User interface in a battery powered device

• US 9,414,880 B2
• Filed: 10/23/2012
• Issued: 08/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cilag Gmbh International (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery LLC (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Monson, Gavin M., Leather, Gordon J., Ruddenklau, David I., Green, Alan E., Roberts, Paul C., Johnson, Gregory W., Price, Daniel W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fowler, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US13/658,787
• Publication Number:
  US 20130103024A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,393 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1206 Generators therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1233 with circuits for assuring patient safety
• 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 18/18 by applying electromagnetic radiation, e.g. microwaves radiation therapy A61N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00115 with audible or visual output
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00196 reciprocating lengthwise
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00595 Cauterization
• 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 2018/0072 Current
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00726 Duty cycle
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00732 Frequency
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00767 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00827 Current
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00875 Resistance or impedance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00892 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00916 with means for switching or controlling the main function of the instrument or device
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00922 by switching or controlling the treatment energy directly within the hand-piece
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1226 powered by a battery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1286 having a specific transformer
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1455 : having a moving blade for cutting tissue grasped by the jaws
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 2/20 : Clips, i.e. with gripping action effected solely by the inherent resistance to deformation of the material of the fastening
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 : Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20666 : Lever engaging

Abstract

A medical instrument is disclosed. The medical instrument includes a housing, at least one electrical contact, a radio frequency (RF) generation circuit coupled to and operated by the battery and operable to generate an RF drive signal and to provide the RF drive signal to the at least one electrical contact, and a user interface supported by the housing. The user interface includes visual and audible feedback elements, wherein the state of the instrument can be determined by the state of the visual and audible feedback elements.

Claims

1. A medical instrument comprising:

a housing;

at least one electrical contact;

a radio frequency (RF) generation circuit coupled to and operated by a battery and operable to generate an RF drive signal and to provide the RF drive signal to the at least one electrical contact; and

a user interface supported by the housing, the user interface comprising visual and audible feedback elements, wherein the state of the instrument can be determined by the state of the visual and audible feedback elements;

wherein at least one audible feedback element provides at least one tone to indicate that the instrument has been powered on when an initialization clip coupled to a trigger element supported by the housing has been removed.

2. The medical instrument according to claim 1, wherein the visual feedback elements provide at least three different color states to indicate the state of the instrument, wherein a first color indicates that the instrument is functioning normally, a second color indicates that the RF drive signal is being delivered to the at least one electrical contact, and a third color indicates that a failure occurred.

3. The medical instrument according to claim 2, wherein at least one of the visual feedback elements is operable to generate each of the three different color states.

4. The medical instrument according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the visual feedback elements is operable in a solid mode and a flashing mode.

5. The medical instrument according to claim 1, wherein the audible feedback elements provide at least three different tones to indicate the state of the instrument, wherein a first tone indicates that the instrument is turned on, a second tone indicates that the RF drive signal is being delivered to the at least one electrical contact, and a third tone indicates that an impedance threshold has been reached.

6. The medical instrument according to claim 5, wherein at least one of the audible feedback elements is operable to generate each of the three different tones.

7. The medical instrument according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the audible feedback elements is operable in a solid tone mode and intermittent tone mode.

8. A medical instrument comprising:

a housing;

at least one electrical contact;

a radio frequency (RF) generation circuit coupled to and operated by a battery and operable to generate an RF drive signal and to provide the RF drive signal to the at least one electrical contact; and

a user interface supported by the housing, the user interface comprising visual and audible feedback elements, wherein the state of the instrument can be determined by the state of the visual and audible feedback elements;

wherein the visual feedback elements provide a plurality of different color states to indicate the state of the instrument;

wherein the audible feedback elements provide a plurality of different tones to indicate the state of the instrument; and

wherein at least one audible feedback element provides at least one tone to indicate that the instrument has been powered on when an initialization clip coupled to a trigger element supported by the housing has been removed.

9. The medical instrument according to claim 8, wherein at least one visual feedback element provides at least one color that when solid indicates that the medical instrument is ready for use and when flashing indicates that the medical instrument is ready for use but has energy sufficient for a limited number of operations.

10. The medical instrument according to claim 8, wherein at least one visual feedback element provides at least one color that when solid indicates that the RF drive signal is being delivered to the at least one electrical contact.

11. The medical instrument according to claim 8, wherein at least one visual feedback element provides at least one color that when solid indicates a terminal unrecoverable failure of the medical instrument and when flashing indicates that the failure may be recoverable and to wait until the at least one color changes before operation of the instrument can be resumed.

12. The medical instrument according to claim 8, wherein at least one audible feedback element provides at least one tone to indicate that the instrument has been powered on.

13. The medical instrument according to claim 8, wherein at least one audible feedback element provides at least one tone to indicate that the RF drive signal is being delivered to the at least one electrical contact.

14. The medical instrument according to claim 8, wherein at least one audible feedback element provides at least one tone to indicate that an upper impedance threshold has been reached.

15. The medical instrument according to claim 8, wherein at least one audible feedback element provides at least one tone to indicate that an activation cycle is complete.

16. The medical instrument according to claim 8, wherein at least one audible feedback element provides at least one tone to indicate an alert.

17. The medical instrument according to claim 8, wherein at least one audible feedback element provides at least one tone to indicate an activation cycle timeout.

18. The medical instrument according to claim 8, wherein at least one audible feedback element provides at least one tone to indicate that a user disable switch has been activated for a predetermined period.

19. A method of determining the state of a medical instrument, the medical instrument comprising a housing, at least one electrical contact, a radio frequency (RF) generation circuit coupled to and operated by a battery and operable to generate an RF drive signal and to provide the RF drive signal to the at least one electrical contact, and a user interface supported by the housing, the user interface comprising visual and audible feedback elements, wherein the state of the instrument can be determined by the state of the visual and audible feedback elements, the method comprising:

indicating that the medical instrument is ready for use by illuminating at least one visual feedback element in solid color;

indicating that the medical instrument is ready for use but has energy sufficient for a limited number of operations by illuminating the at least one visual feedback element in flashing color; and

indicating that the instrument has been powered on when an initialization clip coupled to a trigger element supported by the housing has been removed.

20. The method according to claim 19, comprising indicating that the RF drive signal is being delivered to the at least one electrical contact by illuminating at least one visual feedback element in solid color.

21. The method according to claim 19, comprising:

indicating that a terminal unrecoverable failure of the medical instrument has occurred by illuminating at least one visual feedback element in solid color; and

indicating that the failure may be recoverable and to wait until the at least one color changes before operation of the instrument can be resumed by illuminating the at least one visual feedback element in flashing color.

22. The method according to claim 19, comprising indicating that the instrument has been powered on by sounding at least one tone with at least one audible feedback element.

23. The method according to claim 19, indicating that the RF drive signal is being delivered to the at least one electrical contact by sounding at least one tone by the audible feedback element.

24. The method according to claim 19, indicating that an upper impedance threshold has been reached by sounding at least one tone by at least one audible feedback element.

25. The method according to claim 19, indicating that an activation cycle is complete by sounding at least one tone by at least one audible feedback element.

26. The method according to claim 19, indicating an alert by sounding at least one tone by at least one audible feedback element.

27. The method according to claim 19, indicating an activation cycle timeout by sounding at least one tone by at least one audible feedback element.

28. The method according to claim 19, indicating that a user disable switch has been activated for a predetermined period by sounding at least one tone by at least one audible feedback element.