Blood pressure measuring surgical instrument
AssigneeCovidien LP
InventorsJustin Williams, Patrick Mozdzierz, Matthew Eschbach
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An end effector for determining blood pressure includes a jaw member including a jaw body, a piston coupled to the jaw body and configured to move relative to the jaw body, an inflatable member coupled to the piston, and a pressure sensor associated with the inflatable member. The piston is configured to apply pressure to tissue grasped by the end effector. The pressure sensor is configured to detect pressure fluctuations caused by blood flowing through the grasped tissue.
Claims21
An end effector for determining blood pressure, comprising:
- a pair of jaw members, a first jaw member of the pair of jaw members including:
- a jaw body;
- a piston coupled to the jaw body and configured to move relative to the jaw body to apply pressure to tissue disposed between the pair of jaw members;
- a first inflatable member coupled to the piston;
- a first pressure sensor associated with the first inflatable member, the first pressure sensor configured to detect pressure fluctuations caused by blood flowing through tissue disposed between the pair of jaw members;
- and
- a second inflatable member disposed adjacent the piston such that the second inflatable member moves the piston and the first inflatable member upon being inflated.
A surgical instrument for determining blood pressure, comprising:
- a handle portion;
- a shaft coupled to the handle portion;
- and
- a pair of jaw members operably coupled to the shaft, a first jaw member of the pair of jaw members including:
- a jaw body;
- a piston coupled to the jaw body and configured to move relative to the jaw body to apply pressure on tissue disposed between the pair of jaw member;
- a first inflatable member coupled to the piston, wherein the piston defines a hole having the first inflatable member disposed therein;
- and
- a first pressure sensor associated with the first inflatable member, the first pressure sensor configured to detect pressure fluctuations caused by blood flowing through tissue disposed between the pair of jaw members.
A method of determining local blood pressure, comprising:
- positioning tissue between a pair of jaw members of a surgical instrument;
- moving a piston having a first inflatable member associated therewith relative to a jaw body of a first jaw member of the pair of jaw members, thereby applying pressure on the tissue with at least one of the piston or the first inflatable member;
- measuring pressure fluctuations in the first inflatable member with a first pressure sensor associated with the first inflatable member;
- and
- determining, using the measured pressure fluctuations, the local blood pressure of the tissue, wherein the piston is moved by expanding a second inflatable member of the first jaw member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.