Methods for stapling tissue using a surgical instrument
AssigneeEthicon, Inc.
InventorsRichard L. Leimbach, Michael J. Stokes
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A surgical instrument comprising a firing member driven by an electric motor is disclosed. The surgical instrument comprises a control system configured to evaluate the duty cycle of the electric motor and adjust the speed of the firing member based on the detected duty cycle of the electric motor.
Claims22
A method of stapling the tissue of a patient with a stapling instrument, comprising:
- clamping the patient tissue with an end effector of the stapling instrument;
- deploying staples from a staple cartridge in the end effector with a firing member during a firing stroke;
- driving the firing member with an electric motor during the firing stroke;
- evaluating the speed of the firing member during the firing stroke;
- controlling the speed of the electric motor with voltage pulses from a pulse width modulation speed controller;
- evaluating the duty cycle of the electric motor during the firing stroke;
- and
- increasing the duration of the voltage pulses when the duty cycle is below a predetermined threshold.
A method of stapling the tissue of a patient with a stapling instrument, comprising:
- clamping the patient tissue with an end effector of the stapling instrument;
- deploying staples from a staple cartridge in the end effector with a firing member during a firing stroke;
- driving the firing member with an electric motor during the firing stroke;
- evaluating the speed of the firing member during the firing stroke;
- controlling the speed of the electric motor with voltage pulses from a pulse width modulation speed controller;
- evaluating the duty cycle of the electric motor during the firing stroke;
- and
- decreasing the duration of the voltage pulses when the duty cycle is above a predetermined threshold.
A method of treating the tissue of a patient with a surgical instrument, comprising:
- clamping the patient tissue with an end effector of the surgical instrument;
- cutting the patient tissue with a firing member during a firing stroke;
- sealing the patient tissue;
- driving the firing member with an electric motor during the firing stroke;
- evaluating the speed of the firing member during the firing stroke;
- controlling the speed of the electric motor with voltage pulses from a pulse width modulation speed controller;
- evaluating the duty cycle of the electric motor during the firing stroke;
- and
- increasing the duration of the voltage pulses when the duty cycle is below a predetermined threshold.
A method of treating the tissue of a patient with a surgical instrument, comprising:
- clamping the patient tissue with an end effector of the surgical instrument;
- cutting the patient tissue with a firing member during a firing stroke;
- sealing the patient tissue;
- driving the firing member with an electric motor during the firing stroke;
- evaluating the speed of the firing member during the firing stroke;
- controlling the speed of the electric motor with voltage pulses from a pulse width modulation speed controller;
- evaluating the duty cycle of the electric motor during the firing stroke;
- and
- decreasing the duration of the voltage pulses when the duty cycle is above a predetermined threshold.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.