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Assignees
Member
Fulmer InstrumentsFulmer Instruments is a medical device company based in Alabama developing handheld, cordless surgical instruments focused on replacing outdated, corded operating room technology. With a core commitment to human-centered design, engineering, and advanced manufacturing, the company aims to provide tools that empower healthcare professionals with intuitive, reliable, and precise devices. Their innovation seeks to address critical clinical needs by enabling surgical precision and improving safety and workflow in challenging environments, both in hospitals and austere field settings. Fulmer Instruments leverages Alabama's engineering and manufacturing ecosystem and is in pre-clinical development, pursuing regulatory clearance.
Fulmer Instruments is a medical device company based in Alabama developing handheld, cordless surgical instruments focused on replacing outdated, corded operating room technology. With a core commitment to human-centered design, engineering, and advanced manufacturing, the company aims to provide tools that empower healthcare professionals with intuitive, reliable, and precise devices. Their innovation seeks to address critical clinical needs by enabling surgical precision and improving safety and workflow in challenging environments, both in hospitals and austere field settings. Fulmer Instruments leverages Alabama's engineering and manufacturing ecosystem and is in pre-clinical development, pursuing regulatory clearance.
Publication Number
US-11147609-B2
Publication Date
2021-10-19
Expiration Date
Abstract
A cordless surgical knife comprises an enclosure and a blade extending from the enclosure. The enclosure contains a differential amplifier circuit configured to provide an RF signal, an output monitor feedback circuit, a return monitor feedback circuit, and a microprocessor that receives data from the feedback circuits and adjusts the RF signal. The enclosure contains a receiving antenna that is operable to receive a wireless signal associated with the RF signal from tissue of a patient. A transmitting antenna may be in electrical contact with tissue of the patient and transmit the wireless signal. Optionally, both the receiving antenna and transmitting antenna include at least two separate inductive circuits aligned on different planes, or each of the receiving antenna and the transmitting antennas is encapsulated inside an enclosure floating in a liquid so that the antennas are aligned by gravity.
Core Innovation
The invention is a cordless, battery-powered surgical cutting device implementing closed-loop RF control. A differential amplifier provides an RF signal to a blade while an output monitor feedback circuit and a return monitor feedback circuit supply frequency and amplitude data to a microprocessor. The microprocessor adjusts at least one of a voltage, the frequency, and the waveform of the RF signal to maintain target current and tissue effects such as cut and coagulate.
The device completes the return path via electrostatic/RF coupling using a receiving antenna in the handpiece and a transmitting antenna, tuned conductive pad, or signal amplifier on the patient, with embodiments including multiple orthogonal inductive coils and liquid/weighted inner enclosures that gravity-align inductors to maximize coupling. Safety and control features include current sensing and threshold shutdown, selectable operating modes for cut and coagulation, and embodiments for passive or active signal amplifiers on the patient.
Claims Coverage
Overview: Three independent claims are present and eight main inventive features are extracted from those claims.
Blade operably coupled to a receiving antenna
A blade with an edge for contacting tissue that is operably coupled to a receiving antenna, as recited in the independent claim language.
Signal amplifier in electrical contact with tissue and transmitting antenna
A signal amplifier placed in electrical contact with tissue of the patient and with a transmitting antenna that transmits a wireless signal to the receiving antenna at a certain frequency and waveform.
Differential amplifier configured to provide an RF signal to the blade
A differential amplifier circuit configured to provide an RF signal having a voltage and a current to the blade at a certain frequency and waveform.
Output monitor feedback circuit monitoring frequency and amplitude data
An output monitor feedback circuit that monitors frequency and amplitude data from the differential amplifier circuit associated with the RF signal.
Return monitor feedback circuit monitoring frequency and amplitude data from tissue or wireless signal
A return monitor feedback circuit that monitors frequency and amplitude data from the tissue of the patient or from a wireless signal from the tissue containing frequency and amplitude data.
Microprocessor adjusting voltage, frequency, and waveform based on monitors
A microprocessor that receives the frequency and amplitude data from the output monitor and from the return monitor and adjusts at least one of the voltage, the frequency and the waveform of the RF signal provided by the differential amplifier.
Receiving antenna operable to receive wireless tissue data
A receiving antenna operable to receive a wireless signal from tissue of the patient, wherein the wireless signal contains frequency and amplitude data from the tissue associated with the RF signal.
Enclosure containing amplifier, receiving antenna, and blade extension
An enclosure with a blade extending from the enclosure, the enclosure containing the differential amplifier circuit, output monitor, receiving antenna, return monitor, and microprocessor as recited in the independent claims.
The independent claims collectively describe a closed-loop surgical RF apparatus in which a blade and receiving antenna interact with a transmitting antenna or signal amplifier on the patient, output and return monitors capture frequency and amplitude data, and a microprocessor adjusts voltage, frequency, or waveform of an RF differential amplifier; additional claimed features include enclosure-based implementations and specific antenna packaging and multi-axis inductive arrangements.
Stated Advantages
Closed-loop control to maintain target current and tissue effects including cut and coagulate.
Cordless, battery-powered operation of the amplifier, monitors, and microprocessor within an enclosure.
Wireless return path via electrostatic/RF coupling between a patient-mounted transmitting antenna or conductive pad and a handpiece receiving antenna.
Antenna and packaging embodiments to maximize coupling and maintain inductive element orientation, and safety features including current sensing and threshold shutdown.
Documented Applications
Operating the blade in a cutting mode to cut tissue.
Operating the blade in a coagulation mode to coagulate tissue.
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