Inductively Coupled Foot Pedal Battery Charging

Abstract

A surgical system for wirelessly charging a foot controller is described. The surgical system includes a surgical console. The surgical system also includes a foot controller wirelessly coupled to the surgical console and adapted to control one or more operations of the surgical console. The surgical system further includes a charging device coupled to the surgical console and adapted to wirelessly charge the foot controller.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] When surgically treating a patient, a surgeon typically uses a surgical system that requires control of a variety of different pneumatic and electronic drive subsystems. The operation of the various subsystems is typically controlled by a processor-driven console. The processor receives mechanical or electronic inputs from the surgeon or other medical professional to control the operating characteristics of the various subsystems. [Background technology]

[0002] In ophthalmic surgical systems, a foot controller connected to a console is commonly used to control various surgical subsystems. To control the surgical console and its associated handpieces during various stages of a surgical procedure, a surgeon may use the foot controller to perform various operations (e.g., changing settings on the surgical console and starting, stopping, or modifying the operation of handpieces, probes, etc.) during various ophthalmic surgical procedures, such as cataract and vitreoretinal procedures.

[0003] Some ophthalmic surgical systems employ wireless foot controllers that are communicatively coupled to a surgical console. One challenge with wireless foot controllers is that they are powered via a battery, which must be frequently charged in order for the wireless foot controller to operate. Charging is typically accomplished by physically connecting the wireless foot controller to the console with a charging cable. Charging wireless foot controllers in this manner has many drawbacks and can pose many challenges, including safety risks to medical professionals in the operating room, as described in more detail herein. Therefore, there is a need for an improved system for charging wireless foot controllers. Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0004] In certain embodiments, a surgical system is provided. The surgical system includes a surgical console. The surgical system also includes a foot controller wirelessly coupled to the surgical console and adapted to control one or more operations of the surgical console. The surgical system further includes a charging device coupled to the surgical console and adapted to wirelessly charge the foot controller.

[0005] The following description and the related drawings set forth in detail certain illustrative features of the one or more embodiments.

[0006] The accompanying drawings illustrate certain aspects of one or more disclosed embodiments and therefore should not be considered as limiting the scope of the present disclosure. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 illustrates a perspective view of an exemplary surgical system in accordance with certain embodiments. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating example components of the surgical system of FIG. 1 in accordance with a specific embodiment. [Figure 3] 1 shows a schematic diagram of a charging device sized to accommodate multiple foot controls and / or multiple foot control positions.

[0008] For clarity, where possible, the same reference numerals have been used to refer to identical elements common to the several figures, and it is contemplated that elements and features of one embodiment may be beneficially incorporated in other embodiments without specific indication. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The embodiments described herein provide a system for charging a wireless foot controller used to control a surgical system.

[0010] In conventional surgical systems using wireless foot controllers, charging of the wireless foot controller is typically performed via a cable connection to the surgical console. That is, the wireless foot controller may be physically connected to the surgical console via a cable connector to provide power to the wireless foot controller's battery from the surgical console. However, because the wireless foot controller may not operate while it is being charged, charging the wireless foot controller in this manner may reduce its usefulness in a surgical setting because its operating time may be affected by the wireless foot controller's battery life. Additionally, in some cases, the physical cable connection between the wireless foot controller and the surgical console may pose a safety risk (or safety hazard) to medical personnel.

[0011] Accordingly, embodiments described herein provide a surgical system including a wireless foot controller (also referred to herein as a wireless foot controller) and a charging device inductively coupled to the wireless foot controller. The charging device is adapted to charge one or more batteries of the wireless foot controller via the inductive coupling. In one particular embodiment, the charging device is configured as a floor mat (also referred to herein as a foot pad) that supports the wireless foot controller. The floor mat may include an enclosed coil that inductively couples to (overlies) a coil on the underside of the wireless foot controller.

[0012] In addition to or as an alternative to the wireless foot controller being charged via inductive coupling, in certain embodiments, the wireless foot controller may communicate (e.g., transmit and / or receive) data (e.g., control signals) using inductive coupling. For example, a charging device may be physically connected to the surgical console via a cable. In this example, the wireless foot controller may exchange communications with the charging device via inductive coupling, and the charging device may be adapted to exchange communications with the surgical console via the cable. In certain embodiments, the inductive coupling between the charging device and the wireless foot controller may provide the only communication link over which communications between the wireless foot controller and the surgical console occur. In certain other embodiments, the inductive coupling between the charging device and the wireless foot controller may provide a secondary (redundant) communication link in situations where the primary (wireless) communication link between the wireless foot controller and the surgical console experiences a link failure or is otherwise unavailable. Additionally or alternatively, the inductive coupling between the charging device and the wireless foot controller may allow the surgical console to verify that communications received via the primary communication link are accurate and / or reliable.

[0013] In certain embodiments, the cable between the charging device and the surgical console may have a form factor that reduces the likelihood that the cable poses a safety risk (or hazard) to medical personnel. For example, in certain embodiments, the cable is a flat ribbon cable, rather than the traditional cable with a circular cross-section commonly used in conventional surgical systems.

[0014] By providing a system for wirelessly charging the wireless foot controller, embodiments may be able to continuously charge the wireless foot controller, increasing the operating time of the wireless foot controller. Additionally, continuous charging of the wireless foot controller may enable the wireless foot controller to use a high torque, high current motor for fluid resistance feedback.

[0015] 1 illustrates a perspective view of an exemplary surgical system 100 in accordance with certain embodiments. Surgical system 100 includes a surgical console 190 (also more generally referred to herein as the console), a charging device 170, and a foot controller 160. Surgical console 190 may be operably coupled, physically and / or wirelessly, to any number of user interfaces and / or devices. Here, for example, surgical console 190 is operably coupled, physically and / or wirelessly, to charging device 170 via cable 180 and operably coupled, wirelessly, to foot controller 160.

[0016] The foot controller 160 includes a main body 130 having a base 104. The base 104 may support the foot controller 160 on the operating room floor or a charging device 170 disposed on the operating room floor. The main body 130 includes a foot pedal 106, a heel rest 108, a left toe switch 110, a right toe switch 112, a left heel switch 114, and a right heel switch 116. A first handle 118 and a second handle 120 are coupled to the main body 130. It should be noted that the configuration of the switches, handles, and foot pedals of the foot controller 160 shown in FIG. 1 is provided as a reference example. It is contemplated that the foot controller 160 may have any suitable number and configuration of switches, handles, and foot pedals configured to be actuated by a user in a defined sequence, such as to enter a password, perform one or more steps of a surgical procedure, etc.

[0017] A surgeon can use the foot pedal 106 to proportionally control a particular function or surgical parameter during a surgical procedure. For example, the surgeon can use the top of the surgeon's foot to depress the foot pedal 106, moving it from a fully depressed position to a fully depressed position, e.g., where the foot pedal 106 is generally flush with the heel rest 108. The left toe switch 110 and the right toe switch 112 are generally dual-mode binary switches that can be actuated vertically or horizontally to control a particular function or surgical parameter. For example, a first mode may be actuated when the surgeon presses the left toe switch 110 or the right toe switch 112 downward. A second mode may be actuated when the surgeon presses the left toe switch 110 or the right toe switch 112 horizontally, generally outward, with the side of his or her foot. The left heel switch 114 and the right heel switch 116 are generally binary switches that are activated when the surgeon presses downward with his or her heel.

[0018] Surgical console 190 allows a user, typically a surgeon or other medical personnel, to begin a surgical procedure by setting initial operating parameters and modes on surgical console 190, for example, by using electronic display screen 192 (e.g., via a touch screen interface, mouse, trackball, keyboard, etc.) that includes graphical user interface (GUI) 194. Electronic display screen 192 allows the user to access various menus and screens related to the function and operation of surgical console 190. Electronic display screen 192 may be controlled by a processor coupled to memory (e.g., random access memory (RAM)). Instructions stored in the memory configure the processor to perform one or more operations, such as displaying various menus and screens on electronic display screen 192 and other operations described herein. For example, as the user progresses through a surgical procedure, user input regarding changes to operating modes and parameters can be received by the processor, which executes instructions stored in memory based on the input to control electronic display screen 192. In this example, at least a portion of the user input may be received from foot controller 160.

[0019] One or more users, typically surgeons or other medical professionals, interact with the graphical user interface 194 through various stages of a surgical procedure. For example, a user or another medical professional in the operating room may switch from one stage of a procedure to the next by selecting the next stage on the graphical user interface 194. A user may also switch to the next stage using one or more of the left toe switch 110, the right toe switch 112, the left heel switch 114, or the right heel switch 116 of the foot controller 160. As one example, during a particular surgical procedure, such as a vitrectomy, one such stage is a laser photocoagulation stage ("laser stage") in which a laser is used to treat the patient, e.g., to reattach the patient's retina by ablating the retina along with the inner surface of the uvea using a laser beam. Only upon entering this stage can laser emission control be enabled by pressing or otherwise activating the toe switches in a predetermined sequence. Other stages of a surgical procedure, such as a vitrectomy, include, for example, a ready state and a laser firing state, which may be entered (or activated) by the user via foot controller 160. Foot controller 160 thus functions as an integrated foot controller that can be used to perform various stages of a surgical procedure using switches and pedals and to control the operation of surgical console 190 and various handheld surgical devices, such as laser probes used for photocoagulation, illumination probes, vitrectomy probes, etc.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 1 , the foot controller 160 may also include one or more sensors 122. A single sensor 122 disposed on the heel rest 108 is shown as one example. The one or more sensors 122 are generally any sensor capable of collecting data to indicate whether a user's foot is on or within a predetermined distance of the foot pedal 106. Suitable sensors include, but are not limited to, optical sensors or photodiodes positioned to reliably sense the presence of a person's foot. In some examples, the one or more sensors 122 include a pair of optical sensors (a first optical sensor and a second optical sensor) or a pair of photodiodes (a first photodiode and a second photodiode) positioned to generate a beam that is broken when a user's foot is present. For example, the first optical sensor or photodiode may be coupled to the left side of the foot controller 100, and the second optical sensor or photodiode may be coupled to the right side of the foot controller 100; for example, the first optical sensor may be coupled to the left toe switch 110 and the second optical sensor may be coupled to the right toe switch 112. In another embodiment, the one or more sensors 122 are reflective photodetectors located on a surface of the foot controller 100 where the user places his or her heel, such as on the heel rest 108. In yet another embodiment, the one or more sensors 122 are two or more transmissive photodetectors located on features on either side of the user's foot, such as on the left toe switch 110, the right toe switch 112, the left heel switch 114, or the right heel switch 116. For example, a first photodetector may be coupled to the left toe switch 110 and a second photodetector may be coupled to the right toe switch 112.

[0021] As mentioned above, surgical console 190 is operably coupled wirelessly to foot controller 160. That is, foot controller 160 may communicate control signals (responsive to the user via various switches, sensors, and / or pedals on foot controller 160) to the surgical console using a wireless communication protocol (e.g., cellular communication protocol, 802.11, Bluetooth, etc.). In conventional surgical systems employing wireless foot controllers such as foot controller 160, charging the wireless foot controller typically involves physically connecting the wireless foot controller to a power source via a cable to charge the wireless foot controller's battery. However, as mentioned above, charging the wireless foot controller in this manner is not ideal because it can reduce the amount of time the foot controller is operational and / or pose a safety hazard to medical personnel.

[0022] As such, the surgical system 100 shown in FIG. 1 utilizes a charging device 170 to charge the foot controller 160 via inductive coupling. The charging device 170 is typically a wireless power transmitting device configured to wirelessly transmit power to one or more batteries in the foot controller 160. Similarly, the foot controller 160 is typically a wireless power receiving device configured to wirelessly receive power from the charging device 170. As described below, the charging device 170 includes a coil that inductively couples to a coil in the foot controller 160, for example, when the foot controller 160 is disposed (or rests) on the charging device 170. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the charging device 170 is in the form of a floor mat (also referred to as a foot pad). However, it should be noted that the charging device 170 can have any suitable form factor consistent with the functionality described herein. For example, while the charging device 170 in FIG. 1 is shown large enough to accommodate a single foot controller 160, a larger charging device 170 is shown in FIG. 3. As seen in FIG. 3 , the charging device 170 may be large enough to accommodate multiple foot controllers 1160a-b of different shapes and sizes. For example, a user may simultaneously have both a foot controller for phacoemulsification control and a separate foot controller for laser control on the charging device 170. Furthermore, a larger charging device 170 may accommodate multiple positions for the foot controller 1160 (or multiple foot controllers). For example, as seen in FIG. 3 , the charging device 170 may be large enough to accommodate at least first and second non-overlapping positions for the foot controller. This may make it easier for a user to move or reposition the foot controller 1160 to a comfortable position as needed during surgery while still maintaining contact between the foot controller 1160 and the charging device 170. The charging device 170 may be formed from a variety of materials, including, for example, rubber, plastic, etc.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 1 , charging device 170 is physically coupled to surgical console 190 via cable 180. Cable 180 is generally configured to provide power to charging device 170. In certain embodiments, cable 180 also provides a physical communication link between charging device 170 and surgical console 190. For example, charging device 170 may receive data from foot controller 160 via inductive coupling between charging device 170 and foot controller 160 and may transmit data to surgical console 190 via cable 180. By transmitting data to surgical console 190 using inductive coupling and cable 180, embodiments provide a redundant communication link for surgical console 190 to receive control signals from foot controller 160. Additionally, the redundant communication link may allow surgical console 190 to verify that control signals received from foot controller 160 via the primary wireless communication link are accurate.

[0024] Cable 180 may have a form factor that reduces the likelihood that cable 180 poses a safety risk (or safety hazard). For example, cable 180 may be a flat ribbon cable, as opposed to having a circular cross-section. Additionally, in certain embodiments, cable 180 may be coupled to charging device 170 via an overmolding to provide cable 180 with improved protection from fluids, shock, vibration, bending, etc. In these embodiments, cable 180 may be referred to as an overmolded cable (or overmolded cable assembly).

[0025] Figure 2 is a block diagram illustrating components of surgical system 100 described in connection with Figure 1, according to one specific embodiment. Note that Figure 2 provides a reference example of how the various components of surgical system 100 may communicate and operate together and is not intended as the only implementation of surgical system 100.

[0026] As shown, the charging device 170 of the surgical system 100 includes, but is not limited to, a transmitter coil 224, a power transmitting unit 226, and a controller 222. The power transmitting unit 226 may wirelessly provide power (e.g., power transmission 260) to the power receiving unit 214 of the foot controller 160 via inductive coupling between the transmitter coil 224 of the charging device 170 and the power receiving unit coil 216 of the foot controller 160. The power transmitting unit 226 may provide power in an alternating current (AC) waveform or a direct current (DC) waveform. The power transmitting unit 226 may be provided in the form of an internal battery or in the form of a power receiving interface that receives power from an external component (e.g., the surgical console 190) to power another component (e.g., the foot controller 160).

[0027] The controller 222 generally controls the overall operation of the charging device 170. For example, the controller 222 may use an algorithm, program, or application to control the operation of the power transmitting unit 226. The controller 222 may be implemented as a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, or a minicomputer. In certain embodiments, the controller 222 may send charging control signals to the power transmitting unit 226 to control one or more parameters of the wireless power transmitted from the power transmitting unit 226.

[0028] Additionally, as shown, the foot controller 160 includes, but is not limited to, a controller 202, a network interface 204, a battery 206, a power receiving unit 214, and a power receiver coil 216. The power receiving unit 214 may wirelessly receive power (e.g., transmitted power 260) transmitted from the power transmitting unit 226 via inductive coupling between the power receiver coil 216 and the transmitter coil 224. The power receiving unit 214 may receive power in an AC waveform or a DC waveform.

[0029] The controller 202 generally controls the overall operation of the foot controller 160. For example, the controller 202 can control the operation of the network interface 204, the power receiving unit 214, etc. The controller 202 may be implemented as a CPU, a microprocessor, or a minicomputer. In a specific embodiment, the controller 222 may send a charging control signal to the power receiving unit 214 to control the charging function of the battery 206. For example, the controller 222 may control the amount of power provided from the power receiving unit 214 to the battery 206 via the power receiving unit 214.

[0030] Network interface 204 is generally configured to communicate with one or more devices, including, for example, surgical console 190, using a wireless communication protocol. The wireless communication protocol may be any suitable wireless communication protocol, including, for example, 802.11, a cellular communication protocol (e.g., 5G, 4G, 3G, etc.), Bluetooth®, ZigBee®, etc. In certain embodiments, foot controller 160 may establish a primary communication link with surgical console 190 via network interface 204.

[0031] In certain embodiments, foot controller 160 may also establish a secondary communication link with surgical console 190 via inductive coupling and cable 180. For example, as shown, foot controller 160 may transmit data 250 to charging device 170 via inductive coupling, and the charging device may transmit (or forward) data 250 to surgical console 190.

[0032] The above description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the various embodiments described herein. Various modifications to these embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments. Accordingly, the claims are not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but are to be accorded the full scope consistent with the language of the claims.

Claims

1. a surgical console; a foot controller wirelessly coupled to the surgical console and adapted to control one or more operations of the surgical console; a charging device coupled to the surgical console and adapted to wirelessly charge the foot controller; A surgical system comprising:

2. The surgical system of claim 1 , wherein the charging device is coupled to the surgical console via a cable.

3. The surgical system of claim 2 , wherein the cable is a flat ribbon cable.

4. The surgical system of claim 2 , wherein the charging device is coupled to the cable via an overmold.

5. the charging device includes a first coil; The foot controller includes a second coil. The surgical system of claim 1 .

6. The surgical system of claim 5 , wherein the charging device is adapted to wirelessly transfer power to the foot controller via inductive coupling between the first coil and the second coil.

7. The surgical system of claim 6 , wherein the inductive coupling is established when the foot controller is placed on top of the charging device.

8. the foot controller is adapted to transmit data to the charging device via inductive coupling between the first coil and the second coil; the charging device is configured to transfer the data to the surgical console via a cable coupling the charging device to the surgical console. The surgical system of claim 5 .

9. The surgical system of claim 1 , wherein the charging device is a floor mat.

10. The surgical system of claim 9 , wherein the floor mat is made of a rubber material.

11. The surgical system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more actions include placing the surgical console in one or more states for a surgical procedure.

12. The surgical system of claim 1 , wherein the charging device is sized to accommodate the foot controller and at least one additional foot controller.

13. The surgical system of claim 1 , wherein the charging device is sized to accommodate at least first and second non-overlapping positions for the foot controller.

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