Firing circuit and control algorithm for surgical stapler

Abstract

A surgical instrument is provided that includes a body having a firing actuator, a shaft, a motor, an end effector, and a control circuit. The motor is configured to be activated in response to a firing actuation of the firing actuator. The end effector is operable to staple and sever tissue and includes a cutting edge configured to selectively translate longitudinally between a proximal position and a distal position in response to activation of the motor. The control circuit is configured to generate a forward motor control signal to pulse the cutting edge. The forward motor control signal includes a first duration, a second duration, and a third duration, the first duration including movement of the cutting edge distally from the proximal position toward a second longitudinal position, the second duration including a stoppage of movement of the cutting edge, and the third duration including movement of the cutting edge distally from the second longitudinal position toward the distal position.

Description

BACKGROUND

[0001] Examples of surgical instruments include surgical staplers. Some such staplers are operable to clamp a layer of tissue, cut through the clamped layer of tissue, and drive staples through the layer of tissue to substantially seal together the severed layer of tissue near the severed end portions of the layer of tissue. Examples of surgical staplers are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,404,508, entitled “Surgical Stapling and Cutting Device,” issued July 29, 2008; U.S. Pat. No. 7,434,715, entitled “Surgical Stapling Instrument Having Multistroke Firing with Opening Lockout,” issued October 14, 2008; U.S. Pat. No. 7,721,930, entitled “Disposable Cartridge with Adhesive for Use with a Stapling Device,” issued May 25, 2010; U.S. Pat. No. 8,408,439, entitled “Surgical Stapling Instrument with An Articulatable End Effector,” issued April 2, 2013; and U.S. Pat. No. 8,453,914, entitled “Motor-Driven Surgical Cutting Instrument with Electric Actuator Directional Control Assembly,” issued June 4, 2013. The disclosure of each of the above-cited U.S. Patents is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

[0002] While various surgical stapling instruments and associated components have been made and used, it is believed that no one prior to the inventors has made or used the application described in the appended claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0003] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the application and, together with the general description of the application given above, and the detailed description of the embodiments given below, serve to explain the principles of the present application.

[0004] FIG. 1 A perspective view of an example articulatable surgical stapling instrument is shown;

[0005] FIG. 2 A side view of the instrument of FIG. 1 is shown;

[0006] FIG. 3 a perspective view of an end effector opened in an instrument of FIG. 1

[0007] FIG. 4A a perspective view of an end effector opened in an instrument of FIG. 3 FIG. 3 a side cross-sectional view of the end effector of

[0008] FIG. 4B a side cross-sectional view of the end effector of FIG. 3 FIG. 3 a side cross-sectional view of the end effector of

[0009] FIG. 5 a side cross-sectional view of the end effector of FIG. 3 FIG. 3 an end cross-sectional view of the end effector of

[0010] FIG. 6 an exploded perspective view of an end effector of FIG. 3

[0011] FIG. 7 a perspective view of an end effector of FIG. 3

[0012] FIG. 8 a schematic diagram of an exemplary control circuit that can be incorporated into an instrument of FIG. 1

[0013] FIG. 9 a first exemplary firing circuit that can be incorporated into a control circuit of FIG. 8

[0014] FIG. 10 a graph showing a relationship between a firing motor position and an output of a firing circuit of FIG. 9

[0015] a second exemplary firing circuit that can be incorporated into a control circuit of FIG. 11 FIG. 8 a firing circuit of

[0016] FIG. 12 FIG. 11 a firing circuit of

[0017] FIG. 13 a firing circuit of FIG. 8 ​​​​​​​​​​a fourth exemplary firing circuit that can be incorporated into the control circuit of

[0018] FIG. 14 a fourth exemplary firing circuit that can be incorporated into the control circuit of FIG. 13

[0019] FIG. 15 a fourth exemplary firing circuit that can be incorporated into the control circuit of FIG. 8

[0020] FIG. 16 a fourth exemplary firing circuit that can be incorporated into the control circuit of FIG. 8

[0021] The drawings are not intended to be limiting in any way, and it is contemplated that various embodiments of the application can be carried out in a variety of other ways, including those not necessarily depicted in the drawings. The drawings are intended to aid in understanding of the application and are not intended to limit the application in any way. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] The following description of certain examples of the application should not be used to limit the scope of the application. Other examples, features, aspects, embodiments, and advantages of the application will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon review of the following description of the application in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. One best mode is presently contemplated for carrying out the application. As will be realized, the application is capable of other different and obvious aspects, all without departing from the application. Accordingly, the drawings and descriptions should be regarded as illustrative in nature and not restrictive.

[0023] I. Example Surgical Stapling Instruments

[0024] FIGS. 1-7 An example of a surgical stapling and severing instrument (10) is shown, which in an unarticulated state as shown in FIG. 1 is dimensioned to be inserted through a trocar cannula, thoracotomy or other incision into a surgical site of a patient to perform a surgical procedure. The instrument (10) of the present example includes a handle portion (20) connected to a shaft (22). The shaft (22) terminates distally in an articulation joint (11) which is further coupled with an end effector (12). It will be appreciated that terms such as "proximal" and "distal" used herein refer to the clinician grasping the handle portion (20) of the instrument (10). Thus, the end effector (12) is distal with respect to the more proximal handle portion (20).

[0025] ​​​Once the articulation joint (11) and end effector (12) are inserted into the patient, the articulation joint (11) can be remotely articulated by the articulation control (13), as FIG. 1 shown in phantom with virtual images, such that the end effector (12) can be deflected from the longitudinal axis (LA) of the shaft (22) at a desired angle (a). By way of example only, the articulation joint (11) and / or articulation control (13) can be configured and operable in accordance with at least some of the teachings of U.S. Patent 9,186,142, entitled "Surgical Instrument End Effector Articulation Drive with Pinion and Opposing Racks," filed November 17, 2015, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety; and / or U.S. Patent 9,795,379, entitled "Surgical Instrument with Multi-Diameter Shaft," issued October 24, 2017, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. Various other suitable forms that the articulation joint (11) and articulation control (13) can take will be apparent to those of skill in the art in light of the teachings herein.

[0026] The end effector (12) of the present example includes a lower jaw (16) and an upper jaw in the form of a pivotable anvil (18). By way of example only, the lower jaw (16) can be configured and operable in accordance with at least some of the teachings of U.S. Patent 9,808,248, entitled "Installation Features for Surgical Instrument End Effector Cartridge," issued November 7, 2017, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. The anvil (18) can be configured and operable in accordance with at least some of the teachings of U.S. Patent 10,092,292, entitled "Staple Forming Features for Surgical Stapling Instrument," issued October 9, 2018, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. Various other suitable forms that the lower jaw (16) and anvil (18) can take will be apparent to those of skill in the art in light of the teachings herein.

[0027] The handle portion (20) includes a pistol grip (24) and a closing trigger (26). The closing trigger (26) is pivotable toward the pistol grip (24) so ​​that the anvil (18) clamps or closes toward the lower jaws (16) of the end effector (12). Such closure of the anvil (18) is provided by a closing tube (32) and a closing ring (33), both of which translate longitudinally relative to the handle portion (20) in response to the pivoting of the closing trigger (26) relative to the pistol grip (24). The closing tube (32) extends along the length of the shaft (22); and the closing ring (33) is positioned distal to the articulated joint (11). The articulated joint (11) is operable to transmit longitudinal motion from the closing tube (32) to the closing ring (33).

[0028] The shank portion (20) also includes a firing trigger (28). An elongated member (not shown) extends longitudinally through the shaft (22) and, in response to actuation of the firing trigger (28), transmits longitudinal firing motion from the shank portion (20) to the firing beam (14). This distal translation of the firing beam (14) causes the tissue clamped in the end effector (12) to be sutured and severed, as will be described in more detail below. Thereafter, the triggers (26, 28) are released to release the tissue from the end effector (12).

[0029] like FIGS. 4A-4B As best seen in this example, the firing beam (14) includes a transversely oriented upper pin (38), a firing beam cap (44), a transversely oriented middle pin (46), and a distal cutting edge (48). The upper pin (38) is positioned within a longitudinal anvil slot (42) of the anvil (18) and is translatable within said longitudinal anvil slot. The firing beam cap (44) extends the firing beam (14) through a lower jaw slot (45). FIG. 4B The lower surface of the lower jaw (16) is slidably engaged (shown), and a lower jaw groove (45) is formed through the lower jaw (16). A central pin (46) slidably engages the top surface of the lower jaw (16), thereby cooperating with the firing beam top cover (44). Thus, the firing beam (14) necessarily separates the end actuator (12) during firing. By way of example only, the firing beam (14) and / or associated locking features may be configured and operated in accordance with at least some of the teachings of the following U.S. Patent: U.S. Patent 9,717,497, entitled “Lockout Feature for Movable Cutting Member of Surgical Instrument,” issued August 1, 2017, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Other suitable forms that the firing beam (14) may take in accordance with the teachings herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

[0030] FIG. 3 The proximally positioned firing beam (14) and the anvil (18) pivoted to an open position of the present example are shown, thereby allowing a non-depleted staple cartridge (37) to be removably installed into the channel of the lower jaw (16). As FIGS. 5-6 Best seen in FIG. 8, the staple cartridge (37) of the present example includes a cartridge body (70) that presents an upper deck (72) and is coupled with a lower cartridge tray (74). As FIG. 3 Best seen in FIG. 8, a vertical slot (49) is formed through a portion of the staple cartridge (37). Also as FIG. 3 Best seen in FIG. 8, three rows of staple cavities (51) are formed through the upper deck (72) on one side of the vertical slot (49) and another set of three rows of staple cavities (51) are formed through the upper deck (72) on the other side of the vertical slot (49). Of course, any other suitable number of staple rows (e.g., two rows, four rows, or other number) can be provided. Referring back to FIGS. 4A-6 The wedge sled (41) and the plurality of staple drivers (43) are captured between the cartridge body (70) and the tray (74) with the wedge sled (41) proximal to the staple drivers (43). The wedge sled (41) is configured to move longitudinally within the staple cartridge (37); whereas, the staple drivers (43) are configured to move vertically within the staple cartridge (37). Staples (47) are also positioned within the cartridge body (70) above corresponding staple drivers (43). Specifically, each staple (47) is vertically driven by a staple driver (43) within the cartridge body (70) to drive the staple (47) out through an associated staple cavity (51). As FIGS. 4A-4B and FIG. 6 Best seen in FIG. 8, the wedge sled (41) presents an angled cam surface that urges the staple drivers (43) upward as the wedge sled (41) is driven distally through the staple cartridge (37).

[0031] By way of example only, the staple cartridge (37) can be configured and operated in accordance with at least some of the teachings of U.S. Patent 9,517,065, entitled “Integrated Tissue Positioning and Jaw Alignment Features for Surgical Stapler,” issued December 13, 2016, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. Other suitable forms that the staple cartridge (37) can take in accordance with the teachings herein will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art.

[0032] With the end effector (12) as shown in FIG. 1, the closure tube (32) and the closure ring (33) are advanced distally to bring the anvil (18) into the closed position. As FIGS. 4A-4BIn the illustrated closed position, the firing beam (14) is advanced into engagement with the anvil (18) by the upper pin (38) entering the longitudinal anvil slot (42). The push block (80) FIG. 5 at the distal end of the firing beam (14) and is configured to engage the wedge sled (41) such that when the firing beam (14) is advanced distally through the staple cartridge (37) upon actuation of the firing trigger (28), the push block (80) pushes the wedge sled (41) distally. During such firing, the cutting edge (48) of the firing beam (14) enters the vertical slots (49) of the staple cartridge (37) thereby severing tissue clamped between the staple cartridge (37) and the anvil (18). As FIGS. 4A-4B illustrated, the intermediate pin (46) and the push block (80) actuate the staple cartridge (37) together by entering the slots (49) within the staple cartridge (37) to drive the wedge sled (41) into upwardly ejecting contact with the staple drivers (43), which in turn drive the staples (47) outwardly through the staple cavities (51) and into the staple-forming dents (53) FIG. 3 illustrated) form contact. FIG. 4B The firing beam (14) is shown fully translated distally after severing and stapling the tissue. It will also be appreciated that the staple-forming dents (53) are intentionally omitted from the view in FIGS. 4A-4B FIG. 3 illustrated. It will also be appreciated that the anvil (18) is intentionally omitted from the view in FIG. 5

[0033] FIG. 7 The end effector (12) is shown having been actuated through the tissue (90) by a single stroke. As shown, the cutting edge (48) (which is obscured in FIG. 7 has cut through the tissue (90), while the staple drivers (43) have driven three rows of alternating staples (47) through the tissue (90) on either side of the cut line created by the cutting edge (48). In this example, the staples (47) are all oriented substantially parallel to the cut line, but it will be appreciated that the staples (47) can be positioned in any suitable orientation. In this example, after the first stroke is complete, the end effector (12) is withdrawn from the trocar, the spent staple cartridge (37) is replaced with a fresh staple cartridge, and then the end effector (12) is inserted again through the trocar or incision to the stapling site for further cutting and stapling. This process can be repeated until the desired number of incisions and staples (47) have been provided. The anvil (18) can need to be closed to facilitate insertion and withdrawal through the trocar; and the anvil (18) can need to be opened to facilitate replacement of the staple cartridge (37).

[0034] ​​In some versions, the instrument (10) provides motorized control of the firing beam (14). By way of example only, such motorization can be provided in accordance with at least some of the teachings of U.S. Patent 9,622,746, entitled "Distal Tip Features for End Effector of Surgical Instrument," published April 18, 2017, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety; and / or U.S. Patent 8,210,411, entitled "Motor-Driven Surgical Instrument," issued July 3, 2012, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Other suitable components, features, and configurations for providing motorization of the firing beam (14) will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in view of the teachings herein. It is also contemplated that some other versions can provide for manual driving of the firing beam (14) such that a motor can be omitted.

[0035] In motorized versions of the instrument (10), the instrument (10) can also include a manual return switch or "panic switch" (104) positioned on or in the handle portion (20), such as in or below a user-accessible panel or "panic door" (30) (see, FIG. 8 ), configured to enable an operator to quickly begin proximal retraction of the firing beam (14) during a firing stroke. In other words, the panic switch (104) can be manually actuated while the firing beam (14) is only partially advanced distally. The panic switch (104) can provide additional functionality in accordance with at least some of the teachings of U.S. Patent 9,622,746, entitled "Distal Tip Features for End Effector of Surgical Instrument," published April 18, 2017, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. To access the panic switch (104), the operator first opens the panic door (30).

[0036] II. Example Firing Circuits and Control Algorithms

[0037] A. SUMMARY

[0038] As previously referenced with respect to FIG. 1, FIGS. 1-7The various components are operable to translate the firing beam (14) to staple and sever clamped tissue via the end effector (12). In some versions, the motor is configured to be activated to actuate the end effector (12) in response to a firing actuation of the firing trigger (28), i.e., first to advance the firing beam (14) distally in a "forward" direction to cut and staple tissue and then to retract the firing beam (14) proximally in a "reverse" direction when cutting and stapling has been completed. Once the two-stage firing sequence is complete (i.e., the stapling operation has ended and the cutting blade (48) and firing beam (14) have been retracted), the motor is configured to be deactivated. In addition, the motor can be controlled using a firing circuit and / or control algorithm to actuate the end effector (12) through the firing sequence at one or more predetermined speeds to provide a predetermined time period for completing the firing sequence. In some examples, the predetermined time period can range from about 1 second in duration to about 10 seconds in duration. In other examples, the predetermined time period can range from about 3 seconds in duration to about 7 seconds in duration.

[0039] In the present example, the instrument (10) provides motorized control of the firing beam (14). FIG. 8 is an example control circuit (100) that can be incorporated into the instrument (10) to provide motorized control of the firing beam (14). In particular, FIG. 8 An example control circuit (100) is shown that can be used to power an electric motor (140) with electrical power from a battery (142). The motor (140) is operable to longitudinally translate the firing beam (14) in a manner that will be described in greater detail below. It will be appreciated that the entire control circuit (100), including the motor (140) and the battery (142), can be housed within the handle portion (20). By way of example only, the motor (140) can be incorporated into the instrument (10) in accordance with at least some of the teachings of U.S. Patent 8,453,914, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

[0040] As shown, the control circuit (100) of this example includes several switches (102, 104, 106, 108, 110), several resistors (112, 114, 116, 118, 120, 122), a thermistor (124), and a relay (126) that are configured and operable to selectively couple the positive and negative terminal (128, 130) of the battery (142) with the positive and negative terminal (132, 134) of the motor (140) to selectively power the motor (140).

[0041] More specifically, the control circuit (100) of the present example includes a firing trigger switch (102) configured to be actuatable from a "3" position to a "2" position by actuation of the firing trigger (28). The control circuit (100) also includes an emergency stop switch (104) configured to be actuatable from a "2" position to a "3" position to effectively disconnect the negative motor terminal when the emergency stop switch (104) is actuated. The control circuit (100) also includes a clamp switch (106) configured to be actuatable from a "3" position to a "2" position upon a determination that the anvil (18) has been sufficiently closed to permit a safe and effective firing stroke. The control circuit (100) also includes a motor direction switch (108). Once the firing beam (14) reaches the distal-most position (e.g., at the end of a cutting stroke) and the cartridge (37) is empty, the switch (108, 136) automatically switches from a first position to a second position and the relay (126) is "opened" latched, thereby reversing the polarity of the voltage applied to the motor terminals (132, 134). This reverses the direction of rotation of the motor (140), it being understood that the operator will release the closure trigger (26) at this stage of operation. Once the actuation of the firing trigger (28) is released and the firing trigger switch (102) is actuated back to the "3" position, the relay (126) is "closed" latched. In some versions, current flows through a reverse indicator (e.g., including an optional LED or the like) to provide a visual indication to the operator that the rotation of the motor (140) has been reversed. Various suitable ways in which the switch (108) can automatically switch to the second position upon the firing beam (14) reaching the distal-most position will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in view of the teachings herein.

[0042] Still further, the control circuit (100) includes an empty cartridge switch (1 10) that is configured to be closed by default but automatically opened in response to a lockout condition. By way of example only, the lockout condition can include one or more of the following: an absence of a cartridge (37) in the lower jaw (16), a presence of an empty (e.g., previously fired) cartridge (37) in the lower jaw (16), a determination that the instrument (10) has been fired too many times, and / or any other suitable condition. Various suitable sensors, algorithms, and other features that can be used to detect a lockout condition will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the teachings herein. Similarly, other suitable kinds of lockout conditions will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the teachings herein. It will be appreciated that when the switch (1 10) is open, the control circuit (100) is open and thus the motor (140) is inoperable. A lockout indicator (1 10) (e.g., an LED or the like) is operable to provide a visual indication of the status of the lockout switch (108). By way of example only, the lockout switch (108) and associated components / features can be configured in accordance with at least some of the teachings of U.S. Patent 7,644,848, entitled "Electronic Lockouts and Surgical Instrument Including Same," published January 12, 2010, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein. Although FIG. 8 The various switches (102, 104, 106, 108, 1 10) are shown in certain positions, but it will be appreciated that each switch (102, 104, 106, 108, 1 10) is independently operable to perform a particular function and thus varies depending on the operating environment of the instrument (10) in a particular instance.

[0043] If necessary, the resistors (1 12, 1 14, 1 16, 1 18, 120, 122) are operable to slow the initial phase of the firing stroke to allow time for the empty cartridge switch (1 10) to operate. Each resistor (1 12, 1 14, 1 16, 1 18, 120, 122) can be set to an equal value, such as 47 ohms, or can vary or even be omitted if necessary.

[0044] In some versions, one or more of the switches (102, 104, 106, 108, 110) are in the form of microswitches. Other suitable forms will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in view of the teachings herein. In addition to or in lieu of the foregoing, at least portions of the control circuit (100) can be configured in accordance with at least some of the teachings of U.S. Patent Publication No. 8,210,411, entitled "Motor-Driven Surgical Instrument," published July 3, 2012, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein.

[0045] In some instances, it can be desirable to modify the instrument (10) to incorporate a pulsatile "positive" firing stroke technique that is operable to more slowly advance the cutting edge (48) of the firing beam (14) into tissue. By pulsing the cutting edge (48) into tissue, i.e., by longitudinally translating the cutting edge (48) in a series of distal advances separated by brief pauses, the tissue is allowed time to relax as the stapling and cutting operation is performed, which can result in a more precise and effective operation. As described in greater detail below, various exemplary firing circuits can be included within the instrument (10) to manipulate the power provided to the motor (140) to thereby successively enable and disable the motor (140) during the "positive" cutting and stapling phase of the firing stroke, thereby pulsingly advancing the cutting edge (48) into tissue. Thereafter, the control circuit can be operable to disable or otherwise bypass the pulsing portion of the firing circuit during the "reverse" phase of the firing stroke to allow the motor (140) to be enabled to proximally retract the firing beam (14) through the lower jaw (16) in one continuous motion, i.e., without pulsing.

[0046] In this example, and as will be described in greater detail below, the motor (140) can be controlled using a firing circuit and / or control algorithm to actuate the end effector (12) at one or more predetermined speeds through a firing stroke with a pulsed forward phase to provide a longer predetermined period of time to complete the firing stroke than in non-pulsed examples. In some examples utilizing a pulsed forward phase of the firing stroke, the predetermined period of time to complete the entire firing stroke, including both the advancement and retraction of the cutting blade (48), can range from a duration of about 2 seconds to a duration of about 18 seconds. In other examples, the predetermined period of time can range from a duration of about 6 seconds to a duration of about 14 seconds. In particular, the predetermined period of time for the forward phase of the firing stroke only, including the advancement of the cutting blade (48), can range from a duration of about 2 seconds to a duration of about 10 seconds. In other examples, the period of time for the forward phase of the firing stroke only can range from a duration of about 3 seconds to a duration of about 7 seconds. Various factors can influence the period of time required to complete the forward phase, such as friction, battery power, and cartridge (37) size. Additionally, the motor (140) can require more activation cycles for cutting and stapling procedures involving thick tissue than the motor (140) can require for thin tissue, thus requiring a longer predetermined period of time. In one illustrative example, for cutting and stapling thin tissue, the motor (140) can pulse (i.e., transition from an off or deactivated state to an on or activated state) 3 to 4 times over the course of 3 seconds, whereas for cutting and stapling thick tissue, the motor (140) can pulse 7 to 9 times over the course of 7 seconds.

[0047] It will be appreciated that various additional and alternative versions of the control circuit (100) described above can readily be used with the instrument (10). It will also be appreciated that, in some cases, it can be desirable to alter the configuration and arrangement of the electrical components of the control circuit (100) in order to complement the configuration and arrangement of alternative firing circuits described below. Various suitable ways of incorporating the alternative versions of the control circuit (100) described below into the instrument (10) will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in view of the teachings herein.

[0048] B. Example Pulsed Firing Circuits Using RC Circuits and Transistors

[0049] Various pulsed firing circuits can be configured to manipulate the power provided to the motor (140) to successively and repeatedly activate and deactivate the motor (140) during the "forward" cutting and stapling phase of the firing stroke, thereby advancing the cutting blade (48) of the firing beam (14) into tissue in a pulsed manner. FIG. 9An example pulsed firing circuit (150) is shown that can be coupled with or otherwise integrated into the control circuit (100). In particular, node (152) of the circuit (150) can be coupled with node (136) of the control circuit (100), and node (154) of the circuit (150) can be coupled with node (138) of the control circuit (100) to include a pulse technology to the cutting blade (48) of the instrument (10). As shown, the firing circuit (150) of this example includes several resistors (156, 158, 160, 162, 164, 166, 168), diodes (170, 172), capacitors (174, 176), transistors (178, 180, 182), and a switch (184).

[0050] In this example, the transistors (178, 180) can each be an NPN bipolar junction transistor, such as a 2N3904 general purpose transistor manufactured by ON Semiconductor. Alternatively, any other suitable kind of transistor can be used. The diodes (170, 172) can be, for example, 1N4148 small signal diodes manufactured by ON Semiconductor. Alternatively, any other suitable kind of diode can be used. Further, the resistors (156, 158, 160, 162, 164, 166, 168) of this example can be selected to be 470 ohms, 390 ohms, 12.5 kilo-ohms, 12.5 kilo-ohms, 390 ohms, 470 ohms, and 470 ohms, respectively. Alternatively, any other resistance values can be used. The capacitors (174, 176) can be selected to be 115 micro-farads and 58 micro-farads, respectively. Alternatively, any other suitable capacitance values can be used.

[0051] Thus, the firing circuit (150) is configured and operable as an unsteady multivibrator circuit to output a square wave voltage signal to node (186) consisting of alternating high voltage outputs and low voltage outputs formed by the alternating switching of transistors (178, 180), where the peak amplitude of the high voltage output signal is approximately equal to the amplitude of the input signal at node (154). Transistor (182) can be a MOSFET transistor, for example, a SIS476DN-T1-GE3 N-Channel 30V (D-S) MOSFET manufactured by Vishay Intertechnology, Inc. Alternatively, any other suitable kind of transistor can be used. Transistor (182) can be provided to selectively allow current to pass between nodes (152, 154) when the unsteady multivibrator output square wave form is held in a high state at node (186) and to not allow current to pass between nodes (152, 154) when the unsteady multivibrator output square wave form is held in a low state at node (186).

[0052] FIG. 10 An exemplary voltage output waveform received at node (186) of the FIG. 9 As described above, the firing circuit (150) is powered upon receiving the power signal from the positive battery terminal (130) initiated in part by actuating the firing trigger switch (102). Unless and until the firing circuit (150) receives the power signal, the output waveform at node (186) will remain in a low state as shown in initial phase (188). When the power signal is received at node (154), the unsteady multivibrator circuit (i.e., resistors (156, 158, 160, 162, 164, 166), capacitors (174, 176), diodes (170, 172), and transistors (178, 180)) is enabled and operable to repeatedly output a square wave signal (190) until the firing trigger switch (102) is released and current stops flowing into node (152).

[0053] In some examples, it can be desirable to positively pulse the cutting blade (48) in two pulses, thus any number of square wave cycles in the range from about 1.5 cycles to about 2.0 cycles. In other examples, it can be desirable to positively pulse the cutting blade (48) in three or more pulses, thus requiring about 2.5 or more square wave cycles. It can also be desirable to modify the length of the time period (192) of the signal (190). In the present example, the frequency of the signal (190) is in the range from about 0.5 Hertz to about 3.0 Hertz. In alternative examples, the frequency of the signal (190) can be in the range from about 0.75 Hertz to about 2.0 Hertz. In other alternative examples, the frequency of the signal (190) can be at or about 1.5 Hertz (i.e., 1.5 seconds in length, 1.0 second high and 0.5 second low). In other examples, the values of the resistors (156, 158, 160, 162, 164, 166) and capacitors (174, 176) can be varied as needed to adjust the time period (192). While the duty cycle of the signal (190) is about 50%, in various other examples the duty cycle of the signal (190) can be selected to be 0%, 25%, 75%, 100%, or some other value. It will be appreciated, however, that various alternative duty cycles can be configured.

[0054] In the present example, the firing circuit (150) is not used to provide power to the motor (140) to cause the cutting blade (48) to retract from tissue. Rather, once the cutting operation is complete, the motor direction switch (108) of the control circuit (100) is switched from the first state to the second state, causing the power signal to be removed from the node (154) such that the output provided at the node (152) of the firing circuit (150) returns to the low state (194).

[0055] Still further, it can be desirable to include a bypass mechanism to permit an operator of the instrument (10) to bypass the pulse induction feature of the firing circuit (150), such as in the event the operator wishes to cut a blood vessel or for any other reason dictated by the environment, and instead advance the cutting blade (48) in one continuous motion (i.e., via a signal (190) having a 100% duty cycle), as shown in FIG. 8. In this example, a user-actuatable bypass switch (184) (e.g., an on / off rocker switch or other user-easy-to-actuate form commonly used in the art) can be included on the outer surface of the instrument (10), such as on the handle portion (20) of the instrument (10). FIG. 8

[0056] C. Example Pulsed Firing Circuits Using RC Circuits and Timers

[0057] FIGS. 11-12 ​Another example firing circuit (200) that can be incorporated into the instrument (10) is shown. In particular, node (202) of the circuit (200) can be coupled with node (136) of the control circuit (100), and node (204) of the circuit (200) can be coupled with node (138) of the control circuit (100) to include a pulse technique for the cutting blade (48) of the instrument (10). As shown, the firing circuit (200) of this example includes several resistors (206, 208, 210, 212), capacitors (214, 216, 218), a transistor (220), and a timer (222). The transistor (220) can be a MOSFET transistor, such as an SIS476DN-T1-GE3 N-Channel 30V (D-S) MOSFET manufactured by Vishay Intertechnology, Inc. Alternatively, any other suitable kind of transistor can be used. In addition, the timer (222) can be, for example, an LMC555 CMOS Low-Power Timer manufactured by Texas Instruments, Inc. It will be appreciated that in other examples, the timer (222) can take various other suitable forms that will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the teachings herein.

[0058] The timer (222) of this example is a single integrated chip that functions like a multivibrator. The timer (222) is capable of operating in three different modes: non-stable mode, bistable mode, and monostable mode. In the non-stable mode, the timer (222) outputs an oscillating pulse signal or waveform as will be described below. In particular, the output (226) of the timer (222) oscillates between a high state and a low state at a configurable frequency and pulse width. At the end of the adjustable duration, the timer (222) returns to a stable low state output unless and until an external trigger again enables the timer (222). Thus, the output (226) is capable of being configured to resemble FIG. 10 the waveform shown.

[0059] In particular, the RC circuit (224) including the resistors (206, 208) and the capacitor (214) is capable of being configured by varying the values of the resistors (206, 208) and the capacitor (214) to adjust the oscillating square wave waveform provided at the output (226) of the timer (222). Referring to FIG. 10The duration of one full cycle (192) can be calculated using the following approximation: T = 0.693(R1+2R2)*C, where T equals the length of time of one cycle (192), R1 is resistor (206), R2 is resistor (208), and C is capacitor (214). In this example, resistors (206, 208, 210, 212) can be selected as 22 kilo-ohms, 16 kilo-ohms, 470 ohms, and 10 kilo-ohms, respectively. Alternatively, any other suitable resistance values can be used. Capacitors (214, 216, 218) can be selected as 47 microfarads, 0.01 microfarads, and 1 microfarads, respectively. Alternatively, any other suitable kind of capacitor values can be used.

[0060] Because the firing circuit (200) is configured and operable to output a square wave voltage signal at the output node (226) consisting of alternating high voltage outputs and low voltage outputs, a transistor (182) can also be provided to selectively allow current to pass between nodes (202, 204) when the output square wave form is held in a high state at node (226), and not allow current to pass between nodes (202, 204) when the non-steady multivibrator output square wave form is held in a low state at node (226).

[0061] In some examples, it can be desirable to forward pulse the cutting blade (48) of the firing beam (14) in two pulses, thus requiring 1.5 to 2 square wave cycles. In other examples, it can be desirable to forward pulse the cutting blade (48) in three or more pulses, thus requiring 2.5 or more square wave cycles. It can also be desirable to modify the length of one cycle (192) of the signal (190). In this example, the length of a single cycle (192) can be one second (i.e., 0.5 seconds high, 0.5 seconds low). In other examples, the values of the RC circuit (224) can be varied as needed to adjust the cycle (192). In various examples, the duty cycle of the signal (190) can be selected as 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, 100%; however, it should be understood that various alternative duty cycles can be configured.

[0062] In this example, the firing circuit (200) is not used to provide power to the motor (140) to retract the cutting blade (48) from the tissue. Rather, once the cutting operation is complete, the motor direction switch (108) of the control circuit (100) is switched from the first state to the second state, causing the power signal to be removed from node (204) such that the output provided at node (226) of the firing circuit (200) returns to the low state (194).

[0063] It can be desirable to provide a style of firing circuit (200) that includes a feature that allows a user of the instrument (10) to adjust the impulse motion (i.e., adjust the period (192)) or selectively bypass the impulse feature altogether. FIG. 12 An example of a firing circuit (200) that provides the user with the ability to adjust the values of the above-described resistors (206, 208) in real-time is shown. In particular, the resistors (206, 208) can be replaced with potentiometers (230, 232). The potentiometers (230, 232) can be actuated via one or more user-adjustable dials that can be included on the instrument (10), such as on the handle portion (20) of the instrument (10). In one example, the potentiometer (230) is capable of adjustment in a range of 1 kilo-ohm to 30 kilo-ohm, and the potentiometer (232) is capable of adjustment in a range of 1 kilo-ohm to 25 kilo-ohm. However, it will be appreciated that the values of the potentiometers (230, 232) can vary in order to meet the requirements of alternative configurations of the instrument (10).

[0064] As also shown FIG. 12 The circuit 200 of the present example can include a bypass mechanism to permit an operator of the instrument (10) to bypass the impulse induction feature of the firing circuit (200) and instead advance the cutting edge (48) of the firing beam (14) in one continuous motion (i.e., via a signal (190) having a 100% duty cycle), such as shown FIG. 8 In this example, a user-actuatable bypass switch 234 (e.g., an on / off rocker switch or other user-easy-to-actuate switch form commonly used in the art) can be included on the outer surface of the instrument (10), such as on the handle portion (20) of the instrument (10).

[0065] D. Example Pulsed Firing Circuits Using RC Circuits and Operational Amplifiers

[0066] FIGS. 13-14Another example firing circuit (300) that can be incorporated into the instrument (10) is shown. In particular, node (302) of the circuit (300) can be coupled with node (136) of the control circuit (100), and node (304) of the circuit (300) can be coupled with node (138) of the control circuit (100) to include a pulse technique to the cutting blade (48) of the instrument (10). As shown, the firing circuit (300) of this example includes several resistors (306, 308, 310, 312, 314), a capacitor (316), a transistor (318), and an operational amplifier (320). The transistor (220) can be a MOSFET transistor, such as an SIS476DN-T1-GE3 N-Channel 30V (D-S) MOSFET manufactured by Vishay Intertechnology, Inc. Alternatively, any other suitable kind of transistor can be used. Additionally, the operational amplifier (320) can be, for example, an SG1536Y high voltage operational amplifier manufactured by Microsemi Corporation. It will be appreciated that in other examples, the operational amplifier (320) can take a variety of other suitable forms as will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the teachings herein.

[0067] The operational amplifier (320) of the present example is configured to operate similar to a multivibrator to output an oscillating pulse signal or waveform. In particular, the output (322) of the operational amplifier (320) oscillates between a high state and a low state at a configurable frequency and pulse width. At the end of the adjustable duration, the operational amplifier (320) returns to a steady low state output. Thus, the output (322) can be configured to output a waveform similar to FIG. 10 the waveform shown.

[0068] In particular, the RC circuit including the resistors (306, 308, 310) and the capacitor (316) can be configured by varying the values of the resistors (306, 308, 310) and the capacitor (316) to adjust the oscillating square wave waveform provided at the output (322) of the operational amplifier (320). Referring to FIG. 10 the following approximate equation can be used to calculate the duration of one full cycle (192): T = 2*C*R1*log e(l+R3 / R2), where T is equal to the length of time of one cycle (192), C is the capacitor (316), Rl is the resistor (306), R2 is the resistor (308), and R3 is the resistor (310). In the present example, the resistors (306, 308, 310) can be selected to be 0.2 mega-ohms, 27 kilo-ohms, and 27 kilo-ohms, respectively, and the capacitor (316) can be selected to be 0.47 micro-farads. Alternatively, any other suitable kind of resistance and capacitance values can be used.

[0069] Since the triggering circuit (300) is configured to operate to output a square wave voltage signal consisting of alternating high and low voltage outputs at the output node (322), a transistor (318) may also be provided to selectively allow current to flow between nodes (302, 304) when the output square wave waveform is held high at node (322), and to disallow current to flow between nodes (302, 304) when the output square wave waveform of the multivibrator (i.e., the operational amplifier along with the RC circuit) is held low at node (322). In various examples, the duty cycle of the signal (190) may be selected as 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, 100%; however, it should be understood that various alternative duty cycles may be configured.

[0070] In this example, the firing circuit (300) is not used to supply power to the motor (140) to retract the cutting blade (48) from the tissue. Instead, once the cutting operation is complete, the motor direction switch (108) of the control circuit (100) switches from a first state to a second state, causing the power signal to be removed from node (304), so that the output provided at node (322) of the firing circuit (300) returns to the low state (194).

[0071] It may be desirable to provide a type of firing circuit (300) that includes a feature that allows the user of the instrument (10) to adjust the pulse motion (i.e., adjust the period (192)) or selectively bypass the pulse feature entirely. FIG. 14 An example of a triggering circuit (300) is shown that provides the user with the real-time ability to adjust the value of the aforementioned resistor (306). Specifically, the resistor (306) can be replaced by a potentiometer (330). The potentiometer (330) can be actuated via one or more user-adjustable dials, which can be included on the instrument (10), such as on the handle portion (20) of the instrument (10). In one example, the potentiometer (330) is adjustable in the range of 1 kΩ to 30 kΩ, and the potentiometer (232) is adjustable in the range of 2 kΩ to 20 kΩ. However, it should be understood that the value of the potentiometer (330) can be varied to meet the requirements of alternative configurations of the instrument (10).

[0072] For example FIG. 14 As shown, the circuit (300) of this example may include a bypass mechanism to allow the operator of the instrument (10) to bypass the pulse-induced feature of the firing circuit (300) and instead cause the cutting edge (48) of the firing beam (14) to advance in a continuous motion (i.e., via a signal (190) having a 100% duty cycle), such as FIG. 8The bypass switch 332 (e.g., an on / off rocker switch or other user-easy-to-actuate form commonly used in the art) can be included on an outer surface of the instrument (10), such as on the handle portion (20) of the instrument (10), in this example. The user can actuate the bypass switch 332 to bypass the control circuit (100) and the firing circuit (200) and to directly actuate the relay (320) to fire the cutting blade (48) of the instrument (10).

[0073] E. Example Pulsed Firing Circuits Using Relays

[0074] FIG. 15 Another example firing circuit (400) that can be incorporated into the instrument (10) is shown. In particular, a node (402) of the circuit (400) can be coupled with the node (136) of the control circuit (100), and a node (404) of the circuit (400) can be coupled with the node (138) of the control circuit (100) to include a pulse technique for the cutting blade (48) of the instrument (10). As shown, the firing circuit (400) of this example includes resistors (406, 408), a transistor (410), and a relay (412). The transistor (410) can be a MOSFET transistor, such as an SIS476DN-T1-GE3 N-Channel 30V (D-S) MOSFET manufactured by Vishay Intertechnology, Inc. Alternatively, any other suitable kind of transistor can be used. In addition, the relay (412) can be, for example, an H3FA Solid State Timer manufactured by OMRON Corporation. Alternatively, any other suitable kind of relay can be used. It will be appreciated that in other examples, the relay (412) can take a variety of other suitable forms apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the teachings herein.

[0075] The relay 412 of this example is configured to operate similar to a multivibrator to output an oscillating pulse signal or waveform. In particular, the output (414) of the relay (412) oscillates between a high state and a low state at a configurable frequency and pulse width. At the end of the adjustable duration, the relay (412) returns to a steady low state output unless and until an external trigger again enables the relay (412). Thus, the output (414) is configurable to resemble FIG. 10 the waveform shown.

[0076] In particular, the relay (412) includes one or more inputs or time range selectors (416, 418, 420) that are user-adjustable to vary the oscillating square wave waveform provided at the output (414) of the relay (412). In this example, the resistors (406, 408) can be selected to be 470 ohms, 10 kilohms, respectively.

[0077] Because the firing circuit (400) is configured and operable to output a square wave voltage signal at the output node (414) consisting of alternating high voltage outputs and low voltage outputs, a transistor (410) can also be provided to selectively allow current to pass between the nodes (402, 404) when the output square wave form is held at a high state at the node (414) and not allow current to pass between the nodes (402, 404) when the multivibrator (i.e., operational amplifier along with RC circuit) output square wave form is held at a low state at the node (414). In various examples, the duty cycle of the signal (190) can be selected to be 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, 100%; however, it will be appreciated that various alternative duty cycles can be configured.

[0078] In the present example, the firing circuit (400) is not used to provide power to the motor (140) to cause the cutting edge (48) to retract from tissue. Rather, once the cutting operation is complete, the motor direction switch (108) of the control circuit (100) is switched from the first state to the second state, resulting in the power signal being removed from the node (204) such that the output provided at the node (414) of the firing circuit (400) returns to the low state (194).

[0079] It can be desirable to provide a version of the firing circuit (400) that includes a feature that bypasses the pulse induction feature of the firing circuit (400) and instead causes the cutting edge (48) of the firing beam (14) to advance in one continuous motion (i.e., via a signal (190) having a 100% duty cycle), such as FIG. 8 To this end, the firing circuit (400) can include a user-actuatable bypass switch (422). The bypass switch 422 can be in the physical form of an on / off rocker switch or other user-easy-to-actuate switch form commonly used in the art that is included on the outer surface of the instrument (10), such as on the handle portion (20) of the instrument (10).

[0080] F. Example Pulsed Firing Circuits Using Microcontrollers

[0081] FIG. 16Another example firing circuit (500) that can be incorporated into the instrument (10) is shown. In particular, node (502) of the circuit (500) can be coupled with node (136) of the control circuit (100), and node (504) of the circuit (500) can be coupled with node (138) of the control circuit (100) to include a cutting blade (48) technology for the instrument (10). As shown, the firing circuit (500) of this example includes resistors (506, 510, 512, 516, 518, 520, 522, 524), potentiometers (508, 514), capacitors (530, 532), a switch (534), a transistor (536), and a microcontroller (546). The transistor (536) can be a MOSFET transistor, such as an SIS476DN-T1-GE3 N-Channel 30V (D-S) MOSFET manufactured by Vishay Intertechnology, Inc. Alternatively, any other suitable kind of transistor can be used. Additionally, the microcontroller (546) can be, for example, a PIC12F1501 8-Pin Flash 8-bit Microcontroller manufactured by Microchip Technology, Inc. It will be appreciated that in other examples the microcontroller (546) can take various other suitable forms as will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the teachings herein.

[0082] The microcontroller (546) of this example is configured to operate similar to a multivibrator to output an oscillating pulse signal or waveform. In particular, the signal at the output node (548) of the microcontroller (546) oscillates between a high state and a low state at a configurable frequency and pulse width. At the end of the adjustable duration, the microcontroller (546) returns to a steady state low state output unless and until an external trigger again enables the relay (412). Thus, the signal at the output node (548) of the microcontroller (546) can be configured to resemble FIG. 10 the waveform shown. In various examples, the duty cycle of the signal (190) can be selected to be 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, 100%; however, it will be appreciated that various alternative duty cycles can be configured.

[0083] In particular, the microcontroller (546) includes one or more inputs, a turn-on duty cycle adjuster (538) and a turn-off duty cycle adjuster (540) that are user adjustable to change the oscillating square wave waveform provided in the signal at the output node (548) of the microcontroller (546). More specifically, the resistors (506, 510) in combination with the potentiometer (508) form a variable voltage divider that is operable to change the input voltage to the turn-on duty cycle adjuster (538) to adjust the duration of the high state of the signal at the output node (548). Additionally, the resistors (512, 516) in combination with the potentiometer (514) form a variable voltage divider that is operable to change the input voltage to the turn-off duty cycle adjuster (540) to adjust the duration of the low state of the signal at the output node (548). The potentiometers (508, 514) can be in the physical form of user adjustable dials or other user easily actuated variable mechanisms commonly used in the art that are included on the outer surface of the instrument (10), such as on the handle portion (20) of the instrument (10). In the present example, the resistors (506, 510, 512, 516, 518, 520, 522, 524) can be selected to be 1 kilo-ohm, 1 kilo-ohm, 1 kilo-ohm, 1 kilo-ohm, 470 ohm, 470 ohm, 10 kilo-ohm, and 10 kilo-ohm, respectively. The capacitors (530, 532) can be selected to be 0.1 microfarad and 1.0 microfarad, respectively. However, it should be understood that all electrical component values can be varied in order to meet the requirements of alternative configurations of the instrument (10).

[0084] Because the firing circuit (500) is configured and operable to output a square wave voltage signal at the output node (548) that consists of alternating high voltage outputs and low voltage outputs, a transistor (536) can also be provided to selectively allow current to pass between the nodes (502, 504) when the output square wave waveform is held in the high state at the output node (548) and not allow current to pass between the nodes (502, 504) when the multivibrator (i.e., operational amplifier along with RC circuit) output square wave waveform is held in the low state at the output node (548).

[0085] In the present example, the firing circuit (500) is not used to provide power to the motor (140) to retract the cutting blade (48) from the tissue. Rather, once the cutting operation is complete, the motor direction switch (108) of the control circuit (100) is switched from the first state to the second state, resulting in the power signal being removed from the node (502) such that the output signal provided at the output node (548) of the firing circuit (500) returns to the low state (194).

[0086] It can be desirable to provide a version of the firing circuit (500) that includes a feature that bypasses the pulse-inducing feature of the firing circuit (500) and instead advances the cutting blade (48) in one continuous motion (i.e., via a signal (190) having a 100% duty cycle), such as FIG. 8 To this end, the firing circuit (500) can include a user-actuatable bypass switch (534) coupled at the output node (550) with the microcontroller (546) and configured to selectively disable the pulse feature. For example, when the bypass switch 534 is coupled with the ground 542, the microcontroller (546) can be configured to bypass the pulse feature and instead provide a signal at the output node (548) to the motor (140) that is a steady-state "one-shot" or monostable electrical pulse when the closure trigger (26) is actuated. Alternatively, when the bypass switch (534) is coupled with the battery or power supply voltage (544) through the resistor (524), the microcontroller (546) can be configured to enable the pulse feature and provide a signal at the output node (548) to the motor (140) that is an oscillating or non-steady state electrical pulse when the closure trigger (26) is actuated. The bypass switch 534 can be in the physical form of a toggle / on-off rocker switch or other user-easy-to-actuate switch form commonly used in the art that is included on the outer surface of the instrument (10), such as on the handle portion (20) of the instrument (10).

[0087] It will be appreciated that various additional and alternative versions of the control circuit (100) described above can be readily used with the instrument (10). It will also be appreciated that in some cases it can be necessary to alter the configuration and arrangement of the electrical components of the control circuit (100) and the firing circuit (150, 200, 300, 400, 500) in order to be complementary to the configuration and arrangement of the features of the instrument (10) described herein. In view of the teachings herein, various suitable ways of incorporating alternative versions of the control circuit (100) and the firing circuit (150, 200, 300, 400, 500) described herein into the instrument (10) will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

[0088] III. Example Combinations

[0089] The following embodiments relate to various non-exhaustive ways in which the teachings herein can be combined or applied. It should be understood that the following embodiments are not intended to limit the coverage of any claims that can be presented at any time in this patent application or in subsequent filings of this patent application. No disclaimer is intended. The following embodiments are provided only as examples of how the various teachings herein can be combined and applied. It is contemplated that various teachings herein can be combined and applied in various other ways. It is also contemplated that some embodiments can omit certain features referred to in the following embodiments. Thus, none of the aspects or features referred to below should be deemed critical, essential, or required. If any of the claims presented in this patent application or in subsequent filings of this patent application include additional features beyond those referred to below, such additional features shall not be deemed essential, or required, to the claims. It is also contemplated that some aspects or features can be directed to multiple embodiments.

[0090] Example 1

[0091] A surgical instrument comprising: (a) a body comprising a firing actuator; (b) a shaft extending distally from the body; (c) a motor configured to couple with a power source, wherein the motor is configured to be enabled in response to a firing actuation of the firing actuator; (d) an end effector disposed at a distal end of the shaft, wherein the end effector is operable to staple and sever tissue, wherein the end effector comprises a cutting edge configured to selectively longitudinally translate between a proximal position and a distal position, wherein the cutting edge is configured to transition from the proximal position to the distal position to cut tissue in response to the motor being enabled; and (e) a control circuit operatively coupled with the motor and the firing actuator, wherein the control circuit is configured to generate a positive motor control signal to enable the motor in response to the firing actuation, wherein the positive motor control signal is configured to pulse the cutting edge from the proximal position to the distal position to cut the tissue, wherein the pulsing positive motor control signal comprises: (i) a first duration comprising movement of the cutting edge distally from the proximal position toward a second longitudinal position, (ii) a second duration comprising a stop in movement of the cutting edge, wherein the second duration is contiguous with the first duration, and (iii) a third duration comprising movement of the cutting edge distally from the second longitudinal position toward the distal position, wherein the third duration is contiguous with the second duration.

[0092] Example 2

[0093] The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is configured to determine that the cutting blade has reached the distal position, wherein the control circuit is further configured to generate a reverse motor control signal to activate the motor to transition the cutting blade from the distal position back to the proximal position.

[0094] Example 3

[0095] The surgical instrument of claim 1 or 2, wherein the control circuit further comprises a switch operable to reverse a polarity of electricity provided to the motor by a power source, wherein the control circuit is configured to operate the switch in response to determining that the cutting blade has reached the distal position.

[0096] Example 4

[0097] The surgical instrument of any one or more of claims 1-3, wherein the control circuit further comprises an analog electrical component, wherein the analog electrical component is configured to oscillate the forward motor control signal between a high voltage signal and a low voltage signal, wherein the high voltage signal is operable to activate the motor, wherein the low voltage signal is operable to deactivate the motor.

[0098] Example 5

[0099] The surgical instrument of claim 4, wherein the analog electrical component further comprises an RC circuit coupled with two transistors, wherein the RC circuit comprises at least one resistor and at least one capacitor, wherein the RC circuit and two transistors are configured to oscillate the forward motor control signal.

[0100] Example 6

[0101] The surgical instrument of claim 4, wherein the analog electrical component further comprises an integrated circuit timing device.

[0102] Example 7

[0103] The surgical instrument of claim 4, wherein the analog electrical component further comprises an operational amplifier configured to oscillate the forward motor control signal.

[0104] Example 8

[0105] The surgical instrument of claim 4, wherein the analog electrical component further comprises a variable timer relay configured to oscillate the forward motor control signal.

[0106] Example 9

[0107] The surgical instrument of any one or more of embodiments 1-8, wherein the body further comprises a closure actuator, the end effector further comprises a stapling assembly configured to selectively move between an open position and a closed position in response to actuation of the closure actuator, wherein the stapling assembly is configured to drive a plurality of staples from the stapling assembly into the tissue in response to activation of the motor.

[0108] Example 10

[0109] The surgical instrument of any one or more of embodiments 1-9, wherein the control circuit further comprises a microcontroller, wherein the microcontroller is configured to oscillate the forward motor control signal between a high voltage signal and a low voltage signal, wherein the high voltage signal is operable to activate the motor, wherein the low voltage signal is operable to deactivate the motor.

[0110] Example 11

[0111] The surgical instrument of any one or more of embodiments 1-10, wherein the forward motor control signal is configured with a duty cycle less than 100% to pulse the cutting edge from the proximal position to the distal position to cut tissue, the control circuit further comprising a bypass switch, wherein the bypass switch is selectively actuatable to increase the duty cycle to 100%.

[0112] Example 12

[0113] The surgical instrument of embodiment 11, wherein the bypass switch is positioned on an outer surface of the body.

[0114] Example 13

[0115] The surgical instrument of any one or more of embodiments 1-12, wherein the forward motor control signal is configured with a duty cycle less than 100% to pulse the cutting edge from the proximal position to the distal position to cut tissue, the control circuit further comprising an adjustable input feature, wherein the adjustable input feature is selectively operable to adjust the duty cycle.

[0116] Example 14

[0117] The surgical instrument of embodiment 13, wherein the adjustable input feature is positioned on an outer surface of the body.

[0118] Example 15

[0119] The surgical instrument of any one or more of embodiments 1-14, wherein the forward motor control signal is configured with a 50% duty cycle to pulsate the cutting edge from the proximal position to the distal position to cut tissue.

[0120] Example 16

[0121] The surgical instrument of any one or more of embodiments 1-15, wherein the forward motor control signal has a frequency in a range of about 0.5 hertz to about 3 hertz.

[0122] Example 17

[0123] A surgical instrument comprising: (a) a body comprising a firing actuator; (b) a motor configured to be enabled in response to a firing actuation of the firing actuator; (c) an end effector disposed at a distal end of the shaft, wherein the end effector is operable to staple and sever tissue, wherein the end effector comprises a cutting edge configured to selectively longitudinally translate between a proximal position and a distal position, wherein the cutting edge is configured to transition from the proximal position to the distal position to cut tissue in response to the motor being enabled; and (d) a control circuit operatively coupled with the motor and the firing actuator, wherein the control circuit is configured to generate an oscillating motor control signal to enable the motor and pulsatingly transition the cutting edge from the proximal position to the distal position, wherein the control circuit is configured to thereafter generate a static motor control signal to enable the motor to transition the cutting edge from the distal position to the proximal position, wherein the pulsating transition comprises: (i) a first period comprising movement of the cutting edge from the proximal position distally to a second longitudinal position, (ii) a second period comprising stopped movement of the cutting edge, and (iii) a third period comprising movement of the cutting edge from the second longitudinal position distally to the distal position.

[0124] Example 18

[0125] The surgical instrument of embodiment 17, wherein the control circuit further comprises an analog electrical component configured to oscillate the oscillating motor control signal between a high voltage signal and a low voltage signal, wherein the high voltage signal is operable to enable the motor, wherein the low voltage signal is operable to disable the motor.

[0126] Example 19

[0127] A method of operating a surgical instrument, wherein the surgical instrument comprises a body having a firing actuator, a shaft extending distally from the body, an end effector having a cutting edge disposed at a distal end of the shaft, a motor configured to be coupleable with a power source, and a control circuit operatively coupled with the motor and the firing actuator, the method comprising: (a) transmitting a firing signal to the control circuit in response to actuation of the firing actuator, wherein the control circuit is configured to generate a pulsatile positive motor control signal to selectively enable the motor; (b) enabling the motor upon receipt of a first portion of the positive motor control signal from the control circuit, wherein the enabling of the motor causes the cutting edge to translate distally; (c) maintaining the motor in an enabled state for a first predetermined period of time, wherein the cutting edge translates from a first longitudinal position to a second longitudinal position during the first predetermined period of time, wherein the cutting edge translates through a first length of tissue during translation from the first longitudinal position to the second longitudinal position; (d) disabling the motor upon receipt of a second portion of the positive motor control signal from the control circuit, thereby stopping the distal translation of the cutting edge; (e) maintaining the motor in a disabled state for a second predetermined period of time, wherein the cutting edge remains in the second longitudinal position during the second predetermined period of time, the end effector remaining adjacent the tissue during the disabled state; (f) enabling the motor upon receipt of a third portion of the positive motor control signal from the control circuit; (g) maintaining the motor in the enabled state for a third predetermined period of time, wherein the cutting edge translates from the second longitudinal position to a third longitudinal position during the third predetermined period of time, wherein the cutting edge translates through a second length of tissue during translation from the second longitudinal position to the third longitudinal position; and (h) driving staples into the tissue during the transition of the cutting edge from the first longitudinal position to the third longitudinal position.

[0128] Example 20

[0129] The method of Example 19, further comprising: (a) reversing a power polarity of the motor provided by the power source after the end of the third predetermined period of time; (b) generating a static reverse motor control signal to selectively enable the motor; (c) transmitting the reverse motor control signal to the motor; and (d) enabling the motor upon receipt of the static reverse motor control signal, wherein the enabling of the motor in response to receipt of the reverse motor control signal causes the cutting edge to translate proximally away from the cut tissue.

[0130] IV. Miscellaneous

[0131] It should be understood that any one or more of the teachings, expressions, embodiments, examples, etc. described herein can be combined with any one or more of the other teachings, expressions, embodiments, examples, etc. described herein. The above-described teachings, expressions, embodiments, examples, etc. should therefore not be viewed in isolation relative to each other. Various suitable methods, as described herein, can be used to combine the above- described teachings, expressions, embodiments, examples, etc. in suitable ways. Such modifications and variations are intended to be included within the scope of the claims.

[0132] It should be understood that any patents, patent publications, or other publications referred to herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety only to the extent that the incorporated material is not conflicting with that expressly set forth in the present disclosure. Accordingly, and to the extent necessary, the disclosure herein expressly incorporates by reference the entire text of all patents, patent publications, and other publications cited herein.

[0133] Versions of the devices described above can have application in conventional medical treatments and procedures conducted by a medical professional, as well as application in robotic-assisted medical treatments and procedures. By way of example only, various teachings herein can be readily incorporated into a robotic surgical system such as the DAVINCI® system by Intuitive Surgical, Inc., of Sunnyvale, California. TM

[0134] The devices described above can be designed to be disposed of after a single use, or they can be designed to be used multiple times. Versions of the devices may, in either or both cases, be reconditioned for reuse after at least one use. Reconditioning of a device can include any combination of the steps of disassembly of the device, followed by cleaning and / or replacement of particular pieces, and subsequent reassembly. In particular, devices of some versions can be disassembled, and any number of the particular pieces or parts of the device can be selectively replaced or removed in any combination. Upon cleaning and / or replacement of particular parts, some versions of the device can be reassembled for subsequent use either at a reconditioning facility, or by a user immediately prior to a procedure. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that reconditioning of a device can utilize a variety of techniques for disassembly, cleaning / replacement, and reassembly. Use of such techniques, and the resulting reconditioned device, are all within the scope of the present application.

[0135] ​By way of example only, the versions described herein can be sterilized prior to and / or following a procedure. In one sterilization technique, the device is placed in a closed and sealed container, such as a plastic or TYVEK bag. The container and device can then be placed in a field of radiation that can penetrate the container, such as gamma radiation, x-rays, or electrons. The radiation can kill bacteria on the device and in the container. The sterilized device can then be stored in the sterile container for later use. A device can also be sterilized using any other technique known in the art, including but not limited to beta or gamma radiation, ethylene oxide, or steam.

[0136] Having shown and described various embodiments of the present application, further adaptations and modifications can be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the application as defined by the following claims. Several such possible modifications have already been mentioned, and others will be apparent to those skilled in the art. For example, the embodiments, implementations, geometries, materials, dimensions, ratios, steps, and the like discussed above are illustrative only and are not necessarily the only way to implement the structures and operations described herein. Accordingly, the scope of the present application should be considered in terms of the following claims and is understood not to be limited to the details of structures and operations shown and described herein.

Claims

1. A surgical instrument, comprising: (a) A body comprising a firing actuator; (b) An axis that extends distally from the body; (c) A motor configured to be coupled to a power source, wherein the motor is configured to be activated in response to firing actuation of the firing actuator; (d) An end effector disposed at the distal end of the shaft, wherein the end effector is operable to suture and cut tissue, wherein the end effector includes a cutting blade configured to selectively translate longitudinally between a proximal position and a distal position, wherein the cutting blade is configured to change from the proximal position to the distal position in response to activation of the motor to cut tissue. as well as (e) A control circuit operatively coupled to the motor and the firing actuator, wherein the control circuit is configured to generate a forward motor control signal in response to the firing actuator to activate the motor, wherein the forward motor control signal is configured to cause the cutting edge to pulsate from the proximal position to the distal position over a predetermined time period to cut the tissue, wherein the pulsating forward motor control signal includes: (i) A first duration, the first duration including the movement of the cutting edge from the proximal position toward the distal position toward the second longitudinal position. (ii) a second duration, the second duration including the cessation of the cutting edge's movement, wherein the second duration follows the first duration, and (iii) A third duration, the third duration including the movement of the cutting edge from the second longitudinal position toward the distal position, wherein the third duration follows the second duration.

2. The surgical instrument according to claim 1, wherein, The control circuit is configured to determine that the cutting edge has reached the distal position, wherein the control circuit is further configured to generate a reverse motor control signal to enable the motor to turn the cutting edge from the distal position back to the proximal position.

3. The surgical instrument according to claim 2, wherein, The control circuit also includes a switch operable to reverse the polarity of the motor supplied by the power source, wherein the control circuit is configured to operate the switch in response to determining that the cutting edge has reached the distal position.

4. The surgical instrument according to claim 1, wherein, The control circuit also includes analog electrical components configured to cause the forward motor control signal to oscillate between a high voltage signal and a low voltage signal, wherein the high voltage signal is operable to enable the motor and the low voltage signal is operable to deactivate the motor.

5. The surgical instrument according to claim 4, wherein, The analog electrical component also includes an RC circuit coupled to two transistors, wherein the RC circuit includes at least one resistor and at least one capacitor, and wherein the RC circuit and the two transistors are configured to oscillate the forward motor control signal.

6. The surgical instrument according to claim 4, wherein, The analog electrical components also include integrated circuit timing devices.

7. The surgical instrument according to claim 4, wherein, The analog electrical component also includes an operational amplifier configured to oscillate the forward motor control signal.

8. The surgical instrument according to claim 4, wherein, The analog electrical components also include a variable timer relay configured to cause the forward motor control signal to oscillate.

9. The surgical instrument according to claim 1, wherein, The body also includes a closure actuator, and the end effector includes a suture assembly configured to selectively move between an open position and a closed position in response to actuation of the closure actuator, wherein the suture assembly is configured to drive a plurality of staples from the suture assembly into the tissue in response to activation of the motor.

10. The surgical instrument according to claim 1, wherein, The control circuit also includes a microcontroller configured to oscillate the forward motor control signal between a high voltage signal and a low voltage signal, wherein the high voltage signal is operable to enable the motor and the low voltage signal is operable to disable the motor.

11. The surgical instrument according to claim 1, wherein, The forward motor control signal is configured with a duty cycle of less than 100% to cause the cutting blade to pulsate from the proximal position to the distal position to cut tissue. The control circuit also includes a bypass switch, wherein the bypass switch is selectively actuated to increase the duty cycle to 100%.

12. The surgical instrument according to claim 11, wherein, The bypass switch is positioned on the outer surface of the main body.

13. The surgical instrument according to claim 1, wherein, The forward motor control signal is configured with a duty cycle of less than 100% to cause the cutting blade to pulsate from the proximal position to the distal position to cut tissue. The control circuit also includes an adjustable input feature that can be selectively operated to adjust the duty cycle.

14. The surgical instrument according to claim 13, wherein, The adjustable input feature is positioned on the outer surface of the main body.

15. The surgical instrument according to claim 1, wherein, The forward motor control signal is configured with a 50% duty cycle to cause the cutting blade to pulsate from the proximal position to the distal position to cut tissue.

16. The surgical instrument according to claim 1, wherein, The forward motor control signal has a frequency in the range of about 0.5 Hz to about 3 Hz.

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