AUTO RECOGNITION OF A SHAVER BLADE FOR MEDICAL USE

• US 20080211634A1
• Filed: 05/19/2008
• Published: 09/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Karl Storz Endovision, Inc. (Karl Storz Se & Co. Kg)
• Original Assignee: Karl Storz Endovision, Inc. (Karl Storz Se & Co. Kg)
• Inventors: Amling, Marc R., Chatenever, David, Hopkins, Vernon
• Granted Patent: US 9,510,740 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00016 using wireless means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0002 provided with data storages
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00029 externally powered, e.g. wireless
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00055 for alerting the user
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00059 provided with identification means for the endoscope
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00062 provided with means for preventing overuse
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/042 characterised by a proximal camera, e.g. a CCD camera
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1626 Control means; Display units
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/32 Surgical cutting instruments A61B18/042 takes precedence; suture cutters A61B17/0467; instruments for ligaturing or cutting A61B17/128; instruments for rupturing the amniotic membrane A61B17/4208; specially adapted knives for eye surgery A61F9/0133
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/32002 with continuously rotating, oscillating or reciprocating cutting instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00017 Electrical control of surgical instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00199 with a console, e.g. a control panel with a display
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00221 with wireless transmission of data, e.g. by infrared radiation or radiowaves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00482 with a code
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1415 multiple blades
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/0803 Counting the number of times an instrument is used
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0276 Determining malfunction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150763 with identification means identification means for surgical instruments A61B90/90
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/90 Identification means for patients or instruments, e.g. tags
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/98 using electromagnetic means, e.g. transponders
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2484 : Arrangements in relation to a camera or imaging device processing or control of video signals generated by an endoscope H04N23/60, H04N23/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/54 : Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/555 : for picking-up images in sites, inaccessible due to their dimensions or hazardous conditions, e.g. endoscopes or borescopes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 : Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/663 : for controlling interchangeable camera parts based on electronic image sensor signals

Abstract

A system for automatically identifying a blade that is connected to a hand piece based on data transmitted from the blade to the hand piece. The blade is provided with a first electronic coupler that communicates with a second electronic coupled positioned in the hand piece such that data related to the blade is transmitted to the hand piece and controllers/computers and in the case of reusable blades, updated data is transmitted to the blade to be saved in a memory coupled to the first electronic coupler. The coupling system can be either a hard wired or wireless coupling between the blade and the hand piece.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring a blade coupled to a medical instrument comprising:

a first electronic coupler affixed to the blade for transmitting and receiving first data;

a second electronic coupler affixed to a hand piece for transmitting and receiving second data; and

a memory device coupled to the first electronic coupler having memory locations for storing data.

2. The system for monitoring according to claim 1 wherein said first electronic coupler comprises a first transponder/transceiver and said second electronic coupler comprises a second transponder/transceiver enabling wireless communication between said first and second electronic couplers.

3. The system for monitoring according to claim 1 wherein the hand piece automatically adjusts its operational settings in accordance with the received data.

4. The system for monitoring according to claim 1 wherein the memory locations comprise:

write-protected memory locations; and

write-enabled memory locations.

5. The system for monitoring according to claim 1 wherein the first data comprises blade parameters.

6. The system for monitoring according to claim 5 wherein the blade parameters comprise blade specification data and maintenance requirements data.

7. The system for monitoring according to claim 5 wherein the hand piece automatically adjusts its operational settings in accordance with the received blade parameters.

8. The system for monitoring according to claim 1 wherein the blade is disposable.

9. The system for monitoring according to claim 1 wherein the blade is non-disposable.

10. The system for monitoring according to claim 9 wherein the first data comprises blade use history data.

11. The system for monitoring according to claim 10 wherein the second data comprises modified blade use history data.

12. The system for monitoring according to claim 11 wherein the hand piece, upon receiving the blade parameters and blade use history data, modifies at least one blade use history data value indicating that a detachable blade has been attached to the hand piece, and providing modified blade use history data to the second transponder/transceiver for transmission to the first transponder/transceiver and storage in the memory device.

13. The system for monitoring according to claim 1 wherein said memory device is positioned in or on the blade.

14. The system for monitoring according to claim 1 wherein the wireless transmission format between the first transponder/transceiver and the second transponder/transceiver is selected from the group consisting of:

RuBee, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and combinations thereof.

15. The system for monitoring according to claim 14 wherein when the RuBee format is utilized, said hand piece unit further comprises a connection to a network for transmission of the blade parameter data, the blade use history data and the modified blade use history data to a remote computer.

16. The system for monitoring according to claim 1 wherein said blade comprises a rotating shaver blade.

17. The system for monitoring according to claim 1 wherein said second electronic coupler is coupled to a remote computer via a network connection.

18. The system for monitoring according to claim 17 wherein the network is selected from the group consisting of:

the Internet, an intranet, a LAN, a WAN, a MAN and combinations thereof.

19. The system for monitoring according to claim 17 wherein the first data is transmitted to the remote computer.

20. The system for monitoring according to claim 19 wherein the first data is selected from the group consisting of:

blade parameters, blade use history data and combinations thereof, and the second data comprises modified blade use history data.

21. A method for monitoring a blade coupled to a medical instrument comprising the steps of:

affixing a first electronic coupler to a blade;

coupling a memory device to the first electronic coupler;

affixing a second electronic coupler to a hand piece;

attaching the blade to the hand piece; and

transmitting first data from the memory through the first electronic coupler to the second electronic coupler.

22. The method according to claim 21 further comprising the steps of:

transmitting second data from the second electronic coupler to the first electronic coupler; and

saving the second data in the memory

23. The method according to claim 22 wherein the blade is non-disposable.

24. The method according to claim 23 wherein the first data comprises blade use history data.

25. The method according to claim 24 wherein the second data comprises modified blade use history data.

26. The method according to claim 21 wherein the first electronic coupler is a first transponder/transceiver and the second electronic coupler is a second transponder/transceiver enabling wireless communication between the first and second electronic couplers.

27. The method according to claim 26 further comprising the step of automatically adjusting the operational settings of the hand piece in accordance with the received data.

28. The method according to claim 26 wherein the wireless transmission format between the first transponder/transceiver and the second transponder/transceiver is selected from the group consisting of:

RuBee, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and combinations thereof.

29. The method according to claim 28 wherein when the RuBee format is utilized, said hand piece unit further comprises a connection to a network for transmission of the blade parameter data, the blade use history data and the modified blade use history data to a remote computer.

30. The method according to claim 21 wherein the first data comprises blade parameters.

31. The method according to claim 30 wherein the blade parameters comprise blade specification data and maintenance requirements data.

32. The method according to claim 21 wherein the blade is disposable.

33. The method according to claim 21 wherein the memory device is positioned in or on the blade.

34. The method according to claim 21 wherein said blade comprises a rotating shaver blade.

35. The method according to claim 21 wherein said second electronic coupler is coupled to a remote computer via a network connection.

36. The method according to claim 35 wherein the network is selected from the group consisting of:

the Internet, an intranet, a LAN, a WAN, a MAN and combinations thereof.

37. The method according to claim 35 wherein the first data is transmitted to the remote computer.

38. The method according to claim 37 wherein the first data is selected from the group consisting of:

blade parameters, blade use history data and combinations thereof, and the second data comprises modified blade use history data.