Closed feedback control for electrosurgical device

• US 9,226,767 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2012
• Issued: 01/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cilag Gmbh International (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Stulen, Foster B., Stewart, Randolph, Boudreaux, Chad P.
• Primary Examiner(s): VOORHEES, CATHERINE M
• Application Number:
  US13/539,117
• Publication Number:
  US 20140005667A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,285 Days
• Field of Search: 606/34, 606/45, 606/130
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 2017/00026 Conductivity or impedance, e.g. of tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00477 Coupling A61B2017/0046 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2929 with a head rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the shaft
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320093 additional movable means performing cutting operation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320094 additional movable means performing clamping operation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320095 with sealing or cauterizing means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00601 Cutting
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00607 Coagulation and cutting with the same instrument
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/0063 Sealing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00642 with feedback, i.e. closed loop control
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00702 Power or energy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00755 Resistance or impedance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00875 Resistance or impedance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00994 combining two or more different kinds of non-mechanical energy or combining one or more non-mechanical energies with ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1455 having a moving blade for cutting tissue grasped by the jaws
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/301 for introducing or steering flexible instruments inserted into the body, e.g. catheters or endoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/0807 Indication means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/30 : Surgical robots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/37 : Master-slave robots A61B34/35 takes precedence

Abstract

Various example embodiments are directed towards a system and method for closed feedback control of a robotically controlled electrosurgical instrument. In one embodiment, the method comprises applying at least one electrosurgical signal to an electrosurgical end effector a robotically controlled surgical instrument. A feedback signal may be generated by the electrosurgical end effector and provided to a control logic. The control logic may be configured to determine a rate of change of the impedance of a target tissue based on the feedback signal received from the electrosurgical end effector. The control logic may be configured to control or modify the at least one electrosurgical signal such that the rate of change of impedance determined from the feedback signal is maintained at a predetermined rate or within a predetermined range.

Claims

1. A method of controlling an end effector in a robotic surgical system, the method comprising:

applying, by the robotic surgical system, a drive control signal and an electrosurgical energy signal to an end effector of a surgical device;

maintaining, by the robotic surgical system, a first speed of a blade coupled to the end effector using the drive control signal, the blade configured to move along a longitudinal axis of the end effector at the first speed;

receiving, by the robotic surgical system, a feedback signal indicative of tissue impedance of tissue in contact with the end effector;

determining, by the robotic surgical system, a decrease of the tissue impedance based on the feedback signal;

in response to the decrease of the tissue impedance, modifying the drive control signal to cause the robotic surgical system to maintain a second speed of the blade, the second speed being faster than the first speed; and

controlling, by the robotic surgical system, the electrosurgical energy signal based on the feedback signal to maintain a predetermined rate of change of tissue impedance by modulating a pulse width of the electrosurgical energy signal in response to changes in the tissue impedance as measured by the feedback signal.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising maintaining, by the robotic surgical system, the predetermined rate of change of tissue impedance at least equal to a predetermined value.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising controlling a distal movement rate of the blade of the end effector with the drive control signal.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising delivering an ultrasonic energy signal to the blade.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising delivering a radio frequency energy signal to at least one electrode of the end effector.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the rate of change of tissue impedance is proportional to a sealing state of the tissue.

7. A robotic surgical system, comprising:

a surgical tool comprising;

an end effector comprising a first jaw member, a second jaw member, the first and second jaw members comprising corresponding first and second electrodes, and a blade, the end effector configured to receive a drive control signal and an energy signal;

an actuator for reciprocating the blade along a longitudinal axis of the end effector; and

a control circuit for controlling the actuator, wherein the control circuit is configured to;

provide the drive control signal and the energy signal to the end effector;

maintain a first speed of the blade moving along the longitudinal axis using the drive control signal;

receive a feedback signal indicative of a tissue impedance of tissue in contact with the end effector;

determine a decrease of the tissue impedance based on the feedback signal;

modify the drive control signal to cause the robotic surgical system to maintain a second speed of the blade, the second speed being faster than the first speed, in response to determining the decrease of tissue impedance; and

control the energy signal to maintain a predetermined rate of change of the tissue impedance by modulating a pulse width of the energy signal in response to changes in the tissue impedance as measured by the feedback signal.

8. The robotic surgical system of claim 7, further comprising:

a motor coupled to the actuator;

a motor control logic coupled to the motor, the motor control logic configured to control a distal movement speed of the blade proportional to the energy signal.

9. The robotic surgical system of claim 7, wherein the energy signal comprises a radio frequency energy signal delivered to the first and second jaw electrodes.

10. The robotic surgical system of claim 7, wherein the control circuit is further configured to deliver an ultrasonic energy signal to the blade to impart ultrasonic motion thereto.

11. The robotic surgical system of claim 7, the control circuit comprising a processor, wherein the processor is configured to run one or more software threads for controlling the drive control signal or the energy signal.

12. The robotic surgical system of claim 7, wherein the rate of change of the tissue impedance is proportional to a sealing state of the tissue.

13. A surgical instrument comprising:

an end effector comprising a first jaw member, a second jaw member, the first and second jaw members comprising corresponding first and second electrodes, and a blade, the end effector configured to receive a drive control signal and an energy signal;

an actuator for reciprocating the blade along a longitudinal axis of the end effector; and

a control circuit for controlling the actuator, wherein the control circuit is configured to;

provide the drive control signal and the energy signal to the end effector;

maintain a first speed of the blade moving along the longitudinal axis using the drive control signal;

receive a feedback signal indicative of a tissue impedance of tissue in contact with the end effector;

determine a decrease of the tissue impedance based on the feedback signal;

modify the drive control signal to cause the robotic surgical s stem to maintain a second speed of the blade, the second speed being faster than the first speed, in response to determining the decrease of tissue impedance; and

control the energy signal to maintain a predetermined rate of change of the tissue impedance by modulating a pulse width of the energy signal in response to changes in the tissue impedance as measured by the feedback signal.

14. The surgical instrument of claim 13, further comprising:

a motor coupled to the actuator;

a motor control logic coupled to the motor, the motor control logic configured to control a distal movement speed of the blade proportional to the energy signal.

15. The surgical instrument claim 13, wherein the energy signal comprises a radio frequency energy signal delivered to the first and second jaw electrodes.

16. The surgical instrument of claim 13, wherein the control circuit is further configured to deliver an ultrasonic energy signal to the blade to impart ultrasonic motion thereto.

17. The surgical instrument of claim 13, the control circuit comprising a processor, wherein the processor is configured to run one or more software threads for controlling the drive control signal or energy signal.

18. The surgical instrument of claim 13, wherein the rate of change of the tissue impedance is proportional to a sealing state of the tissue.