INTEGRATED POWER UNIT IPU

Abstract

An actuating unit for or of a surgical instrument operated by an electric motor and having a switch housing. The switch housing is separate and spaced apart from the surgical instrument and includes a frame, supports for supporting the switch housing on a substrate, at least one power supply unit for supplying power to at least one motor system of a surgical instrument connected to the actuating unit, a control and monitoring device designed to carry out and/or monitor at least one function, and a cable and/or a cable connection for connecting the cable for electrically coupling the actuating unit to a surgical instrument for operating the surgical instrument.

Claims

1. An actuating unit for an electromotively-operated surgical instrument the actuating unit comprising: a switch housing that is separate from and spatially spaced apart from the surgical instrument, the switch housing comprising a frame and a support; at least one power supply unit configured for supplying power to at least one motor system of the surgical instrument; a control and monitoring device configured to perform and/or monitor at least one of the following functions: monitoring and/or displaying a state of charge of the at least one power supply unit, switching on/off an energy supply to the surgical instrument, receiving and/or sending data to an external instrument-actuating unit; outputting and/or receiving operating parameters and operating signals to/from the surgical instrument, and storing data and/or operating parameters; and a cable connection for electrically coupling the actuating unit to the surgical instrument for operating the motor system via the power supply unit integrated in the actuating unit.

2. The actuating unit according to claim 1, wherein the control and monitoring device is an IPU unit comprising the at least one power unit, a signal-generator device, a motor energization device, a data acquisition device and a sending unit, and the IPU unit is integrated in the switch housing of the actuating unit.

3. The actuating unit according to claim 1, wherein the at least one power supply unit is an accumulator or a battery.

4. The actuating unit according to claim 2, wherein the IPU unit is configured to centrally acquire data and/or operating parameters in the switch housing of the actuating unit.

5. The actuating unit according to claim 2, wherein the IPU unit has a data interface for reading all data and/or operating parameters of a motor history of all application parts.

6. The actuating unit according to claim 2, wherein the IPU unit is completely removable from the switch housing.

7. The actuating unit according to claim 2, wherein an underside of the switch housing comprises a non-slip coating.

8. The actuating unit according to claim 2, wherein a bidirectional data exchange is provided between the IPU unit and a charging device during a charging process, and wherein another data exchange is provided between the charging device and a cloud.

9. The actuating unit according to claim 2, further comprising a communication connection of the actuating unit with a smartphone.

10. A surgical treatment system comprising: the actuating unit according to claim 1; and an electromotively-operated surgical instrument comprising a motor system configured for operation with the at least one power supply unit, the motor system being housed in an application part, and the cable connection being arranged at a proximal end (or end region of the application part.

11. The actuating unit according to claim 6, wherein the IPU unit is configured to be plugged into a computer to access data and/or operating parameters stored on and/or acquired by the IPU unit.

12. The actuating unit according to claim 11, wherein the IPU unit is adapted to install necessary updates and/or new programs.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

[0040] FIG. 1 is an illustration showing the actuating unit according to the present disclosure;

[0041] FIG. 2 is an illustration showing the control and monitoring unit according to the present disclosure;

[0042] FIG. 3 is an illustration showing a treatment system according to the present disclosure;

[0043] FIG. 4 is an illustration showing the treatment system according to the prior art; and

[0044] FIG. 5 is an illustration showing the power supply components of the motor system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0045] The following describes configuration examples of the present disclosure based on the accompanying figures. The figures are merely schematic in nature and are provided for the purpose of understanding the invention. The same elements are designated by the same reference signs.

[0046] FIG. 1 is an illustration showing the actuating unit 1 according to the present disclosure. In FIG. 1, according to a preferred embodiment, the actuating unit 1 is configured as a foot-operated switch unit to be/come in contact with an electromotively-operated surgical instrument 2 (see FIG. 3). Accordingly, a hand-operated switch unit is similarly configured. The actuating unit 1 has a switch housing 3 formed with a frame 4. The frame 4, which is formed as a fixed bracket above the switch housing 3 and is fixed/attached to the switch housing 3 on two opposite sides, is used for lifting and moving the actuating unit 1 by an operator, preferably with his foot/hand. The top side of the switch housing 3 of the actuating unit 1 is pressed towards the bottom/support surface when actuated. The actuating unit 1 is provided with a power supply unit 5, which supplies power/energy to a motor system 6 (see FIG. 3) connected to it. In addition, a cable connection is provided for attaching a cable 8 (see FIG. 3) on one side of the actuating unit 1.

[0047] FIG. 2 is an illustration showing the control and monitoring unit 7 according to the present disclosure. The control and monitoring unit 7 is provided to be integrated into the switch housing 3 according to FIG. 1. The control and monitoring unit 7 is a preferably completely removable IPU unit 7, consisting of a plurality of partial components. In FIG. 2, it can be seen that the IPU unit is formed with a signal-generator apparatus 10, a motor energization apparatus 11, a data acquisition apparatus 12 and a sending unit 13. In addition, the IPU unit has an energy storage unit 5, preferably formed as an accumulator, which is preferably provided centrally in the IPU unit 7 and which supplies the surrounding partial components as well as the motor system 6 with energy/power for electromotive operation of the surgical instrument 2. It is preferred if the IPU unit 7 has almost the same shape as the switch housing 3 of the actuating unit 1.

[0048] FIG. 3 is an illustration showing a treatment system according to the present disclosure. The treatment system has the actuating unit 1 already described in FIG. 1, in which the IPU unit 7 with the energy storage unit 5 is integrated. The motor system 6 is connected at its proximal end 17 to the cable connection 9 of the actuating unit 1 via a cable 8. The motor system 6 is connected at its distal end 18 to the surgical instrument 2. The motor system 6 and the surgical instrument 2 connected to it together form the handpiece/application part 14.

[0049] In addition, it is provided that the IPU unit 7 is connected wirelessly to a smartphone 16 via a communication connection 15. The communication connection 15 is configured in such a way that, for example, adjustments of individual motor parameters can be made. Furthermore, it is preferred if the display of the smartphone 16 is used as the display of the IPU unit 7. This means that the smartphone 16 can be used, for example, to read the state of charge of the energy storage unit and/or to switch the energy supply on and off.

[0050] FIG. 4 is an illustration showing the treatment system according to the prior art. FIG. 4 is essentially the same as the illustration in FIG. 3, with the difference that in the prior art, three cables have to be used to perform all the necessary and/or desired functions in order to operate the surgical instrument 2. Thus, in FIG. 4, a first line 19 can be seen, which is a supply line between a power supply or mains (not shown) and a control and monitoring device 7. The second line 20 connects the control and monitoring device 7 to the motor system 6 integrated in the application part 14, which is connected to the surgical instrument 2. The third line 21 is used to connect the control and monitoring device 7 to the actuating unit 1.

[0051] A comparison of the two FIGS. 3 and 4 shows that the one cable 8 according to FIG. 3 replaces both the first line 19, the second line 20 and the third line 21. This eliminates the need for cables/lines running across the operating room.

[0052] FIG. 5 is an illustration showing the power supply components of the motor system. FIG. 5 shows the power supply unit 5, a converter 22 and an inverter 23, which are integrated in the actuating unit 1. Here, it is preferred that the converter 22 and the inverter 23 are part of the motor energization device 11. The energy storage unit 5 supplies a 12 V direct current voltage to the converter 22, which converts the 12 V direct current voltage into 36 V direct current voltage. The 36 V direct current voltage from the converter is output to the inverter 23, which converts it to an alternating current voltage and outputs it to the motor system 6 in order to energize or drive the permanent-magnet synchronous motor 24 integrated therein.