Methods to shorten calibration times for powered devices
AssigneeCovidien LP
InventorMichael A. Zemlok
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A calibration method for a hand-held surgical instrument is disclosed. The hand-held instrument includes a drive motor, a firing rod controlled by the drive motor and having at least one indicator, and a sensor configured to detect the at least one indicator. A microcontroller includes a pulse modulation algorithm stored therein to control the drive motor. The microcontroller executes a calibration algorithm to adjust at least one program coefficient in the pulse modulation algorithm.
Claims11
A method for calibrating a hand-held surgical instrument having a drive motor, a firing rod, a sensor, a microcontroller, and a memory having a pulse modulation algorithm stored therein, the method comprising:
- initiating translation of the firing rod;
- detecting at least one indicator on the firing rod;
- determining a time between when translation of the firing rod is initiated and when the at least one indicator is detected;
- comparing the time with a predetermined time;
- and
- adjusting at least one program coefficient in the pulse modulation algorithm based on the comparison between the time and the predetermined time.
A hand-held surgical instrument comprising:
- a drive motor;
- a firing rod controlled by the drive motor and having at least one indicator;
- a sensor configured to detect the at least one indicator;
- and
- a microcontroller having a pulse modulation algorithm stored therein, the pulse modulation algorithm being configured to control the drive motor;
- and
- a position calculator configured to determine a time between when the firing rod begins translation and when the sensor detects the at least one indicator,
- wherein the microcontroller executes a calibration algorithm to adjust at least one program coefficient in the pulse modulation algorithm.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.