Methods and apparatus for control of vacuum and pressure for surgical procedures

A suction control system, comprising:

• an electronically controlled pressure regulator for regulating the pressure of a pressurized fluid;
• a pressurized fluid to vacuum converter coupled to an output of the electronically controlled pressure regulator, the pressurized fluid to vacuum converter operative to convert the pressure of the pressurized fluid into a vacuum;
• a transducer coupled to an output of the pressurized fluid to vacuum converter, the transducer operative to sense a vacuum level and to generate a first signal in response thereto;
• a controller for selecting an appropriate vacuum level and for generating a second signal which corresponds to said appropriate vacuum level;
• a comparator for comparing the first and second signals and for generating a third signal to drive the electronically controlled pressure regulator to regulate the pressure of pressurized fluid therethrough, to in turn regulate the vacuum.

A negative gauge pressure delivery and control system, comprising:

• an electronically controlled pressure regulator having a pressurized fluid output, a pressure level at said pressurized fluid output being proportional to an electrical signal;
• a pressure-vacuum converter connected to receive said pressurized fluid from said regulator, the pressure-vacuum converter operative to generate and output a negative pressure level proportional to the pressure level of pressurized fluid from said fluid pressure output;
• a transducer coupled to an output of the pressurized fluid to vacuum converter, the transducer operative to sense the negative pressure level and to generate a transducer signal in response thereto;
• a variable reference voltage source for generating a selectively variable reference voltage;
• a comparator for comparing said transducer signal and said variable reference voltage and generating an output signal representing the difference between said transducer signal and said variable reference voltage source, said output signal being connected to drive said electronically controlled pressure regulator to control the pressure level of said pressurized fluid to thereby set the negative pressure level proportional to said variable reference voltage.

A method for controlling a suction system for aspirating and cutting tissue in surgical applications comprising:

• electronically controlling a pressure regulator connected between a source of positive pressurized fluid and a pressurized fluid to vacuum converter, the pressure regulator operative to regulate the pressure of the positive pressurized fluid;
• providing a vacuum generated by the pressurized fluid to vacuum converter to a vacuum driven surgical instrument;
• continuously monitoring a level of vacuum provided to the vacuum driven surgical instrument;
• producing a first signal corresponding to the vacuum level to the surgical instrument;
• producing a second signal corresponding to a desired vacuum level to be provided to the surgical instrument;
• comparing the instantaneous and contemporaneous first and second signals;
• producing a third signal to drive the pressure regulator, the third signal corresponding to the comparison of the first and second signals.