Biopsy driver assembly having a control circuit for conserving battery power

• US 8,808,197 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Issued: 08/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bard Peripheral Vascular Incorporated (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Original Assignee: Bard Peripheral Vascular Incorporated (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Inventors: Videbaek, Karsten, Reuber, Claus
• Primary Examiner(s): TOWA, RENE T
• Application Number:
  US13/828,745
• Publication Number:
  US 20130204161A1
• Time in Patent Office: 523 Days
• Field of Search: 600562-572
• US Class Current: 600/562
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 10/0275 with sample notch, e.g. on the side of inner stylet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 10/0283 with vacuum aspiration, e.g. caused by retractable plunger or by connected syringe A61B10/025, A61B10/0266 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2010/0208 Biopsy devices with actuators, e.g. with triggered spring mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00398 using powered actuators, e.g. stepper motors, solenoids
• 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 2560/0209 adapted for power saving

Abstract

A biopsy driver assembly includes a biopsy driver housing. An electrical assembly is coupled to the biopsy driver housing. The electrical assembly includes at least one electrical drive configured for drivably engaging a biopsy probe assembly. A battery is coupled to the biopsy driver housing. A control circuit is coupled to the biopsy driver housing. The control circuit is electrically coupled to the battery and to the electrical assembly. The control circuit has a motion detector, a timer circuit and a battery dwell circuit. The control circuit is configured to conserve the battery by providing electrical power only to the motion detector after a predetermined time following a last detected physical movement of the biopsy driver assembly and to provide electrical power from the battery also to the electrical assembly when a physical movement of the biopsy driver assembly is detected.

Claims

1. A biopsy driver assembly configured to mount a biopsy probe assembly, comprising:

a biopsy driver housing;

an electrical assembly coupled to said biopsy driver housing, said electrical assembly including at least one electrical drive configured for drivably engaging said biopsy probe assembly;

a battery coupled to said biopsy driver housing; and

a control circuit coupled to said biopsy driver housing, said control circuit being electrically coupled to said battery and to said electrical assembly, said control circuit having a motion detector, a timer circuit and a battery dwell circuit,

said control circuit being configured to conserve said battery by turning off electrical power both to said timer circuit of said control circuit and to said electrical assembly after a predetermined time as determined by said timer circuit following a last detected physical movement of said biopsy driver assembly, and configured to turn on electrical power from said battery to said timer circuit and to said electrical assembly when a physical movement of said biopsy driver assembly is detected.

2. The biopsy driver assembly of claim 1, wherein:

said battery dwell circuit has a power input electrically connected to said battery, and has a first power output electrically connected to said electrical assembly, a second power output electrically connected to said motion detector, and a second power output electrically connected to said timer circuit is electrically connected to receive electrical power from said battery dwell circuit;

said motion detector is communicatively coupled to said timer circuit via a first communication link, and said motion detector is communicatively coupled to said dwell circuit via a second communication link, said motion detector being configured to provide a first signal to said battery dwell circuit to cause said battery dwell circuit to enter an operative mode wherein electrical power is supplied to said electrical assembly when said physical movement of said biopsy driver assembly is detected, and said motion detector being configured to provide a second signal to said timer circuit that indicates said last detected physical movement of said biopsy driver assembly; and

said timer circuit is communicatively coupled to said battery dwell circuit via a third communication link, said timer circuit being configured to provide a third signal to said battery dwell circuit to cause said battery dwell circuit to enter a battery dwell mode wherein electrical power is supplied to said motion detector to the exclusion of said timer circuit and said electrical assembly, said third signal being supplied to said battery dwell circuit after said predetermined time following said last detected physical movement of said biopsy driver assembly.

3. The biopsy driver assembly of claim 2, comprising a probe presence circuit configured to detect a mounting of said biopsy probe assembly to said biopsy driver assembly, said probe presence circuit being configured to de-activate said biopsy driver assembly when the biopsy probe assembly is not mounted to said biopsy driver assembly and to activate said biopsy driver assembly when the biopsy probe assembly is mounted to said biopsy driver assembly, wherein said probe presence circuit is electrically coupled to said battery dwell circuit, said probe presence circuit being configured to de-activate said motion detector if said biopsy probe assembly is not mounted to said biopsy driver assembly such that neither said operative mode nor said battery dwell mode is operational.

4. The biopsy driver assembly of claim 1, wherein said at least one electrical drive is a plurality of electrical drives configured for drivably engaging said biopsy probe assembly, said electrical assembly further including:

a controller configured to execute program instructions for operating said biopsy driver assembly, said controller being communicatively coupled to each of said plurality of electrical drives; and

a user interface communicatively coupled to said controller,

said battery dwell circuit providing electrical power for said motion detector, said timer circuit, said plurality of drives, said controller and said user interface when physical movement of said biopsy driver assembly is detected, and said control circuit being configured to cut off electrical power to said timer circuit, said plurality of drives, said controller, and said user interface after said predetermined time following said last detected physical movement of said biopsy driver assembly, while maintaining electrical power to said motion detector.

5. The biopsy driver assembly of claim 1, wherein:

said battery dwell circuit has a power input electrically connected to said battery and a power output electrically connected to said electrical assembly;

each of said motion detector and said timer circuit is electrically connected to receive electrical power from said battery dwell circuit;

said motion detector is communicatively coupled to said timer circuit and to said dwell circuit, said motion detector being configured to provide a first signal to said battery dwell circuit to cause said battery dwell circuit to enter an operative mode wherein electrical power is supplied to said electrical assembly when said physical movement of said biopsy driver assembly is detected, and said motion detector being configured to provide a second signal to said timer circuit that indicates said last detected physical movement of said biopsy driver assembly; and

said timer circuit is communicatively coupled to said battery dwell circuit, said timer circuit being configured to provide a third signal to said battery dwell circuit to cause said battery dwell circuit to enter a battery dwell mode wherein electrical power is supplied to said motion detector to the exclusion of said timer circuit and said electrical assembly, said third signal being supplied to said battery dwell circuit after said predetermined time following said last detected physical movement of said biopsy driver assembly.

6. The biopsy driver assembly of claim 5, comprising a probe presence circuit configured to detect a mounting of said biopsy probe assembly to said biopsy driver assembly, said probe presence circuit being configured to de-activate said biopsy driver assembly when the biopsy probe assembly is not mounted to said biopsy driver assembly and to activate said biopsy driver assembly when the biopsy probe assembly is mounted to said biopsy driver assembly, wherein said probe presence circuit is electrically coupled between said battery dwell circuit and said motion detector, said probe presence circuit being configured to de-activate said motion detector if said biopsy probe assembly is not mounted to said biopsy driver assembly such that neither said operative mode nor said battery dwell mode is operational.

7. The biopsy driver assembly of claim 1, comprising a manual wakeup circuit configured to cause said battery dwell circuit to enter an operative mode to enable said at least one electrical drive in an absence of said biopsy probe assembly being mounted to said biopsy driver assembly.

8. The biopsy driver assembly of claim 1, wherein said at least one electrical drive is a plurality of electrical drives configured for drivably engaging said biopsy probe assembly, said electrical assembly further including:

a controller configured to execute program instructions for operating said biopsy driver assembly, said controller being communicatively coupled to each of said plurality of electrical drives; and

a user interface communicatively coupled to said controller.

9. A biopsy apparatus, comprising:

a biopsy probe assembly having a sample basket arranged coaxially with a cutter cannula relative to a longitudinal axis, and having a first driven unit coupled to said cutter cannula to facilitate movement of said cutter cannula relative to said longitudinal axis, and having a second driven unit coupled to said sample basket to facilitate movement of said sample basket relative to said longitudinal axis; and

a biopsy driver assembly configured to mount said biopsy probe assembly, said biopsy driver assembly including;

a biopsy driver housing;

an electrical assembly coupled to said biopsy driver housing, said electrical assembly including a first electrical drive configured for drivably engaging said first driven unit of said biopsy probe assembly and a second electrical drive configured for drivably engaging said second driven unit of said biopsy probe assembly;

a battery coupled to said biopsy driver housing; and

a control circuit coupled to said biopsy driver housing, said control circuit being electrically coupled to said battery and to said electrical assembly, said control circuit having a probe present circuit, a motion detector, a timer circuit and a battery dwell circuit,

said probe presence circuit being configured to detect a mounting of said biopsy probe assembly to said biopsy driver assembly, said probe presence circuit being configured to de-activate said motion detector and said electrical assembly when the biopsy probe assembly is not mounted to said biopsy driver assembly and to activate said motion detector and said electrical assembly when the biopsy probe assembly is mounted to said biopsy driver assembly,

said control circuit being configured to conserve said battery by providing electrical power to said motion detector, while not providing electrical power to said electrical assembly after a predetermined time as determined by said timer circuit following a last detected physical movement of said biopsy driver assembly, and configured to turn on electrical power from said battery to said electrical assembly when a physical movement of said biopsy driver assembly is detected.

10. The biopsy apparatus of claim 9, wherein:

said battery dwell circuit has a power input electrically connected to said battery and a power output electrically connected to said electrical assembly;

each of said motion detector and said timer circuit is electrically connected to receive electrical power from said battery dwell circuit;

said motion detector is communicatively coupled to said timer circuit via a first communication link and to said dwell circuit via a second communication link, said motion detector being configured to provide a first signal to said battery dwell circuit to cause said battery dwell circuit to enter an operative mode wherein electrical power is supplied to said electrical assembly when said physical movement of said biopsy driver assembly is detected, and said motion detector being configured to provide a second signal to said timer circuit that indicates said last detected physical movement of said biopsy driver assembly; and

said timer circuit is communicatively coupled to said battery dwell circuit via a third communication link, said timer circuit being configured to provide a third signal to said battery dwell circuit to cause said battery dwell circuit to enter a battery dwell mode wherein electrical power is supplied to said motion detector to the exclusion of said timer circuit and said electrical assembly, said third signal being supplied to said battery dwell circuit after said predetermined time following said last detected physical movement of said biopsy driver assembly.

11. The biopsy apparatus of claim 10, wherein said probe presence circuit is configured to de-activate said biopsy driver assembly if said biopsy probe assembly is not mounted to said biopsy driver assembly such that neither said operative mode nor said battery dwell mode is operational.

12. The biopsy apparatus of claim 9, said electrical assembly further including:

a controller configured to execute program instructions for operating said biopsy driver assembly, said controller being communicatively coupled to each of said first electrical drive and said second electrical drive; and

a user interface communicatively coupled to said controller,

said battery dwell circuit providing electrical power for said motion detector, said timer circuit, said first electrical drive, said second electrical drive, said controller and said user interface when physical movement of said biopsy driver assembly is detected, and said control circuit being configured to cut off electrical power to said timer circuit, said first electrical drive, said second electrical drive, said controller, and said user interface after said predetermined time following said last detected physical movement of said biopsy driver assembly, while maintaining electrical power to said motion detector.

13. A biopsy driver assembly configured to mount a biopsy probe assembly, comprising:

a biopsy driver housing;

an electrical assembly coupled to said biopsy driver housing, said electrical assembly including at least one electrical drive configured for drivably engaging said biopsy probe assembly; and

a control circuit coupled to said biopsy driver housing, said control circuit being electrically coupled to said electrical assembly, said control circuit having a motion detector, a timer circuit and a power dwell circuit;

said power dwell circuit having a power output electrically connected to said electrical assembly and each of said motion detector and said timer circuit being electrically connected to receive electrical power from said power dwell circuit;

said motion detector being communicatively coupled to said timer circuit via a first communication link and to said power dwell circuit via a second communication link, said motion detector being configured to provide a first signal to said power dwell circuit to cause said power dwell circuit to enter an operative mode wherein electrical power is supplied to said electrical assembly when said physical movement of said biopsy driver assembly is detected, and said motion detector being configured to provide a second signal to said timer circuit that indicates said last detected physical movement of said biopsy driver assembly; and

said timer circuit being communicatively coupled to said power dwell circuit via a third communication link, said timer circuit being configured to provide a third signal to said power dwell circuit to cause said power dwell circuit to enter a power dwell mode wherein electrical power is supplied to said motion detector to the exclusion of said timer circuit and said electrical assembly, said third signal being supplied to said power dwell circuit after said predetermined time following said last detected physical movement of said biopsy driver assembly.

14. The biopsy driver assembly of claim 13, further comprising a probe presence circuit electrically coupled to said power dwell circuit and to said motion detector, said probe presence circuit being configured to detect a mounting of said biopsy probe assembly to said biopsy driver assembly, said probe presence circuit being configured to de-activate said motion detector if said biopsy probe assembly is not mounted to said biopsy driver assembly such that neither said operative mode nor said power dwell mode is operational.

15. The biopsy driver assembly of claim 14, further comprising a manual wakeup circuit electrically coupled to said power dwell circuit and to said motion detector, said manual wakeup circuit being configured to bypass said probe presence circuit to activate said motion detector when said manual wakeup circuit is actuated by a user to cause said power dwell circuit to enter said operative mode in an absence of said biopsy probe assembly being mounted to said biopsy driver assembly.

16. The biopsy driver assembly of claim 13, wherein said power dwell circuit has a power input electrically connected to said battery, and has a first power output electrically connected to said electrical assembly, a second power output electrically connected to said motion detector, and a second power output electrically connected to said timer circuit is electrically connected to receive electrical power from said power dwell circuit.