Systems and methods for controlled grasping and energy delivery

Abstract

To provide an improved method and system for operating a computer-assisted device such as a computer-assisted device having an end effector used for grasping a material and / or delivering energy to the material.SOLUTION: A computer-assisted device includes an end effector and one or more processors. The end effector includes a first jaw, a second jaw, and a plurality of electrodes for delivering energy. The one or more processors are configured to grasp a material by using the first jaw and the second jaw, determine one or more characteristics of the grasp, determine one or more characteristics of the material, and control one or more of energy delivery and the grasp with the plurality of electrodes based on the determined one or more characteristics of the grasp and the determined one or more characteristics of the material.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] (Reference to Related Application) This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 846,387, filed May 10, 2019, which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] (Technical field) The present disclosure relates generally to the operation of devices having end effectors, and more particularly to the operation of end effectors capable of gripping and applying energy to gripped materials. [Background technology]

[0003] An increasing number of devices are being replaced by computer-assisted electronic devices. This is especially true in industry, entertainment, education, and other settings. As a medical example, hospitals today are equipped with large arrays of electronic devices found in operating rooms, interventional rooms, intensive care units, emergency rooms, and / or the like. For example, glass and mercury thermometers have been replaced by electronic thermometers, intravenous lines now include electronic monitors and flow regulators, and traditional handheld surgical and other medical instruments have been replaced by computer-assisted medical devices.

[0004] These computer-assisted devices are useful for performing surgeries and / or procedures on material, such as patient tissue. In many computer-assisted devices, an operator, such as a surgeon and / or other medical personnel, may typically manipulate input devices using one or more control devices on an operator console. As the operator manipulates the various control devices on the operator console, commands are relayed from the operator console to computer-assisted devices located within a workspace, where the commands are used to position and / or actuate one or more end effectors and / or tools attached to the computer-assisted device (e.g., via a repositionable arm). In this manner, the operator can perform one or more procedures on material within the workspace using the end effectors and / or tools. Depending on the desired procedure and / or the tools being used, the desired procedure may be performed partially or wholly under operator control using teleoperation and / or semi-autonomous control, in which the computer-assisted device may perform a series of actions based on one or more activation actions by the operator.

[0005] Computer-assisted devices, whether manually, remotely, and / or semi-autonomously operated, may be used in a variety of operations and / or procedures and may have a variety of configurations. Many such instruments include an end effector attached to the distal end of a shaft, which may be attached to the distal end of a repositionable or articulated arm. In many operational scenarios, the shaft may be configured to be inserted into a workspace through an opening in the workspace. In medical examples, the shaft may be inserted (e.g., laparoscopically, thoracoscopically, and / or the like) through an opening (e.g., a body wall incision, a natural orifice, and / or the like) to reach a remote surgical site. Some instruments may have an articulating wrist mechanism attached to the distal end of the instrument shaft to support the end effector using the articulating wrist and provide the ability to change the orientation of the end effector relative to the longitudinal axis of the shaft.

[0006] End effectors of different designs and / or configurations may be used to perform different tasks, procedures, and functions to allow an operator to perform any of a variety of procedures on materials. Examples include, but are not limited to, cauterizing, ablating, suturing, cutting, stapling, fusing, sealing, etc., and / or combinations thereof. Accordingly, end effectors may include various components and / or combinations of components to perform these procedures.

[0007] In many embodiments, the size of the end effector is typically kept as small as possible while still allowing it to perform its intended task. One approach to keeping the size of the end effector small is to achieve actuation of the end effector through the use of one or more inputs at the proximal end of the tool, which are typically located outside and / or around the workspace. In this case, various gears, levers, pulleys, cables, rods, bands, and / or the like may be used to transmit actions from one or more inputs along the shaft of the tool to actuate the end effector. In some embodiments, a transmission mechanism at the proximal end of the tool interfaces with various motors, solenoids, servos, active actuators, hydraulics, pneumatics, and / or the like located on a repositionable arm of a computer-assisted device. Motors, solenoids, servos, active actuators, hydraulics, pneumatics, and / or the like typically receive control signals through a master controller and provide input in the form of force and / or torque at the proximal end of the transmission mechanism, and various gears, levers, pulleys, cables, rods, bands, and / or the like ultimately transmit input to actuate end effectors at the distal end of the transmission mechanism.

[0008] Additionally, in many embodiments, the tool and / or end effector may include one or more energy delivery components that may be used to deliver ultrasonic, radio frequency, electrical, magnetic, thermal, optical, and / or other energy to materials grasped by and / or proximate to the end effector. In some embodiments, the end effector may include one or more sensors for monitoring energy delivery. Various wires, cables, fiber optics, and / or the like may be used to deliver energy to the end effector and / or provide sensor information to the control module located proximal to the end effector (e.g., in a control console).

[0009] Due to the remote nature of such end effector operation, in some cases it may be difficult for an operator to directly monitor the energy delivery to the end effector and / or material. For example, in some cases other parts of the computer-assisted device, including the end effector itself and / or other materials and / or items in the workspace, may obscure part or all of the end effector from view during its operation. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0010] Therefore, improved methods and systems for operating computer-assisted devices, such as computer-assisted devices having end effectors used to grasp and / or deliver energy to materials, are desirable. In some instances, it may be desirable to provide automated control of the computer-assisted device and / or end effector to help ensure that the tool can successfully perform the desired operation on the material. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] Consistent with some embodiments, a computer-assisted device includes an end effector and one or more processors. The end effector includes a first jaw, a second jaw, and a plurality of electrodes for delivering energy. The one or more processors are configured to grasp a material with the first jaw and the second jaw, determine one or more characteristics of the grasp, determine one or more characteristics of the material, and control one or more of the energy delivery by the plurality of electrodes and the grasping based on the determined one or more characteristics of the grasp and the determined one or more characteristics of the material.

[0012] Consistent with some embodiments, a method includes grasping, by one or more processors, a material with a first jaw and a second jaw of an end effector; determining, by the one or more processors, one or more characteristics of the grasp; determining, by the one or more processors, one or more characteristics of the material; and controlling, by the one or more processors, one or more of energy delivery or grasping by a plurality of electrodes of the end effector based on the determined one or more characteristics of the grasp and the determined one or more characteristics of the material.

[0013] Consistent with some embodiments, a non-transitory machine-readable medium includes a plurality of machine-readable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, are configured to cause the one or more processors to perform any of the methods described herein. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a simplified diagram of a computer-assisted system according to some embodiments.

[0015] [Figure 2] 2 is a simplified diagram illustrating a tool suitable for use with the computer-assisted system of FIG. 1 according to some embodiments.

[0016] [Figure 3A] FIG. 1 is a simplified side view of a jaw of a tool according to some embodiments. [Figure 3B] FIG. 10 is a simplified top view of a jaw of a tool according to some embodiments.

[0017] [Figure 4] 1 is a simplified diagram of a method for grasping and energy delivery according to some embodiments.

[0018] [Figure 5] 1 is a simplified diagram of a method for energy delivery according to some embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] In the figures, elements with the same designation have the same or similar functions.

[0020] This description and the accompanying drawings, which illustrate aspects, embodiments, implementations, or modules of the invention, should not be construed as limiting. Indeed, the claims define the protected invention. Various mechanical, compositional, structural, electrical, and operational changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this description and claims. In some instances, well-known circuits, structures, or techniques have not been shown or described in detail so as not to obscure the invention. Like numerals in two or more figures represent the same or similar elements.

[0021] In this description, specific details are set forth describing some embodiments consistent with the present disclosure. Numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. However, it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that some embodiments may be practiced without some or all of these specific details. The specific embodiments disclosed herein are intended to be illustrative, not limiting. One of ordinary skill in the art may recognize other elements not specifically described herein that are within the scope and spirit of this disclosure. Additionally, to avoid unnecessary repetition, one or more features shown and described in connection with one embodiment may be incorporated into other embodiments, unless otherwise specifically stated, or unless one or more features render the embodiment non-functional.

[0022] Furthermore, the terms used in this description are not intended to limit the invention. For example, spatially relative terms such as "beneath," "below," "lower," "above," "upper," "proximal," "distal," and the like may be used to describe the relationship of one element or feature to another element or feature as illustrated in the figures. These spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different positions (i.e., locations) and orientations (i.e., rotational orientations) of elements or their movements in addition to the positions and orientations depicted in the figures. For example, if the contents of one of the figures are folded, an element described as "below" or "below" another element or feature would then be "above" or "on" the other element or feature. Thus, the exemplary term "below" can encompass both upper and lower positions and orientations. A device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptions used herein interpreted accordingly. Similarly, descriptions of movement along and around various axes include the positions and orientations of various particular elements. Additionally, singular terms are intended to include the plural unless the context indicates otherwise. And, the words "comprises," "comprising," "including," and the like specify the presence of stated structures, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other structures, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups. Components described as coupled may be directly coupled electrically or mechanically, or indirectly coupled through one or more intermediate components.

[0023] Elements described in detail with reference to one embodiment, implementation, or module may, whenever practical, be included in other embodiments, implementations, or modules for which they are not specifically shown or described. For example, if an element is described in detail with reference to one embodiment but not with reference to a second embodiment, the element may nevertheless be claimed as being included in the second embodiment. Thus, to avoid unnecessary repetition in the following description, one or more elements shown and described in connection with one embodiment, implementation, or application may be incorporated in other embodiments, implementations, or applications, unless otherwise specifically stated, unless one or more elements render the embodiment or implementation non-functional or unless two or more elements provide conflicting functionality.

[0024] In some instances, well-known methods, procedures, components, and circuits have not been described in detail as not to unnecessarily obscure aspects of the embodiments.

[0025] This disclosure describes various devices, elements, and portions of computer-assisted devices and elements in terms of their state in three-dimensional space. As used herein, the term "position" refers to the location of an element or portion of an element in three-dimensional space (e.g., three translational degrees of freedom along Cartesian x, y, and z coordinates). As used herein, the term "orientation" refers to the rotational configuration (three rotational degrees of freedom, e.g., roll, pitch, and yaw) of an element or portion of an element. As used herein, the term "shape" refers to a set position or orientation measured along an element. As used herein, for devices with repositionable arms, the term "proximal" refers to a direction toward the base of the computer-assisted device along its kinematic chain, and the term "distal" refers to a direction away from the base along the kinematic chain.

[0026] Aspects of this disclosure are described with reference to computer-assisted systems and devices, which may include systems and devices that are teleoperated, remotely controlled, autonomous, semi-autonomous, robotic, and / or the like. Furthermore, aspects of this disclosure are described with reference to implementation using a surgical system, such as the da Vinci® Surgical System, commercialized by Intuitive Surgical, Inc. of Sunnyvale, California. However, those skilled in the art will understand that the inventive aspects disclosed herein may be embodied and implemented in a variety of ways, including robotic embodiments and implementations, and, where applicable, non-robotic embodiments and implementations. Implementation with the da Vinci® Surgical System is exemplary only and should not be considered limiting the scope of the inventive aspects disclosed herein. For example, techniques described with reference to surgical instruments and methods may be used in other contexts. Thus, the instruments, systems, and methods described herein may be used with humans, animals, portions of the human or animal anatomy, industrial systems, general robotic systems, or teleoperated systems. By way of further example, the instruments, systems, and methods described herein may be used for non-medical purposes, including industrial applications, general robotic applications, sensing or manipulating non-tissue workpieces, cosmetic enhancements, imaging of the human or animal anatomy, collecting data from the human or animal anatomy, setting up or disassembling systems, training medical or non-medical personnel, and / or the like. Additional exemplary applications include use for procedures on tissue removed from the human or animal anatomy (that will not be returned to the human or animal anatomy) and for procedures on human or animal cadavers. Furthermore, these techniques may also be used for medical therapeutic or diagnostic procedures that may or may not involve a surgical aspect.

[0027] FIG. 1 is a simplified diagram of a computer-assisted system 100 according to some embodiments. As shown in FIG. 1 , the computer-assisted system 100 includes a device 110 having one or more repositionable arms 120. Each of the one or more repositionable arms 120 may support one or more tools 130. In some examples, the device 110 may correspond to a computer-assisted medical device. The one or more tools 130 may include a tool, an imaging device, and / or the like. In some medical examples, the tool may include a medical tool such as a clamp, a gripper, a retractor, a cauterization tool, a suction tool, a suturing device, and / or the like. In some medical examples, the imaging device may include an endoscope, a camera, an ultrasound device, a fluoroscopy device, and / or the like. In some examples, each of the one or more tools 130 may be inserted into a workspace (e.g., the anatomy of a patient, a veterinary subject, and / or the like) through a respective cannula attached to a respective one of the one or more repositionable arms 120. In some examples, the direction of the field of view of the imaging device may correspond to and / or be angled relative to the insertion axis of the imaging device. In some examples, each of the one or more tools 130 may include an end effector that may be capable of grasping material (e.g., patient tissue) located within the workspace and that may be capable of delivering energy to the grasped material. In some examples, the energy may include ultrasound, radio frequency, electricity, magnetism, heat, light, and / or the like. In some embodiments, the computer-aided system 100 may be found in an operating room and / or interventional room.

[0028] Device 110 is coupled to control unit 140 via an interface. The interface may include one or more cables, connectors, and / or buses, and may further include one or more networks comprising one or more network switching and / or routing devices. Control unit 140 includes processor 150 coupled to memory 160. Operation of control unit 140 is controlled by processor 150. While control unit 140 is shown with only one processor 150, it is understood that processor 150 may represent one or more central processing units, multi-core processors, microprocessors, microcontrollers, digital signal processors, field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), graphics processing units (GPUs), tensor processing units (TPUs), and the like within control unit 140. Control unit 140 may be implemented as a standalone subsystem and / or as a board added to a computing device, or as a virtual machine.

[0029] Memory 160 may be used to store software executed by control unit 140 and / or one or more data structures used during operation of control unit 140. Memory 160 may include one or more types of machine-readable media. Some common forms of machine-readable media may include floppy disks, flexible disks, hard disks, magnetic tape, any other magnetic media, CD-ROMs, any other optical media, punch cards, paper tape, any other physical media with a pattern of holes, RAM, PROMs, EPROMs, FLASH-EPROMs, any other memory chips or cartridges, and / or any other media configured to be read by a processor or computer.

[0030] As shown, memory 160 includes a gripping control module 170, an energy control module 180, and one or more models 190, which may be used to control and / or monitor one of the one or more tools 130 of device 110, as described in more detail below. While FIG. 1 depicts gripping control module 170, energy control module 180, and one or more models 190 as separate elements stored within the same memory 160 of the same control unit 140, other configurations are possible. In some examples, gripping control module 170, energy control module 180, and one or more models 190 may be partially and / or fully combined within the same module. In some examples, gripping control module 170, energy control module 180, and one or more models 190 may alternatively be stored in different memories and / or associated with different control units. Additionally, gripping control module 170, energy control module 180, and one or more models 190 are characterized as software modules, and each software module may be implemented using software, hardware, and / or a combination of hardware and software.

[0031] In some embodiments, gripper control module 170 is responsible for managing the mechanical actuation of one or more tools 130. In some examples, gripper control module 170 may monitor one or more sensors (e.g., one or more encoders, potentiometers, fiber optic sensors, and / or the like) used to track the position, orientation, articulation, and / or mechanical actuation of one or more tools 130 and their respective end effectors, and / or one or more material properties of materials interacted by one or more tools 130 and their respective end effectors. In some examples, gripper control module 170 may control the position, orientation, articulation, and / or mechanical actuation of one or more tools 130 and their respective end effectors using one or more actuators based on the monitoring and / or one or more models 190. In some examples, controlling the position, orientation, articulation, and / or mechanical actuation of one or more tools 130 and their respective end effectors may include controlling one or more degrees of freedom, including, by way of example, insertion depth, roll, pitch, yaw, wrist articulation, angle between the jaws, applied force or torque, amount of cutting and / or transaction using moving elements, amount of stapling, and / or the like.

[0032] In some embodiments, energy control module 180 is responsible for managing the energy delivery operations of one or more tools 130. In some instances, energy control module 180 may monitor one or more sensors used to track the energy delivered by one or more tools 130 and their respective end effectors and / or one or more material properties of the materials interacting with one or more tools 130 and their respective end effectors. In some instances, energy control module 180 may control the energy delivered by one or more tools 130 and their respective end effectors using one or more transducers, signal generators, and / or the like based on the monitoring and / or one or more models 190.

[0033] In some embodiments, one or more models 190 include models used by grip control module 170 and / or energy control module 180 to control the mechanical and / or energy delivery of one or more tools 130 and their respective end effectors, respectively. In some examples, one or more models 190 may include one or more kinematic models, one or more material models, and / or one or more predictive models used to provide recommendations regarding the mechanical control and / or energy delivery by one or more tools 130 and their respective end effectors, as described in more detail below. In some examples, the one or more models may include one or more functions, one or more lookup tables, one or more maps, one or more parameterized curves, one or more machine learning models (e.g., one or more neural networks), and / or the like. In some examples, the one or more parameterized curves may include linear relationships, piece-wise linear relationships, quadratic relationships, higher order relationships, and / or curve fitting, regression, and / or the like from data collected from previous capture and / or energy delivery applications.

[0034] As discussed above and further emphasized herein, FIG. 1 is merely an example that should not unduly limit the scope of the claims. Those skilled in the art will recognize many variations, alternatives, and modifications. According to some embodiments, computer-assisted system 100 may include any number of computer-assisted devices with articulated arms and / or instruments of similar and / or different designs as computer-assisted device 110. In some examples, each of the computer-assisted devices may include fewer or more articulated arms and / or instruments.

[0035] According to some embodiments, the configuration of gripping control module 170, energy control module 180, and / or one or more models 190 may differ from that shown in FIG. 1. In some examples, gripping control module 170, energy control module 180, and / or one or more models 190 may be distributed across more than one control unit. In some examples, gripping control module 170 and energy control module 180 may be included in a single control module. In some examples, one or more models 190 may be included in gripping control module 170 and / or energy control module 180.

[0036] 2 is a simplified diagram illustrating a tool 200 suitable for use with computer-assisted system 100 according to some embodiments. In some embodiments, tool 200 may correspond to any of tools 130 of FIG. 1. The directions "proximal" and "distal" as shown in FIG. 2 and as used herein help describe the relative orientation and location of components of tool 200.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 2 , tool 200 includes a long shaft 210 used to couple an end effector 220 located at the distal end of the shaft 210 to where tool 200 is attached at the proximal end of the shaft 210 to a repositionable arm and / or computer-assisted device. Depending on the particular procedure in which tool 200 is being used, shaft 210 may be inserted through an opening (e.g., a body wall incision, a natural orifice, and / or the like) to position end effector 220 adjacent to a workspace, such as a remote surgical site located within a patient's anatomy. As further shown in FIG. 2 , end effector 220 generally corresponds to a gripper-type end effector having two jaws, which in some embodiments may further include an energy delivery mechanism, as described in more detail below with respect to FIGS. 3A , 3B , and 4 . However, one skilled in the art will understand that different tools 200 having different end effectors 220 are possible and may be consistent with embodiments of tool 200 described elsewhere herein.

[0038] Tools such as tool 200 having an end effector 220 typically rely on multiple degrees of freedom during their operation. Depending on the configuration of tool 200 and the repositionable arm and / or computer-assisted device to which it is attached, various degrees of freedom are possible, which may be used to position, orient, and / or manipulate end effector 220. In some examples, shaft 210 may be inserted distally and / or retracted proximally to provide an insertion DOF, which may be used to control how deep end effector 220 is positioned within a workspace. In some examples, shaft 210 may be rotatable about its longitudinal axis to provide a roll DOF, which may be used to rotate end effector 220. In some examples, additional flexibility in the position and / or orientation of end effector 220 may be provided by an articulated wrist 230 used to couple end effector 220 to the distal end of shaft 210. In some examples, the articulated wrist 230 may include one or more rotational joints, such as one or more roll, pitch, or yaw joints, which may provide one or more “roll,” “pitch,” and “yaw” DOFs, respectively, that may be used to control the orientation of the end effector 220 relative to the longitudinal axis of the shaft 210. In some examples, the one or more rotational joints may include pitch and yaw joints, roll, pitch and yaw joints, roll, pitch and roll joints, and / or the like. In some examples, the end effector 220 may further include a grasping DOF that is used to control the opening and closing of the jaws of the end effector 220. Depending on the configuration, the end effector 220 may include two movable jaws articulated relative to each other about a hinge point located near the proximal end of the end effector 220, or one fixed jaw and one movable jaw articulated relative to the fixed jaw about a hinge point. In some examples, the two movable jaws may include two parallel jaw surfaces, the distance between which is adjusted, for example, by using one or more cams, to open and close the jaws.

[0039] Tool 200 further includes a drive system 240 disposed at the proximal end of shaft 210. Drive system 240 includes one or more components for introducing force and / or torque into tool 200, which may be used to manipulate the various DOFs supported by tool 200. In some examples, drive system 240 may include one or more motors, solenoids, servos, active actuators, hydraulic actuators, pneumatic actuators, and / or the like, which are actuated based on signals received from a control unit, such as control unit 140 of FIG. 1 . In some examples, drive system 240 may operate a subset of the various DOFs, with others of the various DOFs being manually controlled, for example, by an operator. In some examples, the signals may include one or more currents, voltages, pulse-width modulated waveforms, and / or the like. In some examples, drive system 240 may include one or more shafts, gears, pulleys, rods, bands, and / or the like, which may be coupled to corresponding motors, solenoids, servos, active actuators, hydraulic devices, pneumatic devices, and / or the like that are part of an articulated arm, such as any of repositionable arms 120 to which tool 200 is attached. In some examples, one or more drive inputs, such as shafts, gears, pulleys, rods, bands, and / or the like, are used to receive forces and / or torques from motors, solenoids, servos, active actuators, hydraulic devices, pneumatic devices, and / or the like, and to apply those forces and / or torques to adjust the various DOF ​​of tool 200.

[0040] In some embodiments, forces and / or torques generated by and / or received by drive system 240 may be transmitted from drive system 240 along shaft 210 to various joints and / or elements of tool 200 distal to drive system 240 using one or more drive mechanisms 250. In some examples, one or more drive mechanisms may include one or more gears, levers, pulleys, cables, rods, bands, and / or the like. In some examples, shaft 210 is hollow, and drive mechanisms 250 pass from drive system 240 along the inside of shaft 210 to corresponding DOFs in end effector 220 and / or articulated wrist 230. In some examples, each of drive mechanisms 250 may be a cable disposed inside a hollow sheath or lumen in a Bowden cable-like configuration, a shaft or rod whose rotation actuates a corresponding DOF, and / or the like. In some examples, the inside of the cables and / or lumens may be coated with a low-friction coating, such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and / or the like. In some examples, when the proximal end of each cable is pulled and / or pushed inside drive system 240, for example, by winding and / or unwinding the cable around a capstan or shaft, the distal end of the cable moves correspondingly, applying an appropriate force and / or torque to adjust one of the DOFs of end effector 220, articulated wrist 230, and / or tool 200. In some examples, drive system 240 may be controlled and / or receive commands from a gripper control module, such as gripper control module 170.

[0041] In some embodiments, tool 200 further includes an energy system 260 located at the proximal end of shaft 210. Energy system 260 includes one or more components for generating energy for delivery by tool 200. In some examples, the energy may be one or more energy modalities including ultrasound, radiofrequency, electricity, magnetism, heat, light, and / or the like. In some examples, energy system 260 may include one or more transducers, signal generators, and / or the like that are activated based on a signal received from a control unit, such as control unit 140 of FIG. 1, and in some examples, the signal may include one or more currents, voltages, pulse-width modulated waveforms, light patterns, and / or the like.

[0042] In some embodiments, energy generated by and / or received by energy system 260 may be transmitted from energy system 260 along shaft 210 to various joints and / or elements of tool 200 distal to energy system 260 using one or more energy delivery mechanisms 270. In some examples, one or more energy mechanisms may include one or more wires, cables, optical fibers, and / or the like. In some examples, shaft 210 is hollow, and energy delivery mechanism 270 travels from energy system 260 along the interior of shaft 210 to end effector 220 for delivery to material within the workspace. In some examples, energy system 260 may be controlled and / or may receive control and / or instructions from an energy control module, such as energy control module 180.

[0043] 3A and 3B are simplified side and top views of a jaw 300 of a tool according to some embodiments. In some embodiments, the jaw 300 mates with one or both of the jaws of the end effector 220. As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B , the jaw 300 includes a jaw face 310, one or more sealing electrodes 320, and one or more cutting electrodes 330. In some examples, the jaw face 310 is generally planar and parallel to the jaw face of the opposing jaw when the jaw 300 is closed relative to the opposing jaw, and angled relative to the jaw face of the opposing jaw when the jaw 300 is open relative to the opposing jaw. As shown, the one or more sealing electrodes 320 are disposed generally along the outside of the jaw 300, and the one or more cutting electrodes are disposed generally along the centerline of the jaw 300. In some examples, this configuration allows the one or more sealing electrodes 320 to seal two edges of a material that will be separated when the one or more cutting electrodes 330 are used to cut the material. Additionally, each of the one or more sealing electrodes 320 and one or more cutting electrodes 330 are generally aligned with one or more corresponding sealing electrodes and one or more corresponding cutting electrodes on the opposing jaw. Additional examples of possible configurations for the jaws 300, sealing electrodes 320, and cutting electrodes 330 are described in more detail in commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 9,055,961, disclosing "Fusing and Cutting Surgical Instrument and Related Methods," and commonly owned International Application No. PCT / US2018 / 39912, disclosing "Electrosurgical Instrument with Compliant Elastomeric Electrode," both of which are incorporated by reference.

[0044] According to some embodiments, the ability of a pair of electrodes (e.g., between an electrode on one jaw and an electrode on the opposing jaw) to cut and / or seal may be controlled by applying an appropriate voltage difference between the pair of electrodes. In some examples, a first voltage difference for cutting may be different from a second voltage difference for sealing. In some examples, the voltage difference for cutting and / or sealing is selected based on the material to be cut and / or sealed. In some examples, when the material is anatomical tissue, a voltage difference in the range of about 250V to 400V may generally cause cutting, and a voltage difference in the range of about 50V to 150V may generally cause sealing. In some examples, a voltage difference between the cutting voltage difference and the sealing voltage difference may result in a combination of cutting and sealing. In some examples, the amount of energy delivered by the pair of electrodes may be further controlled by limiting the flow of current between the pair of electrodes, for example, by use of an appropriate current limiter. In some examples, an energy system, such as energy system 260, may be used to control the voltage difference and current limit applied to the pair of electrodes. In some instances, the energy may be delivered as a series of energy pulses by differentially controlling the voltage and / or controlling the current as a series of pulses.

[0045] In some embodiments, despite their description as sealing electrodes and / or cutting electrodes, both one or more sealing electrodes 320 and / or one or more cutting electrodes 330 may be used for both sealing and / or cutting by controlling the voltage difference between one or more sealing electrodes 320 and one or more corresponding sealing electrodes 330 in the opposing jaw and / or between one or more cutting electrodes 330 and one or more corresponding cutting electrodes in the opposing jaw. In some examples, cutting may be performed by applying cutting energy between a cutting electrode 330 on one of the jaws and one or more of the sealing electrodes 320 on the opposing jaw.

[0046] As discussed above and further emphasized herein, FIGS. 3A and 3B are merely examples that should not unduly limit the claims. Those skilled in the art will recognize many variations, alternatives, and modifications. According to some embodiments, the relative size of the surface area of ​​the one or more sealing electrodes 320 and / or one or more cutting electrodes 330 may differ from that shown in FIG. 3B. In some examples, each of the one or more sealing electrodes 320 may have the same or a smaller surface area than the one or more cutting electrodes 330. According to some embodiments, the relative height to which the one or more sealing electrodes 320 and / or one or more cutting electrodes 330 protrude above the jaw face 310 may differ from that shown in FIG. 3A. In some examples, one or more of the one or more sealing electrodes 320 and / or one or more cutting electrodes 330 may be flush with the jaw face 310 and / or recessed below the jaw face 310. In some examples, the relative height of one or more sealing electrodes may be the same as and / or shorter than the height of one or more cutting electrodes. According to some embodiments, the axial length (proximal to distal) along the jaw 300 of each of the one or more sealing electrodes 320 and / or one or more cutting electrodes 330 may be longer, shorter, and / or different lengths.

[0047] According to some embodiments, control of an end effector, such as end effector 220, that supports both gripping (e.g., using opposing jaws) and energy delivery (e.g., using one or more sealing electrodes 320 and / or one or more cutting electrodes 330) is typically controlled using separate systems. For example, a drive system and corresponding gripping control module may control gripping, while an energy system and corresponding energy control module may control energy delivery. In some instances, there may be little or no coordination between the drive system / gripping control module and the energy system / energy control module. That is, the drive system / gripping control module may control gripping based on mechanical and / or kinematic properties of the gripped material, rather than electrical properties of the gripped material, which indicate whether sealing and / or cutting is successful. Similarly, the energy system / energy control module may control energy delivery based on electrical properties of the gripped material, rather than mechanical and / or kinematic properties of the material, which indicate whether a grip of the material has been achieved that is likely to result in a good seal and / or cut. Therefore, better sealing and cutting of the gripped material may be obtained when the drive system / gripping control module and the energy system / energy control module work together to control both gripping and energy delivery such that both gripping and energy delivery work together to complement each other.

[0048] 4 is a simplified diagram of a method 400 for grasping and energy delivery according to some embodiments. One or more of processes 410-460 of method 400 may be implemented, at least in part, in the form of executable code stored on a non-transitory, tangible, machine-readable medium that, when executed by one or more processors (e.g., processor 150 within control unit 140), may cause the one or more processors to perform one or more of processes 410-460. In some embodiments, method 400 may be performed by one or more modules, such as grasping control module 170 and / or energy control module 180. In some embodiments, portions of method 400 related to grasping (e.g., sensing mechanical and / or kinematic information and mechanical control of the grasping jaws) may be performed by grasping control module 170, and portions of method 400 related to energy delivery (e.g., sensing electrical properties and controlling energy delivery) may be performed by energy control module 180, with grasping control module 170 and energy control module 180 cooperating to share sensor and control information to optimize energy delivery to the grasped material. In some embodiments, process 460 is optional and may be omitted. In some embodiments, method 400 may be performed in an order different from that suggested by FIG. 4 . In some examples, process 430 may be performed before process 420 and / or processes 420 and / or 430 may be performed simultaneously. In some examples, processes 420 and 430 may be performed simultaneously with process 440.

[0049] In process 410, material is grasped. In some examples, the material may be grasped between the jaws of an end effector, such as end effector 220. In some examples, each of the jaws may correspond to jaw 300. In some examples, the material may be grasped using a drive system, such as drive system 240, under the control of a gripping control module, such as gripping control module 170. In some examples, the grasping may be performed based on commands received from an operator. In some examples, grasping may include actuating the jaws until a desired angle between the jaws is reached, until a desired separation between the jaws is reached, and / or until a desired force or torque limit is reached, indicating a desired grip strength. In some examples, grasping may actuate the jaws to a desired position setpoint (e.g., a desired angle and / or separation between the jaws) subject to an upper force and / or torque limit. In some examples, the force or torque limit may be implemented as a current limit for one or more actuators used to actuate the jaws.

[0050] In process 420, one or more gripping characteristics are determined. In some examples, the one or more gripping characteristics may include an applied pressure gripping the material and / or a rate of change of the applied pressure. In some examples, the applied pressure may be determined using one or more pressure sensors (e.g., one or more strain gauges, pressure transducers, pressure-sensitive fiber optic sensors, and / or the like) positioned along one or both faces of the jaws. In some examples, the rate of change of the applied pressure may be determined using numerical differentiation techniques (e.g., using a split-difference method) from two or more applied pressure readings taken over time. In some examples, the applied pressure may be determined indirectly from one or more other gripping characteristics.

[0051] In some examples, the one or more gripping characteristics may include a measurement of the current jaw angle (or separation) and / or a rate of change of the jaw angle (or separation) obtained from one or more jaw angle (or separation) sensors. In some examples, the rate of change of the jaw angle (or separation) may be determined using numerical differentiation techniques (e.g., using a split-difference method) from two or more jaw angle (or separation) readings obtained over time.

[0052] In some examples, the one or more gripping characteristics may include an applied force and / or torque and / or a rate of change of the applied force and / or torque as applied to a gripped material by the jaws obtained from one or more force and / or torque sensors associated with the jaws and / or one or more actuators used to actuate the jaws. In some examples, the rate of change of the applied force and / or torque may be determined using numerical differentiation techniques (e.g., using a split-difference method) from two or more force and / or torque readings obtained over time. In some examples, the force and / or torque may be determined based on one or more currents used to actuate one or more actuators used to actuate one or both of the jaws.

[0053] In some examples, the one or more gripping characteristics may include additional kinematic information associated with a tool and / or end effector whose jaws are being used to grip the material. In some examples, the additional kinematic information may include information regarding the amount and / or type of articulation of an articulated wrist of the tool (e.g., articulated wrist 230).

[0054] In some examples, one or more gripping characteristics may be determined from one or more images obtained from an imaging device of the jaws and gripping material. In some examples, one or more images may be used to measure jaw angle, jaw separation, and / or wrist joint. In some examples, the imaging device may be an endoscope and / or a stereoscopic endoscope. In some examples, the imaging device may be attached as a tool to a repositionable arm, such as one of the one or more repositionable arms 120.

[0055] In process 430, one or more material properties are determined. In some examples, the one or more material properties may include the temperature and / or rate of change of temperature of the gripped material. In some examples, the temperature of the material may be determined using one or more temperature sensors, such as one or more thermocouples, thermal resistors, and / or the like, located on only one or both surfaces of the jaws. In some examples, the temperature or other thermal properties of the material may be determined by delivering non-therapeutic energy to the material. In some examples, the temperature of the gripped material may be determined using an infrared sensor, such as an infrared sensor attached to an imaging device, directed toward the jaws and the gripped material. In some examples, the rate of change of temperature may be determined using numerical differentiation techniques (e.g., using a split-difference method) from two or more temperature readings obtained over time. In some examples, the temperature of the gripped material may be determined indirectly from one or more of the gripping properties and / or one or more other material properties.

[0056] In some examples, the one or more material properties may include the impedance of the gripped material and / or the rate of change of the impedance of the gripped material, obtained by measuring electrical properties between one or more pairs of sealing and / or cutting electrodes used to seal and / or cut the gripped material. In some examples, each of the one or more pairs of sealing and / or cutting electrodes may include one or more sealing electrodes 320 on the jaw 300 and a corresponding sealing electrode on the opposing jaw, and / or one of one or more cutting electrodes 330 on the jaw 300 and a corresponding cutting electrode on the opposing jaw. In some examples, the rate of change of impedance may be determined using numerical differentiation techniques (e.g., using a split-difference method) from two or more impedance (or separate) readings obtained over time.

[0057] In some examples, the one or more material properties may include the stiffness of the gripped material. In some examples, the stiffness of the gripped material may be determined from the jaw angle and / or separation and the applied force and / or torque determined during process 420. In some examples, the one or more models (e.g., from one or more models 190) may include one or more equations, lookup tables, non-linear maps, and / or the like that can be used to determine the material stiffness from the jaw angle and / or separation and the applied force and / or torque. In some examples, the one or more models used to determine the stiffness of the gripped material may be determined from empirical studies, one or more machine learning mechanisms (e.g., one or more neural networks) trained based on test grips of materials having known stiffness, and / or the like.

[0058] In some examples, the one or more material properties may include the dielectric constant of the grasped material. In some examples, the dielectric constant of the grasped material may be determined from the jaw angle and / or separation determined during process 420 and the impedance of the grasped material determined during process 430. In some examples, the dielectric constant may be determined by delivering non-therapeutic energy to the material. In some examples, one or more models (e.g., from one or more models 190) may include one or more equations, lookup tables, non-linear maps, and / or the like that can be used to determine the dielectric constant of the grasped material from the jaw angle and / or separation and impedance. In some examples, the one or more models used to determine the dielectric constant of the grasped material may be determined from empirical studies, one or more machine learning mechanisms (e.g., one or more neural networks) trained based on test grasps and / or energy delivery to materials with known dielectric constants, and / or the like.

[0059] In some examples, the one or more material properties may include a dryness level (e.g., moisture content) of the gripped material. In some examples, the dryness level may provide an indication of the current level of material sealing, an indication of whether the material is ready for cutting and / or sealing (e.g., it is advantageous to squeeze moisture out of the material by gripping before cutting and / or sealing). In some examples, the dryness level may be determined from the jaw angle and / or separation, applied force and / or torque, applied pressure, stiffness, impedance, dielectric constant, and / or temperature of the gripped material. In some examples, one or more models (e.g., from one or more models 190) may include one or more equations, lookup tables, non-linear maps, and / or the like that can be used to determine the dryness level of the gripped material from the jaw angle and / or separation, applied force and / or torque, applied pressure, stiffness, impedance, dielectric constant, and / or temperature. In some examples, the one or more models used to determine the dielectric constant of the gripped material may be determined from empirical studies, one or more machine learning mechanisms (e.g., one or more neural networks) trained based on test grips and / or energy delivery to materials with known dryness levels, and / or the like.

[0060] In process 440, gripping and / or energy delivery by the tool is controlled based on one or more gripping characteristics determined during process 420 and / or one or more gripping characteristics determined during process 430 using one or more models, such as one or more models 190. In some examples, the one or more gripping characteristics and / or one or more material characteristics may be applied as inputs to one or more models to determine one or more control parameters for controlling gripping of the material and / or controlling energy delivery to the material. In some examples, the one or more control parameters may include one or more of a grip set point (e.g., grip angle and / or separation), a rate of change of the grip set point (e.g., grip speed), a force and / or torque set point, a force or torque set point, a current set point, a pressure set point, and / or the like for one or more actuators used to actuate the jaws.

[0061] In some examples, the one or more parameters for controlling energy delivery may include one or more of a voltage difference between the pair of electrodes, a current limit for energy delivery between the pair of electrodes, a target set point for material impedance, a dielectric constant, and / or a temperature indicative of successful sealing and / or cutting, an amount of sealing energy delivered to the gripped material, an amount of cutting energy delivered to the gripped material, and / or the like.

[0062] In some examples, one or more control parameters for controlling the grasping of the material and / or the delivery of energy to the material may include one or more thresholds for determining when to switch between control strategies, when to switch between different models, and / or the like.

[0063] According to some embodiments, a goal of using the one or more models is to implement a gripping and / or energy delivery control strategy that reduces the likelihood of material slippage during gripping and / or energy delivery, insufficient cutting of the gripped material, insufficient sealing of the gripped material, and / or the like. According to some embodiments, the one or more models may include a model that provides guidance to one or more control strategies used for gripping and / or energy delivery, utilizing information and shared knowledge between gripping and / or energy delivery control modules, such as gripping control module 170 and / or energy control module 180.

[0064] According to some embodiments, one or more models may be used to control the amount of energy delivered based on one or more of the gripping characteristics determined during process 420. In some examples, the one or more models may indicate that the amount of energy to deliver may be related to the jaw angle and / or separation. In some examples, when the jaw angle and / or separation is greater, more material is gripped and therefore more energy is delivered, and when the jaw angle and / or separation is smaller, less material is gripped and therefore less energy is delivered. In some examples, the relationship between the jaw angle and / or separation and the energy to deliver may be one or more of linear, monotonic, subject to maximum and minimum energy delivery limits, and / or the like. In some examples, the one or more models may indicate that the amount of energy to deliver is inversely proportional to the rate of change of the jaw angle and / or separation. In some instances, when the rate of change of the jaw angle and / or separation is smaller, more energy is delivered to accommodate stiffer and / or slower drying materials, and when the rate of change of the jaw angle and / or separation is larger, less energy is delivered to accommodate less stiff and / or faster drying materials. In some instances, the relationship between the rate of change of the jaw angle and / or separation and the energy to be delivered may be monotonic, may obey maximum and minimum energy delivery limits, and / or may be equivalent.

[0065] According to some embodiments, one or more models may be used to determine how to control the gripping based on one or more of the material properties determined during process 430. In some examples, the one or more models may indicate that the gripping force and / or torque limit is inversely proportional to the impedance of the material. In some examples, when the impedance of the material is lower (e.g., when its moisture content is higher and more drying is desired), the force and / or torque limit is increased for a stronger grip that should help increase drying, and when the impedance is higher, the force and / or torque limit is decreased as drying and / or sealing nears completion. In some examples, the relationship between impedance and force and / or torque limit may be one or more of monotonic, follow maximum and minimum force and / or torque limits, and / or the like. In some examples, the one or more models may indicate that the force and / or torque limit is related to the rate of change of impedance. In some examples, when the rate of change of impedance is smaller (e.g., early in the cutting and sealing operation), the force and / or torque limits are increased to accommodate stiffer and / or slower drying materials, when the rate of change of impedance is larger (e.g., during the middle portion of the cutting and sealing operation), the force and / or torque limits are decreased to accommodate less stiff and / or faster drying materials, and when the rate of change of impedance is smaller (e.g., near the end of the cutting and sealing operation), the force and / or torque limits remain unchanged and / or are decreased. In some examples, the relationship between the rate of change of impedance and the force and / or torque limits may follow and / or be equivalent to maximum and minimum force and / or torque limits.

[0066] According to some embodiments, one or more models may be used to determine the amount of sealing energy to apply and the amount of cutting energy to apply independently to achieve a desired ratio of sealing energy to cutting energy to improve the likelihood of a clean cut of materials with good sealing properties. In some examples, the one or more models may determine that a higher ratio of sealing energy to cutting energy is desirable when more compression of the material is desired, when more drying of the material is desired, and / or when greater material stiffness is detected, as may be indicated by a higher jaw angle and / or separation, a lower rate of change of jaw angle and / or separation, a higher applied force and / or torque, a higher applied pressure, a lower rate of change of applied pressure, a higher rate of change of applied force and / or torque, a lower material impedance, a higher material temperature, a lower rate of change of material temperature, and / or the like. In some examples, the one or more models may determine that a lower ratio of sealing energy to cutting energy is desirable when less drying of the material should occur when less compression of the material is desired and / or when less material stiffness is detected, as may be indicated by a lower jaw angle and / or separation, a higher rate of change of jaw angle and / or separation, a lower applied force and / or torque, a lower rate of change of applied force and / or torque, a higher applied pressure, a lower rate of change of applied pressure, a higher material impedance, a higher material temperature, a lower rate of change of material temperature, and / or the like. In some examples, the one or more models may indicate a higher ratio of sealing energy to cutting energy at the beginning of the cutting and sealing operation and a lower ratio of sealing energy to cutting energy at the end of the cutting and sealing operation.In some examples, one or more models may implement the ratio of sealing energy to cutting energy by indicating that one or more of the current limits used to control the energy delivered by the sealing electrode pair and / or the cutting electrode pair be increased and / or decreased, and that the voltage difference applied by the sealing electrode pair and / or the cutting electrode pair be increased and / or decreased (e.g., applying more cutting energy to the sealing electrode pair and / or applying more sealing energy to the cutting electrode pair).

[0067] According to some embodiments, one or more models may be used to determine an end state indicating when energy delivery is complete (e.g., when cutting and / or sealing is complete). In some examples, the one or more models may receive as input either one or more gripping characteristics determined during process 420 and / or one or more material characteristics determined during process 430 and determine one or more parameters corresponding to an end condition. In some examples, the one or more parameters corresponding to an end condition may include a threshold impedance of the gripped material, a threshold dielectric constant of the gripped material, a threshold temperature of the gripped material, and / or the like indicating that sufficient energy has been delivered to the gripped material. In some examples, the threshold impedance may correspond to a minimum impedance that must be reached before energy delivery is complete. In some examples, the one or more models may indicate that the threshold impedance should increase when one or more gripping characteristics and / or one or more material characteristics indicate slower gripping progress (e.g., higher jaw angle and / or separation, lower rate of change of jaw angle and / or separation, higher rate of change of applied force and / or torque, higher applied pressure, lower rate of change of applied pressure, lower level of dryness, lower rate of change of dryness, higher material temperature, and / or the like), suggesting a greater amount of material being gripped, slower drying, and / or the like.

[0068] According to some embodiments, the one or more models may indicate that energy delivery should be terminated. In some examples, the one or more models may indicate that energy delivery should be terminated when a termination condition, as described above, is reached. In some examples, the one or more models may indicate that energy delivery should be terminated when one or more gripping characteristics determined during process 420 and / or one or more material characteristics determined during process 430 are outside a desired range of values. In some examples, the desired range of values ​​may correspond to a range of acceptable jaw angles and / or separations, a range of applied forces and / or torques, a range of applied pressures, a range of material permittivity, a range of impedances, a range of material temperatures, and / or the like, and / or any combination of two or more characteristics outside their respective desired ranges of values.

[0069] According to some embodiments, one or more models may be used to replace a default energy delivery profile based on one or more of the gripping characteristics determined during process 420 and / or one or more material characteristics determined during process 430. In some examples, the default energy delivery profile may be used when the material is not difficult to grip (e.g., when the jaw angle and / or separation is below a threshold, the applied force and / or torque is below a threshold, the applied pressure is below a threshold, and / or the like), and one or more models may be used when the material is difficult to grip (e.g., when the jaw angle and / or separation is above a threshold, the applied force and / or torque is above a threshold, the applied pressure is above a threshold, and / or the like).

[0070] The representations and / or outputs of the one or more models are then used to control tool gripping and / or energy delivery. In some examples, the representations and / or outputs are provided as parameters, thresholds, commands, and / or the like to appropriate gripping control and / or energy delivery control algorithms, such as those implemented by gripping control module 170 and / or energy control module 180. The gripping control and / or energy delivery control algorithms then provide one or more commands, signals, and / or the like to systems for gripping and energy delivery, such as drive system 240 and / or energy system 260.

[0071] In process 450, it is determined whether grasping and / or energy delivery should be stopped. In some examples, the determination may be based on when one or more of the grasping characteristics determined during process 420 and / or one or more material properties determined during process 430 reach an end condition as discussed above. When an end condition is not reached and grasping and / or energy delivery should continue, processes 420-440 are repeated by returning to process 420. When an end condition is reached and grasping and / or energy delivery should be stopped, one or more models may be updated using optional process 460.

[0072] In optional process 460, one or more models are updated. In some examples, data collected during processes 420-440 (e.g., one or more grasp characteristics, one or more material properties, and / or indications from one or more models) may be used to update one or more models based on the results of grasping and / or energy delivery. In some examples, the data may be used as additional data points and / or training data that can be used to update one or more models. In some examples, the additional data points may be used to update curve fitting, regression analysis, and / or the like that are the basis for one or more models. In some examples, the additional training data may be used to update a machine learning system, such as a neural network, as an addition to the supervised training data used in a backpropagation training algorithm, a simulated annealing training algorithm, a stochastic gradient descent training algorithm, and / or the like.

[0073] According to some embodiments, whether or not the one or more models are updated by optional process 460, the one or more models may be used again by repeating method 400.

[0074] As discussed above and further emphasized herein, FIG. 4 is merely an example that should not unduly limit the scope of the claims. Those skilled in the art will recognize many variations, alternatives, and modifications. According to some embodiments, other factors may be considered during process 440 and provide one or more inputs to one or more models used to control gripping of the grasped material and / or energy delivery to the grasped material. In some examples, other factors may include operator preference, the known type of grasped material, the type of procedure being performed on the grasped material, the type and / or model of the tool used to grasp the material and deliver energy to the grasped material, and / or the like. In some examples, other factors may include calibration parameters for the tool stored within the tool and / or stored in a database that may account for tool-to-tool variations, tool wear and / or changes over one or more uses, and / or the like.

[0075] According to some embodiments, process 440 may be configured to provide additional information to the operator regarding the gripping, cutting, and / or sealing. In some instances, the additional information may include a prediction of whether the cutting and / or sealing is likely to be successful, a recommended delay time with additional gripping before the cutting and / or sealing should begin, an estimated amount of time before the cutting and / or sealing will be complete, and / or the like.

[0076] According to some embodiments, method 400 may be used with other energy modalities other than the electrical and / or radio frequency modalities primarily discussed with respect to Figure 4. In some embodiments, the other energy modalities may include one or more of ultrasound, magnetic, thermal, light, and / or the like.

[0077] According to some embodiments, method 400 may be adapted for energy delivery applications other than energy delivery via one or more pairs of cutting and / or sealing electrodes. In some instances, other energy delivery applications may include cutting and sealing using a single pair of electrodes, ablation, cutting using an ultrasonic scalpel, and / or the like. According to some embodiments, method 400 may be used when sealing is performed using energy delivery and cutting is performed via a mechanical cutting element such as a knife.

[0078] According to some embodiments, method 400 may be configured to support tool calibration. In some examples, one or more of the parameters of the one or more models used during process 440 and optionally updated during process 460 may be stored in a database and / or in memory located within the tool that may be queried based on the tool's identifier to support customization of the one or more models for each individual tool to be used during method 400. In some examples, the one or more parameters may include one or more coefficients, one or more control points for curve and / or function modeling, one or more neural weights and / or biases, and / or the like. In some examples, one or more parameters for a tool may be initially calibrated at the time of manufacture by using the tool to grip and apply energy to one or more materials having known properties (e.g., size, stiffness, dielectric constant, and / or the like) and customizing the one or more parameters based on differences between the tool's actual performance and the performance indicated by the one or more models using test grips and / or energy delivery. In some examples, one or more parameters may be further updated before each use by using the tool to grasp one or more materials with known properties and deliver energy. In some examples, updating one or more models during process 460 may be used to update one or more parameters.

[0079] 5 is a simplified diagram of a method 500 for energy delivery according to some embodiments. One or more of processes 505-550 of method 500 may be implemented, at least in part, in the form of executable code stored on a non-transitory, tangible, machine-readable medium, which, when executed by one or more processors (e.g., processor 150 within control unit 140), may cause the one or more processors to perform one or more of processes 505-550. In some embodiments, method 500 may be performed by one or more modules, such as gripping control module 170 and / or energy control module 180. In some embodiments, the portions of method 400 associated with grasping (e.g., sensing mechanical and / or kinematic information and mechanical control of the grasping jaws) may be performed by grasping control module 170, and the portions of method 400 associated with energy delivery (e.g., sensing electrical properties and controlling energy delivery) may be performed by energy control module 180, with grasping control module 170 and energy control module 180 cooperating to share sensor and control information to optimize energy delivery to the grasped material. According to some embodiments, method 500 may correspond to processes 420-450 of method 400.

[0080] In process 505, a command is received. In some examples, the command may be received from an operator. In some examples, the command may be received as a result of activating a user interface, activating one or more buttons, switches, levers, and / or the like, a voice command, and / or the like. In some examples, the command may be a command to seal only, or a command to cut and seal, with different user interface controls, buttons, switches, levers, voice commands, and / or the like used to indicate the type of command.

[0081] The type of command is determined in process 510. If the type of command is a disconnect and seal command, the disconnect and seal command is further processed beginning with process 515. If the type of command is a seal only command, the seal only command is further processed beginning with process 540.

[0082] In process 515, it is determined whether the jaws of the energy delivery device are gripping material with an opening larger than a configurable first threshold. In some examples, each of the jaws may correspond to jaw 300. In some examples, the first threshold may correspond to a jaw angle, jaw separation, and / or equivalence between the jaws. In some examples, the first threshold may correspond to a jaw opening indicating that more material is being gripped than can be cut and / or sealed. When the opening is larger than the first threshold, the cutting and sealing operation is aborted using process 520. If the opening is not larger than the first threshold, the opening is further analyzed, beginning with process 525.

[0083] At process 520, the cutting and sealing operation is stopped and no energy is delivered to the material. In some examples, a warning and / or notification may be provided to the operator indicating that too much material has been gripped for proper cutting and / or sealing. In some examples, the warning may include one or more of a visual warning (e.g., a flashing light, a color change, a text message, and / or the like), an audio warning (e.g., a beep, a series of beeps, a tone, a voice prompt, and / or the like), tactile feedback, and / or the like. Method 500 then ends or, alternatively, returns to process 505 to await additional commands.

[0084] In process 525, it is determined whether the jaws of the energy delivery device are gripping the material with an opening greater than a configurable second threshold that is less than the first threshold. In some examples, the second threshold may correspond to a jaw angle, jaw separation, and / or the like between the jaws. In some examples, the second threshold may correspond to a jaw opening that indicates more material is being gripped than is ideal for cutting and / or sealing. When the opening does not exceed the second threshold, the cutting and sealing operation continues, beginning with process 530. When the opening is greater than the second threshold, the cutting and sealing operation continues, beginning with process 535.

[0085] In process 530, a first sealing and cutting procedure is applied. In some examples, the first sealing and cutting procedure may begin with the delivery of sealing energy using one or more sealing electrodes. In some examples, the sealing energy may be delivered for a first configurable time period until the impedance of the material is below and / or equal to a first threshold. In some examples, when the material is anatomical tissue, the first threshold may be between 200 and 600 ohms. In some examples, the first threshold may correspond to a target dryness level. In some examples, the impedance may be indirectly determined based on the amount of current through one or more sealing electrodes. In some examples, once the impedance of the material reaches the first threshold and / or the first configurable time period expires, cutting energy may be delivered by one or more cutting electrodes and / or a mechanical cutter may be activated to cut the material. In some examples, the sealing energy and / or cutting energy may continue to be delivered until the impedance of the material rises above a second threshold and / or a second configurable time period has elapsed. In some examples, when the material is anatomical tissue, the second threshold may be between 200 and 600 ohms. In some examples, the second time period may be 10 seconds.

[0086] In some examples, the first sealing and cutting procedure may be stopped if the impedance of the material does not rise above a second threshold before the second time period has elapsed. In some examples, the first sealing and cutting procedure may be stopped if the impedance of the material exceeds a third threshold. In some examples, when the material is anatomical tissue, the third threshold may be 1000 ohms. In some examples, a warning and / or notification may be provided to the operator indicating that the cutting and / or sealing was not successfully completed due to high impedance in the material and / or expiration of the second time period. In some examples, the warning may include one or more of a visual warning (e.g., a flashing light, a color change, a text message, and / or the like), an audio warning (e.g., a beep, a series of beeps, a tone, a voice prompt, and / or the like), tactile feedback, and / or the like.

[0087] In some examples, one or more of the impedance threshold, time period, amount of energy to deliver, and / or the like may be selected based on one or more of the type of material, the procedure being performed, operator preference, and / or the like.

[0088] Once process 530 is completed and / or aborted, method 500 may then terminate or, alternatively, return to process 505 to await additional commands.

[0089] A second sealing and cutting procedure is applied in process 535. In some examples, process 535 may include one or more of increasing the amount of sealing and / or cutting energy delivered relative to the first sealing and cutting procedure of process 530, increasing the amount of time the sealing and / or cutting energy is delivered relative to the first sealing and cutting procedure of process 530, modifying the sealing and / or cutting energy waveform relative to the sealing and / or cutting energy waveform of the first sealing and cutting procedure of process 530, and / or the like. In some examples, the second sealing and cutting procedure may use impedance and / or timing tests similar to those used by the first sealing and cutting procedure of process 530 to determine whether a successful or unsuccessful sealing and / or cutting was achieved. Method 500 then ends or, alternatively, returns to process 505 to await additional commands.

[0090] In process 540, it is determined whether the jaws of the energy delivery device are gripping material with an opening larger than a configurable third threshold. In some examples, the third threshold may correspond to a jaw angle, jaw separation, and / or the like between the jaws. In some examples, the third threshold may correspond to a jaw opening indicating that more material is being gripped than can be properly sealed. In some examples, the third threshold is equal to the first threshold. If the opening does not exceed the third threshold, the opening is further analyzed starting with process 545. If the opening is larger than the third threshold, the sealing operation continues starting with process 550.

[0091] At process 545, a third sealing procedure is applied. In some examples, the third sealing procedure may begin by delivering sealing energy using one or more sealing electrodes. In some examples, the sealing energy may be delivered for a third configurable time period until the impedance of the material is below and / or equal to a fourth threshold. In some examples, when the material is anatomical tissue, the fourth threshold may be between 200 and 600 ohms. In some examples, the fourth threshold may correspond to a target dryness level. In some examples, the impedance may be indirectly determined based on the amount of current through one or more sealing electrodes. In some examples, when the impedance of the material reaches the fourth threshold and / or the third configurable time period expires, a fourth configurable time period may begin with sealing energy still delivered by the one or more sealing electrodes. In some examples, the sealing energy may continue to be delivered until the impedance of the material is above a fifth threshold and / or the fourth time period has elapsed. In some examples, when the material is anatomical tissue, the fifth threshold may be between 200 and 600 ohms. In some examples, the fourth time period may be 10 seconds.

[0092] In some examples, if the impedance of the material does not exceed a fifth threshold before the fourth period of time has elapsed, the third sealing procedure may be aborted. In some examples, if the impedance of the material exceeds a sixth threshold, the third sealing procedure may be aborted. In some examples, when the material is anatomical tissue, the sixth threshold may be 1000 ohms. In some examples, a warning and / or notification may be provided to the operator indicating that the cutting and / or sealing was not successfully completed due to the high impedance of the material and / or the expiration of the fourth time period. In some examples, the warning may include one or more of a visual warning (e.g., a flashing light, a color change, a text message, and / or the like), an audio warning (e.g., a beep, a series of beeps, a tone, a voice prompt, and / or the like), tactile feedback, and / or the like.

[0093] In some examples, one or more of the impedance threshold, time period, amount of energy to deliver, and / or the like may be selected based on one or more of the type of material, the procedure being performed, operator preference, and / or the like.

[0094] Once process 545 is completed and / or aborted, method 500 then terminates and alternatively returns to process 505 to await additional commands.

[0095] A fourth sealing procedure is applied at process 550. In some examples, process 550 may include one or more of increasing the amount of sealing energy delivered for the third sealing procedure of process 545, increasing the time for which sealing energy is delivered for the third sealing procedure of process 545, changing the sealing energy waveform for the sealing energy waveform of the third sealing procedure of process 545, and / or the like. In some examples, the fourth sealing procedure may use impedance and / or timing tests similar to those used by the third sealing procedure of process 545 to determine whether a successful or unsuccessful seal was obtained. Method 500 then ends, or alternatively returns to process 505 to await additional commands.

[0096] As discussed above and further emphasized herein, FIG. 5 is merely an example that should not unduly limit the scope of the claims. Those skilled in the art will recognize many variations, alternatives, and modifications. According to some embodiments, method 500 may include more than the three illustrated thresholds used to measure jaw opening. In some examples, any number of thresholds may be used to create a corresponding number of separate sealing and cutting and / or sealing algorithms, each using their own unique combination of delivered sealing energy, delivered cutting energy, time over which sealing energy is delivered, time over which cutting energy is delivered, delivered energy waveform, cutting energy waveform, impedance threshold, timing threshold, and / or the like.

[0097] In some examples, thresholds, time periods, and / or the like may be omitted with one or more functions based on the jaw opening used to determine one or more of the sealing energy to be delivered, the cutting energy to be delivered, the time the sealing energy is delivered, the time the cutting energy is delivered, the parameters of the sealing energy waveform, the parameters of the cutting energy waveform, the impedance threshold, the time period, and / or the like.

[0098] Some examples of control units, such as control unit 140, may include non-transitory, tangible, machine-readable media containing executable code that, when executed by one or more processors (e.g., processor 150), causes the one or more processors to perform the processes of method 400. Some common forms of machine-readable media that may contain the processes of method 400 are, for example, a floppy disk, a flexible disk, a hard disk, magnetic tape, any other magnetic medium, a CD-ROM, any other optical medium, a punch card, paper tape, any other physical medium with a pattern of holes, RAM, PROM, EPROM, FLASH-EPROM, any other memory chip or cartridge, and / or any other medium configured to be read by a processor or computer.

[0099] While exemplary embodiments have been shown and described, a wide range of modifications, variations, and substitutions are contemplated in the foregoing disclosure, and in some cases, some features of the embodiments may be utilized without the corresponding use of other features. Those skilled in the art will recognize many variations, alternatives, and modifications. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention is to be limited only by the claims that follow, and it is appropriate that such claims be interpreted broadly in a manner consistent with the scope of the embodiments disclosed herein.

Claims

1. an end effector having a first jaw, a second jaw, and a plurality of electrodes for delivering energy; one or more processors coupled to the end effector; the plurality of electrodes includes a plurality of sealing electrodes and a plurality of cutting electrodes; The one or more processors: gripping a material with the first jaw and the second jaw; receiving a command to apply energy to the material; In response to determining that the command is a cut and seal command, determining a size of an opening between a gripping surface of the first jaw and a gripping surface of the second jaw; in response to determining that the opening is less than or equal to a first threshold, applying cutting energy to the material using the plurality of cutting electrodes to cut the material and applying sealing energy to the material using the plurality of sealing electrodes to seal the material according to a first cutting and sealing procedure; in response to determining that the opening is greater than the first threshold, applying the cutting energy to the material using the plurality of cutting electrodes to cut the material and applying the sealing energy to the material using the plurality of sealing electrodes to seal the material according to a second cutting and sealing procedure. It is configured as follows: Computer-assisted devices.

2. 2. The computer-assisted device of claim 1, wherein the first threshold corresponds to an angle between the gripping surface of the first jaw and the gripping surface of the second jaw when the first jaw and the second jaw are articulated relative to one another about a hinge point or a separation distance between the gripping surface of the first jaw and the gripping surface of the second jaw when the first jaw and the second jaw comprise parallel gripping surfaces.

3. To apply the cutting energy and the sealing energy to the material according to the first cutting and sealing procedure, the one or more processors: applying the sealing energy to the material using the plurality of sealing electrodes for a first period of time or until the impedance of the material is below a first impedance threshold; applying the cutting energy to the material with the plurality of cutting electrodes in response to the impedance of the material reaching the first impedance threshold or the first time period expiring; applying the cutting energy to the material until the impedance of the material rises above a second impedance threshold or a second time period has elapsed; It is configured as follows: A computer-aided device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. 4. The computer-aided device of claim 3, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to discontinue application of the sealing energy or the cutting energy in response to the impedance of the material rising above a third impedance threshold, the third impedance threshold being higher than the second impedance threshold.

5. The computer-aided device of claim 1 or 2, wherein the second cutting and sealing procedure includes a greater amount of the cutting energy or the sealing energy than the first cutting and sealing procedure.

6. the first cutting and sealing procedure employing a first sealing energy waveform or a first cutting energy waveform; the second cutting and sealing procedure employing a second sealing energy waveform or a second cutting energy waveform; the first cutting energy waveform is different from the second cutting energy waveform, or the first sealing energy waveform is different from the second sealing energy waveform; A computer-aided device according to claim 1 or 2.

7. 3. The computer-aided device of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to discontinue application of the cutting energy or the sealing energy to the material in response to determining that the size of the opening between the gripping surface of the first jaw and the gripping surface of the second jaw is greater than a second threshold, the second threshold being greater than the first threshold.

8. The one or more processors: In response to determining that the command is a seal command, determining the size of the opening between the gripping surface of the first jaw and the gripping surface of the second jaw; responsive to determining that the opening is less than or equal to a second threshold, applying the sealing energy to the material using the plurality of sealing electrodes according to a first sealing procedure; responsive to determining that the opening is greater than the second threshold, applying the sealing energy to the material using the plurality of sealing electrodes according to a second sealing procedure. further configured as follows: the second sealing procedure is different from the first sealing procedure; A computer-aided device according to claim 1 or 2.

9. 9. The computer-aided device of claim 8, wherein to apply the sealing energy to the material according to the first sealing procedure, the one or more processors are configured to apply the sealing energy for a period of time or until an impedance of the material falls below an impedance threshold.

10. the second sealing procedure includes a greater amount of the sealing energy than the first sealing procedure; or the first sealing procedure uses a first sealing energy waveform and the second sealing procedure uses a second sealing energy waveform, the first sealing energy waveform being different from the second sealing energy waveform; The computer-aided device of claim 8.

11. 1. A method of operating a computer-assisted device, comprising: the computer-assisted device includes an end effector having a first jaw, a second jaw, and a plurality of electrodes for delivering energy; and one or more processors coupled to the end effector, the plurality of electrodes including a plurality of sealing electrodes and a plurality of cutting electrodes; the one or more processors controlling the first jaw and the second jaw of the end effector to grasp a material; receiving, by the one or more processors, a command to apply energy to the material; in response to the command being a disconnect and seal command, the one or more processors determining a size of an opening between a gripping surface of the first jaw and a gripping surface of the second jaw; in response to determining that the opening is less than or equal to a first threshold, the one or more processors apply cutting energy to the material using the plurality of cutting electrodes to cut the material and apply sealing energy to the material using the plurality of sealing electrodes to seal the material according to a first cutting and sealing procedure; in response to determining that the opening is greater than the first threshold, the one or more processors apply the cutting energy to the material using the plurality of cutting electrodes to cut the material and apply the sealing energy to the material using the plurality of sealing electrodes to seal the material according to a second cutting and sealing procedure; the second cutting and sealing procedure is different from the first cutting and sealing procedure; How it works.

12. Controlling the application of the cutting energy and the sealing energy according to the first cutting and sealing procedure comprises: controlling application of the sealing energy to the material using the plurality of sealing electrodes for a first period of time or until the impedance of the material is below a first impedance threshold; controlling application of the cutting energy to the material using the plurality of cutting electrodes in response to the impedance of the material reaching the first impedance threshold or the first time period expiring; and controlling application of the cutting energy to the material until the impedance of the material rises above a second impedance threshold or until a second time period has elapsed.

12. The method of claim 11.

13. 13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the one or more processors ceasing application of the sealing energy or the cutting energy in response to the impedance of the material rising above a second impedance threshold, the second impedance threshold being higher than the first impedance threshold.

14. In response to determining that the command is a seal command, the one or more processors determining the size of the opening between the gripping surface of the first jaw and the gripping surface of the second jaw; in response to determining that the opening is less than or equal to a second threshold, the one or more processors control application of the sealing energy to the material using the plurality of sealing electrodes according to a first sealing procedure; and in response to determining that the opening is greater than the second threshold, the one or more processors control application of the sealing energy to the material using the plurality of sealing electrodes according to a second sealing procedure; the second sealing procedure is different from the first sealing procedure; 12. The method of claim 11.

15. A non-transitory machine-readable medium containing a plurality of machine-readable instructions, The plurality of machine-readable instructions, when executed by one or more processors, are configured to cause the one or more processors to perform the method of any one of claims 11 to 14. Non-transitory machine-readable media.

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