Electrosurgical Sensor Signal Inversion for Single Fault Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electrosurgical systems face challenges in detecting single fault conditions, which can lead to unsafe operations due to identical signals from redundant sensors, causing incorrect fault determination and potential tissue damage.
Innovation Solution
The system employs a signal processing circuit that delays or inverts the signal from one sensor to generate a processed signal, which is compared with the signal from another sensor to identify single fault conditions, and shuts down the system when identical signals are detected, ensuring safety by preventing physical shorts between sensor outputs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If redundant sensors are used to monitor tissue properties, then measurement reliability is improved, but the risk of single fault conditions increases when sensors produce identical signals
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary signal processing by delaying and inverting the second sensor signal before comparison. This preliminary transformation creates a processed signal that differs from the original, enabling the controller to detect single fault conditions where both sensors fail simultaneously and produce identical readings, thereby preventing harmful effects before they occur.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies inversion by flipping the second sensor signal (multiplying by -1) to create a processed signal. This inversion allows the controller to compare the first sensor signal against an inverted version of the second sensor signal, making it possible to detect when both sensors are faulty and producing identical incorrect readings, thus resolving the contradiction between redundancy and fault detection capability.
2Device complexity
If the controller compares raw signals from both sensors directly, then device complexity is reduced, but measurement precision deteriorates due to inability to detect single fault conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The signal processing circuit performs preliminary actions by delaying the second sensor signal and inverting it before the comparison stage. This adds processing steps that enable precise detection of single fault conditions. The controller receives the original first sensor signal and the processed (delayed and inverted) second sensor signal, allowing accurate fault detection while maintaining manageable system complexity through dedicated signal processing circuitry.
3Productivity
If the system continues operating with redundant sensors, then productivity is maintained, but safety deteriorates when identical signals indicate potential faults
Solution Approach 1:
The controller continuously monitors the comparison between the first sensor signal and the processed second sensor signal, providing real-time feedback on system health. When identical signals are detected indicating a potential single fault condition, the feedback mechanism triggers the controller to shut down the electrosurgical system. This feedback loop maintains safety while allowing normal operation to continue when sensors are functioning correctly, thus balancing productivity and reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
An electrosurgical system includes an electrosurgical instrument coupled to an electrosurgical generator. The electrosurgical system may include a first sensor and a second sensor, which are configured to detect redundant tissue properties and output a signal corresponding thereto. The electrosurgical system has a signal processing circuit for receiving and modifying the output signal from the second sensor. The electrosurgical generator may include a controller for receiving an output signal from the first sensor and a processed signal from the signal processing circuit. The controller compares the two signals received and shuts down the system based on the comparison of the first sensor and a processed signal.