Surgical operation system

• US 7,063,692 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2003
• Issued: 06/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/29/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Sakurai, Tomohisa, Ozaki, Takashi, Takahashi, Hiroyuki, Nakamura, Takeaki, Sudo, Masaru, Miyawaki, Makoto, Shioda, Keiji
• Primary Examiner(s): FLANAGAN, BEVERLY MEINDL
• Application Number:
  US10/628,628
• Publication Number:
  US 20040019347A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,058 Days
• Field of Search: 606/1, 606/10, 606/34, 606/46, 606/167, 606/170, 606/180, 600/101, 600/104, 600/105, 600/131, 600/113
• US Class Current: 606/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/320068 using mechanical vibrations, e.g. ultrasonic A61B17/22012 takes precedence; dental tooth drilling devices operated by vibration A61C3/03; removing intra-ocular material using mechanical vibrations A61F9/00745
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00199 with a console, e.g. a control panel with a display
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00225 Systems for controlling multiple different instruments, e.g. microsurgical systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00464 for use with different instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00973 pedal-operated
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320069 for ablating tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/32007 with suction or vacuum means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320082 for incising tissue

Abstract

A plurality of handpieces used to perform an operation is connected to a main operation apparatus, which generates a driving signal, through connectors formed on the main apparatus. When an operator holds a handpiece he/she wants to use, an output line over which the driving signal is transmitted is routed to the held handpiece owing to an output of a sensor that detects a change in capacitance stemming from the hold. The operator therefore need not manually set a mode in which the driving signal is applied to the handpiece he/she wants to use. Moreover, a port number assigned to a port to which the output line is routed is indicated on a display device. The operator can readily identify the usable handpiece.

Claims

1. An endoscopic operation system comprising:

an endoscope used to observe an intracorporeal region;

a signal processor for processing an image signal, which is produced by an imaging device incorporated in the endoscope, to produce a video signal;

an endoscopic image display device for displaying an endoscopic image, which is picked up by the imaging device, according to the video signal;

a plurality of operating handpeices for generating treatment energies;

a driving signal generator for generating a driving signal which causes any operating handpiece out of the plurality of operating handpieces to generate treatment energy;

an output switching unit, connected between the driving signal generator and the plurality of operating handpieces, for switching the routes of an output line over which the driving signal is transmitted;

hand-held members included in the plurality of operating handpieces and held for treatment;

hold detecting devices, included in the hand-held members, the hold detecting devices each producing a predetermined hold detection signal when detecting that the hand-held member is held;

an output switching control unit for receiving the hold detection signal, and controlling the output switching unit so that the output destinations of the driving signal will be switched to select an operating handpiece from which the hold detection signal is transmitted; and

a superimposition unit for superimposing information of a handpiece, from which the hold detection signal is transmitted, on an image displayed on the endoscopic image display device.

2. An endoscopic operation system according to claim 1, wherein the operating handpieces are ultrasonic operation handpieces for generating ultrasonic energy as the treatment energy.

3. An endoscopic operation system according to claim 1, wherein the operating handpieces are high-frequency electric operation handpieces for generating high-frequency energy as the treatment energy.

4. An operation system comprising:

a plurality of handpieces for generating predetermined energies, each of said handpieces including a hand-held member to be held for treatment and a hold detecting device which detects that the hand-held member is held, and a selection signal generator for generating a first selection signal which indicates that any of the handpieces has been selected,

a driving signal generator generating a driving signal for driving any of said handpieces;

an output switching unit for switching the output destination of the driving signal to the handpiece selected from the plurality of handpieces;

a remote controller for generating a second selection signal, which indicates that any of the handpieces has been selected, to remotely control the output switching unit; and

a switching control unit for controlling the output switching unit in response to one of the first and second selection signal so that the output destination of the driving signal will be switched to the selected handpiece, the selection signal generator further transmitting the selection signal to the switching control unit in response to a detection signal received from the hold detecting device which has detected that the hand-held member is held.

5. An operation system according to claim 4, further comprising:

an imaging device for imaging a predetermined region to be observed;

a signal processor for producing a predetermined video signal from an image signal produced by the imaging device;

a display device for displaying a predetermined view image according to the video signal sent from the signal processor; and

a superimposition unit for superimposing information of a handpiece, from which the selection signal is transmitted, on the view image displayed on the display device.

6. An operation system according to claim 5, wherein the superimposition unit superimposes on a video image displayed on the display device information of at least one of a type of handpiece from which the selection signal is transmitted.

7. An operation system according to claim 4, further comprising:

a notifier for notifying information of the selected handpiece.

8. An energy-selective operation system according to claim 7, wherein the notifier notifies whether a selected handpiece is active.