DEVICES, SYSTEMS, AND METHODS FOR COOLING A SURGICAL INSTRUMENT
First Claim
1. A surgical system, comprising:
- a surgical instrument defining an input and an output; and
a cooling module operably coupled to the input and output of the surgical instrument, the cooling module including;
a fluid reservoir retaining a conductive cooling fluid;
a pump assembly operably coupled to the fluid reservoir and configured to pump the conductive cooling fluid along a flowpath from the fluid reservoir, into the input of the surgical instrument, through at least a portion of the surgical instrument, out the output of the surgical instrument, and back to the fluid reservoir;
first and second electrodes disposed at first and second spaced-apart positions along the flowpath, the first and second electrodes configured to sense an electrical property of the conductive cooling fluid at the first and second positions; and
a controller configured to determine an impedance of the conductive cooling fluid between the first and second positions based upon the sensed electrical properties of the first and second electrodes.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A surgical system includes a surgical instrument and a cooling module. The cooling module includes a fluid reservoir retaining a conductive cooling fluid, a pump configured to pump the conductive cooling fluid along a flowpath, first and second electrodes disposed at first and second positions along the flowpath and configured to sense an electrical property of the conductive cooling fluid at the first and second positions, and a controller configured to determine an impedance of the conductive cooling fluid between the first and second positions based upon the sensed electrical properties of the first and second electrodes. A method for cooling a surgical instrument includes detecting an electrical property of a conductive cooling fluid at first and second positions along a flowpath and determining an impedance of the conductive cooling fluid between the first and second positions based upon the detected electrical properties at the first and second positions.
14 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A surgical system, comprising:
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a surgical instrument defining an input and an output; and a cooling module operably coupled to the input and output of the surgical instrument, the cooling module including; a fluid reservoir retaining a conductive cooling fluid; a pump assembly operably coupled to the fluid reservoir and configured to pump the conductive cooling fluid along a flowpath from the fluid reservoir, into the input of the surgical instrument, through at least a portion of the surgical instrument, out the output of the surgical instrument, and back to the fluid reservoir; first and second electrodes disposed at first and second spaced-apart positions along the flowpath, the first and second electrodes configured to sense an electrical property of the conductive cooling fluid at the first and second positions; and a controller configured to determine an impedance of the conductive cooling fluid between the first and second positions based upon the sensed electrical properties of the first and second electrodes. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method for cooling a surgical instrument, comprising:
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detecting an electrical property of a conductive cooling fluid at a first position along a flowpath from a fluid reservoir, into an input of a surgical instrument, through at least a portion of the surgical instrument, out an output of the surgical instrument, and back to the fluid reservoir; detecting an electrical property of the conductive cooling fluid at a second position along the flowpath; and determining an impedance of the conductive cooling fluid between the first and second positions based upon the detected electrical properties at the first and second positions. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification