Closed feedback control for electrosurgical device

• US 9,713,507 B2
• Filed: 01/04/2016
• Issued: 07/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cilag Gmbh International (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery LLC (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Boudreaux, Chad P., Stulen, Foster B., Stewart, Randolph
• Primary Examiner(s): VOORHEES, CATHERINE M
• Application Number:
  US14/987,161
• Publication Number:
  US 20160192999A1
• Time in Patent Office: 568 Days
• 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

A robotic surgical system comprising a surgical instrument comprising an end effector comprising (i) a blade, (ii) a first jaw member including a first electrode, and (iii) a second jaw member including a second electrode. The robotic surgical system may also comprise a motor and a control circuit configured to: (i) produce control signals comprising a first control signal and a second control signal, (ii) deliver an electrosurgical energy signal to the first electrode and the second electrode via the first control signal, (iii) deliver a drive signal to the motor via the second control signal (iv) receive at least one feedback signal, (v) determine a rate of change based on a first feedback signal of the at least one feedback signal, and (vi) maintain the rate of change at a predetermined rate or within a predetermined range.

Claims

1. A robotic surgical system, comprising:

a surgical instrument, comprising;

an end effector, comprising;

a blade;

a first jaw member including a first electrode; and

a second jaw member including a second electrode, wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are configured to receive an electrosurgical energy signal, and wherein the blade is longitudinally translatable within the first jaw member and the second jaw member;

a motor to slideably translate the blade; and

a control circuit configured to;

produce control signals comprising a first control signal and a second control signal;

deliver the electrosurgical energy signal to the first electrode and the second electrode via the first control signal;

deliver a drive signal to the motor via the second control signal;

receive at least one feedback signal, wherein the at least one feedback signal comprises a first feedback signal indicative of a characteristic of tissue clamped between the first jaw member and the second jaw member;

determine a rate of change based on the first feedback signal; and

modulate the second control signal to maintain the rate of change at a predetermined rate or within a predetermined range, wherein modulating the second control signal adjusts the delivered drive signal to alter a speed of the blade during treatment of the tissue.

2. The robotic surgical system of claim 1, wherein the electrosurgical energy signal comprises a radio frequency (RF) signal.

3. The robotic surgical system of claim 1, wherein the first feedback signal comprises a feedback signal received from the end effector, and wherein the end effector feedback signal comprises an indication of an impedance of the tissue.

4. The robotic surgical system of claim 3, wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

monitor a rate of change of impedance of the tissue determined based on the end effector feedback signal; and

modulate the second control signal to maintain the rate of change of impedance of the tissue at the predetermined rate or within the predetermined range during treatment of the tissue.

5. The robotic surgical system of claim 4, wherein the control circuit is further configured to modulate the first control signal to maintain the rate of change of impedance of the tissue at the predetermined rate or within the predetermined range, and wherein modulating the first control signal adjusts the delivered electrosurgical energy signal to alter an amount of energy delivered to the first electrode and the second electrode during the treatment of the tissue.

6. The robotic surgical system of claim 5, further comprising a motor control logic coupled to the motor, wherein the at least one feedback signal further comprises a second feedback signal received from the motor control logic, and wherein modulating the first control signal to adjust the electrosurgical energy signal and modulating the second control signal to adjust the drive signal is further based on the motor control logic feedback signal.

8. The robotic surgical system of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is further configured to modulate the first control signal to maintain the rate of change at the predetermined rate or within the predetermined range, and wherein modulating the first control signal adjusts the delivered electrosurgical energy signal to alter an amount of energy delivered to the first electrode and the second electrode during the treatment of the tissue.

9. The robotic surgical system of claim 8, further comprising a motor control logic coupled to the motor, wherein the at least one feedback signal further comprises a second feedback signal received from the motor control logic, and wherein modulating the second control signal to adjust the drive signal is further based on the motor control logic feedback signal.

7. A robotic surgical system, comprising:

a surgical instrument, comprising;

an end effector, comprising;

a blade;

a first jaw member including a first electrode; and

a second jaw member including a second electrode, wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are configured to receive an electrosurgical energy signal, and wherein the blade is longitudinally translatable within the first jaw member and the second jaw member;

a motor to slideably translate the blade;

a motor control logic coupled to the motor; and

a control circuit configured to;

produce control signals comprising a first control signal and a second control signal;

deliver the electrosurgical energy signal to the first electrode and the second electrode via the first control signal;

deliver a drive signal to the motor via the second control signal;

receive at least one feedback signal, wherein the at least one feedback signal comprises a first feedback signal indicative of a characteristic of tissue clamped between the first jaw member and the second jaw member, wherein the first feedback signal comprises a feedback signal received from the end effector, and wherein the end effector feedback signal comprises an indication of an impedance of the tissue;

determine a rate of change of impedance of the tissue based on the end effector feedback signal;

monitor the rate of change of impedance of the tissue; and

modulate one or more of the control signals to maintain the rate of change of impedance of the tissue at a predetermined rate or within a predetermined range during treatment of the tissue, wherein modulating one or more of the control signals comprises modulating the first control signal to adjust the electrosurgical energy signal to alter an amount of energy delivered to the first electrode and the second electrode during the treatment of the tissue; and

wherein the at least one feedback signal further comprises a second feedback signal received from the motor control logic, and wherein modulating the first control signal to adjust the electrosurgical energy signal is further based on the motor control logic feedback signal.

10. A surgical instrument, comprising:

an end effector, comprising;

a blade;

a first jaw member including a first electrode; and

a second jaw member including a second electrode, wherein the blade is reciprocatable within the first jaw member and the second jaw member;

a motion generator to reciprocate the blade within the end effector; and

a control circuit configured to;

produce control signals comprising a first control signal and a second control signal;

deliver an electrosurgical energy signal to the first electrode and the second electrode via the first control signal;

deliver a drive signal to the motion generator via the second control signal;

receive at least one feedback signal, wherein the at least one feedback signal comprises a feedback signal from the end effector;

determine a rate of change of impedance of tissue clamped between the first jaw member and the second jaw member based on the end effector feedback signal;

monitor the rate of change of impedance of the tissue; and

modulate the second control signal to maintain the rate of change of impedance of the tissue at a predetermined rate or within a predetermined range during treatment of the tissue, wherein modulating the second control signal adjusts the delivered drive signal during treatment of the tissue.

11. The surgical instrument of claim 10, wherein the control circuit is further configured to modulate the first control signal to adjust the electrosurgical energy signal during the treatment of the tissue.

12. The surgical instrument of claim 11, further comprising a motor control logic coupled to the motion generator, wherein the at least one feedback signal further comprises a feedback signal received from the motor control logic, and wherein modulating the first control signal to adjust the delivered electrosurgical energy signal and modulating the second control signal to adjust the delivered drive signal is further based on the motor control logic feedback signal.

13. The surgical instrument of claim 10, further comprising a motor control logic coupled to the motion generator, wherein the at least one feedback signal further comprises a feedback signal received from the motor control logic, and wherein modulating the second control signal to adjust the delivered drive signal is further based on the motor control logic feedback signal.

14. The surgical instrument of claim 10, wherein the blade comprises an ultrasonic blade, wherein the motion generator comprises an ultrasonic transducer, and wherein the drive signal comprises an ultrasonic drive signal.

15. A surgical tool, comprising:

a tool mounting portion;

a shaft coupled to the tool mounting portion;

an end effector coupled to the shaft, wherein the end effector comprises;

a blade;

a first jaw member including a first electrode; and

a second jaw member including a second electrode, wherein the blade is reciprocatable within the first jaw member and the second jaw member;

a motor to reciprocate the blade;

a motor control circuit coupled to the motor; and

a control circuit configured to;

produce control signals comprising a first control signal and a second control signal;

deliver an electrosurgical energy signal to the first electrode and the second electrode via the first control signal;

deliver a drive signal to the motor via the second control signal;

receive feedback signals comprising a feedback signal from the end effector and a feedback signal from the motor control circuit;

determine a rate of change of impedance of tissue clamped between the first jaw member and the second jaw member based on the end effector feedback signal;

monitor the rate of change of impedance of the tissue; and

modulate the first control signal to maintain the rate of change of impedance of the tissue at a predetermined rate or within a predetermined range, wherein modulating the first control signal to adjust the electrosurgical energy signal during treatment of the tissue is based on the motor control circuit feedback signal.

16. The surgical tool of claim 15, wherein the control circuit is further configured to modulate the second control signal to adjust the drive signal during the treatment of the tissue.

17. The surgical tool of claim 16, wherein modulating the second control signal to adjust the drive signal is further based on the motor control circuit feedback signal.