Surgical handpiece including visible light emitter and system and method for determining identity of surgical handpiece

Abstract

A surgical system, a method of operating a surgical system, and a surgical handpiece are disclosed. The surgical system (10) comprises: a surgical handpiece (12) comprising a visible light emitter (14); a controller (16) configured for determining a state of the surgical handpiece and controlling the visible light emitter to emit visible light based on the state of the surgical handpiece; a light sensor (18) configured for generating an output signal based on sensing the visible light; and a second surgical system (22) configured for determining an identity of the surgical handpiece based on the output signal. The surgical handpiece (12) includes: a housing (24) having a first end (28) and a second end (30); a cable (26) adjacent to the housing, the cable having an outer surface; a visible light emitter (14) disposed within the housing; and a strain relief member (32) coupled to the outer surface of the cable and positioned adjacent to the first end of the housing, and configured to transmit visible light (20) emitted by the visible light emitter therethrough. The lumen of the strain relief member may be configured to receive a cable.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of a Chinese patent application with an application date of May 31, 2019, application number 201980037058.4 and invention name “Surgical handpiece including a visible light emitter and a system and method for determining the identity of a surgical handpiece”. Background Art

[0002] Surgical procedures often require surgeons to use a variety of surgical devices. For example, surgical procedures may require surgeons to use drills, saws, aspirators, electrodes, probes, imaging devices, etc. To meet this demand, surgical systems often provide surgeons with the ability to use a variety of surgical devices. However, as the complexity of surgical procedures and surgical systems increases, surgeons are required to use more surgical devices and more complex surgical devices during surgical procedures. In addition, some surgical procedures require multiple surgeons, each of whom operates multiple surgical devices.

[0003] In this regard, there is a need in the art for a surgical system to more quickly present information related to a surgical device to a surgeon and for a surgical system to better identify a surgical device being used in a surgical procedure.

[0004] Additionally, there is a need to have indicators on autoclavable instruments. Summary of the invention

[0005] An example of a surgical system is provided. The surgical system includes: a surgical handpiece including a visible light emitter; a controller configured to determine a state of the surgical handpiece and control the visible light emitter to emit visible light based on the state of the surgical handpiece; a light sensor configured to generate an output signal based on sensing the visible light; and a second surgical system configured to determine an identity of the surgical handpiece based on the output signal.

[0006] An example of a method for operating a surgical system including a surgical handpiece is provided, the surgical handpiece including a visible light emitter. The method includes the steps of determining a state of the surgical handpiece; controlling the visible light emitter to emit visible light based on the state of the surgical handpiece; generating an output signal based on sensing the visible light emitted by the visible light emitter; and determining an identity of the surgical handpiece based on the output signal.

[0007] An example of a surgical handpiece is provided. The surgical handpiece includes a housing having a first end and a second end and a cable adjacent to the housing. The surgical handpiece also includes: a visible light emitter disposed within the housing; and a strain relief member coupled to an outer surface of the cable and disposed near the first end of the housing, the strain relief member being configured to transmit therethrough visible light emitted by the visible light emitter.

[0008] An example of an autoclavable surgical handpiece is provided. The autoclavable surgical handpiece includes: a housing having a first end and a second end; a visible light emitter disposed within the housing; and a potting material disposed between the visible light emitter and the first end of the housing. The potting material has a melting point greater than 120 degrees Celsius and is configured to thermally insulate the visible light emitter and transmit visible light emitted by the visible light emitter therethrough. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] Referring now to the drawings, exemplary illustrations are shown in detail. Although the drawings represent examples, the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, and certain features may be exaggerated or in schematic form to better illustrate and explain certain aspects of the illustrative examples. Any one or more of these aspects may be used alone or in combination with each other. In addition, the exemplary illustrations described herein are not intended to be exhaustive or otherwise limited or restricted to the precise forms and configurations shown in the drawings and disclosed in the following detailed description. The exemplary illustrations are described in detail with reference to the following drawings:

[0010] Figure 1 is an exploded view of an example of a surgical system including multiple surgical handpieces, a controller, multiple control devices, optical sensors, and a surgical workflow system.

[0011] Figure 2A is a schematic diagram of an example of the surgical system, wherein a surgical console includes a controller of the surgical system.

[0012] Figure 2B is a schematic diagram of an example of the surgical system, wherein the surgical handpiece includes a controller for the surgical system.

[0013] Figure 3A yes Figure 1 Schematic diagram of an example of a surgical system in which a surgical console includes a controller for the surgical system.

[0014] Figure 3B is a schematic diagram of an example of a surgical system including a plurality of surgical handpieces, a controller, a plurality of control devices, an optical sensor, and a second surgical system, wherein the plurality of handheld surgical instruments include the controller of the surgical system.

[0015] Figure 4 is a flow chart of a method of operating the surgical system.

[0016] Figure 5A is a perspective view of the housing of the surgical handpiece.

[0017] Figure 5B yes Figure 5A A partial cross-sectional view of the shell of a surgical handpiece.

[0018] Figure 5C yes Figure 5B An enlarged view of a partial cross-sectional view of the shell of a surgical handpiece. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] Reference Figure 1 , an example of a surgical system 10 is shown. As shown, the surgical system 10 includes a surgical handpiece 12, which includes a light emitter 14 configured to emit visible light 20. Figure 1 In the example of , the surgical handpiece 12 is shown as surgical handpiece 12', 12", 12"', and the light emitter 14 is shown as light emitter 14', 14", 14"'. In addition, the visible light 20 emitted by the light emitters 14', 14", 14"' is shown as visible light 20', 20", 20"', respectively.

[0020] Herein, components of surgical system 10 may be referred to generally or specifically. For example, the terms "surgical handpiece 12" and "surgical handpiece 12" may be interpreted as a general classification of surgical handpieces, of which surgical handpieces 12', 12", 12"' are examples. In contrast, the terms "surgical handpiece 12'", "surgical handpiece 12", "surgical handpiece 12"'", and "surgical handpieces 12', 12", 12"'" refer to Figure 1 Likewise, other components of the surgical system 10 (eg, the light emitter 14 and the visible light 20 emitted by the light emitter 14) may also be referred to generally or specifically.

[0021] The surgical system 10 also includes a controller 16 configured to determine the state of the surgical handpiece 12 and control the light emitter 14 to emit visible light 20 based on the state of the surgical handpiece 12. In addition, the surgical system 10 includes a light sensor 18 configured to generate an output signal based on sensing the visible light 20 and a second surgical system 22 configured to determine the identity of the surgical handpiece 12 based on the output signal received from the sensor 18. Figure 1 , the second surgical system 22 is shown as a surgical workflow system.

[0022] The surgical system 10 may include any suitable number of surgical handpieces 12. For example, Figure 1 As shown in , the surgical system 10 may include three surgical handpieces 12', 12", 12'". However, in other examples, the surgical system 10 may include one, two, four, or any other number of surgical handpieces 12. It should be noted that the surgical handpieces 12 may be referred to herein in the plural or singular form, and such reference is non-limiting.

[0023] The surgical handpiece 12 can be a variety of different types of surgical handpieces. For example, each surgical handpiece 12 can be Figure 1 Any of the surgical handpieces 12 shown in . In other examples of the surgical system 10, the surgical handpiece 12 may be a surgical handpiece not represented by surgical handpieces 12′, 12″, 12″′. For example, the surgical handpiece 12 may be a variety of surgical handpieces that, when operated, perform one or more predetermined functions in the treatment or care of a patient. For example, one or more surgical handpieces 12 may include a dedicated drill, a high-powered conical drill, a modular handpiece, a high-speed pencil-grip drill, a pneumatic drill, a drill for intraoperative operations, a drill for oral surgery, a drill for otolaryngology surgery, a sagittal plane oscillating or reciprocating saw, a micro-suction cutter, an ultrasonic aspirator, an electrode, a probe, or any handheld imaging device (such as an endoscope or a camera), etc.

[0024] Electrosurgical devices, ultrasonic devices, and other surgical handpieces 12 may also be used as exemplary surgical handpieces. The electrosurgical instrument may be of any applicable type, including instruments that use diathermy under monopolar or bipolar current (often referred to simply as monopolar devices and bipolar devices) and advanced devices such as harmonic shears, argon beams, and laser devices. As another example, non-handheld surgical handpieces 12 may also be employed, such as surgical robots, lighting systems, and cameras.

[0025] Reference Figure 5A , a perspective view of the surgical handpiece 12 is shown to further illustrate the structure of the surgical handpiece 12. Referring again to Figure 1 , each of the surgical handpieces 12 includes a housing 24. For example, the surgical handpieces 12', 12", 12"' include housings 24', 24", 24"'. Figure 5A , the housing 24' of the surgical handpiece 12' is shown. Figure 5A In the Figure 1 The housing 24' of the surgical handpiece 12' is shown to illustrate an exemplary example of the surgical handpiece 12 and further illustrate the structure of the surgical handpiece 12. Therefore, any description of the surgical handpiece 12' or any of its components herein can be applied to all surgical handpieces 12 and their corresponding components. In addition, the description of the surgical handpiece 12' such as ( Figures 5A-5C Any description of a component such as cable 26′ shown in FIG. 1 may apply to all such components, such as ( Figure 1 ) cable 26 shown in .

[0026] Figure 5B yes Figure 5AA cross-sectional view of the housing 24' of the surgical handpiece 12' in FIG. Figure 5B As shown in , the housing 24′ of the surgical handpiece 12′ has a first end 28 and a second end 30. The surgical handpiece also includes: a cable 26′ adjacent to the housing 24′, a light emitter 14′ disposed within the housing 24′, and a strain relief member 32, which is coupled to the outer surface of the cable 26′ and is disposed adjacent to the first end 28 of the housing 24′. In some examples, the strain relief member 32 seals the cable 26′ to the housing 24′. In addition, the strain relief member has a melting point above 120 degrees Celsius and is configured to transmit visible light 20′ emitted by the light emitter 14′ therethrough.

[0027] Figure 5C Shows Figure 5B , which focuses on the strain relief member 32. As shown, the strain relief member 32 includes a body 34 having a first end 36 and a second end 38, thereby defining a length L, an outer surface 40 and an inner surface 42 defining a lumen 44 extending along the length L, which can be configured to receive the cable 26'. In addition, the outer surface 40 and the inner surface 42 define a thickness T therebetween. Also in Figure 5C As shown in FIG. 4 , the strain relief member 32 includes a first region 46 having a first thickness T1 and a second region 48 having a second thickness T2 that is greater than the first thickness T1 .

[0028] exist Figure 5C, the strain relief member 32 includes a flange 50 and the housing 24′ of the surgical handpiece 12′ includes a septum 52. In this example, the strain relief member 32 is disposed proximate the first end 28 of the housing 24′ by being coupled to the first end 28 of the housing 24′. As shown, the flange 50 of the strain relief member 32 separates the first region 46 and the second region 48 of the strain relief member 32. Also shown, the housing 24′ of the surgical handpiece 12′ includes an outer surface 68 and an inner surface 70, the inner surface 70 including the flange 52 of the housing 24′. In addition, the inner surface 70 of the housing 24′ defines a second lumen 72, wherein the flange 50 of the strain relief member 32 and the flange 50 of the housing 24′ are configured to abut, thereby coupling the strain relief member 32 to the housing 24′. In this regard, the flange 50 of the strain relief member 32 engages the septum 52 of the surgical hand piece 12′, thereby allowing the strain relief member 32 to be coupled to the first end 28 of the housing 24′ and allowing the flange 50 and the second region 48 of the surgical hand piece 12′ to be disposed within the housing 24′. In some examples, the strain relief member 32 seals the cable 26′ to the housing 24′ because the strain relief member 32 is coupled to the outer surface of the cable 26′ by coupling the strain relief member 32 to the first end 28 of the housing 24′. This seal is advantageous in examples where the surgical hand piece 12 is autoclaved.

[0029] It should be noted that the strain relief member 32 may be placed adjacent to the first end 28 of the housing 24' using other means. For example, in some instances, the strain relief member 32 may omit the flange 50 and the housing 24' may omit the bulkhead 52. In such instances, the strain relief member 32 may be molded directly into the housing 24' or the strain relief member 32 may be coupled to the housing 24' using an adhesive. Additionally, it should be noted that the strain relief member 32 may be coupled to the housing 24' using a combination of the above-described means. For example, in one such instance, the flange 50 of the strain relief member 32 may be a byproduct of molding the strain relief member 32 directly into the housing 24' including the bulkhead 52. In another instance, the flange 50 of the strain relief member 32 may be coupled to the bulkhead 52 of the strain relief member using an adhesive.

[0030] The housing 24′ and the strain relief member 32 may have any suitable shape and size. For example, in various instances, the shape and size of the housing 24′ of the surgical handpiece 12′ may be varied for ergonomic purposes. In this regard, in instances where the strain relief member 32 is molded directly into the housing 24′, the shape and size of the strain relief member 32 may also be varied. As another example, the housing 24′ and / or the strain relief member 32 may have different shapes and sizes depending on the size of the cable 26′. As yet another example, the strain relief member 32 may have a longer or shorter length L. In instances where the cable 26′ extends further into the second lumen 72, it may be advantageous for the strain relief member 32 to have a longer length and also extend further into the second lumen 72. Similarly, in instances where the length of the cable 26′ outside of the housing 24′ is maximized and the cable 26′ does not extend into the housing 24′, such as Figure 5C As shown in , the strain relief member 32 may therefore have a shorter length L.

[0031] In addition, the strain relief member 32 may be formed of a variety of materials. For example, the strain relief member 32 may be formed of a material having a high visible light transmittance, such as a material having a visible light transmittance greater than 50%, to allow the strain relief member 32 to more easily transmit the visible light 20' emitted by the light emitter 14' therethrough. For example, the strain relief member 32 may be formed of a transparent epoxy or silicone. In another example, the strain relief member 32 may be formed of a material having a color different from the color of the outer surface of the cable 26', so that the visible light 20' transmitted therethrough is more recognizable. In this instance, the cable 26' may be a black cable, and the strain relief member 32 may be formed of a white and translucent material. In yet another example, the strain relief member 32 may be formed of an elastomeric material, allowing the strain relief member 32 to bend with the cable 26' to which the strain relief member 32 is coupled. For example, the strain relief member 32 may include silicone, epoxy, or any other flexible material. In yet another example, the strain relief member 32 may be formed of a material that forms a seal between the housing 24′ and the strain relief member 32. For example, the strain relief member 32 may be molded directly into the housing 24′ from plastic or rubber, thereby forming a seal between the housing 24′ and the strain relief member 32 to allow the surgical handpiece 12′ to be sterilized in a high pressure and / or high temperature cleaning device (e.g., an autoclave). The strain relief member 32 may have a melting point greater than 120 degrees Celsius to allow the surgical handpiece 12′ to be sterilized in such an autoclave. In yet another example, the strain relief member 32 may be formed as a single component or as two or more separate components. For example, the strain relief member 32 may be molded directly into the housing 24′ as a single component, or molded as two separate components and then arranged adjacent to the housing 24′.

[0032] The surgical handpiece 12' may also include a potting material 86 disposed between the visible light emitter 14' and the first end 28 of the housing 24'. The potting material 86 is configured to thermally insulate the visible light emitter 14' and transmit the visible light emitted by the visible light emitter therethrough. The potting material can be used to hermetically seal the surgical handpiece 12' and prevent steam from entering the handpiece and damaging internal components that are sensitive to moisture and / or high temperatures. Such internal components may include wires 94, a wire distribution system 88 including a wire distributor 90 and a flexible printed circuit board 92, a controller 16', and the visible light emitter 14', all of which will be described in further detail herein. Other internal components such as sensors of the handpiece 12' may also be encapsulated in the potting material 86. In this regard, the potting material 86 may be formed of any suitable material. For example, the potting material 86 may have a melting point above 120 degrees Celsius to allow sterilization of the surgical handpiece 12' in an autoclave and to thermally insulate the internal components when the surgical handpiece 12' is sterilized in an autoclave.

[0033] Potting material 86 may be formed of a material having a high visible light transmittance (e.g., a material having a visible light transmittance greater than 50%) to allow potting material 86 to more easily transmit visible light 20' emitted by light emitter 14' therethrough. For example, potting material 86 may be formed of a transparent epoxy resin or silicone resin.

[0034] The potting material 86 may be formed as a single component or as two or more separate portions 96, 98. For example, the potting material 86 may be molded directly into the housing 24' as a single component or molded as two separate portions 96, 98 and subsequently placed within the housing 24'. Figure 5B , the two separate portions 96, 98 are the portion 96 between the visible light emitter 14' and the strain relief member 32 and the portion 98 between the visible light emitter 14' and the second end 30 of the hand piece 24'. Each of these portions 96, 98 may have the same or different compositions. For example, the portions 96, 98 may have different visible light transmittances. The portion 96 between the strain relief member 32 and the visible light emitter 14' may be transparent, and the portion between the visible light emitter 14' and the second end 30 of the hand piece 24' may be opaque.

[0035] The potting material 86 may also be formed of the same material as the strain relief member 32. For example, both the strain relief member 32 and the potting material 86 may be formed of a clear epoxy. In another example, the strain relief member 32 and the potting material 86 may be integral with each other. In such an example, the strain relief member 32 and the potting material 86 may be molded directly into the housing 24' as a single component.

[0036] The surgical handpiece 12' may include any suitable number of light emitters 14. For example, Figure 5B As shown in , the light emitter 14' of the surgical handpiece 12' includes two light emitters 74, 76. As shown, the emitters 74, 76 are disposed within the first end 28 of the housing 24'. In this example, the strain relief member 32 is also configured to transmit at least one of the visible lights 78, 80 emitted by the light emitters 74, 76, respectively, as visible light 20' therethrough. For example, in some examples, the visible light 78 emitted by the light emitter 74 and the visible light 80 emitted by the light emitter 76 may be different. In one such example, the visible lights 78, 80 may have different colors. In this regard, the strain relief member 32 may be configured to transmit only one of the visible lights 78, 80 or both of the visible lights 78, 80 sequentially or simultaneously with the visible light 20'. For clarity, the light emitters 74, 76 may be collectively referred to herein as "light emitters 14'". In addition, the light emitters 14' may be disposed in a plurality of locations within the housing 24'. For example, the light emitter 14' can be disposed within the second lumen 72, such as on a portion of the inner surface 70 of the housing 24' that extends into the second lumen 72. Figure 5B and Figure 5C In the example of the present invention, the light emitters 14' are arranged so that the light 78, 80 emitted by the light emitters 74, 76 is directed toward the strain relief member 32. In this way, the amount of visible light 20' transmitted through the strain relief member 32 can be increased. In addition, the inner surface 70 of the housing 24' can include a reflective material to help transmit the visible light 78, 80 through the strain relief member 32. The first end 28 can also include a reflective material to help transmit the visible light 20' so that the operator of the surgical system 10 can better see the visible light 20'.

[0037] In addition, the light emitter 14' can be any suitable light emitter. For example, the light emitter 14' can be at least one RGB LED configured to emit visible light having a lighting color of red, green, blue, or a combination thereof. In other examples, the light emitter 14' can be any other type of light emitter capable of emitting visible light, such as a fiber optic medium, a micro LED, a bi-color LED, or a tri-color LED.

[0038] Return to reference Figure 1, the surgical system 10 includes a controller 16 that is configured to determine the state of the surgical handpiece 12 and control the light emitter 14 to emit visible light 20 based on the state of the surgical handpiece 12. In some examples, the controller 16 may be disposed within a housing 24' of the surgical handpiece 12' and may be configured to control the light emitter 14' of the surgical handpiece 12'. In such an example, the controller 16 may be coupled to the light emitter 14' within the housing 24'. For example, as Figure 5B As shown in FIG, controller 16' of surgical handpiece 12' includes controllers 82 and 84. Controllers 82 and 84 are coupled to visible light emitters 74 and 76, respectively, within housing 24'.

[0039] like Figure 5B As shown in FIG. 1 , the surgical handpiece 12′ may include a wire distribution system 88 configured to distribute wires 94 within the cable 26′ to multiple components of the surgical handpiece 12′. The wire distribution system 88 includes a wire distributor 90 and a flexible printed circuit board 92. Figure 5B As shown in FIG. 1 , the wire distributor 90 routes wires 94 to the flexible printed circuit board 92 to be connected to the controller 16 ′. The wire distributor 90 also routes wires 94 to other components of the surgical handpiece 12 ′. For example, in FIG. Figure 5B , the wires 94' of the wires 94 are routed to the flexible printed circuit board 92 to be connected to the controllers 82, 84 via the wire distributor 90. In the exemplary example, the controllers 82, 84 can receive power and / or data from the surgical console 54 via the wires 94' to determine the status of the surgical handpiece 12'. Figure 5B , wire 94'' of wire 94 is shown being routed toward the second end region 30 of the surgical hand piece 12'. In this example, wire 94'' may be connected to a variety of other components of the surgical hand piece 12', such as a second controller, sensor, and / or motor 99 of the surgical hand piece 12'.

[0040] exist Figure 5B In the embodiment, the wire dispenser 90 and the flexible printed circuit board 92 are cylindrical, so that the wire 92 can pass through the flexible printed circuit board 92 and the wire dispenser 90 before being dispensed by the wire dispenser 90. In other examples, the wire dispenser 90 and the flexible printed circuit board 92 may include any other suitable shapes, so that the wire 94 can bypass or pass through the flexible printed circuit board 92 before being dispensed by the wire dispenser 90.

[0041] In other instances, other means may be used to distribute the wires 94 of the cable 26′. For example, the surgical hand piece 12′ may omit the wire distribution system 88. The wire distribution system 88 may also omit the wire distributor 90 and / or the flexible printed circuit board 92. For example, the flexible printed circuit board 92 and the wire distributor 90 may be integral to one another such that the wire distributor 90 directly connects the wires 94′ to the controller 16′ and distributes the wires 94″ to other components of the surgical hand piece 12′. The wire distribution system 88 may also include other components suitable for distributing the wires 94 to components of the surgical hand piece 12′. It is also contemplated that the wire distributor 90 and the flexible printed circuit board 92 may be arranged in a variety of other ways. For example, the wires 94 may pass through the wire distributor 90 and be distributed thereby before passing through the flexible printed circuit board 92.

[0042] In addition, the controller 16 may include a processor and a memory to help determine the state of the surgical handpiece 12 and control the light emitter 14. The processor can be any processor suitable for processing data. Likewise, the memory can be any memory suitable for storing data and computer-readable instructions. For example, the memory can be a local memory, an external memory, or a cloud-based memory embodied as a random access memory (RAM), a non-volatile RAM (NVRAM), flash memory, or any other suitable form of memory.

[0043] Additionally, various components of surgical system 10 may include controller 16. For example, Figure 2A and Figure 2B Schematic diagrams of two exemplary embodiments of surgical system 10 are shown, wherein different components of surgical system 10 include controller 16. Figure 2A Examples (and Figure 1 In the example of FIG. 1 , the surgical console 54 includes the controller 16. In this regard, the surgical console 54 controls the light emitter 14. Figure 2B In the example of , the surgical handpiece 12 includes a controller 16. In this regard, the surgical handpiece 12 controls the light emitter 14. Here, Figure 2A The instance of will be referred to as the "Surgical Console Controller Instance". Figure 2B The examples will be referred to as the "surgical handpiece controller examples." It should be understood that features of the surgical handpiece controller examples may be used with the surgical console controller examples, and vice versa.

[0044] It should be noted that although the controller 16 is not located in the surgical console 54 or in the surgical handpiece 12 in some examples, the surgical console 54 or the surgical handpiece 12 may still include a controller. For example, in the "surgical console controller example", the surgical handpiece 12 may include its own controller for operating the surgical handpiece 12, while the surgical console 54 includes the controller 16 configured to control the light emitter 14. Similarly, in the "surgical handpiece controller example", the surgical console 54 may include its own controller for operating the surgical console 54, while the surgical handpiece 12 includes the controller 16 configured to control the light emitter 14.

[0045] In some examples, at least a portion of the controller 16 may be located in both the surgical console 54 and the surgical handpiece 12. In such examples, certain operations of the controller 16 may be performed by the portion of the controller 16 located in the surgical console 54, and some operations may be performed by the portion of the controller 16 located in the surgical handpiece 12. In a particular example, the portion of the controller 16 located in the surgical handpiece 12 may be communicated to the surgical handpiece 12 via a CAN communication network ( Figures 5A-5C ) is coupled to a portion of the controller 16 located in the surgical console 54, thereby allowing multiple portions of the controller 16 located in the surgical handpiece 12 and the surgical console 54 to communicate in a quick and efficient manner.

[0046] Furthermore, it should be noted that although the controller 16 is located Figure 1 , Figure 2A and Figure 2B 1 or the surgical handpiece 12, but in other examples, other components of the surgical system 10 may include the controller 16. For example, the controller 16 may be located in the control device 56. In addition, the controller 16 may be separate from any component of the surgical system 10, or may be located in a separate computing device (e.g., a desktop computer, a cellular phone, a smart phone, a portable computer, a tablet computer, or a wearable mobile device).

[0047] Light sensor 18 may be any device suitable for sensing visible light 20. For example, Figure 1 In the example shown in , the light sensor 18 is shown as a camera. However, in other examples, the light sensor 18 may be a device including a photodiode, a digital camera, a webcam, a video camera, a webcast camera, or a combination thereof. Therefore, the output signal generated by the light sensor 18 may vary based on the light sensor 18. For example, if the light sensor 18 is a digital camera, the output signal image data may be a photo. In another example, if the light sensor 18 is a video camera, the output signal may be a video. In yet another example, if the light sensor 18 is a device including a photodiode, the output signal may be a digital signal.

[0048] Furthermore, the light sensor 18 may be located in any position suitable for sensing visible light 20. For example, the light sensor 18 may be coupled to a wall of an operating room or an operating table that includes the surgical system 10. In another example, the light sensor 18 may be coupled to a component of the surgical system 10, such as a tracking camera, etc. For example, in an instance where the second surgical system 22 is a desktop computer that includes a display, the light sensor 18 may be mounted to the display of the second surgical system 22. In yet another example, the light sensor 18 may be located on the operator of the surgical system 10. For example, the light sensor 18 may be coupled to the body of a surgeon operating the surgical system 10.

[0049] The second surgical system 22 may be any system suitable for determining the identity of the surgical handpiece 12 based on the output signal from the optical sensor 18. For example, the second surgical system 22 may be any suitable computing system. Figure 1 In the example of the second surgical system 22, the second surgical system 22 includes a desktop computer including a processor and a memory for determining the identity of the surgical handpiece 12 based on the output signal from the optical sensor 18. Likewise, in other examples, the second surgical system 22 may include a cellular phone, a smart phone, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a wearable mobile device, or any other device suitable for determining the identity of the surgical handpiece 12.

[0050] In some instances, the second surgical system 22 may be further configured to perform a variety of tasks based on the identity of the surgical handpiece 12. For example, in Figure 1 , the second surgical system 22 is a surgical workflow system for use in an operating room during a surgical procedure. In this regard, the second surgical system 22 can be configured to determine, based on the identity of the surgical handpiece 12, a step (current, previous, or subsequent) of the surgical procedure, instructions for the step of the surgical procedure, whether the surgical handpiece 12 is acceptable for the step of the surgical procedure, warnings issued for the step of the surgical procedure, whether the surgical procedure requires an additional surgical handpiece 12 or auxiliary devices (operating room lighting, video and sound recording devices, suction devices, imaging devices, etc.), and / or whether the surgical handpiece 12 includes accessories. The second surgical system 22 can then perform other steps to assist the operator of the surgical system 10. For example, after determining the identity of the surgical handpiece 12, the second surgical system 22 can display a GUI on a screen in the operating room that provides steps, instructions, and / or warnings for the surgical procedure related to the identified surgical handpiece 12. In a specific example, the surgical handpiece 12 is a drill, and the second surgical system 22 includes a head-mounted display device that can overlay the expected entry angle for the drill on the patient.

[0051] It should be understood that the second surgical system 22 may include a plurality of components that may be located at any suitable location. Figure 1 In an example of the second surgical system 22, the second surgical system 22 is a surgical workflow system including a computing system and a display, both of which are located in an operating room including the surgical system 10. However, in other examples, the second surgical system 22 may include a computing system and a display, the display being located in the operating room and the computing system being located in a room near the operating room or in a location remote from the operating room. For example, the computing system of the second surgical system 22 may be located in a remote location, and may receive an output signal from the optical sensor 18 via a server, determine the identity of the surgical handpiece 12 at the remote location, and provide the steps, instructions, and / or warnings of the surgical procedure regarding the identity of the surgical handpiece 12 to the display of the second surgical system 22 located in the operating room via the server. The display may then display the steps, instructions, and / or warnings of the surgical procedure to an operator of the surgical system 22 in the operating room.

[0052] exist Figure 1 In the example of , the surgical system 10 includes a surgical console 54, which is configured to send a drive signal to the surgical handpiece 12. The surgical system 10 also includes a control device 56, which communicates with the surgical handpiece 12 and the surgical console 54, so that the control device 56 is configured to control the surgical handpiece 12 through the surgical console 54. Figure 1 In the figure, the control device 56 is shown as a foot-operated control device 56' and a manually operable control device 56". It should be understood that the control device 56' may be referred to as a foot switch 56' here, and the control device 56" may be referred to as a manual switch 56". In addition, these control devices 56 may be collectively referred to as "control devices 56', 56".

[0053] exist Figure 1 , the surgical handpiece 12 is physically coupled to the surgical console 54 at the handpiece connection port 58, and the control device 56 is wirelessly coupled to the surgical console 54 at the control connection port 60. As shown, the surgical handpiece 12 is physically coupled to the handpiece connection port 58 of the surgical console 54 using the cable 26 (shown as cables 26′, 26″, 26″′). In addition, the control device 56 is wirelessly coupled to the surgical console 54 via a dongle 62, which is physically coupled to the surgical console 54 at the control connection port 60. In this regard, the control device 56 is capable of remotely controlling the surgical handpiece 12. In other examples, the surgical handpiece 12 may be wirelessly coupled to the surgical console 54 in a manner similar to that of the present invention. Figure 1 In other examples, the control device 56 may be wirelessly connected to the surgical console 54 in a manner similar to Figure 1The surgical handpiece 12 is physically connected to the surgical console 54 in a manner as described above.

[0054] Surgical console 54 may have any suitable shape and size and may include components not shown in the figure. Figure 1 For example, the surgical console 54 may include any number of connection ports 58, 60. In addition, the connection ports 58, 60 may be located on any applicable portion of the surgical console 54. Alternatively, in instances where the surgical handpiece 12 and / or the control device 56 may be wirelessly coupled to the surgical console 54, the surgical console 54 may omit the connection ports 58, 60.

[0055] In another example, the surgical console 54 may include visible light indicators around the connection ports 58, 60 of the surgical console 54, which may be similar to those described in PCT Patent Application No. PCT / US18 / 29914, filed on April 27, 2018, entitled “System And Method For Indicating Mapping Of Console-Based Surgical Systems”, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Figure 1 , where the visible light emitted by the visible light indicator is represented using lines radiating from the connection ports 58, 60. In such an example, the visual indicator may be configured to emit visible light based on which control device 56 controls which surgical handpiece 12 (which is referred to herein as a "mapping configuration" and will be further described below). The visual indicator may also be configured to emit visible light based on a successful connection of the surgical handpiece 12, the dongle 62, and / or the control device 56. In yet another example, the surgical console 54 may include a display for displaying information from the surgical handpiece 12.

[0056] In addition, the surgical console 54 can be fixed or mobile. The surgical console 54 can be any other device (e.g., a robotic manipulator) that is configured to enable the control device 56 to control the surgical handpiece 12 coupled thereto. The surgical console 54 can be one of a variety of surgical consoles 102. For example, the surgical console 54 can be configured to provide capabilities for ultrasonic aspiration, suction, irrigation, RF ablation or injury, drilling, sawing, cutting, milling, imaging, etc.

[0057] The control device 56 may be a foot-operated control device (referred to herein as a "foot switch") or a manually operable control device (referred to herein as a "hand switch"). Figure 1, a control device 56 is shown using a foot switch 56′ and a hand switch 56″, respectively. The control device 56 may include a variety of different configurations to enable an operator to remotely control the surgical handpiece 12. The control device 56 may include one or more sensors, such as a Hall effect sensor, a magnetic sensor, a load sensor, a pressure sensor, an image sensor, an inclinometer, or other sensors suitable for generating a signal in response to depression of a foot switch or a hand switch.

[0058] In other examples, control device 56 may include voice-actuated controls, knee-actuated controls, gesture controls, augmented / mixed reality controls, or other types of controls that may be actuated by an operator of surgical system 10, and may be adapted to control surgical handpiece 12. In such examples, control device 56 may include one or more sensors, such as a Hall effect sensor, a magnetic sensor, a load sensor, a pressure sensor, an image sensor, an inclinometer, or other sensors adapted to generate signals in response to actions by an operator of control device 56.

[0059] In other examples, the control device 56 may include a mobile computing device. Such a mobile computing device may include a cellular phone, a smart phone, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a wearable remote device, or any other mobile computing device suitable for controlling the surgical handpiece 12. For example, the control device 56 may be a tablet computer customized for surgical applications and including a touch screen. In such an example, an operator of the tablet computer may operate the surgical handpiece 12 by touching portions of the touch screen and selecting commands for the surgical handpiece 12.

[0060] Additionally, the control device 56 may be coupled to a light emitter 64 configured to emit visible light 66. Figure 1 In the example of , light emitter 64 is shown as light emitter 64′, 64″, and visible light 66 is shown as visible light 66′, 66″. It should be noted that light emitter 64 is similar to light emitter 14, and any of the above descriptions of light emitter 14 also apply to light emitter 64. For example, light emitter 64 can be any suitable light emitter, such as at least one RGB LED.

[0061] It should be noted that the surgical system 10 may include any suitable number of control devices 56 for controlling the surgical handpiece 12, and each control device 56 may include any suitable number of light emitters 64. Figure 1In the example of FIG. 1 , two control devices 56 ′, 56 ″ control three surgical handpieces 12 ′, 12 ″, 12 ″′. As previously described, the surgical system 10 may include any suitable number of surgical handpieces 12. Likewise, the surgical system 10 may include any suitable number of surgical handpieces 12, regardless of the number of surgical handpieces 12. For example, the surgical system 10 may include fewer or more control devices 56 than the number of surgical handpieces 12. For example, Figure 1 The surgical system 10 in FIG. 1 includes three control devices 56 for controlling three surgical handpieces 12. In addition, each control device 56 may include more than one light emitter 64.

[0062] Reference now Figure 4 , a method of operating the surgical system 10 using the above components is shown. As shown, the method includes step 100 of determining the state of the surgical handpiece 12, step 102 of controlling the light emitter 14 to emit visible light 20 based on the state of the surgical handpiece 12, step 104 of generating an output signal based on sensing the visible light 20 emitted by the light emitter 14, and step 106 of determining the identity of the surgical handpiece 12 based on the output signal.

[0063] The step 100 of determining the status of the surgical handpiece 12 may include the step (not shown) of determining at least one of an error condition of the surgical handpiece 12, an operating parameter of the surgical handpiece 12, an amount of power available to the surgical handpiece 12, a position of the surgical handpiece 12, a connection status of the surgical handpiece 12, an “in use” status of the surgical handpiece 12, a mapping configuration of the surgical handpiece 12, and a mapping status of the surgical handpiece 12. The step 100 may be performed by the controller 16.

[0064] In some examples, the controller 16 can be further configured to determine the state of the surgical handpiece 12 based on the sensory readings generated by the sensors of the surgical system 10 during step 100. In some examples, the surgical handpiece 12' includes a sensor. For example, referring to Figures 5A-5C , ( Figures 5A-5C The sensor (not shown) may be disposed within the housing 24′ of the surgical handpiece 12′ and may be configured to generate sensing readings of the surgical handpiece 12′. In an example where the controller 16 is disposed within the surgical handpiece 12′, the sensor and light emitter 14′ may be controlled via ( Figures 5A-5CThe controller 16 is coupled to the controller 16 via a CAN communication network (not shown in the figure). In this regard, the controller 16 can quickly and efficiently receive sensing readings from the sensor and control the light emitter 14'. Of course, any surgical handpiece 12 can also include a sensor. In other examples where the surgical system 10 includes a sensor, the sensor can be located outside the surgical handpiece 12, such as in an operating room including the surgical system 10. In addition, any other component of the surgical system 10 (e.g., the surgical console 54) can include a sensor.

[0065] The controller 16 may determine the state of the surgical hand piece 12 during step 100 by determining an error condition and / or operating parameter of the surgical hand piece 12. For example, in an example where the surgical hand piece 12 is a cutting tool, the surgical hand piece 12 may determine an error condition by determining that a short circuit fault has occurred in the cutting tool, thereby causing a motor of the cutting tool (e.g., Figure 5B In addition, in such an example, the controller 16 can determine the operating parameters of the surgical handpiece 12 by determining the torque of the cutting tool, the speed of the cutting tool, the power consumed by the cutting tool, the vibration frequency of the cutting tool, the stall condition of the power tool, or a combination thereof. In an example where the surgical handpiece 12 includes the above-mentioned sensor, the sensor can be configured to sense the error condition and operating parameters of the surgical handpiece 12 and generate sensed readings accordingly.

[0066] In an example where the surgical handpiece 12 is a cutting tool, the controller 16 may compare the speed of the cutting tool to the desired speed of the cutting tool based on the torque map. The controller 16 may determine the torque of the cutting tool based on the sensed current and the torque constant of the motor of the cutting tool. The motor of the cutting tool may be Figure 5B99 shown in. The motor can also be a handheld motor described in U.S. Patent Application No. 2017 / 0172583A1 entitled "Surgical Tool Assembly Including a Console, Plural Surgical Tools and a Footswitch, Wherein the Console is Able to CustomMap the Footswitch to each Surgical Tool" and the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. The controller 16 can also determine the speed of the cutting tool based on the back EMF waveform of the motor. Then, based on the torque of the cutting tool and the speed of the cutting tool, the controller 16 can use the torque map to determine the power consumed by the cutting tool. The torque map can also provide the expected power consumed by the cutting tool and the expected torque and expected speed of the cutting tool under the expected power consumed. The controller 16 can then compare the speed of the cutting tool with the expected speed of the cutting tool. In some instances, the expected power consumed by the cutting tool is the maximum rated power of the cutting tool.

[0067] In another example where the surgical hand piece 12 is a cutting tool, the controller 16 can determine whether the cutting tool has reached a stall condition. When the cutting tool cannot provide a torque that can overcome the load applied to the cutting tool and the cutting tool stops rotating, a stall condition occurs. When using the cutting tool (i.e., after the cutting tool has started to rotate) or before the cutting tool starts to rotate, a stall condition may occur. The controller 16 can use a variety of methods to determine that a stall condition has been reached. For example, the controller 16 can sense a non-zero user input (e.g., the user is starting the cutting tool), while also sensing that the cutting tool does not rotate based on the speed of the sensed cutting tool. In another example, the controller 16 can sense that the motor of the cutting tool draws current, but the cutting tool does not rotate based on the speed of the sensed cutting tool.

[0068] The controller 16 may determine the state of the surgical handpiece 12 based on the amount of power available to the surgical handpiece 12 during step 100. For example, in an instance where multiple surgical handpieces 12 are coupled to the surgical console 54, the surgical console 54 distributes power across the multiple surgical handpieces 12. In this regard, the controller 16 may determine the amount of power available to each surgical handpiece 12. In a more specific example, the surgical console 54 may distribute the amount of power based on the type of surgical handpiece 12. For example, if the surgical handpiece 12 coupled to the surgical console 54 may be one of a variety of drills, such as a high-powered tapered drill or a high-speed pencil drill, the controller 16 may distribute different amounts of power to the drill based on the rated power of the drill. In such an example, the controller 16 may determine that the amount of power provided by the surgical console 54 is insufficient to power one or more surgical handpieces 12.

[0069] The controller 16 may determine the state of the surgical handpiece 12 during step 100 by determining the position of the surgical handpiece 12. For example, the controller 16 may determine the position of the surgical handpiece 12 based on markers attached to the surgical handpiece 12. In another example where the surgical system 10 operates in a bounded surgical site, the controller 16 may determine the position of the surgical handpiece 12 relative to the boundary of the surgical site. In yet another example, the controller 16 may determine the position of the surgical handpiece 12 relative to another component of the surgical system 10 (e.g., another surgical handpiece 12). In the above-described example where the sensor is located external to the surgical handpiece 12 (e.g., as a component of a surgical navigation system), the sensor may be configured to sense the markers located on the surgical handpiece 12 to determine the position of the surgical handpiece 12. In the example where the surgical handpiece 12 includes a sensor, the sensor of the surgical handpiece 12 may be configured to sense the position of the surgical handpiece 12 relative to the boundary of the surgical site or relative to another surgical handpiece 12, and generate a sensed reading accordingly.

[0070] The controller 16 may determine the status of the surgical handpiece 12 during step 100 by determining the connection status of the surgical handpiece 12. For example, Figure 1 In the example of , the surgical console 54 is physically coupled to the surgical hand piece 12 and wirelessly coupled to the control device 56. In such an example, the connection status may include the status of the physical connection of the surgical hand piece 12 and the surgical console 54 or the status of the wireless connection of the control device 56 and the surgical console 54. For example, the controller 16 may determine that the surgical hand piece 12 or the control device 56 is disconnected or improperly connected to the surgical console 54. The surgical hand piece 12, the control device 56, the cable 26, the dongle 62, or the surgical console 54 may include the above-mentioned sensor, and the sensor may be configured to sense the connection status of the surgical hand piece 12 or the connection status of the control device 56, and generate a sensed reading accordingly.

[0071] The controller 16 may determine the status of the surgical hand piece 12 during step 100 by determining the "in use" status of the surgical hand piece 12. The "in use" status of the surgical hand piece 12 is based on whether the operator of the surgical system 10 is using the surgical hand piece 12. For example, to determine the "in use" status of the surgical hand piece 12, the controller 16 may sense whether the operator has pressed a trigger of the surgical hand piece 12.

[0072] The controller 16 may determine the state of the surgical handpiece 12 during step 100 by determining a mapping configuration of the surgical handpiece 12. The mapping configuration details which control devices 56 control which surgical handpieces 12. For example, to illustrate an exemplary mapping configuration, Figure 3A Provided Figure 1 Schematic diagram of an example of a surgical system 10 in FIG. Figure 3A As shown in FIG. 1 , the surgical system 10 includes three surgical handpieces 12 ′, 12 ″, 12 ″′ and two control devices 56 ′, 56 ″. Figure 3A In the exemplary example of , the foot switch 56 ′ may be configured to control the surgical handpiece 12 ′, while the hand switch 56 ″ may be configured to control the surgical handpiece 12 ″. In such an example, the mapping configuration determined by the controller 16 will be described in detail above.

[0073] It should be noted that if the control device 56 can be configured to control the surgical handpiece 12, the control device 56 may be referred to herein as being "mapped to" the surgical handpiece 12. Similarly, if the surgical handpiece 12 can be controlled by the control device 56, the surgical handpiece 12 may be referred to herein as being "mapped to" the control device 56.

[0074] The controller 16 may use a variety of methods to determine the mapping configuration. In some instances, the operator of the surgical system 10 may use the touch screen of the surgical console 54 to enter the mapping configuration. In such instances, the operator may use the touch screen of the surgical console 54 to associate a specific handpiece connection port 150 with a specific control connection port 160. In this regard, the operator may specify that the control device 56 connected to the specific control connection port 160 is mapped to the surgical handpiece 12 connected to the specific handpiece connection port 150. In this regard, the controller 16 may receive the mapping configuration from the operator. In another instance, the controller 16 may automatically map the surgical handpiece 12 connected to the handpiece connection port 150 to the control device 56 connected to the control connection port 160 according to a default mapping configuration.

[0075] The controller 16 may determine the state of the surgical handpiece 12 during step 100 by determining the mapping state of the surgical handpiece 12. The mapping state of the surgical handpiece 12 is based on whether the surgical handpiece 12 can be controlled by the control device 56 according to the mapping configuration. For example, when the surgical handpiece 12' is connected to the handpiece connection port 58 but has not been mapped to any of the control devices 56', 56", Figure 1 In the example of , the mapping status of the surgical handpiece 12 ′ will reflect that the surgical handpiece 12 ′ is “unmapped”. In contrast, when the surgical handpiece 12 ″ is connected to the handpiece connection port 58 and has been mapped to the control device 56 ′, 56 ″ Figure 1 In the example of , the mapping status of the surgical handpiece 12 ″ will reflect that the surgical handpiece 12 ″ is “mapped”.

[0076] The controller 16 may use a variety of methods to determine the mapping status of the surgical hand piece 12. For example, the controller 16 may use the above-described method of determining the connection status of the surgical hand piece 12 to determine that the surgical hand piece 12 is connected to the surgical console 54, and may set the mapping status of the surgical hand piece 12 connected to the hand piece connection port 58 to "unmapped" by default. After the controller 16 uses the above-described method of determining the mapping configuration of the surgical hand piece 12 to determine that the surgical hand piece 12 is mapped to the control device 56, the controller 16 may then set the mapping status of the surgical hand piece 12 to "mapped".

[0077] It should be appreciated that the controller 16 may use a variety of methods to determine the state of the surgical handpiece 12 based on the position of the controller 16 during step 100. For example, Figure 3A In, according to Figure 2A In the "Surgical Console Controller Example", the surgical console 54 includes a controller 16. Figure 3B In the “Surgical Handpiece Controller Example”, the surgical handpiece 12′, 12″, 12″′ includes the controller 16 as the controller 16′, 16″, 16″′. In this regard, although Figure 3A The controller 16 in the embodiment may determine an error condition, operating parameter, amount of available power, connection status, "in use" status, mapping configuration, and / or mapping status of the surgical handpiece 12', 12", 12'', but Figure 3B The controllers 16', 16", 16'" therein may determine error conditions, operating parameters, amount of available power, connection status, "in use" status, mapping configuration and / or mapping status of the surgical handpieces 12', 12", 12'" therein.

[0078] To illustrate how the controller 16 can determine the state of the surgical handpiece 12 using a variety of methods based on the position of the controller 16, the controller 16 is positioned in the surgical console 54 (e.g., at Figure 3A ) and determining an instance of the mapping configuration of the surgical handpiece 12 and the controller 16 is located in the surgical handpiece 12 (e.g., in Figure 3B ) and determine an example of a mapping configuration for the surgical handpiece 12 for comparison. Figure 3A The controller in the embodiment may determine the mapping configuration of all surgical handpieces 12', 12", 12'', and Figure 3B The controllers 16′, 16″, 16″′ in the surgical console 54 may determine the mapping configuration of the surgical handpieces 12′, 12″, 12″ in which they are located. For example, after the operator inputs the mapping configuration into the surgical console 54 using the touch screen of the surgical console 54, Figure 3A The controller 16 in the surgical console 54 can determine the mapping configuration for all surgical handpieces 12′, 12″, 12″′. In contrast, after the operator enters the mapping configuration into the surgical console 54 using the corresponding surgical handpiece 12′, 12″, 12″′ (for example, by simultaneously pressing a foot switch and a trigger on the surgical handpiece), after the operator directly enters the mapping configuration into the surgical handpiece 12′, 12″, 12″′ (for example, by using a button on the surgical handpiece), and / or by receiving the mapping configuration for the surgical handpiece 12′, 12″, 12″′ from the controller in the surgical console 54, Figure 3B The controller 16 ′, 16 ″, 16 ′″ in the surgical handpiece 12 ′, 12 ″, 12 ′″ may determine the mapping configuration of the surgical handpiece 12 ′, 12 ″, 12 ′″.

[0079] Return to reference Figure 4 , the method includes step 102: controlling the light emitter 14 to emit visible light 20 based on the state of the surgical handpiece 12. The step 102 may be performed by the controller 16. In some examples, the controller 16 may be configured to control the light emitter 14 by controlling the illumination color of the visible light 20 emitted by the light emitter 14. For example, in an example where the light emitter 14 is at least one RGB LED, the controller 16 may be configured to control the illumination color of the visible light 20 emitted by the at least one RGB LED to be red, green, blue, or a combination thereof. In such an example, the light emitter 14 may be configured to control the illumination color of the emitted visible light 20 based on the wavelength of the visible light 20. For example, the light emitter 14 may be configured to emit the visible light 20 at a wavelength of 460 nm (corresponding to the blue light range of the visible light).

[0080] In addition, the controller 16 may be further configured to control the light emitter 14 during step 102 by controlling the lighting effect of the visible light 20 emitted by the light emitter 14. For example, the controller 16 may control the lighting effect of the visible light emitted by the light emitter 14 by controlling the lighting pattern and / or lighting frequency of the visible light emitted by the light emitter 14.

[0081] For example, the controller 16 may be configured to control the illumination pattern of the visible light 20 emitted by the light emitter 14 by controlling the light emitter 14 so that the visible light 20 is emitted using a repeated pulse pattern. In one such example, the controller 16 may control the light emitter 14 to emit the visible light 20 with a repeated cycle about an “on phase” and an “off phase”, wherein the light emitter 14 emits the visible light 20 during the “on phase” and does not emit the visible light 20 during the “off phase”. For example, during a 1.5 second cycle of the “on phase” and the “off phase”, the light emitter 14 may emit the visible light 20 for 0.5 seconds during the “on phase”, stop emitting the visible light 20 for 0.5 seconds during the “off phase”, emit the visible light 20 for 0.25 seconds during the “on phase”, and stop emitting the visible light 20 for 0.25 seconds during the “off phase”. Of course, the controller 16 may control the light emitter 14 to repeatedly emit the visible light 20 using any applicable illumination pattern.

[0082] In another example, the controller 16 may be configured to control the illumination frequency of the visible light 20 emitted by the light emitter 14. For example, in some instances, the controller 16 may be configured to control the illumination frequency of the visible light 20 to be any illumination frequency greater than a predetermined frequency, such as 30 Hz. In some instances, the predetermined frequency may be based on a flicker fusion frequency. The flicker fusion frequency is defined as the illumination frequency at which intermittent light stimulation appears to be completely stable to an ordinary human observer. In this regard, by controlling the light emitter 14 to emit visible light 20 at an illumination frequency greater than the flicker fusion frequency, the intermittent nature of the visible light 20 is imperceptible to the operator of the surgical system 10 and can only be detected by the components of the surgical system 10 (which components will be further discussed below). In an exemplary example, the flicker fusion frequency may be determined to be 60 Hz, and the controller 16 may be configured to control the light emitter 14 so that the visible light 20 is emitted at an illumination frequency of 75 Hz.

[0083] Of course, the controller 16 can control one or more of the illumination color and illumination effect of the visible light 20 emitted by the light emitter 14. In one such example, the controller 16 can control the illumination color, illumination mode and / or illumination frequency of the visible light 20 emitted by the light emitter 14. For example, the controller 16 can be configured to control the light emitter 14 to emit visible light 20 with respect to a repeated 2-second cycle (including a 1-second "on phase" followed by a 1-second "off phase"), wherein during each "on phase", the light emitter 14 emits visible light 20 with an illumination color of red at an illumination frequency of 80 Hz. In addition, it should be noted that in other examples, the controller 16 can also control the light brightness of the light emitter 14.

[0084] In one example where the controller 16 controls the light emitter 14 based on the state of the surgical hand piece 12 during step 102, the controller 16 may control the illumination color and / or illumination pattern of the visible light 20 based on an error condition of the surgical hand piece 12. As previously described, the controller 16 may determine that a short circuit fault has occurred in the surgical hand piece 12 and is therefore unusable. In such an example, the controller 16 may control the light emitter 14 of the surgical hand piece 12 to emit visible light 20 for a repeated 2-second cycle (including a 1-second "on phase" followed by a 1-second "off phase"), wherein the light emitter 14 emits visible light 20 having an illumination color of red during each "on phase".

[0085] In another example, the controller 16 can control the illumination color of the light emitter 14 based on the state of the surgical handpiece 12 by controlling the illumination color of the visible light 20 based on the operating parameters of the surgical handpiece 12. As previously described, in an instance where the surgical handpiece 12 is a cutting tool, the controller 16 can determine the speed of the cutting tool and control the light emitter 14 accordingly. In one such instance, the controller 16 can determine whether the speed of the cutting tool is too high or too low and control the light emitter 14 accordingly to emit visible light 20 with a yellow illumination color. In some instances, if the speed of the cutting tool is within the correct range, the controller 16 can control the light emitter 14 to emit visible light 20 with a green illumination color. In other instances, the controller 16 can control the light emitter 14 to emit visible light 20 with a first illumination color corresponding to a first wavelength when the speed of the cutting tool is within the desired speed range, and to emit visible light 20 with a second illumination color corresponding to a second wavelength when the speed of the cutting tool is too high or too low. In this instance, if the speed of the cutting tool is between the desired speed and a speed that is too high or too low, the controller 16 may control the light emitter 14 to emit visible light 20 of a lighting color between the first lighting color and the second lighting color (corresponding to a wavelength between the first wavelength and the second wavelength).

[0086] In a more specific example in which the controller 16 can control the illumination color of the light emitter 14 based on the operating parameters of the surgical hand piece 12, the controller 16 can control the light emitter 14 by controlling the illumination color of the visible light 20 based on comparing the sensed speed of the cutting tool with its desired speed (in the instance in which the surgical hand piece 12 is a cutting tool). As previously described, during step 100, the controller 16 can compare the sensed speed of the cutting tool with its desired speed based on the torque map. The desired speed of the cutting tool can be selected based on the maximum power of the cutting tool. In this regard, when the sensed speed is equal to the desired speed, the controller 16 can control the light emitter 14 of the surgical hand piece 12 to emit visible light 20 having an illumination color of green. In addition, when the sensed speed is not equal to the desired speed, the controller 16 can control the light emitter 14 of the surgical hand piece 12 to emit visible light 20 having an illumination color of yellow-green, and the yellow-green illumination color increases in terms of the yellow-blue axis chromaticity index as the magnitude of the difference between the desired speed and the sensed speed increases.

[0087] In another specific example where the controller 16 can control the illumination color of the light emitter 14 based on the operating parameters of the surgical handpiece 12, the controller 16 can control the light emitter 14 by controlling the illumination color of the visible light 20 based on the stall condition of the cutting tool (in the instance where the surgical handpiece 12 is a cutting tool). As previously described, the controller 16 can determine that the cutting tool has reached a stall condition, wherein the cutting tool cannot provide a torque capable of overcoming the load applied to the cutting tool and the cutting tool stops rotating. In this regard, in the instance where the stall condition has been reached, the controller 16 can control the light emitter 14 of the surgical handpiece 12 to emit visible light 20 having an illumination color of red.

[0088] In another example, the controller 16 may control the light emitter 14 based on the state of the surgical hand piece 12 during step 102 by controlling the illumination color of the visible light 20 based on the amount of power available to the surgical hand piece 12. As previously described, the controller 16 may determine the amount of power available to the surgical hand piece 12 from the surgical console 54. In one such instance where multiple surgical hand pieces 12 are coupled to the surgical console 54, the controller 16 may determine the amount of power available to each surgical hand piece 12 from the surgical console 54. In this regard, the controller 16 may control the light emitter 14 of the surgical hand piece 12 to emit the visible light 20 with an illumination color of green when the surgical hand piece 12 is not "in use," but sufficient power is available to the surgical hand piece 12. The controller 16 may also control the light emitter 14 of the surgical hand piece 12 to emit the visible light 20 with an illumination color of red when the surgical hand piece 12 is not "in use" and the surgical hand piece 12 is unable to obtain sufficient power.

[0089] In yet another example, the controller 16 may control the light emitter 14 based on the state of the surgical hand piece 12 during step 102 by controlling the illumination color of the visible light 20 based on the position of the corresponding surgical hand piece 12. As previously described, the controller 16 may determine the position of the surgical hand piece 12 relative to the boundary of the surgical site and relative to another component of the surgical system 10. In this regard, the controller 16 may control the light emitter 14 of the surgical hand piece 12 to emit the visible light 20 having an illumination color of yellow when the surgical hand piece 12 is near the boundary of the surgical site or near an incompatible component of the surgical system 10.

[0090] In yet another example, in instances where the surgical handpiece 20 includes a power source (e.g., a battery), the controller 16 may control the light emitter 14 based on the state of the surgical handpiece 12 by controlling the illumination color of the visible light 20 based on the connection state of the surgical handpiece 12. As previously described, the controller 16 may determine the connection state of the surgical handpiece 12 by determining that the surgical handpiece 12 is disconnected from the surgical console 54. For example, in instances where the surgical handpiece 12 is powered by a battery, the controller 16 may determine that the surgical handpiece 12 is not physically or wirelessly connected to the surgical console 54. In such an instance, the controller 16 may control the light emitter 14 of the surgical handpiece 12 to emit the visible light 20 for a repeated 1 second period (including a 0.5 second "on phase" followed by a 0.5 second "off phase").

[0091] In yet another example, the controller 16 may control the light emitter 14 based on the state of the surgical hand piece 12 during step 102 by controlling the illumination pattern of the visible light 20 based on the "in-use" state of the surgical hand piece 12. As previously described, the controller 16 may determine the "in-use" state of the surgical hand piece 12 based on whether the operator of the surgical system 10 is using the surgical hand piece 12. In such an instance, the controller 16 may control the light emitter 14 of the surgical hand piece 12 to emit the visible light 20 for a repeated 2-second cycle (including a 1-second "on phase" followed by a 1-second "off phase"), wherein the light emitter 14 emits the visible light 20 having a green illumination color during each "on phase".

[0092] Controller 16 may further control light emitter 14 to emit visible light 20 based on the mapping configuration. Figure 3AThe schematic diagram of also shows step 102 of controlling the light emitter 14 based on the mapping configuration. As shown, the surgical system 10 includes surgical handpieces 12′, 12″, 12″′ coupled to the light emitters 14′, 14″, 14″′ and control devices 56′, 56″ coupled to the light emitters 64′, 64″. In one example, the controller 16 controls the light emitters 14′, 14″, 14″′ by controlling the illumination color of the visible light 20′, 20″, 20″′ to correspond to the illumination color of the visible light 66′, 66″ emitted by the light emitters 64′, 64″ based on the mapping configuration.

[0093] For example, in Figure 3A In a particular example, the foot switch 56′ controls the surgical handpiece 12′, while the manual switch 56″ controls the surgical handpiece 12″ according to the mapping configuration. In this example, the visible light 66′ emitted by the light emitter 64′ has an orange illumination color, while the visible light 66″ emitted by the light emitter 64″ has a blue illumination color. In this regard, the controller 16 controls the light emitter 14′ to emit visible light 20′ having the corresponding orange illumination color to indicate that the foot switch 56′ is mapped to the surgical handpiece 12′ and thereby controls the surgical handpiece 12′. Similarly, the controller 16 controls the light emitter 14″ to emit visible light 20″ having the corresponding blue illumination color to indicate that the manual switch 56″ is mapped to the surgical handpiece 12″ and thereby controls the surgical handpiece 12″.

[0094] As another example, in Figure 3A In a specific example, the surgical handpiece 12′ is mapped to any one of the control devices 56′, 56″ according to the mapping configuration. In this example, the visible light 66′, 66″ emitted by the light emitters 64′, 64″ respectively has an orange-blue lighting color. In this regard, the controller 16 controls the light emitter 14′ to emit visible light 20′ having the corresponding orange-blue lighting color to indicate that the control devices 56′, 56″ are both mapped to the surgical handpiece 12′. In this example, the controller 16 may control the light emitters 14′ to emit the visible light 20′ having the orange-blue lighting color simultaneously or sequentially.

[0095] The controller 16 may also control the light emitter 14 based on the state of the surgical hand piece 12 during step 102 by controlling the illumination color and illumination pattern of the visible light 20 based on the mapping state of the surgical hand piece 12. As previously described, the controller 16 may determine the mapping state of the surgical hand piece 12 based on determining whether the surgical hand piece 12 is connected to the surgical console 54 and based on determining whether the surgical hand piece 12 has been mapped to the control device 56 in the mapping configuration. In one such example, the controller 16 may control the light emitter 14 of the surgical hand piece 12 to emit the visible light 20 for a repeated 2-second cycle (including a 1-second "on phase" followed by a 1-second "off phase"), wherein if the surgical hand piece 12 has a mapping state of "unmapped", the light emitter 14 emits the visible light 20 with an illumination color of white during each "on phase".

[0096] The controller 16 may further control the light emitter 14 to emit visible light 20 based on the identity of the surgical handpiece 12 . Figure 3A The schematic diagram of further illustrates step 102 of controlling the light emitter 14 based on the identity of the surgical handpiece 12. For example, in Figure 3A In the example, the controller 16 can control the illumination effect of the visible light 20′, 20″, 20″′ emitted by the light emitters 14′, 14″, 14″′. In one such example, the controller 16 can pre-determine the illumination frequency for each surgical handpiece 12′, 12″, 12″′. In this regard, the controller can then control the light emitters 14′, 14″, 14″′ to emit the visible light 20′, 20″, 20″′ at the predetermined illumination frequency. For example, the controller 16 can control the light emitters 14′, 14″, 14″′ to emit the visible light 20′, 20″, 20″′ at illumination frequencies of 75 Hz, 100 Hz, and 125 Hz, respectively. Again, it should be noted that these illumination frequencies of 75 Hz, 100 Hz, 125 Hz may be selected based on a flicker fusion frequency such that the intermittent nature of the visible light 20′, 20″, 20′″ is imperceptible to an operator of the surgical system 10 and can only be detected by components of the surgical system 10 (which components will be discussed further below).

[0097] It should be noted that the controller 16 may control the light emitter 14 based on one or more of an error condition, operating parameters, amount of available power, connection status, location, "in use" status, mapping configuration, mapping state, and identity of the surgical handpiece 12. In one such example, the controller 16 controls the light emitter 14 based on the mapping configuration and identity of the surgical handpiece 12. For example, in Figure 3A In an example of , the controller 16 may control the light emitter 14' to emit visible light 20' having an orange illumination color at an illumination frequency of 75 Hz based on the mapping configuration and identity of the surgical handpiece 12', respectively. Figure 3A In an example, the controller 16 may control the light emitter 14′ to emit visible light 20′ about a repeated 2-second cycle (including a 1-second “on phase” followed by a 1-second “off phase”), wherein the light emitter 14′ emits visible light 20′ with a red illumination color based on the connection status of the surgical handpiece 12′ and emits visible light 20′ at a lighting frequency of 80 Hz during each “on phase” based on the identity of the surgical handpiece 12′.

[0098] Additionally, it should be noted that in the example “Surgical Handpiece Controller” Figure 3B In the example, the controllers 16′, 16″, 16″′ control each light emitter 14′, 14″, 14″′ based on the state of the surgical handpiece 12′, 12″, 12″′, respectively. For example, the controller 16′ may control the light emitter 14′ to emit visible light 20′ with an illumination color of orange at a lighting frequency of 75 Hz, respectively, based on the mapping configuration and identity of the surgical handpiece 12′. Similarly, the controllers 16′, 16″, 16″′ may control each light emitter 14′, 14″, 14″′ based on at least one of the error conditions, operating parameters, available power amounts, connection states, positions, “in use” states, and mapping states of the surgical handpieces 12′, 12″, 12″′, respectively.

[0099] In addition, it should be noted that all of the above examples are not intended to limit the controller 16. For example, in the above examples, the controller 16 controls the illumination color of the visible light 20 based on the mapping configuration of the surgical hand piece 12 and controls the illumination frequency of the visible light 20 based on the identity of the surgical hand piece 12. However, in other examples, the controller 16 may control the illumination frequency or illumination pattern of the visible light 20 based on the mapping configuration of the surgical hand piece 12, and determine the illumination color or illumination pattern of the visible light 20 based on the identity of the surgical hand piece 12. Similarly, the controller 16 may control the illumination frequency or illumination pattern of the visible light 20 based on the error condition, operating parameters, available power amount, position, connection status, "in use" status, and mapping status of the surgical hand piece.

[0100] Return to reference Figure 4 The method includes step 104: generating an output signal based on sensing the visible light 20 emitted by the light emitter 14. Step 104 may be performed by the light sensor 18. For example, Figure 3A and Figure 3B In the example of FIG. 1 , the light sensor 18 senses the visible light 20 ′, 20 ″, 20 ′″ emitted by the light emitters 14 ′, 14 ″, 14 ′″ and generates an output signal based on the visible light 20 ′, 20 ″, 20 ′″.

[0101] The light sensor 18 can sense the lighting color and lighting effect of the visible light 20 and generate an output signal accordingly. Figure 3A or Figure 3B In the exemplary example of , the light sensor 18 may sense that the light emitter 14' is emitting visible light 20' about a repeated 2-second cycle (including a 1-second "on phase" followed by a 1-second "off phase"), wherein during each "on phase", the light emitter 14 emits visible light 20 having an illumination color of orange at an illumination frequency of 75 Hz. Therefore, the output signal generated by the light sensor 18 may indicate orange as the illumination color of the visible light 20', indicate a repeated 2-second cycle as the illumination pattern of the visible light 20', and indicate 75 Hz as the illumination frequency of the visible light 20'.

[0102] In addition, the light sensor 18 can simultaneously sense the visible light 20', 20", 20" emitted by the light emitters 14', 14", 14"' and generate output signals accordingly. For example, Figure 3A or Figure 3B In the exemplary example, the light sensor 18 may sense that the light emitter 14' is emitting visible light 20' with an orange illumination color at a lighting frequency of 75 Hz, the emitter 14" is emitting visible light 20" with an orange-blue illumination color at a lighting frequency of 100 Hz, and the light emitter 14"' is simultaneously emitting visible light 20"' with a blue illumination color at a lighting frequency of 125 Hz. The light sensor 18 may then generate an output signal accordingly.

[0103] Additionally, in instances where the light sensor 18 is a digital camera or video camera, the output signal may be a record or photograph of the visible light 20. In such instances, the second surgical system 22 may determine the lighting color and / or lighting effect after receiving the output signal from the light sensor 18 using image processing.

[0104] Return to reference again Figure 4 , the method includes step 106: determining the identity of the surgical handpiece 12 based on the output signal. The step 106 can be performed by the second surgical system 22. In addition, the second surgical system 22 can be further configured to determine the state of the surgical handpiece 12 based on the output signal. For example, the second surgical system 22 can determine the state and identity of the surgical handpiece 12 based on the illumination color and illumination effect of the visible light 20 received from the output signal. In one such example, the second surgical system 22 can determine the state of the surgical handpiece 12 based on the illumination color and illumination pattern of the surgical handpiece 12, wherein the state of the surgical handpiece is at least one of an error condition, an operating parameter, an available power amount, a connection state, an "in use" state, a mapping configuration, and / or a mapping state of the surgical handpiece 12', 12", 12'. In such an example, the second surgical system 22 can determine the identity of the surgical handpiece 12 based on the illumination frequency.

[0105] For example, when the light emitter 14' is emitting visible light 20' with an illumination frequency of 75 Hz and the illumination color is orange Figure 3A or Figure 3B In an example, the second surgical system 22 can identify the surgical handpiece 12' based on the 75 Hz illumination frequency, and can determine that the surgical handpiece 12' is mapped to the foot switch 56' based on the illumination color being orange. Similarly, in an example where the light emitter 14' is emitting visible light 20' about a repeated 2-second cycle (including a 1-second "on phase" followed by a 1-second "off phase"), wherein the light emitter 14 emits visible light with an illumination color of red at a 75 Hz illumination frequency during each "on phase", the second surgical system 22 can identify the surgical handpiece 12' based on the 75 Hz illumination frequency, and determine that the surgical handpiece 12' (which includes a power source) is not physically or wirelessly connected to the surgical console 54 based on the illumination color being red and the repeated 2-second cycle.

[0106] exist Figure 3A or Figure 3B In another example, the light emitter 14′ emits visible light 20′ having an orange illumination color at a lighting frequency of 75 Hz, the light emitter 14″ emits visible light 20″ having an orange illumination color at a lighting frequency of 100 Hz, and the emitter 14″′ emits visible light 20″′ having a blue illumination color at a lighting frequency of 125 Hz. In this example, the second surgical system 22 can identify the surgical handpieces 12′, 12″, 12″′ based on the corresponding illumination frequencies. The second surgical system 22 can also determine that the surgical handpiece 12′ is mapped to the foot switch 56′ based on the illumination color being orange, determine that the surgical handpiece 12″ is mapped to the control device 56′, 56″ based on the illumination color being orange-blue, and determine that the surgical handpiece 12′″ is mapped to the manual switch 56″ based on the illumination color being blue.

[0107] It should be noted again that all of the above examples are not intended to limit the controller 16. For example, in the above examples of the second surgical system 22, the second surgical system 22 determines the state of the surgical handpiece 12 based on the illumination color and illumination pattern of the surgical handpiece 12, and determines the identity of the surgical handpiece 12 based on the illumination frequency. However, in other examples of the second surgical system 22, the second surgical system 22 may determine the state of the surgical handpiece 12 or the identity of the surgical handpiece 12 in different ways based on how the controller 16 controls the light emitter 14 during step 102 of controlling the light emitter 14. For example, in an example in which the controller 16 controls the illumination frequency of the visible light 20 based on a mapping configuration, the second surgical system 22 may determine the mapping configuration based on the illumination frequency. As another example, in an example in which the controller 16 determines the identity of the surgical handpiece 12 based on the illumination color or illumination pattern, the second surgical system 22 may determine the identity of the surgical handpiece 12 based on the illumination color or illumination pattern.

[0108] As previously described, the illumination frequency at which the light emitter 14 emits the visible light 20 can be selected based on the flicker fusion frequency, thereby allowing the operator of the surgical system 10 to be unaware of the intermittent nature of the visible light 20. However, the light sensor 18 is configured to sense the illumination frequency of the visible light 20 that is higher than the flicker fusion frequency and generate an output signal accordingly. In addition, the second surgical system 22 is able to determine the identity of the surgical handpiece 12 based on the output signal. In this regard, by controlling the light emitter 14 to emit the visible light 20 at an illumination frequency greater than the flicker fusion frequency, the controller 16 advantageously allows the second surgical system 22 to transmit information of the surgical handpiece 12 without distracting the operator of the surgical system 10 from the flickering of the visible light 20.

[0109] After determining the identity of the surgical handpiece 12 based on the output signal, the second surgical system 22 can be further configured to perform a variety of tasks. For example, as previously described, the second surgical system 22 can be configured to determine the step of a surgical procedure (current, previous, or subsequent), instructions for a surgical step, whether the surgical handpiece 12 is appropriate for the step of the surgical procedure, warnings for a surgical step, whether the surgical procedure requires additional surgical handpieces 12 or auxiliary devices (operating room lighting, video and sound recording devices, suction devices, imaging devices, etc.), and / or whether the surgical handpiece 12 includes accessories based on the identity of the surgical handpiece 12.

[0110] Additionally, the second surgical system 22 may perform additional tasks after determining the identity of the surgical hand piece 12 and after determining the state of the surgical hand piece 12 based on the output signal. For example, after determining the identity and state of the surgical hand piece 12, the second surgical system 22 associates the determined state with the identified surgical hand piece 12. The second surgical system 22 may then provide the identified state of the surgical hand piece 12 to the operator of the surgical system 10.

[0111] It should be noted that in some instances, the second surgical system 22 may omit the step of determining the state of the surgical hand piece 12 based on the output signal. For example, in some instances, the operator of the surgical system 10 may determine the state of the surgical hand piece 12 based on the visible light 20. For example, the operator of the surgical system 10 may determine whether the surgical hand piece 12 is mapped to the control device 56 by visually observing the illumination color of the visible light 20, 66 emitted by the light emitter 14 of the surgical hand piece 12 and the light emitter 64 of the control device 56, respectively. In one such instance where the light emitter 14 of the surgical hand piece 12 and the light emitter 64 of the control device 56 emit the visible light 20, 66 using a blue illumination color, respectively, the operator of the surgical system 10 may observe the blue illumination color and determine that the surgical hand piece 12 is mapped to the control device 56. However, in instances where the second surgical system 22 may perform additional tasks based on determining the state of the surgical hand piece 12, the second surgical system 22 may be configured to determine the state of the surgical hand piece 12.

[0112] For example, after determining the identity and status of the surgical handpiece 12, the second surgical system 22 may display a GUI on a screen in the operating room of the surgical system 10, which provides surgical steps, instructions and / or instructions about the identified surgical handpiece 12 and at least one of the error condition, operating parameters, available power amount, connection status, "in use" status, mapping configuration and / or mapping status of the identified surgical handpiece 12.

[0113] In another example, the second surgical system 22 may determine the identity and mapping configuration of the surgical handpiece 12 and associate the mapping configuration with the identity of the surgical handpiece 12. In this regard, the second surgical system 22 may perform an additional task: detecting a change in the mapping configuration of the surgical handpiece 12. For example, at a first moment, Figure 1 At one moment, the surgical handpiece 12′ may be mapped to the foot switch 56′, and at a second moment, the surgical handpiece 12″ may be mapped to the foot switch 56′. By associating the mapping configuration of the surgical handpiece 12 with the identity of the surgical handpiece 12, the second surgical system 22 is able to identify whether a different surgical handpiece 12 is mapped to the control device 56.

[0114] In yet another example, the second surgical system 22 may determine the identity and mapping status of the surgical handpiece 12, and associate the mapping status and identity of the surgical handpiece 12. In this regard, the second surgical system 22 may perform an additional task: automatically mapping the control device 56 to the appropriate "unmapped" surgical handpiece 12. For example, the second surgical system 22 may determine that the surgical handpiece 12 is "unmapped" by determining the mapping status of the surgical handpiece 12. The surgical system 22 may then determine the identity of the surgical handpiece 12 to determine whether the surgical handpiece 12 is a surgical handpiece 12 that can be appropriately mapped to the control device 56. The determination of whether the surgical handpiece 12 can be appropriately mapped may be based on any applicable factors, such as the type of surgical handpiece 12, the type of control device 56, and / or the steps of the surgical procedure. In this regard, by associating the mapping status and identity, the second surgical system 22 may automatically map the appropriate "unmapped" surgical handpiece 12 to the control device 56. The second surgical system 22 may then provide a new mapping configuration to the surgical console 54, reflecting the automatic mapping.

[0115] In yet another example where the second surgical system 22 includes a surgical navigation system, the second surgical system 22 can determine the identity and position of the surgical handpiece 12 based on the output signal and associate the position with the identity of the surgical handpiece 12. In this regard, the second surgical system 22 can perform an additional task: calibrate the surgical navigation system. For example, in order to calibrate the surgical navigation system, the second surgical system 22 may require the operator of the surgical system 10 to follow a calibration process, which may require the operator of the surgical system 10 to place a particular surgical handpiece 12 at certain known locations and, after the particular surgical handpiece 12 has been placed accordingly, press a trigger on the particular surgical handpiece. In this regard, by associating the position of the surgical handpiece 12 with the identity of the surgical handpiece 12, the second surgical system 22 is able to determine when the particular surgical handpiece 12 is placed accordingly.

[0116] It will be further understood that the terms "comprising," "including," and "containing" have the same meanings as the terms "including," "comprising," and "containing."

[0117] Several situations have been discussed in the foregoing description. However, the examples discussed herein are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to any particular form. The terms used are intended to have the nature of descriptive rather than restrictive words. In view of the above teachings, many modifications and variations are possible, and the disclosure may be practiced in a manner different from that specifically described.

Claims

1. A surgical system, comprising: a surgical handpiece, the surgical handpiece comprising a visible light emitter; a controller configured to determine a state of the surgical handpiece and control the visible light emitter to emit visible light based on the state of the surgical handpiece; a light sensor configured to generate an output signal based on sensing the visible light; and A second surgical system is configured to determine an identity of the surgical handpiece based on the output signal.

2. The surgical system according to claim 1, wherein: The surgical system further comprises: a surgical console coupled to the surgical handpiece and configured to send a drive signal to the surgical handpiece; and A control device is in communication with the surgical handpiece and the surgical console such that the control device is configured for controlling the surgical handpiece via the surgical console.

3. A surgical system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The second surgical system is a surgical workflow system.

4. A surgical system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The surgical handpiece includes the controller.

5. The surgical system according to claim 2, wherein: The surgical console includes the controller.

6. A surgical system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The controller is further configured to control an illumination color of the visible light emitted by the visible light emitter based on the state of the surgical handpiece.

7. The surgical system according to claim 6, wherein: The visible light emitter is at least one RGB LED, and the controller is further configured to control a lighting color of the visible light emitted by the at least one RGB LED to be red, green, blue, or a combination thereof.

8. A surgical system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The controller is further configured to control a lighting effect of the visible light emitted by the visible light emitter.

9. The surgical system according to claim 8, wherein: The lighting effect includes at least one of a lighting frequency and a lighting mode.

10. The surgical system according to claim 9, wherein: The surgical handpiece is a first surgical handpiece, and the surgical system further includes a second surgical handpiece, each of the first surgical handpiece and the second surgical handpiece including a visible light emitter.

11. The surgical system according to claim 10, wherein: The surgical system includes a surgical console configured to be connected to the first surgical handpiece and the second surgical handpiece, the surgical console includes the controller, and the controller is further configured to control the visible light emitter of the first surgical handpiece and the visible light emitter of the second surgical handpiece so that each visible light emitter emits visible light at a different lighting frequency from each other.

12. The surgical system according to claim 11, wherein: The controller is further configured to control the visible light emitter of the first surgical handpiece and the visible light emitter of the second surgical handpiece such that each visible light emitter emits visible light at the same illumination color as each other.

13. The surgical system according to any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein: The controller is a first controller, the first surgical handpiece includes the first controller, and the second surgical handpiece includes a second controller, the first controller and the second controller are configured to control the visible light emitters of the corresponding surgical handpieces so that each visible light emitter emits visible light at a different illumination frequency from each other.

14. The surgical system according to claim 13, wherein: The first controller and the second controller are further configured to control the visible light emitters of the respective surgical handpieces such that each visible light emitter emits visible light at the same illumination color as each other.

15. A surgical system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The visible light emitter includes at least one of an LED, an optical fiber medium, and a combination thereof.

16. A surgical system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The controller is configured to determine at least one of an illumination color, an illumination frequency, and an illumination pattern of the visible light emitted by the visible light emitter based on the output signal.

17. A surgical system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The status of the surgical handpiece includes at least one of: an error condition of the surgical handpiece, an operating parameter of the surgical handpiece, an amount of power available to the surgical handpiece, a position of the surgical handpiece, a connection status of the surgical handpiece, an "in use" status of the surgical handpiece, a mapping configuration of the surgical handpiece, and a mapping status of the surgical handpiece.

18. A surgical system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The surgical handpiece further includes a sensor configured to generate a sensed reading of the surgical handpiece, and the controller is further configured to determine the status based on the sensed reading.

19. The surgical system of claim 17, wherein: The surgical handpiece includes a cutting tool, and the operating parameter is selected from the group consisting of a torque of the cutting tool, a speed of the cutting tool, a power consumed by the cutting tool, a vibration frequency of the cutting tool, a stall condition of the cutting tool, or a combination thereof.

20. The surgical system according to any one of claims 17 and 19, wherein: The surgical system also includes a surgical console, which is connected to the surgical handpiece and the control device, so that the control device is configured to control the surgical handpiece via the surgical console, and the connection state includes the state of the connection between the surgical console and the surgical handpiece and / or the control device.

21. The surgical system according to any one of claims 17, 19 and 20, wherein: The "in use" status includes whether the surgical handpiece is in use.

22. A surgical system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The state of the surgical handpiece includes a mapped configuration of the surgical handpiece, the surgical handpiece is a first surgical handpiece, and the surgical system further includes: a second surgical handpiece, the second surgical handpiece comprising a visible light emitter; a surgical console configured to be coupled to the first surgical handpiece and the second surgical handpiece and configured to send drive signals to the first surgical handpiece and the second surgical handpiece; a control device including a visible light emitter configured to emit visible light and to communicate with at least one of the first and second surgical handpieces and the surgical console such that the control device is configured to control the at least one of the first and second surgical handpieces via the surgical console; wherein the controller is further configured to determine the mapping configuration by determining the surgical handpiece controlled by the control device, and control the illumination color of the visible light emitted by the visible light emitter of the surgical handpiece and the visible light emitter of the control device based on the mapping configuration, and control the illumination effect of the visible light emitted by the visible light emitter of the surgical handpiece based on the identity of the surgical handpiece; and Wherein, the light sensor is further configured to generate the output signal based on sensing the lighting effect, and the second surgical system is configured to determine the identity of the surgical handpiece based on the output signal.

23. The surgical system of claim 22, wherein: The state of the surgical handpiece includes a mapped state of the surgical handpiece, the mapped state including a state of whether the surgical handpiece is controlled by a control device.

24. A surgical system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The second surgical system can be further configured to determine the state of the surgical handpiece based on the output signal.

25. A method of operating a surgical system comprising a surgical handpiece, the surgical handpiece comprising a visible light emitter, the method comprising the steps of: determining a status of the surgical handpiece; controlling the visible light emitter to emit visible light based on the state of the surgical handpiece; generating an output signal based on sensing the visible light emitted by the visible light emitter; as well as An identity of the surgical handpiece is determined based on the output signal.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein: The step of determining the state of the surgical handpiece also includes the step of determining at least one of an error condition of the surgical handpiece, an operating parameter of the surgical handpiece, an amount of available power of the surgical handpiece, a position of the surgical handpiece, a connection state of the surgical handpiece, and a mapping configuration of the surgical handpiece.

27. The method according to any one of claims 25 and 26, wherein: The step of determining the state of the surgical handpiece further includes the steps of generating a sensed reading of the surgical handpiece and determining the state of the surgical handpiece based on the sensed reading.

28. The method according to claim 26, wherein: The surgical console is connected to the surgical handpiece and the control device, so that the control device is configured to control the surgical handpiece via the surgical console, and the step of determining the connection status includes the step of determining the connection status of the surgical console and the surgical handpiece and / or the control device.

29. The method according to any one of claims 25 to 28, wherein: The surgical handpiece is a first surgical handpiece, and the surgical system includes a second surgical handpiece, the surgical system includes a surgical console, the surgical console is configured to be connected to the first surgical handpiece and the second surgical handpiece and to a control device, the control device is configured to control at least one of the first surgical handpiece and the second surgical handpiece via the surgical console, and the step of determining the state of the surgical handpiece includes the step of determining the mapping configuration by determining the surgical handpiece controlled by the control device.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein: The control device includes a visible light emitter, and the method further includes the following steps: based on the mapping configuration, controlling the illumination color of the visible light emitted by the visible light emitter of the surgical handpiece controlled by the control device and the illumination color of the visible light emitted by the visible light emitter of the control device.

31. The method according to any one of claims 25 to 30, wherein: The method further includes the step of controlling a lighting effect of a visible light emitter of the surgical handpiece based on the identity of the surgical handpiece.

32. The method according to claim 31, wherein: The step of controlling the illumination effect of the visible light emitter comprises the following steps: controlling at least one of an illumination frequency and an illumination pattern of the emitted visible light.

33. The method according to any one of claims 25 to 32, wherein: The step of generating an output signal includes the step of sensing at least one of a lighting color, a lighting frequency, and a lighting pattern of the emitted visible light.

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