Cordless Hand-Held Ultrasonic Cautery Cutting Device and Method

• US 20100004668A1
• Filed: 08/26/2009
• Published: 01/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covidien AG (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Covidien AG (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Palmer, Matthew A., Smith, Kevin W., Deville, Derek Dee, Bales, Thomas O.
• Granted Patent: US 8,435,257 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/169
• 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 2017/0023 disposable
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00424 ergonomic, e.g. fitting in fist
• 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 2017/00734 battery operated
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320069 for ablating tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320071 with articulating means for working tip
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320089 node location
• 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 2017/320097 with stapling means

Abstract

A disposable ultrasonic surgical handle connectable to an ultrasonic transducer, an ultrasonic waveguide, a removable battery, and an ultrasonic-signal-generator assembly, includes a handle body with a portion defining a battery-holding compartment, the battery-holding compartment having at least two battery contacts, a waveguide attachment dock exposed to the environment and shaped to accept the waveguide therein, a transducer attachment dock exposed to the environment and shaped to place the ultrasonic transducer in coaxial alignment with the waveguide when the waveguide is disposed within the waveguide attachment dock, and an ultrasonic-signal-generator assembly dock exposed to the environment. The ultrasonic-signal-generator assembly dock is shaped to substantially simultaneously selectively removably secure the ultrasonic-signal-generator assembly to the handle body, place an end of the ultrasonic transducer within the transducer attachment dock, and electrically couple the ultrasonic-signal-generator assembly to the at least two battery contacts.

Claims

1. A disposable ultrasonic surgical handle connectable to an ultrasonic transducer, an ultrasonic waveguide, a battery, and an ultrasonic-signal-generator assembly, the handle comprising:

a handle body having;

a power supply portion defining a battery-holding compartment and having at least two battery contacts at the battery-holding compartment;

a waveguide attachment dock exposed to the environment and shaped to accept the ultrasonic waveguide therein;

a transducer attachment dock exposed to the environment and shaped to place the ultrasonic transducer in coaxial alignment with the ultrasonic waveguide when the ultrasonic waveguide is disposed within the waveguide attachment dock; and

an ultrasonic-signal-generator assembly dock exposed to the environment and shaped to substantially simultaneously;

selectively removably secure the ultrasonic-signal-generator assembly to the handle body;

place an end of the ultrasonic transducer within the transducer attachment dock; and

electrically couple the ultrasonic-signal-generator assembly to the at least two battery contacts.

2. The disposable ultrasonic surgical handle according to claim 1, wherein:

the battery is a removable battery; and

the battery-holding compartment comprises a selectively accessible and aseptically sealable compartment shaped to receive the battery therein.

3. The disposable ultrasonic surgical handle according to claim 1, wherein the handle body further comprises:

an upper handle portion; and

a lower grip portion defining therein the battery-holding compartment.

4. The disposable ultrasonic surgical handle according to claim 1, wherein:

the battery is a removable battery; and

the battery-holding compartment further comprises a battery ejector operable to cause at least a portion of the removable battery to eject from the battery-holding compartment.

5. The disposable ultrasonic surgical handle according to claim 1, wherein:

the battery is a removable battery; and

further comprising a compartment door movably attached to the handle body at the battery-holding compartment and having;

an open position permitting entry and removal of the removable battery respectively into and out from the battery-holding compartment; and

a closed position aseptically sealing the battery-holding compartment from the environment.

6. The disposable ultrasonic surgical handle according to claim 1, wherein the ultrasonic-signal-generator assembly dock is one of a rail, a dovetail, a T-slot, and an undercut slot.

7. The disposable ultrasonic surgical handle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a memory capable of storing a handle use history.

8. The disposable ultrasonic surgical handle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a device identifier communicatively coupled to the handle body and operable to communicate at least one piece of information about the handle body.

9. The disposable ultrasonic surgical handle according to claim 8, wherein the at least one piece of information is at least one of a handle identifier, an information list of previous use, a waveguide identifier, and a transducer identifier.

10. The disposable ultrasonic surgical handle according to claim 8, further comprising a removable battery assembly including a removable battery, the device identifier operable to communicate with the removable battery assembly and transfer information therebetween.

11. The disposable ultrasonic surgical handle according to claim 1, wherein:

the waveguide attachment dock is shaped;

to rotatably connect the ultrasonic waveguide to the ultrasonic transducer when the ultrasonic waveguide is in the waveguide attachment dock and when the ultrasonic transducer is in the transducer attachment dock; and

to allow the ultrasonic transducer and the ultrasonic waveguide to correspondingly rotate with respect to the handle body and the ultrasonic-signal-generator assembly.

12. The disposable ultrasonic surgical handle according to claim 11, further comprising:

the ultrasonic waveguide;

the ultrasonic transducer;

the ultrasonic-signal-generator assembly; and

when the ultrasonic waveguide is in the waveguide attachment dock and the ultrasonic transducer is in the transducer attachment dock, the ultrasonic waveguide is connected to the ultrasonic transducer and, together, the ultrasonic transducer and the ultrasonic waveguide correspondingly rotate with respect to the handle body and to the ultrasonic-signal-generator assembly.

13. The disposable ultrasonic surgical handle according to claim 11, wherein:

the waveguide attachment dock and the transducer attachment dock are disposed to directly physically couple the ultrasonic waveguide and the ultrasonic transducer and cause a corresponding rotation of the ultrasonic transducer with respect to the handle body when at least one of the ultrasonic waveguide and the ultrasonic transducer rotates.

14. The disposable ultrasonic surgical handle according to claim 12, wherein:

the ultrasonic transducer has an output couple;

the ultrasonic-signal-generator assembly generates an output waveform; and

the transducer attachment dock is shaped to connect the output couple to the ultrasonic waveguide in the waveguide attachment dock and ultrasonically move the ultrasonic waveguide with the output waveform when attached thereto.

15. The disposable ultrasonic surgical handle according to claim 12, wherein:

the ultrasonic-signal-generator assembly comprises at least one of;

a control circuit;

a drive circuit; and

a matching circuit.

16. The disposable ultrasonic surgical handle according to claim 12, wherein the ultrasonic-signal-generator assembly is aseptically sealed.

17. The disposable ultrasonic surgical handle according to claim 16, further comprising:

a removable battery; and

the ultrasonic-signal-generator assembly comprises;

power contacts electrically coupling the ultrasonic-signal-generator assembly to the removable battery; and

output contacts supplying an ultrasonic driving wave to the ultrasonic transducer.

18. The disposable ultrasonic surgical handle according to claim 12, further comprising a removable battery comprising a plurality of Lithium-Ion cells electrically connected together in series.

19. The disposable ultrasonic surgical handle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a device identifier communicatively coupled to the handle body and operable to communicate at least one piece of information about the handle body, the at least one piece of information being at least one of a handle identifier, an information list of previous use, a waveguide identifier, and a transducer identifier; and

the battery is a removable battery comprising a power source and a power-source controller, the power-source controller being operable to select one of a set of different battery output powers dependent upon the at least one piece of information.

20. The disposable ultrasonic surgical handle according to claim 12, wherein:

the ultrasonic waveguide has one of a set of different waveguide types;

the ultrasonic-signal-generator assembly generates a driving-wave frequency and a driving-wave power; and

the ultrasonic-signal-generator assembly is operable to vary at least one of the driving-wave frequency and the driving-wave power based on an identified one of the waveguide types.

21. A disposable ultrasonic surgical handle connectable to an ultrasonic transducer, an ultrasonic waveguide, a removable battery, and an ultrasonic-signal-generator assembly, the handle comprising:

a first handle body portion defining therein a selectively accessible and aseptically sealable battery-holding compartment;

selectively exposed to the environment;

configured to aseptically removably hold therein the removable battery; and

having an electrical connector; and

a second handle body portion connected to the first handle body portion and having;

a waveguide attachment dock exposed to the environment and shaped to accept the ultrasonic waveguide therein;

a transducer attachment dock exposed to the environment and shaped to place the ultrasonic transducer in coaxial alignment with the ultrasonic waveguide when the ultrasonic waveguide is disposed within the waveguide attachment dock; and

an ultrasonic-signal-generator assembly dock exposed to the environment and shaped to substantially simultaneously;

selectively removably secure the ultrasonic-signal-generator assembly to the second handle body portion;

place an end of the ultrasonic transducer within the transducer attachment dock; and

electrically couple the ultrasonic-signal-generator assembly to the removable battery through the electrical connector when the removable battery is disposed in the battery-holding compartment and the ultrasonic-signal-generator assembly is disposed in the ultrasonic-signal-generator assembly dock.