Inductive powered surgical device with wireless control

• US 8,808,283 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2010
• Issued: 08/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Moua, Tony, Craig, Jason L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dvorak, Linda
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ram, Jocelyn D
• Application Number:
  US12/827,783
• Publication Number:
  US 20120004652A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,511 Days
• Field of Search: 606/32, 606/33, 606/41, 607/65
• US Class Current: 606/41
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1206 Generators therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/14 Probes or electrodes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1402 Probes for open surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1445 at the distal end of a shaft, e.g. forceps or scissors at the end of a rigid rod
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00928 by sending a signal to an external energy source
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00946 slidable
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1286 having a specific transformer

Abstract

A system and method for wirelessly powering an electrosurgical device using a generator to generate a radio frequency (RF) energy field. A switch on the electrosurgical device sends a wireless signal to the generator, where the generator allows a current to pass through an inductive coil to generate the RF energy field. The RF energy field induces a current to flow across an inductive coil within the electrosurgical device. The current flow is then processed through a RF conditioning circuit and outputted to the end effector assembly of the device.

Claims

1. A method for wirelessly operating a hand held electrosurgical device, comprising;

selecting a switch on the hand held electrosurgical device;

sending an instruction wirelessly to a generator to generate an RF energy field;

generating the RF energy field;

inducing, by the RF energy field, a current across an inductor within the hand held device that causes an RF signal;

charging a capacitor within the device; and

supplying the RF signal to an end effector assembly to perform a surgical procedure.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the switch further comprises selecting a mode of operation for the device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the mode is cut, ablate, coagulate or seal.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

conditioning the RF signal into the selected mode.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the selected mode is seal and the RF signal is conditioned into a pulsed waveform.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the selected mode is cut and the RF signal is conditioned into a sinusoidal waveform.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the device is a pencil or a forceps.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising charging a rechargeable battery within the device.

9. A method for wirelessly operating a hand held electrosurgical device, comprising:

generating an RF energy field;

selecting a switch on the device to select a mode of operation;

inducing, by the RF energy field, a current across an inductor within the device that causes an RF signal;

charging a capacitor within the device;

conditioning the RF signal into the selected mode; and

supplying the conditioned RF signal to an end effector assembly to perform a surgical procedure.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the mode is cut, ablate, coagulate or seal.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the device is a pencil or a forceps.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising charging a rechargeable battery within the device.