# US 11,298,106 B2 · Minimally-invasive surgical instrument including three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound imaging and focused ultrasound treatment capabilities > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,298,106 B2 - Document ID: US11298106B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/118,781 - Filed: 2018-08-31 - Published: 2020-03-05 - Granted: 2022-04-12 - Earliest claimed: 2018-08-31 - Assignees: Covidien LP - Applicants: Covidien LP - Inventors: Matthew S. Cowley - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11298106B2 ## CPC - A61B 8/44: {Constructional features of the ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic diagnostic device} - A61B 8/085: {for locating body or organic structures, e.g. tumours, calculi, blood vessels, nodules} - A61B 8/12: in body cavities or body tracts, e.g. by using catheters - A61B 8/4477: {using several separate ultrasound transducers or probes} - A61B 8/4494: {characterised by the arrangement of the transducer elements} - A61B 8/466: {adapted to display 3D data} - A61B 8/483: {involving the acquisition of a 3D volume of data} - A61B 8/52: {Devices using data or image processing specially adapted for diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves} - A61B 17/00234: {for minimally invasive surgery (A61B17/0218, A61B17/0469, A61B17/12013, A61B17/1285, A61B17/29, A61B17/320016 take precedence)} - A61B 17/320068: {using mechanical vibrations, e.g. ultrasonic (A61B17/22012 takes precedence; dental tooth drilling devices operated by vibration A61C3/03; removing intra-ocular material using mechanical vibrations A61F9/00745)} - A61B 90/06: {Measuring instruments not otherwise provided for} - A61B 90/37: {Surgical systems with images on a monitor during operation} - A61N 7/00: Ultrasound therapy (lithotripsy A61B17/22, A61B17/225; massage using supersonic vibration A61H23/00 {; using ultrasound for introducing media into the body A61M37/0092}) - A61N 7/02: Localised ultrasound hyperthermia - A61N 7/022: {intracavitary} - G01S 7/52085: {Details related to the ultrasound signal acquisition, e.g. scan sequences (control of medical diagnostic ultrasound devices A61B8/54)} - A61B 17/00: Surgical instruments, devices or methods (A61B18/00 takes precedence; dental tools A61C3/00; eye surgery A61F9/007; ear surgery A61F11/20) - A61B 90/36: {Image-producing devices or illumination devices not otherwise provided for} - A61B 2017/00022: {Sensing or detecting at the treatment site} - A61B 2017/00106: {ultrasonic} - A61B 2017/320069: {for ablating tissue} - A61B 2017/320071: {with articulating means for working tip} - A61B 2034/2063: {Acoustic tracking systems, e.g. using ultrasound} - A61B 2090/367: {creating a 3D dataset from 2D images using position information} - A61B 2090/378: {using ultrasound} - A61B 2090/3784: {both receiver and transmitter being in the instrument or receiver being also transmitter} - A61N 2007/0052: {using the same transducer for therapy and imaging} - A61N 2007/0078: {with multiple treatment transducers} - G01S 15/8906: {Short-range imaging systems; Acoustic microscope systems using pulse-echo techniques} - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - A61N: ELECTROTHERAPY; MAGNETOTHERAPY; RADIATION THERAPY; ULTRASOUND THERAPY (measurement of bioelectric currents A61B; surgical instruments, devices or methods for transferring non-mechanical forms of energy to or from the body A61B18/00; anaesthetic apparatus in general A61M; incandescent lamps H01K; infrared radiators for heating H05B) - G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES ## Abstract A surgical system includes a surgical instrument having a shaft and an end effector extending distally from the shaft. The end effector includes a plurality of ultrasound sensors supported about a support ring. The ultrasonic sensors are rotatable between an imaging orientation, wherein, the ultrasound sensors are directed in generally parallel orientations relative to one another for imaging tissue in an imaging mode, and at least one treatment orientation, wherein the ultrasound sensors are directed towards a common focus point for treating tissue in a treatment mode. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A surgical system, comprising: a surgical instrument, including: a shaft; and an end effector extending distally from the shaft, the end effector including a pivot sleeve engaged with the shaft, the end effector including a plurality of ultrasound sensors supported about a support ring, the pivot sleeve arranged about a portion of the support ring to allow pivoting of the end effector with respect to the shaft, the ultrasonic sensors rotatable between an imaging orientation, wherein the ultrasound sensors are directed in parallel orientations relative to one another for imaging tissue in an imaging mode, and at least one treatment orientation, wherein the ultrasound sensors are directed towards a common focus point for treating tissue in a treatment mode, wherein each ultrasound sensor of the plurality of ultrasound sensors is supported by an outer ring of a plurality of outer rings rotatably disposed about the support ring, wherein each outer ring is rotatable relative to the support ring and relative to each other outer ring of the plurality of outer rings. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The surgical system according to claim 1, wherein, in the imaging orientation, each ultrasound sensor of the plurality of ultrasound sensors is configured to emit an ultrasound wave, receive an echoed wave, and output the echoes wave to be reconstructed to produce a real-time 3D ultrasound video image. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The surgical system according to claim 1, wherein, in the treatment orientation, the ultrasound sensors are configured to emit ultrasound waves towards the common focus point to ablate tissue at the common focus point. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The surgical system according to claim 1, wherein the surgical instrument further includes a housing, wherein the shaft extends distally from the housing. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The surgical system according to claim 4, wherein the housing supports a first activation button for selectively activating the plurality of ultrasound sensors in the imaging mode and a second activation button for selectively activating the plurality of ultrasonic sensors in the treatment mode. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The surgical system according to claim 4, wherein the shaft and the end effector are together rotatable relative to the housing. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The surgical system according to claim 1, further comprising: a control system configured to receive the echoed waves from the plurality of ultrasound sensors and reconstruct the echoed waves to produce a real-time 3D ultrasound video image. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The surgical system according to claim 7, wherein the control system further includes a visual display configured to display the real-time 3D ultrasound video image. ### Claim 9 A method of surgery, comprising: inserting an end effector of a surgical instrument into an internal surgical site, the end effector including a plurality of ultrasound sensors supported about a support ring and a pivot sleeve arranged about a portion of the support ring, wherein each ultrasound sensor of the plurality of ultrasound sensors is supported by an outer ring of a plurality of outer rings rotatably disposed about the support ring; pivoting the end effector by rotating the support ring within the pivot sleeve; rotating the plurality of outer rings relative to one another to arrange the plurality of ultrasound sensors in an imaging orientation; activating, in an imaging mode, the plurality of ultrasound sensors of the end effector to produce a real-time 3D ultrasound video image of the internal surgical site; viewing the real-time 3D ultrasound video image on a visual display to identify a target tissue; rotating the plurality of outer rings relative to one another to arrange the plurality of ultrasound sensors in a treatment orientation; and activating, in a treatment mode, the plurality of ultrasound sensors of the end effector to ablate the target tissue. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method according to claim 9, wherein in the imaging mode, each ultrasound sensor of the plurality of ultrasound sensors is configured to emit an ultrasound wave, receive an echoed wave, and output the echoes wave to produce the real-time 3D ultrasound video image. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The method according to claim 9, wherein, in the treatment mode, the ultrasound sensors are configured to emit ultrasound waves towards a common focus point to ablate the target tissue. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The method according to claim 9, further comprising at least one of: rotating the plurality of ultrasound sensors to the imaging orientation before activating the plurality of ultrasound sensors in the imaging mode; or rotating the plurality of ultrasound sensors to the treatment orientation before activating the plurality of ultrasound sensors in the treatment mode. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The method according to claim 9, further comprising: rotating the plurality of ultrasound sensors to the imaging orientation before activating the plurality of ultrasound sensors in the imaging mode; and rotating the plurality of ultrasound sensors to the treatment orientation before activating the plurality of ultrasound sensors in the treatment mode.