Feedback control in an ultrasonic surgical instrument for improved tissue effects
AssigneeEthicon Endo-Surgery, Inc.
InventorsDavid A. Witt, Jerome R. Morgan, Foster B. Stulen, James R. Giordano
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A temperature or impedance sensing device monitors the tissue temperature or impedance at the end-effector of a therapeutic ultrasonic cutting and coagulating instrument as the tissue is being heated with ultrasonic vibrations from the end-effector. One or more sensors are located at the end-effector, preferably on a clamping member. The signals from the sensors provide feedback to control circuitry and a device for selecting a function of the instrument for either cutting mode or coagulating mode.
Claims19
An ultrasonic surgical instrument comprising:
- a shaft having a distal end;
- an end-effector located at a distal end of said shaft, said end-effector comprising:
- a tissue contacting surface, at least a portion of said tissue contacting surface being energy conductive, to heat tissue in contact with said energy conductive portion;
- a clamp arm rotatably mounted at said distal end of said shaft, said clamp arm comprising:
- a clamp pad, said clamp pad comprising a temperature-measuring device arranged to measure the temperature of tissue being treated by said energy conductive portion and to produce a temperature signal representative of the measured temperature;
- a signal processing device coupled to said temperature-measuring device, said signal processing device arranged to receive the temperature signal from said temperature-measuring device;
- said signal processing device comprising a switch arranged to select between a first functional mode of said ultrasonic surgical instrument and a second functional mode of said ultrasonic surgical instrument.
An ultrasonic surgical instrument comprising:
- a tissue contacting surface, at least a portion of said tissue contacting surface being energy conductive;
- a temperature-measuring device arranged to measure the temperature of tissue being treated by said energy conductive portion and to produce a temperature signal representative of the measured temperature;
- and
- a signal processing device for receiving said temperature signal, said signal processing device controlling a first functional mode of said ultrasonic surgical instrument and a second functional mode of said ultrasonic surgical instrument.
An ultrasonic surgical instrument comprising:
- a tissue contacting surface, at least a portion of said tissue contacting surface being electrically conductive;
- an impedance-measuring device arranged to measure the electrical impedance of tissue being treated by said electrically conductive portion and to produce an impedance signal representative of the measured electrical impedance;
- and
- a signal processing device coupled to said impedance-measuring device, said signal processing device arranged to receive the impedance signal from said impedance-measuring device, said signal processing device controlling a first functional mode of said ultrasonic surgical instrument and a second functional mode of said ultrasonic surgical instrument.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.