Data module for surgical instruments

Abstract

Generally, a data module for a surgical instrument and a method of using the data module for a surgical instrument are provided. In an exemplary embodiment, the data module is configured to be removably attached to a powered surgical tool, such as an electrosurgical tool. The data module is a stand-alone device that includes electronic components configured to interact with the electrosurgical tool when the data module is attached to the electrosurgical tool.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to a data module for surgical instruments.

Background Art

[0002] Electric surgical tools, such as those powered by battery, have provided increased convenience and productivity to medical professionals in surgical settings. Electric surgical tools are typically sterilized prior to use to help ensure patient safety. Thus, electric surgical tools are typically designed to withstand the temperatures, moisture levels, and pressures associated with sterilization techniques for surgical tools, such as autoclaving. However, some electronic components cannot be exposed to the temperatures, moisture levels, and pressures of sterilization without losing their functionality. Thus, electric surgical tools cannot include such electronic components, even though the electronic components would provide various benefits to the use of the electric surgical tools.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0003] Thus, there is still a need for improved electric surgical tools.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0004] Generally, a data module for surgical instruments, and a method of using the data module for surgical instruments are provided.

[0005] In one embodiment, a surgical system is provided, in one embodiment the surgical system includes an electrosurgical tool and a data module. The electrosurgical tool includes a controller. The data module is configured to be detachably attached to the electrosurgical tool and includes a light, memory, and a communication mechanism. With the data module detachably attached to the electrosurgical tool, the controller of the electrosurgical tool is configured to control the illumination of the light to indicate the status of the electrosurgical tool, and the data module is configured to receive information about the electrosurgical tool from the electrosurgical tool and store the received information in memory. The communication mechanism of the data module is configured to communicate the data stored in memory to an external device.

[0006] A surgical system can have any number of variations. For example, memory may be configured to internally store data about the patient on whom the electrosurgical tool is used, and the controller of the electrosurgical tool may be configured to adjust the settings of the electrosurgical tool based on the data about the patient. In another example, information received from the electrosurgical tool may include identification information that identifies the electrosurgical tool, and information received from the electrosurgical tool may include tool information retrieved from the electrosurgical tool based on the received identification information.

[0007] In yet another example, the information received from the electrosurgical tool may include data about the real-time operation of the electrosurgical tool in connection with its use on a patient. In some embodiments, an external device may be configured to use data received from a data module to determine whether the electrosurgical tool is ready for use on another patient following its use on one patient, and / or memory may be configured to internally store data about the patient on whom the electrosurgical tool is used, and the external device may be configured to use the patient data and the data received from the data module to analyze the use of the electrosurgical tool on the patient.

[0008] In yet another example, information received from an electrosurgical tool may include serial data that uniquely identifies the electrosurgical tool.

[0009] In another example, the state may be one of several possible states of the electrosurgical tool, and the illumination of the light may differ based on the indicated state. In some embodiments, the illumination of the light may differ in color and at least one of whether the light is flashing or continuously illuminated, and the multiple states include at least two of temperature, the power status of the electrosurgical tool, the energy mode of the electrosurgical tool, and the operating status of the electrosurgical tool.

[0010] In yet another example, the state may be selected from a group consisting of temperature, the power status of the electrosurgical tool, the energy mode of the electrosurgical tool, and the operating status of the electrosurgical tool. In yet another example, the electrosurgical tool may include a slot configured to removably mount a data module inside. In yet another example, the electrosurgical tool may include a mating feature, and the data module may include a mating element configured to removably mat with the mating feature for removably mounting the data module and the electrosurgical tool.

[0011] In another example, an external device may be configured to store an app that is configured to manage data received via the data module's communication mechanism. In some embodiments, the external device may be configured to communicate patient data to the data module's communication mechanism, the data module may be configured to store the received patient data in memory, and the electrosurgical tool controller may be configured to adjust at least one setting of the electrosurgical tool based on the stored patient data.

[0012] In yet another example, the data module may include a printed circuit board (PCB). In yet another example, the data module may include a display configured to show information indicating information received from an electrosurgical tool with respect to the electrosurgical tool. In yet another example, the electrosurgical tool may be configured to be sterilized and reused, and the illumination may be configured to be inoperable when sterilized.

[0013] In yet another example, the data module may include a housing that accommodates a light, memory, and communication mechanism. In some embodiments, the electrosurgical tool may include a slot configured to removably mount the housing inside, and / or the electrosurgical tool may include a mating feature, and the data module may include a meshing element configured to removably mate with the mating feature for removably mounting the data module and the electrosurgical tool.

[0014] In yet another example, the communication mechanism may be configured to communicate using Near Field Communication (NFC). In yet another example, the light may include a light-emitting diode (LED). In yet another example, the electrosurgical tool may be one of an orthopedic impactor, a surgical drill, and a surgical reciprocating saw.

[0015] In another embodiment, a surgical system is provided that includes a disposable housing configured to be detachably attached to an electrosurgical tool; a light configured to illuminate to indicate the status of the electrosurgical tool to which the housing is detachably attached; a memory configured to internally store data received from the electrosurgical tool regarding the use of the electrosurgical tool to which the housing is detachably attached; and a communication mechanism configured to communicate the data stored in the memory to an external device.

[0016] Surgical systems can differ in any number of respects. For example, the illumination of a light may be configured to be controlled by the electrosurgical tool, with the housing being detachably attached to the electrosurgical tool.

[0017] In another example, the state may be one of several possible states of the electrosurgical tool, and the illumination of the light may differ based on the indicated state. In some embodiments, the illumination of the light may differ in color and at least one of whether the light is flashing or continuously illuminated, and the multiple states may include at least two of temperature, the power status of the electrosurgical tool, the energy mode of the electrosurgical tool, and the operating status of the electrosurgical tool.

[0018] In yet another example, the state may be selected from a group consisting of temperature, the power status of the electrosurgical tool, the energy mode of the electrosurgical tool, and the operating status of the electrosurgical tool. In yet another example, the memory may be configured to internally store data received from the electrosurgical tool, including serial data that uniquely identifies the electrosurgical tool. In yet another example, with the housing detachably attached to the electrosurgical tool, information received from the electrosurgical tool regarding the electrosurgical tool may be configured to be stored in memory, and the communication mechanism may be configured to communicate the information stored in memory to an external device. In yet another example, the external device may be configured to send data to the communication mechanism for storage in memory, and the transmitted data may consider the patient on whom the electrosurgical tool is used.

[0019] In another example, the external device may be configured to store an app that is configured to manage data received via a communication mechanism. In some embodiments, the external device may be configured to communicate patient data to the communication mechanism, and the memory may be configured to internally store the received patient data.

[0020] In yet another example, the display may be mounted on the housing and configured to show information about the electrosurgical tool received from the electrosurgical tool. In yet another example, the communication mechanism may be configured to communicate using NFC. In yet another example, the light may include an LED.

[0021] In yet another example, a surgical system may also include electrosurgical tools. In some embodiments, the electrosurgical tool may include a slot configured to removably mount a housing inside, the electrosurgical tool may include a mating feature, the housing may include a mating element configured to removably mat with a mating feature configured to removably mount the housing and the electrosurgical tool, the electrosurgical tool controller may be configured to control the illumination of a light to indicate the status of the electrosurgical tool with the housing removably mounted on the electrosurgical tool, the memory may be configured to internally store data about the patient in which the electrosurgical tool is used, the electrosurgical tool controller may be configured to adjust at least one setting of the electrosurgical tool based on the data about the patient, the electrosurgical tool may be one of an orthopedic impactor, a surgical drill, and a surgical reciprocating saw, the electrosurgical tool may be configured to be sterilized and reused and / or the housing may be disposable after one use, and the light may be configured to be inoperable when sterilized.

[0022] In another embodiment, a surgical method is provided, in one embodiment, the surgical method includes, during the use of the electrosurgical tool in a surgical procedure, an electronic controller of the electrosurgical tool controls the illumination of a light on a data module that is removable and mechanically attached to the electrosurgical tool, and causes data relating to the operation of the electrosurgical tool in the surgical procedure to be communicated to the memory of the data module so that it is stored in the memory. The illumination of the light indicates the status of the electrosurgical tool.

[0023] Surgical procedures can differ in any number of respects. For example, a surgical procedure may also include the controller adjusting the settings of an electrosurgical tool based on data stored in memory about the patient in whom the electrosurgical tool is being used during the surgical procedure.

[0024] In another example, the state may be one of several possible states of the electrosurgical tool, and the illumination of the light may differ based on the indicated state. In some embodiments, the illumination of the light may differ in color and at least one of whether the light is flashing or continuously illuminated, and the multiple states may include at least two of temperature, the power status of the electrosurgical tool, the energy mode of the electrosurgical tool, and the operating status of the electrosurgical tool.

[0025] In yet another example, the state may be selected from a group consisting of temperature, the power status of the electrosurgical tool, the energy mode of the electrosurgical tool, and the operating status of the electrosurgical tool. In yet another example, the surgical method may also include the controller displaying information about the use of the electrosurgical tool on the data module's display while the electrosurgical tool is being used in a surgical procedure.

[0026] In another example, the surgical method can also include transmitting the stored data to an external device after removing the data module from the electrosurgical tool. In some embodiments, the external device can be configured to use the data transmitted to the external device to determine whether the electrosurgical tool is in a sufficient state to be used in a second subsequent surgical procedure.

[0027] In yet another example, the data module can be disposable and the light can be configured to be inoperable when sterilized, and the surgical method can also include sterilizing the electrosurgical tool after removing the data module from the electrosurgical tool. In yet another example, the data module can be removably and mechanically attached to the electrosurgical tool by being installed in a slot formed within the electrosurgical tool. In another example, the electrosurgical tool can include mating features, and the data module can include mating elements releasably mated with the mating features for removably and mechanically attaching the data module and the electrosurgical tool. In yet another example, the electrosurgical tool can be one of an orthopedic impactor, a surgical drill, and a surgical reciprocating saw.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0028] The present disclosure will be more fully understood by reading the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. [Figure 1] A perspective view of one embodiment of the data module. [Figure 2] Another perspective view of the data module of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] A rear view of the data module of FIG. 1. [Figure 4] A side view of the data module of FIG. 1. [Figure 5] An exploded view of the data module of FIG. 1. [Figure 6] Another exploded view of the data module of FIG. 1. [Figure 7]This is yet another exploded view of the data module in Figure 1. [Figure 8] This is yet another exploded view of the data module in Figure 1. [Figure 9] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the data module and an external device configured to communicate with the data module. [Figure 10] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the communication network including the data module. [Figure 11] This is a front view of another embodiment of the data module. [Figure 12] Figure 11 is a side view of the data module. [Figure 13] Figure 11 is a perspective view of the data module attached to one embodiment of an electrosurgical tool, with the data module's light illuminated in a first color. [Figure 14] Figure 13 shows another perspective view of the data module and electrosurgical tool, with the data module's lights illuminated in the second color and the electrosurgical tool in an intermediate energy mode. [Figure 15] Figure 13 shows yet another perspective view of the data module and electrosurgical tools with the data module's lights illuminated in a third color. [Figure 16] Figure 13 shows yet another perspective view of the data module and electrosurgical tools with the data module's lights illuminated and flashing in a second color. [Figure 17] Figure 13 shows another perspective view of the data module and electrosurgical tool, with the data module's lights illuminated and flashing in a second color, and the electrosurgical tool in high-energy mode. [Figure 18] This is a front view of yet another embodiment of the data module. [Figure 19] This is a rear view of yet another embodiment of the data module. [Figure 20] Figure 19 is a perspective view of the data module attached to another embodiment of an electrosurgical tool. [Figure 21]Figure 20 is a rear view of the data module and electrosurgical tools. [Figure 22] This is a perspective view of another embodiment of a data module that can be attached to another embodiment of an electrosurgical tool. [Figure 23] This is a perspective view of two embodiments of a data module that can be attached to another embodiment of an electrosurgical tool. [Figure 24] Figures 20 and 21 illustrate the steps involved in using the data module and electrosurgical tools. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0029] Herein, specific exemplary embodiments are described to provide an overall understanding of the structure, function, manufacturing and use principles of the devices and methods disclosed herein. One or more examples of these embodiments are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Those skilled in the art will understand that the devices, systems and methods described in detail herein and shown in the accompanying drawings are non-limiting exemplary embodiments, and that the scope of the invention is defined solely by the claims. Features illustrated or described in relation to one exemplary embodiment can be combined with features of other embodiments. Such modifications and variations are considered to fall within the scope of the invention.

[0030] Furthermore, in this disclosure, components with similar names in embodiments generally have similar characteristics, and therefore, in a particular embodiment, each characteristic of each component with a similar name is not necessarily described in full detail. In addition, to the extent that linear or circular dimensions are used in the description of the disclosed systems, devices, and methods, such dimensions are not intended to limit the types of shapes that can be used in combination with such systems, devices, and methods. Those skilled in the art will recognize that dimensions equivalent to such linear and circular dimensions can be readily determined for any geometric shape. The size and shape of systems and devices, and their components, may depend at least on the anatomical structure of the object in which the systems and devices are used internally, the size and shape of the component in which the systems and devices are used, and the method and surgery in which the systems and devices are used.

[0031] Generally, data modules for surgical instruments and methods for using data modules for surgical instruments are provided. In exemplary embodiments, the data module is configured to be detachably attached to an electrosurgical tool, such as an electrosurgical tool. The data module is a standalone device comprising electronic components configured to interact with the electrosurgical tool when the data module is attached to the electrosurgical tool. Thus, the data module can provide functions that are otherwise unavailable to the electrosurgical tool and / or would be more difficult without the data module.

[0032] One example of a function that may be provided using a data module is the use of lights. The electronic components of a data module may include lights configured to provide information about the status of an electrosurgical tool, and different illuminations of the lights (e.g., different colors and / or flashing versus continuous illumination) may indicate different states such as temperature, the power status of the electrosurgical tool, the energy mode of the electrosurgical tool, and the operating status of the electrosurgical tool. Electrosurgical tools are typically reusable devices that are sterilized before each use to help ensure patient safety. Reusable and sterilizable electrosurgical tools cannot include any lights, such as LEDs and other low-power lights, because they cannot withstand the sterile environment in which they are effective for sterilizing surgical tools, and the function of the lights would be impaired or destroyed during the sterilization process. Even if the lights were to attempt to retain their function after the sterilization process, reusable and sterilizable electrosurgical tools undergo repeated sterilization, for example, after each use of the tool. Lights subjected to repeated sterilization will eventually lose or be destroyed before the useful life, or otherwise functional life, of the instrument ends, even if the function of the light is not impaired or destroyed during multiple sterilizations following the initial sterilization or initial disinfection. While the light may be contained within a sealed and sterilized electrosurgical tool, sealing is expensive and therefore not a desirable solution for providing a light to an electrosurgical tool. A data module containing the light enables the light to be provided on the electrosurgical tool and allows the light to be provided without hermetically sealed packaging. A light on an electrosurgical tool may help the user of the electrosurgical tool to easily view, via the data module, information about the electrosurgical tool that would otherwise be unavailable or unavailable without the user having to receive such information elsewhere, such as on a display screen in the operating room, via an audible signal that could be obscured by other noise. The light is configured to be controlled by the electrosurgical tool, for example, by the electrosurgical tool's electronic controller.Therefore, the data module does not need to include programming and associated hardware for controlling the light, which may help reduce the size of the data module, simplify its manufacture, and / or reduce the overall cost of the data module. The data module is configured to be disposable and disposed of (as waste and / or for recycling) after a single use with a single electrosurgical tool in a single surgical procedure, for example, so that it does not undergo sterilization which would impair the function of the lighting.

[0033] Another example of functionality that can be provided using a data module is electrosurgical tool control. Patient data can be stored on the data module, for example, in its memory. With the data module detachably attached to the electrosurgical tool, patient data can be communicated to the electrosurgical tool, which can then use that data to control one or more electronic control parameters of the electrosurgical tool, such as its speed or impact force. Thus, the use of the electrosurgical tool can be tailored to a particular patient, which may help prevent harm to the patient. Patient data may include diagnostic information about the patient that may influence the use of the electrosurgical tool on that patient. For example, diagnostic information may include whether the patient has arthritis or osteoporosis, which may make the use of a particular device on bone more dangerous if the speed of bone drilling, the speed of bone cutting, the force of bone impact, etc., are not constrained to be below or above a predetermined threshold (appropriately for the controlled parameters). Patient data may include bone quality information, which could make the use of certain devices on bone more dangerous if the rate of bone drilling, the rate of bone cutting, the force of bone impact, etc., are not constrained to be below or above predetermined thresholds (appropriate to the controlled parameters). Patient data may include the patient's height, which may help the electrosurgical tool set a maximum time length for bone drilling and / or bone cutting based on the typical bone size for that height.

[0034] Another example of functionality that can be provided using a data module is performance analysis. A data module may be configured to receive data collected by an electrosurgical tool in real time as the electrosurgical tool is used. Examples of such data include temperature data, duration of use of the electrosurgical tool, motor speed data, power consumption and / or level, energy mode, drilling speed, cutting speed, impact force, and other types of data. A data module may also include a memory configured to store the data received from the electrosurgical tool. A data module may also include a communication mechanism configured to communicate the data stored in the data module to an external device outside the data module, such as a mobile phone, electronic tablet, laptop computer, desktop computer, or other computer system. An external device can use data received from a data module to analyze the use of an electrosurgical tool, which may facilitate postoperative treatment of patients, help surgeons or other users evaluate the performance of the electrosurgical tool and / or their own performance, and / or help manufacturers evaluate the use of an electrosurgical tool by multiple users in different surgical procedures by receiving multiple datasets from multiple data modules, each used with the same electrosurgical tool and / or each used with the same type of electrosurgical tool.

[0035] Another example of a function that can be provided using a data module is proactive tool maintenance. Analysis of the data stored in the data module, for example, the data that can be stored in the data module during use of an electrosurgical tool to which the data module is detachably attached, may help the manufacturer or other entity determine that the electrosurgical tool requires maintenance before it experiences a failure. Thus, the manufacturer or other entity may contact the purchaser, user, owner, and / or other appropriate party to indicate, for example, that the electrosurgical tool requires maintenance and should be returned to the manufacturer or other entity for repair or replacement. Thus, the electrosurgical tool may be repaired or replaced before it experiences a failure, which may help eliminate delays suffered during the performance of a surgical procedure due to the need to replace a malfunctioning electrosurgical tool, help increase customer satisfaction, and / or help extend the life of the electrosurgical tool. For example, the data may indicate that the onboard power supply of an electrosurgical tool has run out, does not have enough remaining power for the next use of the electrosurgical tool, or is running out abnormally rapidly, in which case the power supply of the electrosurgical tool may be replaced or another electrosurgical tool may be provided. In another example, the data may indicate that a sensor on an electrosurgical tool (e.g., a temperature sensor, pressure sensor, proximity sensor, force sensor, etc.) is not properly collecting data, in which case the sensor may be repaired or replaced, or another electrosurgical tool may be provided.

[0036] Other examples of functionality that can be provided using data modules are tool tracking and fee services. As mentioned above, electrosurgical tools are typically reusable. Buyers, such as hospitals and educational institutions, can purchase electrosurgical tools on an upfront fee from sellers, such as manufacturers of electrosurgical tools or authorized wholesalers of manufacturers of electrosurgical tools. In such situations, sellers may not know, or cannot easily know, how many times an electrosurgical tool has been used after purchase, or learn this only after a significant time delay. Also as mentioned above, data modules are configured to be disposable. Once configured for single use before disposal, tracking data module sales and / or tracking data received from sold data modules may allow sellers to track how many times an electrosurgical tool has been used by a particular buyer, based on the number of data modules sold to buyers and / or based on the number of datasets received from the buyer's data module, with each data module dataset corresponding to a single electrosurgical tool use. Knowing the number of times an electrosurgical tool has been used may help manufacturers assess the price and / or the durability of the electrosurgical tool. Since the data can be retrieved from the data module immediately after it has been used with the electrosurgical tool, usage data can be received quickly, at least in some cases, while the data module is still detachably attached to the electrosurgical tool.

[0037] The data modules described herein can be used with any of a variety of electrosurgical tools. In exemplary embodiments, the electrosurgical tool is an electrosurgical tool such as an orthopedic impactor, a surgical drill, or a surgical reciprocating saw.

[0038] Figures 1 to 8 illustrate one embodiment of a data module 100 configured to be detachably attached to an electric surgical tool, such as an electrosurgical tool. The data module 100 is configured to be disposable.

[0039] The data module 100 includes a housing configured to house all of the data module 100's components. The housing is configured to be handled by the user to facilitate the attachment of the data module 100 to an electrosurgical tool and the removal of the data module 100 from the electrosurgical tool. The housing is liquid-tight, which may help protect the components housed within the housing from damage by liquids and / or gases to which the data module 100 may be exposed before, during, or after attachment of the data module to the electrosurgical tool. The housing includes a front housing 102 and a rear housing 104 configured to be fixedly mounted to each other. The fixed mounting of the front housing 102 and the rear housing 104 facilitates the liquid-tight configuration of the housing and helps prevent tampering and / or damage to at least the components fully housed within the housing. In other embodiments, the housing may be a single housing or may include two or more housing components configured to be fixedly mounted to each other.

[0040] Each component of the data module 100 may be fully housed within the housing or partially housed within the housing. At least some of the components of the data module may be partially housed within the housing so as to be located outside the housing and / or accessible from the outside, in order to maximize the usefulness of those components, as will be discussed further below. As in this illustrated embodiment, each of the electronic components of the data module (e.g., memory, power supply, communication mechanism, etc.) may be fully housed within the housing to help prevent each of the electronic components from being damaged by fluids and to help protect each of the electronic components from being tampered with or otherwise damaged. The non-electronic components of the data module 100 may be fully housed within the housing or partially housed within the housing.

[0041] The data module 100 also includes a printed circuit board (PCB) 106 configured to mechanically support and electrically connect the electronic components of the data module. To facilitate electrical connections, the PCB 106 may include a bus system connected by appropriate bridges, adapters, and / or controllers, such as one or more separate physical buses, communication lines / interfaces, and / or multidrop or point-to-point connections.

[0042] In this illustrated embodiment, the electronic components of the data module include a power supply 108, a plurality of lights 110, and a controller 112. While the power supply 108 is a single power supply in this illustrated embodiment, the power supply 108 may include multiple power supplies in other embodiments. Providing a single power supply 108 may help save space within the housing to allow for a smaller housing and / or room for more housed components. Since the data module 100 is configured for single use with one tool and therefore used only for a limited time, a single power supply 108 may be configured to provide sufficient power.

[0043] Each of the multiple lights 110 is an LED in this illustrated embodiment. In other embodiments, a different number of lights and / or different types of lights may be used instead of the four lights 110. Providing multiple lights 110 as opposed to a single light may help ensure that the illuminated lights are visible to the user of the tool to which the data module 100 is detachably mounted, regardless of the current orientation of the data module 100 to the user. Providing multiple lights 110 as opposed to a single light may allow the light illumination to provide more detailed information by, for example, by allowing different lights 110 to be illuminated simultaneously with different combinations of illuminated lights indicating different information, by allowing lights 110 to be illuminated sequentially to indicate progress, by allowing different lights 110 to be illuminated in a different color from one or more of the other illuminated lights 110 having different colors and / or different color patterns indicating different information. Light 110 is configured, for example, to provide real-time information regarding the use of an electric surgical tool in the surgical setting, for use of an electric surgical tool to which the usage data module 100 is detachably attached during the performance of a surgical procedure on a patient.

[0044] Multiple lights 110 are arranged to provide top and side visibility, as will be discussed further below. In other embodiments, lights may be arranged for forward visibility, bottom visibility, left-side visibility, and / or right-side visibility.

[0045] In this illustrated embodiment, the controller 112 includes memory and communication mechanisms. The processor 112 is a microcontroller in this illustrated embodiment, but may be another type of controller, such as a microprocessor or central processing unit (CPU), which may include a programmable general-purpose or dedicated microprocessor and / or one of a variety of dedicated or commercial single-processor or multi-processor systems. In the illustrated embodiment, the controller 112 is a single processor that can help control the cost and / or size of the data module 100.

[0046] Memory is configured to store data internally. Memory may include, for example, read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, one or more different random access memories (RAM) (e.g., static RAM (SRAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), or synchronous DRAM (SDRAM)), and / or a combination of memory technologies.

[0047] The communication mechanism is configured to communicate data, for example, data stored in memory, to an external device, and to receive data, for example, from an external device and / or from an electric surgical tool to which the data module 100 is detachably attached, for storage in memory. In exemplary embodiments, the communication mechanism is configured to communicate wirelessly using any of a variety of wireless technologies, such as Wi-Fi, near-field communication (NFC), Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), cellular communication, radio frequency identification (RFID), etc. The communication mechanism is configured to communicate wirelessly using passive communication technologies such as NFC or RFID, either as the sole wireless capability of the communication interface or as one of several wireless capabilities of the communication mechanism (e.g., NFC and BLE, NFC and Bluetooth, RFID and BLE, RFID and Bluetooth, etc.), which may allow data stored in the data module 100, for example in memory, to be retrieved from the data module 100 if the power supply 108 has depleted its battery power or does not have enough battery power to enable communication from the communication mechanism, for example if the power supply 108 as a battery is underpowered or does not have enough battery power to enable communication from the communication mechanism. Passive communication technologies enable the data source to wirelessly receive energy from a data destination, for example from an external device. Therefore, a communication mechanism configured to communicate using passive communication technology can be enabled to receive power from a data destination, for example, an NFC reader, an RFID reader, or other external device including appropriate passive communication capabilities, so that even if the power supply 108 is depleted or lacks sufficient power to enable communication from the mechanism, the data stored in the data module 100 can be communicated from the communication mechanism using passive communication technology.

[0048] For any reason, power supply 108 may run out of power or have insufficient power to communicate from the communication mechanism before all the desired data can be retrieved from the data module 100. For example, the communication mechanism may be out of range of an external device until after power supply 108 has depleted its power. In another example, the data module 100, including power supply 108, may have been manufactured so long ago that power supply 108 would be depleted before all the desired data could be retrieved from the data module 100. In yet another example, power supply 108 may be damaged and / or otherwise experience an error that prevents power supply 108 from providing the necessary power for data to be communicated from the data module 100 to an external device.

[0049] A communication mechanism configured to communicate wirelessly using passive communication technology, either as its sole wireless capability or as one of several wireless capabilities of the communication mechanism (e.g., NFC and BLE, NFC and Bluetooth, RFID and BLE, RFID and Bluetooth, etc.), may allow data to be stored in the data module 100, for example, its memory, as part of the manufacturing process of the data module and / or at other times before the data module 100 is detachably mounted on the electric surgical tool. Passive communication technology allows data to be communicated to the communication mechanism from an external device, such as an NFC reader, an RFID reader, or another external device with appropriate passive communication capabilities, for storage on the data module 100. The external device may have an app or other program installed that is configured to facilitate communication with the data module 100.

[0050] For example, patient data related to the patient being used in an electric surgical tool to which a data module 100 is detachably attached may be stored in the data module 100. With the data module detachably attached to the electric surgical tool, patient data may be communicated to the electric surgical tool, for example, using a communication mechanism, and the electric surgical tool may be configured to use that data to control one or more electronic control parameters of the electric surgical tool, such as the speed or impact force of the electric surgical tool. The patient data may be anonymized so that the patient's identity is not indicated by or identifiable from the patient data, but is associated with a specific patient.

[0051] In another example, type information identifying one or more types of electric surgical tools to which the data module 100 can be detachably attached may be stored in the data module 100. The type information can uniquely identify one or more types of electric surgical tools using an identification code or the like. The electric surgical tool to which the data module can be detachably attached may be configured to receive the type information from the data module 100 to verify compatibility between the data module 100 and the electric surgical tool, and to indicate verified or unverified compatibility via the light 110, for example, one color illuminating to indicate successful verification and another different color illuminating to indicate unverified verification. Alternatively or additionally, the data module 100 may also be configured to use the type information to verify compatibility between the data module 100 and the electric surgical tool to which the data module 100 can be detachably attached. Instead of using type information to verify compatibility with the data module 100 and / or the electric surgical tool, the data module 100 may be configured to use type information to determine one or more data parameters associated with a particular electric surgical tool to which the data module 100 is detachably attached. The type information can identify the data parameters associated with each type. The data module 100 may be configured to be detachably attached to different types of electric surgical tools, each of which may collect data on different parameters. For example, if the data module 100 receives identification information from an electric surgical tool, such as an identification code or serial number, it can identify the type of electric surgical tool based on the identification information and use the type information to identify the data parameters of that type that the data module 100 should receive from the tool and store in memory.

[0052] In yet another example, key data may be stored in a data module 100. The key data includes a number or code configured to enable the use of a motorized surgical tool to which the data module 100 is detachably attached. In such an embodiment, the motorized surgical tool is configured not to be used until the key data is received from the data module 100 and verified by the motorized surgical tool. In other words, the key data is configured to unlock the use of the motorized surgical tool. The motorized surgical tool to which the data module 100 is detachably attached is configured to receive the key data and compare the key data with corresponding key data stored in the motorized surgical tool, for example, in its memory. If the key data from the data module matches the key data stored in the motorized surgical tool, the motorized surgical tool is unlocked, and, for example, the controller of the motorized surgical tool allows further use of the motorized surgical tool. The key data stored in the motorized surgical tool may include multiple numbers or codes, each of which is a valid key that can be received from the data module. Thus, different data modules may store different keys (numbers or codes).

[0053] The communication mechanism of the data module 100 is configured to communicate with an external device 200, as shown in Figure 9. The communication is wireless in the illustrated embodiment, but may be additionally or alternatively wired in other embodiments. The external device 200 can be located locally with respect to the data module 100, for example, by being in the same room as the data module 100. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 10, the external device 200 can be located remotely with respect to the data module 100, for example, by being in a different facility, a different city, a different state, etc. As shown in Figure 10, the communication mechanism of the data module 100 is configured to communicate with the external device 200, shown as a computer system 202 in Figure 10, via a communication network 204 from any number of locations where the data module 100 may be located, such as a medical facility 206, e.g., a hospital or other medical care center, a home base 208 (e.g., a manufacturing facility, a distribution center, etc.), or a mobile location 210. Each of the multiple data modules 100 present at a given location may be configured to communicate with a computer system 202, for example, as shown in Figure 10, in which multiple data modules 100 at a mobile location 210 are configured to communicate with the computer system 202. The network 204 may include one or more security features, such as encryption and mutual authentication, to help protect transmitted data and / or unauthorized access to nodes within the network 204.

[0054] The external device 200 (computer system 202) may have any of a variety of configurations, including components such as a processor, communication mechanism, memory, input / output interface, and bus system, as understood by those skilled in the art. The external device 200 (computer system 202) may also include any of a variety of other software and / or hardware components, including, in non-limiting examples, an operating system and a database management system. The external device 200 (computer system 202) may be any of a variety of computer systems, such as a desktop computer, workstation, minicomputer, laptop computer, tablet computer, personal digital assistant (PDA), mobile phone, or smartwatch.

[0055] Computer system 1000 may include a web browser for obtaining web pages or other markup language streams, presenting those pages and / or streams (visually, audibly, or otherwise), executing scripts, controls, and other code on those pages / streams, accepting user input to those pages / streams (e.g., for completing input fields), issuing HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) requests to those pages / streams (e.g., for submitting server information from completed input fields), etc. The web pages or other markup languages ​​may be HyperText Markup Language (HTML), or other conventional forms including Embedded Extensible Markup Language (XML), scripts, controls, etc. The external device 200 (computer system 202) may also include a web server for generating web pages and / or delivering web pages to client computer systems. The presented pages and / or streams may allow a user of the external device 200 (computer system 202) to view the data received from the data module 100 and / or the analysis of the data performed by the external device 200 (computer system 202).

[0056] Referring again to Figures 1 to 8, the data module 100 also includes a protective cover 114. The protective cover 114 is configured to protect the PCB 106 and any of its components located beneath a plurality of openings 104a formed in the front housing 104. The protective cover 114 is partially housed by the housing. In this illustrated embodiment, the housing has four openings 104a formed inside it, but may include a different number, e.g., one, two, three, five, etc. The openings 104a may be in different locations on the housing than in this illustrated embodiment. The protective cover 114 in this illustrated embodiment is made of clear or matte plastic, for example, so that the illumination of lights is visible from the outside of the data module 100, such as by being transparent, translucent, or otherwise by being clear or matte plastic, so that one or more lights are on the PCB 106 and can be aligned with the openings 104a. Such lights are configured to face outward from the electric surgical tool to which the data module 100 is detachably attached. Therefore, the protective cover 114 is located on the front of the data module 100, thereby allowing light illumination from one or more lights to be visible on the front of the data module 100.

[0057] The data module 100 also includes a support 116 configured to be mounted on the PCB 106. The support 116 is configured to securely hold the PCB 106 within the housing. In exemplary embodiments, the support 116 is made of transparent or translucent material, or otherwise, the illumination of multiple lights 110 is visible through it from the outside of the data module 100, for example, by the support 116 being made of clear or matte plastic. The light support 116 is partially housed by the housing. At least a portion of the support 116 above the lights 110 is exposed to the outside of the data module 100 to facilitate the visibility of the lights 110 illuminated through the support 116.

[0058] The support 116 extends entirely along the top of the data module 100 and partially from the top along each side of the data module 100. Thus, the support 116 allows the illumination of the light 110 to be visible on the top and each side (left and right) of the data module 100. The illumination of the light 110, which is visible simultaneously on the top and sides of the data module 100, may facilitate the user seeing the illumination regardless of the user's current viewpoint of the data module 100.

[0059] The data module 100 includes a handle 120 configured to be held by the user to facilitate mating the data module to and removing the data module from the electric surgical tool. The handle 120 is defined by a housing (a rear housing 104 in this illustrated embodiment). The handle 120 protrudes forward so that it is accessible to the user at the front of the data module 100 during attachment of the data module 100 to the electric surgical tool and during removal of the data module 100 from the electric surgical tool.

[0060] The data module 100 is configured to be removablely attached to the electric surgical tool by being installed in a slot of the electric surgical tool. The data module 100 is configured such that, for example, the user holds the handle 120 and moves the data module 100 downward through the slot, causing the bottom side to slide into the slot first. The data module 100 includes an opposing side shelf 118 configured to be installed on the corresponding opposing side shelf of the electric surgical tool when the data module 100 is fully installed in the slot. Each bottom surface 120 of the data module's side shelf may include a mating element in the form of a protrusion configured to releasably mat with a mating feature in the form of a recess formed on the upper surface of the corresponding tool side shelf, and / or each bottom surface 120 of the data module's side shelf may include a mating element in the form of an internally formed recess configured to releasably mat with a mating feature in the form of a protrusion extending from the upper surface of the corresponding tool side shelf. The mating element / matting feature pair can help align the data module 100 with the electric surgical tool. The mating of the element / matting feature pair can produce an audible sound, such as a click or pop when the convex part engages with the concave part, which can help the user confirm that the data module 100 is properly and detachably attached to the electric surgical tool. The data module 100 is configured to be removed from the electric surgical tool by, for example, by the user holding the handle 120 and moving the data module 100 upward through the slot until the data module 100 is completely released from the electric surgical tool.

[0061] Figures 11–17 illustrate another embodiment of the data module 300 configured to be detachably attached to an electric surgical tool, such as an electrosurgical tool. The data module 300 is generally configured and used similarly to the data module 100 in Figures 1–10, and is configured to be disposable, for example, and includes a housing 302, a light cover 304, a support 306, a handle 308, a power supply, multiple lights, and a controller including memory and communication mechanisms. The power supply, multiple lights, and controller are hidden in Figures 11–17. The data module 300 includes eight lights, similar to the data module 100, but may include a different number of lights, as described above with respect to the data module 100 in Figures 1–10. The data module 300 in Figures 11–17 has a two-piece housing, similar to the housing of the data module 100 in Figures 1–10.

[0062] Figures 11 and 12 show the data module 300 as a standalone element, and Figures 13 to 17 show the data module 300 detachably mounted to one embodiment of the electric surgical tool 400. The data module 300 is configured to be detachably mounted to and detached from the electric surgical tool 400, similar to the data module 100 discussed above with respect to Figures 1 to 10. Thus, Figures 13 to 17 show the data module 300 detachably mounted in a slot (hidden in Figures 13 to 17) of the electric surgical tool 400. The data module 300 includes an opposing side shelf 310 configured to be mounted on the corresponding side shelf 402 of the electric surgical tool 400, similar to the side shelf 118 discussed above. The bottom surface of the shelf 310 of the data module may include a mating element, and the corresponding top surface of the shelf 402 of the electric surgical tool may include a mating feature similar to the mating element and mating feature discussed above.

[0063] In this illustrated embodiment, the electrosurgical tool 400 is an electrosurgical tool in the form of an orthopedic impactor. However, as described above, the data module 300 may be detachably attached to another type of electrosurgical tool. Various exemplary embodiments of the orthopedic impactor are described in the aforementioned U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013 / 0161050, “Electric Motor Driven Tool For Orthopedic Impacting,” published on June 27, 2013; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2019 / 0183555, “Orthopedic Adapter For An Electric Impacting Tool,” published on June 20, 2019; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2018 / 0055552, “Orthopedic Impacting Device Having A Controlled, Repeatable Impact,” published on March 1, 2018; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2018 / 0055554, “Orthopedic Impacting Device Having A Launched Mass Delivering A Controlled, Repeatable & Reversible Impacting Force,” published on March 1, 2018; and “Electric Motor” published on March 12, 2013. Further details are provided in U.S. Patent No. 8,393,409, entitled “Driven Tool For Orthopedic Impacting”, U.S. Patent No. 8,936,105, entitled “Electric Motor Driven Tool For Orthopedic Impacting”, issued on 20 January 2015, and U.S. Patent No. 8,695,726, entitled “Electric Motor Driven Tool For Orthopedic Impacting”, issued on 15 April 2014, which are incorporated herein by reference as a whole.

[0064] Figures 13–17 also show the lights 110 of the illuminated data module 300, with each light indicating a different state of the tool 400. The light colors in Figures 13–17 are examples; other colors may be used.

[0065] The lights in Figures 13 to 15 illustrate the energy modes of the tool 400. Figure 13 illustrates a light 110 illuminated in a first color, e.g., white, to show the low-energy mode of the tool 400. The energy control lever 404 of the tool 400 is in the position corresponding to the low-energy mode. Figure 14 illustrates a light 110 illuminated in a second different color, e.g., red, to show the intermediate-energy mode of the tool 400, which is higher energy than the low-energy mode. The energy control lever 404 of the tool 400 is in the position corresponding to the intermediate-energy mode. Figure 15 illustrates a light 110 illuminated in a third color, e.g., yellow, to show the high-energy mode of the tool 400, which is higher energy than the intermediate-energy mode. The energy control lever 404 of the tool 400 is in the position corresponding to the high-energy mode.

[0066] The lights in Figures 16 and 17 indicate the operating status of the tool 400. Figure 16 illustrates a light 110 that illuminates and flashes to indicate a temperature warning, for example, when the temperature sensed by the tool 400's temperature sensor (not shown) has exceeded a predetermined maximum threshold pressure. In response to seeing the light illuminate and flash, the user of the tool 400 can stop the energy application to allow temperature cooling. As shown in Figure 16, the tool 400 is in high-energy mode, with a temperature warning provided. Figure 17 illustrates a light 110 illuminated red to indicate that an error has occurred in the handpiece 406 of the tool 400, for example, a jammed energy application trigger, a jammed energy mode lever 404, or other error.

[0067] Other states that the light 110 can indicate include an indicator of the charge level of the power supply 108 of the data module. For example, in response to the data module 100 being detachably attached to the electric surgical tool, the electric surgical tool may illuminate (flash or stay on) the light 110 in a first color, e.g., white, to indicate that the power supply 108 has at least a minimum predetermined charge level, or in a second color, e.g., red, to indicate that the power supply 108 does not have at least a minimum predetermined charge level. The first predetermined charge level may correspond to a typical maximum amount of time for a surgical procedure using the electric surgical tool, e.g., 2 hours, 3 hours, 4 hours. Thus, the second color indicated when the data module 100 is attached to the electric surgical tool can indicate to the user of the electric surgical tool that the data module 100 may not have enough power for use with the electric surgical tool and should be removed and replaced with another data module.

[0068] As discussed above, instead of, or in addition to, indicating the status of tool 400 with top / side lights, the status of tool 400 can be indicated with a front light.

[0069] Figure 18 illustrates another embodiment of a data module 500 configured to be detachably attached to an electrosurgical tool, such as an electrosurgical tool. The data module 500 is generally configured and used similarly to the data module 100 in Figures 1–10, and is, for example, configured to be disposable, and includes a housing 502, a light cover 504, a handle 508, a support, a power supply, multiple lights, and a controller including memory and communication mechanisms. The power supply, multiple lights, and controller are hidden in Figure 18. The data module 500 includes eight lights, similar to the data module 100, but may include a different number of lights, as described above with respect to the data module 100 in Figures 1–10. The data module 500 in Figure 18 has a two-piece housing similar to the housing of the data module 100 in Figures 1–10. In this illustrated embodiment, the data module 500 includes a display 506, such as a graphical user interface (GUI) or a liquid crystal display (LCD), configured to show information to the user. The information displayed on the display 506 may correspond to the information illuminated by the light, but may be provided in the form of text and / or graphics. Thus, the light and the display 506 can provide redundancy and help ensure that a user of the motorized surgical tool to which the data module 500 is attached can view the information via the light, via the display, or via the display 506 and the light. The motorized surgical tool to which the data module 500 is attached may be configured to control the display 506 as well as the light. In this illustrated embodiment, the display 506 is located on the front of the data module 500, on the same side as the light, but the display 506 may be on a different surface of the data module 500.In this illustrated embodiment, the data module 500 includes a single display 506, but may include two or more displays, which may help enable the user to view at least one display regardless of the user's current viewpoint of the data module 500, by enabling different information to be shown on different displays of the displays and / or enabling different surfaces (e.g., top and front, front and one side, front and two opposing sides, etc.) to have displays on them.

[0070] Figures 19–21 illustrate another embodiment of the data module 600 configured to be detachably attached to an electrosurgical tool, such as an electrosurgical tool. The data module 600 is generally configured and used similarly to the data module 100 in Figures 1–10, and is configured to be disposable, for example, and includes a housing 602, a light cover 604, a support 606, a handle 608, a power supply, multiple lights, and a controller including memory and communication mechanisms. The power supply, multiple lights, and controller are hidden in Figures 19–21. The data module 600 includes eight lights, similar to the data module 100, but may include a different number of lights, as described above with respect to the data module 100 in Figures 1–10. The housing 602 is a two-piece housing, similar to the housing of the data module 100 in Figures 1–8.

[0071] Figure 19 shows the data module 600 as a standalone element, and Figures 20 and 21 show the data module 600 detachably mounted to one embodiment of the electric surgical tool 700. The data module 600 is configured to be detachably mounted to and detached from the electric surgical tool 600, similar to the data module 100 discussed above with respect to Figures 1 to 10. Thus, Figures 20 and 21 show the data module 600 detachably mounted within a slot (hidden in Figures 20 and 21) of the electric surgical tool 700. In this illustrated embodiment, instead of having opposing side shelves configured to mount on the surface of the electric surgical tool, the data module 600 includes a single shelf 610 that extends along the rear of the data module 600 and has a bottom surface configured to mount on the top (not clearly visible in Figures 20 and 21) of the electric surgical tool 700. The bottom surface of shelf 610 may include a mating element, and the corresponding top surface of electric surgical tool 600 may include a mating element and mating features similar to those discussed above.

[0072] In this illustrated embodiment, the electrosurgical tool 700 is an electrosurgical tool in the form of an orthopedic impactor. However, as described above, the data module 500 may be detachably attached to another type of electrosurgical tool. Adapters (not shown) and end effectors (or surgical instruments) (not shown) are configured to be detachably attached to the electrosurgical tool 700 at the distal or anterior end 702 of the tool 700. In some embodiments, the end effector is detachably attached to the orthopedic impactor.Various exemplary embodiments of orthopedic impactors, as well as adapters and end effectors, are described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013 / 0161050, “Electric Motor Driven Tool For Orthopedic Impacting,” published on June 27, 2013; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2019 / 0183555, “Orthopedic Adapter For An Electric Impacting Tool,” published on June 20, 2019; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2018 / 0055552, “Orthopedic Impacting Device Having A Controlled, Repeatable Impact,” published on March 1, 2018; and “Orthopedic Impacting Device Having A Launched Mass Delivering A Controlled, Repeatable & Reversible Impacting Further details are provided in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2018 / 0055554, entitled "Force", U.S. Patent No. 8,393,409 entitled "Electric Motor Driven Tool For Orthopedic Impacting", issued on 12 March 2013, U.S. Patent No. 8,936,105 entitled "Electric Motor Driven Tool For Orthopedic Impacting", issued on 20 January 2015, and U.S. Patent No. 8,695,726 entitled "Electric Motor Driven Tool For Orthopedic Impacting", issued on 15 April 2014.

[0073] In some embodiments, a data module configured to be detachably attached to an electrosurgical tool, such as an electrosurgical tool, includes a data storage unit and communication capabilities, but does not include a power supply or any lights. In such embodiments, the data module is configured to enable data stored in the data module to be communicated to the electrosurgical tool to which the data module is detachably attached. Generally, such data modules are less complex and have fewer components than the data modules 100, 300, 500, and 600 discussed above. Therefore, the data modules can have a lower cost. In exemplary embodiments, the data module is configured to be disposable.

[0074] In such embodiments, the data module's communication mechanism is configured to communicate wirelessly using passive communication technologies such as NFC or RFID, and as a result, the attachment of the data module to the motorized surgical tool allows data to be communicated from the data module to the motorized surgical tool, which includes the corresponding communication technology capabilities. Thus, the motorized surgical tool can receive data from a data module that can be used in various ways, as discussed above. The data stored in the data module may be of different types in different embodiments. In one exemplary embodiment, the data stored in the data module may be of different types. In another exemplary embodiment, the data stored in the data module may include patient data. In yet another exemplary embodiment, the data stored in the data module may include key data and patient data.

[0075] In such embodiments, the data module may be configured to transmit only information, for example, in one-way communication with data communicated to an electric surgical tool to which the data module is detachably attached, or it may be configured to transmit and receive information, for example, in two-way communication between the data module and the electric surgical tool to which the data module is detachably attached. In such embodiments involving two-way communication, the data module is configured to store data received from the electric surgical tool for subsequent communication to an external device. The data modules 100, 300, 500, and 600 discussed above are configured for two-way communication.

[0076] Figure 22 illustrates another embodiment of the data module 800 configured to be detachably attached to an electrosurgical tool, such as an electrosurgical tool. The data module 800 in this illustrated embodiment includes a data storage unit and communication capabilities, but does not include a power source or any lights. The data module 800 in this illustrated embodiment includes an RFID tag 802 configured to store data and communicate passively using RFID. The data module 800 in this illustrated embodiment is in the form of a card with the RFID tag 802 embedded in it or otherwise fixedly attached. The data module 800 is configured to be disposable.

[0077] Figure 22 shows a data module 800 that is detachably attached to an electric surgical tool 900 in the form of an orthopedic impactor. However, as mentioned above, the data module 800 may be detachably attached to other types of electric surgical tools. Various exemplary embodiments of the orthopedic impactor are described in the aforementioned U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013 / 0161050, “Electric Motor Driven Tool For Orthopedic Impacting,” published on June 27, 2013; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2019 / 0183555, “Orthopedic Adapter For An Electric Impacting Tool,” published on June 20, 2019; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2018 / 0055552, “Orthopedic Impacting Device Having A Controlled, Repeatable Impact,” published on March 1, 2018; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2018 / 0055554, “Orthopedic Impacting Device Having A Launched Mass Delivering A Controlled, Repeatable & Reversible Impacting Force,” published on March 1, 2018; and “Electric Motor” published on March 12, 2013. Further details are provided in U.S. Patent No. 8,393,409, entitled “Driven Tool For Orthopedic Impacting”, U.S. Patent No. 8,936,105, entitled “Electric Motor Driven Tool For Orthopedic Impacting”, issued on 20 January 2015, and U.S. Patent No. 8,695,726, entitled “Electric Motor Driven Tool For Orthopedic Impacting”, issued on 15 April 2014. The electric surgical tool 900 includes an internally formed slot 902 configured to releasably receive a data module 800 inside.

[0078] In some embodiments, a data module configured to be detachably attached to an electrosurgical tool, such as an electrosurgical tool, is configured as a key, similar to the use of key data discussed above, but does not include data storage, communication capabilities, power supply, or any lights. Generally, such a data module is less complex and has fewer components than the data modules 100, 300, 500, 600, and 800 discussed above. Therefore, the data module can have a lower cost. In exemplary embodiments, the data module is configured to be disposable.

[0079] In such embodiments, the data module may include magnetic sensing technology, such as a Hall sensor, a reed switch, or other technology configured to function as a key. An electrosurgical tool configured to be detachably mounted to such a data module is configured to generate, or otherwise provide, a magnetic field configured to interact with the magnetic sensing technology of the data module. In this way, when the data module is detachably mounted, the electrosurgical tool can determine that the data module is mounted to the electrosurgical tool and thereby unlock the electrosurgical tool for use.

[0080] Figure 23 illustrates two other embodiments of data modules 1000, 1100 configured to be detachably attached to an electrosurgical tool, such as an electrosurgical tool. In these illustrated embodiments, data modules 1000, 1100 each constitute a key and do not include data storage, communication capabilities, power supply, or any lights. Each data module 1000, 1100 is configured to be disposable.

[0081] Figure 23 shows an electric surgical tool 1200 configured to be detachably attached to each of the data modules 1000 and 1100. Thus, the tool 1200 is configured to be unusable until each of the two keys from the data modules 1000 and 1100 has been validated. In other embodiments, the electric surgical tool may be detachably attached to only one of the data modules 1000 and 1100, and therefore configured to be unlocked only when a single key is validated.

[0082] In this illustrated embodiment, the electrosurgical tool 1200 is an electrosurgical tool in the form of an orthopedic impactor. However, as described above, the data modules 1000, 1100 may be detachably attached to other types of electrosurgical tools. Adapters (not shown) and end effectors (or surgical instruments) (not shown) are configured to be detachably attached to the electrosurgical tool 1200 at the distal or anterior end 1202 of the tool 1200. In some embodiments, the end effectors are detachably attached to the orthopedic impactor.Various exemplary embodiments of orthopedic impactors, as well as adapters and end effectors, are described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013 / 0161050, “Electric Motor Driven Tool For Orthopedic Impacting,” published on June 27, 2013; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2019 / 0183555, “Orthopedic Adapter For An Electric Impacting Tool,” published on June 20, 2019; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2018 / 0055552, “Orthopedic Impacting Device Having A Controlled, Repeatable Impact,” published on March 1, 2018; and “Orthopedic Impacting Device Having A Launched Mass Delivering A Controlled, Repeatable & Reversible Impacting Further details are provided in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2018 / 0055554, entitled "Force", U.S. Patent No. 8,393,409 entitled "Electric Motor Driven Tool For Orthopedic Impacting", issued on 12 March 2013, U.S. Patent No. 8,936,105 entitled "Electric Motor Driven Tool For Orthopedic Impacting", issued on 20 January 2015, and U.S. Patent No. 8,695,726 entitled "Electric Motor Driven Tool For Orthopedic Impacting", issued on 15 April 2014.

[0083] A first of the data modules 1000 is configured as a dongle. The motorized surgical tool 1200 includes a port 1204 configured to releasably mount the data module 1000 inside. In response to the data module 1000 being mounted in port 1204, the motorized surgical tool 1200 is configured to unlock. In this illustrated embodiment, port 1204 is formed on the upper surface of the base 1206 of the handpiece 1208 of the motorized surgical tool 1200, but may be formed elsewhere in the base 1206, within the handpiece 1208, or elsewhere on the tool 1200. The data module 1000 as a dongle performs no function of the tool 1200 other than its unlocking function.

[0084] A second of the data modules 1100 is configured as a trigger for the electric surgical tool 1200. The electric surgical tool 1200 includes a cavity 1210 configured to removably house the data module 1100 inside. In response to the data module 1100 being housed in the cavity 1210, the electric surgical tool 1200 is configured to unlock. The port cavity 1210 is formed within the handpiece 1208 of the electric surgical tool 1200 in this illustrated embodiment, but may be formed elsewhere depending on the configuration of the electric surgical tool 1200 that enables trigger operation. As a trigger, the data module 1100 performs the function of the electric surgical tool 1200 in addition to its unlocking function. The data module 1100 as a trigger, removably mounted on the electric surgical tool 1200, is configured to be actuated to produce an impact. Therefore, the data module 1100 is configured to provide two levels of security for the electric surgical tool 1200, such that the electric surgical tool 1200 is unlocked by the data module 1100 using magnetic sensing technology, and the electric surgical tool 1200 cannot be operated until the data module 1100 is detachably attached to the electric surgical tool 1200, as the data module 1100 does not have an actuator to shock the electric surgical tool 1200 until the data module 1100 is detachably attached to the electric surgical tool 1200.

[0085] Figure 24 illustrates one embodiment of a method for using a data module. This method is described with respect to the data module 600 in Figures 19-21 and the electrosurgical tool 700 in Figures 20 and 21, but can be similarly performed with other embodiments of data modules and electrosurgical tools described herein.

[0086] The method in Figure 24 comprises three stages. The first stage 1300 of this method is the use stage in which the data module 600 is used together with the electrosurgical tool 700 during the performance of a surgical procedure on a patient, which is represented in Figure 24 as the operating room setting 1302. The data module 600 is detachably attached to the electrosurgical tool 700 as discussed above, and the electrosurgical tool 700 is then used according to its typical use in a surgical procedure.

[0087] In the first stage 1300, where the data module 600 is detachably attached to the electrosurgical tool 700, information is communicated from the electrosurgical tool 700 to the data module 600, for example, from the communication mechanism of the electrosurgical tool 700 to the communication mechanism of the data module 600, and can be stored in the data module 600, for example, in its memory. Thus, the data module 600 can receive and store data in real time using the electrosurgical tool 700 in a surgical procedure. The controller of the electrosurgical tool 700 can control the communication of information to the data module 600. Various types of information can be communicated to and stored in the data module 600.

[0088] Examples of information that may be communicated to and stored in the data module 600 include operational information relating to the operation of the electrosurgical tool 700 during a surgical procedure. Examples of operational information include impact-related information such as the number of impacts delivered by the electrosurgical tool 700 (which, as described above, is an orthopedic impactor in this illustrated embodiment), the direction of each impact of the electrosurgical tool (e.g., forward or reverse), the force of each impact of the electrosurgical tool (which may be either a force value or a force indicator such as high or low), the energy mode in which the impact was delivered (e.g., low energy mode or high energy mode), whether the impact delivered by the electrosurgical tool is a single projectile impact or one of several consecutive projectile impacts, and other operational information relating to the impacts. For example, the electrosurgical tool 700 may communicate to the data module 600 that during the process of the first stage 1300, 72 high continuous impacts were provided, 12 high single impacts were provided, 127 low continuous impacts were provided, 11 low single impacts were provided, 28 reverse continuous impacts were provided, and 6 reverse continuous impacts were provided. Other examples of operational information may not be related to impacts and therefore may not be operational information limited to use with orthopedic impactors, such as the number of times the trigger of the electrosurgical tool is activated, the speed of the motor driving the electrosurgical tool (e.g., the motor driving the impact, drilling, sawing, etc. of the tool), the current of the motor driving the electrosurgical tool (e.g., the motor driving the impact, drilling, sawing, etc. of the tool), and other operational information.

[0089] Another example of information that can be communicated to and stored in the data module 600 includes timing information regarding various time parameters related to the electrosurgical tool 700. Examples of timing information include the amount of time elapsed between the attachment of the data module 600 to the electrosurgical tool 700 and the removal of the data module 600 from the electrosurgical tool 700; the amount of time elapsed between the attachment of the data module 600 to the electrosurgical tool 700 and the communication of data from the data module 600 to an external device; the amount of time elapsed between the removal of the data module 600 from the electrosurgical tool 700 and the communication of data from the data module 600 to an external device; the amount of time elapsed between the attachment of the data module 600 to the electrosurgical tool 700 and the first operation of the electrosurgical tool 700 in the surgical procedure; the amount of time elapsed between the first operation of the electrosurgical tool 700 in the surgical procedure and the last operation of the electrosurgical tool 700 in the surgical procedure; the duration of each operation of the electrosurgical tool 700 in the surgical procedure; the duration of impacts, punctures, sawings, etc., that occurred in response to a trigger operation; and other timing information. For example, during the first stage 1300, the electrosurgical tool 700 can communicate to the data module 600 that 29 minutes have elapsed between the attachment of the data module 600 to the electrosurgical tool 700 and the communication of data from the data module 600 to an external device, that 19 minutes have elapsed between the first activation of the electrosurgical tool 700 in the surgical procedure and the last activation of the electrosurgical tool 700 in the surgical procedure, and that 256 impacts (total impacts over 42.6 seconds) have occurred at a rate of 6 impacts per second in response to the trigger activation.

[0090] Another example of information that can be communicated to and stored in the data module 600 is error information regarding any errors that occur during the use of the electrosurgical tool 700. Examples of error information include whether a temperature warning was issued, whether the electrosurgical tool 700 has stopped functioning, whether a voltage error occurred, whether a current error occurred, and other error information. Upon receiving any error information, the data module 600 indicates that the electrosurgical tool 700 requires maintenance, or is assessed to require it, or that it does not depend on a human review of the indicated error. For example, during the process of the first stage 1300, the electrosurgical tool 700 may communicate to the data module 600 that the motor current of the electrosurgical tool 700 has exceeded a predetermined threshold current.

[0091] Another example of information that may be communicated to and stored in the data module 600 is power information relating to the power supply of the electrosurgical tool 700. Examples of power information include the amount of power used by the power supply of the electrosurgical tool during a surgical procedure, identification information that identifies the power supply of the electrosurgical tool (e.g., serial number, lot number, etc.), and other power information. The power information may indicate that the electrosurgical tool 700 requires maintenance, such as when the power supply is rechargeable and, in each of multiple uses of the electrosurgical tool 700, the power supply uses more power than expected each time it is used, or when the power supply of the electrosurgical tool becomes underpowered during a surgical procedure (e.g., 100% of the power is used by the power supply of the electrosurgical tool during a surgical procedure).

[0092] Another example of information that may be communicated to and stored in the data module 600 includes identification information that identifies the electrosurgical tool 700. Examples of identification information include a unique identifier that uniquely identifies the electrosurgical tool 700 (e.g., serial number), a batch identifier that identifies the manufacturing batch of the electrosurgical tool (e.g., lot number, batch code), a manufacturer identifier that identifies the brand or manufacturer of the electrosurgical tool 700 (e.g., number, code, name), an owner identifier that identifies the owner or purchaser of the electrosurgical tool 700 (e.g., number, code, name), and other identification information. The identification information can facilitate analysis by an external device that receives the identification information and any other information from the data module 600 by allowing the external device to associate the analysis with a specific tool, batch, manufacturer, owner, etc., and thus identify issues relating to a specific tool, batch, manufacturer, owner, etc., through the analysis of data received from multiple data modules.

[0093] The second stage 1304 of the method following the first stage 1300 is a processing stage in which the data module 600 transmits data 1306 to an external device 1308, and the data module 600 is disposed of after the transmission 1306. The external device 1308 is a mobile phone in this illustrated embodiment, which has an app installed for managing data received from the data module 600 (and data such as patient data transmitted to the data module 600 before the data module's detachable attachment to the electrosurgical tool 700), but other external devices may be used as described above. The disposal of the data module 600 is shown in Figure 24 with a biohazard waste disposal bag 1310, but as described above, the disposal of the data module 600 may include waste disposal and / or recycling.

[0094] The data module 600 is not attached to the electrosurgical tool 700 in the second stage 1304. Therefore, the data module 600 is not attached to the electrosurgical tool 700 when the data is transmitted to the external device 1308 1306 and when the data module 600 is disposed of. The data module 600 may be removed from the electrosurgical tool 700 before or after the electrosurgical tool 700 leaves the operating room setting 1302. However, in other embodiments, the data module 600 may be attached to the electrosurgical tool 700 when the data is transmitted to the external device 1308 1306. For example, the data module 600 may be configured to initiate an attempt to transmit data 1306 after a predetermined period has elapsed since the data module 600 was attached to the electrosurgical tool 700, for example, by including a timer and a controller configured to cause the data module's communication module to initiate an attempt to transmit data 1306 after the controller determines that a predetermined period has elapsed based on data from the timer. In such cases, the data module 600 may or may not be attached to the electrosurgical tool 700 when the data module 600 initiates an attempt to transmit data 1306. The predetermined period can correspond to a typical maximum duration of a surgical procedure using the motorized surgical tool, for example, 2 hours, 3 hours, or 4 hours. In another example, the data module 600 may be configured to initiate data transmission 1306 to an external device 1308 in response to the external device 1308 being within the effective communication range of the data module's communication mechanism. In such cases, the data module 600 may or may not be attached to the electrosurgical tool 700 when the data module 600 initiates data transmission 1306 to an external device 1308. In yet another example, the data module 600 may be configured to initiate data transmission 1306 to an external device 1308 in response to the receipt of a data request from the external device 1308.In such cases, the data module 600 may or may not be attached to the electrosurgical tool 700 when the data module 600 starts transmitting data 1306 to the external device 1308.

[0095] As described above, the external device 1308 can transmit data, such as patient data and / or other data, to the data module 600 before the data module 600 is detachably attached to the electrosurgical tool 700. Thus, the data module 600 can store relevant data for use with the electrosurgical tool 700 before the data module is attached to the electrosurgical tool 700.

[0096] The third stage 1312 of the method following the second stage 1304 is an analysis stage in which data from the data module 600 is displayed on an external device 1308, for example, displayed on the screen of the external device via an app installed on the external device 1308, or displayed on the screen of the external device via a web page accessible using the external device 1308. For example, an external device 1308 displaying operational information in a graph 1314 over time is shown in Figure 24. In this illustrated embodiment, the graph 1314 shows when a certain number of forward shocks were delivered by the electrosurgical tool 700, when a certain number of reverse shocks were delivered by the electrosurgical tool 700, when the electrosurgical tool 700 was operating in high-energy mode, and when the electrosurgical tool 700 was operating in low-energy mode. As another example, an external device 1308 displaying text 1316 reflecting power information is shown in Figure 24. In this illustrated embodiment, Text 1316 includes the serial number of the power supply (including the battery in this illustrated embodiment) of the electrosurgical tool, an indication that multiple errors of the power supply occurred during use of the electrosurgical tool 700 with the data module 600 installed, and a recommendation that the electrosurgical tool 700 should be returned for service (maintenance). Text 1316 also includes the name of a company representative responsible for the electrosurgical tool 700, which helps a user reading Text 1316 to know who to contact with any questions.

[0097] The external device 1308 may be configured to perform analysis of data received from the data module 600. Alternatively or additionally, the external device 1308 may be configured to transmit data received from the data module 600 to a cloud computing system 1320 for analysis. The cloud computing system 1320 may be configured to aggregate data from multiple data modules, including the data module 600, to enable analysis of multiple datasets from multiple data modules related to multiple electrosurgical tools. The cloud computing system 1320 may therefore be able to identify trends by analyzing multiple datasets.

[0098] As described above, the temperature, moisture level, and pressure associated with sterilization techniques for sterilizing surgical tools can damage several electronic components, such as LEDs (and other types of lights) and rechargeable batteries. During sterilization, temperatures can reach approximately 132°C in a few minutes in a pre-vacuum sterilizer, for example, and approximately 121°C in a gravity displacement sterilizer over 30 minutes in another example. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the values ​​are not precisely defined, but may still be considered approximate due to various reasons such as manufacturing tolerances and the sensitivity of the measuring instrument. Examples of sterilization techniques include autoclaving, beta or gamma irradiation, ethylene oxide, steam, and liquid baths (e.g., cold immersion). Exemplary embodiments for sterilizing surgical tools containing internal circuitry are described in U.S. Patent No. 8,114,345, “System and Method of Sterilizing an Implantable Medical Device,” issued on 14 February 2012, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0099] Those skilled in the art will understand the further features and advantages of the apparatus, systems, and methods based on the embodiments described above. Therefore, this disclosure is not limited to what is specifically shown and described, except as indicated by the appended claims. All publications and references cited herein are expressly incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0100] This disclosure is described above for illustrative purposes only, within the context of the entire disclosure provided herein. It will be understood that modifications may be made to the intent and scope of the claims without departing from the overall scope of this disclosure.

[0101] [Implementation Method] (1) A surgical system, Electrosurgical tools including controllers, A data module configured to be detachably attached to the electrosurgical tool, comprising a data module including a light, memory, and communication mechanism, With the data module detachably attached to the electrosurgical tool, The controller of the electrosurgical tool is configured to control the illumination of the light to indicate the status of the electrosurgical tool. The data module is configured to receive information about the electrosurgical tool from the electrosurgical tool and to store the received information in the memory. A surgical system in which the communication mechanism of the data module is configured to communicate data stored in the memory to an external device. (2) The memory is configured to internally store data relating to the patient on whom the electrosurgical tool is used, The system according to Embodiment 1, wherein the controller of the electrosurgical tool is configured to adjust the settings of the electrosurgical tool based on the data relating to the patient. (3) The information received from the electrosurgical tool includes identification information that identifies the electrosurgical tool, The system according to Embodiment 1, wherein the information received from the electrosurgical tool includes tool information extracted from the electrosurgical tool based on the received identification information. (4) The system according to Embodiment 1, wherein the information received from the electrosurgical tool includes data relating to the operation of the electrosurgical tool in real time in connection with the use of the electrosurgical tool on a patient. (5) The system according to Embodiment 1, wherein the information received from the electrosurgical tool includes serial data that uniquely identifies the electrosurgical tool.

[0102] (6) The state is one of several possible states of the electrosurgical tool, The system according to Embodiment 1, wherein the illumination of the light differs based on the indicated state. (7) The illumination of the light differs in at least one of the following: color, and whether the light is flashing or continuously illuminated. The system according to Embodiment 6, wherein the plurality of states include at least two of the following: temperature, power status of the electrosurgical tool, energy mode of the electrosurgical tool, and operating status of the electrosurgical tool. (8) The system according to Embodiment 1, wherein the state is selected from the group consisting of temperature, the power status of the electrosurgical tool, the energy mode of the electrosurgical tool, and the operating status of the electrosurgical tool. (9) The system according to Embodiment 1, wherein the electrosurgical tool includes a slot configured for removably mounting the data module inside. (10) The electrosurgical tool includes a fitting feature, The system according to Embodiment 1, wherein the data module includes a mating element configured to releasably mate with the mating feature portion for the data module and the electrosurgical tool to be detachably mounted.

[0103] (11) The electrosurgical tool is configured to be sterilized and reused, The system according to Embodiment 1, wherein the light is configured to be inoperable when sterilized. (12) The system according to Embodiment 1, wherein the data module includes a housing that houses the light, the memory, and the communication mechanism. (13) The system according to Embodiment 1, wherein the electrosurgical tool is one of an orthopedic impactor, a surgical drill, and a surgical reciprocating saw. (14) A surgical system, A disposable housing configured to be detachably attached to an electrosurgical tool, A light configured to illuminate the housing to indicate the status of the electrosurgical tool to which the housing is detachably attached, The housing includes a memory configured to internally store data received from the electrosurgical tool in relation to the use of the electrosurgical tool, which is detachably attached to the housing. A surgical system comprising a communication mechanism configured to communicate the data stored in the memory to an external device. (15) The system according to embodiment 14, wherein the housing is detachably attached to the electrosurgical tool, and the illumination of the light is controlled by the electrosurgical tool.

[0104] (16) The state is one of several possible states of the electrosurgical tool, The plurality of states include at least two of the following: temperature, power status of the electrosurgical tool, energy mode of the electrosurgical tool, and operating status of the electrosurgical tool. The illumination of the light differs based on the indicated state. The system according to Embodiment 14, wherein the illumination of the light differs in at least one of the following: color, and whether the light is flashing or continuously illuminated. (17) The system according to Embodiment 14, wherein the state is selected from the group consisting of temperature, the power status of the electrosurgical tool, the energy mode of the electrosurgical tool, and the operating status of the electrosurgical tool. (18) The housing is configured to be detachably attached to the electrosurgical tool, and information about the electrosurgical tool received from the electrosurgical tool is stored in the memory. The system according to embodiment 14, wherein the communication mechanism is configured to communicate the information stored in the memory to the external device. (19) The system according to embodiment 14, further comprising the electrosurgical tool. (20) Surgical methods, During the use of an electrosurgical tool in a surgical procedure, the electronic controller of the electrosurgical tool, Controlling the illumination of a light on a data module that is detachably and mechanically attached to the electrosurgical tool, wherein the illumination of the light indicates the status of the electrosurgical tool. A surgical method comprising: communicating data relating to the operation of the electrosurgical tool in the surgical procedure to the memory of the data module and storing it in the memory.

[0105] (21) The method according to Embodiment 20, further comprising the controller adjusting the settings of the electrosurgical tool based on data stored in the memory relating to a patient in whom the electrosurgical tool is being used in the surgical procedure. (22) The state is one of several possible states of the electrosurgical tool, The method according to Embodiment 20, wherein the illumination of the light differs based on the indicated state. (23) The illumination of the light differs in at least one of the following: color and whether the light is flashing or continuously illuminated. The method according to Embodiment 22, wherein the plurality of states include at least two of the following: temperature, power status of the electrosurgical tool, energy mode of the electrosurgical tool, and operating status of the electrosurgical tool. (24) The method according to Embodiment 20, further comprising transmitting the stored data to an external device after removing the data module from the electrosurgical tool. (25) After removing the data module from the electrosurgical tool, the electrosurgical tool is further sterilized. The method according to embodiment 20, wherein the data module is disposable and the light is configured not to be operational when sterilized.

[0106] (26) The method according to embodiment 20, wherein the data module is removable and mechanically attached to the electrosurgical tool by being installed in a slot formed in the electrosurgical tool. (27) The electrosurgical tool includes a fitting feature, The method according to Embodiment 20, wherein the data module includes a mating element that is releasably mated to the mating feature for the data module and the electrosurgical tool to be removed and mechanically mounted. (28) The method according to embodiment 20, wherein the electrosurgical tool is one of an orthopedic impactor, a surgical drill, and a surgical reciprocating saw.

Claims

1. A surgical system, Electrosurgical tools including controllers, A data module configured to be detachably attached to the electrosurgical tool, comprising a data module including a light, memory, and communication mechanism, With the data module detachably attached to the electrosurgical tool, The controller of the electrosurgical tool is configured to control the illumination of the light to indicate the status of the electrosurgical tool. The data module is configured to receive information about the electrosurgical tool from the electrosurgical tool and to store the received information in the memory. The communication mechanism of the data module is configured to communicate the data stored in the memory to an external device. A surgical system in which the data module is configured not to supply power to the electrosurgical tool.

2. A surgical system, Electrosurgical tools including controllers, A data module configured to be detachably attached to the electrosurgical tool, comprising a data module including a light, memory, and communication mechanism, With the data module detachably attached to the electrosurgical tool, The controller of the electrosurgical tool is configured to control the illumination of the light to indicate the status of the electrosurgical tool. The data module is configured to receive information about the electrosurgical tool from the electrosurgical tool and to store the received information in the memory. The communication mechanism of the data module is configured to communicate the data stored in the memory to an external device. The memory is configured to internally store data relating to the patient on whom the electrosurgical tool is used. The system according to claim 1, wherein the controller of the electrosurgical tool is configured to adjust the settings of the electrosurgical tool based on the data relating to the patient.

3. The information received from the electrosurgical tool includes identification information that identifies the electrosurgical tool. The system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the information received from the electrosurgical tool includes tool information extracted from the electrosurgical tool based on the received identification information.

4. The system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the information received from the electrosurgical tool includes data relating to the real-time operation of the electrosurgical tool in connection with the use of the electrosurgical tool on a patient.

5. The system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the information received from the electrosurgical tool includes serial data that uniquely identifies the electrosurgical tool.

6. The state shown is one of a plurality of states of the electrosurgical tool, The system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the illumination of the light varies based on the indicated state.

7. The illumination of the light differs in at least one of the following: color, and whether the light is flashing or continuously illuminated. The system according to claim 6, wherein the plurality of states include at least two of the following: temperature, power status of the electrosurgical tool, energy mode of the electrosurgical tool, and operating status of the electrosurgical tool.

8. The system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the state is selected from the group consisting of temperature, the power status of the electrosurgical tool, the energy mode of the electrosurgical tool, and the operating status of the electrosurgical tool.

9. The system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the electrosurgical tool includes a slot configured for removably mounting the data module inside.

10. The electrosurgical tool includes a fitting feature, The system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the data module includes a mating element configured to releasably mate with the mating feature for detachably mounting the data module and the electrosurgical tool.

11. The system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the data module includes a housing that accommodates the light, the memory, and the communication mechanism.

12. The system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the electrosurgical tool is one of an orthopedic impactor, a surgical drill, and a surgical reciprocating saw.

13. A surgical system, It features a disposable housing configured to be detachably attached to an electrosurgical tool, The disposable housing described above is A light configured to illuminate the state of the electrosurgical tool, which is detachably mounted, A memory configured to internally store data received from the electrosurgical tool in relation to the use of the electrosurgical tool which is detachably attached, A communication mechanism configured to communicate the data stored in the memory to an external device, Equipped with, A surgical system in which the disposable housing is configured not to supply power to the electrosurgical tool.

14. The electrosurgical tool comprises a controller, The memory is configured to internally store data relating to the patient on whom the electrosurgical tool is used. The system according to claim 13, wherein the controller of the electrosurgical tool is configured to adjust the settings of the electrosurgical tool based on the data relating to the patient.

15. The system according to claim 13, wherein the disposable housing is detachably attached to the electrosurgical tool, and the illumination of the light is controlled by the electrosurgical tool.

16. The state shown is one of a plurality of states of the electrosurgical tool, The plurality of states include at least two of the following: temperature, power status of the electrosurgical tool, energy mode of the electrosurgical tool, and operating status of the electrosurgical tool. The illumination of the light differs based on the indicated state. The system according to claim 13, wherein the illumination of the light differs in at least one of the following: color, and whether the light is flashing or continuously illuminated.

17. The system according to claim 13, wherein the state is selected from the group consisting of temperature, the power status of the electrosurgical tool, the energy mode of the electrosurgical tool, and the operating status of the electrosurgical tool.

18. The disposable housing is detachably attached to the electrosurgical tool, and the system is configured such that information about the electrosurgical tool received from the electrosurgical tool is stored in the memory. The system according to claim 13, wherein the communication mechanism is configured to communicate the information stored in the memory to the external device.

19. The system according to claim 13, further comprising the electrosurgical tool.

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