Electrosurgical instrument having an electrical resistance monitor at a rotational coupling

Abstract

The apparatus includes a shaft assembly. The sliding electrical connection provides electrical communication between the shaft components while allowing movement of a second shaft component relative to a first shaft component in the joint. An end effector is positioned at a distal end of the shaft assembly and is operable to engage tissue of a patient. A sensor is positioned adjacent the joint and configured to measure a joint parameter indicative of a condition of the sliding electrical connection. The sensor transmits a first signal indicative of the measured joint parameter to a control module. The control module determines whether the measured joint parameter exceeds a maximum deviation from a predetermined value. If the measured joint parameter exceeds a maximum deviation from a predetermined value, the control module initiates a response action.

Description

Background Art

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

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

[0003] Some instruments are capable of applying both ultrasonic energy and RF electrosurgical energy to tissue. Examples of such instruments are described in U.S. Patent No. 9,949,785, entitled "Ultrasonic Surgical Instrument with Electrosurgical Feature," issued April 24, 2018, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, and U.S. Patent No. 8,663,220, entitled "Ultrasonic Electrosurgical Instruments," issued March 4, 2014, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

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

[0005] Although several surgical instruments and systems have been made and used, it is believed that no one prior to the inventors has made or used the invention described in the appended claims.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0006] This specification concludes with the claims, which particularly point out and distinctly claim the technology. However, the technology is better understood when the following description of certain specific embodiments is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals identify like elements.

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[0007] The drawings are not intended to limit in any way, and it is contemplated that the various embodiments of the present technology can be implemented in a variety of other ways, including those not necessarily depicted in the drawings. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and form a part of this specification, illustrate some aspects of the present technology and, together with the description, explain the principles of the present technology, but it is understood that the present technology is not limited to the exact arrangements shown.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] The following description of specific embodiments of the present technology should not be used for the purpose of limiting its scope. Other embodiments, features, aspects, embodiments, and advantages of the present technology will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description, which is one of the best modes contemplated for practicing the present technology by way of example. As will be understood, any of the technologies described herein can have other different and obvious aspects without departing from the technology. Therefore, the drawings and description should be regarded as illustrative in nature and not restrictive.

[0009] It should also be further understood that any one or more of the teachings, expressions, embodiments, examples, etc. described herein may be combined with any one or more of the other teachings, expressions, embodiments, examples, etc. described herein. Therefore, the teachings, expressions, embodiments, examples, etc. described below should not be considered in isolation from each other. Various suitable ways of combining the teachings of this specification will readily become apparent to those skilled in the art by considering the teachings of this specification. Such modifications and variations are intended to be included within the scope of the claims.

[0010] For the sake of clarity of the present disclosure, the terms "proximal" and "distal" are defined herein with respect to an operator of a surgical instrument, whether human or robotic. The term "proximal" means the position of an element that is closer to an operator of a surgical instrument, whether human or robotic, and further away from the surgical end effector of the surgical instrument. The term "distal" means the position of an element that is closer to the surgical end effector of the surgical instrument and further away from an operator of a surgical instrument, whether human or robotic. Note that the terms "upper", "lower", "top", "bottom", "upper side", and "lower side" are used with respect to the embodiments and the associated figures and are not intended to unduly limit the invention described herein.

[0011] I. Example of a robotic surgical system As described above, in some surgical procedures, it may be desirable to utilize a robot-controlled surgical system. Such a robot-controlled surgical system may include one or more surgical instruments that are controlled and driven by a robot via one or more users, either in the same operating room or away from the operating room. FIG. 1 shows an example of various components that can be incorporated into a robotic surgical system (10). The system (10) of this example includes a console (20), a monopolar RF electrosurgical instrument (40), a bipolar RF electrosurgical instrument (50), and an ultrasonic surgical instrument (60). FIG. 1 shows that all three instruments (40, 50, 60) are connected to the console (20) simultaneously, but there may be usage scenarios where only one or two of the instruments (40, 50, 60) are connected to the console (20) simultaneously. Further, in addition to or instead of one or more of the instruments (40, 50, 60) connected to the console (20), there may be usage scenarios where various other instruments are connected to the console (20).

[0012] The monopolar RF electrosurgical instrument (40) of this example includes a body (42), a shaft (44) extending distally from the body (42), and an end effector (46) at the distal end of the shaft (44). The body (42) is configured to connect to a robotic arm (not shown in FIG. 1) of the system (10), and the robotic arm is operable to position and orient the monopolar RF electrosurgical instrument (40) relative to the patient. In a deformable form where the monopolar RF electrosurgical instrument (40) includes one or more mechanically driven components (e.g., jaws in the end effector (46), articulation joints of the shaft (44), rotating parts of the shaft (44), etc.), the body (42) may include various components operable to convert one or more mechanical drive inputs from the robotic arm into the movement of one or more mechanically driven components of the monopolar RF electrosurgical instrument (40).

[0013] As also shown in FIG. 1, the body (42) is coupled via a cable (32) to a corresponding port (22) of the console (20). The console (20) is operable to supply power to the monopolar RF electrosurgical instrument (40) via the port (22) and the cable (32). In some variations, the port (22) is dedicated to driving monopolar RF electrosurgical instruments such as the monopolar RF electrosurgical instrument (40). In some other variations, the port (22) is operable to drive various types of instruments (including, for example, instruments (50, 60), etc.). In some such variations, the console (20) is operable to automatically detect the type of instrument (40, 50, 60) coupled to the port (22) and adjust the power profile to the port (22) accordingly. Additionally, or alternatively, the console (20) may adjust the power profile to the port (22) based on a manual selection by the operator via the console (20) to identify the type of instrument (40, 50, 60) coupled to the port (22).

[0014] The shaft (44) is operable to support the end effector (46) and provides one or more wires or other pathways for electrical communication between the base (42) and the end effector (46). Thus, the shaft (44) is operable to transmit power from the console (20) to the end effector (46). The shaft (44) may also include various mechanically movable components including, but not limited to, rotational segments, joints, and / or other types of mechanically movable components that would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art in view of the teachings herein.

[0015] The end effector (46) of this embodiment includes an electrode operable to apply monopolar RF energy to tissue. Such an electrode may be incorporated into a sharp blade, a needle, a flat surface, some other non-invasive structure, or any other suitable type of structure that would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art in view of the teachings herein. The end effector (46) may also include various other types of components, including but not limited to grasping jaws.

[0016] The system (10) of this embodiment further includes a ground pad (70) coupled to a corresponding port (28) of the console (20) via a cable (38). In some variations, the ground pad (70) is incorporated into a patch or other structure affixed to the patient's skin (e.g., on the patient's thigh). In some other variations, the ground pad (70) is disposed beneath the patient (e.g., between the patient and the operating table). In either case, the ground pad (70) can function as a return path for the monopolar RF energy applied to the patient via the end effector (46). In some variations, the port (28) is a dedicated ground return port. In some other variations, the port (28) is a multi-purpose port that is either automatically designated as the ground return port when the console (20) detects the connection between the ground pad (70) and the port (28), or manually designated as the ground return port via an operator using the user input features of the console (20).

[0017] The bipolar RF electrosurgical instrument (50) of this embodiment includes a main body (52), a shaft (54) extending distally from the main body (52), and an end effector (56) at the distal end of the shaft (54). Each of these components (52, 54, 56) is configured and operable according to the above description of the corresponding components (42, 44, 46) of the monopolar RF electrosurgical instrument (50), except that the end effector (56) of this embodiment is operable to apply bipolar RF energy to tissue. Thus, the end effector (56) includes at least two electrodes, and these two electrodes are configured to cooperate with each other to apply bipolar RF energy to tissue. The bipolar RF electrosurgical instrument (50) is connected to the console (20) via a cable (34), and the cable (34) is further connected to the port (24) of the console (20). The port (24) can be dedicated to power supply to the bipolar RF electrosurgical instrument. Alternatively, the port (24) can be a multi-purpose port whose output is determined based on either automatic detection of the bipolar RF electrosurgical instrument (50) or operator selection via a user input feature of the console (20).

[0018] The ultrasonic surgical instrument (60) of this embodiment includes a main body (62), a shaft (64) extending distally from the main body (62), and an end effector (66) at the distal end of the shaft (64). Each of these components (62, 64, 66) is configured and operable according to the above description of the corresponding components (42, 44, 46) of the monopolar RF electrosurgical instrument (50), except that the end effector (66) of this embodiment is operable to apply ultrasonic energy to tissue. Thus, the end effector (66) includes an ultrasonic blade or other ultrasonic vibrating element. Note that the base (62) includes an ultrasonic transducer (68) operable to generate ultrasonic vibrations in response to power, and the shaft (64) includes an acoustic waveguide operable to transmit ultrasonic vibrations from the transducer (68) to the end effector (66).

[0019] The ultrasonic surgical instrument (60) is connected to the console (20) via a cable (36), and the cable (36) is further connected to the port (26) of the console (20). The port (26) can be dedicated to power supply to the ultrasonic electrosurgical instrument. Alternatively, the port (26) can be a multi-purpose port whose output is determined based on either automatic detection of the ultrasonic surgical instrument (60) or operator selection via user input features of the console (20).

[0020] FIG. 1 shows monopolar RF, bipolar RF, and ultrasonic capabilities provided via three separate dedicated instruments (40, 50, 60), although some variations may include instruments operable to apply two or more of monopolar RF, bipolar RF, or ultrasonic energy to tissue. In other words, two or more of such energy modes may be incorporated into a single instrument. Examples showing how such different modes can be integrated into a single device are described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017 / 0202591, entitled "Modular Battery Powered Handheld Surgical Instrument with Selective Application of Energy Based on Tissue Characterization", published on July 20, 2017, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Other examples will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the teachings herein.

[0021] FIG. 2 shows an example of a robotic surgical system (150) for a patient (P) on a table (156). The system (150) of this example includes a control console (152) and a drive console (154). The console (152) is operable to receive user input from an operator, and the drive console (154) is operable to convert these user inputs into the movement of a set of robotic arms (160, 170, 180). In some variations, the consoles (152, 154) collectively form something equivalent to the console (20) described above. The consoles (152, 154) are shown as separate units in this example, but in some other examples, the consoles (152, 154) may actually be combined as a single unit.

[0022] The robotic arms (160, 170, 180) extend from the drive console (154) in this embodiment. In some other variations, the robotic arms (160, 170, 180) are incorporated into the base (156) or some other structure. Each robotic arm (160, 170, 180) has a corresponding drive interface (162, 172, 182). In this embodiment, the three drive interfaces (162, 172, 182) are coupled to a single instrument assembly (190). In some other scenarios, each drive interface (162, 172, 182) is coupled to a respective separate instrument. By way of example only, the drive interfaces (162, 172, 182) may be coupled to the body of an instrument such as the bodies (42, 52, 62) of the instruments (40, 50, 60) described above. In any case, the robotic arms (160, 170, 180) may be operable to move the instruments (40, 50, 60, 190) relative to the patient (P) and to actuate any mechanically driven components of the instruments (40, 50, 60, 190). The robotic arms (160, 170, 180) may also include features that provide a path for the transmission of power to the instruments (40, 50, 60, 190). For example, the cables (32, 34, 36) may be at least partially incorporated into the robotic arms (160, 170, 180). In some other variations, the robotic arms (160, 170, 180) may include features that secure but do not necessarily integrate the cables (32, 34, 36). As yet another variation, the cables (32, 34, 36) may simply remain separate from the robotic arms (160, 170, 180). Other suitable features and configurations that may be used to form the robotic surgical system (10, 150) will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the teachings herein.

[0023] In a robotic surgical system, such as robotic surgical systems (10, 150), each port (22, 24, 26, 28) may have a plurality of electrical features that provide inputs and outputs between a console (20, 152) and robotic arms (160, 170, 180) and / or instruments (40, 50, 60, 190). These electrical features may include sockets, pins, contacts, or various other features that are in very close proximity to each other. In some scenarios, this proximity can result in the risk of power or signals crossing from one electrical feature to another in an undesirable manner, which can cause equipment failure, equipment damage, sensor errors, and / or other undesirable outcomes. Additionally, or alternatively, this proximity can result in the risk of generating a potential between adjacent components or creating a capacitive coupling between electrical features. Such capacitive coupling can result in undesirable outcomes such as power reduction, signal reduction, signal interference, patient injury, and / or other undesirable results. Therefore, it may be desirable to provide features to prevent such occurrences or otherwise address them at the port (22, 24, 26, 28).

[0024] Similarly, each robotic arm (160, 170, 180), each cable (32, 34, 36, 38), and / or each instrument (40, 50, 60, 190) may include a plurality of wires, rigid circuits or traces within flexible circuits, and other electrical features that are in very close proximity to each other. Such electrical features may also be in very close proximity to other components that are not intended to provide a path for electrical communication but are nevertheless formed from a conductive material. Such conductive mechanical features may include movable components (e.g., drive cables, drive bands, gears, etc.) or stationary components (e.g., chassis or frame members, etc.). This proximity can result in a risk that power or signals cross in an undesirable manner from one electrical feature to another and / or from one electrical feature to a conductive mechanical feature, which can cause equipment failure, equipment damage, sensor errors, and / or other undesirable results. Additionally, or alternatively, this proximity can result in a risk of generating a potential between adjacent components or creating a capacitive coupling between electrical features and / or between an electrical feature and a conductive mechanical feature. Such capacitive coupling can result in undesirable results such as power reduction, signal reduction, signal interference, patient injury, and / or other undesirable results. Therefore, it may be desirable to provide features to prevent such occurrences or otherwise address them within the robotic arms (160, 170, 180), within the cables (32, 34, 36, 38), and / or within the instruments (40, 50, 60, 190).

[0025] II. Examples of Handheld Surgical Instruments In some procedures, the operator may prefer to use a handheld surgical instrument in addition to, or instead of, using a robotic surgical system (10, 150). FIG. 3 shows an example of various components that may be incorporated into a handheld surgical instrument (100). In addition to the following teachings, the instrument (200) may be constructed and operable in accordance with at least a portion of the teachings of U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017 / 0202608, entitled "Modular Battery Powered Handheld Surgical Instrument Containing Elongated Multi-Layered Shaft," published on July 20, 2017, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, and / or various other references cited herein. The instrument (100) of this example includes an end effector (102), an ultrasonic transducer (104), a generator (106), a control circuit (108), a speaker (110), a position sensor (112), a force sensor (114), a visual display (116), and a trigger (118). In some variations, the end effector (102) is disposed at the distal end of a shaft (not shown in FIG. 3), and the other components (104, 106, 108, 110, 112, 114, 116, 118) are incorporated into a handle assembly (not shown in FIG. 3) at the proximal end of the shaft. Some variations may also provide some of the components (104, 106, 108, 110, 112, 114, 116, 118) with separate capital equipment. For example, the generator (106), the speaker (110), and / or the visual display (116) may be incorporated into separate capital equipment connected to the instrument (100).

[0026] The end effector (102) can be configured and operable like the above-described end effectors (46, 56, 66) such that the end effector (102) can be operable to apply monopolar RF energy, bipolar RF energy, or ultrasonic energy to tissue. The transducer (104) can be configured and operable like the transducer (68). The generator (106) can be operable to supply power as needed to drive the transducer (68) and / or to supply RF energy via the end effector (102). In a variant where the generator (106) is incorporated into the handle assembly of the instrument (106), the generator (106) may include one or more battery cells or the like. The control circuit (108) may include one or more microprocessors and / or various other circuit components that can be configured to provide signal processing and other electronic aspects of the operability of the instrument (100). The position sensor (112) may be configured to sense the position and / or orientation of the instrument (102). In some variants, the control circuit (108) is configured to vary the operability of the instrument (102) based on data from the position sensor (112). The force sensor (114) is operable to sense one or more force parameters associated with the use of the instrument (100). Such force parameters may include the force applied to the instrument (100) by the operator, the force applied to the tissue by the end effector (102), or other force parameters that will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the teachings herein. In some variants, the control circuit (108) is configured to vary the operability of the instrument (102) based on data from the force sensor (114). In some variants, one or both of the sensors (112, 114) may be incorporated into the end effector (102). Additionally, or alternatively, one or both of the sensors (112, 114) may be incorporated into the shaft assembly (not shown) of the instrument (100).A variant of the instrument (100) may also incorporate various other types of sensors (e.g., in addition to or instead of sensors (112, 114) within the end effector (102), within the shaft assembly, and / or at other locations within the instrument (100)).

[0027] The trigger (118) is operable to control aspects of the operation of the end effector (102), such as the movement of the pivoting jaws, the translation of the cutting blade, etc. The speaker (110) and the visual display (116) are operable to provide the operator with auditory and visual feedback related to the operation of the instrument (100). The above-described components (102, 104, 106, 108, 110, 112, 114, 116, 118) of the instrument (100) are exemplary embodiments, and the components (102, 104, 106, 108, 110, 112, 114, 116, 118) may be changed, replaced, supplemented, or omitted as necessary.

[0028] FIG. 4 shows an example of a form that the instrument (100) can take. In particular, FIG. 4 shows a handheld instrument (200). In addition to the following teachings, the instrument (200) may be constructed and operable in accordance with at least a portion of the teachings of U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017 / 0202591, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, and / or various other references cited herein. In this embodiment, the instrument (200) includes a handle assembly (210), a shaft assembly (220), and an end effector (230). The handle assembly (210) includes a pivoting trigger (212), a first trigger button (214), a second trigger button (216), and an articulation control unit (218). The shaft assembly (220) includes a rigid shaft portion (222) and an articulation portion (224). The end effector (230) is distal to the articulation portion (224) and includes an upper jaw (232) and a lower jaw (234).

[0029] By way of example only, the handle assembly (210) may include one or more of the above-described components (104, 106, 108, 110, 112, 114, 116, 118). The trigger (212) may be operable to pivot the upper jaw portion (232) toward the lower jaw portion (234) (e.g., to grasp tissue between the jaws (232, 234)). The trigger buttons (214, 216) may be operable to initiate delivery of energy (e.g., RF energy and / or ultrasonic energy) via the end effector (230). The articulation control (218) may be operable to drive the deflection of the shaft assembly (220) at the articulation joint (224), thereby driving the lateral deflection of the end effector (230) away from or toward the longitudinal central axis defined by the rigid shaft portion (222). The end effector (230) may include one or more electrodes operable to apply monopolar and / or bipolar RF energy to tissue. Additionally, or alternatively, the end effector (230) may include an ultrasonic blade operable to apply ultrasonic energy to tissue. In some variations, the end effector (230) may be operable to apply two or more of monopolar RF energy, bipolar RF energy, or ultrasonic energy to tissue. Other suitable features and functions that may be incorporated into the end effector (230) will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the teachings herein.

[0030] The instruments (150, 200) may include a plurality of wires in very close proximity to each other, traces within rigid or flexible circuits, and other electrical features. Such electrical features may be located within the handle assembly (210), within the shaft assembly (220), and / or within the end effector (230). Such electrical features may also be in very close proximity to other components that are not intended to provide a path for electrical communication but are nevertheless formed from a conductive material. Such conductive mechanical features may include movable components (e.g., drive cables, drive bands, gears, etc.) or stationary components (e.g., chassis or frame members, etc.). This proximity may result in a risk that power or signals cross in an undesirable manner from one electrical feature to another and / or from one electrical feature to a conductive mechanical feature, which can cause equipment failure, equipment damage, sensor errors, patient trauma, and / or other undesirable results. Additionally, or alternatively, this proximity may result in a risk of generating a potential between adjacent components or creating a capacitive coupling between electrical features and / or between an electrical feature and a conductive mechanical feature. Such capacitive coupling may result in undesirable results such as power reduction, signal reduction, signal interference, and / or other undesirable results. Therefore, it may be desirable to provide features to prevent such occurrences within the instruments (150, 200) or to otherwise address them.

[0031] III. Further Examples of Surgical Instrument Components The following description relates to embodiments of different feature portions that can be incorporated into any of the various instruments (40, 50, 60, 100, 190, 200) described above. These embodiments are provided separately from each other, but the feature portions described in any of the following embodiments may be combined with the feature portions described in other embodiments described later. Accordingly, the features described later may be combined in various combinations as will be apparent to those skilled in the art by considering the teachings of this specification. Similarly, various ways in which the feature portions described later can be incorporated into any of the various instruments (40, 50, 60, 100, 190, 200) described above will be apparent to those skilled in the art by considering the teachings of this specification. The feature portions described later may be incorporated into robotic-controlled surgical instruments (40, 50, 60, 190) and / or handheld surgical instruments (100, 200).

[0032] A. Examples of Ultrasonic End Effectors FIG. 5 shows a portion of an embodiment of an ultrasonic instrument (300) including a shaft assembly (310) and an end effector (320). The end effector (320) includes an upper jaw portion (322) and an ultrasonic blade (326). The upper jaw portion (322) is operable to pivot towards the ultrasonic blade (326), thereby compressing tissue between the clamp pad (324) of the upper jaw portion (322) and the ultrasonic blade (326). When the ultrasonic blade (326) is operated with ultrasonic vibrations, the ultrasonic blade (326) may cut and seal the tissue compressed against the clamp pad (324). By way of example only, end effectors (66, 102, 230) may be configured and operable similarly to the end effector (320).

[0033] As described above, the instruments (150, 200) may include electrical features and / or conductive mechanical features that may pose a risk of power or signals crossing in an undesirable manner from one electrical feature to another and / or from one electrical feature to a conductive mechanical feature. Additionally, the instruments (150, 200) may include electrical features and / or conductive mechanical features that may pose a risk of generating a potential between adjacent components or generating a capacitive coupling between electrical features and / or between an electrical feature and a conductive mechanical feature. In the context of the instrument (300), since the acoustic waveguide may be formed of a conductive material, such risks may arise with respect to the acoustic waveguide within the shaft assembly (310) that connects to the ultrasonic blade (326). Additionally, the instrument (300) may include one or more sensors within the shaft assembly (310) and / or the end effector (320), and the end effector (320) may also include one or more electrodes and / or other electrical features. Other components of the instrument (350) that may present the above risks will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the teachings herein.

[0034] B. Examples of Bipolar RF End Effectors FIG. 6 shows a portion of an example of a bipolar RF instrument (350) that includes a shaft assembly (360) and an end effector (370). The end effector (370) includes an upper jaw (372) and a lower jaw (374). The jaws (372, 374) are pivotable toward and away from each other. The upper jaw (372) includes a first electrode surface (376), and the lower jaw (374) includes a second electrode surface (378). When tissue is compressed between the jaws (372, 374), the electrode surfaces (376, 378) may be activated with opposite polarities, whereby bipolar RF energy may be applied to the tissue. This bipolar RF energy may seal the compressed tissue. In some variations, the end effector (370) further includes a translational knife member (not shown) operable to cut tissue compressed between the jaws (372, 374). Some variations of the end effector (370) may also be operable to apply monopolar RF energy to the tissue, such as by cooperating with a ground pad (e.g., ground pad (70)) to activate only one of the electrode surfaces (376, 378) or to activate both electrode surfaces (376, 378) with a single polarity. By way of example only, end effectors (64, 102, 230) may be configured and operable in a manner similar to end effector (370).

[0035] As described above, the instruments (150, 200) may include electrical features and / or conductive mechanical features that may pose a risk of power or signals crossing in an undesirable manner from one electrical feature to another and / or from one electrical feature to a conductive mechanical feature. Additionally, the instruments (150, 200) may include electrical features and / or conductive mechanical features that may pose a risk of generating a potential between adjacent components, or of creating a capacitive coupling between electrical features and / or between an electrical feature and a conductive mechanical feature. In the context of the instrument (350), such risks may occur with respect to the electrode surfaces (376, 378), and wires or other electrical features that extend along the shaft assembly (360) and reach the electrode surfaces (376, 378). The instrument (350) may also include one or more sensors within the shaft assembly (360) and / or the end effector (370), and may also include one or more electrodes and / or other electrical features within the end effector (370). Other components of the instrument (350) that may present the above risks will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the teachings herein.

[0036] C. Examples of Monopolar Surgical Instrument Features FIG. 7 shows an example of a monopolar RF energy delivery system (400) that includes a generator (410), a delivery instrument (420), and a ground pad assembly (440). In addition to the following teachings, the instrument (420) may be constructed and operable in accordance with at least a portion of the teachings of U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2019 / 0201077, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, and / or various other references cited herein. The generator (410) may be operable to deliver monopolar RF energy to the instrument (420) via a cable (430) that is coupled to the generator (410) via a port (414). In some variations, the port (414) includes an integrated sensor. By way of example only, such a sensor within the port (414) may be configured to monitor whether excessive or inductive energy is being radiated from the generator (410) and / or other characteristics of the energy delivered from the generator (410) via the port (414). The instrument (420) includes a body (422), a shaft (424), a sensor (426), and a distal electrode (428) configured to contact a patient (P) and thereby apply monopolar RF energy to the patient (P). By way of example only, the sensor (426) may be configured to monitor whether excessive or inductive energy is being radiated from the instrument (420). Based on a signal from the sensor (426), a control module within the generator (410) may passively reduce the ground return from the ground pad assembly (440) based on data from the sensor (426).

[0037] In some variations, the ground pad assembly (440) includes one or more resistive conductive ground pads that provide direct contact between the skin of the patient (P) and one or more metallic components of the ground pad. In some other variations, the ground pad assembly (440) includes a capacitive coupled ground pad that includes a gel material interposed between the patient (P) and the ground return plate. In this example, the ground pad assembly (440) is positioned under the patient (P) and is coupled to the generator (410) via a cable (432) through ports (416, 434). Either or both of the ports (416, 434) may include an integrated sensor. By way of example only, such a sensor in either or both of the ports (416, 434) may be configured to monitor whether excessive or inductive energy is being radiated from the ground pad assembly (440).

[0038] As described above, the instruments (150, 200) may include electrical features and / or conductive mechanical features that may pose a risk that power or signals cross undesirably from one electrical feature to another and / or from one electrical feature to a conductive mechanical feature. Note that the instruments (150, 200) may include electrical features and / or conductive mechanical features that may pose a risk of generating a potential between adjacent components or of creating a capacitive coupling between electrical features and / or between an electrical feature and a conductive mechanical feature. In the context of the instrument (420), such risks may occur with respect to the sensor (426), the distal electrode (428), and / or any other electrical components within the instrument (420). Other components of the instrument (420) that may present the above risks will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the teachings herein. Such risks may be greater in variations of the instrument (420) that are dedicated to the supply of monopolar RF energy, as compared to the context of bipolar RF instruments such as the instrument (350), because dedicated monopolar RF instruments may lack a ground return path by which the above risks may be otherwise prevented or mitigated.

[0039] D. Examples of Joints within the Shaft Assembly FIG. 8 shows a portion of an instrument (500) including a shaft (510) having a joint (520). In addition to the following teachings, the instrument (500) may be constructed and operable in accordance with at least a portion of the teachings of U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017 / 0202591, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, and / or various other references cited herein. In this example, the end effector (550) is positioned at the distal end of the joint (520). The joint (520) includes a plurality of segments (522) and is operable to deflect the end effector (550) away from and laterally toward the longitudinal central axis of the shaft (510). A plurality of wires (540) extend through the shaft (510) along the joint (520) to reach the end effector (550), whereby power is delivered to the end effector (550). By way of example only, the end effector (550) may be operable to deliver monopolar RF energy and / or bipolar RF energy to tissue as described herein. A plurality of push-pull cables (542) also extend through the joint (520). The push-pull cables (542) may be coupled to an actuator (such as, for example, similar to the joint control unit (218)) to drive the articulation of the joint (520). The segments (522) are configured to maintain a separation between the wires (540) and the push-pull cables (542) along the length of the joint (520) and to provide structural support thereto. The joint (520) of this example also defines a central passage (532). By way of example only, the central passage (532) may accommodate an acoustic waveguide (such as, for example, in a variant form where the end effector (550) further includes an ultrasonic blade), may provide a path for fluid communication, or may serve any other suitable purpose. Alternatively, the central passage (532) may be omitted.

[0040] As described above, the instruments (150, 200) may include electrical features and / or conductive mechanical features that may result in a risk of power or signals crossing in an undesirable manner from one electrical feature to another and / or from one electrical feature to a conductive mechanical feature. Additionally, the instruments (150, 200) may include electrical features and / or conductive mechanical features that may result in a risk of generating a potential between adjacent components or generating a capacitive coupling between electrical features and / or between an electrical feature and a conductive mechanical feature. In the context of the instrument (500), such risks may occur with respect to the wire (540) and / or the push-pull cable (542). Additionally, the instrument (500) may include one or more sensors within the shaft assembly (510) and / or the end effector (550), and the end effector (550) may also include one or more electrodes and / or other electrical features. Other components of the instrument (500) that may present the above risks will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the teachings herein.

[0041] E. Example of Wiring to the End Effector FIG. 9 shows a portion of an instrument (600) that includes a shaft (610) having a first articulation section (612) and a second articulation section (614). In addition to the following teachings, the instrument (600) may be constructed and operable in accordance with at least a portion of the teachings of U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017 / 0202605, entitled "Modular Battery Powered Handheld Surgical Instrument and Methods Therefor," published on July 20, 2017, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, and / or various other references cited herein. In this embodiment, the end effector (620) is positioned at the distal end of the second articulation section (614). The end effector (620) of this embodiment includes a pair of jaws (622, 624) that are operable to pivot towards and away from each other to grasp tissue. In some variations, one or both of the jaws (622, 624) include one or more electrodes operable to apply RF energy to tissue, as described herein. Additionally, or alternatively, the end effector (620) may include an ultrasonic blade and / or various other features. The sections (612, 614) are operable to pivot relative to the shaft (610) and relative to each other, thereby operably deflecting the end effector (620) laterally away from or towards the longitudinal central axis of the shaft (610).

[0042] The instrument (600) of the present embodiment further includes a first wire set (630) extending through the shaft (610), a second wire set (632) extending through the shaft (610) and both sections (612, 614), and a third wire set (634) further extending through the shaft (610) and both sections (612, 614). The wire sets (630, 632, 634) may be operable to control the movement of the sections (612, 614) relative to the shaft (610). For example, power is transmitted along one or more of the wire sets (630, 632, 634) to selectively engage or disengage from a corresponding clutch mechanism, thereby enabling lateral deflection of one or both of the sections (612, 614) relative to the shaft (610), and / or rotation of one or both of the sections (612, 614) relative to the shaft (610). Alternatively, power is transmitted along one or more of the wire sets (630, 632, 634) to drive a corresponding solenoid, motor, or other feature to enable lateral deflection of one or both of the sections (612, 614) relative to the shaft (610), and / or rotation of one or both of the sections (612, 614) relative to the shaft (610). In a variant where the end effector (620) is operable to apply RF energy to tissue, in addition to the wire sets (630, 632, 634), one or more additional wires may extend along the shaft (610) and the sections (612, 614).

[0043] As described above, the instruments (150, 200) may include electrical features and / or conductive mechanical features that may result in a risk of power or signals crossing in an undesirable manner from one electrical feature to another and / or from one electrical feature to a conductive mechanical feature. Additionally, the instruments (150, 200) may include electrical features and / or conductive mechanical features that may result in a risk of generating a potential between adjacent components or generating a capacitive coupling between electrical features and / or between an electrical feature and a conductive mechanical feature. In the environment of the instrument (600), such risks may occur with respect to the wire sets (630, 632, 634), the electrical components to which the wire sets (630, 632, 634) are connected, and / or other features that drive lateral deflection of one or both of the sections (612, 614) relative to the shaft (610). The instrument (600) may also include one or more sensors within the shaft assembly (610) and / or the end effector (620), and may also include one or more electrodes and / or other electrical features within the end effector (620). Other components of the instrument (600) that may present the above risks will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the teachings herein.

[0044] F. Example of Sensors within the Shaft Assembly FIG. 10 shows an example of another shaft assembly (700) that can be incorporated into any of the various instruments (40, 50, 60, 100, 190, 200, 300, 350, 400, 500, 600) described herein. In addition to the following teachings, the shaft assembly (700) can be constructed and operable in accordance with at least a portion of the teachings of U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017 / 0202608, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, and / or various other references cited herein. The shaft assembly (700) of this example includes an outer shaft (710), a first inner shaft (712), and a second inner shaft (714). A support member (716) extends diametrically across the interior of the second inner shaft (714). By way of example only, the support member (716) may include a circuit board, a flexible circuit, and / or various other electrical components. In this example, a plurality of sensors (720, 722, 724) are positioned on the support member (716). A magnet (730) is embedded in the outer shaft (710) that is operable to rotate about the inner shafts (712, 714).

[0045] In some variations, rotation of the outer shaft (710) about the inner shafts (712, 714) drives rotation of an end effector (not shown) located at the distal end of the shaft assembly (700) about the longitudinal axis of the shaft assembly (700). In some other variations, rotation of the outer shaft (710) about the inner shafts (712, 714) drives lateral deflection of the end effector away from the longitudinal axis of the shaft assembly (700) or toward the longitudinal axis. Alternatively, rotation of the outer shaft (710) about the inner shafts (712, 714) may result in any other outcome. In any case, the sensors (720, 722, 724) may be configured to track the position of the magnet (730) and thereby determine the rotational position (742) of the outer shaft (710) relative to the fixed axis (740). Thus, the sensors (720, 722, 724) may function collectively as a position sensor such as the position sensor (112) of the instrument (100).

[0046] FIG. 11 shows an example of another shaft assembly (750) that can be incorporated into any of the various instruments (40, 50, 60, 100, 190, 200, 300, 350, 400, 500, 600) described herein. In addition to the following teachings, the shaft assembly (750) may be constructed and operable in accordance with at least a portion of the teachings of U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017 / 0202608, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, and / or various other references cited herein. The shaft assembly (750) of this example includes a plurality of coaxially positioned proximal shaft segments (752, 754, 756) and a distal shaft segment (764). The distal shaft segment (764) is pivotally coupled to the proximal shaft segment (752) via a pin (762) to form a joint (760). An end effector (not shown) may be positioned distally of the distal shaft segment (764), such that the joint (760) may be utilized to deflect the end effector in a direction away from the longitudinal central axis defined by the proximal shaft segments (752, 754, 756) or laterally toward the longitudinal central axis. A flexible circuit (758) extends along the shaft segments (752, 754, 756, 764) and is operable to bend as the shaft assembly (750) bends at the joint (760).

[0047] A pair of sensors (770, 772) are positioned along a flexible circuit (758) within a region proximal to the articulation joint (760), while a magnet (774) is positioned on the flexible circuit (or elsewhere within the distal shaft section (764)) in a region distal to the articulation joint (760). Thus, the magnet (774) moves with the distal shaft section (764) as the distal shaft section (764) pivots relative to the proximal shaft sections (752, 754, 756) at the articulation joint (760), while the sensors (770, 772) remain stationary during such pivoting. The sensors (770, 772) are configured to track the position of the magnet (774) and thereby determine the pivoting position of the distal shaft section (764) relative to the proximal shaft sections (752, 754, 756). In other words, the sensors (770, 772) and the magnet (774) cooperate to enable determination of the joint flexion angle formed by the shaft assembly (750). Thus, the sensors (770, 772) can collectively function as a position sensor, such as the position sensor (112) of the instrument (100).

[0048] As described above, the appliances (150, 200) may include electrical features and / or conductive mechanical features that may pose a risk of power or signals crossing in an undesirable manner from one electrical feature to another and / or from one electrical feature to a conductive mechanical feature. Additionally, the appliances (150, 200) may include electrical features and / or conductive mechanical features that may pose a risk of generating a potential between adjacent components or of creating a capacitive coupling between electrical features and / or between an electrical feature and a conductive mechanical feature. In the context of the appliances (700, 750), such risks may occur with respect to sensors (720, 722, 724, 770, 772), the electrical components to which the sensors (720, 722, 724, 770, 772) are connected, and / or other features within the shaft assemblies of the appliances (700, 750). Other components of the appliances (700, 750) that may present the above risks will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the teachings herein.

[0049] G. Examples of Drive Control Sections in the Main Bodies and Shaft Assemblies of Appliances Figures 12-14 illustrate an example of an instrument (800) that may be incorporated into a robotic surgical system, such as the robotic surgical system (10, 150) described herein. In addition to the following teachings, the instrument (800) may be constructed and operative in accordance with at least a portion of the teachings of U.S. Patent No. 9,125,662, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, and / or various other references cited herein. The instrument (800) of this example includes a body (810), a shaft assembly (820), and an end effector (830). The body (810) includes a base (812) configured to couple with a complementary component of a robotic arm (e.g., one of the robotic arms (160, 170, 180)). The shaft assembly (820) includes a rigid proximal portion (822), a joint portion (824), and a distal portion (826). The end effector (830) is fixed to the distal portion (826). The joint portion (824) is operative to deflect the distal portion (826) and the end effector (830) away from and laterally toward a longitudinal central axis defined by the proximal portion (822). The end effector (830) of this example includes a pair of jaws (832, 834). By way of example only, the end effector (830) may be configured and operative like any of the various end effectors (46, 56, 66, 102, 230, 320, 350, 620) described herein.

[0050] As shown in FIGS. 13 to 14, a plurality of drive cables (850, 852) extend from the main body (810) to the joint portion (824) to drive the joint movement of the joint portion (824). Cable (850) is wound around drive pulley (862) and tensioner (860). Cable (850) further extends around a pair of guide portions (870, 872) such that cable (850) extends along shaft assembly (820) in two sections (850a, 850b). Cable (852) is wound around drive pulley (866) and tensioner (864). Cable (852) further extends around guide (880) such that cable (852) extends along shaft assembly (820) in two sections (852a, 852b). In the present embodiment, each drive pulley (862, 866) is configured to be connected to a corresponding drive member (such as a drive spindle, etc.) of a component of the robotic arm to which the base (812) is fixed. When drive pulley (862) rotates, one section (850a) of cable (850) translates in a first longitudinal direction along shaft assembly (820), and the other section (850b) simultaneously translates in a second (opposite) direction along shaft assembly (820). Similarly, when drive pulley (866) rotates, one section (852a) of cable (852) translates in a first longitudinal direction along shaft assembly (820), and the other section (852b) simultaneously translates in a second (opposite) direction along shaft assembly (820).

[0051] As shown in FIG. 14, the joint portion (824) of the present embodiment includes an intermediate shaft section (880) that longitudinally intervenes between a proximal portion (822) and a distal portion (826). A ball-shaped feature (828) at the proximal end of the distal portion (826) is seated within a socket at the distal end of the intermediate shaft section (880) such that the distal portion (826) is operable to pivot relative to the intermediate shaft section (880) along one or more planes. Sections (850a, 850b) of the drive cable (850) terminate at corresponding ball-shaped ends (894, 890) fixed to the ball-shaped feature (828) of the distal portion (822). Thus, the drive cable (850) is operable to drive the pivoting movement of the distal portion (826) relative to the intermediate shaft section (880) based on the direction in which the drive pulley (862) rotates. A ball-shaped feature (882) at the proximal end of the intermediate section (880) is seated within a socket at the distal end of the proximal portion (822) such that the intermediate section (880) is operable to pivot relative to the proximal portion (822) along one or more planes. In some variations, this pivoting movement of the intermediate section (880) relative to the proximal portion (822) is driven by a cable (852). As also shown in FIG. 14, the electrical cable (802) passes through the joint portion (824). The electrical cable (802) provides a path for electrical communication to the end effector (830), thereby enabling the delivery of power (e.g., RF energy) to one or more electrodes within the end effector (830), providing a path for electrical signals from one or more sensors within the end effector (830) to be returned to the body (810), and / or providing other forms of electrical communication.

[0052] As described above, the instruments (150, 200) may include electrical features and / or conductive mechanical features that may pose a risk of power or signals crossing in an undesirable manner from one electrical feature to another and / or from one electrical feature to a conductive mechanical feature. Additionally, the instruments (150, 200) may include electrical features and / or conductive mechanical features that may pose a risk of generating a potential between adjacent components or generating a capacitive coupling between electrical features and / or between an electrical feature and a conductive mechanical feature. In the context of the instrument (800), such risks may occur with respect to the drive cables (850, 852), electrical features within the shaft assembly (820), and / or components (850, 852) coupled to other features within the instrument (800). Other components of the instrument (800) that may present the above risks will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the teachings herein.

[0053] H. Examples of Electrical Features at the Interface between Modular Components of an Instrument In some cases, it may be desirable to provide a surgical instrument that allows for modular connection and disconnection of components. For example, FIG. 15 shows an embodiment of an instrument (900) that includes a handle assembly (910) and a modular shaft assembly (950). The instrument (900) of this embodiment is handheld, but similar features and modularity may be readily incorporated into robotically controlled instruments. The handle assembly (910) of this embodiment includes a body (912), an activation button (914), a pivoting trigger (916), and a shaft interface assembly (920). The shaft interface assembly (920) includes a mechanical drive feature (922) and an array of electrical contacts (924). As will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the teachings herein, the electrical contacts (924) may communicate electrically with a control circuit, a power source, and / or various other electrical features within the handle assembly (910).

[0054] The shaft assembly (950) includes a shaft portion (952) and an end effector (970) including a pair of jaw portions (972, 874). The shaft portion (952) and the end effector (970) are configured and operable according to any of the various shaft assemblies and end effectors described herein. The shaft assembly (950) of the present embodiment further includes a handle interface assembly (960). The handle interface assembly (960) includes a mechanical drive feature (962) and a plurality of electrical contacts (not shown). As will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the teachings herein, these electrical contacts of the handle interface assembly (960) may be in electrical communication with one or more electrodes, sensors, and / or other electrical components within the shaft portion (952) and / or the end effector (970).

[0055] When the shaft assembly (950) is coupled to the handle assembly (910), the mechanical drive feature (922) of the handle assembly (910) mechanically couples with the mechanical drive feature (962) of the shaft assembly (910), whereby the mechanical drive features (922, 962) cooperate to transfer motion from a power source (e.g., a pivot trigger (916), a motor, etc.) within the handle assembly (950) to one or more components within the shaft portion (952) and, in some variations, to the end effector (970). In some variations, the mechanical drive features (922, 962) cooperate to transfer rotational motion from a power source (e.g., a pivot trigger (916), a motor, etc.) within the handle assembly (910) to one or more components within the shaft portion (952) and, in some variations, to the end effector (970). Additionally or alternatively, the mechanical drive features (922, 962) may cooperate to transfer linear translational motion from a power source (e.g., a pivot trigger (916), a motor, etc.) within the handle assembly (910) to one or more components within the shaft portion (952) and, in some variations, to the end effector (970).

[0056] When the shaft assembly (950) is coupled to the handle assembly (910), the electrical contacts (924) of the shaft interface assembly (920) also couple to complementary electrical contacts of the handle interface assembly (960), and these contacts establish electrical continuity with each other, thereby enabling communication of power, signals, etc. between the handle assembly (910) and the shaft assembly (950). In addition to or instead of having contacts (924), electrical continuity can be provided between the handle assembly (910) and the shaft assembly (950) via one or more electrical continuities in the mechanical drive features (922, 962). As will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the teachings herein, such electrical continuity may include slip couplings and / or various other types of couplings.

[0057] In some scenarios where power or electrical signals are transmitted across mating contacts that provide electrical continuity between two components of an appliance (e.g., the contacts (924) of the shaft interface assembly (920) and the complementary electrical contacts of the handle interface assembly (960)), there can be a risk of a short circuit forming between such contacts. This can be a particular risk when the contacts, which are assumed to be electrically insulated from each other, are positioned in close proximity to each other and the area in which these contacts are located may be exposed to fluid during use of the appliance. Such fluid can potentially create an electrical bridge between the contacts and / or bleed the signals being communicated between the contacts that are intended to be coupled to each other. Thus, it may be desirable to provide features to prevent such occurrences or otherwise address them at the contacts of an appliance such as appliance (900).

[0058] In some scenarios where power or electrical signals are transmitted across a mechanical coupling between different components of an instrument (e.g., via a slip coupling, etc.), such a connection may provide a variable electrical resistance in the shaft assembly or other assemblies of the instrument. For example, the movement in the mechanical drive features (922, 962) may provide a variable electrical resistance to the electrical slip coupling between the mechanical drive features (922, 962). This variable electrical resistance may affect the communication of power or electrical signals across the slip coupling. This, in turn, may result in signal loss or power reduction. Therefore, it may be desirable to provide features to prevent or otherwise address such occurrences in electrical conductivity seen in a mechanical coupling between two movable parts of an instrument such as instrument (900).

[0059] IV. Example of an electrosurgical instrument having an electrical resistance monitor in a rotational coupling The following description relates to examples of different features that may be incorporated into any of the various surgical systems described above. Accordingly, the features described hereinafter may be combined in various combinations as will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the teachings herein. Similarly, the various ways in which the features described hereinafter may be incorporated into any of the various surgical systems described above will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the teachings herein. It should be understood that the features described hereinafter may be incorporated into robotic-controlled surgical instruments and / or hand-held surgical instruments.

[0060] As described above, some instruments may include in the shaft assembly a joint where one component of the shaft assembly articulates with another component at a pivotal point within the shaft assembly, or a joint where one component of the shaft assembly rotates about the longitudinal central axis relative to another component of the shaft assembly. An example of a rotational coupling joint within the shaft assembly has been described above in connection with the instrument (600) shown in FIG. 9, but other examples will be apparent to those skilled in the art by considering the teachings of this specification. An example of a pivotal joint within the shaft assembly has been described above in connection with the shaft assembly (750) shown in FIG. 11, but other examples will be apparent to those skilled in the art by considering the teachings of this specification. In a variant of the instrument having nested shaft assembly components, one component of the shaft assembly may translate relative to another component of the shaft assembly, thereby varying the effective length of the shaft assembly.

[0061] Regardless of whether the instrument includes a rotary joint, a pivot joint, a telescoping joint, and / or any other type of joint, it may be necessary to provide electrical communication across such a joint. For example, such electrical communication may include the communication of RF power from a console to an end effector through one or more movable joints within a shaft assembly. Such electrical communication may also include providing a common ground return path along the length of the shaft assembly (e.g., from the end effector to the console), and such a ground return path will need to pass through one or more movable joints within the shaft assembly. Such electrical communication may also include the communication of signals from a sensor within the end effector or distal portion of the shaft assembly to the console through one or more movable joints within the shaft assembly. Some merely exemplary embodiments of sensors that may be included in a shaft assembly were described above in connection with the shaft assembly (700) shown in FIG. 10 and the shaft assembly (750) shown in FIG. 11, but other ways in which a sensor may be integrated into a shaft assembly or an end effector will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the teachings herein. For example, in an end effector that includes electrodes for applying bipolar RF energy to tissue, these same electrodes may be used as sensors for sensing the impedance in the tissue being contacted by the end effector. Regardless of what electrical coupling is used, the movable joints of the shaft assembly may include one or more slip couplings (e.g., slip rings and corresponding leaf springs or other sliding contacts), or other types of couplings configured to provide electrical continuity across the joint without sacrificing the degrees of freedom of movement in the joint.

[0062] In some scenarios, the electrical communication characteristics of the electrical coupling in the joint as described above may change during use of the instrument. For example, such an electrical coupling may be exposed to tissue fragments, saline, body fluids, or other fluids during a surgical procedure because it may be difficult to obtain a liquid seal in such a coupling. If such fragments or fluids are conductive or at least semiconductive, the intrusion of such fragments or fluids through the joint may ultimately reach the electrical coupling of the joint, thereby contaminating the electrical coupling and potentially affecting the electrical communication characteristics of those electrical couplings. This may include affecting the resistance and / or voltage in the joint. Next, this may introduce noise into the electrical signal communicated across the joint or, in some cases, cause signal loss across the joint. Contamination of the electrical coupling may also cause a short circuit between contacts, potentially causing heating of the contaminants and / or heating of the joint. This undesirable heat may cause undesirable tissue trauma or other undesirable effects in the surgical field, may adversely affect the operability of the instrument, and / or may damage one or more components of the instrument. In some cases, as the electrical resistance increases at the electrical connection of the movable joint, the heat generated at the electrical coupling increases, and thus an increase in the resistance of the electrical coupling of the movable joint may indicate the amount of heat generated when an electrical signal or power passes through that electrical coupling.

[0063] Considering the above, it may be desirable to monitor changes in the electrical characteristics (e.g., voltage, electrical resistance, etc.) of an electrical coupling (e.g., a slip coupling, etc.) in a movable joint (e.g., a rotary coupling, a pivot joint, a telescoping joint, etc.) within an instrument and provide an automatic response in real time to the detected changes. Such responses may include adjustments to generator power levels, signal processing scales, etc. In some cases, changes in the resistance of the monitored component may result from changes in the position of the instrument components (i.e., changes in the angular orientation of the components relative to each other, changes in joint angles, etc.). If it is determined by monitoring that the electrical connection of the joint is contaminated, the console may change the power output during operation based on a change in the position of a particular component. An example of how such monitoring and response can be implemented will be described in more detail below.

[0064] FIG. 16 shows an example of the monitoring system described above. As shown in FIG. 16, the instrument (1500) includes an elongated shaft (1510). Although the instrument (1500) is shown and described in detail, various other electrosurgical instruments are contemplated, including but not limited to the instruments described hereinabove. The instrument (1500) includes a first articulation section (1512) and a second articulation section (1514). The end effector (1520) is positioned at the distal end of the second articulation section (1514). The end effector (1520) of the present example includes a pair of jaws (1522, 1524) that are operable to pivot towards and away from each other to grip tissue. In some variations, one or both of the jaws (1522, 1524) include one or more electrodes operable to apply RF energy to tissue as described herein. Additionally or alternatively, the end effector (1520) may include an ultrasonic blade and / or various other features.

[0065] The segments (1512, 1514) are pivotable relative to the shaft (1510) and relative to each other, thereby respectively defining joints (1550, 1552) and being operable to deflect the end effector (1520) laterally away from or toward the longitudinal central axis (1504) of the shaft (1510). Additionally or alternatively, one or both of the segments (1512, 1514) may be operable to rotate relative to the shaft (1510) about the longitudinal central axis (1504). Thus, the joints (1550, 1552) may constitute pivot joints and / or rotational joints. In either case, each of the joints (1550, 1552) may include one or more slip couplings or other types of electrical couplings configured to provide electrical continuity across the joints (1550, 1552) without impairing the degrees of freedom of motion at the joints (1550, 1552). Such electrical couplings may provide communication of RF power to the end effector (1520), a ground return path across the joints (1550, 1552), communication of electrical signals from one or more sensors within the end effector (1520) and / or segments (1512, 1514), and / or any other type of electrical communication.

[0066] The console or other processing module of the instrument (1500) may receive resistance measurements, voltage measurements, temperature measurements, and / or other types of measurements from one or more sensors and react accordingly to initiate corrective measures, as described below. By way of example only, such a console or other processing module may be configured similarly to the console (20) described above with reference to FIG. 1 or other consoles or control circuits described herein, and may include a data processor configured to initiate corrective measures, adjust the power profile transmitted to the instrument (1500), or drain any excess energy stored within the instrument (1500) and be operable. Further, the console or other processing module may be a component of a robotic electrosurgical system as described above.

[0067] The instrument (1500) of this embodiment further includes a first wire set (1530) extending through the shaft (1510), a second wire set (1532) extending through the shaft (1510) and both sections (1512, 1514), and a third wire set (1534) further extending through the shaft (1510) and both sections (1512, 1514). The wire sets (1530, 1532, 1534) may be operable to control the movement of the sections (1512, 1514) relative to the shaft (1510). For example, power is transmitted along one or more of the wire sets (1530, 1532, 1534) to selectively engage or disengage from a corresponding clutch mechanism, thereby enabling lateral deflection of one or both of the sections (1512, 1514) relative to the shaft (1510) and / or rotation of one or both of the sections (1512, 1514) relative to the shaft (1510). Alternatively, power is transmitted along one or more of the wire sets (1530, 1532, 1534) to drive a corresponding solenoid, motor, or other feature to enable lateral deflection of one or both of the sections (1512, 1514) relative to the shaft (1510) and / or rotation of one or both of the sections (1512, 1514) relative to the shaft (1510). One or more additional wires may also provide RF power (bipolar RF and / or monopolar RF) to the end effector (1520). Additionally, or alternatively, one or more additional wires may also provide communication of electrical signals from one or more sensors within the end effector (1520) and / or segments (1512, 1514).

[0068] Furthermore, in this embodiment, one or more additional wire sets, such as wiring assembly (1502), extend along shaft (1510) to provide voltage, electrical resistance, temperature, and / or other measurements of joints (1550, 1552) to a console or other processing module. The wiring assembly (1502) may include power lines (1554) for sensors (1566, 1568) and return path lines (1556). The wiring assembly (1502) may have intermediate connections positioned adjacent to respective joints (1550, 1552) at a first articulation section (1512) and a second articulation section (1514) so as to be able to monitor the voltage, electrical resistance, temperature, and / or other parameter(s) of joints (1550, 1552). As shown, the wiring assembly (1502), or alternatively a flexible circuit, connects integrated sensors (1566, 1568) to monitor variations in voltage, electrical resistance, temperature, and / or other parameter(s) of joints (1550, 1552).

[0069] As described above, contamination by debris or fluid at joints (1550, 1552) may affect the electrical communication characteristics (e.g., resistance, voltage, etc.) of the electrical coupling at joints (1550, 1552). By monitoring the electrical communication characteristics (e.g., resistance, voltage, etc.) at joints (1550, 1552), a console or other processing module provides a real-time comparison between the monitored electrical communication characteristic value and a predetermined value or range, and may provide an automatic corrective action or other response in real time when the monitored electrical communication characteristic value deviates from the predetermined value or range. Alternatively, the console or other processing module may provide any other suitable type of response, and embodiments thereof will be described in more detail below. If the console or other processing module detects a change in voltage, electrical resistance, temperature, and / or other parameter at one of joints (1550, 1552), then the console or other processing module may next determine whether the variation is within a predetermined deviation range indicating that a corrective action is warranted.

[0070] As an example only, the monitoring in the joints (1550, 1552) may be used by a console or other processing module to control the power supplied to the end effector (1520) based on variations in voltage, electrical resistance, temperature, and / or other parameter(s) measured adjacent to one or more of the joints (1550, 1552). Additionally, or alternatively, the console or other processing module may adapt the resistance provided via the return path wire (1556) (e.g., to the resistance of the power wire (1554)) to sufficiently bleed off current and prevent damage to the appliance (1500) due to inadvertent electrical short circuits. By monitoring the resistance and / or other electrical parameters in the joints (1550, 1552) over time, the console or other processing module may adjust the maximum power limit transmitted to the end effector (1520) to prevent the appliance (1500) from heating or being damaged. Note that the generator may selectively increase or decrease the power as needed based on the above-described monitoring in the joints (1550, 1552) to provide a constant or predictable thermal effect in the end effector (1520).

[0071] In addition to, or instead of, monitoring the electrical parameters at the joints (1550, 1552), the sensors (1566, 1568) may monitor the temperature at the joints (1550, 1552). Regardless of whether the electrical parameters at the joints (1550, 1552) are monitored, by monitoring the temperature at the joints (1550, 1552), the console or other processing module may cause unwanted tissue trauma or other unwanted effects in the surgical field in other respects, adversely affect the operability of the instrument (1500), and / or damage one or more components of the instrument (1500) at or near the joints (1550, 1552) without causing excessive heat to occur at the joints (1550, 1552), and may further adjust the delivery of power (e.g., bipolar RF, monopolar RF, etc.) to the end effector (1520). By way of example only, instead of simply adjusting the power level in response to the monitored temperature of the joints (1550, 1552) exceeding a predetermined threshold, the generator may adjust the frequency of the applied energy or the maximum duty cycle.

[0072] The foregoing embodiments have been described in connection with contaminants that reach the electrical connections via the joints (1550, 1552) and have undesirable electrical and / or thermal effects, but the normal operation of the instrument (1500) may also ultimately result in undesirable electrical and / or thermal effects at the electrical connections of the joints (1550, 1552) (even when there are no contaminants in the joints (1550, 1552)). For example, the transfer of bipolar RF energy or monopolar RF energy through the electrical connections (such as slip couplings, etc.) in the joints (1550, 1552) may result in heating of these electrical connections. Such heating can represent power loss, and the RF electrode(s) of the end effector (1520) are not receiving an appropriate amount of power. In such scenarios where sensors (1566, 1568) sense such heat-based losses, the console or other processing module may, as needed, gradually increase the level of power delivered from the generator based on the monitored parameters at the joints (1550, 1552) to provide predictable and user-expected results for the tissue engaged by the end effector (1520). For example, these results may include predictable and user-expected tissue sealing, ablation, etc.

[0073] To compensate for heat loss in the joints (1550, 1552), it may be appropriate to gradually increase the level of power delivered from the generator, but the process may reach a point where this type of response is no longer achievable. For example, increasing the power level beyond a certain point may result in damage to the instrument (1500), abnormal or undesirable tissue effects from the end effector (1520), unreliable feedback from one or more sensors of the instrument (1500), and / or other undesirable effects. Thus, the console or other processing module gradually increases the level of power delivered from the generator as one or more monitored parameters in the joints (1550, 1552) change over a range, but then may provide a different type of response when one or more monitored parameters in the joints (1550, 1552) exceed a predetermined threshold. For example, if a monitored parameter in one or both of the joints (1550, 1552) exceeds a predetermined threshold (e.g., maximum electrical resistance value, maximum temperature value, etc.), the console or other processing module may provide a corrective action.

[0074] In some variations, the corrective measure includes transitioning the instrument (1500) to an alternative operating mode, a "limp mode". By way of example only, the "limp mode" may allow for some continued use of the instrument (1500), but the console or other processing module may begin to reduce power to keep the joint(s) in question (1550, 1552) at a maximum temperature (e.g., to prevent catastrophic failure of the joint(s) in question (1550, 1552), to prevent the joint(s) in question (1550, 1552) from cauterizing tissue in the surgical field, etc.). Such a power reduction may at least temporarily adversely affect the ability of the end effector (1520) to impart the desired RF effect to tissue. Thus, if the console or other processing module determines that a "limp mode" or other alternative operating mode is required in view of a monitored parameter in one or both of the joints (1550, 1552) exceeding a predetermined threshold, the console or other processing module may provide an alert (e.g., audible, visual, tactile, etc.) to the operator, thereby notifying the operator that the operating mode of the instrument (1500) has changed. Thereby, the operator may adjust the surgical technique accordingly, which may include at least momentarily deactivating the RF power so that the joint(s) in question (1550, 1552) can be cooled. The operator may also wish to clean or replace the instrument (1500) in response to receiving the "limp mode" alert.

[0075] In some variations, sensors (1566, 1568) of the instrument (1500) monitor the resistance or voltage of the joints (1550, 1552) over time and, as an effect from an external voltage or potential, are configured to adjust a power signal or control a response based on a deviation beyond an expected range to generate an offset of the power signal. When the joints (1550, 1552) are contaminated, as described above, the resistance of the electrical coupling within the joints (1550, 1552) may change. This can introduce electrical noise into the power signal or sensor signal, or in some cases result in signal loss. If a local AC load is introduced as a measure of the change in the overall system resistance, the sensors (1566, 1568) may be adjusted to compensate for the presence of contamination.

[0076] In some variations, the instrument (1500) includes one or more operating parameter sensors (other than sensors (1566, 1568)) operable to sense various operating parameters associated with the instrument (1500). Such operating parameters can include, but are not limited to, position information or orientation information regarding one or more components of the instrument (1500), electrical or thermal properties of tissue being engaged by the end effector (1520), and the like. Some merely exemplary embodiments of position or orientation sensors that may be included in the shaft assembly are described above in connection with the shaft assembly (700) shown in FIG. 10 and the shaft assembly (750) shown in FIG. 11. As another merely exemplary embodiment, the end effector (1520) may include electrodes for applying bipolar RF energy to tissue, and these same electrodes may be used as sensors for sensing impedance within the tissue being contacted by the end effector (1520). Other ways in which the operating parameter sensors may be integrated into the shaft assembly or the end effector, and other operating parameters that may be sensed by such operating parameter sensors, will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the teachings herein. Contamination at the joints (1550, 1552) can affect the signals from such operating parameter sensors, such as by introducing noise into the signals from such operating parameter sensors or otherwise degrading the reliability of the signals from such operating parameter sensors.

[0077] Regardless of the location or specific operating parameter sensed by such an operating parameter sensor, the console or other processing module may vary its processing of signals from such an operating parameter sensor based at least in part on feedback from sensors (1566, 1568) indicating contamination at the joints (1550, 1552) or other conditions that can adversely affect signals from the operating parameter sensor. For example, if data from one or both of the sensors (1566, 1568) indicates a value (e.g., voltage, resistance, etc.) that exceeds a first threshold and the signal from the primary operating parameter sensor is somewhat affected, the console or other processing module may continue to factor the affected signal from the primary operating parameter sensor as part of a control algorithm but may further rely on signals from one or more secondary operating parameter sensors to execute the control algorithm. In some such scenarios, the signals from one or more secondary operating parameter sensors may be signals that the console or other processing module would not typically factor as part of the control algorithm in the absence of a presumably affected primary operating parameter sensor, and thus, solely because the signals from the sensors (1566, 1568) indicate that the signal from the primary operating parameter sensor may be noisy or otherwise somewhat inaccurate, the signals from one or more secondary operating parameter sensors are factored into the control algorithm. Thus, in this scenario, the presumably affected primary operating parameter sensor may still influence the control algorithm, but the signal from the presumably affected primary operating parameter sensor is supplemented at this point by signals from one or more secondary operating parameter sensors.

[0078] If data from one or both of the sensors (1566, 1568) indicates a value (e.g., voltage, resistance, etc.) that exceeds a second threshold and the signal from the primary operating parameter sensor is substantially affected, the console or other processing module may begin to ignore the signal from the primary operating parameter sensor. In other words, the console or other processing module may temporarily stop adjustments to a component (e.g., a generator, etc.) whose output would otherwise be adjusted in response to the affected signal from the primary operating parameter sensor. Alternatively, in a situation where the console or other processing module has begun to ignore the signal from the primary operating parameter sensor, the console or other processing module may begin to rely again on signals from one or more secondary operating parameter sensors to drive the control algorithm (i.e., as an alternative to the currently ignored signal from the primary operating parameter sensor). Thus, the signal from one or more secondary operating parameter sensors can function as a proxy for the signal from the primary operating parameter sensor. In such a scenario, the one or more secondary operating parameter sensors may sense a parameter that is related to, but different from, the parameter sensed by the primary operating parameter sensor. Alternatively, the console or other processing module may apply some other predetermined control algorithm to the output of the component that would otherwise be adjusted based on the signal from the affected operating parameter sensor.

[0079] In one merely exemplary embodiment of an instrument having a primary motion parameter sensor and a secondary motion parameter sensor, the instrument includes an end effector having a sensor that senses the density or other property of tissue clamped between the jaws of the end effector. This may function as a primary motion parameter sensor. The electrical signal path between this primary motion parameter sensor within the end effector and the corresponding control module may include a rotary slip coupling within the distal portion of the instrument's shaft assembly. The instrument may also include a translational knife member that cuts tissue captured between the jaws of the end effector. The knife member may be driven by a motor. The control algorithm for the motor may factor the density or other property of the tissue clamped between the jaws of the end effector such that the control algorithm factors the signal from the primary motion parameter sensor within the end effector. If a signal from a separate sensor (such as one similar to sensors (1566, 1568)) that monitors a parameter associated with the slip coupling indicates a value (such as voltage, resistance, etc.) that exceeds a second threshold, thereby indicating contamination of the slip coupling and thereby indicating that the signal from the primary motion parameter sensor within the end effector may no longer be reliable, the control module may switch to the signal of the secondary motion parameter sensor and either supplement or replace the signal from the primary motion parameter sensor. In this embodiment, the secondary motion parameter sensor may include a motor current sensor operable to sense the current used to drive the motor that drives the knife member. Since the motion of the knife member can vary based on the properties of the tissue clamped between the jaws of the end effector, the signal from the motor current sensor may function as a suitable proxy for the signal from the primary motion parameter sensor within the end effector.

[0080] When the control module begins to factor the signal from the secondary operating parameter sensor into the control algorithm as a supplement or replacement for the signal from the primary operating parameter sensor based on data from one or both of the sensors (1566, 1568) indicating that a value (e.g., voltage, resistance, etc.) exceeds a threshold and the signal from the primary operating parameter sensor is being adversely affected, the console or other processing module may continue to monitor the data from one or both of the sensors (1566, 1568). In some such scenarios, the data from one or both of the sensors (1566, 1568) may indicate that the corresponding monitored value (e.g., voltage, resistance, etc.) no longer exceeds the threshold and, therefore, the signal from the primary operating parameter sensor is no longer being adversely affected. This may occur, for example, when contaminants are removed from the joints (1550, 1552) during use of the appliance (1500). If this occurs, the control module may return to the signal from the primary operating parameter sensor and drive the control algorithm and may stop factoring the signal from one or more secondary operating parameter sensors into the control algorithm.

[0081] In some cases, fluctuations in the electrical resistance in the slip couplings within the joints (1550, 1552) may also provide feedback indicating the level of torque being applied at the joints (1550, 1552). As another merely exemplary alternative, fluctuations in the electrical resistance in the slip couplings within the joints (1550, 1552) may also provide feedback indicating the angular position of components at the joints (1550, 1552). For example, in a variant form where the joint (1550, 1552) includes a slip-coupled circular race terminating at one angle (e.g., 5 degrees), then the resistance value drops at the corresponding rotational angle (e.g., 175 degrees) and then the resistance within the track may change as the connection is rotated. This additional resistance loss may be tracked over time, not only to compensate for the loss and turn it off if the loss is too great, but also to determine at what angle the slip coupling is relative to the other side of the connection.

[0082] FIG. 17 shows a flow diagram of a representative method (1600) for monitoring temperature and resistance at the connection of a surgical instrument, as described above. In this example, temperature and resistance are monitored, but in addition to or instead of monitoring temperature and / or resistance, any other suitable parameter (e.g., voltage, etc.) may be monitored. In step (block 1602), the system or operator starts the power output from the generator to the end effector. During operation, in step (block 1604), sensors (1566, 1568) measure the resistance and temperature at one joint, such as one of the joints (1550, 1552), and determine whether the measured variations in resistance and temperature from normal are within a predetermined range. If the resistance and temperature variations from normal are not within the predetermined range, the sensor returns a signal to the console, and in step (block 1606), the console adjusts the generator output power accordingly. Alternatively, in some variations, the console stores known normal resistance and temperature values, and the sensors are configured to continuously measure and transmit the measured resistance and temperature values to the console. In some such scenarios, the console makes a determination as to whether the resistance and temperature variations from normal are within the predetermined range.

[0083] If the variations in resistance and temperature from normal are within the predetermined range in step (block 1604), the method moves to the next one of the joints (1550, 1552) in step (block 1608) and performs the same measurements and determinations. If the resistance and temperature variations from normal are not within the predetermined range, the sensor returns a signal to the console, and again in step (block 1606), the console adjusts the generator output power accordingly. Thereafter, in step (block 1610), each additional joint is measured and corrective action is taken in the same manner as in steps (block 1604, block 1608).

[0084] V. Representative Combinations The following examples relate to various non-exhaustive ways in which the teachings of this specification may be combined or applied. It should be understood that the following examples are not intended to limit the scope of the claims that may be presented at any time in this application or in subsequent applications of this application. No waiver of any rights is intended. The following examples are provided for illustrative purposes only. It is contemplated that the various teachings of this specification may be configured and applied in many other ways. Also, in some variations, it is contemplated that certain features referred to in the following examples may be omitted. Accordingly, none of the aspects or features referred to below should be considered important unless so explicitly indicated later by the inventors or their successors in interest. If the claims presented in this application or in subsequent applications related to this application include additional features other than those referred to below, those additional features should not be considered to have been added for any reason related to patentability.

Examples

[0085] An apparatus, comprising: (a) a shaft assembly, the shaft assembly including: (i) a first shaft component; (ii) a second shaft component; (iii) a joint connecting the first shaft component to the second shaft component, the second shaft component being movable relative to the first shaft component at the joint; and (iv) a sliding electrical connection at the joint, the sliding electrical connection being configured to provide electrical continuity between the first shaft component and the second shaft component while allowing movement of the second shaft component relative to the first shaft component at the joint; (b) an end effector positioned at a distal end of the shaft assembly, the end effector being operable to engage a patient's tissue; (c) a control module operable to supply power to the end effector; and (d) a first sensor positioned adjacent to the joint, the first sensor being configured to: (i) measure a joint parameter indicative of a state of the sliding electrical connection; and (ii) transmit a first signal indicative of the measured joint parameter to the control module, wherein the control module is configured to: (i) determine whether the measured joint parameter exceeds a maximum deviation from a predetermined value; and (ii) initiate a first response measure if the measured joint parameter exceeds the maximum deviation from the predetermined value.

Example

[0086] The apparatus according to Example 1, wherein the shaft assembly defines a longitudinal axis and the second shaft component is rotatable about the longitudinal axis relative to the first shaft component at the joint.

Example

[0087] The apparatus according to any one or more of Examples 1 to 2, wherein the first response measure includes increasing a power signal provided to the end effector by the control module.

Example

[0088] The apparatus according to any one or more of Embodiments 1 to 3, wherein the first response measure includes reducing a power signal provided to the end effector by a control module.

Embodiment

[0089] The apparatus according to any one or more of Embodiments 1 to 4, further comprising a second sensor, wherein the second sensor is operable to (i) measure a first operating parameter associated with the operation of the end effector and (ii) transmit a second signal indicative of the measured first operating parameter to a control module, and the control module is configured to execute a control algorithm based at least in part on the second signal.

Embodiment

[0090] The apparatus according to Embodiment 5, wherein the first response measure includes adjusting a signal processing scale of a second signal transmitted by a second sensor while executing a control algorithm.

Embodiment

[0091] The apparatus according to any one or more of Embodiments 5 to 6, further comprising a third sensor, wherein the third sensor is operable to (i) measure a second operating parameter associated with the operation of the end effector and (ii) transmit a third signal indicative of the measured second operating parameter to a control module, and the first response measure includes supplementing the second signal with the third signal while executing a control algorithm.

Embodiment

[0092] The apparatus according to any one or more of Embodiments 5 to 6, further comprising a third sensor, wherein the third sensor is operable to (i) measure a second operating parameter associated with the operation of the end effector and (ii) transmit a third signal indicative of the measured second operating parameter to a control module, and the first response measure includes replacing the second signal with the third signal while executing a control algorithm.

Example

[0093] The apparatus according to any one or more of Examples 1 to 6, further comprising a third sensor, the third sensor being operable to (i) measure a second operating parameter associated with the operation of the end effector, and (ii) transmit a third signal indicative of the measured second operating parameter to a control module, the control module being configured to ignore the third signal while executing a control algorithm when the measured joint parameter does not exceed a maximum deviation from a predetermined value.

Example

[0094] The apparatus according to any one or more of Examples 1 to 9, wherein the joint parameter indicates the electrical resistance of the sliding electrical connection.

Example

[0095] The apparatus according to Example 10, wherein the predetermined value is an electrical resistance value associated with a predetermined maximum temperature value.

Example

[0096] The apparatus according to any one or more of Examples 1 to 11, wherein the joint parameter indicates the voltage of the sliding electrical connection.

Example

[0097] The apparatus according to any one or more of Examples 1 to 12, wherein the joint parameter indicates the temperature of the sliding electrical connection.

Example

[0098] The apparatus according to any one or more of Examples 1 to 13, further comprising an orientation sensor configured to sense a change in orientation in the joint, the control module being configured to correlate the change in orientation sensed by the orientation sensor with the measured joint parameter and determine whether to initiate an alternative operating mode.

Example

[0099] The apparatus according to embodiment 14, wherein the alternative operation mode comprises configuring a control module to vary power to the end effector based on a change in orientation at the joint.

Example

[0100] The apparatus according to any one or more of embodiments 1 to 15, wherein the first response measure comprises adjusting a maximum power limit of the end effector.

Example

[0101] The apparatus according to any one or more of embodiments 1 to 16, wherein the end effector is operable to apply RF energy to tissue.

Example

[0102] The apparatus according to any one or more of embodiments 1 to 17, wherein the control module is a component of a robotic electrosurgical system.

Example

[0103] An apparatus comprising: (a) a shaft assembly, the shaft assembly including: (i) a first shaft component; (ii) a second shaft component, the first shaft component and the second shaft component together defining a longitudinal axis; (iii) a rotary joint connecting the first shaft component to the second shaft component, the second shaft component being rotatable about the longitudinal axis relative to the first shaft component at the rotary joint; and (iv) a sliding electrical connection at the rotary joint, the sliding electrical connection being configured to provide electrical continuity between the first shaft component and the second shaft component while allowing rotation of the second shaft component relative to the first shaft component at the rotary joint; (b) an end effector positioned at a distal end of the shaft assembly, the end effector being operable to engage tissue of a patient; (c) a control module operable to supply power to the end effector; and (d) a sensor positioned adjacent to the rotary joint, the sensor being configured to: (i) measure a joint parameter indicative of one or more of an electrical resistance, a voltage, or a temperature of the sliding electrical connection; and (ii) transmit a signal indicative of the measured joint parameter to the control module, the control module being configured to: (i) determine whether the measured joint parameter exceeds a maximum deviation from a predetermined value; and (ii) initiate a response measure if the measured joint parameter exceeds the maximum deviation from the predetermined value.

Example

[0104] A method of operating a surgical instrument, the surgical instrument including a shaft assembly having a first shaft component and a second shaft component connected to each other at a joint, an end effector positioned at a distal end of the shaft assembly, a control module operable to supply power to the end effector, and a sensor positioned adjacent to the joint, the method comprising: (a) providing a power signal from the control module to the end effector; (b) measuring, by the sensor, an electrical parameter or a thermal parameter at the joint; (c) transmitting a signal indicative of the measured electrical parameter or thermal parameter to the control module; (d) determining, by the control module, whether the electrical parameter or thermal parameter exceeds a maximum deviation from a predetermined electrical parameter value or thermal parameter value; and (e) adjusting, when the electrical parameter or thermal parameter exceeds the maximum deviation from the predetermined electrical parameter value or thermal parameter value, the power signal provided from the control module to the end effector.

[0105] VI. Others The above-described variations of the device can be applied not only to conventional medical procedures and surgeries performed by medical professionals, but also to robot-assisted medical procedures and surgeries.

[0106] It should be understood that any of the variations of the instruments described herein may include, in addition to or instead of those described above, various other features. By way of example only, any of the instruments described herein may further include one or more of the various features disclosed in any of the various references incorporated herein by reference. The teachings herein may be readily applied to any of the instruments described in any of the other references cited herein, and thus it should also be understood that the teachings herein may be readily combined in many ways with the teachings of any of the references cited herein. Other types of instruments into which the teachings herein may be incorporated will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

[0107] In addition to the above, it should also be understood that the teachings of this specification can be readily combined with the various teachings in U.S. Patent Application No. [Attorney Docket No. END9294USNP1.0735554] entitled "Filter for Monopolar Surgical Instrument Energy Path", filed on the same day as this specification, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Various suitable ways in which the teachings of this specification can be combined with the teachings of U.S. Patent Application No. [Attorney Docket No. END9294USNP1.0735554] will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the teachings of this specification.

[0108] In addition to the above, the teachings of this specification can be readily combined with the teachings of U.S. Patent Application No. [Attorney Docket No. END9294USNP2.0735556] entitled "Electrosurgical Instrument System with Parasitic Energy Loss Monitor", filed on the same day as this specification, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Various suitable ways in which the teachings of this specification can be combined with the teachings of U.S. Patent Application No. [Attorney Docket No. END9294USNP2.0735556] will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the teachings of this specification.

[0109] In addition to the above, the teachings of this specification can be readily combined with the teachings of U.S. Patent Application No. [Attorney Docket No. END9294USNP3.0735558] entitled "Energized Surgical Instrument System with Multi-Generator Output Monitoring", filed on the same day as this application, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Various suitable ways in which the teachings of this specification can be combined with the teachings of U.S. Patent Application No. [Attorney Docket No. END9294USNP3.0735558] will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the teachings of this specification.

[0110] In addition to the above, the teachings of this specification can be readily combined with the teachings of U.S. Patent Application No. [Agent Docket No. END9294USNP4.0735564], entitled "Electrosurgical Instrument with Shaft Voltage Monitor," filed on the same day as this specification, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Various suitable ways in which the teachings of this specification can be combined with the teachings of U.S. Patent Application No. [Agent Docket No. END9294USNP4.0735564] will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the teachings of this specification.

[0111] In addition to the above, the teachings of this specification can be readily combined with the teachings of U.S. Patent Application No. [Agent Docket No. END9294USNP6.0735568], entitled "Electrosurgical Instrument with Modular Component Contact Monitoring," filed on the same day as this specification, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Various suitable ways in which the teachings of this specification can be combined with the teachings of U.S. Patent Application No. [Agent Docket No. END9294USNP6.0735568] will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the teachings of this specification.

[0112] It should also be understood that any range of values recited herein is to be read as including the upper and lower limits of such range. For example, a range expressed as "about 1.0 inch to about 1.5 inches" should be read as including about 1.0 inch and about 1.5 inches in addition to the values between those upper and lower limits.

[0113] All or part of any patent, publication, or other disclosure that is said to be incorporated by reference herein is incorporated herein only to the extent that the incorporated content does not conflict with the existing definitions, opinions, or other disclosure set forth in this disclosure. By itself, and to the extent necessary, the disclosure expressly set forth herein shall supersede any conflicting description incorporated herein by reference. Any content, or portion thereof, that is said to be incorporated by reference herein but conflicts with the current definitions, opinions, or other disclosure set forth herein is incorporated only to the extent that no conflict arises between the incorporated content and the current disclosure.

[0114] The above-described variants may be designed to be discarded after single use, or they may be designed to be used multiple times. In either or both cases, the variants may be readjusted for reuse after at least one use. The readjustment may include any combination of a device disassembly process, followed by a cleaning or replacement process of specific parts, and a subsequent reassembly process. In particular, some variants of the device may be disassembled, and any number of specific parts or components of the device may be selectively exchanged or removed in any combination. During the cleaning and / or replacement of specific parts, some variants of the device may be reassembled for subsequent use either in a readjustment facility or by an operator immediately prior to the procedure. One of ordinary skill in the art will understand that various techniques for disassembly, cleaning / replacement, and reassembly can be utilized in the readjustment of the device. The use of such techniques, and the resulting readjusted device, are all within the scope of this application.

[0115] Merely by way of example, the deformable forms described herein may be sterilized before and / or after treatment. In one sterilization technique, the device is placed in a sealed and enclosed container such as a plastic or TYVEK bag. Next, the container and the device may be placed in a radiation field that can penetrate the container, such as gamma rays, X-rays, or high-energy electron beams. The radiation can kill bacteria on the device and within the container. Next, the sterilized device may be stored in the sterilized container for later use. The device may also be sterilized using any other technique well known in the art, including but not limited to beta or gamma rays, ethylene oxide, or steam.

[0116] Although various embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, further adaptations of the methods and systems described herein can be realized without departing from the scope of the present invention by appropriate modifications by those skilled in the art. Some of such possible modifications have been described, but other modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art. For example, the examples, embodiments, geometric shapes, materials, dimensions, ratios, steps, etc. discussed above are illustrative and not essential. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention should be considered with respect to the following claims and is understood not to be limited to the details of construction and operation shown and described in this specification and the drawings.

[0117] 〔Embodiment〕 (1) An apparatus, (a) A shaft assembly, wherein the shaft assembly (i) A first shaft component, and (ii) A second shaft component, and (iii) A joint connecting the first shaft component to the second shaft component, wherein the second shaft component is movable relative to the first shaft component at the joint, the joint, (iv) A sliding electrical connection part in the joint, which is configured to provide electrical conductivity between the first shaft component and the second shaft component while allowing the second shaft component to move relative to the first shaft component in the joint. A shaft assembly including the sliding electrical connection part. (b) An end effector positioned at the distal end of the shaft assembly, the end effector being operable to engage the tissue of a patient. (c) A control module operable to supply power to the end effector. (d) A first sensor positioned adjacent to the joint, the first sensor being (i) Measuring a joint parameter indicating the state of the sliding electrical connection part; (ii) Transmitting a first signal indicating the measured joint parameter to the control module. A first sensor configured to perform the above. The control module is (i) Determining whether the measured joint parameter exceeds a maximum deviation from a predetermined value; (ii) An apparatus configured to initiate a first response measure when the measured joint parameter exceeds a maximum deviation from a predetermined value. (2) The apparatus according to embodiment 1, wherein the shaft assembly defines a longitudinal axis, and the second shaft component is rotatable about the longitudinal axis relative to the first shaft component in the joint. (3) The apparatus according to embodiment 1, wherein the first response measure includes increasing a power signal provided to the end effector by the control module. (4) The apparatus according to embodiment 1, wherein the first response measure includes decreasing a power signal provided to the end effector by the control module. (5) Further comprising a second sensor, the second sensor being (i) Measure a first operation parameter associated with the operation of the end effector, (ii) Be operable to transmit a second signal indicating the measured first operation parameter to the control module, The apparatus according to Embodiment 1, wherein the control module is configured to execute a control algorithm at least partially based on the second signal.

[0118] (6) The apparatus according to Embodiment 5, wherein the first response measure includes adjusting a signal processing scale of the second signal transmitted by the second sensor while executing the control algorithm. (7) Further comprising a third sensor, wherein the third sensor (i) Measures a second operation parameter associated with the operation of the end effector, (ii) Is operable to transmit a third signal indicating the measured second operation parameter to the control module, The apparatus according to Embodiment 5, wherein the first response measure includes supplementing the second signal with the third signal while executing the control algorithm. (8) Further comprising a third sensor, wherein the third sensor (i) Measures a second operation parameter associated with the operation of the end effector, (ii) Is operable to transmit a third signal indicating the measured second operation parameter to the control module, The apparatus according to Embodiment 5, wherein the first response measure includes replacing the second signal with the third signal while executing the control algorithm. (9) Further comprising a third sensor, wherein the third sensor (i) Measures a second operation parameter associated with the operation of the end effector, (ii) Is operable to transmit a third signal indicating the measured second operation parameter to the control module, The apparatus according to embodiment 5, wherein the control module is configured to ignore the third signal while executing the control algorithm when the measured joint parameter does not exceed the maximum deviation from a predetermined value. (10) The apparatus according to embodiment 1, wherein the joint parameter indicates an electrical resistance of the sliding electrical connection part.

[0119] (11) The apparatus according to embodiment 10, wherein the predetermined value is an electrical resistance value associated with a predetermined maximum temperature value. (12) The apparatus according to embodiment 1, wherein the joint parameter indicates a voltage of the sliding electrical connection part. (13) The apparatus according to embodiment 1, wherein the joint parameter indicates a temperature of the sliding electrical connection part. (14) The apparatus according to embodiment 1, further comprising an orientation sensor configured to sense a change in orientation in the joint, wherein the control module correlates the change in orientation sensed by the orientation sensor with the measured joint parameter and is configured to determine whether to initiate an alternative operation mode. (15) The apparatus according to embodiment 14, wherein the alternative operation mode includes configuring the control module to change the power to the end effector based on a change in orientation in the joint.

[0120] (16) The apparatus according to embodiment 1, wherein the first response measure includes adjusting a maximum power limit of the end effector. (17) The apparatus according to embodiment 1, wherein the end effector is operable to apply RF energy to tissue. (18) The apparatus according to embodiment 1, wherein the control module is a component of a robotic electrosurgical system. (19) An apparatus, (a) A shaft assembly, wherein the shaft assembly (i) A first shaft component, and (ii) A second shaft component, wherein the first shaft component and the second shaft component together define a longitudinal axis; (iii) A rotary joint connecting the first shaft component to the second shaft component, wherein the second shaft component is rotatable about the longitudinal axis relative to the first shaft component in the rotary joint; (iv) A sliding electrical connection in the rotary joint, configured to provide electrical continuity between the first shaft component and the second shaft component while allowing rotation of the second shaft component relative to the first shaft component in the rotary joint; a shaft assembly comprising: (b) An end effector positioned at a distal end of the shaft assembly, the end effector being operable to engage a patient's tissue; (c) A control module operable to supply power to the end effector; (d) A sensor positioned adjacent to the rotary joint, the sensor being: (i) Measuring a joint parameter indicative of one or more of the electrical resistance, voltage, or temperature of the sliding electrical connection; (ii) A sensor configured to transmit a signal indicative of the measured joint parameter to the control module; comprising: The control module is: (i) Determining whether the measured joint parameter exceeds a maximum deviation from a predetermined value; (ii) Initiating a response measure when the measured joint parameter exceeds a maximum deviation from a predetermined value; an apparatus configured to perform. (20) A method of operating a surgical instrument, the surgical instrument including a shaft assembly having a first shaft component and a second shaft component connected to each other at a joint, an end effector positioned at a distal end of the shaft assembly, a control module operable to supply power to the end effector, and a sensor positioned adjacent to the joint, the method comprising: (a) providing a power signal from the control module to the end effector; (b) measuring, by the sensor, an electrical parameter or a thermal parameter at the joint; (c) transmitting a signal indicative of the measured electrical parameter or thermal parameter to the control module; (d) determining, by the control module, whether the electrical parameter or the thermal parameter exceeds a maximum deviation from a predetermined electrical parameter value or thermal parameter value; (e) adjusting, when the electrical parameter or the thermal parameter exceeds the maximum deviation from the predetermined electrical parameter value or thermal parameter value, the power signal provided from the control module to the end effector.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising: (a) A shaft assembly, said shaft assembly comprising: (i) A first shaft component; (ii) A second shaft component; (iii) A joint connecting said first shaft component to said second shaft component, said second shaft component being movable relative to said first shaft component at said joint; and (iv) A sliding electrical connection at said joint, said sliding electrical connection being configured to provide electrical continuity between said first shaft component and said second shaft component while allowing movement of said second shaft component relative to said first shaft component at said joint; (b) An end effector positioned at a distal end of said shaft assembly, said end effector being operable to engage tissue of a patient; (c) A control module operable to supply power to said end effector; (d) A first sensor positioned adjacent to said joint, said first sensor being configured to: (i) Measure a joint parameter indicative of a state of said sliding electrical connection; and (ii) Transmit a first signal indicative of said measured joint parameter to said control module; wherein said control module is configured to: (i) Determine whether said measured joint parameter exceeds a maximum deviation from a predetermined value; and (ii) Initiate a first response measure if said measured joint parameter exceeds a maximum deviation from a predetermined value.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said shaft assembly defines a longitudinal axis and said second shaft component is rotatable about said longitudinal axis relative to said first shaft component at said joint.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first response measure comprises increasing a power signal provided to said end effector by said control module.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first response measure comprises decreasing a power signal provided to said end effector by said control module.

5. Further comprising a second sensor, said second sensor being... (i) Measure a first operating parameter associated with the operation of the end effector, (ii) Be operable to transmit a second signal indicative of the measured first operating parameter to the control module, The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control module is configured to execute a control algorithm at least partially based on the second signal.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the first response measure includes adjusting a signal processing scale of the second signal transmitted by the second sensor while executing the control algorithm.

7. Further comprising a third sensor, wherein the third sensor (i) Measures a second operating parameter associated with the operation of the end effector, (ii) Is operable to transmit a third signal indicative of the measured second operating parameter to the control module, The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the first response measure includes supplementing the second signal with the third signal while executing the control algorithm.

8. Further comprising a third sensor, wherein the third sensor (i) Measures a second operating parameter associated with the operation of the end effector, (ii) Is operable to transmit a third signal indicative of the measured second operating parameter to the control module, The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the first response measure includes replacing the second signal with the third signal while executing the control algorithm.

9. Further comprising a third sensor, wherein the third sensor (i) Measures a second operating parameter associated with the operation of the end effector, (ii) Is operable to transmit a third signal indicative of the measured second operating parameter to the control module, The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the control module is configured to ignore the third signal while executing the control algorithm when the measured joint parameter does not exceed the maximum deviation from a predetermined value.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the joint parameter indicates an electrical resistance of the sliding electrical connection portion.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the predetermined value is an electrical resistance value associated with a predetermined maximum temperature value.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the joint parameter indicates a voltage of the sliding electrical connection portion.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the joint parameter indicates the temperature of the sliding electrical connection part.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an orientation sensor configured to sense a change in orientation in the joint, wherein the control module correlates the change in orientation sensed by the orientation sensor with the measured joint parameter and is configured to determine whether to initiate an alternative operation mode.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein configuring the control module to change the power to the end effector based on a change in orientation in the joint is included in the alternative operation mode.

16. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first response measure includes adjusting the maximum power limit of the end effector.

17. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the end effector is operable to apply RF energy to tissue.

18. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control module is a component of a robotic electrosurgical system.

19. An apparatus, (a) a shaft assembly, wherein the shaft assembly includes (i) a first shaft component, (ii) a second shaft component, wherein the first shaft component and the second shaft component together define a longitudinal axis, (iii) a rotary joint connecting the first shaft component to the second shaft component, wherein the second shaft component is rotatable about the longitudinal axis relative to the first shaft component in the rotary joint, (iv) a sliding electrical connection part in the rotary joint, configured to provide electrical conductivity between the first shaft component and the second shaft component while allowing rotation of the second shaft component relative to the first shaft component in the rotary joint, and (b) an end effector positioned at a distal end of the shaft assembly, wherein the end effector is operable to engage a patient's tissue, (c) a control module operable to supply power to the end effector. (d) A sensor positioned adjacent to the rotary joint, the sensor being (i) measuring a joint parameter indicating one or more of the electrical resistance of the sliding electrical connection portion, the voltage of the sliding electrical connection portion, or the temperature of the sliding electrical connection portion, (ii) a sensor configured to transmit a signal indicating the measured joint parameter to the control module, and the control module being (i) determining whether the measured joint parameter exceeds a maximum deviation from a predetermined value, and (ii) starting a response measure when the measured joint parameter exceeds the maximum deviation from the predetermined value, and the device is configured to perform the above.

20. A method of operating a surgical instrument, the surgical instrument including a shaft assembly having a first shaft component and a second shaft component connected to each other at a joint, an end effector positioned at a distal end of the shaft assembly, a control module operable to supply power to the end effector, and a sensor positioned adjacent to the joint, the method including (a) providing a power signal from the control module to the end effector, (b) measuring an electrical parameter or a thermal parameter in the joint by the sensor, (c) transmitting a signal indicating the measured electrical parameter or thermal parameter to the control module, (d) determining by the control module whether the electrical parameter or the thermal parameter exceeds a maximum deviation from a predetermined electrical parameter value or thermal parameter value, and (e) adjusting the power signal provided from the control module to the end effector when the electrical parameter or the thermal parameter exceeds the maximum deviation from the predetermined electrical parameter value or thermal parameter value.

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