Ultrasonic transducer tissue selectivity
Inventors
Cotter, Daniel J. • Manandhar, Prakash • Allen, Nicholas • Gupta, Saurav V.
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-12193697-B2
Publication Date
2025-01-14
Expiration Date
Abstract
Some implementations provide a high-powered compact ultrasonic transducer having an integral piezoelectric ceramic force sensing element utilized to enable enhanced tissue selectivity with a piezoelectric based transducer. Some implementations additionally or alternatively relate to methods and apparatus for driving ultrasonic surgical devices, such as methods and apparatus that modulate an amplitude of a drive signal, provided to an ultrasonic surgical device, in accordance with a selected tissue selectivity level. For example, the amplitude of the drive signal for a given tissue selectivity level can be varied with time in accordance with amplitude modification parameters that are particularized to the given tissue selectivity level. Some of those implementations additionally implement a corresponding duty cycle, for the drive signal, that corresponds to the selected tissue selectivity level.
Core Innovation
The invention is an ultrasonic surgical apparatus for performing a surgical procedure at a surgical site. The apparatus includes a handpiece with at least one drive ceramic disposed in the handpiece, where the drive ceramic is electrically coupled to at least one controller that selectively generates dynamic output to drive the drive ceramic. The drive ceramic generates corresponding ultrasonic waves in response to being driven, and a surgical tip mechanically coupled to the drive ceramic transmits the ultrasonic waves to the surgical site.
The handpiece also includes at least one sense ceramic disposed in the handpiece to provide a sense electrical output that corresponds to deflection of the surgical tip. The controller generates the dynamic output at each control cycle based on the sense electrical output at the control cycle. The controller controls an amplitude of the dynamic output in accordance with a corresponding amplitude modification parameter for the control cycle, using a currently selected tissue selectivity level.
The disclosure further describes generating a feedback-based reference drive signal using sense-ceramic feedback and varying its amplitude over time according to lookup-table amplitude modification parameters and associated duty-cycle parameters tied to discrete tissue selectivity levels.
Claims Coverage
The independent claim coverage is centered on an ultrasonic surgical apparatus that uses sense-ceramic deflection feedback to generate dynamic output each control cycle, while modulating the output amplitude based on an amplitude modification parameter stored in association with a selected tissue selectivity level. The provided claims emphasize a single independent concept, with dependent claims refining the tissue selectivity input and lookup table behavior.
Sense-ceramic deflection feedback with per-control-cycle dynamic output generation
At each control cycle, the controller generates the dynamic output based on the sense electrical output at the control cycle, wherein the sense electrical output corresponds to deflection of the surgical tip provided by the sense ceramic.
Tissue-selectivity-level amplitude modulation of dynamic output
The controller controls an amplitude of the dynamic output in accordance with a corresponding amplitude modification parameter for the control cycle, wherein the corresponding amplitude modification parameter is one of a plurality of amplitude modification parameters stored in association with a currently selected tissue selectivity level.
Drive-ceramic generation of ultrasonic waves for surgical-site delivery
The at least one drive ceramic electrically coupled to the controller generates corresponding ultrasonic waves in response to being driven by the dynamic output, and the surgical tip mechanically coupled to the at least one drive ceramic transmits the ultrasonic waves to the surgical site.
Across the provided claims, the core inventive structure is an ultrasonic surgical apparatus that combines drive ceramic ultrasonic-wave generation with sense ceramic deflection feedback, and it uses a controller to generate dynamic output on a control-cycle basis while modulating the amplitude of that output using amplitude modification parameters associated with a currently selected tissue selectivity level.
Stated Advantages
Improved low-amplitude linearity.
Better reserve power control at low amplitudes.
Reduced propensity for profuse cavitation by limiting cycles above a cavitation threshold.
Vessel and brain-tissue preservation under selectivity settings as demonstrated in user/surgeon testing.
Documented Applications
User testing demonstrating vessel preservation under selectivity settings using bovine liver vessels.
User testing demonstrating brain-tissue preservation under selectivity settings using a goat brain glioma model.
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