System and method for calibrating a surgical instrument

• US 7,803,151 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2002
• Issued: 09/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Power Medical Interventions, LLC (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Whitman, Michael P.
• Primary Examiner(s): KASZTEJNA, MATTHEW JOHN
• Application Number:
  US10/309,532
• Publication Number:
  US 20030125717A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,855 Days
• Field of Search: 600/101, 600/117, 600/118, 600/160, 606/1, 606/167, 606/180, 606/177, 606/42, 606/170, 702150-151, 702/158, 2271751-1821
• US Class Current: 606/1
• 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 17/115 Staplers for performing anastomosis in a single operation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0046 with a releasable handle; with handle and operating part separable
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00477 Coupling A61B2017/0046 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00725 Calibration or performance testing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02156 Calibration means
• 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

Abstract

A calibration system for a surgical instrument. The calibration system includes an actuator, such as a motor system and a flexible shaft. The calibration system also includes a surgical instrument actuatable by the actuator. The calibration system also include calibration data corresponding to the surgical instrument. A processor is configured to process the calibration data for determining a position of the surgical instrument. The calibration system may include a sensor configured to provide a signal corresponding to a movement of the actuator, the processor being further configured to process the signal for determining a position of the surgical instrument.

Claims

1. A system for calibrating a surgical instrument comprising:

an electro-mechanical actuator including a memory unit storing at least predetermined calibration data for a number of different surgical instruments;

a surgical instrument of the number of surgical instruments actuatable by the electro-mechanical actuator, the surgical instrument having first and second components that are moveable relative to each other;

each surgical instrument including a memory unit storing at least predetermined calibration data corresponding to the surgical instrument, wherein the calibration data corresponds to a position of the surgical instrument, the position of the surgical instrument being a position of the first and second components relative to each other, wherein the calibration data includes a correction factor that corresponds to a difference between an actual amount of actuation required to actuate the surgical instrument from a first position to a second position, and an expected amount of actuation required to actuate the surgical instrument from the first position to the second position; and

a processor configured to determine a position of the surgical instrument in accordance with at least one of the predetermined calibration data of the electro-mechanical actuator and the predetermined calibration data of the surgical instrument.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a sensor configured to provide a signal corresponding to a movement of the actuator, wherein the processor is further configured to process the signal from the sensor for determining a position of the surgical instrument.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the sensor is a Hall-effect sensor.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the calibration data includes data corresponding to a relative distance between a first component and a second component of the surgical instrument.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the calibration data includes data correlating a movement of the actuator to a change in position of the surgical instrument.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the surgical instrument includes a memory unit storing identification data, the processor being configured to select, upon receiving the identification data corresponding to the surgical instrument, the calibration data corresponding to the surgical instrument.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the surgical instrument is one of automatically and selectively actuated to a first position upon being attached to the actuator.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to determine a position of the surgical instrument in accordance with the correction factor.

9. A system for calibrating a surgical instrument comprising:

an electro-mechanical actuator including a memory unit storing at least calibration data for a number of different surgical instruments;

a surgical instrument of the number of different surgical instruments actuatable by the electro-mechanical actuator;

each surgical instrument including a memory unit storing at least calibration data corresponding to the surgical instrument; and

a processor configured to determine a position of the surgical instrument in accordance with at least one of the calibration data of the electro-mechanical actuator and the calibration data of the surgical instrument;

wherein the calibration data stored in the memory unit of the surgical instrument includes a correction factor;

wherein the actuator includes a motor and a rotatable drive shaft couplable to the surgical instrument and the motor; and

wherein the correction factor corresponds to a difference between an actual number of rotations of a drive shaft required to actuate the surgical instrument from a first position to a second position, and an expected number of rotations of a drive shaft required to actuate the surgical instrument from the first position to the second position.

10. A method for calibrating a surgical instrument of a number of different surgical instruments each being attachable to an actuator, the surgical instrument having first and second components that are moveable relative to each other, comprising the steps of:

providing to a processor predetermined calibration data and a correction factor stored in a memory unit of the surgical instrument and corresponding to one surgical instrument of the number of surgical instruments and predetermined calibration data stored in the actuator corresponding to the one surgical instrument of the number of surgical instruments, wherein the calibration data corresponds to a position of the surgical instrument, the position of the surgical instrument being a position of the first and second components relative to each other;

determining the correction factor by determining the difference between an actual amount of actuation required to actuate the surgical instrument from a first position to a second position, and an expected amount of actuation required to actuate the surgical instrument from the first position to the second position; and

determining, via the processor, the position of the surgical instrument in accordance with the predetermined calibration data of at least one of the actuator and the surgical instrument.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of:

providing to the processor a signal corresponding to a movement of the actuator;

determining, via the processor, the position of the surgical instrument in accordance with the signal.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the surgical instrument includes a first component and a second component,

the processor determining a position of the first component relative to the second component.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the calibration data includes a relative distance between a first component and a second component.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of:

providing a signal, via a sensor, corresponding to a movement of the actuator.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of providing calibration data includes providing data correlating a movement of the actuator to a change in the position of the surgical instrument.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of providing calibration data includes providing calibration data stored in a memory unit of the processor.

17. A method for calibrating a surgical instrument attachable to an actuator, comprising the steps of:

providing to a processor calibration data corresponding to the surgical instrument; and

determining, via the processor, a position of the surgical instrument;

wherein the step of providing calibration data includes providing calibration data stored in a memory unit of the surgical instrument;

wherein the step of providing calibration data stored in a memory unit of the surgical instrument includes providing a correction factor;

further comprising the step of;

actuating the surgical instrument by a motor via a rotatable drive shaft couplable to the surgical instrument and the motor,

wherein the step of determining the correction factor includes determining a difference between an actual number of rotations of a drive shaft required to actuate the surgical instrument from a first position to a second position, and an expected number of rotations of a drive shaft required to actuate the surgical instrument from the first position to the second position.