotation of the motor, further selectively modulates the energization signal applied to the motor.

5. The control console of claim 2, wherein said processor:

is connected to a transducer for receiving the speed select signal and to a transducer memory for reading data from the transducer memory; and

corrects the speed select signal based on the data read from the transducer memory and generates the corrected speed select signal as the SPEED_SET_POINT signal.

6. The control console of claim 5, wherein the transducer is located in the surgical handpiece, the removable memory functions as the transducer memory, and said processor reads the data for correcting the speed select signal from the removable memory.

7. The control console of claim 1, wherein said processor:

is further configured to generate a PEAK_I_SET_POINT signal representative of the maximum current the handpiece motor can draw; and

said processor includes a comparator for receiving a motor current signal representative of the current drawn by the handpiece motor and the PEAK_I_SET_POINT signal and said comparator compares the motor current signal to the PEAK_I_SET_POINT signal and, based on the comparison, said comparator selectively asserts the first motor control signal to said motor control assembly.

8. The control console of claim 7, wherein said processor further includes:

a variable gain amplifier for receiving a input signal from the handpiece motor proportional to the current drawn by the motor, and said amplifier amplifies the input signal to produce the motor current signal, wherein the gain of said amplifier is established by a GAIN signal applied to said amplifier; and

a logic circuit that is configured to selectively generate the GAIN signal for assertion to said amplifier wherein said logic circuit, as a function of the speed of the handpiece motor, selectively generates the GAIN signal.

9. The control console of claim 1, wherein said processor is configured to:

determine a maximum allowed torque for the handpiece motor based on the speed of the motor and a first set of data read from the removable memory that indicates a maximum allowed torque for the motor for a plurality of different speeds of the motor; and

calculates the maximum allowed current for the handpiece motor based on the maximum allowed torque of the motor and a second set of data read from the removable memory that defines a torque-to-current relationship for the motor.

10. The control console of claim 1, wherein said motor control assembly is configured so that, when the first motor control signal is received, said motor control assembly inhibits application of the energization signal to the handpiece motor.

11. The control console of claim 1, wherein, said processor is configured to determine if a new surgical handpiece is attached to said control console by periodically reading data in the removable memory integral with the surgical handpiece to determine if the data has changed.

12. A control console for applying an energization signal to a power consuming unit internal to a surgical handpiece that is removably attached to said control console, the power consuming unit having a variable operating state, the handpiece having a transducer that generates a variable output transducer signal related to the operation of the power consuming unit, said control console including:

an energization unit connected to the handpiece for supplying the energization signal to the handpiece power consuming unit, said energization unit selectively applying the energization signal to the power consuming unit in response to an energization unit control signal; and

a processor connected to;

the handpiece for receiving the transducer signal;

a removable memory that is integral with the surgical handpiece, the removable memory containing data for correcting the transducer signal; and

to said energization unit for applying the energization unit control signal thereto, said processor being configured to;

determine when a new surgical handpiece is attached to said control console, and when a new surgical handpiece is attached to said control console, to read the data in the removable memory integral with the surgical handpiece;

produce a corrected transducer signal from the received transducer signal and the data read from the removable memory; and

based on the corrected transducer signal, selectively generate the energization unit control signal.

13. The control console of claim 12, wherein the removable memory further includes data descriptive of at least one signal level of the transducer signal and said processor compares the corrected transducer signal to the at least one signal level described by the data in the removable memory and, based on the comparison, said processor selectively generates the energization unit control signal.

14. The control console of claim 12, wherein said transducer signal is a signal representative of a user-selected operating state of the handpiece power consuming unit and said processor, based on the corrected transducer signal, generates the energization unit control signal so that said energization unit applies the energization signal to the handpiece power consuming unit to cause the power consuming unit to operate at the user-selected operating state.

15. The control console of claim 14, wherein the handpiece power consuming unit is a variable speed motor and the transducer signal is a signal representative of a user-selected motor speed and:

said energization control unit, in response to the energization unit control signal applies the energization signal required to cause the handpiece motor to operate at a select speed; and

said processor, based on the corrected transducer signal generates an energization unit control signal that causes said energization unit to apply the energization signal to the handpiece motor required to operate the motor at the user-selected motor speed.

16. The control console of claim 12, wherein the handpiece transducer is configured to monitor an operating state of the handpiece and said transducer signal is representative of the operating state and

said processor compares the corrected transducer signal to at least one reference signal level and, based on the comparison, selectively generates the energization unit control signal.

17. The control console of claim 16, wherein the handpiece transducer is a temperature sensor that monitors the temperature of the handpiece and said transducer signal is representative of the temperature of the handpiece and

said processor compares the corrected transducer signal to a reference signal level based on a reference temperature and, based on the comparison, selectively generates the energization unit control signal.

18. The control console of claim 12, wherein, said processor is configured to determine if a new surgical handpiece is attached to said control console by periodically reading data in the removable memory integral with the surgical handpiece to determine if the data has changed.

19. A control console for applying an energization signal to a power consuming unit internal to a surgical handpiece, the surgical handpiece being removable from said control console, the power consuming unit having a variable operating state, said control console including:

an energization unit connected to the handpiece for supplying the energization signal to the handpiece power consuming unit, said energization unit being configured to selectively apply the energization signal to the power consuming unit in response to an energization unit control signal; and

a processor unit connected to;

a first transducer in the surgical handpiece for receiving from the first transducer a first transducer signal defining information related to the operation of the handpiece power consuming unit; and

to a removable memory integral with the handpiece, the removable memory containing data identifying the information supplied by the surgical handpiece first transducer and said processor unit stores instructions that comprise a plurality of different control processes for generating the energization unit control signal and said processor unit is configured to;

determine when a new surgical handpiece is connected to said control console and, when a new surgical handpiece is attached to said control console, to read from the removable memory data indicating the type of information supplied by the first transducer signal;

selectively execute the instructions that comprise a selected set of the different control processes to generate the energization unit control signal based on the type of information supplied by the first transducer signal; and

generate the energization unit control signal to the energization unit based on the instructions selected for execution and the first transducer signal.

20. The control console of claim 19, wherein said processor unit is further configured to:

read from the removable memory signal level data for the first transducer signal that specifies a signal level for the first transducer signal; and

compare the first transducer signal to the signal level specified by the signal level data; and

based on the comparison and the instructions selected for execution, selectively generate the energization unit control signal.

21. The control console of claim 19, wherein said processor unit is further configured to:

read from the removable memory data defining coefficients used to correct the first transducer signal;

produce a corrected first transducer signal based on the first transducer signal and the coefficient data read from the external memory; and

based on the corrected first transducer and the instructions selected for execution, selectively generate the energization unit control signal.

22. The control console of claim 19, wherein:

the first transducer is part of a switch assembly that is actuated to provide an indication of the rate at which the power consuming unit is to be operated and the first transducer signal is representative of a specified operating rate for the power consuming unit; and

said processor unit compares the first transducer signal to a reference signal level and, based on the comparison, said processor unit generates a specific energization unit control signal to the energization unit so that the energization unit supplies an energization signal to the handpiece power consuming unit so that the power consuming unit operates at the specified operating rate.

23. The control console of claim 19, wherein:

the first transducer is configured to monitor the operation of the handpiece and the data in the handpiece memory is reference data that, for a specific level of the first transducer signal, indicates a specific operating state of the handpiece; and

said processor unit, based on the comparison of the first transducer signal to a reference signal level based on the reference data, selectively generates an energization unit control signal that causes said energization unit to reduce the level of energization signal supplied to the handpiece power consuming unit or to cease supplying the energization signal to the power consuming unit.

24. The control console of claim 23, further including a display and wherein:

said processor unit is connected to said display for regulating information presented on said display; and

said processor unit, based on the comparison of the first transducer signal to the reference signal level and the type of information supplied by the first transducer signal, causes select information to be presented on said display.

25. The control console of claim 23, wherein:

the first transducer is a temperature sensor, the first transducer signal is a variable signal representative of the temperature of the handpiece; and

said processor unit compares the first transducer signal to a reference signal representative of the maximum temperature for the handpiece and, if the comparison indicates that the handpiece is above the maximum temperature, said processor unit generates an energization unit control signal that causes said energization unit to cease supplying energization signals to the power consuming unit.

26. The control console of claim 19, wherein:

said processor unit is further connected to a second transducer in the handpiece that is separate from the first transducer for receiving from the second transducer a second transducer signal related to the operation of the handpiece; and

said processor unit is configured to;

read from the removable memory data indicating the type of information supplied by the second transducer signal;

selectively execute instructions that comprise a selected set of control processes to generate the energization unit control signal based on the type of information supplied by the second transducer signal wherein, the instructions selected for execution based on the type of information supplied by the second transducer signal are different from the instructions selected for execution based on the type of information supplied by the first control signal; and

generate the energization unit control signal to the energization unit based;

on the instructions selected for execution;

the first transducer signal; and

the second transducer signal.

27. The control console of claim 26, wherein said processor unit:

based on the first transducer signal and the instructions selected for execution based on the type of information supplied by the first transducer signal, selectively generates the energization unit control signal so that said energization unit causes the handpiece power consuming unit to function at a specific operating rate; and

based on the second transducer signal and the instructions selected for execution based on the type of information supplied by the second transducer signal, selectively generates the energization unit control signal so that the energization control unit attenuates the energization signal supplied to the handpiece power consuming unit or ceases supplying the energization unit control signal to the power consuming unit.

28. The control console of claim 19, wherein, said processor unit is configured to determine if a new surgical handpiece is attached to said control console by periodically reading data in the removable memory integral with the surgical handpiece to determine if the data has changed.

29. A control console for providing energization signals to a variable speed motor within a powered surgical handpiece, said control console including:

an energization unit for supplying energization signals to the handpiece motor wherein, in response to an excess current signal, said energization unit ceases supplying energization signals to the handpiece motor;

a current detect circuit including;

a variable gain amplifier that receives as an input signal from the handpiece motor a signal representative of the current drawn by the motor, said amplifier, in response to a variable GAIN signal, being configured to selectively amplify the input signal to produce a motor current signal; and

a comparator for receiving the motor current signal, said comparator being configured to compare the motor current signal to a reference signal and, as a result of the comparison, to selectively assert the excess current signal to said energization unit; and

a processor connected to the handpiece motor to receive an indication of the speed of the motor and said processor, as a function of the speed of said motor, selectively generates the GAIN signal for application to said current detect circuit amplifier.

30. The control console of claim 29, wherein:

the reference signal applied to said current detect circuit comparator is a variable PEAK_I_SET_POINT signal; and

said processor, as a function of the speed of the handpiece motor, selectively generates the PEAK_I_SET_POINT signal.

31. The control console of claim 29, wherein:

said processor is configured to read data from a memory external to said control console; and

said processor, as a function of the speed of the handpiece motor and the data read from the external memory, generates the GAIN signal.

32. A control console for providing energization signals to a variable speed motor within a powered surgical handpiece, the surgical handpiece being removably coupled to said control console, said control console including:

an energization unit for supplying energization signals to the handpiece motor wherein, in response to an excess current signal, said energization unit ceases supplying energization signals to the handpiece motor;

a current detect circuit including;

a variable gain amplifier that receives as an input signal from the handpiece motor a signal representative of the current drawn by the motor, said amplifier, in response to a variable GAIN signal, being configured to selectively amplify the input signal to produce a motor current signal; and

a comparator for receiving the motor current signal, said comparator being configured to compare the motor current signal to a reference signal and, as a result of the comparison, to selectively assert the excess current signal to said energization unit; and

a processor for reading data from a removable memory integrally associated with the surgical handpiece wherein said processor, based on the data read from the handpiece memory, selectively generates the GAIN signal for application to said current detect circuit amplifier.

33. A method of energizing a powered surgical handpiece, the handpiece having at least one device that draws a current, said method including the steps of:

removably coupling the surgical handpiece to an energization control unit;

removably coupling a removable memory to the energization control unit, the removable memory being integrally associated with the surgical handpiece;

applying an energization signal to the handpiece from the energization control unit;

providing a bias current to the at least one device in the handpiece;

reading from the removable memory data indicating an acceptable level of bias current to be applied to the handpiece;

monitoring the bias current drawn by the at least one device in the handpiece; and

based on the acceptable range of handpiece bias current and the bias current drawn by the handpiece, controlling the energization control unit so that energization control unit selectively inhibits that application of the energization signal to the handpiece.

34. The method of energizing a powered surgical handpiece of claim 33, wherein, in said step of reading from the removable memory integral with the handpiece, data are read indicating a minimum bias current and a maximum bias current the handpiece should draw.

35. A method of energizing a motor in a surgical handpiece, said method including the steps of:

applying an energization signal to the motor;

monitoring the speed of the motor and the current drawn by the motor;

reading from a memory integrally associated with the handpiece data representative of a motor speed/current time out relationship;

comparing the current drawn by the motor to a reference current level;

when said comparison step indicates that the motor is drawing current in excess of the reference current level, inhibiting said step of applying the energization signal to the motor;

determining a period of time for which the application of the energization signal to the motor should be inhibited based on the speed of the motor and the motor speed/current time out relationship data; and

performing said step of inhibiting the application of the energization signal to the motor for the period of time specified in said determining step.

36. The method of energizing the motor in a surgical handpiece of claim 35, further including the step of determining the reference current level as a function of the speed of the motor.

37. The method of energizing the motor in a surgical handpiece of claim 35, further including the steps of:

reading from the memory integral with the handpiece data indicating a speed/maximum current relationship for the handpiece motor; and

determining the reference current level as a function of the speed of the motor and the speed/maximum current relationship data read from the memory integral with the handpiece.

38. A control console for regulating the operation of a motor disposed within a surgical handpiece, the surgical handpiece being removably attached to said control console, said control console including:

a motor controller for receiving a SPEED_SET_POINT signal and a COMPENSATION signal, said motor controller connected to the handpiece motor for providing energization signals to the motor to cause the motor to rotate at a speed defined by the SPEED_SET_POINT signal, said motor controller also being connected to the motor to receive from the motor feedback signals representative of the speed of the motor wherein said motor controller selectively modulates the energization control signals applied to the motor as a function of the difference between the motor speed and the speed defined by the SPEED_SET_POINT signal and the rate at which the energization control signals are modulated to cause acceleration and deceleration of the motor is defined by the state of the COMPENSATION signal;

a processor, said processor connected to the handpiece and to said motor controller, said processor being configured to;

determine if a new surgical handpiece is attached to said control console and, if a new surgical handpiece is attached to said control console, to read from a memory integrally associated with the surgical handpiece and removably attached to said control console speed compensation data;

determine from the handpiece motor the speed of the motor;

determine from an external source a user-selected speed for the handpiece motor and, based on the user-selected speed, generate said SPEED_SET_POINT signal to said motor controller; and

based on the speed of the handpiece motor and the speed compensation data, selectively assert the COMPENSATION signal to said motor controller.

39. The control console of claim 38, wherein:

said motor controller includes a variable-impedance impedance network that regulates the rate at which said motor controller modulates the energization signals to the handpiece motor, wherein the rate of modulation is established by the impedance of said impedance network; and

said COMPENSATION signal is applied to said impedance network to control the impedance of said impedance network.

40. The control console of claim 38, wherein said processor is configured to receive a signal representative of the user-selected speed from a transducer integral with the handpiece or from a transducer external to said control console.