# US 12,214,224 B2 · Generator for use with an ultrasonic surgical instrument

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 12,214,224 B2
- Document ID: US12214224B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/530,709
- Filed: 2023-12-06
- Published: 2024-05-23
- Granted: 2025-02-04
- Earliest claimed: 2008-08-06
- Assignees: Cilag GmbH International
- Applicants: Cilag GmbH International
- Inventors: Jeffrey D. Messerly; Eitan T. Wiener; Brian T. Noyes; Jeffrey L. Aldridge; James R. Giordano; Robert J. Beetel, III; Daniel J. Abbott; Foster B. Stulen; Matthew C. Miller; Aaron C. Voegele; Jeffrey P. Wiley; Nathan J. Price; Daniel W. Price; Robert L. Koch, Jr.
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12214224B2

## CPC

- 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})
- A61B 17/320092: {with additional movable means for clamping or cutting tissue, e.g. with a pivoting jaw}
- A61B 18/14: Probes or electrodes therefor
- A61N 7/02: Localised ultrasound hyperthermia
- B06B 1/0215: {for generating pulses, e.g. bursts of oscillations, envelopes}
- B06B 1/0261: {taken from a transducer or electrode connected to the driving transducer}
- B06B 1/0284: {with consecutive, i.e. sequential generation, e.g. with frequency sweep}
- G05B 15/02: electric
- A61B 5/053: Measuring electrical impedance or conductance of a portion of the body
- A61B 5/4836: {Diagnosis combined with treatment in closed-loop systems or methods (A61B5/0036 takes precedence)}
- A61B 18/1206: {Generators therefor}
- A61B 18/1445: {at the distal end of a shaft, e.g. forceps or scissors at the end of a rigid rod}
- A61B 2017/00026: {Conductivity or impedance, e.g. of tissue}
- A61B 2017/0003: {of parts of the instruments}
- A61B 2017/00039: {Electric or electromagnetic phenomena other than conductivity, e.g. capacity, inductivity, Hall effect}
- A61B 2017/00084: {Temperature}
- A61B 2017/00115: {with audible or visual output}
- A61B 2017/00123: {and automatic shutdown}
- A61B 2017/00128: {related to intensity or progress of surgical action}
- A61B 2017/00146: {with multiple frequencies}
- A61B 2017/00176: {Two pulses, e.g. second pulse having an effect different from the first one}
- A61B 2017/00185: {Means for setting or varying the pulse height}
- A61B 2017/0019: {Means for setting or varying the pulse width}
- A61B 2017/00203: {with speech control or speech recognition}
- A61B 2017/00973: {pedal-operated}
- A61B 2017/320093: {additional movable means performing cutting operation}
- A61B 2017/320094: {additional movable means performing clamping operation}
- A61B 2017/320095: {with sealing or cauterizing means}
- A61B 2018/00005: {Cooling or heating of the probe or tissue immediately surrounding the probe}
- A61B 2018/00303: {active, e.g. with a motor creating vibrations}
- A61B 2018/00589: {Coagulation}
- A61B 2018/00601: {Cutting}
- A61B 2018/0063: {Sealing}
- A61B 2018/00666: {using a threshold value}
- A61B 2018/00791: {Temperature}
- A61B 2018/00845: {Frequency}
- A61B 2018/00875: {Resistance or impedance}
- A61B 2018/00994: {combining two or more different kinds of non-mechanical energy or combining one or more non-mechanical energies with ultrasound}
- B06B 2201/55: Piezoelectric transducer
- B06B 2201/76: Medical, dental
- 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)
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)
- B06B: METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR GENERATING OR TRANSMITTING MECHANICAL VIBRATIONS OF INFRASONIC, SONIC, OR ULTRASONIC FREQUENCY, {e.g.} FOR PERFORMING MECHANICAL WORK IN GENERAL (for particular applications, see the relevant subclasses, e.g. B07B1/40, B23Q17/12, B24B31/06; measurement of mechanical vibrations G01H; in direction finding, locating, distance or velocity measuring G01S; {generating seismic energy G01V1/02}; control of mechanical vibrations in general G05D; sound-producing devices, e.g. bells, sirens, whistles G10K, {e.g. methods or devices for transmitting, conducting, or directing sound in general G10K11/00}; generation of electrical oscillations H03B; electromechanical resonators in general H03H; electromechanical transducers {for communication techniques, e.g. microphones, speakers} H04R)
- G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G)

## Abstract

A generator comprising an interface and a control circuit is disclosed. The interface is to electrically couple to an ultrasonic surgical instrument comprising a switch. The switch is configurable between a first switch state and a second switch state. The control circuit is to provide a continuous drive signal to the ultrasonic surgical instrument based on the switch being in the first switch state. The control circuit is to provide a pulsed drive signal to the ultrasonic surgical instrument based on the switch being in the second switch state.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A generator, comprising:
an interface to electrically couple to an ultrasonic surgical instrument comprising a switch, wherein the switch is configurable between a first switch state and a second switch state; and
a control circuit, to:
provide a continuous drive signal to the ultrasonic surgical instrument based on the switch being in the first switch state; and
provide a pulsed drive signal to the ultrasonic surgical instrument based on the switch being in the second switch state.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The generator of claim 1, wherein the continuous drive signal is at a power level less than a maximum power level of the generator.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The generator of claim 1, wherein the pulsed drive signal is at a maximum power level of the generator.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The generator of claim 1, wherein the continuous drive signal has a first power and the pulsed drive signal has a second power higher than the first power.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The generator of claim 1, wherein with respect to the pulsed drive signal, the generator is to provide:
a first pulse having a first amplitude; and
a second pulse having a second amplitude different than the first amplitude.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The generator of claim 5, wherein the first pulse is pulsed for a first pulse time, and wherein the second pulse is pulsed for a second pulse time different than the second pulse time.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The generator of claim 1, wherein with respect to the continuous drive signal, the generator is to provide:
a first current for a first time;
a second current for a second time after the first time, wherein the second current is higher than the first current; and
a third current for a third time after the second time, wherein the third current is higher than the second current.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The generator of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is further to:
monitor the continuous drive signal; and
trigger a pulsing response based on the monitored drive signal meeting a logic condition.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The generator of claim 1, wherein the ultrasonic surgical instrument comprises an end effector and an ultrasonic transducer to resonate at a resonant frequency, and wherein with respect to the continuous drive signal, the control circuit is to:
set the continuous drive signal to a first frequency for a first time, wherein the first frequency is different from the resonant frequency; and
after the first time, set the continuous drive signal to the resonant frequency.

### Claim 10

A generator for use with an ultrasonic surgical instrument comprising a switch, the switch configurable between a first switch state and a second switch state, wherein the generator comprises:
a control circuit, to:
provide a continuous drive signal to the ultrasonic surgical instrument based on the switch being in the first switch state; and
provide a pulsed drive signal to the ultrasonic surgical instrument based on the switch being in the second switch state.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The generator of claim 10, wherein the continuous drive signal is at a power level less than a maximum power level of the generator.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The generator of claim 10, wherein the pulsed drive signal is at a maximum power level for the generator.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The generator of claim 10, wherein the continuous drive signal has a first power and the pulsed drive signal has a second power higher than the first power.

### Claim 14 (depends on 10)

The generator of claim 10, wherein with respect to the pulsed drive signal, the generator is to provide:
a first pulse having a first amplitude; and
a second pulse having a second amplitude different than the first amplitude.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The generator of claim 14, wherein the first pulse is pulsed for a first pulse time, and wherein the second pulse is pulsed for a second pulse time different than the second pulse time.

### Claim 16 (depends on 10)

The generator of claim 10, wherein with respect to the continuous drive signal, the generator is to provide:
a first current for a first time;
a second current for a second time after the first time, wherein the second current is higher than the first current; and
a third current for a third time after the second time, wherein the third current is higher than the second current.

### Claim 17 (depends on 10)

The generator of claim 10, wherein the control circuit is further to:
monitor the continuous drive signal; and
trigger a pulsing response based on the monitored drive signal meeting a logic condition.

### Claim 18 (depends on 10)

The generator of claim 10, wherein the ultrasonic surgical instrument comprises an end effector and an ultrasonic transducer to resonate at a resonant frequency, and wherein with respect to the continuous drive signal, the control circuit is to:
set the continuous drive signal to a first frequency for a first time, wherein the first frequency is different from the resonant frequency; and
after the first time, set the continuous drive signal to the resonant frequency.

### Claim 19

A generator, comprising:
an interface to electrically couple to an ultrasonic surgical instrument comprising an ultrasonic transducer and a switch, the switch configurable between a first switch state and a second switch state; and
a control circuit, to:
provide a continuous drive signal to the ultrasonic transducer based on the switch being in the first switch state; and
provide a pulsed drive signal to the ultrasonic transducer based on the switch being in the second switch state.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The generator of claim 19, wherein the continuous drive signal has a first power and the pulsed drive signal has a second power higher than the first power.