Ethicon Endo-surgery, Inc.

Cilag International Gmbh

Ethicon, Gmbh

Asp Global Manufacturing Gmbh

Kenneth S Kramer

Eitan T Wiener

Ashvani K Madan

Kevin L Houser

Foster B Stulen

Matthew C Miller

Joseph E Young

Aaron C Voegele

Michael R Lamping

Stephen E Eichmann

William T Donofrio

Samuel Jackson Rhodes

Stephanie J Muir

Francis S Proch

Karen K Isaacs

Karen M Kowalski

Sudeep N Dutta

A surgical device. The surgical device may comprise a transducer, an end effector, a generator and a control circuit. The transducer may be configured to provide vibrations. The end effector may be coupled to the transducer and may extend from the transducer along the longitudinal axis. The generator may provide an electrical signal to the transducer. Also, the control circuit may modify a current amplitude of the electrical signal in response to a change in a vibration frequency of the end effector. Accordingly to various embodiments, the control circuit may detect a first contribution to a vibration frequency of the end effector, the first contribution originating from tissue in contact with the end effector. Also, according to various embodiments, the control circuit may indicate a change in a vibration frequency of the end effector.

Surgical instruments

An ultrasonic surgical system is disclosed comprising a surgical instrument and a wrench assembly. The surgical instrument comprises a handle assembly and a body member pivotably coupled to the handle assembly. The handle assembly comprises a first finger grip, an ultrasonic blade, and a waveguide extending proximally from the ultrasonic blade. The body member comprises a second finger grip, a clamp arm movable relative to the ultrasonic blade to capture tissue therebetween, a first body surface defined on a first side of the body member, and a second body surface defined on a second side of the body member. The wrench assembly comprises a wrench and an adapter operably coupled to the wrench. The adapter comprises a first wrench surface configured to engage the first body surface and a second wrench surface configured to engage the second body surface.

Ultrasonic device for cutting and coagulating

A reprocessing case may be used to assist in reprocessing an instrument, such as an endoscope in an automated reprocessor. The reprocessing case may include various features such that the case may include and be transitioned between a closed configuration, an open configuration, and a disinfection configuration. In particular the reprocessor may transition the case to a disinfection configuration during a reprocessing procedure.

Reprocessing case

An ultrasonic surgical instrument is disclosed including an ultrasonic blade, an ultrasonic transducer operably coupled to the ultrasonic blade, and a control circuit. The ultrasonic transducer is configured to transmit ultrasonic vibrations to the ultrasonic blade based on a drive signal. The control circuit is configured to provide the drive signal to the ultrasonic transducer, monitor a vibration frequency of the drive signal, and modify the drive signal based on a change in the vibration frequency of the drive signal.

Apparatus and method to permit selective cutting and coagulation required in fine and delicate surgical procedures. The apparatus includes two body members having proximal ends and distal ends with jaw members located adjacent the body member's distal ends. The body members are joined at a pivot located adjacent to the first and second jaw members joining the first and second body members where the body members' rotation about the pivot defines a plane of rotation. The scissors are adapted for selective application of energy to at least one jaw member by a switch located in the plane of rotation.

An ultrasonic surgical instrument is disclosed including a transducer, an ultrasonic blade operably coupled to the transducer, and a control circuit. The control circuit is configured to provide a drive signal to the transducer to cause the transducer to transmit ultrasonic vibrations to the ultrasonic blade, detect a change in a vibration frequency of the ultrasonic blade based at least in part on a change in a frequency of the drive signal, wherein the change in the vibration frequency of the ultrasonic blade corresponds to a tissue condition of tissue treated with the ultrasonic blade, and modify the drive signal in response to the tissue condition.

A method for calculating the capacitance of a transducer (C) without knowing the exact resonance frequency of a transducer/blade combination is achieved by sweeping across a broad frequency range which contains resonant and non-resonant frequencies where Ccan be measured. A pre-defined frequency range is set independently of the resonance frequency of a specific transducer/blade combination. Cof the transducer/blade is measured at several different frequencies within the pre-defined frequency range to ensure that invalid Cmeasurements are disregarded, and the temperature of the transducer is calculated based on valid Cmeasurements. The determined transducer temperature, based on Cmeasurements, can be used to optimize performance and/or provide a safety shutdown mechanism for the generator.

Method for calculating transducer capacitance to determine transducer temperature

An ultrasonic surgical hand piece is caused to be driven with an output displacement that is correlated with the phase margin, which is the difference of the resonant frequency and the anti-resonant frequency of the hand piece. A frequency sweep is conducted to find the resonant frequency and the anti-resonant frequency for the hand piece. The resonant frequency is measured at a point during the frequency sweep where the impedance of the hand piece is at its minimum. The anti-resonant frequency is measured at a point during the frequency sweep where the impedance of the hand piece is at its maximum. Using a target or specific output displacement, a drive current is calculated based on the phase margin which is the difference between the resonant frequency and the anti-resonant frequency. The hand piece is caused to be driven with the output displacement, by accordingly controlling the current output from a generator console for driving the hand piece.

Output displacement control using phase margin in an ultrasonic surgical hand piece

Ultrasonic instruments, and particularly solid core ultrasonic instruments, are advantageous because they may be used to cut and/or coagulate organic tissue using energy in the form of mechanical vibrations transmitted to a surgical end-effector at ultrasonic frequencies. The present invention provides a surgical instrument including force feedback system, in a closed loop arrangement that modulates the force applied to tissue from a surgical instrument. A generator provides electrical energy to the surgical instrument and an electrical signal representative of the generator load. The surgical instrument includes a handle that includes an actuating lever, and an end-effector located at the distal end of the handle. A force responsive element is operatively coupled to the actuating lever and the end-effector, wherein the force responsive element is adapted to alter a force on the end-effector in response to the electrical signal from the generator.

Growing community of inventors

Trabuco Canyon, CA, United States of America

Kenneth S Kramer