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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is a medical device company based in Alabama developing handheld, cordless surgical instruments focused on replacing outdated, corded operating room technology.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is a medical device company based in Alabama developing handheld, cordless surgical instruments focused on replacing outdated, corded operating room technology.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-12239357-B2
Publication Date
2025-03-04
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
A cordless handheld surgical cutting device drives a blade using a differential amplifier providing an RF signal with voltage and current at a certain frequency and waveform. The input is tunable to increase coupling with the signal source in response to changes in the RF signal or in the tissue contacted by the blade, and the enclosure includes output and return monitor feedback circuits and a microprocessor that adjusts voltage, frequency and waveform.
The device closes the current loop via an onboard electromagnetic pickup (receiving antenna) or via a patient-affixed transmitting pad. The input comprises a receiving antenna or a wire coupled to a pad in electrical contact with tissue of the patient, the received signal contains frequency and amplitude data from the tissue associated with the RF signal, and a pad includes an amplifier coupled to the transmitting antenna while a receiving antenna contains an inductive element maintained in a constant orientation relative to gravity.
Claims Coverage
The independent claims disclose 11 inventive features across the claimed surgical devices.
Handheld enclosure configured to be maneuverable as a surgical instrument
A handheld enclosure configured to be maneuverable as a surgical instrument.
Blade extending from said enclosure for contacting tissue of a patient
A blade extending from the enclosure, the blade for contacting tissue of a patient.
Differential amplifier circuit providing 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.
Tunable input receiving frequency and amplitude data from tissue-associated signal
An input configured to receive a signal from a signal source in contact with tissue of the patient, wherein the received signal contains frequency and amplitude data from the tissue associated with the RF signal and wherein the input is tunable to increase coupling with the signal source in response to changes in the RF signal or in the tissue with which the blade is brought into contact.
Receiving antenna and transmitting antenna coupled to a pad in electrical contact with the patient
An input comprising a receiving antenna configured to receive a signal from a signal source comprising a transmitting antenna coupled to a pad in electrical contact with tissue of the patient.
Input comprising a wire coupled to a pad in electrical contact with the patient
An input comprising a wire configured to receive a signal from a signal source comprising a pad coupled to the wire and in electrical contact with tissue of the patient.
Return monitor feedback circuit coupled to the input
A return monitor feedback circuit coupled to the input that is configured to monitor the frequency and amplitude data in the received signal.
Microprocessor configured to adjust voltage, frequency or waveform
A microprocessor coupled to the return monitor or output monitor that is configured, in response thereto, to adjust at least one of the voltage, frequency and waveform of the RF signal provided by the differential amplifier.
Output monitor feedback circuit monitoring frequency and amplitude from the differential amplifier
An output monitor feedback circuit that is configured to monitor frequency and amplitude data from the differential amplifier circuit associated with the RF signal.
Pad including an amplifier coupled to the transmitting antenna
A pad that further includes an amplifier coupled to the transmitting antenna.
Receiving antenna containing an inductive element maintained in a constant orientation relative to gravity
A receiving antenna that contains an inductive element in an antenna enclosure configured to keep the inductive element at a constant orientation relative to the direction of gravitational forces.
The inventive features center on a maneuverable handheld enclosure with a blade driven by a differential RF amplifier, a tunable input that receives tissue-associated frequency and amplitude data via wired or antenna/pad coupling, feedback monitor circuits, a microprocessor that adjusts RF drive parameters, and patient-side and antenna stabilization features.
Stated Advantages
Cordless operation.
Improved maneuverability.
Adjustable, tissue-selective cutting.
Safety interlocks.
Documented Applications
A handheld surgical cutting device for contacting tissue of a patient.
Selecting optimum tissue frequencies or inhibiting operation on undesired tissues.
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