Cordless Hand-Held Ultrasonic Cautery Cutting Device

Abstract

A disposable ultrasonic surgical handle includes a disposable handle body defining a battery-holding compartment shaped to receive a battery therein and operable to couple a proximal end of an ultrasonic waveguide to an ultrasonic transducer therethrough. The body has a transducer dock exposed to the environment and interchangeably housing the transducer and a waveguide attachment dock shaped to align and attach the proximal end of the waveguide to the transducer and hold them at the body when the respectively docked at the transducer and attachment docks. A disposable driving-wave generation circuit in the handle body electrically contacts the battery and the transducer when the battery and the transducer are disposed respectively in the battery-holding compartment and the transducer dock. The circuit generates an output waveform sufficient to cause ultrasonic movement along the waveguide by exciting the transducer when the transducer is coupled to the waveguide.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]1. Field of the Invention[0002]The present invention relates generally to an ultrasonic cutting device and, more particularly, relates to a cordless, hand-held, fully electrically powered and controlled, surgical ultrasonic cutting device.[0003]2. Description of the Related Art[0004]Ultrasonic instruments are effectively used in the treatment of many medical conditions, such as removal of tissue and cauterization of vessels. Cutting instruments that utilize ultrasonic waves generate vibrations with an ultrasonic transducer along a longitudinal axis of a cutting blade. By placing a resonant wave along the length of the blade, high-speed longitudinal mechanical movement is produced at the end of the blade. These instruments are advantageous because the mechanical vibrations transmitted to the end of the blade are very effective at cutting organic tissue and, simultaneously, coagulate the tissue using the heat energy produced by the ultrasonic frequenci...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0016]Briefly, in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present invention, a cordless handheld apparatus that is capable of performing continuous ultrasonic cutting and cauterizing is disclosed. The invention includes a power supply, a control circuit, a drive circuit, and a matching circuit—all located within a handpiece of the ultrasonic cutting device and all operating and generating waveforms at battery voltages. Advantageously, the invention allows components to be replaced or moved between different devices.

[0017]The present invention, according to several embodiments, allows components of the device to be removed, replaced, serviced, and / or interchanged. Some components are “disposable,” which, as used herein, means that the component is used for only one procedure and is then discarded. Still other components are “reusable,” which, as used herein, means that the component can be aseptically cleaned and then used for at least a second time. As will be explained, other components are provided with intelligence that allows them to recognize the device to which they are attached and to alter their function or performance depending on several factors.

Problems solved by technology

The prior art devices present a great disadvantage because the cord 208 has a length, size, and weight that restricts the mobility of the operator.

The cord 208 creates a tether for the operator and presents an obstacle for the operator and those around him / her during any surgical procedure using the handpiece 112.

In addition, the cord must be shielded and durable and is very expensive.

Another disadvantage exists in the prior art due to the frequency sensitivity of the matching circuit 108, the transducer 110, and the waveguide 114.

This architecture introduces transmission losses and electrical parasitics, which are common products of ultrasonic-frequency transmissions.

For this reason, maintaining constant current is not an effective way of maintaining a constant movement of the waveguide 114.

This precision brings with it a significant increase in cost.

These devices, however, do not currently appear in the marketplace and the written descriptions of each disclose virtually no details of how their circuitry is enabled.

However, in some surgeries, a cutting tool reaches its maximum lifespan within very few surgeries or, in some cases, even before the surgery is finished.

It was not designed or envisioned to use modern, long-lasting, high-power batteries, such as lithium-ion (Li) batteries.

Sakurai cannot provide this necessary feature because, by design, the sealed autoclavable Sakurai device does not and cannot have a plurality of external exposed contacts to be coupled to a charging device.

In fact, the inductive charging feature for the sealed device is entirely at odds with exposed contacts.

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