Electrosurgical Controller Detecting Tissue Impedance for Biological Material Monitoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current ultrasonic and electrosurgical devices face challenges in efficiently monitoring and managing biological material accumulation on their end effectors, which can interfere with tissue treatment and increase energy requirements, leading to suboptimal performance and potential tissue damage.
Innovation Solution
The surgical system incorporates a controller with modules that monitor tissue impedance and biological material accumulation by applying non-therapeutic signals to the end effectors, alerting users when thresholds are exceeded, and storing operational parameters to track usage and maintenance needs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If energy is applied to tissue to achieve coagulation and sealing, then tissue sealing effectiveness is improved, but biological material accumulates on the end effector interfering with subsequent treatment
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary monitoring of tissue impedance before and during energy delivery to detect biological material accumulation early, allowing intervention before it significantly interferes with treatment effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors tissue impedance as feedback during energy delivery and uses this information to detect when biological material accumulates on the end effector, alerting the operator to clean the instrument
2Productivity
If monitoring and management of biological material accumulation is implemented, then treatment efficiency is maintained, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces complex mechanical monitoring and detection mechanisms with electrical impedance measurements, which can be obtained through simple electrical circuits already present in the electrosurgical generator
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the existing electrical circuitry and tissue impedance measurements already taken during normal operation to simultaneously detect biological material accumulation, without requiring separate dedicated monitoring hardware
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution effectively alerts users to excessive biological material accumulation, ensuring proper maintenance and preventing performance degradation, thereby maintaining efficient tissue treatment and reducing energy consumption.
Implementation Method 1
monitor tissue impedance and biological material accumulation by applying non-therapeutic signals to the end effectors
Implementation Method 2
Heat generated by the current flow through the tissue may form hemostatic seals within the tissue
Data Source
AI summary
A system for use with a surgical instrument includes an end effector, a memory circuit to store computer-executable instructions, and a processor. The end effector comprises a cutting member and a load cell sensor configured to sense a measure of force used to advance the cutting member through captured tissue. The processor is configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to initiate a first treatment cycle, access the measure of force used during the first treatment cycle to advance the cutting member through the captured tissue, determine that the measure of force exceeds a predetermined threshold, and generate an alert to a user of the surgical instrument based on the determination that a value of the measure of force exceeds the predetermined threshold. The predetermined threshold is based on an accumulation of biological material on the cutting member and a normal operational parameter of the first treatment cycle.