Surgical Clip Applier Control System Motor Stalling Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current electrically-powered surgical devices lack control and tactile feedback, leading to reduced situational awareness for surgeons, potential device and patient damage due to motor stalling, and inability to accommodate changing loads, which can result in time-intensive disengagement procedures.
Innovation Solution
A control system for surgical clip appliers that includes a drive assembly with predetermined thresholds for motor load and velocity, allowing for staged clip formation and clip stability testing to ensure proper engagement with tissue, thereby providing controlled movement and feedback to prevent damage and improve surgical precision.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If electrically-powered devices are used to automate surgical procedures, then productivity and precision are improved, but control and tactile feedback are lost leading to reduced situational awareness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms through multiple sensors that monitor motor current, velocity, and position throughout the clip formation process. This data is fed back to the control system to provide real-time information about tissue interaction forces, clip deformation progress, and jaw positioning, thereby restoring situational awareness to the operator while maintaining automated precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical control with an automated motorized system that uses electronic sensors and control algorithms to monitor and adjust the clip formation process. This substitution enables precise control of motor parameters while electronic feedback systems replace the tactile feedback that would naturally occur in manual operation.
2Power
If motor power is increased to ensure adequate force for clip formation, then the ability to perform the function is improved, but the risk of motor stalling and device damage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs dynamic control of motor parameters by continuously monitoring motor current and velocity throughout the clip formation process. The control system adjusts motor power delivery in real-time based on the stage of clip formation and tissue resistance, enabling the motor to deliver high force when needed while automatically reducing power to prevent stalling and damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary control measures by establishing predetermined current and velocity thresholds before the clip formation process begins. These thresholds are programmed into the control system to proactively prevent motor stalling and tissue damage by stopping or reversing motor action when threshold limits are approached, rather than waiting for damage to occur.
3Productivity
If the motor operates continuously without feedback control, then productivity is maintained, but the ability to accommodate changing loads is lost leading to potential tissue damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses feedback control through current and velocity sensors that continuously monitor motor performance throughout clip formation. This real-time data allows the control system to adapt motor parameters to changing tissue loads, maintaining optimal clip formation speed while preventing excessive force application that could damage tissue or the device.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent dynamically changes motor operating parameters including current limits, velocity thresholds, and acceleration rates based on the stage of clip formation and sensed tissue resistance. The control system modifies these parameters in real-time to accommodate varying tissue properties while maintaining productive clip formation speeds.
4Manufacturing precision
If staged clip formation with multiple thresholds is implemented, then precision and safety are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the clip formation process into distinct stages with predetermined current and velocity thresholds for each stage. This segmentation allows the control system to apply different control parameters optimized for each phase of clip formation, improving precision while managing complexity through modular threshold-based control logic.
Data Source
AI summary
Controls systems and methods are provided for controlling a surgical clip applier for applying surgical clips to a vessel, duct, shunt, etc., during a surgical procedure are provided. In an exemplary embodiment, a control system is provided for controlling at least one motor coupled to a drive system on a surgical clip applier device for driving one or more drive assemblies and thereby actuating one or more actuation assemblies. The control system can be configured to communicate with the drive system of the clip applier tool and to control and modify movement of one or more drive assemblies and actuation assemblies based on certain feedback.