Invasive surgical instrument equipped with a transponder

• US 8,087,584 B2
• Filed: 05/05/2009
• Issued: 01/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sferic Stellite
• Original Assignee: Sferic Stellite
• Inventors: Grimard, Jean-Christophe
• Primary Examiner(s): Paik, Steve S
• Assistant Examiner(s): JOHNSON, SONJI N
• Application Number:
  US12/435,677
• Publication Number:
  US 20090277959A1
• Time in Patent Office: 973 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 235/380
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1659 Surgical rasps, files, planes, or scrapers
• 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

The present invention concerns a read system (4), and the use of the latter, which is intended to communicate with a transponder (2) placed on a surgical instrument so as to quickly identify the surgical instrument by bringing the read system (4) close to the transponder (2) of the surgical instrument and then reading the information associated with the instrument contained in the transponder (2), and communication with a computer system (5), wherein the transponder (2) is housed in a compartment (13), formed in the instrument, said compartment (13) being closed off in a sealed manner by a thin lid (14) welded or affixed (3) to the body (10) of the surgical instrument so that the outer surface of the surgical instrument has no projecting sharp points, and with the transponder (2) communicating or recording, via the read system (4), information concerning clinical history.

Claims

1. A read system (4) that is intended to cooperate with a transponder (2) placed on a surgical instrument having a body (10), so as to quickly identify the surgical instrument by bringing the read system (4) close to the transponder (2) of the surgical instrument and then reading the information, associated with the surgical instrument, contained in the transponder (2), and by communication with a computer system (5), wherein the transponder (2) is housed in a compartment (13), formed in the surgical instrument, which is intended to accommodate the transponder (2) within it, with said compartment (13) being closed off in a sealed manner by a lid (14), of substantially the same material as the surgical instrument, affixed (3) to the body (10) of the surgical instrument, the lid being housed in contact with a cavity, so that an outer surface of the body (10) of the surgical instrument has no projecting sharp points, with the transponder (2) communicating or recording, via the read system (4), information concerning a clinical history, with various positions of the surgical instrument in a box being displayed on the screen of the computer system (5) by displaying the data coming from a database and associated with a tracing process, the invasive surgical instrument forming a one-piece part that includes the compartment (13) formed by a machining operation in the body (10) of the surgical instrument in a smooth or set-back area of the body (10), which does not weaken the surgical instrument and does not impede the fitting of a handle, the lid (14) being affixed to the surface of the cavity of the body (10) of the surgical instrument so as to ensure sealing of the compartment (13), the diameter of the bore forming the compartment is less than the diameter of the bore forming the cavity of the lid.

2. A read system (4) according to claim 1, wherein dimensions of the compartment (13) and the lid (14) allow the transponder (2) to be positioned close to the outer surface of the body (10) of the surgical instrument.

3. A read system (4) according to claim 1, wherein the compartment (13) and the lid (14) are substantially cylindrical in shape.

4. A read system (4) according to claim 1, wherein the lid (14) of the compartment (13) and the body (1) of the surgical instrument are made from substantially the same material that exhibits characteristics of resistance to corrosion and mechanical strength.

5. A read system (4) according to claim 1, wherein the material forming the lid (14) of the compartment (13) and the body (1) of the surgical instrument is selected from the group consisting of stainless steel, titanium, cobalt chrome alloy, and a polymer.

6. A read system (4) according to claim 1, wherein the lid (14) is affixed to the body (10) of the surgical instrument by welding so as to guarantee metallurgical continuity between the outer surface of the body (10) of the surgical instrument and the lid (14), and to ensure sealing of the compartment (13).

7. A read system (4) according to claim 1, wherein the surgical instrument is a femoral rasp (1) having a body (10) lying parallel to the longitudinal axis of a canal of a bone to be operated upon, and an upper part (11) that is used as a means to hold and manipulate the femoral rasp (1), the body (10) of the femoral rasp (1) having a smooth upper zone (12a) and ends in a shape that is profiled (12b) in a taper in order to facilitate the driving of the femoral rasp (1) into the canal of the bone, and where the profiled shape (12b) of the femoral rasp (1) having a serrated pattern that is used to rasp the canal of the bone.

8. A read system (4) according to claim 1, wherein the read system is designed to identify the user of the surgical instrument by means of a badge.

9. A read system (4) according to claim 1, wherein the computer system is a laptop personal computer.

10. A system for collecting, storing, and updating data, the system comprising:

a surgical instrument (10) having an outer surface and defining a compartment (13);

a transponder (2) affixed to the surgical instrument (10), the transponder for receiving and emitting data unique to the surgical instrument;

a computer system (5) for storing the data;

a read system (4) providing communication between the transponder (2) and the computer system (5); and

a lid (14) having an exterior surface and being housed in contact with a cavity, the lid securing the transponder (2) within the surgical instrument (10), the exterior surface of the lid (14) substantially planar with respect to the outer surface of the surgical instrument (10) to seal the transponder (2) within the surgical instrument (10);

wherein the invasive surgical instrument forms a one-piece part that includes the compartment (13) formed by a machining operation in the body (10) of the surgical instrument in a smooth or set-back area of the body (10), which does not weaken the surgical instrument and does not impede the fitting of a handle, the lid (14) being affixed to the surface of the cavity of the body (10) of the surgical instrument so as to ensure sealing of the compartment (13), the diameter of the bore forming the compartment being less than the diameter of the bore forming the cavity of the lid; and

wherein the system permits a user to collect, store, update, and transmit the data unique to the surgical instrument (10) across multiple lines of communication to a plurality of interfaces.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein:

the compartment (13) is formed in a smooth portion of the outer surface of the surgical instrument (10) to facilitate use thereof; and

the transponder (2) is positioned substantially adjacent to the lid (14) to thereby promote communication between the transponder (2) and the read system (4).

12. A surgical instrument having a transponder that cooperates with a read system (4) so as to quickly identify the surgical instrument by bringing the read system (4) close to the transponder (2) of the surgical instrument and then reading the information, wherein the transponder (2) is housed in a compartment (13), formed in the surgical instrument, which is intended to accommodate the transponder (2) within it, with said compartment (13) being closed off in a sealed manner by a thin lid (14), of the same material as the surgical instrument, welded or affixed (3) to the body (10) of the surgical instrument, the lid being housed in contact with a cavity, so that the outer surface of the surgical instrument has no projecting sharp points, the invasive surgical instrument forming a one-piece part that includes the compartment (13) formed by a machining operation in the body (10) of the surgical instrument in a smooth or set-back area of the body (10), which does not weaken the surgical instrument and does not impede the fitting of a handle, the lid (14) being affixed to the surface of the cavity of the body (10) of the surgical instrument so as to ensure sealing of the compartment (13), the diameter of the bore forming the compartment is less than the diameter of the bore forming the cavity of the lid.

13. A surgical instrument according to claim 12, wherein the dimensions of the compartment (13) and the small thickness of the lid (14) allow the transponder (2) to be positioned close to the outer surface of the body (10) of the surgical instrument.

14. A surgical instrument according to claim 12, wherein the compartment (13) and the lid (14) are substantially cylindrical shape.

15. A surgical instrument according to claim 12, wherein the lid (14) of the compartment (13) and the body of the surgical instrument are made from a material that exhibits characteristics of resistance to the corrosion and mechanical strength.

16. A surgical instrument according to claim 12, wherein the material forming the lid (14) of the compartment (13) and the body of the surgical instrument is selected from the group consisting of stainless steel or titanium or cobalt chrome alloy or a polymer.

17. A surgical instrument according to claim 12, wherein the lid (14) is attached by welding, such as laser welding, so as to guarantee metallurgical continuity between the outer surface of the body (10) of the surgical instrument and the lid (14), and to ensure sealing of the compartment (13).

18. A surgical instrument according to claim 12, wherein the surgical instrument is a femoral rasp (1) that includes a body (10) lying parallel to the longitudinal axis of the canal of the bone to be operated upon, and an upper part (11) that is intended to be used as a means to hold and manipulate the femoral rasp (1), where the body (10) of the femoral rasp (1) includes a smooth upper zone (12a) and ends in a shape that is profiled (12b) in a taper in order to facilitate the driving of the femoral rasp (1) into the canal of the bone, and where the profiled shape (12b) of the femoral rasp (1) includes a serrated pattern that is used to rasp the canal of the bone.