System and method for calibrating a surgical instrument

#The present invention relates to a system and method for calibrating a surgical instrument. More particularly, the present invention relates to a system and method for calibrating the movement of components of a surgical instrument.

#Surgeons utilize various surgical instruments for performing surgical procedures. One surgical instrument commonly used is a surgical linear clamping and stapling instrument. Such a stapler is typically used for joining and repairing tissue. Another type of surgical instrument is a circular stapler, used to perform a circular anastomosis. These staplers, and many other types of surgical instruments, usually includes components that move relative to each other. For instance, a stapler may have a body portion that stores staples and an anvil. During a stapling procedure, the anvil is caused to move toward the body portion in order to clamp a section of tissue. When the section of tissue is adequately clamped between the body portion and the anvil, staples stored in the body portion are driven into the tissue and closed against the anvil. In order to ensure that the section of tissue is adequately clamped, and to ensure that the staples are properly closed, the relative positions of the components of the stapler, e.g., the body portion and the anvil, should to be known by the user of the stapler device.

#U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/723,715 filed on Nov. 28, 2000, which is incorporated in its entirety herein by reference, describes an electro-mechanical surgical system which includes a motor system, a control system and a remote control unit. A surgical instrument (e.g., a surgical attachment such as a surgical stapler) connects either fixedly or detachably to a distal end of a flexible shaft. A proximal end of the flexible shaft connects to a housing which encloses the motor system. Rotatable drive shafts are disposed with the flexible shaft and are rotated by the motor system. The remote control unit enables a user to control the motor system in accordance with software corresponding to the surgical instrument connected to the flexible shaft.

#FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an electro-mechanical surgical system, according to one example embodiment of the present invention;

#FIG. 2 is a diagram that shows schematically an electro-mechanical surgical system, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

#FIG. 3(a) is a diagram that illustrates schematically a memory unit in a surgical instrument, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

#FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an electro-mechanical surgical system 10, according to one example embodiment of the present invention. The electro-mechanical surgical system 10 may include, for example, a remote power console 12, which includes a housing 14 having a front panel 15. Mounted on the front panel 15 are a display device 16 and indicators 18a, 18b. A flexible shaft 20 may extend from the housing 14 and may be detachably secured thereto via a first coupling 22. The distal end 24 of the flexible shaft 20 may include a second coupling 26 adapted to detachably secure a surgical instrument 100, e.g., a surgical attachment, to the distal end 24 of flexible shaft 20. Alternatively, the distal end 24 of the flexible shaft 20 may be adapted to fixedly secure the surgical instrument 100 to the distal end 24 of flexible shaft 20. The surgical instrument 100 may be, for example, a surgical stapler, a surgical cutter, a surgical stapler-cutter, a linear surgical stapler, a linear surgical stapler-cutter, a circular surgical stapler, a circular surgical stapler-cutter, a surgical clip applier, a surgical clip ligator, a surgical clamping device, a vessel expanding device, a lumen expanding device, a scalpel, a fluid delivery device or any other type of surgical instrument. Such surgical instruments are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,315,184, entitled “A Stapling Device for Use with an Electromechanical Driver Device for Use with Anastomosing, Stapling, and Resecting Instruments,” U.S. Pat. No. 6,443,973, entitled “Electromechanical Driver Device for Use with Anastomosing, Stapling, and Resecting Instruments,” U.S. Pat. No. 6,264,087, entitled “Automated Surgical Stapling System,” U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/510,926, entitled “A Vessel and Lumen Expander Attachment for Use with an Electromechanical Driver Device,” U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/510,927, entitled “Electromechanical Driver and Remote Surgical Instruments Attachment Having Computer Assisted Control Capabilities,” U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/510,931, entitled “A Tissue Stapling Attachment for Use with an Electromechanical Driver Device,” U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/510,932, entitled “A Fluid Delivery Mechanism for Use with Anastomosing, Stapling, and Resecting Instruments,” and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/510,933, entitled “A Fluid Delivery Device for Use with Anastomosing, Stapling, and Resecting Instruments,” each of which is expressly incorporated herein in its entirety by reference thereto.

#The remote power console 12 also includes a motor 1010 for driving the surgical instrument 100. In one example embodiment, the motor 1010 couples to the surgical instrument 100 via a rotatable drive shaft 630 within the flexible shaft 20. As the drive shaft 630 rotates, a first component 100a of the surgical instrument 100 moves relative to a second component 100b of the surgical instrument 100. For instance, depending on the type of surgical instrument that is used, actuation via the rotatable drive shaft 630 of the first component 100a relative to the second component 100b may, for example, include opening or closing a clamp, moving a cutting edge and/or firing staples or any other type of movement. Examples of such a remote power console 12 is described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/723,715, entitled “Electro-Mechanical Surgical Device,” and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/836,781, entitled “Electro-Mechanical Surgical Device,” each of which is expressly incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. The power console 12 may also include a processor 1020.

#FIG. 2 is a diagram that shows schematically the electro-mechanical surgical system 10, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. The processor 1020 may be disposed in the remote power console 12, and is configured to control various functions and operations of the electro-mechanical surgical system 10. A memory unit 130 is provided and may include memory devices, such as, a ROM component 132 and/or a RAM component 134 for storing programs or algorithms employed by the processor 1020. The ROM component 132 is in electrical and logical communication with processor 1020 via line 136, and the RAM component 134 is in electrical and logical communication with processor 1020 via line 138. The RAM component 134 may include any type of random-access memory, such as, for example, a magnetic memory device, an optical memory device, a magneto-optical memory device, an electronic memory device, etc. Similarly, the ROM component 132 may include any type of read-only memory, such as, for example, a removable memory device, such as a PC-Card or PCMCIA-type device. It should be appreciated that the ROM component 132 and the RAM component 134 may be embodied as a single unit or may be separate units and that the ROM component 132 and/or the RAM component 134 may be provided in the form of a PC-Card or PCMCIA-type device.