Medical Device Serial Protocol for Pulse Width and Amplitude Encoding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current ultrasonic surgical instruments face challenges in effectively sealing blood vessels and providing feedback to users about the completion of tissue cutting, leading to potential damage from continued activation without visual confirmation.
Innovation Solution
The development of an ultrasonic surgical system that includes a tissue impedance module to monitor tissue impedance and adjust ultrasonic drive signals based on impedance changes, providing feedback through visual, audible, or tactile indicators to ensure precise cutting and coagulation without overheating.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If ultrasonic energy is applied to seal blood vessels, then vessel sealing is achieved, but visual feedback of tissue cutting completion is unavailable
Solution Approach 1:
The system monitors ultrasonic power consumption and compares it to expected values to detect when tissue cutting is complete. When the measured power deviates from the expected power profile, the system provides visual feedback through an indicator to inform the user that cutting is complete, resolving the information loss problem while maintaining reliable vessel sealing.
2Productivity
If ultrasonic instrument is activated without visual confirmation of cut completion, then cutting action continues, but instrument and surrounding tissue may be damaged by heat generation
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors ultrasonic power consumption during tissue cutting and compares it to an expected power profile. When the measured power indicates that cutting is complete (power deviation detected), the system provides visual feedback and can automatically deactivate the ultrasonic energy, preventing harmful heat generation while maintaining productive cutting action during the valid phase.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces visual inspection with electrical measurement by monitoring ultrasonic power consumption to detect cut completion. This substitution allows the system to detect when tissue is fully cut through electrical parameters rather than requiring visual confirmation, enabling timely deactivation to prevent heat damage.
3Reliability
If clamp force is increased to separate vessel layers, then vessel sealing is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses feedback from ultrasonic power consumption monitoring to detect when vessel layers are properly separated and cutting is complete. This electrical feedback mechanism replaces the need for complex mechanical force control systems, achieving reliable vessel sealing through software-based detection rather than complex hardware mechanisms.
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 system enables efficient vessel sealing and prevents instrument damage by providing real-time feedback on tissue state changes, ensuring accurate and safe surgical procedures.
Implementation Method 1
Vibrating at high frequencies (e.g., 55,500 times per second), the ultrasonic blade denatures protein in the tissue to form a sticky coagulum
Implementation Method 2
a tissue impedance module to monitor tissue impedance and adjust ultrasonic drive signals based on impedance changes
Data Source
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AI summary
An apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus includes a circuit configured to transmit a signal as a serial protocol over a pair of electrical conductors. The serial protocol is defined as a series of pulses distributed over at least one transmission frame. At least one pulse in the transmission frame is simultaneously encoded by modulating an amplitude of the pulse to represent one of two first logic states and modulating a width of the pulse to represent one of two second logic states. An instrument and a generator also are disclosed.