Auto recognition of a shaver blade for medical use

• US 9,510,740 B2
• Filed: 05/19/2008
• Issued: 12/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Karl Storz Endovision, Inc. (Karl Storz Se & Co. Kg)
• Original Assignee: Karl Storz Endovision, Inc. (Karl Storz Se & Co. Kg)
• Inventors: Hopkins, Vernon, Amling, Marc R., Chatenever, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Tom Y
• Application Number:
  US12/123,089
• Publication Number:
  US 20080211634A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,123 Days
• Field of Search: 348/75
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00016 using wireless means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0002 provided with data storages
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00029 externally powered, e.g. wireless
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00055 for alerting the user
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00059 provided with identification means for the endoscope
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00062 provided with means for preventing overuse
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/042 characterised by a proximal camera, e.g. a CCD camera
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1626 Control means; Display units
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/32 Surgical cutting instruments A61B18/042 takes precedence; suture cutters A61B17/0467; instruments for ligaturing or cutting A61B17/128; instruments for rupturing the amniotic membrane A61B17/4208; specially adapted knives for eye surgery A61F9/0133
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/32002 with continuously rotating, oscillating or reciprocating cutting instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00017 Electrical control of surgical instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00199 with a console, e.g. a control panel with a display
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00221 with wireless transmission of data, e.g. by infrared radiation or radiowaves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00482 with a code
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1415 multiple blades
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/0803 Counting the number of times an instrument is used
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0276 Determining malfunction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150763 with identification means identification means for surgical instruments A61B90/90
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/90 Identification means for patients or instruments, e.g. tags
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/98 using electromagnetic means, e.g. transponders
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2484 : Arrangements in relation to a camera or imaging device processing or control of video signals generated by an endoscope H04N23/60, H04N23/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/54 : Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/555 : for picking-up images in sites, inaccessible due to their dimensions or hazardous conditions, e.g. endoscopes or borescopes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 : Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/663 : for controlling interchangeable camera parts based on electronic image sensor signals

Abstract

A system for automatically identifying a blade that is connected to a hand piece based on data transmitted from the blade to the hand piece. The blade is provided with a first electronic coupler that communicates with a second electronic coupled positioned in the hand piece such that data related to the blade is transmitted to the hand piece and controllers/computers and in the case of reusable blades, updated data is transmitted to the blade to be saved in a memory coupled to the first electronic coupler. The coupling system can be either a hard wired or wireless coupling between the blade and the hand piece.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring a medical cutting device comprising:

a plurality of detachable blades configured to at least one of cut, shave, grind, and polish;

a hand piece including controls positioned thereon configured to control the operation of one of said plurality of detachable blades attached to said hand piece, each of said plurality of detachable blades being coupleable to said hand piece;

a plurality of first Radio Frequency (RF) transceivers, wherein each of said plurality of detachable blades has one of said first RF transceivers affixed thereto to transmit blade parameter data and blade use history data;

a second RF transceiver affixed to said hand piece to receive the blade parameter data, said second RF transceiver coupled to a remote computer via a network; and

a plurality of memory devices coupled respectively to each of said plurality of first RF transceivers, each of said plurality of memory devices having at least one memory location for storing data;

wherein said hand piece is configured such that, when one of said plurality of detachable blades is attached to said hand piece, said hand piece automatically adjusts at least one operational setting in accordance with the received blade parameter data so that said hand piece is configured to control the attached blade, and modifies at least one blade use history data value indicating that a detachable blade has been attached to the hand piece, and provides modified blade use history data to the second RF transceiver for transmission to the first RF transceiver and storage in the memory device of the first RF transceiver, wherein the modified at least one blade use history data value is transmitted to the remote computer;

wherein a wireless transmission format between the first RF transceiver and the second RF transceiver is RuBee format using IPv4 addresses.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one memory location of each of said plurality of memory devices comprises:

a write-protected memory location; and

a write-enabled memory location.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the blade parameter data comprises blade specification data and maintenance requirements data.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of detachable blades are at least one of disposable and non-disposable.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of memory devices are positioned in or on said plurality of detachable blades respectively.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said plurality of detachable blades comprises a rotating shaver blade.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the network is selected from the group consisting of:

the Internet, an intranet, a LAN, a WAN, a MAN and combinations thereof.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein a marking signal is automatically generated when the system determines that maintenance of either the attached blade or said hand piece, or both, is required.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising an input device allowing a user to manually generate the marking signal.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one blade use history data is selected from the group consisting of:

how often the blade is used, the elapsed time of each use, the maintenance history of the blade, and combinations thereof.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the blade parameter data is selected from the group consisting of:

a minimal speed of the blade, a maximum speed of the blade, and combinations thereof.

12. The system of claim 3, wherein the blade specification data is selected from the group consisting of:

a serial number, blade type, and combinations thereof.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein tag-searchable data is stored in each of said plurality of memory devices;

wherein the network is the Internet; and

wherein the tag-searchable data can be discovered and monitored over the World Wide Web.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein wireless transmission between the first RF transceiver and the second RF transceiver is substantially unattenuated by liquids and metals.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of first RF transceivers and the second RF transceiver generate, transmit, and receive wireless transmissions via a low frequency carrier.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the low frequency carrier has at least one operating frequency at or below 450 MHz.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of first RF transceivers and the second RF transceiver is an active transceiver.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of first RF transceivers and the second RF transceiver generate, transmit, and receive wireless transmissions in the form of longwave magnetic signals.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein wireless transmissions between the first RF transceiver and the second RF transceiver have a baud rate between 300 and 9,600 Baud.