Surgical system and method for instrument evaluation and cleaning

Abstract

A method for determining the recovery ability of at least one mechanism of a surgical instrument includes establishing communication with the surgical instrument, assisting the operation of the surgical instrument during a procedure, acquiring data related to the surgical instrument, evaluating the data acquired in relation to the surgical instrument to determine a digital evaluation of the impact on the performance of at least one mechanism of the surgical instrument, and determining the recovery ability of at least one mechanism of the surgical instrument based on the digital evaluation.

Description

Background Art

[0001] Various ultrasonic surgical instruments include an end effector having a blade element that vibrates at ultrasonic frequencies to cut and / or seal tissue (e.g., by denaturing proteins within the tissue cells). These instruments include one or more piezoelectric elements that convert electrical power into ultrasonic vibrations, and these vibrations are transmitted along an acoustic waveguide to the blade element. Examples of ultrasonic surgical instruments and related concepts are disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006 / 0079874, entitled "Tissue Pad for Use with an Ultrasonic Surgical Instrument," published Apr. 13, 2006, now abandoned, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2007 / 0191713, entitled "Ultrasonic Device for Cutting and Coagulating," published Aug. 16, 2007, now abandoned, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety; and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2008 / 0200940, entitled "Ultrasonic Device for Cutting and Coagulating," published Aug. 21, 2008, now abandoned, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0002] Some instruments are operable to seal tissue by applying radiofrequency (RF) electrosurgical energy to the tissue. Examples of such devices and related concepts are disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 7,354,440, entitled "Electrosurgical Instrument and Method of Use," issued Apr. 8, 2008, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety; and U.S. Patent No. 7,381,209, entitled "Electrosurgical Instrument," issued Jun. 3, 2008, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0003] Some instruments are capable of applying both ultrasonic energy and RF electrosurgical energy to tissue. Examples of such instruments are U.S. Patent No. 9,949,785, entitled "Ultrasonic Surgical Instrument with Electrosurgical Feature," issued April 24, 2018, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety; U.S. Patent No. 8,663,220, entitled "Ultrasonic Electrosurgical Instruments," issued March 4, 2014, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety; U.S. Patent No. 10,835,307, entitled "Modular Battery Powered Handheld Surgical Instrument Containing Elongated Multi-Layered Shaft," issued November 17, 2020, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety; and U.S. Patent No. 11,229,471, entitled "Modular Battery Powered Handheld Surgical Instrument with Selective Application of Energy Based on Tissue Characterization," issued January 25, 2022, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0004] In some scenarios, it may be preferable to directly grip and manipulate a surgical instrument by one or more hands of one or more human operators. Additionally, or alternatively, it may be preferable to have a surgical instrument that is controlled via a robotic surgical system. Examples of robotic surgical systems and related instruments are U.S. Patent No. 10,624,709, entitled "Robotic Surgical Tool with Manual Release Lever", published on May 2, 2019, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety; U.S. Patent No. 9,314,308, entitled "Robotic Ultrasonic Surgical Device With Articulating End Effector", issued on April 19, 2016, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety; U.S. Patent No. 9,125,662, entitled "Multi-Axis Articulating and Rotating Surgical Tools", issued on September 8, 2015, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety; U.S. Patent No. 8,820,605, entitled "Robotically-Controlled Surgical Instruments", issued on September 2, 2014, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2019 / 0201077, entitled "Interruption of Energy Due to Inadvertent Capacitive Coupling", published on July 4, 2019, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2012 / 0292367, entitled "Robotically-Controlled End Effector", published on November 11, 2012, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety; and U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 556,661, entitled "Ultrasonic Surgical Instrument with a Multi-Planar Articulating Shaft Assembly", filed on August 30, 2019, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0005] Such instruments and robotic surgical systems may further be incorporated into a surgical system for performing procedures in a surgical environment such as an operating room or surgical suite within a medical facility. The sterile field is typically created around the patient and may include appropriately gowned, scrubbed, and washed medical personnel, as well as desired furniture and / or fixtures. Examples of such surgical systems and related mechanisms are disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2019 / 0201046, entitled "Method for Controlling Smart Energy Devices," published on July 4, 2019, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2019 / 0201080, entitled "Ultrasonic Energy Device Which Varies Pressure Applied by Clamp Arm to Provide Threshold Control Pressure at a Cut Progression Location," published on July 4, 2019, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2019 / 0201091, entitled "Radio Frequency Energy Device for Delivering Combined Electrical Signals," published on July 4, 2019, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2019 / 0274717, entitled "Methods for Controlling Temperature in Ultrasonic Device," published on September 12, 2019, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety; and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2019 / 0207857, entitled "Surgical Network Determination of Prioritization of Communication, Interaction, or Processing Based on System or Device Needs," published on July 4, 2019, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0006] Although several surgical instruments and systems have been made and used, it is believed that no one prior to the inventors has made or used the invention described in the appended claims.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0007] This specification concludes with the claims, which particularly point out and distinctly claim the technology. However, the technology is better understood by reading the following description of certain specific embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals identify like elements.

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 13

Figure 14A

Figure 14B

Figure 15

Figure 16A

Figure 16B

Figure 17

Figure 18

[0008] The drawings are not intended to limit in any way, and it is contemplated that various embodiments of the present technology can be implemented in various other ways, including those not necessarily depicted in the drawings. The accompanying drawings incorporated herein and forming a part of this specification illustrate some aspects of the present technology and, together with the description, explain the principles of the present technology, but it is understood that the present technology is not limited to the exact arrangements shown.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The following description of specific embodiments of the present technology should not be used for the purpose of limiting its scope. Other embodiments, features, aspects, embodiments, and advantages of the present technology will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description, which is one of the best modes contemplated for practicing the present technology by way of example. As will be understood, all the technologies described herein are capable of other different and obvious aspects without departing from the technology. Therefore, the drawings and description should be regarded as illustrative in nature rather than restrictive.

[0010] It should be further understood that any one or more of the teachings, expressions, embodiments, examples, etc. described herein may be combined with any one or more of the other teachings, expressions, embodiments, examples, etc. described herein. Therefore, the teachings, expressions, embodiments, examples, etc. described below should not be considered in isolation from each other. Various suitable ways of combining the teachings of this specification will readily become apparent to those skilled in the art by considering the teachings of this specification. Such modifications and variations are intended to be included within the scope of the claims.

[0011] For the sake of clarity of this disclosure, the terms "proximal" and "distal" are defined herein with respect to an operator of a surgical instrument, whether human or robotic. The term "proximal" means the position of an element that is closer to an operator of a surgical instrument, whether human or robotic, and further away from the surgical end effector of the surgical instrument. The term "distal" means the position of an element that is closer to the surgical end effector of the surgical instrument and further away from an operator of the surgical instrument, whether human or robotic. Additionally, the terms "upper", "lower", "top", "bottom", "upper side", and "lower side" are used with respect to the embodiments and the associated figures and are not intended to unnecessarily limit the invention described herein.

[0012] I. Example of a Surgical System Referring to FIG. 1, a computer-implemented interactive surgical system (100) includes one or more surgical systems (102) and a cloud-based system (e.g., a cloud (104) that may include a remote server (113) coupled to a storage device (105)). Each surgical system (102) in this example may include at least one surgical hub (106) that communicates with a cloud (104) that may include a remote server (113). In one example, as shown in FIG. 1, the surgical system (102) includes a visualization system (108), a robotic system (110), and a handheld intelligent surgical instrument (112), which are configured to communicate with each other and / or with the hub 106. In some aspects, the surgical system (102) may include M hubs (106), N visualization systems (108), O robotic systems (110), and P handheld intelligent surgical instruments (112), where M, N, O, and P are integers greater than or equal to 1. In any case, any suitable combination of the mechanisms provided below may be incorporated into an exemplary surgical system such as the surgical system (100) and used in an operating room to perform a desired surgical procedure, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the teachings herein.

[0013] FIG. 2 shows an example of a surgical system (102) used to perform surgery on a patient lying on an operating table (114) within an operating room (116). A robotic system (110) is used as part of the surgical system 102 in a surgical procedure. The robotic system (110) includes a surgeon's console (118), a patient-side cart (120) (surgical robot), and a surgical robot hub (122). While the surgeon views the surgical site through the console (118), the patient-side cart (120) can manipulate a surgical tool (117) removably coupled to any of a plurality of surgical arms (123) through a minimally invasive incision in the patient's body. An image of the surgical site can be obtained by a medical imaging device (124) operable by the patient-side cart (120) to change the orientation of the imaging device (124). The robot hub (122) can be used to process an image of the surgical site and then display it to the surgeon through the console (118).

[0014] Other types of robotic systems can be readily adapted for use with the surgical system (102). Various examples of robotic systems and surgical tools suitable for use with the present disclosure are described in U.S. Patent Application No. 62 / 611,339, filed on December 28, 2017, entitled "Robot Assisted Surgical Platform", the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0015] Various examples of cloud-based analysis methods executed by the cloud (104) and suitable for use with the present disclosure are described in U.S. Patent Application No. 62 / 611,340, filed on December 28, 2017, entitled "Cloud-Based Medical Analytics", the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0016] In various aspects, the imaging device (124) includes at least one image sensor and one or more optical components. Suitable image sensors include, but are not limited to, charge-coupled device (CCD) sensors and complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) sensors. In various aspects, the imaging device (124) is configured for use in minimally invasive procedures. Examples of imaging devices suitable for use with the present disclosure include, but are not limited to, arthroscopes, angioscopes, bronchoscopes, choledochoscopes, colonoscopes, cystoscopes, duodenoscopes, enteroscopes, esophagogastroduodenoscopes (stomach cameras), endoscopes, laryngoscopes, nasopharyngo-ureteroscopes, sigmoidoscopes, thoracoscopes, and ureteroscopes. Some aspects of spectral and multispectral imaging methods are described in detail in the "Advanced Imaging Acquisition Module" of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 611,341, entitled "Interactive Surgical Platform," filed on December 28, 2017, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0017] During any surgical procedure, strict sterilization of the operating room and surgical instruments is required. The strict hygiene and sterilization conditions required in the "operating room," i.e., the operating or treatment room, require the highest possible sterility of all medical devices and instruments. Part of that sterilization process requires sterilizing anything that comes into contact with the patient or penetrates the sterile field. It will be understood that the sterile field can be considered a specific area, such as within a tray or on a sterile towel, that is considered free of microorganisms, or the sterile field can be considered the area immediately surrounding a patient who is prepared for surgery. The sterile field can include properly attired and scrubbed team members, as well as all equipment and fixtures within that area.

[0018] In addition to the introduction of any mechanism of a surgical system (100), furniture, or fixture into a sterile field that requires sterilization, particularly when such a mechanism comes into contact with, or is presumed to have come into contact with, a patient who includes any tissue and / or fluid associated with a surgical procedure, additional complications can arise from the removal of these mechanisms from the sterile field. Such contamination of these mechanisms from the patient often requires special consideration during or after the surgical procedure, particularly when processing these mechanisms for disposal, reuse, or remanufacture as needed. In one example, the surgical system (100) and / or healthcare providers associated with the surgical procedure can be specifically equipped to handle such processing, as described in more detail below.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 2, the primary display (119) is positioned within the sterile field so as to be visible to the operator of the operating table (114). In addition, a visualization tower (111) is positioned outside the sterile field. The visualization tower (111) includes a first non-sterile display (107) and a second non-sterile display (109) facing opposite each other. A visualization system (108) guided by a hub (106) is configured to utilize the displays (107, 109, 119) to coordinate the flow of information to the operators inside and outside the sterile field. For example, the hub (106) can cause the visualization system (108) to display a snapshot of the surgical site recorded by an imaging device (124) on the non-sterile display (107) or (109) while maintaining a live video of the surgical site on the primary display (119). The snapshot on the non-sterile display (107) or display (109) can, for example, permit a non-sterile operator to perform diagnostic steps associated with the surgical procedure.

[0020] In one aspect, the hub (106) is also configured to send diagnostic inputs or feedback entered by a non-sterile operator at the visualization tower (111) to a primary display (119) within the sterile field, where it can be viewed by a sterile operator at the operating table. In one example, the input can be in the form of a modification to a snapshot displayed on the non-sterile display (107) or display (109) that can be sent by the hub (106) to the primary display (119).

[0021] Referring to FIG. 2, the surgical instrument (112) is used as part of a surgical system (102) in a surgical procedure. The hub (106) is also configured to regulate the flow of information to a display of the surgical instrument (112), such as, for example, as described in U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 611,341, entitled "Interactive Surgical Platform," filed on Dec. 28, 2017, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Diagnostic inputs or feedback entered by a non-sterile operator at the visualization tower (111) can be sent by the hub (106) to a surgical instrument display (115) within the sterile field, where it can be viewed by an operator of the surgical instrument (112). Exemplary surgical instruments suitable for use with the surgical system (102) are described, for example, in the "Surgical Instrument Hardware" section of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 611,341, entitled "Interactive Surgical Platform," filed on Dec. 28, 2017, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0022] Referring now to FIG. 3, a hub (106) is shown that communicates with a visualization system (108), a robotic system (110), and a handheld intelligent surgical instrument (112). The hub (106) includes a hub display (135), an imaging module (138), a generator module (140), a communication module (130), a processor module (132), and a storage array (134). In certain aspects, as shown in FIG. 3, the hub (106) further includes a smoke exhaust module (126), a suction / irrigation module (128), and / or an operating room mapping module (133).

[0023] During a surgical procedure, applying energy to tissue for sealing and / or cutting is generally associated with smoke evacuation, suction of excess fluid, and / or irrigation of tissue. Fluid lines, power lines, and / or data lines from different sources often become entangled during a surgical procedure. Valuable time can be lost in addressing this problem during a surgical procedure. To untangle the lines, it may be necessary to disconnect the lines from their corresponding modules, which may require resetting the modules. The hub module enclosure (136) provides an integrated environment for managing power lines, data lines, and fluid lines, reducing the frequency of such line entanglements.

[0024] Referring to FIGS. 3-4, aspects of the present disclosure are presented regarding a hub module type enclosure (136) that enables modular integration of a generator module (140), a flue gas discharge module (126), and a suction / irrigation module (128). The hub module type enclosure (136) further facilitates interactive communication between the modules (140, 126, 128). As shown in FIG. 4, the generator module (140) may be a generator module that includes integrated monopole components, bipolar components, and ultrasonic components, supported within a single housing unit (139) that is slidably insertable into the hub module type enclosure (136). As shown in FIG. 4, the generator module (140) can be configured to connect to a monopole device (146), a bipolar device (147), and an ultrasonic device (148). Alternatively, the generator module (140) may include a series of monopole generator modules, bipolar generator modules, and / or ultrasonic generator modules that interact via the hub module type enclosure (136). The hub module type enclosure (136) can be configured to facilitate the insertion of multiple generators and interactive communication between the generators docked to the hub module type enclosure (136) such that the multiple generators function as a single generator.

[0025] FIG. 5 shows one form of a generator (150) and various surgical instruments (152, 154, 156) that can be used therewith. The surgical instrument (152) is an ultrasonic surgical instrument (152), the surgical instrument (154) is an RF electrosurgical instrument (154), and the multifunctional surgical instrument (156) is an ultrasonic / RF combined electrosurgical instrument (156). The generator (150) can be configured to be used with various surgical instruments. According to various forms, the generator (150) can be configured to be used with various different types of surgical instruments, including, for example, an ultrasonic surgical instrument (152), an RF electrosurgical instrument (154), and a multifunctional surgical instrument (156) that integrates RF energy and ultrasonic energy simultaneously delivered from the generator (150). The generator (150) in this example of FIG. 5 is shown separately from the surgical instruments (152, 154, 156), but the generator (150) may alternatively be formed integrally with any of the surgical instruments (152, 154, 156) to form a single surgical system. The generator (150) includes an input device (158) located on the front panel of the console of the generator (150). The input device (158) can include any suitable device that generates a signal suitable for programming the operation of the generator (150). The generator (150) may be configured for wired or wireless communication.

[0026] The generator (150) of this example is configured to drive a plurality of surgical instruments (152, 154, 156). An example of such a surgical instrument is an ultrasonic surgical instrument (152), which includes a handpiece (160), an ultrasonic transducer 162, a shaft assembly (164), and an end effector (166). The end effector (166) includes an ultrasonic blade (168) and a clamp arm (170) acoustically coupled to the ultrasonic transducer (162). The handpiece (160) includes a trigger (172) for operating the clamp arm (170) and a combination of toggle buttons (173, 174, 175) for supplying and driving energy to the ultrasonic blade (168) or other functions. The toggle buttons (173, 174, 175) can be configured to supply energy to the ultrasonic transducer (162) using the generator (150).

[0027] The generator (150) is also configured to drive another example of a surgical instrument (154). The RF electrosurgical instrument (154) includes a handpiece (176), a shaft assembly (178), and an end effector (180). The end effector (180) includes electrodes within the clamp arms (181, 182) and returns through the electrical conductor portion of the shaft assembly (178). The electrodes are coupled to a bipolar energy source within the generator (150) and are energized by the bipolar energy source. The handpiece (176) includes a trigger (183) for operating the clamp arms (181, 182) and an energy button (184) for activating an energy switch for supplying energy to the electrodes within the end effector (180).

[0028] The generator (150) is also configured to drive a multi-functional surgical instrument (156). The multi-functional surgical instrument (156) includes a handpiece (185), a shaft assembly (186), and an end effector (188). The end effector (188) includes an ultrasonic blade (190) and a clamp arm (192). The ultrasonic blade (190) is acoustically coupled to an ultrasonic transducer (162). The handpiece (185) includes a trigger (194) for operating the clamp arm (192) and a combination of toggle buttons (195, 196, 197) for supplying energy to and driving the ultrasonic blade (190) or other functions. The toggle buttons (195, 196, 197) can be configured to supply energy to the ultrasonic transducer (162) using the generator (150) and, similarly, to supply energy to the ultrasonic blade (190) using a bipolar energy source housed within the generator (150). It will be appreciated that the handpieces (160, 176, 185) may be replaced with robotically controlled instruments for incorporating one or more aspects of the surgical instruments (152, 154, 156). Thus, the term "handpiece" should not be limited to this context and handheld use.

[0029] As used throughout this specification, the term "wireless" and its derivatives may be used to describe circuits, devices, systems, methods, techniques, communication channels, etc. that can communicate data through the use of modulated electromagnetic radiation via a non-solid medium. This term does not mean that the associated devices do not include any wired connections, but in some aspects, they may not exist. The communication module may implement any of several wireless or wired communication standards or protocols, including but not limited to Wi-Fi (IEEE802.11 family), WMAX (IEEE802.16 family), IEEE802.20, long term evolution (LTE), Ev-DO, HSPA+, HSDPA+, HSUPA+, EDGE, GSM, GPRS, CDMA, TDMA, DECT, Bluetooth, their Ethernet derivatives, and any other wireless and wired protocols designated as 3G, 4G, 5G and later. The computing module may include a plurality of communication modules. For example, the first communication module may be dedicated to short-range wireless communication such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and the second communication module may be dedicated to long-range wireless communication such as GPS, EDGE, GPRS, CDMA, WiMAX, LTE, Ev-DO, etc.

[0030] As used in this specification, a processor or processing unit is an electronic circuit that performs operations on some external data source (usually memory) or some other data stream. In this specification, this term is used to refer to the central processor (central processing unit) within a system or computer system (especially a system on a chip (SoC)) that combines many specialized "processors".

[0031] As used herein, a system-on-chip (SoC or SOC) is an integrated circuit (also known as an "IC" or "chip") that integrates all the components of a computer or other electronic system. This can include digital, analog, mixed-signal, and in many cases high-frequency functions, all on a single substrate. An SoC integrates a microcontroller (or microprocessor) with state-of-the-art peripherals such as a graphics processing unit (GPU), Wi-Fi module, or coprocessor. An SoC may or may not include on-chip memory.

[0032] As used herein, a microcontroller or controller is a system that integrates a microprocessor with peripheral circuits and memory. A microcontroller (or MCU of a microcontroller unit) may be implemented as a small computer on a single integrated circuit. This may be similar to an SoC, which may include a microcontroller as one of its components. A microcontroller may house memory and programmable input / output peripherals along with one or more core processing units (CPUs). Program memory in the form of ferroelectric RAM, NOR flash, or OTP ROM and a small amount of RAM are also often included on the chip. A microcontroller can be used for embedded applications, as opposed to microprocessors used in personal computers or other general-purpose applications composed of various discrete chips.

[0033] As used herein, the term controller or microcontroller may be a stand-alone IC or chip device that interfaces with peripheral devices. This may also be the linkage between two parts of a computer or controller on an external device that manages the operation of the device (and connection to the device). A modular device includes a module that can be received within a surgical hub (e.g., as described in connection with FIG. 3), and a surgical device or instrument that can be connected to various modules to connect or pair with a corresponding surgical hub. Examples of modular devices include, for example, intelligent surgical instruments, medical imaging devices, aspiration / irrigation devices, smoke evacuators, energy generators, ventilators, inhalers, and displays. The modular devices described herein can be controlled by a control algorithm. The control algorithm can be executed on the modular device itself, on the surgical hub to which a particular modular device is paired, or on both the modular device and the surgical hub (e.g., via a distributed computing architecture). In some examples, the control algorithm of the modular device controls the device based on data sensed by the modular device itself (i.e., by sensors within, on, or connected to the modular device). This data may be related to the patient during surgery (e.g., tissue characteristics or insufflation pressure), or may be related to the modular device itself (e.g., the speed of a advancing knife, motor current, or energy level). For example, the control algorithms for surgical stapling and cutting instruments can control the speed at which the motor of the instrument drives the knife through the tissue according to the resistance generated by the knife as it advances.

[0034] II. Exemplary Surgical Visualization System Figures 6-7 show a schematic diagram of a surgical visualization system (8010) and a schematic diagram of a control system (8020) that can be used in relation to each other according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure. The surgical visualization system (8010) and the control system (8020) can be easily incorporated into the computer-implemented interactive surgical system (100) described above. For example, the surgical visualization system (8010) may be used in place of the imaging device (124) described above. On the other hand, the control system (8020) may be used in place of the imaging module (138) described above. The surgical visualization system (8010) can create a visual representation of important structures (8011a, 8011b) within an anatomical region.

[0035] The important structures (8011a, 8011b) may be any anatomical structure or foreign structure within any anatomical region of interest. In one aspect, the important structures (8011a, 8011b) may be embedded in tissue. In other words, the important structures (8011a, 8011b) may be positioned below the surface of the tissue. In such cases, the tissue obscures the important structures (8011a, 8011b) from the clinician's view. The important structures (8011a, 8011b) may also be obscured from the field of view of the imaging device by the tissue. The tissue may be, for example, fat, connective tissue, adhesions, and / or organs. In other examples, the important structures (8011a, 8011b) may be partially obscured from the field of view. Shown is a surgical visualization system (8010) that is used during surgery to identify certain important structures, such as the ureter (8011a) that is invisible on the surface (8013) of the organ (8012), and blood vessels (8011b) within the organ (8012) (in this example, the uterus), and to facilitate their avoidance.

[0036] Continuing to refer to FIG. 6, the surgical visualization system (8010) incorporates tissue identification and geometric surface mapping in combination with a distance sensor system (8014). When combined, these features of the surgical visualization system (8010) can determine the location of critical structures (8011a, 8011b) within an anatomical region and / or the proximity of the surgical device (8016) to the surface of the visible tissue (8013) and / or critical structures (8011a, 8011b). The surgical device (8016) may be substantially similar to the surgical instruments / tools (112, 117, 152, 154, 156) described herein. Also, as described herein, the surgical visualization system (8010) may be configured to achieve identification of one or more critical structures (8011a, 8011b) and / or the proximity of the surgical device (8016) to the critical structure(s) (8011a, 8011b).

[0037] Furthermore, the surgical visualization system (8010) includes an imaging system that includes an imaging device (8017), such as a scope camera, configured to provide a real-time view of the surgical site, for example. In various examples, the imaging device (8017) includes a spectral camera (e.g., a hyperspectral camera, a multispectral camera, a fluorescence detection camera, or a selective spectral camera) configured to detect reflected or emitted spectral waveforms and generate a spectral cube of an image based on the molecular response to various wavelengths. The view from the imaging device (8017) can be provided to the clinician and, in various aspects of the present disclosure, can be enhanced with tissue identification, landscape mapping, and additional information based on input from the distance sensor system (8014). In such an example, the surgical visualization system (8010) includes a plurality of subsystems, namely, an imaging subsystem, a surface mapping subsystem, a tissue identification subsystem, and / or a distance determination subsystem. These subsystems can cooperate to provide highly synthesized data and integrated information to the clinician(s) during surgery.

[0038] The imaging device (8017) in this example includes, for example, an emitter (8018) configured to emit spectral light of multiple wavelengths to obtain a spectral image of a hidden structure. The imaging device (8017) may also include, in various examples, a three-dimensional camera and associated electronic processing circuitry. In one aspect, the emitter (8018) is an optical waveform emitter configured to emit electromagnetic radiation (e.g., near-infrared radiation (NIR) photons) that can penetrate the surface (8013) of the tissue (8012) and reach important structures (which may be plural) (8011a, 8011b). The imaging device (8017) and the optical waveform emitter (8018) thereon may be positionable by a surgical arm (123) (see FIG. 2) or by a surgeon manually operating the imaging device (8017). A corresponding waveform sensor (e.g., an image sensor, a spectrometer, or a vibration sensor, etc.) on the imaging device (8017) may be configured to detect the influence of the electromagnetic radiation received by the waveform sensor.

[0039] The wavelength of the electromagnetic radiation emitted from the optical waveform emitter (8018) can be configured to enable the identification of anatomical structures and / or types of body structures such as important structures (which may be plural) (8011a, 8011b). The identification of the important structures (which may be plural) (8011a, 8011b) may be achieved, for example, through spectral analysis, photoacoustics, fluorescence detection, and / or ultrasound. In one aspect, the wavelength of the electromagnetic radiation may be variable. The waveform sensor and the optical waveform emitter (8018) can include, for example, a multispectral imaging system and / or a selective spectral imaging system. In other examples, the waveform sensor and the optical waveform emitter (8018) can include, for example, a photoacoustic imaging system. In other examples, the optical waveform emitter (8018) can be positioned on a surgical device separate from the imaging device (8017).

[0040] The surgical visualization system (8010) also includes an emitter (8019) configured to emit optical patterns such as stripes, grid lines, and / or dots to enable determination of the topography or landscape of the surface (8013). For example, the projected light array can be used for three-dimensional scanning and registration on the surface (8013). The projected light array may be emitted, for example, from an emitter (8019) located on the surgical device (8016) and / or the imaging device (8017). In one aspect, the projected light array is employed to determine the surface (8013) of the tissue (8012) and / or the shape defined during the surgery by the movement of the surface (8013). The imaging device (8017) is configured to detect the projected light array reflected from the surface (8013) to determine the topography of the surface (8013) and various distances to the surface (8013).

[0041] The surgical visualization system (8010) may also include a distance sensor system (8014) configured to determine one or more distances at the surgical site. In one aspect, the distance sensor system (8014) may include a time-of-flight distance sensor system including an emitter such as a structured light emitter (8019), and a receiver (not shown) that may be positioned on the surgical device (8016). In other examples, the time-of-flight emitter may be separate from the structured light emitter (8019). In one general aspect, the emitter portion of the time-of-flight distance sensor system (8014) may include a laser source, and the receiver portion of the time-of-flight distance sensor system (8014) may include a coincidence sensor. The time-of-flight distance sensor system (8014) can detect the "time of flight", that is, the time it takes for the laser light emitted by the structured light emitter (8019) to bounce back to the sensor portion of the receiver. By using a very narrow light source in the structured light emitter (8019), it is possible for the distance sensor system (8014) to determine the distance to the surface (8013) of the tissue (8012) directly in front of the distance sensor system (8014).

[0042] Still referring to FIG. 6, a distance sensor system (8014) may be employed to determine the emitter-tissue distance (d e ) from the structured light emitter (8019) to the surface (8013) of the tissue (12). The device-tissue distance (d t ) from the distal end of the surgical device (8016) to the surface (8013) of the tissue (12) can be obtained from the known position of the emitter (8019) on the shaft of the surgical device (8016) relative to the distal end of the surgical device (8016). In other words, when the distance between the emitter (8019) and the distal end of the surgical device (8016) is known, the device-tissue distance (d t ) can be determined from the emitter-tissue distance (d e ). In a particular example, the shaft of the surgical device (8016) can include one or more articulating joints and can be articulatable with respect to the emitter (8019) and the joe. The articulating configuration can include, for example, a multi-articulating vertebral-like structure. In a particular example, a three-dimensional camera can be utilized to triangulate one or more distances to the surface (8013).

[0043] As described above, the surgical visualization system (8010) can be configured to determine the emitter-tissue distance (d e ) from the emitter (8019) on the surgical device (8016) to the surface (8013) of the uterus (12) by structured light. The surgical visualization system (8010) is configured to extrapolate the device-tissue distance (d e ) from the surgical device (8016) to the surface (13) of the uterus (12) based on the emitter-tissue distance (d t ). The surgical visualization system (10) is also configured to determine the tissue-ureter distance (d A ) from the ureter (11a) to the surface (13), and the camera-ureter distance (d w ) from the imaging device (17) to the ureter (11a). The surgical visualization system (10) can use, for example, spectral imaging and time-of-flight sensors to determine the distance (d w) may also be determined. In various examples, the surgical visualization system (10) may determine the tissue-ureter distance (d A )(i.e., depth) based on other distances and / or surface mapping logic described herein (e.g., by triangulation).

[0044] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a control system (8020) that can be utilized with a surgical visualization system (8010). The control system (8020) includes a control circuit (8021) that communicates with a memory (8022). The memory (8022) stores instructions executable by the control circuit (8021) for determining and / or recognizing critical structures (e.g., the critical structures (8011a, 8011b) shown in FIG. 6), determining and / or calculating one or more distances and / or three-dimensional digital displays, and communicating specific information to one or more clinicians. For example, the memory (8022) stores surface mapping logic (8023), imaging logic (8024), tissue identification logic (8025), or distance determination logic (8026), or any combination of the logics (8023, 8024, 8025, and 8026). Additionally, the control system (8020) includes an imaging system (8027) having one or more cameras (8028) (such as the imaging device (8017) shown in FIG. 6), one or more displays (8029), or one or more controls (8030), or any combination of these elements. The one or more cameras (8028) can include one or more image sensors (8031) (especially, e.g., visible light, spectral imager, three-dimensional lens) for receiving signals from various light sources that emit light in various visible and invisible spectra. The display (8029) can include one or more screens or monitors for depicting real, virtual, and / or virtually extended images and / or information to one or more clinicians.

[0045] In various aspects, the main components of the camera (8028) include an image sensor (8031). The image sensor (8031) may include a charge-coupled device (CCD) sensor, a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) sensor, a short-wave infrared (SWIR) sensor, a hybrid CCD / CMOS architecture (sCMOS) sensor, and / or any other suitable type(s) of technology. The image sensor (8031) may also include any suitable number of chips.

[0046] The control system (8020) also includes a spectral light source (8032) and a structured light source (8033). In certain examples, a single light source can be pulsed to emit wavelengths of light within the range of the spectral light source (8032) and wavelengths of light within the range of the structured light source (8033). Alternatively, a single light source can be pulsed to supply light within the visible spectrum (e.g., infrared spectral light) and wavelengths of light above the visible spectrum. The spectral light source (8032) can include, for example, a hyperspectral light source, a multispectral light source, a fluorescence excitation light source, and / or a selective spectral light source. In various examples, the tissue identification logic (8025) can identify important structure(s) via data from the spectral light source (8032) received by the image sensor (8031) portion of the camera (8028). The surface mapping logic (8023) can determine the contour of the surface of the visible tissue based on the reflected structured light. By time-of-flight measurement, the distance determination logic (8026) can determine one or more distances to the visible tissue and / or important structure(s) (8011a, 8011b). One or more outputs from the surface mapping logic (8023), the tissue identification logic (8025), and the distance determination logic (8026) may be provided to the imaging logic (8024) and combined, integrated, and / or overlaid so as to be communicated to the clinician via the display (8029) of the imaging system (8027).

[0047] The surgical visualization system (8010) and the control system (8020) may include the teachings of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 17 / 373,593, entitled "Endoscope with Synthetic Aperture Multispectral Camera Array", filed on August 14, 2021, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0048] III. Exemplary Methods for Instrument Evaluation of Recovery Ability As described above, in some examples, after exemplary use, the mechanisms of the surgical instruments / tools (112, 117, 152, 154, 156, 8016) may be processed for disposal, reuse, and / or remanufacture. Suitable reuse and / or remanufacture of the mechanisms of the surgical instruments / tools (112, 117, 152, 154, 156, 8016) may be referred to as recovery of the instrument / tool (112, 117, 152, 154, 156, 8016). In some cases, the recovered mechanisms of the surgical instruments / tools (112, 117, 152, 154, 156, 8016) may be reused by being incorporated into the reconstruction of a reworked product.

[0049] The processing mechanism for used surgical instruments / tools (112, 117, 152, 154, 156, 8016) for suitable recovery (i.e., reuse and / or remanufacture) according to the description of this specification may require significant resources (e.g., labor, time, and cost). Additionally, in some cases, the mechanisms of the used surgical instruments / tools (112, 117, 152, 154, 156, 8016) originally intended for proper recovery may experience an undesirable amount of damage and / or performance degradation during exemplary use, and as a result, it may no longer be possible to recover a particular mechanism of the surgical instrument / tool (112, 117, 152, 154, 156, 8016). When the mechanism originally intended for proper recovery experiences an undesirable amount of damage and / or performance degradation, a significant amount of resources may be utilized in unsuccessful attempts to recover such a mechanism. Therefore, it may be desirable to determine whether at least some mechanisms of a particular used surgical instrument / tool (112, 117, 152, 154, 156, 8016) have the ability to be properly recovered after exemplary use but before investing significant resources.

[0050] Figure 8 shows an exemplary method (8050) for determining the recoverability of at least some mechanisms of a surgical instrument / tool (112, 117, 152, 154, 156, 8016). In some non-limiting aspects of the present disclosure, the mechanisms of the surgical instrument / tool (112, 117, 152, 154, 156, 8016) for which the method (8050) may be used to determine recoverability include suitable electrical components, handpieces (160, 176, 185), shaft assemblies (164, 178, 186), end effectors (166, 180, 188), ultrasonic blades (168, 190), clamp arms (170, 181, 182, 192), triggers (183, 194), toggle buttons (173, 174, 175, 195, 196, 197), suitable portions of the above-described components, or any other suitable components that would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art in view of the teachings of this specification, but are not limited thereto.

[0051] First, an operator can use surgical instruments / tools (112, 117, 152, 154, 156, 8016) to perform appropriate medical treatment on a patient according to the description in this specification (8052). As described above, during use (8052), the surgical instruments / tools (112, 117, 152, 154, 156, 8016) can be appropriately coupled to and communicate with a hub (106), a generator module (140), a patient-side cart (120), a surgical robot hub (122), a surgical visualization system (8010), a control system (8020), etc. Accordingly, appropriate devices of the computer-implemented interactive surgical system (100) can measure, collect, and / or store various data related to the operation of the surgical instruments / tools (112, 117, 152, 154, 156, 8016) according to the description in this specification.

[0052] Next, the operator can terminate the use of the surgical instruments / tools (112, 117, 152, 154, 156, 8016) (8054). The operator may interact with suitable components of the interactive surgical system (100) to indicate that the surgical instruments / tools (112, 117, 152, 154, 156, 8016) have been used up for a specific surgical procedure. In some non-limiting aspects of the present disclosure, the operator (or any other suitable individual) may press a button of the surgical system (100) to indicate that the use of the surgical instruments / tools (112, 117, 152, 154, 156, 8016) has ended and / or the medical treatment has been completed. For example, such a button may be located on the generator module (140). Of course, any other suitable means may be used to indicate that the use of the surgical instruments / tools (112, 117, 152, 154, 156, 8016) has ended, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the teachings of this specification.

[0053] As described above, suitable components of the surgical system (100) may measure, collect, and / or store various data related to the operation of the surgical instrument / tool (112, 117, 152, 154, 156, 8016). When the use of the surgical instrument / tool (112, 117, 152, 154, 156, 8016) is terminated (8054), the generator module (140), the hub (106), the control system (8020), or any other suitable component (s) may be utilized to evaluate (8056) the integrity and / or recoverability of at least one mechanism of the surgical instrument / tool (112, 117, 152, 154, 156, 8016). As will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the teachings herein, any suitable component and / or method may be utilized to evaluate (8056) the integrity and / or recoverability of at least one mechanism of the surgical instrument / tool (112, 117, 152, 154, 156, 8016).

[0054] In some aspects of the present disclosure, after evaluating (8056) the integrity and / or recoverability of at least one mechanism of a surgical instrument / tool (112, 117, 152, 154, 156, 8016), the generator module (140), hub (106), control system (8020), or any other suitable component(s) may write a summary file of the evaluation (8056) back to a suitable electrical component of the surgical instrument / tool (112, 117, 152, 154, 156, 8016) (8058). Additionally, or alternatively, the generator module (140), hub (106), control system (8020), or any other suitable component(s) may also determine and indicate (8060) whether a particular mechanism of the surgical instrument / tool (112, 117, 152, 154, 156, 8016) has the ability to be recovered or whether such a mechanism should be discarded / disposed of. Thus, in some cases, the user can directly see on the generator module (140), hub (106), control system (8020), or any other suitable component(s) whether a particular mechanism of the surgical instrument / tool (112, 117, 152, 154, 156, 8016) has the ability to be recovered. In some cases, appropriate disposal / recovery instructions can be retrieved and displayed using the generator module (140), hub (106), control system (8020), etc.

[0055] If a summary file is written back (8058) to a surgical instrument / tool (112, 117, 152, 154, 156, 8016), such a summary file may include a summary of the evaluation (8056) and recommendations regarding whether the mechanism of the surgical instrument / tool (112, 117, 152, 154, 156, 8016) should be disposed of or recovered. The summary file (8058) written back to the surgical instrument / tool (112, 117, 152, 154, 156, 8016) can be utilized during the disassembly process, as would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art in view of the teachings herein. For example, if an electronic disassembly assistance device such as a smartphone or a tablet is utilized, such a device can communicate with the surgical instrument / tool (112, 117, 152, 154, 156, 8016) to retrieve the summary file. Next, the electronic disassembly assistance device can utilize the summary file to retrieve or generate instructions regarding appropriate recovery and / or disposal. In some cases, the electronic disassembly assistance device may communicate with a generator module (140), a hub (106), a control system (8020), etc. to retrieve or generate such instructions.

[0056] In some cases, the user may be provided with the option to accept (8060) or safely override (8062) a determination made regarding whether the surgical instrument / tool (112, 117, 152, 154, 156, 8016) should be disposed of or recovered. If the user determines to override the determination (8060) that the mechanism of the surgical instrument / tool (112, 117, 152, 154, 156, 8016) should be disposed of, the electronic disassembly assistance device or any other mechanism configured to display instructions may display a recovery instruction instead of a disposal instruction. Further, the electronic disassembly assistance device or any other appropriate display mechanism can also display implications and / or potential consequences of overriding (8062) the system's determination (8060).

[0057] However, if the evaluated (8056) damage to the mechanism of a surgical instrument / tool (112, 117, 152, 154, 156, 8016) exceeds a predetermined final limit, the disposal determination (8060) of such a mechanism can be an unwavering determination that cannot be overridden. For example, if the evaluated (8060) feature is an ultrasonic blade (168), and it is determined (8060) that the blade damage has reached the threshold, beyond that, the instrument will malfunction in an unsafe manner, and the system can prevent the user from overriding the determination (8060) (8062), and also prevent further use of a specific ultrasonic blade (168). In some cases, the system can prevent overriding in a limited manner rather than an absolute manner so that a part of the mechanism is prevented from operating or the mechanism is prevented from being used at a predetermined maximum power level (8062).

[0058] The evaluation (8056) may be performed at any suitable time after the use of the surgical instrument / tool (112, 117, 152, 154, 156, 8016) has ended, as would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art considering the teachings of this specification. Thus, the method (8050) can be utilized in the operating room to evaluate whether a particular mechanism of a surgical instrument / tool (112, 117, 152, 154, 156, 8016) should be immediately discarded or whether such a feature indicates a potential for recovery.

[0059] As described above, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that any suitable component and / or method can be utilized to evaluate (8056) the integrity and / or recoverability of at least one mechanism of a surgical instrument / tool (112, 117, 152, 154, 156, 8016). FIG. 9 shows one exemplary evaluation method (8064) that can be used to evaluate the recoverability of a suitable mechanism of a surgical instrument / tool (112, 117, 152, 154, 156, 8016). It should be understood that the evaluation method (8064) can be easily incorporated into the method (8050) described above.

[0060] First, after the user has finished using the surgical instrument / tool (112, 117, 152, 154, 156, 8016) (e.g., after a procedure), the user can initiate a "dry run" operation (8066) of the surgical instrument / tool (112, 117, 152, 154, 156, 8016). The "dry run" operation (8066) may include actuating an empty end effector (i.e., an end effector that is not significantly gripping other substances) with the appropriate energy necessary to cut and / or seal tissue over an appropriate time period and then enabling the end effector to appropriately power off (e.g., an operating cycle). Of course, the "dry run" operation (8066) may include actuating the end effector at any suitable level of energy, as would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art in view of the teachings herein. Further, the "dry run" operation (8066) may include any suitable type of energized operation (e.g., ultrasonic, RF energy, etc.), as would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art in view of the teachings herein.

[0061] The surgical instrument / tool (112, 117, 152, 154, 156, 8016) may include any suitable number of sensors configured to measure suitable characteristics during operation of the surgical instrument / tool (112, 117, 152, 154, 156, 8016). Since the surgical instrument / tool (112, 117, 152, 154, 156, 8016) is in communication with other suitable components of the computer-implemented interactive surgical system (100), such components of the system (100) may then collect / measure data (e.g., temperature, time, and energy output, etc.) (8067) during the post-procedure operation (8066). Although temperature, time, and energy output are measured in this example, any other suitable variables may be measured, as would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art in view of the teachings herein.

[0062] Next, suitable components of the system (100) (such as the hub (106), the generator module (140), etc.) can then compare the data obtained during the dry run with specific parameters such as the data obtained during the first activation of the actual surgical procedure (8068). If the comparison (8068) verifies that the measured variables from the dry run operation (8066) are within the specified parameters, the evaluation method (8064) can correspond to a determination that a particular mechanism of the surgical instrument / tool (112, 117, 152, 154, 156, 8016) can be restored or at least has some ability to be restored. Conversely, if the measured variable is not within the specific parameters, the evaluation method (8064) can correspond to a determination that a particular mechanism of the surgical instrument / tool (112, 117, 152, 154, 156, 8016) should be disposed of.

[0063] Determination of the range of the specific parameters can be achieved using any suitable means that will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the teachings herein. In the current example shown in FIG. 9, the system (100) can store and utilize variable measurements obtained during a single activation (e.g., the first activation) of the surgical instrument / tool (112, 117, 152, 154, 156, 8016) during the surgical procedure and use these measurements to generate a range of the specific parameters. As another example, the system (100) can store and utilize variable measurements obtained during multiple activations of the surgical instrument / tool (112, 117, 152, 154, 156, 8016) throughout the surgical procedure and use these measurements to generate a range of the specific parameters. As yet another example, the range of the specified parameters can be determined in advance.

[0064] FIG. 10 shows another exemplary evaluation method (8070) that can be used to evaluate the recovery ability of a suitable mechanism of surgical instruments / tools (112, 117, 152, 154, 156, 8016). Thus, it should be understood that the evaluation method (8070) can be easily incorporated into the method (8050) described above. As will be explained below, the evaluation method (8070) may be substantially the same as the evaluation method (8064) described above, except that the method (8070) utilizes a synthetic calibration standard (e.g., artificial tissue) during post-treatment actuation (8072) instead of a dry run.

[0065] First, the user can perform a post-treatment actuation (8072) of the surgical instrument / tool (112, 117, 152, 154, 156, 8016) on an artificial tissue piece (e.g., a calibration standard). During the post-treatment actuation (8072), the end effector of the surgical instrument / tool (112, 117, 152, 154, 156, 8016) can grip the artificial tissue and suitably apply energy to the artificial tissue, in a manner similar to the exemplary use of the end effector with patient tissue during surgery. Such an artificial tissue piece can be provided with the surgical instrument / tool (112, 117, 152, 154, 156, 8016) in a surgical kit. Such an artificial tissue piece may be a 3D printed "vascular" - like structure that the surgical instrument / tool (112, 117, 152, 154, 156, 8016) can grip and "seal" during actuation.

[0066] The surgical instrument / tool (112, 117, 152, 154, 156, 8016) may include any suitable number of sensors configured to measure suitable characteristics during operation of the surgical instrument / tool (112, 117, 152, 154, 156, 8016). Since the surgical instrument / tool (112, 117, 152, 154, 156, 8016) is in communication with other suitable components of the computer-implemented interactive surgical system (100), such components of the system (100) may then measure temperature, time, and energy output (8074) during post-treatment operation (8072). Although temperature, time, and energy output are measured in this example, any other suitable variables may be measured as will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the teachings herein.

[0067] Next, suitable components of the system (100) (such as the hub (106), the generator module (140), etc.) may then verify (8076) that the measured variables from the post-treatment operation (8072) are within specified parameters, while on the other hand, the user may visually verify that the end effector has applied energy suitably to the composite standard (e.g., visually confirm that a seal has been made). If the measured variables are within specific parameters and the end effector has applied energy appropriately to the composite standard, the evaluation method (8070) may correspond to a determination that a particular mechanism of the surgical instrument / tool (112, 117, 152, 154, 156, 8016) can be restored or at least has some ability to be restored. Conversely, if the measured variables are not within specific parameters and / or the end effector has not applied energy appropriately to the composite standard, the evaluation method (8070) may correspond to a determination that a particular mechanism of the surgical instrument / tool (112, 117, 152, 154, 156, 8016) should be disposed of.

[0068] The determination of the range of a particular parameter can be achieved using any suitable means that will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art in view of the teachings of this specification. In the current example shown in FIG. 10, the system (100) stores and utilizes variable measurements obtained during a single actuation (e.g., a first actuation) of a surgical instrument / tool (112, 117, 152, 154, 156, 8016) during a surgical procedure, and may utilize these measurements to generate a range of a particular parameter. As another example, the system (100) stores and utilizes variable measurements obtained during multiple actuations of a surgical instrument / tool (112, 117, 152, 154, 156, 8016) throughout a surgical procedure, and may utilize these measurements to generate a range of a particular parameter. As yet another example, a range of a specified parameter can be determined in advance.

[0069] FIG. 11 shows another exemplary evaluation method (8078) that can be used to evaluate the recovery ability of a suitable mechanism of a surgical instrument / tool (112, 117, 152, 154, 156, 8016). It should be understood that the evaluation method (8078) can be easily incorporated into the method (8050) described above. In this example, the evaluation method (8078) utilizes suitable components of a surgical visualization system (8010) and / or a control system (8020) to generate inspection data that needs to be described below, and to determine whether the mechanism of a surgical instrument / tool (112, 117, 152, 154, 156, 8016) has any recovery ability or should be discarded.

[0070] The evaluation method (8078) includes using a surgical visualization system (8010) to perform an examination (8080) during a surgical procedure. Data obtained during the examination (8080) can be communicated to and stored in suitable components of the system (100), such as the hub (106). During the procedure, various mechanisms of the visualization system (8010) can be utilized to identify (8082) the anatomical location where the end effector of a surgical instrument / tool (112, 117, 152, 154, 156, 8016) is being used and communicate that data to suitable components of the system (100). Further, during the procedure, various mechanisms of the visualization system (8010) can be utilized to identify (8084) the tissue density of the tissue on which the end effector of a surgical instrument / tool (112, 117, 152, 154, 156, 8016) is operating and communicate that data to suitable components of the system (100). Additionally, during the procedure, various mechanisms of the visualization system (8010) can be utilized to determine (8086) the presence of smoke during use and the tissue density of a surgical instrument / tool (112, 117, 152, 154, 156, 8016) and communicate that data to appropriate components of the system (100). Moreover, during the procedure, various mechanisms of the visualization system (8010) can be utilized to determine (8088) the presence of blood during use and the tissue density of a surgical instrument / tool (112, 117, 152, 154, 156, 8016) and communicate that data to appropriate components of the system (100).

[0071] Finally, the system (100) can utilize the acquired inspection data described above (8090) to evaluate the recovery ability of at least one mechanism of the surgical instrument / tool (112, 117, 152, 154, 156, 8016). If the measured variable is within a specific parameter, the evaluation method (8078) may correspond to a determination that a specific mechanism of the surgical instrument / tool (112, 117, 152, 154, 156, 8016) can be recovered or has some ability to be at least recovered. Conversely, if the measured variable is not within a specific parameter, the evaluation method (8078) may correspond to a determination that a specific mechanism of the surgical instrument / tool (112, 117, 152, 154, 156, 8016) should be disposed of.

[0072] FIG. 12 shows another exemplary evaluation method (8092) that can be used to evaluate the recovery ability of a suitable mechanism of the surgical instrument / tool (112, 117, 152, 154, 156, 8016). It should be understood that the evaluation method (8092) can be easily incorporated into the method (8050) described above. In this example, the evaluation method (8092) utilizes suitable components of the surgical visualization system (8010) and / or the control system (8020) to generate the inspection data necessary to be described below to determine whether the mechanism of the surgical instrument / tool (112, 117, 152, 154, 156, 8016) has some recovery ability or should be discarded.

[0073] The evaluation method (8092) includes performing an inspection (8094) after a surgical procedure using a surgical visualization system (8010). Data obtained during the inspection (8092) can be communicated to and stored in suitable components of the system (100) such as the hub (106). After the procedure, various mechanisms of the visualization system (8010) can be utilized to inspect for cracks in the end effectors of the surgical instruments / tools (112, 117, 152, 154, 156, 8016) (8095), and the data can be communicated to suitable components of the system (100). Further, after the procedure, various mechanisms of the visualization system (8010) can be utilized to determine the depth of any cracks detected within the end effectors of the surgical instruments / tools (112, 117, 152, 154, 156, 8016) (8096), inspect for any other defects (8098), and the data can be communicated to suitable components of the system (100).

[0074] Finally, the system (100) can utilize the acquired inspection data as described above to evaluate the recovery ability of at least one mechanism of the surgical instrument / tool (112, 117, 152, 154, 156, 8016). If the measured variable is within a particular parameter, the evaluation method (8092) can correspond to a determination that a particular mechanism of the surgical instrument / tool (112, 117, 152, 154, 156, 8016) can be recovered or has some ability to be at least recovered. Conversely, if the measured variable is not within a particular parameter, the evaluation method (8092) can correspond to a determination that a particular mechanism of the surgical instrument / tool (112, 117, 152, 154, 156, 8016) should be disposed of.

[0075] Figures 13-14B illustrate an exemplary evaluation and cleaning port (8100) that can be readily incorporated into the hub (106) and / or console of the visualization system (8010) to perform the above-described evaluation method (8092) and clean the end effector. The evaluation and cleaning port (8100) includes a channel (8102) extending from an external portal (8104). The external portal (8104) can be accessible such that an end effector, such as the end effector (180) in this example, can be readily inserted into the channel (8102). Similarly, the channel (8102) is sized to suitably receive an end effector, such as the end effector (180) in this example.

[0076] As shown in FIGS. 14A-14B, the inner surface of the port (8100) that defines the channel (8102) includes at least one visual inspection device (8106) and at least one cleaning assembly (8108). In this example, the cleaning assembly (8108) and the visual inspection device (8106) are longitudinally offset from each other. However, this is merely optional. In use, the end effector (180) can be inserted into the channel (8102) such that the end effector (180) is adjacent to the visual inspection device (8106). The visual inspection device (8106) may then perform the above-described evaluation method (8092) to determine whether the mechanism of the end effector (180) is recoverable. If recoverable, as shown in FIG. 14B, the end effector (180) may be positioned adjacent to the cleaning assembly (8108) such that the cleaning assembly (8108) can apply a cleaning material onto the end effector (180). Any suitable cleaning material can be applied, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the teachings herein.

[0077] Figures 15 through 16B show an exemplary cleaning sheath (8110) that can be used to cover an end effector, such as the illustrated end effector (180). As described in more detail below, the cleaning sheath (8110) may be applied to the end effector (180) after exemplary use to prevent other objects other than the end effector (180) and the interior of the sheath (8110) from being exposed to biohazardous materials that have accumulated on the end effector (180) during exemplary use.

[0078] The cleaning sheath (8110) includes a hollow body (8112) that defines an interior (8118), a seal (8112) located at an open end of the hollow body (8112), and a cleaning material (8120) located within the interior (8118) of the hollow body (8112). The seal (8112) defines an expandable opening (8116) configured to preferably receive the end effector (180) such that the end effector (180) can be inserted into the interior (8118) of the hollow body (8112), as shown in FIGS. 16A-16B. In some cases, the robotic arm may be configured to attach the sheath (8110) to the end effector (180).

[0079] When properly inserted into the interior (8118), the seal (8112) can fully engage a portion of the shaft assembly and / or the end effector (180), such that the seal (8112) prevents any material located within the interior (8118) from leaking out of the hollow body (8112).

[0080] The cleaning material (8120) may include a chemical or other material that can clean and / or store the end effector (180) while it is contained within the interior (8118). The cleaning material (8120) may be configured to clean debris accumulated on the end effector (180) from an exemplary use of the end effector (180). The cleaning material (8120) may include any suitable cleaning material that would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art in view of the teachings herein. For example, the cleaning material (8120) may include frozen CO2 pellets that may be configured to “grit” blast crust that has accumulated on the end effector (180) from an exemplary use.

[0081] FIG. 17 shows an exemplary surgical instrument package (8130) that can be used to transport surgical instruments / tools (112, 117, 152, 154, 156, 8016) to an operating room while maintaining the surgical instruments / tools (112, 117, 152, 154, 156, 8016) in a properly sterilized state. Additionally, as will be described in more detail below, the package (8130) includes a removable cleaning kit (8136) that can be utilized in the operating room, post - procedure, or during a procedure to clean the mechanisms of the surgical instruments / tools (112, 117, 152, 154, 156, 8016) for purposes of recovery or continued use.

[0082] The package (8130) includes a primary package (8132) configured to store the suitable components of a surgical kit used to form the surgical instruments / tools (112, 117, 152, 154, 156, 8016). Further, the package (8130) includes a removable cleaning kit (8136) removably attached to the primary package (8132) via a perforated portion (8134). Thus, if a user desires to use the cleaning kit (8136), the cleaning kit (8136) can be removed from the primary package (8132) by tearing the perforated portion (8134).

[0083] Referring to FIG. 18, in this example, the removable cleaning kit (8136) includes a container (8138) (e.g., a bowl) that defines an opening (8140) and a cleaning material (8142) accessible through the opening (8140). The cleaning material (8142) may also include a suitable applicator such as a sponge immersed in the cleaning material. The cleaning material (8142) may include a gritty material or pellets. The cleaning material (8142) may include a bottle brush cleaner, a leaflet, or a finger for the user to clean the end effector (180) with the cleaning material.

[0084] The container (8138) may be shaped into a kind of bowl sized to receive the liquid cleaning material (8142). Thus, the container (8138) can function as a washbasin. The portion of the container (8128) that forms the washbasin may be lined with a cleaning material that self-mixes with the liquid when in contact with the liquid. The container (8138) may include a sponge or have a base of a sponge molded therein for cleaning purposes. The sponge may be immersed in the cleaning liquid to assist in debris removal. The sponge can contain a dry chemical that is activated when wet.

[0085] IV. Exemplary Combinations The following examples relate to various non-exhaustive ways in which the teachings of this specification can be combined or applied. It should be understood that the following examples are not intended to limit any claims that may be presented at any point in this application or in subsequent applications of this application. No waiver of any rights is intended. The following examples are provided for illustrative purposes only. It is contemplated that the various teachings of this specification can be configured and applied in many other ways. Also, in some variations, it is contemplated that certain features mentioned in the following examples may be omitted. Therefore, none of the aspects or features mentioned below should be considered important unless so explicitly indicated later by the inventors or their successors in right. If the claims presented in this application or in subsequent applications related to this application include additional features other than those mentioned below, those additional features should not be considered to have been added for any reason related to patentability.

Example

[0086] A method for determining the recovery ability of at least one mechanism of a surgical instrument, comprising: (i) establishing communication with the surgical instrument; (ii) assisting the operation of the surgical instrument during a procedure; (iii) acquiring data related to the surgical instrument; (iv) evaluating the data acquired in relation to the surgical instrument to determine a digital evaluation of the impact on the performance of at least one mechanism of the surgical instrument; and (v) determining the recovery ability of at least one mechanism of the surgical instrument based on the digital evaluation.

Example

[0087] The method according to Example 1, wherein the recovery ability relates to the ability of at least one mechanism to withstand the treatment mode required to reuse at least one mechanism of the surgical instrument.

Example

[0088] The method according to Example 1 or 2, wherein the treatment mode includes cleaning at least one mechanism of the surgical instrument.

Example

[0089] The method according to any one or more of Examples 1 to 3, wherein the treatment mode includes remanufacturing at least one mechanism of the surgical instrument.

Example

[0090] The method according to any one or more of Examples 1 to 4, further including providing a recommendation based on the recovery ability.

Example

[0091] The recommendation includes displaying an instruction to discard at least one mechanism or displaying an instruction to recover at least one mechanism, and the method according to any one or more of Examples 1 to 5.

Example

[0092] The method according to any one or more of Examples 1 to 6, further including providing a user feedback option to override the recommendation.

Example

[0093] The method according to any one or more of Examples 1 to 7, wherein the data is acquired simultaneously with the treatment.

Example

[0094] The method according to any one or more of Examples 1 to 8, wherein acquiring the data includes identifying the location of the end effector of the surgical instrument within the patient.

Example

[0095] The method according to any one or more of Examples 1 to 9, wherein acquiring the data includes identifying the tissue density at which the end effector of the surgical instrument is operating.

Example

[0096] The method according to any one or more of Examples 1 to 10, wherein obtaining data includes defining the presence of smoke or blood during use of an end effector of a surgical instrument.

Example

[0097] The method according to any one or more of Examples 1 to 11, wherein the data is obtained after the procedure.

Example

[0098] The method according to any one or more of Examples 1 to 12, wherein obtaining data includes inspecting an end effector of a surgical instrument for cracks.

Example

[0099] The method according to any one or more of Examples 1 to 13, wherein obtaining data includes performing a dry run operation of an end effector of a surgical instrument.

Example

[0100] The method according to any one or more of Examples 1 to 14, wherein obtaining data includes performing a test operation of an end effector of a surgical instrument on a synthetic calibration piece.

Example

[0101] A surgical system comprising: (a) a surgical instrument having an end effector; (b) a hub configured to establish communication with the surgical instrument and assist the surgical instrument during a procedure; and (c) an evaluation port associated with the hub, the evaluation port defining a channel sized to receive the end effector, the evaluation port including a visualization system located within the channel, the visualization system being configured to inspect the end effector for defects and communicate the results to the hub.

Example

[0102] The surgical system according to any one or more of Examples 1 to 16, wherein the evaluation port further comprises a cleaning assembly located within the channel.

Example

[0103] The surgical system according to any one or more of Examples 1 to 17, wherein the cleaning assembly is configured to clean the end effector in response to an inspection of the visualization system.

Example

[0104] The surgical system according to any one or more of Examples 1 to 18, wherein the hub further comprises a generator module configured to supply power to the surgical instrument.

Example

[0105] A method for determining the recovery ability of at least one mechanism of a surgical instrument, comprising: (i) establishing communication with the surgical instrument; (ii) assisting the operation of the surgical instrument during a procedure; (iii) obtaining a first dataset regarding the operation of the surgical instrument during the procedure; (iv) obtaining a second dataset regarding the operation of the surgical instrument after the procedure; (v) comparing the first dataset with the second dataset to determine a digital evaluation of the impact on the performance of at least one mechanism of the surgical instrument; and (vi) determining the recovery ability of at least one mechanism of the surgical instrument based on the digital evaluation.

[0106] V. Others The above-mentioned modifications of the device are applicable not only to conventional medical treatments and surgeries performed by medical experts, but also to robot-assisted medical treatments and robot-assisted surgeries.

[0107] It should be understood that any variations of the devices described herein may include a variety of other features in addition to, or instead of, those described above. By way of example only, any of the devices described herein may further include one or more of the various features disclosed in any of the various references incorporated herein by reference. The teachings herein may be readily applied to any of the devices described in any of the other references cited herein, and thus it should also be understood that the teachings herein may be readily combined in many ways with the teachings of any of the references cited herein. Other types of devices into which the teachings herein may be incorporated will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

[0108] In addition to the above, the teachings herein may be readily combined with the teachings of the U.S. patent application entitled “Method of Reclaiming Portions of Surgical Instruments for Remanufacturing and Sustainability” [Attorney Docket No. END9447USNP1.0754992] filed on the same date as this application, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Various suitable ways in which the teachings herein may be combined with the teachings of U.S. patent application Ser. No. [Attorney Docket No. END9447USNP1.0754992] will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the teachings herein.

[0109] In addition to the above, the teachings of this specification can be readily combined with the teachings of U.S. Patent Application No. [Attorney Docket No. END9448USNP1.0754994], entitled "Surgical Instrument with Predetermined Separation Features for Waste Stream Utilization and Related Methods," filed on the same day as this specification and incorporated herein by reference. Various suitable ways in which the teachings of this specification can be combined with the teachings of U.S. Patent Application No. [Attorney Docket No. END9448USNP1.0754994] will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the teachings of this specification.

[0110] In addition to the above, the teachings of this specification can be readily combined with the teachings of U.S. Patent Application No. [Attorney Docket No. END9448USNP2.0754977], entitled "Surgical Instrument with Removable Cable and Associated Couplings," filed on the same day as this specification and incorporated herein by reference. Various suitable ways in which the teachings of this specification can be combined with the teachings of U.S. Patent Application No. [Attorney Docket No. END9448USNP2.0754977] will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the teachings of this specification.

[0111] In addition to the above, the teachings of this specification can be readily combined with the teachings of U.S. Patent Application [Attorney Docket No. END9448USNP3.0754979], entitled "Surgical System and Methods of Assembly and Disassembly of Surgical Instrument," filed on the same day as this specification and incorporated herein by reference. Various suitable ways in which the teachings of this specification can be combined with the teachings of U.S. Patent Application No. [Attorney Docket No. END9448USNP3.0754979] will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the teachings of this specification.

[0112] In addition to the above, the teachings of this specification can be readily combined with the teachings of the U.S. patent application entitled "Robotic Surgical System with Removable Portion and Method of Disassembling Same" [Attorney Docket No. END9449USNP1.0754981], filed on the same day as this specification, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Various suitable ways in which the teachings of this specification can be combined with the teachings of U.S. patent application Ser. No. [Attorney Docket No. END9449USNP1.0754981] will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the teachings of this specification.

[0113] In addition to the above, the teachings of this specification can be readily combined with the teachings of the U.S. patent application entitled "System for Determining Disposal of Surgical Instrument and Related Methods" [Attorney Docket No. END9450USNP1.0754983], filed on the same day as this specification, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Various suitable ways in which the teachings of this specification can be combined with the teachings of U.S. patent application Ser. No. [Attorney Docket No. END9450USNP1.0754983] will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the teachings of this specification.

[0114] In addition to the above, the teachings of this specification can be readily combined with the teachings of the U.S. patent application entitled "Reclamation Packaging for Surgical Instrument and Related Methods" [Attorney Docket No. END9450USNP2.0754999], filed on the same day as this specification, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Various suitable ways in which the teachings of this specification can be combined with the teachings of U.S. patent application Ser. No. [Attorney Docket No. END9450USNP2.0754999] will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the teachings of this specification.

[0115] In addition to the above, the teachings of this specification can be readily combined with the teachings of U.S. Patent Application No. [Attorney Docket No. END9450USNP3.0755001] entitled "Surgical Instrument with Various Alignment Features and Methods for Improved Disassembly and Assembly", filed on the same day as this specification, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Various suitable ways in which the teachings of this specification can be combined with the teachings of U.S. Patent Application No. [Attorney Docket No. END9450USNP3.0755001] will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the teachings of this specification.

[0116] It should also be understood that any range of values recited herein is to be read as including the upper and lower limits of such range. For example, a range expressed as "about 1.0 inch to about 1.5 inches" is to be read as including about 1.0 inch and about 1.5 inches in addition to the values between those upper and lower limits.

[0117] It should be understood that any patent, publication, or other disclosure that is referred to as being incorporated herein by reference is incorporated herein only to the extent that the incorporated content does not conflict with the existing definitions, opinions, or other disclosure set forth in this disclosure. In and of itself, and to the extent necessary, the disclosure set forth clearly in this specification shall supersede any conflicting disclosure incorporated herein by reference. Any content, or portion thereof, that is referred to as being incorporated herein by reference but conflicts with the current definitions, opinions, or other disclosure set forth in this specification shall be incorporated only to the extent that there is no conflict between the incorporated content and the current disclosure.

[0118] The above-described variants may be designed to be discarded after single use, or they may be designed to be used multiple times. The variants may, in either or both cases, be reconditioned for reuse after at least one use. Reconditioning may include any combination of a disassembly step of the device, followed by a cleaning or replacement step of specific parts, and subsequent reassembly steps. Specifically, some variants of the device may be disassembled, and any number of specific parts or components of the device may be selectively replaced or removed in any combination. When cleaning and / or replacing specific parts, some variants of the device may be reassembled for subsequent use either in a reconditioning facility or by an operator immediately prior to the procedure. One skilled in the art will understand that various techniques for disassembly, cleaning / replacement, and reassembly can be utilized in the reconditioning of the device. The use of such techniques and the resulting reconditioned device are all within the scope of this application.

[0119] Merely by way of example, the variants described herein may be sterilized before and / or after the procedure. In one sterilization technique, the device is placed in a sealed container such as a plastic or TYVEK bag and sealed container. Next, the container and device may be placed in a radiation field such as gamma rays, X-rays, or high-energy electron beams that can penetrate the container. The radiation can kill bacteria on the device and within the container. Next, the sterilized device may be stored in the sterilized container for later use. The device may also be sterilized using any other technique well known in the art, including but not limited to beta or gamma rays, ethylene oxide, or steam.

[0120] Although various embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, further adaptations of the methods and systems described herein can be achieved by appropriate modifications by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention. Some of such possible modifications have been described, but other modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art. For example, the examples, embodiments, geometric shapes, materials, dimensions, ratios, steps, etc. discussed above are illustrative and not essential. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should be considered with respect to the following claims, and it is understood that it is not limited to the details of the structures and operations shown and described in this specification and the drawings.

[0121] 〔Embodiment〕 (1) A method for determining the recovery ability of at least one mechanism of a surgical instrument, comprising: (i) establishing communication with the surgical instrument; (ii) assisting the operation of the surgical instrument during a procedure; (iii) acquiring data related to the surgical instrument; (iv) evaluating the data acquired in relation to the surgical instrument to determine a digital evaluation of the impact on the performance of the at least one mechanism of the surgical instrument; (v) determining the recovery ability of the at least one mechanism of the surgical instrument based on the digital evaluation. (2) The method according to embodiment 1, wherein the recovery ability relates to the ability of the at least one mechanism to withstand the treatment mode required for reusing the at least one mechanism of the surgical instrument. (3) The method according to embodiment 2, wherein the treatment mode includes cleaning the at least one mechanism of the surgical instrument. (4) The method according to embodiment 2 or 3, wherein the treatment mode includes remanufacturing the at least one mechanism of the surgical instrument. (5) The method according to any one of embodiments 1 to 4, further comprising providing a recommendation based on the recovery ability.

[0122] (6) The method according to embodiment 5, wherein the recommendation includes displaying an instruction to discard the at least one mechanism or displaying an instruction to recover the at least one mechanism. (7) The method according to embodiment 5 or 6, further comprising providing a user feedback option to override the recommendation. (8) The method according to any one of embodiments 1 to 7, wherein obtaining data is performed simultaneously with the procedure. (9) The method according to embodiment 8, wherein obtaining data includes identifying the location of the end effector of the surgical instrument within the patient. (10) The method according to embodiment 8 or 9, wherein obtaining data includes identifying the tissue density in which the end effector of the surgical instrument is operating.

[0123] (11) The method according to any one of embodiments 8 to 10, wherein obtaining data includes defining the presence of smoke or blood during use of the end effector of the surgical instrument. (12) The method according to any one of embodiments 1 to 11, wherein obtaining data is performed after the procedure. (13) The method according to embodiment 12, wherein obtaining data includes inspecting the end effector of the surgical instrument for cracks. (14) The method according to embodiment 12 or 13, wherein obtaining data includes performing a dry run operation of the end effector of the surgical instrument. (15) The method according to any one of embodiments 12 to 14, wherein obtaining data includes performing a test operation of the end effector of the surgical instrument on a synthetic calibration piece.

[0124] (16) A surgical system, (a) A surgical instrument comprising an end effector, and (b) A hub configured to establish communication with the surgical instrument and assist the surgical instrument during a procedure. (c) An evaluation port associated with the hub, the evaluation port defining a channel sized to receive the end effector, the evaluation port including a visualization system located within the channel, the visualization system configured to inspect the end effector for defects and communicate the results to the hub, and an evaluation port. A surgical system comprising: (17) The surgical system according to embodiment 16, wherein the evaluation port further comprises a cleaning assembly located within the channel. (18) The surgical system according to embodiment 17, wherein the cleaning assembly is configured to clean the end effector in response to the inspection by the visualization system. (19) The surgical system according to any one of embodiments 16 to 18, wherein the hub further comprises a generator module configured to supply power to the surgical instrument. (20) A method for determining the recovery ability of at least one mechanism of a surgical instrument, comprising: (i) establishing communication with the surgical instrument; (ii) assisting the operation of the surgical instrument during a procedure; (iii) obtaining a first dataset regarding the operation of the surgical instrument during the procedure; (iv) obtaining a second dataset regarding the operation of the surgical instrument after the procedure; (v) comparing the first dataset with the second dataset to determine a digital evaluation of the impact on the performance of the at least one mechanism of the surgical instrument; (vi) determining the recovery ability of the at least one mechanism of the surgical instrument based on the digital evaluation.

Claims

1. A method for determining the recovery ability of at least one mechanism of a surgical instrument, comprising: (i) establishing communication with the surgical instrument; (ii) assisting the operation of the surgical instrument during a procedure; (iii) acquiring data related to the surgical instrument; (iv) evaluating the data acquired in relation to the surgical instrument to determine a digital evaluation of the impact on the performance of the at least one mechanism of the surgical instrument; and (v) determining the recovery ability of the at least one mechanism of the surgical instrument based on the digital evaluation.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the recovery ability relates to the ability of the at least one mechanism to withstand a treatment mode required for reusing the at least one mechanism of the surgical instrument.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the treatment mode includes cleaning the at least one mechanism of the surgical instrument.

4. The method according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the treatment mode includes remanufacturing the at least one mechanism of the surgical instrument.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising providing a recommendation based on the recovery ability.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the recommendation includes displaying an instruction to discard the at least one mechanism or displaying an instruction to recover the at least one mechanism.

7. The method according to claim 5 or 6, further comprising providing a user feedback option to override the recommendation.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein acquiring data is performed simultaneously with the procedure.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein acquiring data includes identifying the location of the end effector of the surgical instrument within a patient.

10. The method according to claim 8 or 9, wherein acquiring data includes identifying the tissue density at which the end effector of the surgical instrument is operating.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein acquiring data includes defining the presence of smoke or blood during the use of the end effector of the surgical instrument.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein acquiring data is performed after the procedure.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein obtaining data includes inspecting the end effector of the surgical instrument for cracks.

14. The method of claim 12 or 13, wherein obtaining data includes performing a dry run operation of the end effector of the surgical instrument.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein obtaining data includes performing a test operation of the end effector of the surgical instrument on a synthetic calibration piece.

16. A surgical system, comprising: (a) a surgical instrument having an end effector; (b) a hub configured to establish communication with the surgical instrument and assist the surgical instrument during a procedure; (c) an evaluation port associated with the hub, the evaluation port defining a channel sized to receive the end effector, the evaluation port including a visualization system located within the channel, the visualization system being configured to inspect the end effector for defects and communicate the results to the hub.

17. The surgical system of claim 16, wherein the evaluation port further includes a cleaning assembly located within the channel.

18. The surgical system of claim 17, wherein the cleaning assembly is configured to clean the end effector in response to the inspection by the visualization system.

19. The surgical system of claim 16, wherein the hub further includes a generator module configured to supply power to the surgical instrument.

20. A method for determining the recovery ability of at least one mechanism of a surgical instrument, comprising: (i) establishing communication with the surgical instrument; (ii) assisting the operation of the surgical instrument during a procedure; (iii) obtaining a first data set regarding the operation of the surgical instrument during the procedure; (iv) obtaining a second data set regarding the operation of the surgical instrument after the procedure; (v) comparing the first data set with the second data set to determine a digital evaluation of the impact on the performance of the at least one mechanism of the surgical instrument; (vi) determining the recovery ability of the at least one mechanism of the surgical instrument based on the digital evaluation.

Images