Light-shielding bezel for modular energy systems

Abstract

A port module removably coupleable to an energy module of a modular energy system is disclosed. The port module includes a light pipe and a receptacle defined by the light pipe. The receptacle is configured to receive a plug of an electrosurgical instrument therein. A seal is defined between the light pipe and the receptacle.

Description

Background Art

[0001] The present disclosure relates to various surgical systems, including modular electro-surgical and / or ultrasonic surgical systems. The operating room (OR) is a maze of cords, devices, and people due to the number of various devices required to complete each surgical procedure, and thus the OR requires a rationalized capital solution. This is the reality of the OR in every market around the world. Most capital equipment performs one task or job, each type of capital equipment requires a unique technology or method of use, and has a unique user interface, so capital equipment is the main culprit in creating islands within the OR. Therefore, there is an unmet consumer need to integrate capital equipment and other surgical technologies to reduce the footprint of equipment in the OR, rationalize the interfaces of the equipment, and reduce the number of devices that the surgical staff has to operate, in order to improve the efficiency of the surgical staff during a surgical procedure.

Summary of the Invention

Means for Solving the Problems

[0002] In various aspects, a port module removably attachable to an energy module of a modular energy system is disclosed. The port module includes a light pipe and a receptacle defined by the light pipe. The receptacle is configured to receive a plug of an electro-surgical instrument therein. A seal is defined between the light pipe and the receptacle.

[0003] In various embodiments, energy modules for a modular energy system are disclosed. The energy module includes an enclosure defining a first opening, a control circuit disposed within the enclosure, a port module, and a light-shielding insert. The control circuit defines a second opening aligned with the first opening. The port module extends through the first and second openings. A gap is defined between the second opening and the port module. The light-shielding insert is disposed within the gap.

[0004] In various embodiments, energy modules for a modular energy system are disclosed. The energy module includes an enclosure defining a first opening, a control circuit located within the enclosure, a port module, and a light-shielding insert. The control circuit defines a second opening aligned with the first opening. The port module extends through the first and second openings. The port module includes a light pipe and a receptacle. The receptacle is configured to receive a plug for an electrosurgical instrument. A seal is defined between the light pipe and the receptacle. A gap is defined between the second opening and the port module. The light-shielding insert is located within the gap. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0005] The various embodiments described herein with respect to both configuration and operation methods, along with their other purposes and advantages, can be best understood by referring to the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. [Figure 1] This is a block diagram of a computer-implemented interactive surgical system according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] A surgical system used to perform surgical procedures in an operating room, according to at least one aspect of this disclosure. [Figure 3] A visualization system, a robotic system, and a surgical hub paired with an intelligent instrument, according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] A surgical system comprising a generator and various surgical instruments usable with the generator, according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] This is a diagram of a situational awareness surgical system according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] This is a diagram of various modules and other components that can be combined to customize a modular energy system, according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 7A] A first exemplary modular energy system configuration, according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure, includes a header module and a display screen representing a graphical user interface (GUI) for relaying information about modules connected to the header module. [Figure 7B] A modular energy system, as shown in Figure 7A, mounted on a cart, according to at least one aspect of this disclosure. [Figure 8A] A second exemplary modular energy system configuration, according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure, includes a header module connected together and mounted on a cart, a display screen, an energy module, and an expansion energy module. [Figure 8B] A third exemplary modular energy system configuration, according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure, is similar to the second configuration shown in Figure 7A, except that the header module lacks a display screen. [Figure 9] A fourth exemplary modular energy system configuration, according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure, includes a header module connected together and mounted on a cart, a display screen, an energy module, an expansion energy module, and a technology module. [Figure 10]A fifth exemplary modular energy system configuration, according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure, includes a header module connected together and mounted on a cart, a display screen, an energy module, an expansion energy module, a technology module, and a visualization module. [Figure 11] This is a diagram of a modular energy system including a communicably connectable surgical platform, according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 12] This is a perspective view of a header module of a modular energy system including a user interface, according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 13] This is a block diagram of a standalone hub configuration of a modular energy system according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 14] This is a block diagram of a hub configuration of a modular energy system integrated with a surgical control system, according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 15] This is a schematic diagram of a modular energy system stack showing a power backplane, according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 16] This is a schematic diagram of a modular energy system according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 17] A port module according to at least one aspect of this disclosure is shown. [Figure 18] This document illustrates another port module according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 19] Figure 17 shows a cross-sectional view of the port module according to at least one aspect of this disclosure. [Figure 20] Another cross-sectional view of the port module of Figure 17, according to at least one aspect of this disclosure, is shown, illustrating the mechanical engagement mechanism. [Figure 21] An isometric view of the port module of Figure 21 is shown according to at least one aspect of this disclosure. [Figure 22]A rear view of a header module including a plurality of port modules and a control circuit, according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure, is shown. [Figure 23] A rear view of FIG. 22 with the control circuit removed, according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure, is shown. [Figure 24] An isometric view of FIG. 24, according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure, is shown. [Figure 25] An isometric view of FIG. 24 with the port module removed, according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure, is shown. [Figure 26] An isometric view of a port module coupled to a header module, according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure, is shown. [Figure 27] A side view of FIG. 26, according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure, is shown. [Figure 28] A light-shielding insert, according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure, is shown. [Figure 29] A header module including two port modules, one having a light-shielding insert around it and one not having a light-shielding insert, according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure, is shown. [Figure 30] A header module including a plurality of port modules having light-shielding inserts, according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure, is shown. [Figure 31] A header module of FIG. 30 with the light-shielding insert removed, according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure, is shown. [Figure 32] An energy module including angled vents, according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure, is shown. [Figure 33] A cross-sectional view of the energy module of FIG. 32, according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure, is shown. [Figure 34] A side wall of an energy module including angled vents, according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure, is shown. [Figure 35] A side view of an energy module including angled vents, according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure, is shown. [Figure 36]Figure 35 shows a rear view of the energy module according to at least one aspect of this disclosure. [Figure 37] Figure 35 shows an enlarged view of the angled vent of the energy module according to at least one aspect of this disclosure. [Figure 38] A storage structure according to at least one aspect of this disclosure is shown.

[0006] Throughout the drawings, corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts. The examples described herein illustrate various disclosed embodiments in one form, and such examples should not be construed as limiting the scope. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0007] The applicant of this application owns the following concurrently filed U.S. patent applications, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference: • U.S. Patent Application No. END9314USNP1 / 210018-1M, Title of Invention: "METHOD FOR MECHANICAL PACKAGING FOR MODULAR ENERGY SYSTEM" • U.S. Patent Application No. END9314USNP2 / 210018-2, Title of Invention: "Backplane Connector Attachment Mechanism For Modular Energy System" • U.S. Patent Application No. END9314USNP4 / 210018-4, Title of Invention: "HEADER FOR MODULAR ENERGY SYSTEM"; • U.S. Patent Application No. END9315USNP1 / 210019, Title of Invention: "SURGICAL PROCEDURALIZATION VIA MODULAR ENERGY SYSTEM" • U.S. Patent Application No. END9316USNP1 / 210020-1M, Title of Invention: "METHOD FOR ENERGY DELIVERY FOR MODULAR ENERGY SYSTEM" • U.S. Patent Application No. END9316USNP2 / 210020-2, Title of Invention: "Modular Energy System With Dual Amplifiers And Techniques For Updating Parameters Thereof" • U.S. Patent Application No. END9316USNP3 / 210020-3, Title of Invention: "Modular Energy System With MULTI-ENERGY PORT SPLITTER For Multiple ENERGY DEVICES" • U.S. Patent Application No. END9317USNP1 / 210021-1M, Title of Invention: "Method for Intelligent Instruments for Modular Energy System" • U.S. Patent Application No. END9317USNP2 / 210021-2, Title of Invention: "RADIO FREQUENCY IDENTIFICATION TOKEN FOR WIRELESS SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS"; • U.S. Patent Application No. END9317USNP3 / 210021-3, Title of Invention: "INTELLIGENT DATA PORTS FOR MODULAR ENERGY SYSTEMS"; • U.S. Patent Application No. END9318USNP1 / 210022-1M, Title of Invention: "METHOD FOR SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE FOR MODULAR ENERGY SYSTEM" • U.S. Patent Application No. END9318USNP2 / 210022-2, Title of Invention: "USER INTERFACE MITIGATION TECHNIQUES FOR MODULAR ENERGY SYSTEMS"; • U.S. Patent Application No. END9318USNP3 / 210022-3, Title of Invention: "ENERGY DELIVERY MITIGATIONS FOR MODULAR ENERGY SYSTEMS"; • U.S. Patent Application No. END9318USNP4 / 210022-4, Title of Invention "ARCHITECTURE FOR MODULAR ENERGY SYSTEM"; and • U.S. Patent Application No. END9318USNP5 / 210022-5, Title of Invention: "Modular Energy System With Hardware Mitigated Communication".

[0008] The applicant of this application owns the following U.S. patent applications filed on September 5, 2019, the disclosures of each of these are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety: • U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 562,144, title of invention "METHOD FOR CONTROLLING A MODULAR ENERGY SYSTEM USER INTERFACE" (currently U.S. Patent Publication No. 2020 / 0078106); • U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 562,151, title of invention "PASSIVE HEADER MODULE FOR A MODULAR ENERGY SYSTEM" (currently U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2020 / 0078110); • U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 562,157, title of invention: "CONSOLIDATED USER INTERFACE FOR MODULAR ENERGY SYSTEM" (currently U.S. Patent Publication No. 2020 / 0081585); • U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 562,159, title of invention: "AUDIO TONE CONSTRUCTION FOR AN ENERGY MODULE OF A MODULAR ENERGY SYSTEM" (currently U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2020 / 0314569); • U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 562,163, title of invention: "Adaptably Connectable and Reassignable System Accessories for Modular Energy System" (currently U.S. Patent Publication No. 2020 / 0078111); • U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 562,123, title of invention: "Method for constructing and using a modular surgical energy system with multiple devices" (currently U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2020 / 0100830); • U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 562,135, title of invention "METHOD FOR CONTROLLING AN ENERGY MODULE OUTPUT" (currently U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2020 / 0078076); • U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 562,180, title of invention "ENERGY MODULE FOR DRIVING MULTIPLE ENERGY MODALITIES" (currently U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2020 / 0078080); • U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 562,184, title of invention "GROUNDING ARRANGEMENT OF ENERGY MODULES" (currently U.S. Patent Publication No. 2020 / 0078081); • U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 562,188, title of invention "BACKPLANE CONNECTOR DESIGN TO CONNECT STACKED ENERGY MODULES" (currently U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2020 / 0078116); • U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 562,195, title of invention: "ENERGY MODULE FOR DRIVING MULTIPLE ENERGY MODALITIES THROUGH A PORT" (currently U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20200078117); • U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 562,202, title of invention "SURGICAL INSTRUMENT UTILIZING DRIVE SIGNAL TO POWER SECONDARY FUNCTION" (currently U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2020 / 0078082); • U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 562,142, title of invention: "Method for Energy Distribution in a Surgical Modular Energy System" (currently U.S. Patent Publication No. 2020 / 0078070); • U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 562,169, title of invention "SURGICAL MODULAR ENERGY SYSTEM WITH A SEGMENTED BACKPLANE" (currently U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2020 / 0078112); • U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 562,185, title of invention "SURGICAL MODULAR ENERGY SYSTEM WITH FOOTER MODULE" (currently U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2020 / 0078115); • U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 562,203, title of invention: "POWER AND COMMUNICATION MITIGATION ARRANGEMENT FOR MODULAR SURGICAL ENERGY SYSTEM" (currently U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2020 / 0078118); • U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 562,212, title of invention: "MODULAR SURGICAL ENERGY SYSTEM WITH MODULE POSITIONAL AWARENESS SENSING WITH VOLTAGE DETECTION" (currently U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2020 / 0078119); • U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 562,234, title of invention: "MODULAR SURGICAL ENERGY SYSTEM WITH MODULE POSITIONAL AWARENESS SENSING WITH TIME COUNTER" (currently U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2020 / 0305945); • U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 562,243, title of invention: "MODULAR SURGICAL ENERGY SYSTEM WITH MODULE POSITIONAL AWARENESS WITH DIGITAL LOGIC" (currently U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2020 / 0078120); • U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 562,125, title of invention: "Method for Communicating Between Modules and Devices in a Modular Surgical System" (currently U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2020 / 0100825); • U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 562,137, title of invention "FLEXIBLE HAND-SWITCH CIRCUIT" (currently U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2020 / 0106220); • U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 562,143, title of invention: "FIRST AND SECOND COMMUNICATION PROTOCOL ARRANGEMENT FOR DRIVING PRIMARY AND SECONDARY DEVICES THROUGH A SINGLE PORT" (currently U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2020 / 0090808); • U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 562,148, title of invention "FLEXIBLE NEUTRAL ELECTRODE" (currently U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2020 / 0078077); • U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 562,154, title of invention: "SMART RETURN PAD SENSING THROUGH MODULATION OF NEAR FIELD COMMUNICATION AND CONTACT QUALITY MONITORING SIGNALS" (currently U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2020 / 0078089); • U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 562,162, title of invention: "Automatic Ultrasonic Energy Activation Circuit Design for Modular Surgical Systems" (currently U.S. Patent Publication No. 2020 / 0305924); • U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 562,167, title of invention "Coordinated Energy Outputs of Separate But Connected Modules" (currently U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2020 / 0078078); • U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 562,170, title of invention "Managing Simultaneous Monopolar Outputs Using Duty Cycle and Synchronization" (currently U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2020 / 0078079); • U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 562,172, title of invention "PORT PRESENCE DETECTION SYSTEM FOR MODULAR ENERGY SYSTEM" (currently U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2020 / 0078113); • U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 562,175, title of invention "INSTRUMENT TRACKING ARRANGEMENT BASED ON REAL TIME CLOCK INFORMATION" (currently U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2020 / 0078071); • U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 562,177, title of invention "Regional Location Tracking of Components of a Modular Energy System" (currently U.S. Patent Publication No. 2020 / 0078114); • U.S. Design Patent Application No. 29 / 704,610, Title of Invention: "ENERGY MODULE"; • U.S. Design Patent Application No. 29 / 704,614, Title of Invention: "ENERGY MODULE MONOPOLAR PORT WITH FOURTH SOCKET AMONG THREE OTHER SOCKETS" • U.S. Design Patent Application No. 29 / 704,616, Title of Invention "BACKPLANE CONNECTOR FOR ENERGY MODULE"; and U.S. Design Patent Application No. 29 / 704,617, Title of Invention: "ALERT SCREEN FOR ENERGY MODULE".

[0009] The applicant of this application owns the following U.S. provisional patent applications filed on March 29, 2019, the disclosures of each of these are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety: • U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 826,584, Title of Invention: "MODULAR SURGICAL PLATFORM ELECTRICAL ARCHITECTURE" • U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 826,587, Title of Invention: "MODULAR ENERGY SYSTEM CONNECTIVITY"; • U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 826,588, Title of Invention "MODULAR ENERGY SYSTEM INSTRUMENT COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUES"; and • U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 826,592, Title of Invention: "MODULAR ENERGY DELIVERY SYSTEM".

[0010] The applicant of this application owns the following U.S. provisional patent applications filed on September 7, 2018, the disclosures of each of these are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety: • U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 728,480, Title of Invention: "MODULAR ENERGY SYSTEM AND USER INTERFACE".

[0011] Before describing in detail the various embodiments of surgical devices and generators, it should be noted that the illustrative embodiments are not limited in their application or use to the details of the structure and arrangement of the components illustrated in the accompanying drawings and descriptions. The illustrative embodiments may be implemented or incorporated into other embodiments, variations, and modifications, and may be carried out or performed in various ways. Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, the terms and expressions used herein have been selected for the purpose of illustrating the illustrative embodiments for the convenience of the reader and are not intended to limit them. Furthermore, it should be understood that one or more embodiments, expressions of embodiments, and / or embodiments described below may be combined with any one or more other embodiments, expressions of embodiments, and / or embodiments described below.

[0012] Various embodiments apply to improved ultrasonic surgical devices, electrosurgical devices, and generators for use with them. Embodiments of ultrasonic surgical devices may be configured, for example, to transversely incise and / or coagulate tissue during surgical procedures. Embodiments of electrosurgical devices may be configured, for example, to transversely incise, coagulate, scale, weld and / or dry tissue during surgical procedures.

[0013] Surgical system hardware Referring to Figure 1, the computer-implemented interactive surgical system 100 includes one or more surgical systems 102 and a cloud-based system (e.g., a cloud 104 which may include a remote server 113 connected to a storage device 105). Each surgical system 102 includes at least one surgical hub 106 which communicates with the cloud 104 which may include the remote server 113. In one example, as shown in Figure 1, the surgical system 102 includes a visualization system 108, a robotic system 110, and a handheld intelligent surgical instrument 112, which are configured to communicate with each other and / or with the hub 106. In some embodiments, the surgical system 102 may include M hubs 106, N visualization systems 108, O robotic systems 110, and P handheld intelligent surgical instruments 112, where M, N, O, and P are integers of 1 or more.

[0014] Figure 2 shows an example of a surgical system 102 used to perform surgical procedures on a patient lying on an operating table 114 in an operating room 116. A robotic system 110 is used as part of the surgical system 102 in surgical procedures. The robotic system 110 includes a surgeon's console 118, a patient-side cart 120 (surgical robot), and a surgical robot hub 122. The patient-side cart 120 allows the surgeon to operate at least one detachably connected surgical tool 117 through a minimally invasive incision in the patient's body while viewing the surgical site through the surgeon's console 118. Images of the surgical site can be acquired by a medical imaging device 124, which can be operated by the patient-side cart 120 to align the imaging device 124. The robotic hub 122 is used to process images of the surgical site, which can then be displayed to the surgeon through the surgeon's console 118.

[0015] Other types of robotic systems can be readily adapted for use with surgical system 102. Various examples of robotic systems and surgical tools suitable for use with this disclosure are described in U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 611,339, filed December 28, 2017, entitled "ROBOT ASSISTED SURGICAL PLATFORM," the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0016] Various examples of cloud-based analytical methods implemented by Cloud104 and suitable for use with this disclosure are described in U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 611,340, filed December 28, 2017, entitled “CLOUD-BASED MEDICAL ANALYTICS,” the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0017] In various embodiments, the imaging device 124 includes at least one image sensor and one or more optical components. Preferred image sensors include, but are not limited to, charge-coupled device (CCD) sensors and complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) sensors.

[0018] The optical components of the imaging device 124 may include one or more illumination sources and / or one or more lenses. One or more illumination sources may be directed to illuminate a portion of the surgical field. One or more image sensors may receive light reflected or refracted from the surgical field, including light reflected or refracted from tissue and / or surgical instruments.

[0019] One or more illumination sources may be configured to emit electromagnetic energy in the visible and invisible spectra. The visible spectrum, sometimes also called the light spectrum or emission spectrum, is the portion of the electromagnetic spectrum that is visible to the human eye (i.e., detectable by the human eye), and is sometimes called visible light, or simply light. The typical human eye responds to wavelengths in air from about 380 nm to about 750 nm.

[0020] The invisible spectrum (i.e., the non-emission spectrum) is a portion of the electromagnetic spectrum located below and above the visible spectrum (i.e., wavelengths below approximately 380 nm and above approximately 750 nm). The invisible spectrum is undetectable to the human eye. Wavelengths above approximately 750 nm are longer than the red visible spectrum and consist of invisible infrared (IR), microwaves, and radio electromagnetic radiation. Wavelengths below approximately 380 nm are shorter than the violet spectrum and consist of invisible ultraviolet, X-rays, and gamma-ray electromagnetic radiation.

[0021] In various embodiments, the imaging device 124 is configured for use in minimally invasive surgery. Examples of imaging devices suitable for use with the present disclosure include, but are not limited to, arthroscopes, angioscopes, bronchoscopes, cholangioscopies, colonoscopes, cystoscopes, duodenoscopes, intestinaloscopes, esophagogastroduodenoscopes (gastroscopy), endoscopes, laryngoscopes, nasopharyngolaryngoscopes, sigmoidoscopy, thoracoscopy, and ureteroscopes.

[0022] In one embodiment, the imaging device employs multispectral monitoring to distinguish topography from underlying structures. Multispectral imaging captures image data within a specific wavelength range from the entire electromagnetic spectrum. Wavelengths can be separated by filters or by using instruments sensitive to specific wavelengths, including frequencies beyond the visible light range, such as IR and ultraviolet light. Spectral imaging makes it possible to extract additional information that cannot be captured by the red, green, and blue receptors of the human eye. The use of multispectral imaging is described in detail in the section "Advanced Imaging Acquisition Module" of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 611,341, filed December 28, 2017, entitled "INTERACTIVE SURGICAL PLATFORM," the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Multispectral monitoring can be a useful tool for repositioning the surgical field after the completion of a surgical task to perform one or more of the tests described above on the treated tissue.

[0023] It is self-evident that strict sterilization of the operating room and surgical instruments is necessary in any surgical procedure. The strict sanitary and sterilization conditions required in the “operating area,” i.e., the operating room or treatment room, require the highest possible level of sterility for all medical devices and instruments. Part of the above sterilization process includes the need to sterilize everything that comes into contact with the patient or enters the sterile field, including the imaging device 124 and its accessories and components. It will be understood that the sterile field may be considered a specific area that is deemed to be free of microorganisms, such as inside a tray or on a sterile towel, or it may be considered the area immediately surrounding the patient when they are ready for the surgical procedure. The sterile field may include cleaned team members wearing appropriate clothing, as well as all equipment and restraints within that area.

[0024] In various embodiments, the visualization system 108 includes one or more imaging sensors strategically positioned relative to a sterile field, one or more image processing units, one or more storage arrays, and one or more displays, as shown in Figure 2. In one embodiment, the visualization system 108 includes interfaces for HL7, PACS, and EMR. Various components of the visualization system 108 are described in the section “Advanced Imaging Acquisition Module” of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 611,341, filed December 28, 2017, “INTERACTIVE SURGICAL PLATFORM,” the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0025] As shown in Figure 2, the primary display 119 is positioned in the sterile field so that it is visible to the operator on the operating table 114. In addition, a visualization tower 111 is positioned outside the sterile field. The visualization tower 111 includes a first non-sterile display 107 and a second non-sterile display 109, facing opposite directions from each other. The visualization system 108, guided by the hub 106, is configured to utilize displays 107, 109, and 119 to coordinate the flow of information to operators inside and outside the sterile field. For example, the hub 106 can cause the visualization system 108 to display snapshots of the surgical site recorded by the imaging device 124 on the non-sterile displays 107 or 109 while maintaining live video of the surgical site on the primary display 119. The snapshots on the non-sterile displays 107 or 109 can, for example, enable a non-sterile operator to perform diagnostic steps related to the surgical procedure.

[0026] In one embodiment, the hub 106 is also configured to send diagnostic input or feedback entered by a non-sterile operator in the visualization tower 111 to a primary display 119 in the sterile field, which can then be viewed by a sterile operator at the operating table. In one example, the input may take the form of modifications to a snapshot displayed on the non-sterile display 107 or 109, which can then be sent to the primary display 119 by the hub 106.

[0027] Referring to Figure 2, the surgical instrument 112 is used as part of the surgical system 102 in a surgical procedure. The hub 106 is also configured to coordinate the flow of information to the display of the surgical instrument 112. For example, in U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 611,341, filed December 28, 2017, entitled "INTERACTIVE SURGICAL PLATFORM," the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Diagnostic input or feedback entered by a non-sterile operator in the visualization tower 111 can be sent by the hub 106 to the surgical instrument display 115 in the sterile field, which can then be viewed by the operator of the surgical instrument 112. Examples of surgical instruments suitable for use with surgical system 102 are described, for example, in the section “SURGICAL INSTRUMENT HARDWARE” and in U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 611,341, filed December 28, 2017, entitled “INTERACTIVE SURGICAL PLATFORM,” the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0028] Referring here to Figure 3, a hub 106 is shown that communicates with a visualization system 108, a robotic system 110, and a handheld intelligent surgical instrument 112. In some embodiments, the visualization system 108 may be a separable device. In an alternative embodiment, the visualization system 108 may be contained within the hub 106 as a functional module. The hub 106 includes a hub display 135, an imaging module 138, a generator module 140, a communication module 130, a processor module 132, a storage array 134, and an operating room mapping module 133. In certain embodiments, as shown in Figure 3, the hub 106 further includes a smoke removal module 126, a suction / irrigation module 128, and / or an air supply module 129. In some embodiments, any of the modules within the hub 106 may be combined with each other to form a single module.

[0029] During surgical procedures, applying energy to tissue for sealing and / or cutting is generally associated with fumes, aspirating excess fluid, and / or irrigating tissue. Fluid lines, power lines, and / or data lines from different sources often become entangled during surgical procedures. Dealing with this problem during a surgical procedure can result in the loss of valuable time. Untangling lines may require disconnecting them from their corresponding modules, which may necessitate resetting the modules. The hub's modular enclosure 136 provides a unified environment for managing power lines, data lines, and fluid lines, reducing the frequency of such line entanglements.

[0030] Aspects of this disclosure present a surgical hub for use in surgical procedures involving the application of energy to tissue at a surgical site. The surgical hub includes a hub enclosure and a combination generator module slidably receivable within a docking station of the hub enclosure. The docking station includes data contacts and power contacts. The combination generator module includes one or more ultrasonic energy generator components, bipolar RF energy generator components, and unipolar RF energy generator components housed within a single unit. In one aspect, the combination generator module also includes a fume exhaust component, at least one energy supply cable for connecting the combination generator module to a surgical instrument, at least one fume exhaust component configured to exhaust smoke, fluid, and / or particulate matter generated by the application of therapeutic energy to tissue, and a fluid line extending from the remote surgical site to the fume exhaust component.

[0031] In one embodiment, the fluid line described above is a first fluid line, and a second fluid line extends from the remote surgical site to a suction and irrigation module that is slidably received within a hub enclosure. In one embodiment, the hub enclosure includes a fluid interface.

[0032] Certain surgical procedures may require the application of two or more energy types to tissue. One energy type may be more beneficial for cutting tissue, while another different energy type may be more beneficial for sealing tissue. For example, a bipolar generator can be used to seal tissue, while an ultrasonic generator can be used to cut sealed tissue. A part of the present disclosure presents a solution in which a modular enclosure 136 of the hub is configured to house various generators and facilitate interactive communication between them. One of the advantages of the modular enclosure 136 of the hub is that it allows for the rapid removal and / or replacement of various modules.

[0033] Aspects of this disclosure present a modular surgical enclosure for use in surgical procedures involving the application of energy to tissue. The modular surgical enclosure includes a first energy generator module configured to generate a first energy for application to tissue, and a first docking station having a first docking port including first data and power contacts. In one aspect, the first energy generator module is slidably movable to electrically engage with the power and data contacts, and the first energy generator module is slidably movable to disengage from the first power and data contacts. In an alternative aspect, the first energy generator module is stackably movable to electrically engage with the power and data contacts, and the first energy generator module is stackably movable to disengage from the first power and data contacts.

[0034] In addition to the above, the modular surgical enclosure also includes a second energy generator module configured to generate a second energy identical or different to a first energy for application to tissue, and a second docking station having a second docking port including second data and power contacts. In one embodiment, the second energy generator module is slidably movable to electrically engage with the power and data contacts, and the second energy generator module is slidably movable to disengage from the second power and data contacts. In an alternative embodiment, the second energy generator module is stackably movable to electrically engage with the power and data contacts, and the second energy generator module is stackably movable to disengage from the second power and data contacts.

[0035] In addition, the modular surgical enclosure also includes a communication bus between a first docking port and a second docking port, which is configured to facilitate communication between a first energy generator module and a second energy generator module.

[0036] Referring to Figure 3, an aspect of the present disclosure is presented for a modular enclosure 136 of a hub that enables modular integration of a generator module 140, a smoke exhaust module 126, a suction / irrigation module 128, and an air supply module 129. The modular enclosure 136 of the hub further facilitates interactive communication between modules 140, 126, 128, and 129. The generator module 140 may be a generator module comprising integrated unipolar, bipolar, and ultrasonic components supported within a single housing unit that is slidably inserted into the modular enclosure 136 of the hub. The generator module 140 may be configured to connect to a unipolar device 142, a bipolar device 144, and an ultrasonic device 148. Alternatively, the generator module 140 may comprise a series of unipolar generator modules, bipolar generator modules, and / or ultrasonic generator modules that interact via the modular enclosure 136 of the hub. The modular enclosure 136 of the hub can be configured to facilitate the insertion of multiple generators and bidirectional communication between generators docked to the modular enclosure 136 of the hub, so that multiple generators function as a single generator.

[0037] In one embodiment, the modular enclosure 136 of the hub includes a modular power and communications backplane 149 with external and wireless communication headers to enable the removable mounting of modules 140, 126, 128, and 129 and interactive communication between them.

[0038] Generator hardware When used throughout this description, the term “wireless” and its derivatives may be used to describe circuits, devices, systems, methods, techniques, communication channels, etc., that can communicate data through the use of modulated electromagnetic radiation over a non-solid medium. This term does not imply that the devices in question are entirely wireless, although in some aspects they may not be present. A communication module may implement any of a number of wireless or wired communication standards or protocols, including, but not limited to, Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11 family), WiMAX (IEEE 802.16 family), IEEE 802.20, Long-Term Evolution (LTE), Ev-DO, HSPA+, HSDPA+, HSUPA+, EDGE, GSM, GPRS, CDMA, TDMA, DECT, Bluetooth, and their Ethernet derivatives, as well as any other wireless and wired protocols designated as 3G, 4G, 5G, and later. A computing module may include multiple communication modules. For example, the first communication module may be dedicated to short-range wireless communication such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and the second communication module may be dedicated to long-range wireless communication such as GPS, EDGE, GPRS, CDMA, WiMAX, LTE, and Ev-DO.

[0039] As used herein, a processor or processing unit is an electronic circuit that operates on several external data sources (usually memory) or some other data stream. The term is used herein to refer to a central processor (central processing unit) within a system or computer system (especially a system on a chip, or SoC) that combines many specialized "processors".

[0040] As used herein, a system-on-a-chip (SoC or SOC) is an integrated circuit (also known as an "IC" or "chip") that integrates all the components of a computer or other electronic system. It can contain digital, analog, mixed-signal, and often high-frequency functions, all on a single substrate. An SoC integrates a microcontroller (or microprocessor) with modern peripherals such as a graphics processing unit (GPU), Wi-Fi module, or coprocessor. An SoC may or may not include internal memory.

[0041] As used herein, a microcontroller or controller is a system that integrates a microprocessor with peripheral circuits and memory. A microcontroller (or MCU for a microcontroller unit) may be implemented as a miniature computer on a single integrated circuit. This may be similar to an SoC, which may include a microcontroller as one of its components. A microcontroller may house memory and programmable input / output peripherals along with one or more core processing units (CPUs). Program memory in the form of ferroelectric RAM, NOR flash, or OTP ROM, and a small amount of RAM are also often included on the chip. Microcontrollers may be used for embedded applications, in contrast to microprocessors used in personal computers or other general-purpose applications consisting of various separate chips.

[0042] As used herein, the terms controller or microcontroller may refer to a standalone IC or chip device that interfaces with a peripheral device. This may also refer to a connection between two parts of a computer or controller on an external device that manages the operation of the device (and its connection to the device).

[0043] Any processor or microcontroller described herein may be implemented by any single-core or multi-core processor, such as those known by the trade name ARM Cortex from Texas Instruments. In one embodiment, the processor may be, for example, the LM4F230H5QR ARM Cortex-M4F processor core available from Texas Instruments. This processor core includes on-chip memory of 256KB single-cycle flash memory or other non-volatile memory with a maximum frequency of 40MHz, a prefetch buffer for improving performance beyond 40MHz, 32KB single-cycle serial random access memory (SRAM), internal read-only memory (ROM) with StellarisWare® software, 2KB electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), one or more pulse width modulation (PWM) modules, one or more quadrature encoder input (QEI) analogs, and one or more 12-bit analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) with 12 analog input channels. Further details are available in the product datasheet.

[0044] In one embodiment, the processor may include a safety controller, which may include two controller-based families, such as the TMS570 and RM4x, also from Texas Instruments and known by the trade names Hercules ARM Cortex R4. The safety controller may be configured specifically for IEC61508 and ISO26262 safety limit applications, in particular, to provide a highly integrated safety mechanism while offering scalable performance, connectivity, and memory options.

[0045] A modular device includes modules receivable within a surgical hub (as described, for example, in relation to Figure 3), and surgical devices or instruments that can be connected to various modules for connection or pairing with the corresponding surgical hub. Examples of modular devices include intelligent surgical instruments, medical imaging devices, suction / irrigation devices, fume extractors, energy generators, ventilators, inhalers, and displays. Modular devices described herein can be controlled by control algorithms. Control algorithms may be executed on the modular device itself, on the surgical hub to which a particular modular device is paired, or on both the modular device and the surgical hub (for example, via a distributed computing architecture). In some examples, the control algorithm of a modular device controls the device based on data sensed by the modular device itself (i.e., by sensors within the modular device, on the modular device, or connected to the modular device). This data may be related to the patient during surgery (e.g., tissue characteristics or pressure) or to the modular device itself (e.g., the speed of the advancing knife, motor current, or energy level). For example, a control algorithm for surgical stapling and cutting instruments can control the speed at which the instrument's motor penetrates tissue and drives the knife, based on the resistance generated by the knife as it moves forward.

[0046] Figure 4 shows one embodiment of a surgical system 2200 comprising a modular energy system 2000 and various surgical instruments 2204, 2206, and 2208 that can be used with it, wherein surgical instrument 2204 is an ultrasonic surgical instrument, surgical instrument 2206 is an RF electrosurgical instrument, and multifunctional surgical instrument 2208 is a combination of ultrasonic and RF electrosurgical instruments. The modular energy system 2000 can be configured for use with various surgical instruments. According to various embodiments, the modular energy system 2000 may be configured for use with different types of different surgical instruments, including, for example, the ultrasonic surgical instrument 2204, the RF electrosurgical instrument 2206, and the multifunctional surgical instrument 2208 which integrates RF and ultrasonic energy delivered individually or simultaneously from the modular energy system 2000. In the embodiment shown in Figure 4, the modular energy system 2000 is shown separately from the surgical instruments 2204, 2206, and 2208 in one embodiment, but the modular energy system 2000 may be formed integrally with any of the surgical instruments 2204, 2206, and 2208 to form an integrated surgical system. The modular energy system 2000 may be configured for wired or wireless communication.

[0047] The modular energy system 2000 is configured to drive several surgical instruments 2204, 2206, and 2208. The first surgical instrument is the ultrasonic surgical instrument 2204, which comprises a handpiece 2205 (HP), an ultrasonic transducer 2220, a shaft 2226, and an end effector 2222. The end effector 2222 comprises an ultrasonic blade 2228 acoustically coupled to the ultrasonic transducer 2220 and a clamp arm 2240. The handpiece 2205 comprises a trigger 2243 for operating the clamp arm 2240 and a combination of toggle buttons 2234a, 2234b, and 2234c for exciting and driving the ultrasonic blade 2228 or other functions. The toggle buttons 2234a, 2234b, and 2234c can be configured to excite the ultrasonic transducer 2220 by the modular energy system 2000.

[0048] The modular energy system 2000 is also configured to drive a second surgical instrument 2206. The second surgical instrument 2206 is an RF electrosurgical instrument comprising a handpiece 2207 (HP), a shaft 2227, and an end effector 2224. The end effector 2224 has electrodes in clamp arms 2242a, 2242b that return through the conductive portion of the shaft 2227. The electrodes are connected to a bipolar energy source in the modular energy system 2000, thereby supplying energy. The handpiece 2207 comprises a trigger 2245 for operating the clamp arms 2242a, 2242b and an energy button 2235 for activating an energy switch to energize the electrodes in the end effector 2224.

[0049] The modular energy system 2000 is also configured to drive a multifunctional surgical instrument 2208. The multifunctional surgical instrument 2208 comprises a handpiece 2209 (HP), a shaft 2229, and an end effector 2225. The end effector 2225 includes an ultrasonic blade 2249 and a clamp arm 2246. The ultrasonic blade 2249 is acoustically coupled to an ultrasonic transducer 2220. The ultrasonic transducer 2220 may be detachable from the handpiece 2209 or may be integrated with the handpiece. The handpiece 2209 includes a trigger 2247 for operating the clamp arm 2246 and a combination of toggle buttons 2237a, 2237b, and 2237c for exciting and driving the ultrasonic blade 2249 or other functions. The toggle buttons 2237a, 2237b, and 2237c can be configured to excite the ultrasonic transducer 2220 by the modular energy system 2000 and to excite the ultrasonic blade 2249 by a bipolar energy source also included within the modular energy system 2000.

[0050] The modular energy system 2000 can be configured for use with a variety of surgical instruments. In various embodiments, the modular energy system 2000 may be configured for use with different types of surgical instruments, including, for example, an ultrasonic surgical instrument 2204, an RF electrosurgical instrument 2206, and a multifunctional surgical instrument 2208 that integrates RF and ultrasonic energy delivered individually or simultaneously from the modular energy system 2000. In the embodiment of Figure 4, the modular energy system 2000 is shown separately from the surgical instruments 2204, 2206, and 2208, but in another embodiment, the modular energy system 2000 may be formed integrally with any one of the surgical instruments 2204, 2206, and 2208 to form an integrated surgical system. Further embodiments of generators and surgical instruments for digitally generating electrical signal waveforms are described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017 / 0086914, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0051] Situational awareness "Intelligent" devices that include control algorithms that respond to detected data may be an improvement over "data-dumb" devices that operate without considering detected data. However, some detected data, when considered in isolation, may be incomplete or inconclusive without the context of the type of surgical procedure being performed or the type of tissue being operated on. Without knowing the context of the procedure (e.g., the type of tissue being operated on or the type of procedure being performed), a control algorithm, given detected data without specific context, may control a modular device inaccurately or suboptimally. For example, the optimal form of a control algorithm for controlling a surgical instrument in response to a specific detected parameter may vary depending on the specific type of tissue being operated on. This is due to the fact that different types of tissue have different properties (e.g., resistance to tearing) and therefore respond differently to actions taken by the surgical instrument. Thus, even when the same measurement is detected for a particular parameter, it may be desirable for the surgical instrument to take different actions. As a specific example, the optimal mode of control for surgical stapling and cutting instruments in response to detecting unexpectedly high forces required to close their end effectors differs depending on whether the tissue type is susceptible to tearing or resistant to tearing. For tear-sensitive tissues, such as lung tissue, the instrument's control algorithm optimally slows down the motor in response to unexpectedly high forces required to close in order to avoid tearing the tissue. For tear-resistant tissues, such as stomach tissue, the instrument's control algorithm optimally accelerates the motor in response to unexpectedly high forces required to close in order to ensure that the end effector is properly clamped to the tissue. If it is unclear whether lung tissue or stomach tissue is being clamped, the control algorithm may make an insufficient decision.

[0052] One solution utilizes a surgical hub, which includes a system configured to derive information about a surgical procedure being performed based on data received from various data sources, and then appropriately control paired modular devices. In other words, the surgical hub is configured to infer information about a surgical procedure from received data, and then control modular devices paired with the surgical hub based on the inferred context about the surgical procedure. Figure 5 shows a diagram of a context-aware surgical system 2300 according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure. In some examples, the data source 2326 includes, for example, a modular device 2302 (which may include sensors configured to detect parameters associated with the patient and / or the modular device itself), a database 2322 (e.g., an EMR database containing patient records), and a patient monitoring device 2324 (e.g., a blood pressure (BP) monitor and an electrocardiogram (EKG) monitor). The surgical hub 2304 may be configured to derive contextual information about a surgical procedure from data, for example, based on a specific combination of received data or a specific order in which data was received from the data source 2326. Contextual information inferred from the received data may include, for example, the type of surgical procedure being performed, a specific step of the surgical procedure being performed by the surgeon, the type of tissue being operated on, or the body cavity being targeted by the procedure. This function of the surgical hub 2304 for deriving or inferring information about the surgical procedure from the received data may be referred to as “situational awareness.” In one example, the surgical hub 2304 may incorporate a situational awareness system, which is hardware and / or programming associated with the surgical hub 2304 for deriving contextual information related to the surgical procedure from the received data.

[0053] The situational awareness system of the surgical hub 2304 can be configured to derive contextual information from data received from the data source 2326 in various different ways. In one example, the situational awareness system includes a pattern recognition system or machine learning system (e.g., an artificial neural network) trained on training data to correlate various inputs (e.g., data from the database 2322, the patient monitoring device 2324, and / or the modular device 2302) with corresponding contextual information about the surgical procedure. In other words, the machine learning system can be trained to accurately derive contextual information about the surgical procedure from the provided inputs. In another example, the situational awareness system may include a lookup table that stores pre-characterized contextual information about the surgical procedure, associated with one or more inputs (or ranges of inputs) that correspond to that contextual information. In response to a query with one or more inputs, the lookup table can return the corresponding contextual information of the situational awareness system to control the modular device 2302. In one example, contextual information received by the situation awareness system of the surgical hub 2304 is associated with a specific control adjustment of one or more modular devices 2302, or a set of control adjustments. In another example, the situation awareness system includes a further machine learning system, lookup table, or other such system that, given contextual information as input, generates or retrieves one or more control adjustments of one or more modular devices 2302.

[0054] The surgical hub 2304, which incorporates a situational awareness system, brings many advantages to the surgical system 2300. One advantage is improved interpretation of detected and collected data, which improves processing accuracy during the surgical procedure and / or data utilization. Returning to the previous example, the situational awareness surgical hub 2304 can determine what type of tissue is being operated on, and therefore, if an unexpectedly high force is detected to close the end effector of a surgical instrument, the situational awareness surgical hub 2304 can correctly accelerate or decelerate the motor of the surgical instrument according to the tissue type.

[0055] In another embodiment, the type of tissue being operated on may affect the adjustments made to the compression rate and load threshold of surgical stapling and cutting instruments for measuring specific interstitial gaps. The situational awareness surgical hub 2304 can infer whether the surgical procedure being performed is a thoracic or abdominal procedure, thereby allowing the surgical hub 2304 to determine whether the tissue clamped by the end effector of the surgical stapling and cutting instrument is lung tissue (in the case of a thoracic procedure) or gastric tissue (in the case of an abdominal procedure). The surgical hub 2304 can then appropriately adjust the compression rate and load threshold of the surgical stapling and cutting instrument to match the type of tissue.

[0056] In yet another embodiment, the type of body cavity being operated on during the air insufflation procedure may affect the function of the smoke exhauster. The situation-aware surgical hub 2304 can determine whether the surgical site is under pressure (by determining that the surgical procedure is utilizing air insufflation) and determine the type of procedure. Generally, since certain types of procedures are performed in specific body cavities, the surgical hub 2304 can appropriately control the motor speed of the smoke exhauster to match the body cavity being operated on. Thus, the situation-aware surgical hub 2304 can provide a consistent amount of smoke exhaust for both thoracic and abdominal surgeries.

[0057] As yet another example, the type of procedure being performed can affect the optimal energy level for operation of an ultrasonic surgical instrument or a radio frequency (RF) electrosurgical instrument. For example, in arthroscopy, the end effector of the ultrasonic surgical instrument or RF electrosurgical instrument is immersed in fluid, requiring a higher energy level. The situational awareness surgical hub 2304 can determine whether the surgical procedure is an arthroscopy. The surgical hub 2304 can then adjust the RF power level or ultrasonic amplitude (i.e., "energy level") of the generator to compensate for the fluid-filled environment. Relatedly, the type of tissue being operated on can affect the optimal energy level for operation of an ultrasonic surgical instrument or an RF electrosurgical instrument. The situational awareness surgical hub 2304 can determine what type of surgical procedure is being performed and then customize the energy level of the ultrasonic surgical instrument or RF electrosurgical instrument, respectively, according to the expected tissue shape for the surgical procedure. Furthermore, the situational awareness surgical hub 2304 can be configured to adjust the energy levels of the ultrasound surgical instrument or RF electrosurgical instrument not simply per procedure, but throughout the course of the surgical procedure. The situational awareness surgical hub 2304 can determine which step of the surgical procedure is being performed or is continuing, and then update the control algorithms of the generator and / or the ultrasound surgical instrument or RF electrosurgical instrument to set the energy levels to values ​​appropriate for the expected tissue type according to the steps of the surgical procedure.

[0058] As yet another example, the surgical hub 2304 may also derive data from additional data sources 2326 to improve conclusions drawn from one data source 2326. The contextually aware surgical hub 2304 can enhance data received from the modular device 2302 with contextual information constructed from other data sources 2326 regarding the surgical procedure. For example, the contextually aware surgical hub 2304 may be configured to determine whether hemostasis has occurred (i.e., whether bleeding at the surgical site has stopped) according to video or image data received from a medical imaging device. However, in some cases, video or image data may not be conclusive. Therefore, in one example, the surgical hub 2304 may be further configured to make a decision regarding the integrity of the staple line or tissue weld by comparing physiological measurements (e.g., blood pressure detected by a BP monitor communicably connected to the surgical hub 2304) with visualization data or image data of hemostasis (e.g., from a medical imaging device 124 (Figure 2) communicably connected to the surgical hub 2304). In other words, the context-aware system of the surgical hub 2304 can provide additional context when analyzing visualization data by considering physiological measurement data. This additional context can be useful when the visualization data itself may not be definitive or may be incomplete.

[0059] Another advantage is the proactive and automatic control of the paired modular devices 2302 according to specific steps of the surgical procedure being performed, in order to reduce the number of times healthcare professionals are required to interact with or control the surgical system 2300 during the course of the surgical procedure. For example, the situation-aware surgical hub 2304 can proactively activate the generator to which the RF electrosurgical instrument is connected if it determines that the use of the instrument is required in a subsequent step of the procedure. By proactively activating the energy source, the instrument can be ready for use as soon as the preceding steps of the procedure are completed.

[0060] As another example, the situational awareness surgical hub 2304 can determine whether the current or subsequent steps of a surgical procedure require different views or magnifications on the display, according to the features(s) of the surgical site that the surgeon is expected to need to see. The surgical hub 2304 can then proactively change the displayed view (e.g., supplied from a medical imaging device for the visualization system 108) as appropriate, thereby automatically adjusting the display throughout the surgical procedure.

[0061] As yet another example, the situation-aware surgical hub 2304 can determine which steps of a surgical procedure are being performed or will be performed next, and whether specific data or comparisons of data are required for that step of the surgical procedure. The surgical hub 2304 can be configured to automatically call up data screens based on the steps of the surgical procedure being performed, without waiting for the surgeon to ask for specific information.

[0062] Another advantage is the ability to check for errors during or in the course of a surgical procedure. For example, the situation-aware surgical hub 2304 can determine whether the operating room is properly or optimally set up for the surgical procedure to be performed. The surgical hub 2304 may be configured to determine the type of surgical procedure being performed, read the corresponding checklist, product location, or setup requirements (e.g., from memory), and then compare the current operating room layout to a standard layout for the type of surgical procedure that the surgical hub 2304 has determined is being performed. In one example, the surgical hub 2304 may be configured to compare a list of items for the procedure (e.g., scanned by a suitable scanner) and / or a list of devices paired with the surgical hub 2304 to a recommended or expected manifest of items and / or devices for a given surgical procedure. If any discontinuities exist between lists, the surgical hub 2304 can be configured to provide alerts indicating that a particular modular device 2302, patient monitoring device 2324, and / or other surgical items are missing. For example, the surgical hub 2304 can be configured to determine the relative distance or relative position of the modular device 2302 and the patient monitoring device 2324, for instance, by proximity sensors. The surgical hub 2304 can then compare the relative positions of the devices to a recommended or expected layout for a particular surgical procedure. If any discontinuities exist between layouts, the surgical hub 2304 can be configured to provide alerts indicating that the current layout for the surgical procedure deviates from the recommended layout.

[0063] As another example, the situational awareness surgical hub 2304 can determine whether a surgeon (or other healthcare professional) is making an error or deviating from a set of actions expected during the course of a surgical procedure. For example, the surgical hub 2304 may be configured to determine the type of surgical procedure being performed, read a corresponding list of instrument usage steps or sequences (e.g., from memory), and then compare the steps or instruments being performed or used during the course of the surgical procedure with the steps or instruments expected for the type of surgical procedure that the surgical hub 2304 has determined is being performed. In one example, the surgical hub 2304 may be configured to provide an alert indicating that an unexpected action is being performed or an unexpected device is being used at a particular step in the surgical procedure.

[0064] Overall, the context-aware system for the surgical hub 2304 improves surgical outcomes by adjusting surgical instruments (and other modular devices 2302) for the specific context of each surgical procedure (e.g., for different tissue types) and by validating actions during the surgical procedure. The context-aware system also improves surgeon efficiency when performing surgical procedures by automatically suggesting the next steps, providing data, and adjusting the in-situ displays and other modular devices 2302 according to the specific context of the procedure.

[0065] Modular energy systems Due to the sheer volume of equipment required to perform surgical procedures, operating rooms worldwide have become a tangled web of cords, devices, and people. Surgical capital equipment tends to be the primary cause of this problem, as most of it performs a single, specialized task. Because of their specialized nature, surgeons may need to utilize multiple different types of equipment during a single surgical procedure, forcing operating rooms to stock two or even more pieces of surgical capital equipment, such as energy generators. Each of these pieces of surgical capital equipment must be individually plugged into a power source and may also be connected to one or more other devices passed among personnel in the operating room, leading to tangled cords and requiring guidance. Another problem faced in modern operating rooms is that each of these specialized pieces of surgical capital equipment must have its own user interface and be controlled independently of other pieces of equipment in the operating room. This makes it complex to connect and properly control multiple different devices, requiring users to be trained in and memorize different types of user interfaces (which may be further modified based on the task or surgical procedure being performed, in addition to changes between each piece of capital equipment). This cumbersome and complex process may require more individuals to be present in the operating room and can create danger if multiple devices are not properly controlled to each other. Therefore, integrating surgical capital equipment technology into a single system that flexibly addresses the surgeon's need to reduce the footprint of surgical capital equipment in the operating room would simplify the user experience, reduce clutter in the operating room, and prevent the difficulties and dangers associated with simultaneously controlling multiple pieces of capital equipment. Furthermore, making such a system scalable or customizable would allow new technologies to be conveniently incorporated into existing surgical systems, eliminating the need to replace the entire surgical system or requiring operating room personnel to learn new user interfaces or equipment controls for each new technology.

[0066] As illustrated in Figures 1 to 3, the surgical hub 106 can be configured to interchangeably accept various modules, which can then interface with surgical devices (e.g., surgical instruments or smoke exhausters) or provide various other functions (e.g., communication). In one embodiment, the surgical hub 106 can be embodied as a modular energy system 2000, as shown in relation to Figures 6 to 12. The modular energy system 2000 may include various different modules 2001 that are interconnected in a stacked configuration. In one embodiment, the modules 2001 can be physically and communicatively linked when stacked or when otherwise connected together to form a single assembly. Furthermore, the modules 2001 may be interchangeably connected in different combinations or arrangements. In one embodiment, each module 2001 may include a consistent or universal array of connectors arranged along their upper and lower surfaces, thereby enabling any module 2001 to be connected to another module 2001 in any arrangement (however, in some embodiments, certain module types, such as header modules 2002, may be configured to function, for example, as modules positioned at the top of a stack). In an alternative embodiment, the modular energy system 2000 may include housings configured to receive and hold modules 2001, as shown in Figure 3. The modular energy system 2000 may also include a variety of different components or accessories that can be connected to or otherwise associated with modules 2001. In yet another embodiment, the modular energy system 2000 may be embodied as a generator module 140 (Figure 3) of the surgical hub 106. In yet another embodiment, the modular energy system 2000 may be a system separate from the surgical hub 106. In this embodiment, the modular energy systems 2000 may be connectable to the surgical hub 206 in a communicative manner for transmitting and / or receiving data between them.

[0067] The modular energy system 2000 can be assembled from various different modules 2001, some examples of which are shown in Figure 6. Each of the different types of modules 2001 can provide a different function, thereby allowing the modular energy system 2000 to be assembled into different configurations and thus the functions and capabilities of the modular energy system 2000 to be customized by customizing the modules 2001 included in each modular energy system 2000. The modules 2001 of the modular energy system 2000 may include, for example, a header module 2002 (which may include a display screen 2006), an energy module 2004, a technology module 2040, and a visualization module 2042. In the illustrated embodiment, the header module 2002 is configured to function as the top or topmost module in the modular energy system stack and therefore may lack connectors along its top surface. In another embodiment, the header module 2002 may be configured to be located at the bottom of the modular energy system stack or to be the bottommost module and therefore may lack connectors along its bottom surface. In yet another embodiment, the header module 2002 may be configured to be positioned in an intermediate location within the modular energy system stack and therefore may include connectors along both its bottom and top surfaces. The header module 2002 may be configured to control system-wide settings for each module 2001 and its connected components through a physical control unit 2011 on the header module 2002 and / or through a graphical user interface (GUI) 2008 displayed on a display screen 2006. Such settings may include the startup of the modular energy system 2000, alarm volume settings, foot switch settings, setting icons, the appearance or configuration of the user interface, the surgeon profile logged into the modular energy system 2000, and / or the type of surgical procedure being performed.The header module 2002 may also be configured to provide communication, processing, and / or power to module 2001 connected to the header module 2002. The energy module 2004, which may also be referred to as generator module 140 (Figure 3), may be configured to generate one or more energy modalities for driving electrosurgical and / or ultrasonic surgical instruments connected to it. The technology module 2040 may be configured to provide additional or extended control algorithms (e.g., electrosurgical or ultrasonic control algorithms for controlling the energy output of energy module 2004). The visualization module 2042 may be configured to interface with a visualization device (i.e., a scope) and thus can provide enhanced visualization capabilities.

[0068] The modular energy system 2000 may further include various accessories 2029 that are connectable to module 2001 to control the functions of module 2001, or otherwise configured to function in conjunction with the modular energy system 2000. Examples of accessories 2029 may include a single-pedal footswitch 2032, a dual-pedal footswitch 2034, and a cart 2030 for supporting the modular energy system 2000. Footswitches 2032 and 2034 may be configured, for example, to control the activation or function of specific energy modalities output by energy module 2004.

[0069] By utilizing modular components, the illustrated modular energy system 2000 provides a surgical platform that grows with the availability of technology and can be customized to the needs of facilities and / or surgeons. Furthermore, the modular energy system 2000 supports combo devices (e.g., electrosurgical and ultrasonic energy dual generators) and software-driven algorithms for customized effects on tissue. Moreover, the surgical system architecture reduces the footprint of capital equipment by combining multiple technologies crucial for surgical procedures into a single system.

[0070] Various modular components available in connection with the modular energy system 2000 may include unipolar energy generators, bipolar energy generators, dual electrosurgical / ultrasonic energy generators, display screens, and various other modules and / or other components, some of which are also described above in relation to Figures 1 to 3.

[0071] Referring here to Figure 7A, the header module 2002 may, in some embodiments, include a display screen 2006 that displays a GUI 2008 for relaying information about modules 2001 connected to the header module 2002. In some embodiments, the GUI 2008 on the display screen 2006 can provide an integrated control point for all modules 2001 constituting a particular configuration of the modular energy system 2000. Various embodiments of the GUI 2008 are discussed below in more detail with reference to Figure 12. In alternative embodiments, the header module 2002 may lack a display screen 2006, or the display screen 2006 may be detachably connected to the housing 2010 of the header module 2002. In such embodiments, the header module 2002 may be communicably connected to an external system configured to display information generated by modules 2001 of the modular energy system 2000. For example, in a robotic surgery application, the modular energy system 2000 may be communicatively connected to a robotic cart or robotic control console, which is configured to display information generated by the modular energy system 2000 to the operator of the robotic surgery system. In another example, the modular energy system 2000 may be communicatively connected to a mobile display, which is carried by or attached to the surgical staff so that information can be viewed on the mobile display. In yet another example, the modular energy system 2000 may be communicatively connected to another computer system which may include a surgical hub 2100 or a display 2104, as shown in Figure 11.In embodiments utilizing a user interface that is separate from or otherwise distinguishable from the modular energy system 2000, the user interface may be wirelessly connectable to the entire modular energy system 2000, or to one or more modules 2001 thereof, so that the user interface can display information from the connected modules 2001.

[0072] Referring further to Figure 7A, the energy module 2004 may include a port assembly 2012 containing several different ports, each configured to deliver different energy modalities to corresponding surgical instruments connectable to its respective port. In the particular embodiments shown in Figures 6–12, the port assembly 2012 includes a bipolar port 2014, a first unipolar port 2016a, a second unipolar port 2016b, a neutral port 2018 (to which a unipolar return pad can be connected), and a combined energy port 2020. However, this particular combination of ports is provided for illustrative purposes only, and alternative combinations of ports and / or energy modalities may be possible for the port assembly 2012.

[0073] As described above, the modular energy system 2000 can be assembled into different configurations. Furthermore, different configurations of the modular energy system 2000 may also be available for different surgical procedure types and / or different tasks. For example, Figures 7A and 7B show a first exemplary configuration of the modular energy system 2000, which includes a header module 2002 (including a display screen 2006) and an energy module 2004 connected together. Such a configuration may be suitable, for example, for laparoscopic and open surgical procedures.

[0074] Figure 8A shows a second exemplary configuration of the modular energy system 2000, which includes a header module 2002 (including a display screen 2006) connected together, a first energy module 2004a, and a second energy module 2004b. By stacking the two energy modules 2004a and 2004b, the modular energy system 2000 can provide a pair of port assemblies 2012a and 2012b for extending the array of energy modalities deliverable from the first configuration by the modular energy system 2000. Thus, the second configuration of the modular energy system 2000 can accommodate two or more bipolar / unipolar electrosurgical instruments, three or more bipolar / unipolar electrosurgical instruments, and so on. Such a configuration may be particularly suitable for complex laparoscopic and open surgical procedures. Figure 8B shows a third exemplary configuration similar to the second configuration, except that the header module 2002 lacks the display screen 2006. As described above, this configuration may be suitable for robotic surgery applications or mobile display applications.

[0075] Figure 9 shows a fourth exemplary configuration of the modular energy system 2000, which includes a header module 2002 (including a display screen 2006) connected together, a first energy module 2004a, a second energy module 2004b, and a technology module 2040. Such a configuration may be particularly suitable for surgical applications requiring complex or computationally intensive control algorithms. Alternatively, the technology module 2040 may be a newly published module that complements or extends the functionality of a previously published module (such as energy module 2004).

[0076] Figure 10 shows a fifth exemplary configuration of the modular energy system 2000, which includes a header module 2002 (including a display screen 2006) connected together, a first energy module 2004a, a second energy module 2004b, a technology module 2040, and a visualization module 2042. Such a configuration may be suitable for endoscopic procedures by providing a dedicated surgical display 2044 for relaying video feeds from a scope connected to the visualization module 2042. It should be noted that the configurations shown in Figures 7A to 11 and described above are provided merely to illustrate various concepts of the modular energy system 2000 and should not be interpreted as limiting the modular energy system 2000 to any particular configuration described above.

[0077] As described above, the modular energy system 2000 can be communicably connected to an external system, such as a surgical hub 2100, as shown in Figure 11. Such an external system may include a display screen 2104 for displaying visual feeds from an endoscope (or camera or another such visualization device) and / or data from the modular energy system 2000. Such an external system may also include a computer system 2102 for performing calculations, or for analyzing data generated or provided by the modular energy system 2000 in other ways, for controlling the functions or modes of the modular energy system 2000, and / or for relaying data to a cloud computing system or another computer system. Such an external system may also coordinate the operation between multiple modular energy systems 2000 and / or other surgical systems (e.g., visualization system 108 and / or robotic system 110, as described in relation to Figures 1 and 2).

[0078] Next, referring to Figure 12, in some embodiments, the header module 2002 may include or support a display 2006 configured to display the GUI 2008 as described above. In addition to displaying information, the display screen 2006 may include a touchscreen for receiving input from the user. The control units displayed on the GUI 2008 may correspond to modules 2001 connected to the header module 2002. In some embodiments, different parts or areas of the GUI 2008 may correspond to specific modules 2001. For example, a first part or area of ​​the GUI 2008 may correspond to a first module, and a second part or area of ​​the GUI 2008 may correspond to a second module. When different and / or additional modules 2001 are connected to the modular energy system stack, the GUI 2008 may be configured to correspond to different and / or additional control units for each newly added module 2001, or to remove the control units of each module 2001 that is removed. Each portion of the display corresponding to a specific module connected to the header module 2002 can display the control unit, data, user prompts, and / or other information corresponding to that module. For example, in Figure 12, the first or upper portion 2052 of the illustrated GUI 2008 displays the control unit and data associated with the energy module 2004 connected to the header module 2002. Specifically, the first portion 2052 of the GUI 2008 for the energy module 2004 provides a first widget 2056a corresponding to a bipolar port 2014, a second widget 2056b corresponding to a first unipolar port 2016a, a third widget 2056c corresponding to a second unipolar port 2016b, and a fourth widget 2056d corresponding to a combined energy port 2020. Each of these widgets 2056a to d provides a control unit for controlling data related to the corresponding port of the widget in the port assembly 2012, and the mode and other features of the energy modality delivered by the energy module 2004 through each port of the port assembly 2012.For example, widgets 2056a to d may be configured to display the power level of the surgical instrument connected to each port, and to change the operating mode of the surgical instrument connected to each port (for example, changing the surgical instrument from a first power level to a second power level, and / or changing a unipolar surgical instrument from "spray" mode to "blend" mode).

[0079] In one embodiment, the header module 2002 may include various physical control units 2011 in addition to or instead of the GUI 2008. Such physical control units 2011 may include, for example, power buttons that control the application of power to each module 2001 connected to the header module 2002 in the modular energy system 2000. Alternatively, the power buttons may be displayed as part of the GUI 2008. Thus, the header module 2002 can function as a single point of contact, eliminating the need to individually start and deactivate each individual module 2001 that makes up the modular energy system 2000.

[0080] In one embodiment, the header module 2002 can display still images, videos, moving images, and / or information associated with the surgical module 2001 on which the modular energy system 2000 is constructed, or with a surgical device communicatively connected to the modular energy system 2000. Still images and / or videos displayed by the header module 2002 can be received from an endoscope or another visualization device communicatively connected to the modular energy system 2000. Moving images and / or information in GUI2008 can be overlaid on or adjacent to the image or video feed.

[0081] In one embodiment, modules 2001 other than the header module 2002 can similarly be configured to relay information to the user. For example, the energy module 2004 may include optical assemblies 2015 arranged around each of the ports of the port assembly 2012. The optical assemblies 2015 can be configured to relay information about the ports to the user according to their color or state (e.g., blinking). For example, the optical assemblies 2015 can change from a first color to a second color when a plug is fully seated in each port. In one embodiment, the color or state of the optical assemblies 2015 may be controlled by the header module 2002. For example, the header module 2002 can cause the optical assembly 2015 of each port to display a color corresponding to the port color display on the GUI 2008.

[0082] Figure 13 is a block diagram of a standalone hub configuration of the modular energy system 3000 according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure, and Figure 14 is a block diagram of a hub configuration of the modular energy system 3000 integrated with a surgical control system 3010 according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure. As shown in Figures 13 and 14, the modular energy system 3000 can be used as a standalone unit or integrated with a surgical control system 3010 that controls and / or receives data from one or more surgical hub units. In the embodiments shown in Figures 13 and 14, the integrated header / UI module 3002 of the modular energy system 3000 includes a header module and a UI module integrated together as a single module. In other aspects, the header module and the UI module may be provided as separate components that are communicably connected via a data bus 3008.

[0083] As shown in Figure 13, an example of a standalone modular energy system 3000 includes an integrated header module / user interface (UI) module 3002 connected to an energy module 3004. Power and data are transmitted between the integrated header / UI module 3002 and the energy module 3004 through a power interface 3006 and a data interface 3008. For example, the integrated header / UI module 3002 can send various commands to the energy module 3004 through the data interface 3008. Such commands may be based on user input from the UI. As a further example, power may be transmitted to the energy module 3004 through the power interface 3006.

[0084] In Figure 14, the surgical hub configuration includes a modular energy system 3000 integrated with a control system 3010, and, in particular, an interface system 3022 for managing data and power transmission to and / or from the modular energy system 3000. The modular energy system shown in Figure 14 includes an integrated header module / UI module 3002, a first energy module 3004, and a second energy module 3012. In one embodiment, a data transmission path is established between the system control unit 3024 of the control system 3010 and the second energy module 3012 (through the first energy module 3004) and the header / UI module 3002 (through the data interface 3008). In addition, a power path extends between the integrated header / UI module 3002 and the second energy module 3012 through the power interface 3006 and through the first energy module 3004. In other words, in one embodiment, the first energy module 3004 is configured to function as a power and data interface between the second energy module 3012 and the integrated header / UI module 3002 via a power interface 3006 and a data interface 3008. This configuration allows the modular energy system 3000 to be expanded by seamlessly connecting additional energy modules to the energy modules 3004 and 3012 already connected to the integrated header / UI module 3002, without requiring dedicated power and energy interfaces within the integrated header / UI module 3002.

[0085] A system control unit 3024, which may be referred to herein as a control circuit, control logic, microprocessor, microcontroller, logic, FPGA, or various combinations thereof, is connected to a system interface 3022 via an energy interface 3026 and an appliance communication interface 3028. The system interface 3022 is connected to a first energy module 3004 via a first energy interface 3014 and a first appliance communication interface 3016. The system interface 3022 is connected to a second energy module 3012 via a second energy interface 3018 and a second appliance communication interface 3020. When additional modules, such as additional energy modules, are stacked within the modular energy system 3000, additional energy and communication interfaces are provided between the system interface 3022 and the additional modules.

[0086] Energy modules 3004, 3012 are connectable to a hub and can be configured to generate electrosurgical energy (e.g., bipolar or unipolar), ultrasonic energy, or a combination thereof (referred to herein as “high-energy” modules) for various energy surgical instruments. Generally, energy modules 3004, 3012 include a hardware / software interface, an ultrasonic controller, a high-energy RF controller, a bipolar RF controller, and a control algorithm executed by a controller that receives the output from the controllers and controls the operation of the various energy modules 3004, 3012 accordingly. In various aspects of this disclosure, the controller described herein may be implemented as a control circuit, control logic, microprocessor, microcontroller, logic, or FPGA, or a combination thereof.

[0087] In one embodiment, referring to Figures 13 and 14, the modules of the modular energy system 3000 may include optical links that enable high-speed communication (10–50 Mb / sec) across the patient's isolation boundary. These links transmit device communications, relaxation signals (such as watchdog signals), and low-bandwidth runtime data. In some embodiments, the optical link(s) do not include real-time sampling data that can be performed on the non-isolated side.

[0088] In one embodiment, referring to Figures 13 and 14, a module of the modular energy system 3000 may include a multifunction circuit block capable of (i) reading the present resistance value via an A / D and current source, (ii) communicating with legacy instruments via the hand switch Q protocol, (iii) communicating with instruments via the local bus 1-Wire protocol, and (iv) communicating with CAN FD-compatible surgical instruments. When a surgical instrument is properly identified by the energy generator module, the associated pin functions and communication circuits are activated, while other unused functions are disabled or disconnected and set to a high impedance state.

[0089] In one embodiment, referring to Figures 13 and 14, a module of the modular energy system 3000 may include a pulse / stimulus / auxiliary amplifier. This is a flexible amplifier based on a full-bridge output and incorporates functional isolation. This allows its differential output to reference any output connection on the applied portion (except, in some embodiments, a unipolar active electrode). The amplifier output may be either small signal linear (pulse / stimulus) with waveform drive provided by a DAC or square wave drive, with moderate output power for DC applications such as DC motors, lighting, and FET drives. Output voltage and current are sensed by functionally isolated voltage and current feedback to provide accurate impedance and power measurements to the FPGA. Paired with a CAN FD-enabled device, this output can provide motor / motion control drive, while position or velocity feedback is provided by a CAN FD interface for closed-loop control.

[0090] As described in more detail herein, a modular energy system comprises a header module and one or more functional or surgical modules. In various examples, a modular energy system is a modular energy system. In various examples, a surgical module includes an energy module, a communication module, and a user interface module, but a surgical module is assumed to be any suitable type of functional or surgical module for use with a modular energy system.

[0091] Modular energy systems offer many advantages in surgical procedures, as described above in relation to modular energy systems 2000 (Figures 6-12) and 3000 (Figures 13-15). However, cable management and setup / tear-out times can be a major deterrent. Various aspects of this disclosure provide a modular energy system having a single power cable and a single current switch for controlling the startup and shutdown of the entire modular energy system, thereby eliminating the need to individually start and stop each individual module in which the modular energy system is constructed. Furthermore, various aspects of this disclosure provide a modular energy system having a power management scheme that facilitates safety and, in some cases, simultaneous delivery to the modules of the modular energy system.

[0092] In various embodiments, as shown in Figure 15, the modular energy system 6000 is similar in many respects to the modular energy systems 2000 (Figures 6-12) and 3000 (Figures 13-15). For brevity, various details of the modular energy system 6000 that are similar to the modular energy system 2000 and / or the modular energy system 3000 are not repeated herein.

[0093] The modular energy system 6000 comprises a header module 6002 and "N" surgical modules 6004, where "N" is an integer greater than or equal to 1. In various examples, the modular energy system 6000 includes UI modules, such as UI module 3030, and / or communication modules, such as communication module 3032. Furthermore, pass-through hub connectors connect the individual modules to each other in a stacked configuration. In the example in Figure 15, the header module 6002 is connected to the surgical modules 6004 via pass-through hub connectors 6005 and 6006.

[0094] The modular energy system 6000 features an exemplary power architecture consisting of a single AC / DC power supply 6003 that provides power to all surgical modules in the stack. The AC / DC power supply 6003 is housed within a header module 6002 and utilizes a power backplane 6008 to distribute power to each module in the stacked body. An example in Figure 15 shows three distinct power domains on the power backplane 6008: a primary power domain 6009, a standby power domain 6010, and an Ethernet switch power domain 6013.

[0095] In the example shown in Figure 15, the power backplane 6008 extends from the header module 6002 through a number of intermediate modules 6004 to the bottommost or furthest module in the stack. In various embodiments, the power backplane 6008 is configured to deliver power to surgical modules 6004 through one or more other surgical modules 6004 located ahead of it in the stacked body. The surgical modules 6004, receiving power from the header module 6002, can be coupled to surgical instruments or tools configured to deliver therapeutic energy to the patient.

[0096] The primary power domain 6009 is the primary power source for the functional module-specific circuits 6013, 6014, and 6015 of modules 6002 and 6004. It consists of a single voltage rail provided to all modules. In at least one embodiment, the nominal voltage of 60V can be selected to be higher than the local rail required by any module, and as a result, the module can implement buck regulating exclusively, which is generally more efficient than boost regulating.

[0097] In various embodiments, the primary power domain 6009 is controlled by the header module 6002. In a particular example, a local power switch 6018 is located on the header module 6002, as shown in Figure 15. In a particular example, a remote on / off interface 6016 may be configured to control, for example, the system power control unit 6017 on the header module 6002. In at least one embodiment, the remote on / off interface 6016 is configured to transmit pulsed individual commands (separate commands for on and off) and power state telemetry signals. In various embodiments, the primary power domain 6009 is configured to distribute power to all modules in a stacked configuration after power-up initiated by the user.

[0098] In various embodiments, as shown in Figure 16, the modules of the modular energy system 6000 can be connected to a header module 6002 and / or to each other via a communication (serial bus / Ethernet) interface 6040, so that data or other information is shared by and between the modules that make up the modular energy system. The Ethernet switch domain 6013 can be derived, for example, from the primary power domain 6009. The Ethernet® switch power domain 6013 is isolated into a separate power domain configured to supply power to the Ethernet® switches in each module in the stacked configuration, so that the primary communication interface 6040 remains operational when local power to the modules is removed. In at least one embodiment, the primary communication interface 6040 comprises a 1000BASE-T Ethernet network, where each module represents a node on the network, and each module downstream of the header module 6002 includes a 3-port Ethernet switch for routing traffic to local modules or for properly passing data upstream or downstream.

[0099] Furthermore, in certain examples, the modular energy system 6000 includes a secondary, low-speed, inter-module communication interface for critical power-related functions, including module power sequencing and module power status. The secondary communication interface may be, for example, a multi-drop local interconnect network (LIN), where the header module is the master and all downstream modules are slaves.

[0100] In various embodiments, as shown in Figure 15, the standby power domain 6010 is a separate output from the AC / DC power supply 6003, which is always operational when the power source is connected to the main power supply 6020. The standby power domain 6010 is used by all modules in the system to power circuits for relaxed communication interfaces and to control local power to each module. Furthermore, the standby power domain 6010 is configured to provide power to circuits that are important in standby mode, such as on / off command detection, status LEDs, and secondary communication buses.

[0101] In various configurations, as shown in Figure 15, individual surgical modules 6004 lack independent power sources and therefore rely on header modules 6002 to supply power in a stacked configuration. Only header modules 6002 are directly connected to the main power supply 6020. Surgical modules 6004 lack a direct connection to the main power supply 6020 and can only receive power in a stacked configuration. This arrangement improves the safety of individual surgical modules 6004 and reduces the overall footprint of the modular energy system 6000. This arrangement further reduces the number of cords required for the proper operation of the modular energy system 6000, thereby reducing clutter and footprint in the operating room.

[0102] Therefore, in a stacked configuration, surgical instruments connected to the surgical module 6004 of the modular energy system 6000 receive energy for tissue treatment generated by the surgical module 6004 from power delivered to the surgical module 6004 from the AC / DC power supply 6003 of the header module 6002.

[0103] In at least one embodiment, while the header module 6002 is assembled with the first surgical module 6004' in a stacked configuration, energy can flow from the AC / DC power supply 6003 to the first surgical module 6004'. Furthermore, while the header module 6002 is assembled with the first surgical module 6004' (connected to the header module 6002) and the second surgical module 6004'' (connected to the first surgical module 6004') in a stacked configuration, energy can flow from the AC / DC power supply 6003 to the second surgical module 6004'' through the first surgical module 6004'.

[0104] Energy generated by the AC / DC power supply 6003 of the header module 6002 is transmitted through a segmented power backplane 6008 defined via a modular energy system 6000. In the example in Figure 15, the header module 6002 houses the power backplane segment 6008', the first surgical module 6004' houses the power backplane segment 6008'', and the second surgical module 6004'' houses the power backplane segment 6008'''. In a stacked configuration, the power backplane segment 6008' is detachably coupled to the power backplane segment 6008''. Furthermore, in a stacked configuration, the power backplane 6008'' is detachably coupled to the power backplane segment 6008'''. Thus, energy flows from the AC / DC power supply 6003 to the power backplane segment 6008', then to the power backplane segment 6008'', and then to the power backplane segment 6008''''.

[0105] In the example in Figure 15, power backplane segment 6008' is detachably connected to power backplane segment 6008'' via pass-through hub connectors 6005 and 6006 in the stacked configuration. Furthermore, power backplane segment 6008'' is detachably connected to power backplane segment 6008'''' via pass-through hub connectors 6025 and 6056 in the stacked configuration. In certain examples, removing a surgical module from the stacked configuration disconnects its connection to power supply 6003. For example, separating the second surgical module 6004'' from the first surgical module 6004' disconnects power backplane segment 6008'' from power backplane segment 6008''. However, as long as header module 6002 and the first surgical module 6004' remain in the stacked configuration, the connection between power backplane segment 6008'' and power backplane segment 6008'' remains intact. Therefore, energy can still flow to the first surgical module 6004'' through the connection between the header module 6002 and the first surgical module 6004'' after the second surgical module 6004'' has been cut. Separating the connected modules can be achieved in certain examples simply by pulling the surgical module 6004 apart.

[0106] In the example shown in Figure 15, each of modules 6002 and 6004 includes a relaxation module control unit 6023. The relaxation module control unit 6023 is coupled to a corresponding local power adjustment module 6024, which is configured to adjust power based on input from the relaxation module control unit 6023. In certain embodiments, the relaxation module control unit 6023 allows the header module 6002 to independently control the local power adjustment module 6024.

[0107] The modular energy system 6000 further includes a relaxation communication interface 6021, which includes a segmented communication backplane 6027 extending between relaxation module control units 6023. The segmented communication backplane 6027 is similar in many ways to the segmented power backplane 6008. Relaxation communication between the relaxation module control unit 6023 of the header module 6002 and the surgical module 6004 can be achieved through the segmented communication backplane 6027 defined through the modular energy system 6000. In the example of Figure 15, the header module 6002 houses the communication backplane segment 6027', the first surgical module 6004' houses the communication backplane segment 6027'', and the second surgical module 6004'' houses the communication backplane segment 6027'''. The communication backplane segment 6027' is detachably connected to the communication backplane segment 6027'' in a stacked configuration via pass-through hub connectors 6005 and 6006. Furthermore, the communication backplane 6027'' is detachably connected to the communication backplane segment 6027'' in a stacked configuration via pass-through hub connectors 6025 and 6026.

[0108] An example in Figure 15 shows that the modular energy system 6000 includes a header module 6002 and two surgical modules 6004', 6004'', but is not limited to these. Modular energy systems having more or fewer surgical modules are contemplated by this disclosure. In some embodiments, the modular energy system 6000 includes other modules, such as a communications module. In some embodiments, the header module 6502 supports a display screen, such as a display 2006 (Figure 7A), which renders a GUI, such as a GUI 2008, for relaying information about the modules connected to the header module 6002. The GUI 2008 on the display screen 2006 can provide an integrated control point for all the modules constituting a particular configuration of the modular energy system.

[0109] Figure 16 shows a simplified schematic diagram of the modular energy system 6000, illustrating the primary communication interface 6040 between the header module 6002 and the surgical module 6004. The primary communication interface 6040 enables communication between the module processors 6041, 6041', and 6041'' of the header module 6002 and the surgical module 6004. Commands generated by the module processor 6041 of the header module are transmitted downstream to the desired functional surgical module via the primary communication interface 6040. In certain examples, the primary communication interface 6040 is configured to establish a bidirectional communication path between adjacent modules. In other examples, the primary communication interface 6040 is configured to establish a unidirectional communication path between adjacent modules.

[0110] Furthermore, the primary communication interface 6040 also includes a segmented communication backplane 6031, which is in many respects similar to the segmented power backplane 6008. Communication between the header module 6002 and the surgical module 6004 can be achieved via the segmented communication backplane 6031 defined through the modular energy system 6000. In the example of Figure 16, the header module 6002 houses the communication backplane segment 6031', the first surgical module 6004' houses the communication backplane segment 6031'', and the second surgical module 6004'' houses the communication backplane segment 6031'''. The communication backplane segment 6031' is detachably connected to the communication backplane segment 6031'' in a stacked configuration via pass-through hub connectors 6005, 6006. Furthermore, the communication backplane 6031'' is detachably connected to the communication backplane segment 6031'' in the stacked configuration via pass-through hub connectors 6025 and 6026.

[0111] In at least one example, as shown in Figure 16, the primary communication interface 6040 is implemented using a DDS framework running on a Gigabit Ethernet interface. Module processors 6041, 6041', 6041'' are connected to Gigabit Ethernet Phy 6044 and Gigabit Ethernet switches 6042', 6042''. In the example in Figure 16, the segmented communication backplane 6031 connects the adjacent module's Gigabit Ethernet Phy 6044 and Gigabit Ethernet switch 6042.

[0112] In various embodiments, as shown in Figure 16, the header module 6002 includes a separate Gigabit Ethernet Phy 6045 for an external communication interface 6043 with the processor module 6041 of the header module 6002. In at least one embodiment, the processor module 6041 of the header module 6002 handles firewall and information routing.

[0113] Referring to Figure 15, the AC / DC power supply 6003 may provide an AC status signal 6011 indicating the loss of AC power supplied by the AC / DC power supply 6003. The AC status signal 6011 is provided to all modules of the modular energy system 6000 via a segmented power backplane 6008, allowing each module to tolerate as much time as possible for a graceful shutdown before primary output power is lost. The AC status signal 6011 is received, for example, by module-specific circuits 6013, 6014, and 6015. In various examples, the system power control unit 6017 may be configured to detect AC power loss. In at least one embodiment, AC power loss is detected via one or more preferred sensors.

[0114] Referring to Figures 15 and 16, the primary power inputs to all modules can be fused, or similar current limiting methods (e-fuses, circuit breakers, etc.) can be used, to ensure that a localized power failure in one of the modules of the modular energy system 6000 does not disable the entire power bus. Furthermore, the Ethernet switch power is isolated to a separate power domain 6013 so that the primary communication interface 6040 remains operational when localized power to the module is removed. In other words, primary power can be removed and / or diverted from the surgical modules without losing its ability to communicate with other surgical modules 6004 and / or header module 6002.

[0115] Overmolded light pipe with mounting mechanism While general implementations of headers and modules for modular energy systems 2000, 3000, and 6000 have been described, this disclosure now describes various other embodiments of modular energy systems. These other modular energy systems are substantially similar to modular energy systems 2000, 3000, and / or 6000. For brevity, various details of these other modular energy systems, similar to those of modular energy systems 2000, 3000, and / or 6000, will not be repeated in the following sections. Any embodiment of the other modular energy systems described below can be incorporated into modular energy systems 2000, 3000, or 6000.

[0116] As referenced elsewhere in this specification, modules of a modular energy system may include several different ports configured to deliver different energy modalities to corresponding surgical instruments to which they are connected. For example, an energy module 2004 may include a port assembly 2012 which includes a bipolar port 2014, a first unipolar port 2016a, a second unipolar port 2016b, a neutral pole port 2018 (to which a unipolar return pad can be connected), and a combined energy port 2020.

[0117] In one embodiment, ports 2012, 2014, 2016a, 2016b, 2018, and 2020 can be configured to relay information to the user. For example, any of ports 2012, 2014, 2016a, 2016b, 2018, and 2020 may include an optical assembly 2015 that can be configured to relay information about the port to the user according to its color or state (e.g., blinking, solid, patterned, etc.). For example, the optical assembly 2015 may change from a first color to a second color when a plug is fully seated in its respective port. As another example, the optical assembly 2015 may blink a color such as red when a plug is improperly seated in its respective port. In one embodiment, the color or state of the optical assembly 2015 can be controlled by a header module 2002. For example, the header module 2002 may cause the optical assembly 2015 of each port to display a color corresponding to the port color display on the GUI 2008. Various other embodiments are envisioned in which a port may illuminate in any number of colors for the purpose of communicating information to the user, such as when the port is available, when the port is unavailable, when there is a problem with the port, or the energy level associated with the port.

[0118] Since the light generated by the energy module 2004 and the optical assembly 2015 can provide the user with important information regarding the current state and function of the ports in the port assembly 2012, it is crucial that the light generated for each port is only visible where intended. For example, it is important that the light emitted to transmit information for one port, such as the bipolar port 2014, is not inadvertently illuminated through the energy module 2004 and not seen elsewhere on the energy module, such as a unipolar port 2016a adjacent to the bipolar port 2014. This inadvertent light could confuse clinicians regarding the information the energy module is trying to transmit.

[0119] In various embodiments, the light assembly 2015 may include a light pipe, which is a material intended to allow light to move while diffusing, thereby increasing the apparent brightness of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB) within the module, while also providing the user with a more attractive user interface. In one embodiment, if a gap is defined between the light pipe and any of the surrounding components, the light may inadvertently illuminate other areas that are not intended to be illuminated, such as exiting through another port in the energy module. Therefore, there is a need to ensure that the light illuminates only the intended areas. Furthermore, it is desirable that the light pipe be mounted on the enclosure of the energy module. Mounting the light pipe on the enclosure facilitates the assembly of the port and enclosure while allowing for the rapid replacement of the enclosure if any component of the port needs to be replaced.

[0120] Referring to Figure 17, a port module 400 is provided according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure. In one aspect, the port module 400 may include a receptacle 402, a light pipe 404 surrounding the receptacle 402, and a mounting mechanism 410 extending from the light pipe 404. While the port module shown in Figure 17 is intended for use as one type of port module 400 (such as a unipolar port module, a bipolar port module, a neutral pole port module, or a combined energy port module), it should be understood that the port module may be sized and configured for use as other types of port modules, such as the port module 401 shown in Figure 18, which includes a different number of openings to accept a different type of plug than the port module 400.

[0121] In various embodiments, the mounting mechanism 410 may include a mounting arm 412 and an opening 414 defined in the mounting arm 412. As shown in Figures 23 and 24, for example, the opening 414 may be sized to receive fasteners 415, such as screws, through it for mounting the port module 400 to the enclosure 406 of the energy module 408. In various embodiments, as shown in Figure 24, the port module 400 may be mounted on the inner surface 407 of the enclosure 406. Various other embodiments are conceivable in which the port module 400 may be mounted on different parts of the enclosure 406, such as the outer surface of the enclosure 406.

[0122] In various embodiments, the mounting mechanism 410 may further include an alignment rail that can assist in properly aligning the opening 414 of the mounting mechanism 410 with a corresponding mounting hole 418 defined in the enclosure 406, as shown in Figure 25, which is sized to receive fasteners 415 for mounting the port module 400 to the enclosure 406. In one embodiment, the alignment rail can be received by a track defined by the enclosure 406 and guided to operably align the opening 414 with the mounting hole 418 of the enclosure 406. The alignment rail and track can ensure that the port module 400 is properly received and positioned within the opening 420 defined in the enclosure 406, as shown in Figure 25. In various embodiments, the port module 400 may further include an auxiliary alignment rail in another area of ​​the light pipe 404 that does not include the mounting mechanism 410, to further assist in aligning the port module 400 with the corresponding opening 420 defined in the enclosure 406. Similar to the alignment rail, an auxiliary alignment rail can be received by a track to further assist in ensuring that the port module 400 is properly received and positioned within the opening 420 defined within the enclosure 406. In one embodiment, the alignment rail, auxiliary alignment rail, and track can be defined to ensure that the front of the port module 400 fits flush with the outer surface of the enclosure 406, thereby preventing the port module 400 from "protruding" beyond the front of the enclosure 406. In various embodiments, a mounting arm 412 can be received by a mounting boss within the enclosure 406. The mounting arm 412 can be positioned on the light pipe 404 so as not to nominally contact the mounting boss of the enclosure 406, which could cause forward biasing, and to ensure that the alignment rail contacts the inner surface of the enclosure 406.

[0123] As shown in Figure 17, the port module 400 may include two mounting mechanisms 410 extending from the light pipe 404 to enable the port module 400 to be mounted to the enclosure 406 of the energy module 408. The mounting mechanisms 410 can extend from opposing corners of the port module 400 to provide a secure connection of the port module 400 to the enclosure 406. The use of at least two mounting mechanisms 410 can ensure that the port module 400 does not rotate from its intended position when mounted to the enclosure 406. Although two mounting mechanisms 410 are shown and described, any number of mounting mechanisms 410 can be utilized to couple the port module 400 to the enclosure 406. The mounting mechanism 410 is shown to extend from opposing corners of the light pipe 404, but the mounting mechanism 410 can extend from any suitable position on the light pipe 404 to ensure a secure connection between the port module 400 and the enclosure 406 in order to hold the port module 400 within each opening 420. The mounting mechanism 410 can also be sized and positioned so that the opening 414 of the mounting mechanism 410 is operably aligned with a mounting hole 418 defined in the enclosure 406, so that the fastener 415 can extend through both the opening 414 and the mounting hole 418 to properly mount the port module 400 to the enclosure 406. In one embodiment, the opening 414 may include threads so that the opening 414 can be screwably connected to a fastener 415 which is also screwably connected to the mounting hole 418 in the enclosure 406.

[0124] In one embodiment, light emitted from the light pipe 404 can radiate laterally from there and enter the mounting mechanism 410, which may cause the generation of a bright spot or a dull spot within the port module 400. In various embodiments, the mounting mechanism 410 is located at a distance d fIt can extend from the light pipe 404 such that it is defined between the front surface 438 of the mounting mechanism 410 and the front surface 439 of the light pipe 404. Distance d f The mounting mechanism 410 can be selected to reduce the occurrence of bright or dull spots caused by light emitted from the light pipe 404 entering the area of ​​the mounting mechanism 410. In various embodiments, the cross-sectional area at the interface between the mounting arm 412 of the mounting mechanism 410 and the body of the light pipe 404 can be reduced to further minimize light loss. In one embodiment, the above-described improvements can reduce the occurrence of inconsistent output from the light pipe 404. In various embodiments, the mounting mechanism 410 can be made of a light-diffusing material such as opaque plastic.

[0125] In various embodiments, the enclosure 406 of the energy module 408 can define a predetermined compartment 422, as shown in Figures 24 and 25, in which a port module 400 can be accommodated. In one embodiment, the mounting mechanism 410 can be sized such that the port module 400 can be housed within a predetermined compartment 422 defined within the enclosure 406, including an opening 420. In various embodiments, the enclosure 406 can define a number of ribs 421 that can separate the predetermined compartment 422 of the enclosure 406. The ribs 421 can be sized and positioned to prevent light bleeding from compartment 422 to compartment 422, as will be described in more detail below, ensuring that light emitted in one compartment 422 for one port module 400 is not inadvertently seen in another compartment 422 containing a second port module 400. The ribs 421 are shown as being defined by the enclosure 406 to separate a given section 422, but any number of ribs 421 can be utilized in other areas of the enclosure 406 to further suppress the movement of light within the enclosure 406. In various embodiments, the ribs 421 and the enclosure 406 can be a single integrated structure. For example, the enclosure 406 and the ribs 421 can be formed together by an injection molding process. In various embodiments, the ribs 421 can be a separate component that can be removable or permanently attached to the enclosure 406. For example, the ribs 421 can be part of a separate component of a system that is positioned in place during the assembly of the enclosure 406.

[0126] In various embodiments, referring to Figures 23 to 25, each compartment 422 of the enclosure 406 can define a chimney 419 that can function as a light guide to direct light emitted from an LED to an icon present on the outer surface of the enclosure 406. The chimney 419 can illuminate the icon to convey various states associated with a port module 400 located within the compartment 422. In one embodiment, the chimney 419 may contain a very shallow diffusing material that can direct light to an external indicator for the purpose of conveying information to the user of the system. In one embodiment, the chimney can block the light from a dedicated LED for the indicator.

[0127] In various embodiments, the enclosure 406 may define a vent hole 423 that can function to dissipate heat generated within the energy module 408, as shown in Figures 24, 25, 26, and 27. During use of the energy module 408, light may exit through the vent hole 423 and strike other areas of the operating room, thus potentially confusing the clinician regarding which signal is being transmitted. In one embodiment, a rib 421 may be defined within the enclosure 406 to prevent light generated within the energy module 408 from leaking through the vent hole 423. In various other embodiments, the vent 423 may be angled, as shown in Figure 37 and described in more detail elsewhere in this specification, to further suppress light leakage from the energy module 408.

[0128] In one embodiment, referring again to Figure 17, the mounting mechanism 410 can be molded directly onto the light pipe 404. In various embodiments, the light pipe 404 and the mounting mechanism 410 can be a single integrated structure. In various embodiments, the light pipe 404 and the mounting mechanism 410 can be manufactured by a molding process, such as an injection molding process, for example. As will be described in more detail below, molding the mounting mechanism 410 directly onto the light pipe 404 ensures the precise positioning of the port module 400 relative to the opening 420 of the enclosure 406 when the port module 400 is mounted to the enclosure 406, and ensures the precise positioning of the light pipe 404 relative to the LEDs in the energy module 408. In various other embodiments, the light pipe 404 and the mounting mechanism 410 can be constructed separately and then joined together using a binder or the like. In various embodiments, the mounting mechanism 410 can be detachably coupled to the light pipe 404, for example, to allow for replacement of the mounting mechanism 410 in case of damage.

[0129] In various embodiments, referring here to Figure 22, the energy module 408 may include a control circuit 430 which can be positioned within the energy module 408 adjacent to an opening 420 of the energy module 408. The control circuit 430 may define a plurality of openings 432 which can be sized and positioned along the control circuit 430 to align with an opening 420 defined within the enclosure 406, so that a port module 400 can extend through both sets of openings 420, 432. In various embodiments, the control circuit 430 may include a plurality of LEDs positioned on the inner wall 407 and facing the openings 420. The plurality of LEDs may be grouped and positioned adjacent to the openings 420 defined within the enclosure 406 so that when information is transmitted to the user, a particular group of LEDs among the plurality of LEDs can be illuminated and light up through their respective openings 420. An exemplary LED on the control circuit can be seen in Figure 37.

[0130] In various embodiments, the port module 400 may include a port module circuit 434 that can be electrically coupled to a control circuit 430 when the port module 400 is coupled to an energy module 408. In one embodiment, the control circuit 430 may transmit a signal to the port module circuit 434 when the port module 400 is coupled to an enclosure 406, for the purpose of transmitting an electrical signal to an electrosurgical instrument coupled to the port module 400, as will be described in more detail below. In various embodiments, referring to Figure 17, the port module 400 may include a circuit holder 435 extending from a receptacle 402, which may be sized to hold the port module circuit 434.

[0131] As described above, the port module 400 may include a light pipe 404. The light pipe 404 can be optically coupled to each LED on the control circuit 430 so that the light pipe 404 can transmit optical information signals from the LEDs to the user of the energy module 408. In one embodiment, when an LED associated with one of the port modules 400 is lit, the light emitted from the LED can be emitted within and through the light pipe 404, increasing the apparent brightness of the light emitted from the LEDs and providing the user of the energy module 408 with the state of the port module 400 according to the light emitted by the LEDs. In various embodiments, the LEDs and light pipe 404 may emit solid light, flashing light, patterned light, or any other type of optical state to indicate information about the state of the port module 400 to the user. Furthermore, the LEDs and light pipe 404 may emit any number of colors depending on the state of the port module 400, such as operating state or energy level state. For example, the LED and light pipe 404 can emit a solid green light when the port module 400 is ready for use, a flashing red light when the port module 400 is not ready for use, and a patterned yellow light when the port module 400 is ready for use. Any number of colors and light states (solid, flashing, patterned, etc.) can be used to communicate information to the user.

[0132] As mentioned above, referring again to Figure 17, the port module 400 may include a receptacle 402. As shown in Figure 17, the periphery of the receptacle 402 may be defined by the inner surface of the light pipe 404. In various embodiments, the receptacle 402 may be sized to receive a plug from a corresponding surgical instrument, as shown in Figure 4 as an example. The receptacle 402 may include a rear wall 424 defining an opening 426 within it, and side walls 428 extending away from the rear wall 424. The size of the receptacle 402, as well as the size, location, and number of openings 426 defined within the rear wall 424, may be defined to correspond to the intended plugs of surgical instruments used with the port module 400. For example, in one embodiment, referring to Figure 17, the rear wall 424 may define three openings corresponding to one type of plug. In another exemplary embodiment, referring to Figure 18, the rear wall 424 of the port module 401 can define four openings corresponding to a second type of plug.

[0133] In various embodiments, referring here to Figure 26, the port module circuit 434 can be electrically coupled to a pin receptacle 436 located in an opening 426 in the rear wall 424. The pin receptacle 436 can communicate electrically with the port module circuit 434 and can be sized to receive pins from a plug of an electrosurgical instrument. When the pins of the plug are located inside the pin receptacle 436 and the port module circuit 434 is communicating electrically with the control circuit 430 of the energy module 408, the control circuit 430 of the energy module 408 can transmit electrical signals to the electrosurgical instrument.

[0134] In various embodiments, the receptacle 402 can be molded directly into the light pipe 404 to define a seal between them. In various embodiments, the light pipe 404 can be made of a first material and the receptacle 402 can be made of a second material, the first material having a higher melting temperature than the first material. The light pipe 404 can be injection molded with the first material to define the shape of the light pipe 404. Once the light pipe 404 is formed, the receptacle 402 can be injection molded with the second material into the formed light pipe 404 to define the rear wall 424 and the side walls 428. Once the second material is injected into the light pipe 404, an opening 426 can be defined in the rear wall 424 according to the intended use of the port module 400. Injection molding the receptacle 402 into the light pipe 404 allows for the formation of a seal between them, which prevents any unintentional light from leaking between the light pipe 404 and the receptacle 402. This molding process also ensures a strong bond between the light pipe 404 and the receptacle 402. The strong bond between the light pipe 404 and the receptacle 402 is important because a mounting mechanism 410 on the light pipe 404 is required to mount the port module 400 to the enclosure 406, and therefore, the strong bond is important to ensure accurate alignment between the port module 400 and the opening 420 of the enclosure 406.

[0135] As described above, a seal can be formed between the receptacle 402 and the light pipe 404. The seal can ensure that light from the light pipe 404 does not shine between the light pipe 404 and the receptacle 402, and that the port module 400 is properly mounted in the enclosure 406. In various embodiments, the receptacle 402 may be made of an opaque material. In one embodiment, the opaque material may include a plastic opaque material. As described above, since a seal is defined between the light pipe 404 and the opaque receptacle 402, the opaque material can prevent light emitted from the LEDs and light pipe 404 from inadvertently leaking and illuminating unintended areas of the energy module 408. As an example, the seal and opaque material can ensure that light emitted from the light pipe 404 of one group of LEDs and one port module 400 is not mistakenly seen at another location on the energy module 408, such as another port module 400.

[0136] In various embodiments, referring here to Figures 20 and 21, the port module 400 may further include engagement features that improve the mechanical strength and engagement between the light pipe 404 and other components of the port module 400, such as the receptacle 402. In one embodiment, the engagement mechanism may comprise an engagement arm 440 defined within the light pipe 404, extending toward and receiving into a notch 442 defined within the receptacle 402. The engagement arm 440 can engage with the notch 442, which can improve the engagement between the light pipe 404 and the receptacle 402. In various embodiments, the engagement arm 440 and the notch 442 may be defined at any suitable location on the port module 400 to improve the mechanical strength and engagement between the light pipe 404 and other components of the port module 400, such as the receptacle 402.

[0137] In various embodiments, referring to Figure 17, the light pipe 404 can define a stopper 416 that can define a recess for receiving an engaging member 417 (see Figure 21) extending from the receptacle 402 (Note: Figure 21 shows a hypothetical view of the light pipe 404 so that the outer surface of the receptacle 402 and the engaging member 417 extending therefrom can be seen while the receptacle 402 is positioned within the light pipe 404). In one embodiment, the stopper 416 and engaging member 417 of the receptacle 402 can be utilized to align the light pipe 404 with the receptacle 402. In one embodiment, the engaging member 417 can be received within the stopper 416 to create a flush relationship between the light pipe 404 and the receptacle 402 via a positive stop.

[0138] Light-shielding PCB insert As referenced elsewhere in this specification, modules of a modular energy system can utilize light for the purpose of transmitting information to users of the modular energy system. For example, ports 2012, 2014, 2016a, 2016b, 2018, and 2020 can be configured to relay information to users. For example, any of ports 2012, 2014, 2016a, 2016b, 2018, and 2020 may include an optical assembly 2015 that can be configured to relay information about the port to users according to their color or state (e.g., flashing, solid, patterned, etc.). For example, the optical assembly 2015 may change from a first color to a second color when a plug is fully seated in each port. As another example, the optical assembly 2015 may flash a color such as red when a plug is improperly seated in each port. In one embodiment, the color or state of the optical assembly 2015 may be controlled by a header module 2002. For example, the header module 2002 can display a color on the optical assembly 2015 of each port that corresponds to the port's color display on the GUI 2008. Various other embodiments are envisioned in which ports can illuminate in any number of colors to communicate information to the user, such as when a port is available, when a port is unavailable, when there is a problem with a port, or the port's energy level.

[0139] Since the light generated by the module provides the user with important information about the module's current state, it is important that the light generated by the module is visible only where intended. As described elsewhere in this specification, the module may include an enclosure, such as enclosure 406, which houses the module's components therein. In various embodiments, the enclosure may include an opening, such as an opening 420 defined therein, which is sized to accommodate a port module, such as a port module 400. The enclosure may further include a control circuit, such as a control circuit 430, which can control various functions of the module, such as controlling an LED that emits information to the user about the state of the port module 400, and controlling the amount or type of energy delivered to an electrosurgical instrument coupled to the port module. The control circuit may also include an opening, such as an opening 432, which may be sized and positioned adjacent to the opening of the enclosure so that the port module can extend through both the opening of the enclosure and the opening of the control circuit when the port module is coupled to an energy module. In various embodiments, as described above, the control circuit may further include an LED mounted on the control circuit. The LED can be positioned on the control circuit so that the light emitted from the LED can be directed toward the opening of the enclosure, thereby allowing information about the status of the port module to be conveyed to the user.

[0140] Referring here to Figure 31, when a port module 450, which can be similar to port module 400, extends through an opening defined within the enclosure 451 and an opening 452 defined within the control circuit 454, a gap 456 can be defined between the inner circumference of the opening 452 and the port module 450. As a result of the gap 456, light emitted from the LEDs on the control circuit 454 can leak through the gap 456 and be emitted into other areas of the enclosure 451. In some scenarios, the leaked light may enter another opening 452 defined in the control circuit, and light corresponding to one port module 450 may be inadvertently seen at the location of a different port module 450. As a result, the user may be confused about which port module 450 is illuminated and what information is being transmitted by the module. In other examples, the leaked light may also leak out of the enclosure 451 through a vent 458 defined on the side of the enclosure 451 and be seen elsewhere in the operating room. Therefore, in order to prevent inadvertent visibility of light in the enclosure 451 and other parts of the operating room, there is a need to block the reward light traveling through the gap 456.

[0141] Referring here to Figure 28, a light-shielding insert 460 according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure is provided. The light-shielding insert 460 may include a surface 462, a guide wall 464 extending from the surface 462, and a mounting mechanism 466 extending from the surface 462. Referring to Figures 29 and 30, the surface 462 of the light-shielding insert 460 may be defined such that when the light-shielding insert 460 is inserted into the opening 452 of the control circuit 454, the surface 462 seals the gap 456 to prevent light from leaking through the gap 456 to other areas of the enclosure 451.

[0142] As described above, the light-shielding insert 460 may include multiple mounting mechanisms 466. The mounting mechanisms 466 can be movable relative to the guide wall 464 between a stationary position (as shown in Figure 28) and a depressed position. In various embodiments, the mounting mechanisms 466 can be biased toward the stationary position. Six mounting mechanisms are shown in Figure 28, but more or fewer mounting mechanisms 466 may be used.

[0143] In various embodiments, the mounting mechanism 466 may include a base 468 extending from the surface 462, a lip 470 extending from the base 468, and an actuator portion 472 extending from the base 468. In various embodiments, the lip 470 may extend laterally with respect to the base 468 and the actuator portion 472. In various embodiments, the light-shielding insert 460 may be removably coupled to the control circuit 454 so as to cover the gap 456. During operation, the guide wall 464 and the mounting mechanism 466 may be inserted through the opening 452 of the control circuit 454 toward the opening of the enclosure 451. As the light-shielding insert 460 moves through the opening 452 of the control circuit 454, the lip 470 of the mounting mechanism 466 may engage with the inner circumference of the opening 452. The opening 452 allows the mounting mechanism 466 to rotate toward a depressed position, enabling the lip 470 to pass from the first side of the control circuit 454 through the opening 452 to the second side of the control circuit 454. As the lip 470 moves beyond the opening 452, the mounting mechanism 466 can snap back to a stationary position, where the base 468 of the mounting mechanism 466 and the lip 470 engage with the control circuit 454, maintaining the position of the light-shielding insert 460 relative to the control circuit 454, as shown in Figures 29 and 30. In one embodiment, while the mounting mechanism 466 is moving toward the opening 452, the guide wall 464 can assist in guiding the mounting mechanism 466 to operably align with the inner circumference of the opening 452.

[0144] With the mounting mechanism 466 operably engaged with the control circuit 454, the user can remove the light-shielding insert 460 from the control circuit 454. In one embodiment, the light-shielding insert 460 can be removed by pushing the mounting mechanism 466 toward a down position, thereby freeing the lip 470 and base 468 from the control circuit 454. As described above, the mounting mechanism 466 may include an actuator portion 472 extending from the base 468. During operation, the user can move the mounting mechanism 466 toward a down position by, for example, pressing the actuator portion 472 with a finger, thereby freeing the lip 470 and base 468 from the control circuit 454, thereby allowing the light-shielding insert 460 to be removed from the opening 452. In various embodiments, the actuator portion 472 may include a grip defined therein to assist the user in moving the mounting mechanism 466 toward a down position.

[0145] In various embodiments, the light-shielding insert 460 can be made of a plastic material and manufactured by a molding process. In one embodiment, the molding process can be an injection molding process. In various embodiments, the light-shielding insert 460 can be manufactured using any other suitable manufacturing process such as an additive manufacturing process or a 3D printing process. In various embodiments, the light-shielding insert 460 can be made of an opaque plastic material. In various embodiments, the light-shielding insert 460 can be made of an opaque elastomer material.

[0146] Angled vents for light blocking As referenced elsewhere in this specification, modules of a modular energy system can utilize light for the purpose of transmitting information to users of the modular energy system. For example, ports 2012, 2014, 2016a, 2016b, 2018, and 2020 can be configured to relay information to users. For example, any of ports 2012, 2014, 2016a, 2016b, 2018, and 2020 may include an optical assembly 2015 that can be configured to relay information about the port to users according to their color or state (e.g., flashing, solid, patterned, etc.). For example, the optical assembly 2015 may change from a first color to a second color when a plug is fully seated in each port. As another example, the optical assembly 2015 may flash a color such as red when a plug is improperly seated in each port. In one embodiment, the color or state of the optical assembly 2015 may be controlled by a header module 2002. For example, the header module 2002 can display a color on the optical assembly 2015 of each port that corresponds to the port's color display on the GUI 2008. Various other embodiments are envisioned in which ports can illuminate in any number of colors to communicate information to the user, such as when a port is available, when a port is unavailable, when there is a problem with a port, or the port's energy level.

[0147] Since the light generated by the module provides the user with important information about the module's current state, it is crucial that the light generated within the module is visible only where intended. In various embodiments, the module may include an enclosure, such as enclosure 406, that houses the module's components within it. In some embodiments, the enclosure may include vents, such as vents 423, 458, defined within the enclosure for the purpose of dissipating heat from the module to prevent overheating. However, these vents may allow unintended leakage of light generated within the module. This leaked light may illuminate other areas of the operating room that also rely on light for display purposes. This overlap of light patterns can confuse clinicians about what information is intended to be conveyed. Therefore, it is desirable to ensure that the light generated by the module is not visible outside the enclosure, except where intended, through vents, etc.

[0148] Referring here to Figure 32, a module 500 is provided according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure. The module may be any suitable module for use with a modular energy system, such as a header module 2002, an energy module 2004, a technology module 2040, a visualization module 2042, or any suitable module for use with a modular energy system. In one aspect, the module may be an energy module including a port assembly 502 which may be similar to a port assembly 2012.

[0149] In one embodiment, the module 500 may include an enclosure 504 that houses the components of the module therein. The enclosure 504 may include multiple surfaces, such as a front surface 506, a rear surface 508, a pair of side walls 510, a top surface 512, and a bottom surface 514. As shown in Figure 32, the enclosure 504 of the module 500 may have vents 516 or holes defined in the side walls 510 that can dissipate the heat generated by the module 500 to prevent the module 500 from overheating. Although the vents 516 are shown and described as defined in the side walls 510 of the enclosure 504, it should be understood that the vents 516 may be defined at any suitable location on the enclosure 504, such as any other of the surfaces 506, 508, 512, and 514 of the enclosure 504, for the purpose of dissipating the heat generated by the module 500. In various embodiments, the enclosure 504 can be defined by an injection molding process, and the vent 516 can be drafted.

[0150] In one embodiment, as most clearly shown in Figure 37, the enclosure 504 may define a vent 516 that can be angled with respect to a sidewall surface defined by the sidewall 510 of the enclosure 504, thereby preventing light leakage from the enclosure 504. In various embodiments, the vent 516 may include a vent inlet 518, a vent outlet 520, and a track 522 extending from the vent inlet 518 to the vent outlet 520. In one embodiment, the track 522 may form an angle θ with respect to the sidewall surface at any suitable angle to suppress light leakage from the enclosure 504. In one embodiment, as shown in Figure 37, the vent inlet 518 and vent outlet 520 may be vertically offset such that the track 522 defines a non-perpendicular angle θ with respect to the sidewall surface. In one embodiment, the vent inlet 518 and vent outlet 520 may be offset vertically such that the angle θ of the track 522 is 45° with respect to the side wall. In another embodiment, the vent inlet 518 and vent outlet 520 may be offset such that the angle θ of the track 522 is greater than 45° with respect to the side wall, for example 50°, 55°, 60°, 70°, or any other suitable angle. In yet another embodiment, the vent inlet 518 and vent outlet 520 may be offset such that the angle θ of the track 522 is less than 45° with respect to the side wall, for example 40°, 35°, 30°, 20°, or any other suitable angle. In various embodiments, some vents 516 may have different angles θ than other vents. In other words, the enclosure 504 may include vents 516 with uneven angles angled with respect to the side wall.

[0151] In one embodiment, as shown in Figure 37, the enclosure 504 may define a vent 516 that can be angled "downward," and the vent outlet 520 may be located vertically below the vent inlet 518, which is closer to the bottom surface 514 of the enclosure. In various other embodiments, the enclosure 504 may define a vent 516 that can be angled "upward," and the vent outlet 520 may be located vertically above the vent inlet 518, which is closer to the top surface 512 of the enclosure. In various other embodiments, the enclosure 504 may include a combination of an upwardly angled vent 516 and a downwardly angled vent 516. In various embodiments, the enclosure 504 may define a vent 516 that is angled in other directions, such as forward or backward. For example, in various embodiments, the enclosure 504 may define a vent 516 that can be angled "forward," and the vent outlet 520 may be positioned closer to the front 506 than the vent inlet 518. In various embodiments, the enclosure 504 may define a vent 516 that can be angled "rearward," and the vent outlet 520 may be positioned closer to the rear 508 than the vent inlet 518. In various embodiments, the enclosure 504 may define a vent 516 that can be angled in two or more directions. For example, in one exemplary embodiment, the enclosure 504 may define a vent 516, and the vent outlet 520 may be positioned closer to the front 506 and top 512 compared to the vent inlet 518. The use of angled vents can provide similar or improved airflow compared to non-angled vents, as well as the additional benefit of preventing light from leaking out of the module. In various embodiments, the enclosure 504 can define a vent 516 that can be angled in multiple non-uniform directions.

[0152] As described above, the vent 516 may include a vent inlet 518, a vent outlet 520, and a track 522 extending from the vent inlet 518 to the vent outlet 520. In various embodiments, the track 522 may be linear, as shown in Figure 37. In various embodiments, the track 522 may be nonlinear (i.e., the track 522 extends nonlinearly from the vent inlet 518 to the vent outlet 520). In various embodiments, the track 522 may include a first track portion extending from the vent inlet 518 and a second track portion extending from the first track portion to the vent outlet 520 and angled relative to the first track portion. The use of multiple angled track portions between the vent inlet 518 and the vent outlet 520 can further prevent light from leaking out of the enclosure 504.

[0153] Low-pressure molding (LPM) on PCBs for LED light shielding. As referenced elsewhere in this specification, modules of a modular energy system can utilize light for the purpose of transmitting information to users of the modular energy system. For example, ports 2012, 2014, 2016a, 2016b, 2018, and 2020 can be configured to relay information to users. For example, any of ports 2012, 2014, 2016a, 2016b, 2018, and 2020 may include an optical assembly 2015 that can be configured to relay information about the port to users according to their color or state (e.g., flashing, solid, patterned, etc.). For example, the optical assembly 2015 may change from a first color to a second color when a plug is fully seated in each port. As another example, the optical assembly 2015 may flash a color such as red when a plug is improperly seated in each port. In one embodiment, the color or state of the optical assembly 2015 may be controlled by a header module 2002. For example, the header module 2002 can display a color on the optical assembly 2015 of each port that corresponds to the port's color display on the GUI 2008. Various other embodiments are envisioned in which ports can illuminate in any number of colors to communicate information to the user, such as when a port is available, when a port is unavailable, when there is a problem with a port, or the port's energy level.

[0154] Since the light generated by the module provides the user with important information about the module's current state, it is important that the light generated within the module is visible only where intended. As referenced elsewhere in this specification, the module may include an enclosure and a control circuit located within it. In one embodiment, the control circuit may include a plurality of LEDs located on the inner wall of the enclosure and facing openings defined within the enclosure. The plurality of LEDs may be grouped and positioned adjacent to openings defined within the enclosure so that when information is conveyed to the user, a particular group of LEDs among the plurality of LEDs is illuminated and can shine through their respective openings. This light can convey information associated with the port module located within each opening, indicating the state of the port module (e.g., ready for use, not ready for use, energy level associated with the port module).

[0155] Because multiple LEDs can be grouped together and positioned adjacent to multiple openings defined within the enclosure, there is an opportunity that the light generated by a first group of LEDs may be seen not only through the respective openings associated with the first group of LEDs, but also through other openings that may be adjacent to the first group of LEDs. For example, when light is emitted from an LED, the user cannot control the direction in which the emitted light travels, and as a result, the light may be seen in other places within the module other than the intended location, for example, through other openings defined within the enclosure. This unintentional light shining through unintended openings can confuse clinicians regarding the information that the LEDs are trying to convey to them. It is necessary to ensure that this unintentional glare is eliminated.

[0156] Referring here to Figure 38, a control circuit 550 is provided according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure. In various aspects, the control circuit 550 may include an opening 552 defined therein, sized to accommodate a port module, such as port modules 400, 401, 450, therein. In one aspect, the opening 552 may be similar to openings 432, 452. In various aspects, the control circuit 550 may further include a plurality of LEDs 554 surrounding the opening 552. The LEDs 554 may be mounted on the control circuit 550 and be electrically communicated with so that the control circuit 550 can control the light that can be emitted by the LEDs. In one aspect, the control circuit 550 may control the LEDs 554 to emit light according to the current state of the port module located within the opening 552.

[0157] In various embodiments, the control circuit 550 may further include a housing structure 560 which includes a plurality of side walls 562 extending from the control circuit 550. The housing structure 560 can be positioned on the control circuit 550 such that the side walls 562 enclose and surround the opening 552 and the plurality of LEDs 554. In various embodiments, the side walls 562 may extend to a certain height from the surface of the control circuit 550 such that the height of the side walls 562 is greater than or equal to the height of the LEDs. As shown in Figure 38, the housing structure 560 may be defined as a rectangular shape so as to surround the LEDs 554 and the opening 552. In various other embodiments, the housing structure 560 may be defined as any suitable shape such as a circular or square shape so as to surround the LEDs 564 and the opening 552.

[0158] In one embodiment, the containment structure 560 can be low-pressure molded (LPM) toward the surface of the control circuit 550. Various other embodiments are envisioned in which the containment structure 560 is fabricated separately from the control circuit 550 and removably bonded to it using a binder. In one embodiment, the containment structure 560 can be made of an opaque material. In various embodiments, the containment structure 560 can be made of an opaque plastic material. In various embodiments, the containment structure 560 can be made of an opaque elastomer material. In one embodiment, the use of the containment structure 560 can prevent light emitted from the LED 556 from traveling laterally along the control circuit 550. Rather, the containment structure 560 can guide the light emitted from the LED 556 toward an opening defined within the module enclosure. In various embodiments, the containment structure 560 can guide the light emitted from the LED 556 toward a light pipe of a port module located within an opening 552 of the control circuit 550.

[0159] In one embodiment, the side wall 562 can have a uniform thickness. In various other embodiments, the side wall 562 can have varying thicknesses. For example, in one embodiment, a side wall 562 positioned between other groups of LEDs on the control circuit 550 can be thicker than a side wall 562 that does not separate groups of LEDs on the control circuit. In various embodiments, the side wall can have an uneven height. In various embodiments, the side wall can have a uniform height. In one embodiment, the side wall 562 of the housing structure 560 can be positioned near the LED 556, as shown in Figure 38, so that the light emitted by the LED 556 is stopped and redirected as quickly as possible from the light emitted by the LED 556 towards the opening of the enclosure.

[0160] For example, various aspects of the disclosures described herein, such as those related to Figures 17 to 38, may be used independently or in combination with each other. [Examples]

[0161] Various aspects of the subject matter described herein are illustrated in the following numbered examples.

[0162] Example 1. A port module that can be detachably coupled to an energy module of a modular energy system, the port module comprising a light pipe and a receptacle defined by the light pipe, wherein the receptacle is configured to receive a plug for an electrosurgical instrument, and a seal is defined between the light pipe and the receptacle.

[0163] Example 2. The port module according to Example 1, further comprising a mounting mechanism extending from a light pipe, wherein the energy module comprises an enclosure, and the mounting mechanism is configured to be mounted to the enclosure.

[0164] Example 3. The port module according to Example 2, wherein the mounting mechanism comprises a mounting arm and an opening defined in the mounting arm.

[0165] Example 4. A port module according to any one or more of Examples 2 to 3, wherein a distance is defined between the front of the light pipe and the front of the mounting mechanism, and the distance is selected to reduce the occurrence of bright or dull spots of light emitted from the light pipe.

[0166] Example 5. A port module according to any one or more of Examples 1 to 4, wherein the light pipe comprises an engaging arm, the receptacle defines a notch, and the engaging arm is received within the notch.

[0167] Example 6. A port module according to any one or more of Examples 1 to 5, wherein the receptacle has a rear wall defining an opening, the plug for an electrosurgical instrument has pins, and the opening is configured to receive the pins of the plug.

[0168] Example 7. A port module according to any one or more of Examples 5 to 6, wherein the receptacle further comprises a side wall extending from the rear wall, and the rear wall and the side wall are made of an opaque material.

[0169] Example 8. Energy module for a modular energy system, the energy module comprising: an enclosure defining a first opening; a control circuit disposed within the enclosure; a port module; and a light-shielding insert. The control circuit defines a second opening aligned with the first opening. The port module extends through the first and second openings. A gap is defined between the second opening and the port module. The light-shielding insert is disposed within the gap.

[0170] Example 9. The energy module according to Example 8, wherein the light-shielding insert is configured to be detachably coupled to the control circuit.

[0171] Example 10. The energy module according to Example 9, wherein the light-shielding insert comprises a plurality of mounting mechanisms, the plurality of mounting mechanisms configured to removably connect the light-shielding insert to a control circuit.

[0172] Example 11. The energy module according to Example 10, wherein the mounting mechanism comprises a lip configured to engage with a control circuit in order to removably couple a light-shielding insert to the control circuit.

[0173] Example 12. An energy module according to any one or more of Examples 8 to 11, wherein the control circuit comprises an LED and a light-shielding insert is configured to prevent light emitted from the LED from leaking through the gap.

[0174] Example 13. The energy module according to Example 12, wherein the control circuit further comprises a side wall surrounding the LED, the side wall being configured to direct the light emitted from the LED towards a first opening.

[0175] Example 14. The energy module according to Example 13, wherein the side wall is configured to prevent light emitted from the LED from leaking through the side wall.

[0176] Example 15. An energy module according to one or more of Examples 13 to 14, wherein the side walls are made of an opaque material.

[0177] Example 16. An energy module according to any one or more of Examples 8 to 15, further comprising a vent, the vent comprising a vent inlet, a vent outlet, and a track extending at an angle from the vent inlet to the vent outlet.

[0178] Example 17. Energy module for a modular energy system, the energy module comprising: an enclosure defining a first opening; a control circuit disposed within the enclosure; a port module; and a light-shielding insert. The control circuit defines a second opening aligned with the first opening. The port module extends through the first and second openings. The port module comprises a light pipe and a receptacle, the receptacle configured to receive a plug for an electrosurgical instrument, a seal defined between the light pipe and the receptacle, and a gap defined between the second opening and the port module. The light-shielding insert is disposed within the gap.

[0179] Example 18. The energy module according to Example 17, wherein the receptacle is made of an opaque material.

[0180] Example 19. An energy module according to any one or more of Examples 17 to 18, wherein the port module is configured to be detachably coupled to an enclosure.

[0181] Example 20. An energy module according to any one or more of Examples 17 to 19, wherein the light-shielding insert is configured to be removably coupled to a control circuit.

[0182] While several forms have been shown and described, it is not the applicant's intention to limit or restrict the attached claims to such details. Many modifications, variations, alterations, substitutions, combinations, and equivalents of these forms can be implemented and will be conceived by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Furthermore, the structure of each element related to the described form can be alternatively described as a means for providing the function performed by that element. Also, while materials are disclosed with respect to specific components, other materials may be used. Therefore, it should be understood that the above description and the attached claims are intended to cover all such modifications, combinations, and variations as being included within the scope of the disclosed forms. The attached claims are intended to cover all such modifications, variations, alterations, substitutions, alterations, and equivalents.

[0183] The detailed descriptions above have described various forms of apparatus and / or processes using block diagrams, flowcharts and / or embodiments. To the extent that such block diagrams, flowcharts and / or embodiments include one or more functions and / or operations, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that each function and / or operation included in such block diagrams, flowcharts and / or embodiments can be implemented individually and / or collectively by various hardware, software, firmware, or virtually any combination thereof. Those skilled in the art will understand that some or all of the forms disclosed herein can be equivalently implemented on integrated circuits as one or more computer programs running on one or more computers (e.g., as one or more programs running on one or more computer systems), as one or more programs running on one or more processors (e.g., as one or more programs running on one or more microprocessors), as firmware, or substantially any combination thereof, and that designing circuits and / or writing software and / or firmware code falls within the scope of the skills of those skilled in the art in light of this disclosure. Furthermore, as will be understood by those skilled in the art, the mechanisms of the subject matter described herein can be distributed in various forms as one or more program products, and the specific forms of the subject matter described herein are applicable regardless of the particular type of signal carrier medium used to actually carry out the distribution.

[0184] Instructions used to program logic to implement various disclosed embodiments may be stored in system memory such as dynamic random access memory (DRAM), cache, flash memory, or other storage. Furthermore, instructions may be distributed over a network or by other computer-readable media. Thus, machine-readable media may include any mechanism for storing or transmitting information in a form readable by a machine (e.g., a computer), but are not limited to floppy diskettes, optical disks, compact disks, read-only memory (CD-ROMs), and magneto-optical disks, read-only memory (ROMs), random access memory (RAMs), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROMs), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROMs), magnetic or optical cards, flash memory, or tangible machine-readable storage used for transmitting information over the Internet via electrical, optical, acoustic, or other forms of propagated signals (e.g., carrier waves, infrared signals, digital signals, etc.). Thus, non-temporary computer-readable media may include any type of tangible machine-readable media suitable for storing or transmitting electronic instructions or information in a form readable by a machine (e.g., a computer).

[0185] When used in any aspect of this specification, the term “control circuit” can mean, for example, hardwired circuits, programmable circuits (e.g., computer processors, processing units, processors, microcontrollers, microcontroller units, controllers, digital signal processors (DSPs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), programmable logic arrays (PLAs), or field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) including one or more individual instruction processing cores), state-machine circuits, firmware that stores instructions executed by programmable circuits, and any combination thereof. Control circuits can be embodied collectively or individually as circuits that form part of a larger system, such as an integrated circuit (IC), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a system-on-a-chip (SoC), a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a server, or a smartphone. Accordingly, as used herein, “control circuit” includes, but is not limited to, an electrical circuit having at least one separate electrical circuit, an electrical circuit having at least one integrated circuit, an electrical circuit having at least one application-specific integrated circuit, an electrical circuit forming a general-purpose computing device configured by a computer program (e.g., a general-purpose computer configured by a computer program that performs at least partially the processes and / or devices described herein, or a microprocessor configured by a computer program that performs at least partially the processes and / or devices described herein), an electrical circuit forming a memory device (e.g., in the form of random access memory), and / or an electrical circuit forming a communication device (e.g., a modem, a communication switch, or an optical-electric installation). Those skilled in the art will recognize that the subject matter described herein may be implemented in analog form, digital form, or some combination thereof.

[0186] When used in any aspect of this specification, the term “logic” may mean an application, software, firmware, and / or circuit configured to perform any of the operations described above. Software may be embodied as software packages, code, instructions, instruction sets, and / or data recorded on a non-temporary computer-readable storage medium. Firmware may be embodied as code, instructions, or instruction sets, and / or hardcoded (e.g., non-volatile) data in a memory device.

[0187] When used in any aspect of this specification, terms such as “component,” “system,” and “module” may refer to computer-related entities that are hardware, a combination of hardware and software, software, or running software.

[0188] Where used in any aspect of this specification, “algorithm” means a self-consistent sequence of steps leading to a desired result, and “step” means the manipulation of physical quantities and / or logical states that can take the form of electrical or magnetic signals, which are not necessarily required but can be stored, transferred, combined, compared, and otherwise manipulated. These signals are commonly referred to as bits, values, elements, symbols, characters, terms, numbers, etc. These and similar terms may be associated with appropriate physical quantities, or simply are convenient labels applied to these quantities and / or states.

[0189] A packet-switched network is one example of a network. Communication devices can communicate with each other using a selected packet-switched network communication protocol. One exemplary communication protocol is the Ethernet communication protocol, which can enable communication using the Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol (TCP / IP). The Ethernet protocol may conform to or be compatible with the "IEEE 802.3 Standard" published in December 2008 by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), and / or later versions of the Ethernet standard. Alternatively or additionally, communication devices can communicate with each other using the X.25 communication protocol. The X.25 communication protocol may conform to or be compatible with standards published by the International Telecommunication Union - Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T). Alternatively or additionally, communication devices can communicate with each other using the Frame Relay communication protocol. The Frame Relay communication protocol conforms to or may be compatible with standards published by the Consultative Committee for International Telegraph and Telephone (CCITT) and / or the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). Alternatively or additionally, transceivers may communicate with each other using the Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) communication protocol. The ATM communication protocol conforms to or may be compatible with the ATM standard and / or later versions of this standard, published by the ATM Forum in August 2001 under the title "ATM-MPLS Network Interworking 2.0". Naturally, different and / or later developed connection-oriented network communication protocols are equally construed herein.

[0190] Unless otherwise explicitly stated, as is evident from the foregoing disclosures, any use of terms such as “processing,” “computing,” “calculating,” “determining,” and “displaying” throughout the foregoing disclosures should be understood to refer to the actions and processes of a computer system or similar electronic computing device that manipulate and convert data represented as physical (electronic) quantities in the registers and memory of a computer system into other data similarly represented as physical quantities in the memory or registers of a computer system or other such information storage, transmission, or display device.

[0191] One or more components may be referred to herein as “configured to,” “configurable to,” “operable / operative to,” “adapted / adaptable,” “able to,” “conformable / conformed to,” and so on. Those skilled in the art will understand that “configured to” generally encompasses active components and / or inactive components and / or standby components, unless the context should interpret it otherwise.

[0192] The terms “proximal” and “distal” are used herein in reference to the clinician operating the handle portion of a surgical instrument. “Proximal” refers to the part closest to the clinician, and “distal” refers to the part further away from the clinician. For convenience and clarity, spatial terms such as “vertical,” “horizontal,” “up,” and “down” may be used herein in reference to the drawings. However, surgical instruments are used in many orientations and positions, and these terms are not intended to be restrictive and / or absolute.

[0193] Those skilled in the art will generally understand that the terms used herein, and especially in the appended claims (e.g., the text of the appended claims), are generally intended to be "open" terms (for example, the term "including" should be interpreted as "including but not limited to," the term "having" should be interpreted as "having at least," and the term "includes" should be interpreted as "includes but is not limited to"). Furthermore, those skilled in the art will understand that if a particular number is intended in an introduced claim recitation, such intent is clearly stated in the claim, and if such statement is not present, such intent does not exist. For example, to aid understanding, subsequent appended claims may include the introductory phrases "at least one" and "one or more" to introduce the claim recitation. However, the use of such phrases should not be interpreted as suggesting that any particular claim containing such introduced claim description is limited to claims containing only one such description, even if the same claim contains an introductory phrase such as "one or more" or "at least one" and the indefinite article "a" or "an" (for example, "a" and / or "an" should generally be interpreted as meaning "at least one" or "one or more"). The same applies when introducing a claim description using a definite article.

[0194] In addition, even if a specific number is explicitly stated in the introduced claim, it will be recognized by those skilled in the art that such a statement should typically be interpreted as meaning at least the number stated (for example, if there is a statement that is simply “two descriptions” without any other modifiers, it generally means at least two descriptions, or two or more descriptions). Furthermore, when a notation similar to “at least one of A, B, and C, etc.” is used, such a notation is generally intended to be understood in a way that those skilled in the art will understand (for example, “a system having at least one of A, B, and C” is not limited to systems having only A, only B, only C, both A and B, both A and C, both B and C and / or all of A, B and C, etc.). When expressions similar to "at least one of A, B, or C" are used, such expressions are generally intended to be understood in a way that a person skilled in the art would understand (for example, "a system having at least one of A, B, or C" includes, but is not limited to, systems having only A, only B, only C, both A and B, both A and C, both B and C, and / or all of A, B, and C). Furthermore, a person skilled in the art will understand that, typically, any disjunctive word and / or phrase representing two or more selective terms should be understood, whether in the specification, claims, or drawings, as intended to include the possibility of including one of those terms, any of those terms, or both of those terms, unless the context requires a different interpretation. For example, the phrase "A or B" will typically be understood to include the possibility of "A" or "B" or "A and B".

[0195] With respect to the attached claims, those skilled in the art will understand that the operations cited herein may generally be performed in any order. Furthermore, while various operations are shown in sequence(s), it should be understood that the operations may be performed in any order other than those shown, or simultaneously. Examples of such alternative orderings may include repetition, alternation, interruption, reordering, augmentation, preliminary, additional, simultaneous, reverse, or other different orderings, unless the context should imply otherwise. Moreover, terms such as “responsive to,” “related to,” or other past tense adjectives are generally not intended to exclude such variations, unless the context should imply otherwise.

[0196] It is worth noting that any reference to “one aspect,” “aspect,” “example,” or “example” means that the specific feature, structure, or characteristic described in relation to that aspect is included in at least one aspect. Therefore, the phrases “in one aspect,” “in aspect,” “example,” and “example” found in various places throughout this specification do not necessarily all refer to the same aspect. Furthermore, specific features, structures, or characteristics can be combined in any preferred manner in one or more aspects.

[0197] Any patent application, patent, non-patent publication, or other disclosure material referenced herein and / or listed in any application data sheet is incorporated herein by reference to the extent that the incorporated material does not conflict with this Specified. Disclosures expressly stated herein, both in themselves and to the extent required, shall supersede any conflicting statements incorporated herein by reference. Any material, or any part thereof, that is referred to as being incorporated herein by reference but conflicts with current definitions, views, or other disclosures contained herein shall be incorporated only to the extent that there is no conflict between the incorporated material and the current disclosures.

[0198] In summary, the numerous benefits that can be obtained as a result of using the concepts described herein have been described. The above descriptions of one or more forms are presented for illustrative and explanatory purposes only. They are not intended to be comprehensive or to be limited to the exact forms disclosed. Modifications or variations are possible in light of the above teachings. One or more forms have been selected and described to illustrate the principle and practical applications, thereby enabling a person skilled in the art to utilize the various forms, along with various modifications, for specific conceivable uses. The claims presented herein are intended to define the overall scope.

[0199] [Implementation Method] (1) A port module that can be detachably coupled to an energy module of a modular energy system, Light pipe and, A port module comprising: a receptacle defined by the light pipe, wherein the receptacle is configured to receive a plug for an electrosurgical instrument, and a seal is defined between the light pipe and the receptacle. (2) The port module according to Embodiment 1, further comprising a mounting mechanism extending from the light pipe, wherein the energy module comprises an enclosure and the mounting mechanism is configured to be attached to the enclosure. (3) The mounting mechanism is Mounting arm and A port module according to embodiment 2, comprising an opening defined in the mounting arm. (4) The port module according to Embodiment 2, wherein a distance is defined between the front surface of the light pipe and the front surface of the mounting mechanism, the distance being selected to reduce the occurrence of bright or dull spots of light emitted from the light pipe. (5) The port module according to Embodiment 1, wherein the light pipe comprises an engaging arm, the receptacle defines a notch, and the engaging arm is received within the notch.

[0200] (6) The port module according to Embodiment 1, wherein the receptacle has a rear wall defining an opening, the plug of the electrosurgical instrument has a pin, and the opening is configured to receive the pin of the plug. (7) The port module according to Embodiment 5, wherein the receptacle further comprises a side wall extending from the rear wall, and the rear wall and the side wall are made of an opaque material. (8) Energy module of a modular energy system, An enclosure defining the first opening, A control circuit disposed within the enclosure, comprising a control circuit that defines a second opening aligned with the first opening, A port module extending through the first opening and the second opening, wherein a gap is defined between the second opening and the port module, An energy module comprising a light-shielding insert disposed within the gap. (9) The energy module according to embodiment 8, wherein the light-shielding insert is configured to be removably coupled to the control circuit. (10) The energy module according to embodiment 9, wherein the light-shielding insert comprises a plurality of mounting mechanisms, the plurality of mounting mechanisms configured to removably connect the light-shielding insert to the control circuit.

[0201] (11) The energy module according to embodiment 10, wherein the mounting mechanism comprises a lip configured to engage with the control circuit in order to removably couple the light-shielding insert to the control circuit. (12) The energy module according to embodiment 8, wherein the control circuit comprises an LED, and the light-shielding insert is configured to prevent light emitted from the LED from leaking through the gap. (13) The energy module according to embodiment 12, wherein the control circuit further comprises a side wall surrounding the LED, and the side wall is configured to direct the light emitted from the LED toward the first opening. (14) The energy module according to embodiment 13, wherein the side wall is configured to prevent light emitted from the LED from leaking through the side wall. (15) The energy module according to embodiment 13, wherein the side wall is made of an opaque material.

[0202] (16) Further comprising a vent, the vent is The entrance to the vent, The vent outlet and The energy module according to embodiment 8, comprising a track extending at an angle from the vent inlet to the vent outlet. (17) Energy module of a modular energy system, An enclosure defining the first opening, A control circuit disposed within the enclosure, comprising a control circuit that defines a second opening aligned with the first opening, A port module extending through the first opening and the second opening, Light pipe and, A port module comprising: a receptacle, wherein the receptacle is configured to receive a plug for an electrosurgical instrument, a seal is defined between the light pipe and the receptacle, and a gap is defined between the second opening and the port module; An energy module comprising a light-shielding insert disposed within the gap. (18) The energy module according to embodiment 17, wherein the receptacle is made of an opaque material. (19) The energy module according to embodiment 17, wherein the port module is configured to be removably coupled to the enclosure. (20) The energy module according to embodiment 17, wherein the light-shielding insert is configured to be removably coupled to the control circuit.

Claims

1. A port module that can be detachably coupled to an energy module of a modular energy system, Light pipe and, A receptacle defined by the light pipe, wherein the receptacle is configured to receive a plug for an electrosurgical instrument, and a seal is defined between the light pipe and the receptacle. The energy module comprises a mounting mechanism extending from the light pipe, wherein the energy module comprises an enclosure, and the mounting mechanism is configured to be attached to the enclosure. The aforementioned mounting mechanism Mounting arm and A port module comprising an opening defined in the mounting arm for receiving fasteners.

2. The port module according to claim 1, wherein a distance is defined between the front surface of the light pipe and the front surface of the mounting mechanism, and the distance is selected to reduce the occurrence of bright or dull spots of light emitted from the light pipe.

3. The port module according to claim 1, wherein the light pipe comprises an engaging arm, the receptacle defines a notch, and the engaging arm is received within the notch.

4. The port module according to claim 1, wherein the receptacle has a rear wall defining an opening, the plug of the electrosurgical instrument has a pin, and the opening is configured to receive the pin of the plug.

5. The port module according to claim 4, wherein the receptacle further comprises a side wall extending from the rear wall, and the rear wall and the side wall are made of an opaque material.

6. An energy module for a modular energy system comprising the port module described in Claim 1, wherein the energy module is An enclosure defining the first opening, A control circuit disposed within the enclosure, comprising a control circuit that defines a second opening aligned with the first opening, The present invention further comprises a light-shielding insert disposed within a gap defined between the second opening and the port module, The port module extends through the first opening and the second opening, An energy module in which a gap is defined between the second opening and the port module.

7. The energy module according to claim 6, wherein the light-shielding insert is configured to be detachably coupled to the control circuit.

8. The energy module according to claim 7, wherein the light-shielding insert comprises a plurality of mounting mechanisms, and the plurality of mounting mechanisms are configured to removably connect the light-shielding insert to the control circuit.

9. The energy module according to claim 8, wherein the mounting mechanism comprises a lip configured to engage with the control circuit in order to removably couple the light-shielding insert to the control circuit.

10. The energy module according to claim 6, wherein the control circuit comprises an LED, and the light-shielding insert is configured to prevent light emitted from the LED from leaking through the gap.

11. The energy module according to claim 10, wherein the control circuit further comprises a side wall surrounding the LED, and the side wall is configured to direct the light emitted from the LED toward the first opening.

12. The energy module according to claim 11, wherein the side wall is configured to prevent light emitted from the LED from leaking through the side wall.

13. The energy module according to claim 11, wherein the side wall is made of an opaque material.

14. It further includes a vent, and the vent is The entrance to the vent, The vent outlet and The energy module according to claim 6, comprising a track extending at an angle from the vent inlet to the vent outlet.

15. An energy module for a modular energy system comprising the port module described in Claim 1, wherein the energy module is An enclosure defining the first opening, A control circuit disposed within the enclosure, comprising a control circuit that defines a second opening aligned with the first opening, The system further comprises a light-shielding insert disposed within the gap, The port module extends through the first opening and the second opening, A gap is defined between the second opening and the port module. Energy module.

16. The energy module according to claim 15, wherein the receptacle is made of an opaque material.

17. The energy module according to claim 15, wherein the port module is configured to be detachably coupled to the enclosure.

18. The energy module according to claim 15, wherein the light-shielding insert is configured to be detachably coupled to the control circuit.

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