System and method for transferring power to intrabody instruments

• US 9,654,183 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2015
• Issued: 05/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Ma, Yong
• Primary Examiner(s): Fureman, Jared
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pham, Duc M
• Application Number:
  US14/803,482
• Publication Number:
  US 20150326281A1
• Time in Patent Office: 666 Days
• Field of Search: 307104
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00411 actuated by application of energy from an energy source outside the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00734 battery operated
• 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 34/30 Surgical robots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/35 for telesurgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/37 Master-slave robots A61B34/35 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/05 using capacitive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/03 Constructional details, e.g. casings, housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

A system and method for transferring power includes a power transmitting unit for transmitting power and a power receiving unit for receiving power from the power transmitting unit. The power transmitting unit may be positioned outside a human body and the power receiving unit is located on an intrabody instrument adapted to be movable from the outside of the human body to inside the human body. The intrabody instrument may be a medical instrument connected to or incorporated within a robotic arm. The power transmitting unit may wirelessly transfer power to the power receiving unit in a continuous, non-interrupted manner.

Claims

1. A system for transferring power, the system comprising:

a power transmitting unit for transmitting power and being located outside a human body; and

an intrabody instrument positionable within the human body, the intrabody instrument including a power receiving unit for receiving power from the power transmitting unit;

wherein the intrabody instrument is operably coupled in a wireless manner to another intrabody instrument positionable within the human body such that the intrabody instruments electrically communicate with each other.

2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a control manager for monitoring communications between the intrabody instruments; and

a plurality of information managers in operative communication with a communication manager, the communication manager transmitting control signals to the control manager based on the communications between the intrabody instruments.

3. The system according to claim 2, further comprising one or more consoles each associated with the control manager for remotely controlling the intrabody instrument.

4. The system according to claim 2, wherein the power transmitting unit allows a user to remotely adjust a spatial position and orientation of the intrabody instrument.

5. The system according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of information managers continuously process spatial position and orientation information of the intrabody instrument to actuate the control manager.

6. The system according to claim 2, wherein operations of the intrabody instrument are monitored by the control manager while at least a portion of the intrabody instrument is positioned within the human body.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the power transmitting unit transmits power in a plurality of different power levels associated with a plurality of different frequency signals.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the power transmitting unit enables a plurality of power transmitting protocols to be chosen by a user via a configuration manager based on a plurality of surgical procedures to be performed.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the configuration manager provides for dynamic real-time configuration of the intrabody instrument for a particular surgical procedure.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the intrabody instrument is a medical instrument used in surgical procedures.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein the intrabody instrument is a robotic arm.

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein the power transmitting unit wirelessly transfers power to the power receiving unit in a continuous, non-interrupted manner.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein power is wirelessly transferred by using inductive coupling power transfer methodologies permitting the power transmitting unit and the power receiving unit to share a same inductor-capacitor resonance frequency.

14. The system according to claim 12, wherein power is wirelessly transferred by using radio frequency (RF) power transfer methodologies permitting the power transmitting unit and the power receiving unit to operate at a common frequency.

15. The system according to claim 1, further comprising one or more data communications units for transferring data between the power transmitting unit and the power receiving unit.

16. A system for wirelessly, continuously, and non-interruptedly transferring information, the system comprising:

a robotic arm configured for positioning in a human body during surgical procedures;

a transmitting unit connected to an energy source for transmitting power, the transmitting unit further configured to transmit the information; and

a receiving unit including an energy storage unit, the receiving unit configured to receive the information from the transmitting unit, the transmitting unit positioned outside the human body and the receiving unit operatively associated with the robotic arm;

wherein the robotic arm is operably coupled in a wireless manner to another robotic arm positionable within the human body, such that the robotic arms electrically communicate with each other.

17. The system according to claim 16, further comprising:

a control manager for monitoring communications between the robotic arms; and

a plurality of information managers in operative communication with a communication manager, the communication manager transmitting control signals to the control manager based on the communications between the robotic arms.

18. The system according to claim 17, further comprising one or more consoles each associated with the control manager for remotely controlling the robotic arm.

19. The system according to claim 17, wherein the plurality of information managers continuously process spatial position and orientation information of the robotic arm to actuate the control manager.

20. The system according to claim 17, wherein operations of the robotic arm are monitored by the control manager while at least a portion of the robotic arm is positioned within the human body.