Adapter for electrical surgical instruments

• US 10,575,892 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2015
• Issued: 03/03/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cilag Gmbh International (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Ethicon, LLC (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Danziger, Benjamin J., Yates, David C., Aldridge, Jeffrey L., Scholler, Joseph E., Sterlina, Douglas P., Dums, Christopher A., Bonte, Jonathan M., Albers, Abby C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hupczey, Jr., Ronald
• Assistant Examiner(s): Blaise, Bradford C.
• Application Number:
  US14/986,352
• Publication Number:
  US 20170189096A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,524 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/320092 with additional movable means for clamping or cutting tissue, e.g. with a pivoting jaw
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1206 Generators therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00128 related to intensity or progress of surgical action
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00172 Connectors and adapters therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00178 Electrical connectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00589 Coagulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00601 Cutting
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00642 with feedback, i.e. closed loop control
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/0066 without feedback, i.e. open loop control
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00678 upper
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00708 switching the power on or off
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00791 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00845 Frequency
• 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 2018/1266 with DC current output
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/128 generating two or more frequencies
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/98 using electromagnetic means, e.g. transponders

Abstract

Various forms are directed to systems and methods apparatus for operating a surgical instrument that includes an adapter configured to couple to a generator. The generator configured to provide an energy signal for treating tissue The adapter includes at least one input port configured to receive the energy signal from the generator, where the energy signal includes an energy component comprising one or more energy modalities. An energy storage circuit is configured to charge and store energy from the generator as a DC output. The adapter also includes at least one output port configured to couple to one or more surgical instruments for treating tissue. The one or more energy modalities comprises any one of an ultrasonic, a bipolar radio frequency (RF), a monopolar RF, a reversible electroporation, an irreversible electroporation, or a microwave component, or any combination thereof.

Claims

1. An apparatus for operating a surgical instrument, comprising:

an adapter configured to couple to a generator, the generator configured to provide an energy signal for treating tissue, the adapter comprising;

at least one input port configured to receive the energy signal from the generator, the energy signal comprises an energy component comprising one or more energy modalities;

an energy storage circuit comprising;

an electronic switch circuit;

an energy storage device;

a storage control device;

a storage monitor circuit; and

a device power monitor circuit,

wherein the energy storage circuit is configured to charge and store the energy signal from the generator as a direct current (DC) output in the energy storage device;

at least one output port configured to couple the DC output to one or more surgical instruments for treating tissue;

at least one instrument input interface configured to receive instrument presence data from an instrument presence indicator from the one or more surgical instruments;

a generic adapter presence indicator;

a generator presence interface; and

a presence switching mechanism,

wherein the presence switching mechanism is configured to transmit presence data to the generator presence interface from the at least one instrument input interface or from the generic adapter presence indicator based on a receipt of at least one presence select command.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one presence select command comprises a first presence select command, and wherein the presence switching mechanism is configured to transmit adapter presence data to the generator presence interface from the generic adapter presence indicator based on a receipt of the first presence select command thereby enabling the generator to detect the presence of the adapter coupled thereto.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the adapter presence data comprise a value stored in a data storage device.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the adapter is configured to communicate charge status information to the generator.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the at least one presence select command further comprises a second presence select command, and wherein the presence switching mechanism is configured to transmit presence data to the generator presence interface from the at least one instrument input interface based on a receipt of the second presence select command thereby transmitting to the generator information regarding the presence of the one or more surgical instruments attached to the adapter.

6. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the one or more surgical instruments comprises at least two surgical instruments and the adapter is configured to provide the DC output to the at least two surgical instruments.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the adapter is configured to provide the DC output to the at least two surgical instruments simultaneously.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the adapter is configured to receive the instrument presence data from the instrument presence indicator from the one or more surgical instruments wherein the instrument presence indicator comprises a resistor.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the at least one output port is configured to couple the DC output to at least one ultrasonic surgical instrument and at least one RF surgical instrument.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more energy modalities comprises any one of an ultrasonic component, a bipolar radio frequency (RF) component, a monopolar RF component, a reversible electroporation component, an irreversible electroporation component, or a microwave component, or any combination thereof.

11. A method of operating a surgical instrument, the method comprising:

providing, by an adapter, an energy signal for treating tissue, the adapter configured to couple to a generator, the adapter comprising at least one input port configured to receive the energy signal from the generator, the energy signal comprising an energy component comprising one or more energy modalities, and an energy storage circuit comprising an electronic switch circuit, an energy storage device, a storage control device, a storage monitor circuit, and a device power monitor circuit, wherein the energy storage circuit is configured to charge and store energy from the generator as a direct current (DC) output in the energy storage device, and at least one output port configured to couple to one or more surgical instruments for treating tissue, at least one instrument input interface configured to receive instrument presence data from an instrument presence indicator from the one or more surgical instruments, a generic adapter presence indicator, a generator presence interface, and a presence switching mechanism, wherein the presence switching mechanism is configured to transmit presence data to the generator presence interface from the at least one instrument input interface or from the generic adapter presence indicator based on a receipt of at least one presence select command;

receiving, at the at least one input port, the energy signal from the generator;

charging and storing, by the energy storage circuit, the energy signal from the generator as a DC output; and

coupling the DC output, through the at least one output port, to the one or more surgical instruments for treating tissue.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one presence select command comprises a first presence select command, and further comprising transmitting, by the presence switching mechanism on a receipt of the first presence select command, adapter presence data to the generator presence interface from the generic adapter presence indicator thereby enabling the generator to detect the presence of the adapter coupled thereto.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein transmitting, by the presence switching mechanism, adapter presence data to the generator presence interface comprises transmitting, by the presence switching mechanism, adapter presence data comprising a value stored in a data storage device to the generator presence interface.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising communicating, by the adapter, charge status information to the generator.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one presence select command comprises a second presence select command, and further comprising transmitting, by the presence switching mechanism on a receipt of the second presence select command, instrument presence data to the generator presence interface from the at least one instrument input interface thereby enabling the generator to detect the presence of the one or more surgical instruments coupled to the adapter.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the one or more surgical instruments comprises at least two surgical instruments, and further comprising providing, by the generator, the energy signal to the at least two surgical instruments.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising providing, by the generator, the energy signal to the at least two surgical instruments simultaneously.