Surgical generator for ultrasonic and electrosurgical devices

• US 9,623,237 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2015
• Issued: 04/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cilag Gmbh International (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery LLC (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Battaglia, Jr., Vincent P., Turner, Douglas J., Aldridge, Jeffrey L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Tse
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HIEN NGOC
• Application Number:
  US14/867,966
• Publication Number:
  US 20160089533A1
• Time in Patent Office: 568 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1206 Generators therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1233 with circuits for assuring patient safety
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/14 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 2017/00154 pulsed
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00477 Coupling A61B2017/0046 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00486 Adaptors for coupling parts with incompatible geometries
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00973 pedal-operated
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2933 camming or guiding means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2934 arcuate shaped guiding means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2936 Pins in guiding slots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320069 for ablating tissue
• 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 2018/00178 Electrical connectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00666 using a threshold value
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00678 upper
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00714 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00779 Power or energy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00791 : Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00875 : Resistance or impedance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00988 : Means for storing information, e.g. calibration constants, or for preventing excessive use, e.g. usage, service life counter
• 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 2018/1273 : including multiple generators in one device
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/00 : Ultrasound therapy lithotripsy A61B17/22, A61B17/225; massage using supersonic vibration A61H23/00 ; using ultrasound for introducing media into the body A61M37/0092
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 1/00 : Contacts liquid contacts H01H29/04
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2239/012 : Decoding impedances
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 11/24 : using analogue means , e.g. by coding the states of multiple switches into a single multi-level analogue signal or by indicating the type of a device using the voltage level at a specific tap of a resistive divider

Abstract

Various examples are directed to systems and methods comprising receiving a control signal at a control circuit of a surgical device. The control circuit may comprise a first circuit portion coupled to at least one switch operable between an open state and a closed state. The first circuit portion may be configured to communicate with a surgical generator over a conductor pair to receive the control signal and may comprise at least one resistor coupled to the at least one switch. Methods may also comprise determining the state of the at least one switch based on the value of the resistor.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a control signal at a control circuit of a surgical device, the control circuit comprising;

a conductor pair to communicate with a surgical generator;

a first circuit portion comprising;

a first switch configured to switch between an open state and a closed state;

a first resistor coupled in parallel with the first switch;

a second switch configured to switch between an open state and a closed state; and

a second resistor coupled in parallel with the second switch, wherein a combination of the first switch and the first resistor is coupled in series with a combination of the second switch and the second resistor;

a capacitor coupled in parallel with the first circuit portion;

a resistor coupled in series with the first circuit portion; and

a memory device coupled to the first circuit portion;

determining a state of at least one of the first switch and the second switch based on at least one characteristic of the control signal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the control signal comprises a positive current pulse and a negative current pulse occurring after the positive current pulse.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

measuring a first impedance on the control signal during a first period of the negative current pulse, wherein during the first period of the negative current pulse, the conductor pair are shorted; and

measuring a second impedance on the control signal during a second period of the negative current pulse after the first period, wherein during the second period of the negative current pulse, the first circuit portion is connected between the conductor pair.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the control circuit further comprising:

a transistor coupled in parallel with the first circuit portion; and

a gate capacitor coupled to a gate of the transistor;

wherein determining the state of the at least one of the first switch and the second switch comprises using a first impedance state when the transistor is in a closed state and a second impedance state when the transistor is in an open state.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the state of the at least one of the first switch and the second switch comprises using a slope of a voltage on the capacitor.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the memory device comprises at least one-wire electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM).