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US 2020/0345357 A1Published application
Intelligent firing associated with 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.
Claims20
A surgical instrument, comprising:
- a shaft;
- an end effector extending distally from said shaft;
- a firing system, comprising:
- an electric motor;
- a first jaw;
- a second jaw movable relative to said first jaw;
- and
- a firing member movable from a proximal position toward a distal position by said electric motor during a firing stroke to cut patient tissue captured between said first jaw and said second jaw;
- and
- a control system, comprising:
- a control circuit comprising a pulse width modulation circuit in communication with said electric motor, wherein said pulse width modulation circuit is configured to apply voltage pulses to said electric motor, wherein the duration of said voltage pulses controls the speed of said firing member, and wherein said control circuit is configured to evaluate the duty cycle of said electric motor by summing the total pulse duration of said voltage pulses, summing the total gap duration between said voltage pulses, and dividing said total pulse duration by the sum of said total pulse duration and said total gap duration to calculate said duty cycle;
- and
- a speed sensor configured to detect the speed of said firing member, wherein said speed sensor is in communication with said control circuit, and wherein said control circuit is configured to:
- move said firing member at a target speed if said duty cycle is between a lower predetermined threshold and an upper predetermined threshold;
- decrease the speed of said firing member when said duty cycle is below said lower predetermined threshold;
- and
- increase the speed of said firing member when said duty cycle is above said upper predetermined threshold.
14 more elements
A surgical instrument, comprising:
- a shaft;
- an end effector extending distally from said shaft;
- a firing system, comprising:
- an electric motor;
- a first jaw;
- a second jaw movable relative to said first jaw;
- and
- a tissue cutting knife movable from a proximal position toward a distal position by said electric motor during a firing stroke to cut patient tissue captured between said first jaw and said second jaw;
- and
- a control system, comprising:
- a control circuit comprising a pulse width modulation circuit in communication with said electric motor, wherein said pulse width modulation circuit is configured to apply voltage pulses to said electric motor, wherein the duration of said voltage pulses controls the speed of said tissue cutting knife, and wherein said control circuit is configured to evaluate the duty cycle of said electric motor by summing the total pulse duration of said voltage pulses, summing the total gap duration between said voltage pulses, and dividing said total pulse duration by the sum of said total pulse duration and said total gap duration to calculate said duty cycle;
- and
- a speed sensor configured to detect the speed of said firing member, wherein said speed sensor is in communication with said control circuit, and wherein said control circuit is configured to:
- move said firing member at a target speed if said duty cycle is between a lower predetermined threshold and an upper predetermined threshold;
- decrease the speed of said firing member when said duty cycle is below said lower predetermined threshold for a period of time;
- and
- increase the speed of said firing member when said duty cycle is above said upper predetermined threshold for a period of time.
14 more elements
A surgical instrument, comprising:
- a shaft;
- an end effector extending distally from said shaft;
- a firing system, comprising:
- an electric motor;
- a first jaw;
- a second jaw movable relative to said first jaw;
- and
- a tissue cutting knife movable from a proximal position toward a distal position by said electric motor during a firing stroke to cut patient tissue captured between said first jaw and said second jaw;
- and
- a control system, comprising:
- a control circuit comprising a pulse width modulation circuit in communication with said electric motor, wherein said pulse width modulation circuit is configured to apply voltage pulses to said electric motor, wherein the duration of said voltage pulses controls the speed of said tissue cutting knife, and wherein said control circuit is configured to evaluate the duty cycle of said electric motor by summing the total pulse duration of said voltage pulses, summing the total gap duration between said voltage pulses, and dividing said total pulse duration by the sum of said total pulse duration and said total gap duration to calculate said duty cycle;
- and
- a speed sensor configured to detect the speed of said firing member, wherein said speed sensor is in communication with said control circuit, and wherein said control circuit is configured to:
- move said firing member at a target speed if said duty cycle is between a lower predetermined threshold and an upper predetermined threshold;
- decrease the speed of said firing member when said duty cycle is below said lower predetermined threshold for a distance of said firing stroke;
- and
- increase the speed of said firing member when said duty cycle is above said upper predetermined threshold for a distance of said firing stroke.
14 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.