Surgical cutting instrument that analyzes tissue thickness

Abstract

A surgical instrument with a tissue-clamping end effector, where actuation of the instrument is locked out when the thickness of the tissue clamped in the end effector is not within a specified thickness range. The end effector may comprise a tissue thickness module that senses the thickness of the tissue clamped in the end effector. The surgical instrument also comprises a control circuit in communication with the tissue thickness module. The control circuit prevents actuation of a working portion of the end effector when the thickness of the tissue clamped in the end effector is not within the specified thickness range.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A surgical instrument comprising:
 a tissue-clamping end effector that comprises:
 a moveable working portion; 
 a tissue thickness module that senses thickness of tissue clamped in the end effector; and 
   a control circuit in communication with the tissue thickness module, wherein the control circuit prevents actuation of the moveable working portion when the thickness of the tissue clamped in the end effector is not within a specified thickness range.   
     
     
         2 . The surgical instrument of  claim 1 , wherein the end effector comprises:
 first and second opposing jaw members; and   a disposable cartridge located in the first jaw member, wherein the tissue thickness module is part of the disposable cartridge.   
     
     
         3 . The surgical instrument of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the tissue thickness module comprises a Hall effect sensor; and   the second jaw member comprises a magnet, wherein the Hall effect sensor senses a magnetic field strength from the magnet that is indicative of the thickness of the tissue clamped in the end effector.   
     
     
         4 . The surgical instrument of  claim 3 , wherein the tissue thickness module communicates data to the control circuit, the data comprising:
 data indicative of the thickness of the tissue clamped in the end effector; and   data indicative of a cartridge type of the disposable cartridge.   
     
     
         5 . The surgical instrument of  claim 4 , wherein the control circuit comprises a processing unit programmed to determine whether the tissue clamped in the end effector is within the specified thickness range for the disposable cartridge based on the data communicated to the control circuit by the tissue thickness module, including the data indicative of the thickness of the tissue clamped in the end effector and the data indicative of the cartridge type of the disposable cartridge. 
     
     
         6 . The surgical instrument of  claim 5 , wherein the control circuit comprises solid state memory, wherein the solid state memory stores thickness range data for one or more cartridge types. 
     
     
         7 . The surgical instrument of  claim 6 , wherein the processing unit is programmed to determine whether the tissue clamped in the end effector is within the specified thickness range for the disposable cartridge based on the data communicated to the control circuit by the tissue thickness module by comparing the data indicative of the thickness of the tissue clamped in the end effector to stored thickness range data for the cartridge type of the disposable cartridge in the end effector 
     
     
         8 . The surgical instrument of  claim 7 , wherein:
 the surgical instrument further comprises:
 a drive shaft that drives the moveable working portion; 
 an electric motor that actuates the drive shaft; and 
 a battery pack that supplies electrical power to the electric motor; and 
   the control circuit prevents actuation of the electric motor when the thickness of the tissue clamped in the end effector is not within a specified thickness range.   
     
     
         9 . The surgical instrument of  claim 8 , wherein the tissue thickness module is in wireless communication with the control circuit. 
     
     
         10 . The surgical instrument of  claim 9 , wherein the tissue thickness module is in wireless communication with a visual display unit. 
     
     
         11 . The surgical instrument of  claim 9 , wherein the tissue thickness module is in wireless communication with a remote computer system. 
     
     
         12 . The surgical instrument of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the tissue thickness module comprises a first radio module; and   the control circuit comprises a second radio module, wherein the first radio module wirelessly communicates with the second radio module.   
     
     
         13 . The surgical instrument of  claim 2 , wherein the disposable cartridge comprises a disposable staple cartridge. 
     
     
         14 . The surgical instrument of  claim 1 , wherein the moveable working portion comprises a cutting instrument. 
     
     
         15 . A surgical cutting and fastening instrument comprising:
 an end effector, wherein the end effector comprises:
 first and second opposing jaw members moveable between open and closed position; 
 a moveable cutting instrument that severs tissue clamped between the first and second jaw members when the jaw members are in the closed position; 
 a magnet at a distal end of the first jaw member; 
 a disposable cartridge in the second jaw member, wherein the disposable cartridge comprises a tissue thickness module that senses thickness of tissue clamped between the first and second jaw members, wherein the tissue thickness module comprises a Hall effect sensor that senses a magnetic field strength from the magnet, wherein the magnetic field strength is indicative of the thickness of the tissue clamped between the first and second jaw members; 
   a drive shaft that drives the cutting instrument; and   a control circuit in communication with the tissue thickness module, wherein the control circuit comprises a processing unit programmed to determine whether the tissue clamped in the end effector is within a specified thickness range for the disposable cartridge based on data communicated to the motor control circuit by the tissue thickness module, wherein the control circuit prevents actuation of the drive shaft when the thickness of the tissue clamped in the end effector is not within the specified thickness range for the disposable cartridge.   
     
     
         16 . The surgical instrument of  claim 15 , wherein the tissue thickness module communicates data to the control circuit, the data comprising:
 data indicative of the thickness of the tissue clamped in the end effector; and   data indicative of a cartridge type of the disposable cartridge.   
     
     
         17 . The surgical instrument of  claim 16 , wherein the control circuit comprises solid state memory, wherein the solid state memory stores thickness range data for one or more cartridge types. 
     
     
         18 . The surgical instrument of  claim 17 , wherein the processing unit is programmed to determine whether the tissue clamped in the end effector is within the specified thickness range for the disposable cartridge based on the data communicated to the control circuit by the tissue thickness module by comparing the data indicative of the thickness of the tissue clamped in the end effector to stored thickness range data for the cartridge type of the disposable cartridge in the end effector 
     
     
         19 . The surgical instrument of  claim 15 , wherein the tissue thickness module is in wireless communication with the control circuit. 
     
     
         20 . The surgical instrument of  claim 15 , wherein the instrument further comprises:
 an electric motor that actuates the drive shaft; and   a battery that supplies electrical power to the motor, and   wherein the control circuit prevent actuation of the motor when the thickness of the tissue clamped in the end effector is not within the specified thickness range for the disposable cartridge.