Identification device for surgical instrument
AssigneeEthicon Endo-Surgery, Inc.
InventorsAnthony A. Boiarski, Mark T. Byrne, Warren P. Williamson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A device is provided for identifying certain characteristics of an end piece or end effector of a surgical instrument. A preferred embodiment provides a surgical stapling instrument having an electrical circuit contained on the stapling cartridge which is capable of indicating cartridge type and/or status (i.e., with or without staples) when a voltage or current is applied to the circuit. Other identification means are provided including an optical identification means.
Claims6
A surgical instrument comprising a handle detachably coupled to an end piece and an optical means for detecting at least one end piece characteristic;
- wherein said optical means includes:
- a light source associated with said handle;
- a light guide associated with said end piece, said light guide having at least one property corresponding to at least one characteristic of said end piece;
- a sensor associated with said handle for sensing light output from said light guide;
- wherein said light guide is constructed to have a preselected index of refractions;
- and
- wherein said at least one said property includes said preselected index of refraction.
A surgical instrument comprising a handle detachably coupled to an end piece and an optical means for detecting at least one end piece characteristic;
- wherein said optical means includes:
- a light source associated with said handle;
- a light guide associated with said end piece, said light guide having at least one property corresponding to at least one characteristic of said end piece;
- a sensor associated with said handle for sensing light output from said light guide;
- wherein said light guide is constructed to have a predetermined specific light attenuation;
- and
- wherein said at least one property includes said specific attenuation.
A surgical instrument comprising a handle detachably coupled to an end piece and an optical means for detecting at least one end piece characteristic;
- and
- wherein said optical means for detecting at least one end piece characteristic includes an optical path and an optical path interruption means for physically interrupting transmission of light through said optical path to indicate an instrument state.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.