US Patent Application No: 2002/0049,551

Number of patents in Portfolio can not be more than 2000

Method for differentiating between burdened and cracked ultrasonically tuned blades

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Abstract

A method for differentiating between ultrasonically tuned blades which are broken or cracked, and blades which are gunked by evaluating measured impedance differences when a system is first excited with a low displacement signal and then with a high displacement signal. The method is performed irrespective of the age of the hand piece/blade, the temperature or specific type of hand piece or blade, and is not affected by self healing effects of slightly cracked blades. Moreover, the method facilitates the quantifiable determination of the amount of gunk on the blade. Absolute impedance measurements of the transducer or blade are unnecessary. Instead, only relative impedance measurements are required, which greatly simplifies the measuring criteria. This provides a way to measure the amount of gunk accumulation, and thereby a way to calculate/estimate the amount of heat generated at the sheath, as well as a way to calculate/estimate the amounts of degradation to the load curve of the ultrasonic system.

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Patent Owner(s)

Patent OwnerAddressTotal Patents
ETHICON ENDO-SURGERY, INC.CINCINNATI, OH1420

International Classification(s)

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Inventor(s)

Inventor Name Address # of filed Patents Total Citations
Donofrio, William T Andover, MN 126 1485
Friedman, Allan Leslie Cincinnati, OH 3 15

Patent Citation Ranking

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Patent Info (Count) # Cites Year
 
ETHICON ENDO-SURGERY, INC. (9)
8,523,889 Ultrasonic end effectors with increased active length 0 2007
8,512,365 Surgical instruments 0 2007
8,461,744 Rotating transducer mount for ultrasonic surgical instruments 0 2009
8,579,928 Outer sheath and blade arrangements for ultrasonic surgical instruments 0 2010
8,531,064 Ultrasonically powered surgical instruments with rotating cutting implement 0 2010
8,486,096 Dual purpose surgical instrument for cutting and coagulating tissue 0 2010
8,469,981 Rotatable cutting implement arrangements for ultrasonic surgical instruments 0 2010
8,546,999 Housing arrangements for ultrasonic surgical instruments 0 2012
8,546,996 Devices and techniques for cutting and coagulating tissue 0 2012
 
ANALOG DEVICES, INC. (1)
7,555,394 Measuring circuit and a method for determining a characteristic of the impedance of a complex impedance element for facilitating characterization of the impedance thereof 0 2006
 
OLYMPUS CORPORATION (1)
7,546,781 Ultrasonic operation apparatus and abnormality judgment method thereof 1 2007
 
OLYMPUS MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORP. (1)
8,095,327 Power supply apparatus for operation 0 2008
 
Other [Check patent profile for assignment information] (1)
8,591,536 Ultrasonic surgical instrument blades 0 2011