Surgical Instrument Display Control for Real-Time State Feedback
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Surgical instruments lack effective methods to display operational states and provide alerts or power down based on their operational conditions, such as cutting, stapling, or articulation, which can lead to errors or inefficient use.
Innovation Solution
A method involving sensors to detect operational parameters and a display system that shows images corresponding to the instrument's state, allowing for real-time feedback and control, including alerts and power management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If sensors and display systems are added to provide real-time operational feedback, then operational safety and efficiency are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The display system is designed to perform multiple functions: showing operational state, displaying alerts/errors, indicating power status, and providing real-time feedback. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate systems for each function, thereby improving reliability without proportionally increasing complexity
Solution Approach 2:
Sensors detect operational parameters and feed this information to the display system, which provides real-time feedback to the clinician. This closed-loop feedback mechanism improves operational safety by enabling immediate awareness of instrument state without requiring complex manual monitoring systems
2Productivity
If multiple sensors and display functions are integrated, then operational efficiency is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The display presents information in segmented, organized sections: operational state display, alert/error messages, and power status indicators. This segmentation allows clinicians to quickly locate and interpret specific information without being overwhelmed by a monolithic display, maintaining ease of operation while improving operational efficiency through comprehensive monitoring
3Loss of information
If real-time monitoring and display capabilities are implemented, then loss of information is reduced, but use of energy increases
Solution Approach 1:
The display system updates operational state information at periodic intervals rather than continuously, and sensors sample parameters at defined frequencies. This periodic operation maintains adequate real-time feedback for surgical operations while significantly reducing energy consumption compared to continuous monitoring and display refresh
Solution Approach 2:
The system adjusts display refresh rates and sensor sampling frequencies based on operational mode and information criticality. During stable operational states, update rates are reduced to conserve energy, while during critical transitions or error conditions, the system increases update frequency to maintain information accuracy
Data Source
AI summary
Various systems and methods of controlling a surgical instrument are disclosed. The surgical instrument can include one or more sensors that are configured to detect or measure parameters associated with the use of the instrument and a display. A control circuit can be configured to detect whether the instrument is articulating, firing, clamping, and so on according to relationships between the detected parameters. The control circuit can further cause the display to display an image or sequences of images according to the particular operational state of the instrument. The images can provide alerts, instructions on how to use the instrument, or information detected by the one or more sensors, such as the position of the knife during transection.