OPERATION OF AN ELECTROSURGICAL GENERATOR

Abstract

A method having: sending, to a spatially separately arranged server device, a configuration request having an item of identification information of the electrosurgical generator; receiving an item of operating information indicative of an operating mode, wherein the operating mode is capable of partially controlling the energy supply of the electrosurgical instrument by the electrosurgical generator; and storing the operating information in a data memory of the electrosurgical generator. Furthermore, a method for operating a server device, the method having: receiving a configuration request having an item of identification information of an electrosurgical generator; determining, at least partially in dependence on the identification information, an item of operating information indicative of one operating mode of a plurality of predefined operating modes, wherein operating modes are each capable of partially controlling an energy supply of an electrosurgical instrument by the electrosurgical generator; and sending, to the electrosurgical generator, the operating information.

Claims

1. A method for operating an electrosurgical generator for the energy supply of an electrosurgical instrument, the method comprising: sending, to a spatially separately arranged server device, a configuration request comprising an item of identification information indicative of an identity of the electrosurgical generator; receiving an item of operating information indicative of an operating mode, wherein the operating mode is capable of at least partially controlling the energy supply of the electrosurgical instrument by the electrosurgical generator; and storing the operating information in a data memory of the electrosurgical generator.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: operating the electrosurgical generator in the operating mode for which the stored operating information is indicative.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the operation of the electrosurgical generator comprises the control of the energy supply of an electrosurgical instrument.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the sending of the identification information further comprises: sending, to a token, the identification information; receiving, at the token, the identification information; determining, by way of the token and at least partially in dependence on the identification information, an item of operating information indicative of one operating mode of a plurality of predefined operating modes, wherein the operating modes are each capable of at least partially controlling an energy supply of an electrosurgical instrument by an electrosurgical generator; and sending, from the token to the server device, the configuration request comprising the identification information.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: sending, from a token, a preliminary request comprising an item of preliminary information; and receiving, at the electrosurgical generator, the preliminary request, wherein the sending of the configuration request takes place in dependence on the preliminary information.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: providing an item of report information, which is indicative of one or more items of operating information stored in the data memory of the electrosurgical generator.

7. The method for operating a server device, the method comprising: receiving a configuration request comprising an item of identification information indicative of an identity of an electrosurgical generator; determining, at least partially in dependence on the identification information, an item of operating information indicative of one operating mode from a plurality of predefined operating modes, wherein the operating modes are each capable of at least partially controlling an energy supply of an electrosurgical instrument by the electrosurgical generator; and sending, to the electrosurgical generator, the operating information.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the determination of the operating information additionally takes place in dependence on an item of request information, which is indicative of a specific operating mode.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the request information is comprised by the configuration request.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the reception, the determination, and/or the sending of the operating information comprises a check, at least partially in dependence on the identification information, of the permissibility of the operating mode for the electrosurgical generator, and wherein the operating information is stored in the event of a positive check of the permissibility.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determination and/or the sending of the operating information comprises a check, at least partially in dependence on the identification information, of the permissibility of the operating mode for the electrosurgical generator, and wherein the operating information is sent in the event of a positive check of the permissibility.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the operating mode specifies one or more of the following operating parameters of the electrosurgical generator: a profile form of the energy supply of an electrosurgical instrument to be provided by the electrosurgical generator, a power, voltage, current and/or frequency of the energy supply of an electrosurgical instrument to be provided by the electrosurgical generator, a specific sequence of profile forms, powers, voltages, currents and/or frequencies of the energy supply of an electrosurgical instrument to be provided by the electrosurgical generator, an upper and/or lower limit for the energy supply of an electrosurgical instrument to be provided by the electrosurgical generator, a user-specific setting of the electrosurgical generator with respect to the energy supply of an electrosurgical instrument, and/or a software update of the electrosurgical generator.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the operating information received by the electrosurgical generator has been determined in dependence on an item of identification information, which is indicative of the identity of the electrosurgical generator.

14. Computer program having program instructions to cause a processor to carry out and/or control the method according to claim 1 when the computer program is executed on the processor.

15. The computer program according to claim 14, which is stored on a computer-readable data carrier.

16. Electrosurgical generator for the energy supply of an electrosurgical instrument having a processor, a communication interface, a data memory for storing one or more items of operating information, and a computer-readable data carrier, wherein instructions are stored in the data carrier which, upon execution by the processor, cause the method according to claim 1 to be carried out.

17. Server device having a processor, a communication interface, a database for storing a plurality of items of operating information, and a computer-readable data carrier, wherein instructions are stored in the data carrier, which, upon execution by the processor, cause the method according to claim 7 to be carried out.

18. Electrosurgical system, comprising an electrosurgical generator according to claim 16 and a server device.

19. The electrosurgical system according to claim 18, further comprising a token designed as a user terminal.

Description

[0074] The invention is explained in more detail by way of example hereinafter with reference to the appended drawings on the basis of advantageous embodiments. In the figures:

[0075] FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of an electrosurgical system according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention; and

[0076] FIG. 2 shows a further schematic illustration of an electrosurgical system, an electrosurgical generator, and a server device according to exemplary embodiments of the invention;

[0077] FIG. 3 shows a schematic flow chart of exemplary embodiments of methods according to the invention;

[0078] FIG. 4a shows a diagram having a voltage-time curve of an exemplary first t profile form;

[0079] FIG. 4h shows a diagram having a voltage-time curve of an exemplary second profile form; and

[0080] FIG. 4c shows a diagram having a voltage-time curve of an exemplary third profile form.

[0081] FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of an electrosurgical system 10. An electrosurgical generator 20 is provided here for the energy supply of an electrosurgical instrument 11 in a hospital 14. The instrument 11 is, for example, an electroscalpel. Furthermore, the system 10 comprises a server device 30 located outside the hospital, in particular at the producer of the electrosurgical generator 20. The electrosurgical generator 20 and the server device 30 can communicate via a communication connection indicated as a cloud, in the present case, for example, the Internet.

[0082] Optionally, the communication connection can comprise a node 13 between generator 20 and server device 30 inside the hospital 14, for example in the form of a router. It is conceivable that all communication of components of the hospital 14 to the outside takes place via such a node 13.

[0083] The system 10 comprises a user terminal, which is suitable as a token and configured accordingly, in the form of a smart phone 40. The smart phone 40 can communicate for this purpose with the electrosurgical generator 20 via an NFC radio channel and/or both with the electrosurgical generator 20 and also with the server device 30 via the Internet.

[0084] A report interface 12 can also optionally be provided in the scope of the system 10. In the present case, this is connected to the electrosurgical generator 20 and can present an item of report information provided there. For this purpose, the interface 12 is designed as a display unit, on which the report information is graphically displayed to a user. It is also conceivable that the report interface 12 alternatively or additionally sends an item of report information via the communication connection, for example, to the server device 30 or the smart phone 40.

[0085] FIG. 2 shows a further schematic illustration of an electro-surgical system 10 comprising an electrosurgical generator 20 and a spatially separately arranged server device 30 according to exemplary embodiments.

[0086] In addition to typical components (not shown) such as a power supply unit, an inverter, and a connection for an electrosurgical instrument 11, the electrosurgical generator 20 comprises a processor 21, a communication interface 22, a data memory 24, and a data carrier 23. In a similar manner, the server device 30 comprises a processor 31, a communication interface 32, a database 34, and a data carrier 33. The database 34 is designed to store a plurality of items of operating information. The data memory 24 is in turn designed to store one or more items of operating information, which is to be a subset of the plurality of items of operating information storable in the data, memory 34.

[0087] The electrosurgical generator 20 and the server device 30 are designed to communicate via a communication connection by means of their communication interfaces 22, 23. In the context of such a communication, a configuration request can be sent from the electrosurgical generator 20 and received by the server device 30, thus transferred. An item of operating information can also be sent by the server device 30 and received by the electrosurgical generator 20 and thus transferred.

[0088] The electrosurgical system 10 can preferably comprise a token 40, which is indicated by dashed lines in FIG. 2 together with the corresponding communication connections. The electro-surgical generator 20 can communicate via its communication interface 22, for example via an NFC radio channel, with the token 40 and transfer an item of identification information to the token 40. The token 40 is in turn configured to send a configuration request to the server device 30, which can be received by the communication interface 32. The server device 30 is also configured to transfer an item of operating information to the electrosurgical generator 20 upon use of the token 40.

[0089] The designs of the functional modules (processor, communication interface, data memory, database, data carrier) of: the electrosurgical generator 20 and the server device 30 are not described in more detail hereinafter, since they are in the scope of routine measures in the art. It is thus readily possible for a person skilled in the art, for example, to make use of typically used types of memory (RAM, ROM, EEPROM) in the design of the data memory 24, the database 34, and the da-ta carrier 23, 33.

[0090] FIG. 3 illustrates exemplary embodiments of methods according to the invention. The method 200 represents an exemplary method for operating an electrosurgical generator and is carried out in the electrosurgical generator 20. Correspondingly, the method 300 represents an exemplary method for operating a server device 30 and is carried out in the server device 30. As is apparent in FIG. 3, both methods are technically linked to one another in the context of transferring a configuration request from the electrosurgical generator 20 to the server device 30 and transferring an item of operating information in the reverse direction. Individual or all steps of the method 400 can optionally be provided, which is carried out in a token 40.

[0091] In the method 200, the electrosurgical generator 20 sends a configuration request to a server device 30 in a step 201. The configuration request comprises an item of identification information indicative of the identity of the electrosurgical generator 20 and also the identity of the electrosurgical instrument 11.

[0092] The sending 404 and the receiving 205 of a preliminary request preferably precede step 201. The preliminary request, which comprises a preliminary item of information, is sent in step 404 by the token 40 and received in step 205 at the electro-surgical generator 20. The sending of the configuration re-quest in step 201 then takes place in dependence on the received preliminary information. In the present example, it can be established on the basis of the preliminary information for the generator 20 that the token 40 is a trustworthy token, to which a secure communication connection can be established in a manner routine in the art. Then, for example, optional step 204 described hereinafter or also a transfer of an item of re-port information from the generator 20 to the token 40 can take place via this communication connection.

[0093] Optionally, step 201 can comprise sending 204 the identification information to the token 40, whereupon steps 401 to 403 of the method 400 are carried out in the token 40. The token 40 receives the identification information in step 401. In step 402, the token 40 determines an item of operating information which is indicative of an operating mode. This can take place similarly to step 302 of the method 300 explained below.

[0094] In step 403, the token 40 sends a corresponding configuration request to the server device 30 instead of the electrosurgical generator 20. It is conceivable here that the token already carries out a check of the permissibility of the operating mode for the electrosurgical generator 20 on the basis of the identification information received in step 401 and a configuration request is only sent to the server device according to step 403 at all in the event of a positive check result.

[0095] In step 301, the configuration request sent by the electrosurgical generator 20 or by the token 40 is received at the server device 30. This takes place by means of the communication interface 32.

[0096] For the server device 30, a specific operating mode for the combination of generator 20 and instrument 11 characterized by the identification information is now determinable on the basis of predefined rules. This is dependent, for example, on whether the generator 20 can set the operating mode in hardware and the in is designed in hardware for the operating mode. For this purpose, the server device 30 has access to a plurality of predefined operating modes stored on a data carrier 33 of the server device 30 and to selection rules, which specify which operating mode from the plurality of operating modes is to be determined for the combination of generator 20 and instrument. 11 represented by the identification information.

[0097] In dependence on the identification information, the server device 30 accordingly determines in step 302 an item of operating information, which is indicative of one operating mode of a plurality of predefined operating modes. The operating modes are each capable of at least partially controlling an energy supply of an electrosurgical instrument 11 by the electrosurgical generator 20. For this purpose, the plurality of operating modes each specify one or more operating parameters of the electrosurgical generator 20. Thus, for example, an operating mode can be determined which specifies the third profile form of the energy supply of FIG. 4c for cutting tissue to be provided by the electrosurgical generator 20. In this example, the determined operating mode is also to specify a power range of 1 W to 300 W to be provided by the electrosurgical generator, from which an individual power value is settable at the generator.

[0098] The operating information determined in step 302 is sent in step 303 from the server device 30 by means of the communication interface 32 and received in step 202 by the electrosurgical generator 20 at its communication interface 22.

[0099] The determination in step 302 can additionally be dependent Cr an item of request information, which the electrosurgical generator 20 registers and transfers to the server device 30. The request information is to be representative of a request of the user for a specific operating mode, which is registered by a corresponding user input at a suitable interface of the electrosurgical generator. For this purpose, the electrosurgical generator 20 enables the user, again by means of a suitable interface, for example a touch-sensitive display unit, to make a selection by user input from a plurality of operating modes, using which the identified electrosurgical generator 20 can be operated. In a second partial step within the determination of step 302, the request information can also be taken into consideration and an item of operating information can be determined, which is also indicative of the specific operating mode requested by the user input.

[0100] In step 203, the operating information received in step 202 is stored in a data memory 24 of the electrosurgical generator 20. The generator 20 is preferably operated in a further step at least partially in dependence on the operating information stored in step 202. This comprises, for example, the control of the energy supply of an electrosurgical instrument 11.

[0101] FIGS. 4a, 4b and 4c show exemplary profile forms of the energy supply of an electrosurgical instrument 11, which each show a voltage U in V to be provided by the electrosurgical generator 20 in relation to the time t in ns in a diagram.

[0102] The profile form in FIG. 4a corresponds to a profile form for deep coagulation. A voltage having a continuous waveform having a frequency of 400 kHz, a duty cycle of 100%, and a maximum voltage amplitude of 200 V is specified. In FIG. 4b, a profile form for coagulation is shown, which specifies a modulated waveform having a frequency of 40 kHz, a duty cycle of 2500 ns immediately at the beginning of a period, and thus a duty cycle of 10%, and a maximum voltage amplitude of greater than 4000 V. The profile form shown in FIG. 4c is a profile form for cutting tissue. This profile form seed ties a continuous waveform having a frequency of 400 kHz, a duty cycle of 100%, and a maximum voltage amplitude of 600 V.

[0103] The embodiments of the present invention described in this specification and the optional features and properties respectively set forth in this regard are also to be understood as disclosed in all combinations with one another. In particular, the description of a feature comprised by one embodiment—not explicitly stated otherwise—is not to be understood in the present case so that the feature is indispensable or essential for the function of the embodiment.