Systems and methods for providing alerts according to the operational state of a surgical instrument

• US 10,765,429 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2017
• Issued: 09/08/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cilag Gmbh International (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Ethicon, LLC (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Leimbach, Richard L., Parfett, Raymond E., Bakos, Gregory J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Quang
• Application Number:
  US15/720,800
• Publication Number:
  US 20190099178A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,075 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/07207 the staples being applied sequentially
• 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 2017/00039 Electric or electromagnetic phenomena other than conductivity, e.g. capacity, inductivity, Hall effect
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00115 with audible or visual output with imaging means A61B90/37, A61B34/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00119 alarm; indicating an abnormal situation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00128 related to intensity or progress of surgical action
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00398 using powered actuators, e.g. stepper motors, solenoids
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00407 Ratchet means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0046 with a releasable handle; with handle and operating part separable for prosthetic joint-implanting tools A61F2/4603
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00464 for use with different instruments with hole for different instruments A61B2017/22072
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00477 Coupling A61B2017/0046 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00734 battery operated
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00738 part of the tool being offset with respect to a main axis, e.g. for better view for the surgeon
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/07257 characterised by its anvil
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/07271 characterised by its cartridge
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/07278 characterised by its sled or its staple holder
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/07285 characterised by its cutter
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/034 abutting on parts of the device itself
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/067 for measuring angles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/0811 for the position of a particular part of an instrument with respect to the rest of the instrument, e.g. position of the anvil of a stapling instrument
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/25 : User interfaces for surgical systems

Abstract

Various systems and methods of controlling a surgical instrument to provide alerts according to the operational state of the instrument and the velocity of a displacement member are disclosed. The surgical instrument includes a displacement member movable between a first position and a second position and a sensor configured to detect a position of the displacement member and provide a signal indicative thereof. The surgical instrument is configured to determine a velocity of the displacement member and, upon the velocity being equal to zero, provide an alert according to the operational state of the instrument and the relative position of the displacement member in its stroke. The alert can include an image that is displayed on the display of the instrument.

Claims

1. A surgical instrument comprising:

an end effector movable between a clamped configuration and an unclamped configuration, the end effector configured to receive a cartridge;

a displacement member movable between a first position and a second position;

an encoder configured to detect a position of the displacement member and provide a signal indicative thereof;

a counting circuit configured to determine an elapsed time and provide a signal indicative thereof; and

a control circuit coupled to the encoder and counting circuit, the control circuit configured to;

determine a velocity of the displacement member based on the signal provided by the encoder and the signal provided by the counting circuit; and

at zero velocity of the displacement member;

determine a configuration of the end effector, and in the clamped configuration of the end effector;

determine whether a position of the displacement member is within a first zone or a second zone relative to a threshold position;

in the first zone, provide a first alert indicating that the surgical instrument is stalled; and

in the second zone, provide a second alert indicating that the cartridge is not present within the end effector.

2. The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first alert or the second alert comprises an image.

3. The surgical instrument of claim 2, further comprising a display, wherein the control circuit causes the display to display the image.

4. The surgical instrument of claim 2, wherein the image indicates that articulation of the surgical instrument is blocked or at its limit according to the position of the displacement member.

5. The surgical instrument of claim 2, wherein the image indicates that the surgical instrument is in a lockout state according to the position of the displacement member.

6. The surgical instrument of claim 2, wherein the image indicates that the surgical instrument has stalled according to the position of the displacement member.

7. The surgical instrument of claim 1, further comprising:

a closure sensor configured to detect a distance between a first jaw and a second jaw of the end effector;

wherein the control circuit is coupled to the closure sensor;

wherein the control circuit is configured to;

monitor the distance between the first jaw and the second jaw; and

determine whether the end effector is in the clamped configuration according to the distance.

8. A method of operating a surgical instrument comprising an end effector movable between a clamped configuration and an undamped configuration, a displacement member movable between a first position and a second position, a motor coupled to the displacement member, the motor configured to drive the displacement member between the first position and the second position, an encoder configured to detect a position of the displacement member and provide a signal indicative thereof, a counting circuit configured to determine an elapsed time and provide a signal indicative thereof, and a control circuit coupled to the encoder and the counting circuit, wherein the end effector is configured to receive a cartridge, the method comprising:

determining, by the control circuit, a velocity of the displacement member based on the position of the displacement member and the elapsed time, and

at zero velocity of the displacement member;

determining, by the control circuit, a configuration of the end effector, and in the clamped configuration of the end effector;

determining, by the control circuit, whether the displacement member is within a first zone or a second zone relative to a threshold position;

in the first zone, providing, by the control circuit, a first alert indicating that the surgical instrument is stalled; and

in the second zone, providing, by the control circuit, a second alert indicating that the cartridge is not present within the end effector.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising a display connected to the control circuit, wherein at least one of the first alert or the second alert comprises an image, and wherein the method further comprises causing, by the control circuit, the display to display the image.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the image indicates that articulation of the surgical instrument is blocked or at its limit according to the position of the displacement member.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the image indicates that the surgical instrument is in a lockout state according to the position of the displacement member.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the image indicates that the surgical instrument has stalled according to the position of the displacement member.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein:

the surgical instrument further comprises a closure sensor configured to detect a distance between a first jaw and a second jaw of the end effector; and

the method further comprises;

monitoring, by the control circuit, the distance between the first jaw and the second jaw; and

determining, by the control circuit, whether the end effector is in the clamped configuration according to the distance.