Energy-harvesting system, apparatus and methods

• US 10,123,833 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2015
• Issued: 11/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: McPherson, James W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Peffley, Michael
• Application Number:
  US14/604,442
• Publication Number:
  US 20150141979A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,390 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/10 Power sources therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1206 Generators therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/14 Probes or electrodes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1477 Needle-like probes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1815 using microwaves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00199 with a console, e.g. a control panel with a display
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00411 actuated by application of energy from an energy source outside the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00577 Ablation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00601 Cutting
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/0063 Sealing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00928 by sending a signal to an external energy source
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1823 Generators therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1869 with an instrument interstitially inserted into the body, e.g. needles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1876 with multiple frequencies
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/248 provided with an AC/DC converting device, e.g. rectennas
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/23 The load being a medical device, a medical implant, or a life supporting device
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/001 Energy harvesting or scavenging
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/20 using microwaves or radio frequency waves
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/27 characterised by the type of receiving antennas, e.g. rectennas
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/70 involving the reduction of electric, magnetic or electromagnetic leakage fields
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/345 : using capacitors as storage or buffering devices

Abstract

An electrosurgical energy delivery apparatus includes an energy delivery circuit, a control circuit and an energy-harvesting system with a plurality of energy-harvesting circuits and a voltage regulator that provides a regulated DC voltage to the energy delivery circuit and/or the control circuit. The energy delivery circuit receives an electrosurgical energy signal having a primary frequency and selectively provides the electrosurgical energy signal to an energy delivery element. The control circuit connects to the energy delivery circuit and selectively enables the flow of electrosurgical energy to the energy delivery element. The plurality of energy-harvesting circuits each include an energy-harvesting antenna tuned to a particular frequency, a matched circuit configured to receive an RF signal from the energy-harvesting antenna, rectify the RF signal and generate a DC signal, and an energy storage device that connects to the voltage regulator to receive and store the DC signal.

Claims

1. An electrosurgical energy delivery apparatus comprising:

an energy delivery circuit configured to receive an electrosurgical energy signal from an electrosurgical energy source via a wired transmission line, the electrosurgical energy signal configured to treat tissue and to be harvested to power a component of the electrosurgical instrument;

an energy-harvesting system disposed within the electrosurgical energy delivery apparatus, the energy-harvesting system including at least one energy-harvesting circuit configured to harvest energy from the electrosurgical energy signal received via the wired transmission line and generate a power signal from the harvested energy; and

a control circuit disposed within the electrosurgical energy delivery apparatus and powered by the generated power signal, the control circuit configured to receive a control signal from an electrosurgical energy source and to control a flow of electrosurgical energy from the energy delivery circuit to an energy delivery element to treat tissue based on the received control signal.

2. The electrosurgical energy delivery apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one energy-harvesting circuit includes an energy-harvesting antenna configured to harvest energy from the received electrosurgical energy signal and to generate an RF signal based on the harvested energy.

3. The electrosurgical energy delivery apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the at least one energy-harvesting circuit includes a matched circuit operably coupled to the energy-harvesting antenna, the matched circuit configured to receive the RF signal from the energy-harvesting antenna, to rectify the RF signal, and to generate a DC signal based on the rectified RF signal.

4. The electrosurgical energy delivery apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the at least one energy-harvesting circuit includes an energy storage device configured to receive and store the DC signal.

5. The electrosurgical energy delivery apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the at least one energy-harvesting circuit includes a voltage regulator connected to the energy storage device, the voltage regulator configured to provide a regulated DC voltage to power at least one of the energy delivery circuit or the control circuit.

6. The electrosurgical energy delivery apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the received electrosurgical energy signal has a primary frequency and the at least one energy-harvesting circuit is tuned to the primary frequency.

7. The electrosurgical energy delivery apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control circuit further includes a communication circuit configured to provide a wireless connection between the control circuit and an electrosurgical energy source.

8. The electrosurgical energy delivery apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an energy delivery element configured to transmit electrosurgical energy to tissue.

9. An electrosurgical instrument comprising:

an energy delivery circuit configured to receive an electrosurgical energy signal from an electrosurgical energy source via a wired transmission line, the electrosurgical energy signal configured to treat tissue and to be harvested to power a component of the electrosurgical instrument; and

an energy-harvesting circuit operatively coupled to an electrical control circuit, the energy-harvesting circuit configured to;

harvest energy from the electrosurgical energy signal received via the wired transmission line at a first frequency to generate a DC power signal for powering the electrical control circuit; and

harvest energy from the electrosurgical energy signal received via the wired transmission line at a second frequency to detect one or more control signals embedded in the received electrosurgical energy signal for controlling the electrical control circuit.

10. The electrosurgical instrument according to claim 9, wherein the energy-harvesting circuit includes an energy-harvesting antenna configured to harvest energy from the received electrosurgical energy signal and to generate an RF signal based on the received electrosurgical energy signal.

11. The electrosurgical instrument according to claim 10, wherein the energy-harvesting circuit includes a matched circuit operably coupled to the energy-harvesting antenna, the matched circuit configured to receive the RF signal from the energy-harvesting antenna, to rectify the RF signal, and to generate a DC signal based on the rectified RF signal.

12. The electrosurgical instrument according to claim 11, wherein the energy-harvesting circuit includes an energy storage device configured to receive and store the generated DC signal.

13. The electrosurgical instrument according to claim 12, wherein the energy-harvesting circuit includes a voltage regulator connected to the energy storage device, the voltage regulator configured to provide a regulated DC voltage to power at least one of the energy delivery circuit or the electrical control circuit.

14. The electrosurgical instrument according to claim 9, wherein the electrical control circuit further includes a communication circuit configured to provide a wireless connection between the electrical control circuit and an electrosurgical energy source.

15. The electrosurgical instrument according to claim 9, further comprising an energy delivery element configured to transmit electrosurgical energy to tissue.