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 automatic termination of movement if thresholds are exceeded, providing controlled actuation and feedback to prevent damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If electrically-powered surgical devices are used to automate surgical functions, then productivity and precision are improved, but control and tactile feedback are lost leading to reduced situational awareness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a control system that monitors motor load, velocity, and position parameters and provides real-time feedback to the user interface. This allows surgeons to maintain situational awareness by viewing feedback indicators on the user interface while the device operates automatically, resolving the information loss caused by electrification.
2Force
If motor power is increased to ensure adequate force for all surgical functions, then force capability is improved, but motor stalling and device damage risk increase when loads exceed capacity
Solution Approach 1:
The control system performs preliminary monitoring of motor load parameters before stalling occurs. By detecting when motor load approaches threshold levels, the system can take preliminary protective actions such as alerting the user or automatically adjusting operation parameters, preventing stalling and potential device damage before they occur.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors motor load parameters and provides real-time feedback to detect approaching stall conditions. This feedback mechanism allows the system to respond proactively when loads approach motor capacity, maintaining reliability while preserving full force capability when needed.
3Reliability
If continuous monitoring and control mechanisms are added to prevent motor stalling and provide feedback, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control system serves multiple functions simultaneously: it monitors motor parameters for protection, provides real-time feedback to users, controls staged clip formation, and manages safety thresholds. By consolidating these functions into a single integrated control system rather than separate mechanisms, the patent improves reliability without proportionally increasing device complexity.
4Manufacturing precision
If staged clip formation with multiple thresholds is implemented, then manufacturing precision and control are improved, but device complexity and operation time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts operational parameters during clip formation by implementing staged control with different velocity and position thresholds for different phases of the process. This dynamic approach allows the device to optimize precision during critical formation stages while maintaining efficient speeds during less critical phases, achieving high precision without excessive time loss.
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.