Driving Devices and Methods for Determining Material Strength in Real-Time

A method comprising:

• penetrating a tissue with a working tool of an instrument;
• using a sensor on the instrument to generate in real-time one or more signals related to torque of the working tool;
• communicating the one or more torque signals from the sensor to a controller;
• processing the one or more torque signals received into one or more processed signals representative of torque, energy, power, or a combination of torque, energy, and power;
• and
• displaying the one or more processed signals to a user.

An instrument comprising:

• one or more motors housed in a body of an instrument, at least one of the one or more motors configured to drive a working tool to penetrate a tissue;
• a guide harp coupled to the body of the instrument and having a distal guide element having a central channel configured to receive the working tool therethrough;
• a first sensor configured to measure in real-time a force of the working tool along a longitudinal axis of the working tool;
• a second sensor configured to measure in real-time a force against the distal guide element;
• and
• a controller in operative communication with the one or more motors, the first sensor and the second sensor.

A method of determining a regional material strength of a tissue using a surgical instrument, the method comprising:

• penetrating a tissue with a working tool of an instrument;
• using a sensor on the instrument to generate in real-time one or more signals related to torque of the working tool;
• communicating the one or more torque signals from the sensor to a controller of the instrument;
• processing the torque signals into one or more processed signals representative of energy;
• and
• displaying the one or more processed signals as accumulated energy, wherein the accumulated energy is displayed as a function of position or as a function of time.

A method of preventing inadvertent plunge using a surgical instrument, the method comprising:

• penetrating a tissue with a working tool of an instrument;
• using a sensor on the instrument to generate in real-time one or more signals related to torque of the working tool;
• communicating the torque signals from the sensor to a controller;
• processing the received torque signals into one or more processed signals representative of power;
• and
• graphically displaying the one or more processed signals as power.

A system for preventing inadvertent plunge using a surgical instrument, the system comprising:

• a working tool configured to penetrate a tissue;
• a sensor configured to generate in real-time one or more signals related to torque while the working tool penetrates the tissue;
• and
• a controller in operative communication with the sensor and configured to process the received torque signals into one or more process signals representative of torque, energy, power, or a combination of torque, energy, and power.