IP Library › Granted Patent US 12667432

Granted Patent B2

US 12667432 · App. 18/092,049 · Granted Jun 30, 2026

Peer-to-peer surgical instrument monitoring

Inventors: Frederick E. Shelton, IV (Hillsboro, OH); David C. Yates (Marrow, OH); Shane R. Adams (Lebanon, OH); Kevin M. Fiebig (Cincinnati, OH)

Assignee: Cilag GmbH International

A61B34/25 G16H40/63 A61B2017/00212 A61B2017/00221

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 12667432
App. No.: 18/092,049
Granted: Jun 30, 2026
Kind: B2

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Abstract

Systems, methods, and instrumentalities may be provided for a smart surgical instrument or device monitoring other surgical instruments or devices in a peer-to-peer interconnected surgical ecosystem. Monitoring and/or recording may be performed using the peer-to-peer surgical ecosystem may be performed without engaging a central computing device. A surgical instrument based on respective capabilities may configure itself as a monitoring surgical instrument and other surgical instrument that is part of the surgical ecosystem as a peer surgical instrument. The monitoring surgical instrument may establish a peer-to-peer connection with the peer surgical instrument. to monitor and record the surgical task on the second surgical instrument. The monitoring surgical instrument, using the established peer-to-peer connection, may begin monitoring and/or recording of surgical data associated with a surgical task being performed on the peer surgical instrument.

Claims (47)

1 . A first surgical device comprising:

a processor configured to:

determine that the first surgical device corresponds to a first surgical device type and that the first surgical device possesses a set of capabilities that allow the first surgical device to assume a role of a monitoring surgical device for a second surgical device during a surgical procedure and to monitor and record a first surgical task being performed at the second surgical device;

configure the first surgical device as the monitoring surgical device upon determining that the first surgical device is of the first surgical device type and possesses the set of capabilities;

determine, based on a second surgical device type associated with the second surgical device, that the second surgical device has a capability of being monitored by the first surgical device;

establish a peer-to-peer connection with the second surgical device, wherein the peer-to-peer connection established between the first surgical device and the second surgical device enables the first surgical device to monitor and record the first surgical task performed by the second surgical device;

use the peer-to-peer connection to monitor and record surgical information associated with the first surgical task; and

based on the monitored and recorded surgical information, determine surgical information to be used by the first surgical device to perform a second surgical task.

2 . The first surgical device of claim 1 , wherein the processor being configured to determine that the second surgical device has the capability of being monitored by the first surgical device further comprises the processor being configured to:

send an indication of a discovery request to the second surgical device, wherein the second surgical device is used in performing the first surgical task associated with the surgical procedure; and

receive an indication of a first response message from the second surgical device, wherein the indication of the first response message comprises an indication of the second surgical device type and an indication of at least one capability of the second surgical device.

3 . The first surgical device of claim 2 , wherein the processor is configured to:

determine an assigned role associated with the second surgical device, wherein the assigned role is determined based on the second surgical device type and the capability of the second surgical device of being monitored by the first surgical device; and

send an indication of a second response message to the second surgical device indicating the assigned role.

4 . The first surgical device of claim 1 , wherein one of the set of capabilities of the first surgical device by which the first surgical device is to act as the monitoring surgical device or the capability of the second surgical device of being monitored comprises a capability to establish communication over a network via the peer-to-peer connection.

5 . The first surgical device of claim 1 , wherein one of the set of capabilities of the first surgical device to act as the monitoring surgical device comprises the first surgical device having a capability to remotely access surgical information at the second surgical device.

6 . The first surgical device of claim 1 , wherein one of the set of capabilities of the first surgical device to act as the monitoring surgical device comprises the first surgical device having a capability to remotely set a parameter of the second surgical device based on the surgical information accessed at the second surgical device.

7 . The first surgical device of claim 1 , wherein the determination that the first surgical device possesses the set of capabilities that allow the first surgical device to assume the role of the monitoring surgical device and the determination that the second surgical device has the capability of being monitored by the first surgical device, are based on at least one negotiation between the first surgical device and the second surgical device.

8 . The first surgical device of claim 1 , wherein the second surgical device is a smart surgical hub.

9 . The first surgical device of claim 1 , wherein the peer-to-peer connection is a first peer-to-peer connection, and wherein the processor is further configured to:

establish a second peer-to-peer connection with a third surgical device;

monitor and record, via the first peer-to-peer connection, the first surgical task performed at the second surgical device; and

monitor and record, via the second peer-to-peer connection, a third surgical task performed at the third surgical device.

10 . The first surgical device of claim 9 , wherein the processor being configured to monitor and record the first surgical task performed at the second surgical device and the third surgical task performed at the third surgical device comprises the processor being configured to simultaneously monitor and record the first surgical task at the second surgical device and the third surgical task at the third surgical device.

11 . A surgical information monitoring method implemented on a first surgical device, the method comprising:

determining that the first surgical device corresponds to a first surgical device type and that the first surgical device possesses a set of capabilities that allow the first surgical device to assume a role of a monitoring surgical device for a second surgical device during a surgical procedure and to monitor and record a first surgical task being performed at the second surgical device;

configuring the first surgical device as the monitoring surgical device upon determining that the first surgical device is of the first surgical device type and possesses the set of capabilities;

determining, based on a second surgical device type associated with the second surgical device, that the second surgical device has a capability of being monitored by the first surgical device;

establishing a peer-to-peer connection with the second surgical device, wherein the peer-to-peer connection established between the first surgical device and the second surgical device enables the first surgical device to monitor and record the first surgical task performed by the second surgical device;

using the peer-to-peer connection to monitor and record surgical information associated with the first surgical task; and

based on the monitored and recorded surgical information, determining surgical information to be used by the first surgical device to perform a second surgical task.

12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

sending an indication of a discovery request to the second surgical device, wherein the second surgical device is used in performing the first surgical task associated with the surgical procedure; and

receiving an indication of a first response message from the second surgical device, wherein the indication of the first response message comprises an indication of the second surgical device type and an indication of at least one capability of the second surgical device.

13 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

determining an assigned role associated with the second surgical device, wherein the assigned role is determined based on the second surgical device type and the capability of the second surgical device of being monitored by the first surgical device; and

sending an indication of a second response message to the second surgical device indicating the assigned role.

14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein one of the set of capabilities of the first surgical device by which the first surgical device is to act as the monitoring surgical device or the capability of the second surgical device of being monitored comprises a capability to establish communication over a network via the peer-to-peer connection.

15 . The method of claim 11 , wherein one of the set of capabilities of the first surgical device to act as the monitoring surgical device comprises the first surgical device having a capability to remotely access surgical information at the second surgical device.

16 . The method of claim 11 , wherein one of the set of capabilities of the first surgical device to act as the monitoring surgical device comprises the first surgical device having a capability to remotely set a parameter of the second surgical device based on the surgical information accessed at the second surgical device.

17 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the determination that the first surgical device possesses the set of capabilities that allow the first surgical device to assume the role of the monitoring surgical device and the determination that the second surgical device has the capability of being monitored by the first surgical device, are based on at least one negotiation between the first surgical device and the second surgical device.

18 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the second surgical device is a smart surgical hub.

19 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the peer-to-peer connection is a first peer-to-peer connection, the method further comprising:

establishing a second peer-to-peer connection with a third surgical device;

monitoring and recording, via the first peer-to-peer connection, the first surgical task performed at the second surgical device; and

monitoring and recording, via the second peer-to-peer connection, a third surgical task performed at the third surgical device.

20 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising simultaneously monitoring and recording the first surgical task at the second surgical device and the third surgical task at the third surgical device.