Medical device and method for controlling the same including discriminating end-of-cut conditions based on temperature
Inventors
TAKAMI, Sadayoshi • Nakamura, Kotaro • KATSURAGI, Toshifumi • Kato, Gen • Moriwaki, Shohei • Matsui, Shunsuke
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-12274466-B2
Publication Date
2025-04-15
Expiration Date
Abstract
A medical device and a method of operating the same are provided. In a method of operating a medical device for ultrasonic treatment, the medical device including an ultrasonic instrument having a vibration transmission member that vibrates ultrasonically, a power source configured to supply electric energy to the ultrasonic instrument, and a processor including a control unit operably connected to the power source, the method includes: controlling supply of the electric energy to the ultrasonic instrument, obtaining a temperature value related to a temperature of the vibration transmission member, the vibration transmission member being separate from a transducer, and controlling the power source to reduce or stop the supply of electric energy of the power source based on the rate of change of the temperature value.
Core Innovation
The invention relates to controlling a supply of electric energy to an ultrasonic instrument for ultrasonic treatment by monitoring a temperature value of a vibration transmission member and using a temperature increase rate per unit time. A first peak is detected at which the temperature increase rate changes from generally increasing to generally decreasing, and the power source reduces or stops supplying electric energy when the period in which the temperature increase rate decreases after the first peak is longer than a threshold value.
The invention further determines a peak value among a plurality of temperature rate change values corresponding to the temperature increase rate per unit time, where the peak value is the largest value among the plurality of temperature rate change values. The peak value is determined to be either a false peak corresponding to an incomplete cut of living tissue or a true peak corresponding to a complete cut of living tissue, and the power source reduces or stops providing power to an ultrasonic oscillator circuit when the peak value is the false peak, while continuing power when the peak value is the true peak.
In addition, embodiments corroborate peak detection and completion determination with ultrasonic impedance and/or integrated temperature. Some embodiments also use force sensing with a strain value proportional to a gripping force to further identify conditions corresponding to completion or incomplete cutting during operation.
Claims Coverage
The independent claims cover three main inventive features: temperature-increase-rate peak detection with a post-peak decreasing period threshold, false-peak versus true-peak classification based on cut completion, and a medical control device implementing the temperature-rate peak logic.
Temperature-increase-rate peak detection for reducing or stopping power
Obtaining a temperature value wherein the temperature value is a temperature increase rate of the vibration transmission member per unit time; detecting a first peak at which the temperature increase rate changes from generally increasing to generally decreasing; and controlling a power source to reduce or stop the supply of electric energy to the ultrasonic instrument if a period in which the temperature increase rate decreases after the first peak is longer than a threshold value.
False-peak versus true-peak classification based on temperature-rate peak and cut completion
Calculating a plurality of temperature rate change values corresponding to a temperature increase rate per unit time based on a temperature of a vibration transmission member; identifying a peak value among the plurality of temperature rate change values where the peak value is a largest value among the plurality of temperature rate change values; determining whether the peak value is a false peak corresponding to an incomplete cut of living tissue or a true peak corresponding to a complete cut of living tissue; controlling a power source to reduce or stop providing power to the ultrasonic oscillator circuit if the peak value is the false peak; and controlling the power source to continue providing power to the ultrasonic oscillator circuit if the peak value is the true peak.
Medical control device using temperature-increase-rate decreasing period after a peak
A processor comprising a control unit operably connected to a power source, the control unit being configured to control a supply of an electric energy to an ultrasonic instrument; obtain a temperature value wherein the temperature value is a temperature increase rate of a vibration transmission member of the ultrasonic instrument per unit time; detect a peak value at which the temperature increase rate changes from generally increasing to generally decreasing; and control the power source to reduce or stop the supply of the electric energy to the ultrasonic instrument if a period in which the temperature increase rate decreases after the peak value is longer than a threshold value.
Across the independent claims, the invention centers on detecting peaks in a temperature increase rate of the vibration transmission member and controlling the power source based on whether a thresholded post-peak decreasing period indicates reduced energy is needed, or whether the largest temperature-rate peak is classified as a false peak or true peak to respectively reduce or stop or continue ultrasonic power.
Stated Advantages
Reduces or stops electric energy to the ultrasonic instrument when a post-peak decreasing period of the temperature increase rate is longer than a threshold value.
Controls the power source to stop or reduce power for a false peak corresponding to an incomplete cut of living tissue and to continue power for a true peak corresponding to a complete cut of living tissue.
Corroborates peak detection and peak validity using ultrasonic impedance and/or integrated temperature values.
Uses a force sensor and strain value to reduce or stop electrical power to the ultrasonic vibration when the strain value changes beyond a specified strain threshold.
Documented Applications
Operating an ultrasonic medical device for ultrasonic treatment of living tissue by determining completion of a cut based on temperature increase rate peak behavior.
An ultrasonic treatment system including a controller, an actuation switch, and a treatment instrument with an end-effector for grasping and treating living tissue, where the controller applies the temperature-rate peak-based power control.
An ultrasonic treatment system using force sensing with a strain value proportional to user gripping force to reduce or stop electrical power to the ultrasonic vibration when the strain threshold is exceeded.
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