Ultrasonic treatment apparatus

Abstract

An ultrasonic treatment apparatus includes a movement unit moving in accordance with at least one of an acting state of a load to a treatment section from a jaw and an opening angle of the jaw relative to the treatment section, a movement detector detecting a moving state of the movement unit, and a peak detecting section detecting a target peak of an ultrasonic impedance value. The ultrasonic treatment apparatus includes a control section controlling the peak detecting section to a detection disallowed state where a detection of the target peak is not executed when the movement unit is not placed within a prescribed range based on a detection result in the movement detector.

1 . An ultrasonic treatment apparatus comprising:
 an electric power source configured to output a vibration generating electric power;   an ultrasonic transducer configured to generate an ultrasonic vibration by the vibration generating electric power from the electric power source;   a treatment section which is configured to perform a treatment by use of the ultrasonic vibration generated in the ultrasonic transducer;   a jaw that is openable and closable relative to the treatment section   an opening or closing operation input section to which an opening or closing operation to open or close the jaw is input;   a movement unit configured to open or close the jaw by movement in accordance with the opening or closing operation in the opening or closing operation input section   a movement detector which is configured to detect the movement of the movement unit;   an impedance detecting section which is configured to detect an ultrasonic impedance value of the ultrasonic transducer   a peak judging section which is configured to detect a peak of the ultrasonic impedance value on the basis of detection results of changes with time of the ultrasonic impedance value and   a control section which is configured to perform, on the basis of detection results in the movement detector and detection results in the peak judging section, one of stopping or decreasing an output of the vibration generating electric power, and notifying that the peak of the ultrasonic impedance value has been detected.   
     
     
         2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . The ultrasonic treatment apparatus according to  claim 1  further comprising a holdable fixed handle,
 wherein the opening or closing operation input section includes a movable handle to which the opening or closing operation of the jaw is input when being opened or closed relative to the fixed handle. 
 
     
     
         4 . The ultrasonic treatment apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a sheath which is extended along a longitudinal axis and in whose distal portion the jaw is turnably attached, the sheath including a movable tubular portion which is configured to open or close the jaw relative to the treatment section when moving along the longitudinal axis; and   an elastic member whose one end is connected to the movable tubular portion,   wherein the movable unit includes a slider portion to which the other end of the elastic member is connected, and which expands or contracts the elastic member when moving relative to the movable tubular portion, the slider portion being configured to change the acting state of the load to the treatment section from the jaw in accordance with a change in an elastic force due to an expansion or a contraction of the elastic member.   
     
     
         5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 . The ultrasonic treatment apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a sheath which is extended along a longitudinal axis and in whose distal portion the jaw is turnably attached,
 wherein the sheath includes a movable tubular portion which forms the movement unit, and configured to change an opening angle of the jaw relative to the treatment section to open or close the jaw relative to the treatment section, when moving along the longitudinal axis.   
     
     
         7 . The ultrasonic treatment apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a first switch section whose opening or closing state changes in accordance with the movement-of the movement unit,
 wherein the movement detector is configured to detect the movement of the movement unit based on the opening or closing state of the first switch section.   
     
     
         8 . The ultrasonic treatment apparatus according to  claim 7 , further comprising a signal output section which is electrically connected to the first switch section and is configured to output a signal,
 wherein the movement detector is configured to detect the opening or closing state of the first switch section based on the signal from the signal output section.   
     
     
         9 . The ultrasonic treatment apparatus according to  claim 8 , further comprising:
 an energy operation input section to which an energy operation to output the vibration generating electric power from the electric power source is input;   a second switch section which is electrically connected to the signal output section and whose opening or closing state changes based on the energy operation in the energy operation input section; and   an energy operation detector which is configured to detect the energy operation based on the opening or closing state of the second switch section.   
     
     
         10 . The ultrasonic treatment apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein the second switch section is arranged electrically in parallel with the first switch section, the signal output section is configured to output an analog signal as the signal to each of the first switch section and the second switch section,
 the movement detector is configured to detect the opening or closing state of the first switch section based on a physical quantity of the analog signal, and   the energy operation detector is configured to detect the opening or closing state of the second switch section based on the physical quantity of the analog signal.   
     
     
         11 . The ultrasonic treatment apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein the signal output section is configured to output a first digital signal as the signal to the first switch section, and configured to output a second digital signal, which is different from the first digital signal, as the signal to the second switch section,
 the movement detector is configured to detect the opening or closing state of the first switch section based on a signal level of the first digital signal, and   the energy operation detector is configured to detect the opening or closing state of the second switch section based on a signal level of the second digital signal.   
     
     
         12 . The ultrasonic treatment apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a pressure sensor in which is configured to detect a pressure state from the movement unit that changes in accordance with the movement of the movement unit,
 wherein the movement detector is configured to detect the movement of the movement unit based on the pressure state detected in the pressure sensor.   
     
     
         13 . The ultrasonic treatment apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the impedance detecting section is configured to detect a vibration generating current and a vibration generating voltage with time, and configured to detect the ultrasonic impedance value based on the detected vibration generating current and vibration generating voltage. 
     
     
         14 . The ultrasonic treatment apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a gradual decrease detecting section which is configured to detect a gradual decrease start point to start gradual decrease of the ultrasonic impedance value on the basis of the detection results in the impedance detecting section; and
 a tentative peak value holding section which is configured to hold the ultrasonic impedance value at the detected gradual decrease start point as a tentative peak value;   wherein the peak judging section is configured to judge whether or not a variation with time of the ultrasonic impedance value after the gradual decrease start point relative to the held tentative peak value is more than a predetermined variation, or whether or not the ultrasonic impedance value after the gradual decrease start point is less than a reference value, thereby judging whether or not the held tentative peak value is the peak of a detection target.   
     
     
         15 . The ultrasonic treatment apparatus according to  claim 12 , wherein the control section is configured to control the gradual decrease detecting section, the tentative value holding section and the peak judging section to a detection disallowed state where a detection of the peak is not executed when the movement unit is not placed within a prescribed range based on a detection result of the movement of the movement unit in the movement detector.