Removable ink for surgical instrument

• US 8,808,285 B2
• Filed: 05/28/2013
• Issued: 08/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Allen, Charles D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dvorak, Linda
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ram, Jocelyn D
• Application Number:
  US13/903,751
• Publication Number:
  US 20130261619A1
• Time in Patent Office: 448 Days
• Field of Search: 606/1, 606/32, 606/41, 600/198
• US Class Current: 606/41
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/12 by passing a current through the tissue to be heated, e.g. high-frequency current
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/14 Probes or electrodes therefor
• 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 18/1477 Needle-like probes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1815 using microwaves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/20 using laser
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00178 Electrical connectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/0097 Cleaning probe surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1425 Needle
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/0803 Counting the number of times an instrument is used
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/06 Measuring instruments not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/90 Identification means for patients or instruments, e.g. tags
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/96 using barcodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/273 preventing reuse, e.g. of disposables
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6072 Bar codes

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an apparatus and method for preventing reuse of a surgical instrument. The single-use surgical instrument includes a housing, an electrical connector and a treatment component. Indicia may be printed on the housing, the electrical connector and/or the treatment component. A removable ink is applied to any portion of the surgical instrument in the form of indicia that is readable by a scanning device. The removable ink includes a protein-based composition that is reactivateable with a sterilization solution having an enzyme-based composition such that upon sterilization, the removable ink reacts with the sterilizing solution and becomes unreadable by the scanning device.

Claims

1. A single-use surgical instrument system, comprising:

an electrosurgical energy source that conducts electric current;

a scanning device configured to read a removable ink and adapted to couple to the electrosurgical energy source; and

a surgical instrument, comprising;

a housing, an electrical connector, and a treatment component, wherein at least one of the housing, the electrical connector, and the treatment component is configured to accept the removable ink in the form of indicia printed thereon readable by the scanning device, the removable ink including a protein-based composition activateable by a sterilization solution having an enzyme-based composition such that upon a sterilization of the instrument with the solution, the removable ink reacts with the sterilization solution and the indicia becomes unreadable by the scanning device.

2. The single-use surgical instrument system according to claim 1, wherein the scanning device includes at least one of an optical scanner, an electrical scanner, and a magnetic scanner.

3. The single-use surgical instrument system according to claim 1, wherein the indicia forms at least one of a one-dimensional code, a two-dimensional code, and a three-dimensional code.

4. The single-use surgical instrument system according to claim 1, wherein the removable ink is disposed on the electrical connector.

5. The single-use surgical instrument system according to claim 1, wherein the removable ink is disposed on the housing.

6. The single-use surgical instrument system according to claim 1, wherein the removable ink is disposed on the treatment component.

7. The single-use surgical instrument system according to claim 1, wherein the removable ink is directly printed on the surgical instrument.

8. The single-use surgical instrument system according to claim 1, wherein a removable liner is disposed atop the removable ink, the removable liner adapted to protect the removable ink.

9. The single-use surgical instrument system according to claim 1, wherein the removable ink is disposed on a label secured to the surgical instrument.

10. The single-use surgical instrument system according to claim 1, wherein the removable ink is indissolvable when exposed to water, saline, blood, or other fluids commonly associated with a surgical environment.

11. The single-use surgical instrument system according to claim 1, wherein the scanning device is coupled to the electrosurgical energy source to enable the scanning device to receive electric current from the electrosurgical energy source and read the removable ink.