MOTORIZED SURGICAL INSTRUMENT

• US 20100076475A1
• Filed: 09/23/2008
• Published: 03/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cilag Gmbh International (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Shelton, Frederick E. IV, Yates, David C., Swensgard, Brett E., Huitema, Thomas W.
• Granted Patent: US 9,050,083 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/170
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/07207 the staples being applied sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00398 using powered actuators, e.g. stepper motors, solenoids
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00734 battery operated
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/07278 characterised by its sled or its staple holder
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2927 the angular position of the head being adjustable with respect to the shaft
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320052 Guides for cutting instruments by marking A61B2090/395
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A surgical cutting and fastening instrument that is motorized. The instrument comprises in one embodiment a charge accumulator device, separate from a battery, that provides additional power to the motor under certain conditions. In addition, the motor may comprise multiple windings.

Claims

1. A surgical instrument comprising:

an end effector comprising a moveable cutting instrument;

a shaft connected at its distal end to the end effector; and

a handle connected to a proximate end of the shaft, wherein the handle comprises;

an electric motor for actuating the cutting instrument;

a motor control circuit for controlling the motor, wherein the motor control circuit comprises;

a power source connected to the motor for electrically powering the motor;

a charge accumulator device; and

a switching circuit connected to the power source and the charge accumulator device for (i) temporarily connecting the charge accumulator device to the power source to charge the charge accumulator device, and (ii) selectively connecting the charge accumulator device in series with the power source to provide additional power to the motor.

2. The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein the charge accumulator device comprises a capacitor.

3. The surgical instrument of claim 2, wherein the charge accumulator device comprises an ultracapacitor.

4. The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein the power source comprises a plurality of series connected battery cells.

5. The surgical instrument of claim 4, further comprising a power source selection switch connected to the power source for connecting, when in a first state, all of the power sources to the motor, and, when in a second state, a subset of the power sources to the motor.

6. The surgical cutting and fastening instrument of claim 1, wherein the end effector comprises a circular-cutting end effector.

7. The surgical cutting and fastening instrument of claim 1, wherein the end effector comprises a linear-cutting end effector.

8. The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein the motor control circuit further comprises a current control circuit, connected to the power source, for varying the current supplied to the motor from the power source, such that the motor has at least:

a first, low power operational mode for a first portion of a cutting stroke cycle of the cutting instrument; and

a second, high power operational mode for a second portion the cutting stroke cycle of the cutting instrument.

9. The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein:

the motor comprises at least two windings; and

the motor control circuit is for selectively connecting the at least two windings in series or in parallel.

10. A surgical instrument comprising:

an end effector comprising a moveable cutting instrument;

a shaft connected at its distal end to the end effector; and

a handle connected to a proximate end of the shaft, wherein the handle comprises;

an electric motor for actuating the cutting instrument, wherein the motor comprises at least two windings;

a motor control circuit connected to the motor that selectively connects the at least two motor windings in series or in parallel.

11. The surgical instrument of claim 10, wherein the handle further comprises a power source connected to the motor.

12. The surgical instrument of claim 11, wherein the power sources comprises a plurality of series-connected power sources.

13. The surgical instrument of claim 12, further comprising a power source selection switch connected to the power sources for connecting, when in a first state, all of the power sources to the motor, and, when in a second state, a subset of the power sources to the motor

14. A surgical instrument comprising:

an end effector comprising a moveable cutting instrument;

a shaft connected at its distal end to the end effector; and

a handle connected to a proximate end of the shaft, wherein the handle comprises;

an electric motor for actuating the cutting instrument;

a removable battery pack for powering the motor, wherein the battery pack comprises a plurality of battery cells, wherein the plurality of battery cells comprises a first plurality of series-connected battery cells and a second plurality of series-connected battery cells; and

a battery cell connector, separate from the battery pack, that connects in series the first plurality of series-connected battery cells to the second plurality of series-connected battery cells when the battery pack is installed in the instrument.

15. The surgical instrument of claim 14, wherein the battery pack comprises a third plurality of series-connected battery cells, and wherein the battery cell connector connects in series the first, second, and third plurality of series-connected battery cells when the battery pack is installed in the instrument.

16. The surgical instrument of claim 14, wherein the first plurality of series-connected battery cells comprises three series-connected Lithium primary battery cells and the second plurality of series-connected battery cells comprises three series-connected Lithium primary battery cells.

17. The surgical instrument of claim 14, wherein the handle further comprises:

a charge accumulator device; and

a switching circuit connected to the battery pack and the charge accumulator device for (i) temporarily connecting the charge accumulator device to the battery pack to charge the charge accumulator device, and (ii) selectively connecting the charge accumulator device in series with the power pack to provide additional power to the motor.