Apparatus, systems, and methods for identifying instruments in laparoscopic and other minimally invasive surgery
View Patent ↗Systems and methods are provided for identifying surgical instruments, e.g., MIS instruments, including a shaft including a proximal end and a distal end sized for introduction into a patient's body, a tool tip on the distal end including an end effector, and a handpiece or connector on the proximal end. One or more identifier members may be provided on the proximal end and/or distal end of the shaft, on the handpiece, and/or on the tool tip to identify one of a type and a class of the end effector. For example, a set of surgical instruments may be provided that include identifier knobs added onto the shafts to identify different tool tips, the shafts may include different outer shapes and/or textures, or colored and/or luminescent features may be provided on the instruments.
1 . A method for performing a laparoscopic procedure within a patient's body, comprising:
introducing a tool tip on a distal end of a surgical instrument into a surgical space within the patient's body;
introducing a laparoscope through a trocar or port into the surgical space; and
after introducing the laparoscope, while the tool tip is in the surgical space, observing a light-emitting identifier feature on one of the tool tip and the distal end of the surgical instrument through the laparoscope to identify the type of tool tip.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein observing a light-emitting identifier feature comprises:
identifying that the surgical instrument has the wrong type of tool tip;
removing the surgical instrument from the surgical space;
introducing a tool tip of a second surgical instrument into the surgical space; and
using the tool tip of the second surgical instrument to perform one or more steps of the laparoscopic procedure.
3 . A method for performing a laparoscopic procedure within a patient's body, comprising:
adding a removable light-emitting identifier feature on a proximal end of a surgical instrument before the procedure;
introducing a tool tip on a distal end of the surgical instrument into a surgical space within the patient's body; and
while the tool tip is in the surgical space, observing the light-emitting identifier feature on the surgical instrument to identify the type of tool tip.
4 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising observing the identifier feature to facilitate identification of the tool tip while the instrument is on a tool tray or being handled outside the patient's body.
5 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the identifier feature comprises a light-emitting diode.
6 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the identifier feature comprises luminescent material.
7 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the tool tip is introduced into the surgical space during a robotic surgical procedure.
8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the tool tip is introduced robotically by a surgeon using a robotic surgical console.
9 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising using the tool tip to perform one or more steps of the laparoscopic procedure.
10 . A method for performing a laparoscopic procedure within a patient's body, comprising:
providing a set of surgical instruments, each instrument comprising a shaft including a proximal end and a distal end sized for introduction into a patient's body, a tool tip on the distal end including an end effector, a handpiece on the proximal end;
adding a removable light-emitting identifier feature to each of the surgical instruments before the procedure to identify one of a type and a class of the end effector of each of the surgical instruments;
introducing a tool tip of a first instrument into a surgical space within the patient's body; and
while the tool tip is in the surgical space, observing the identifier feature on the first instrument to identify the type of tool tip to identify one of a type and a class of the end effector on the first instrument.
11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the surgical instruments of the set include end effectors selected from two or more of a pair of scissors, a dissector, a set of forceps, a grasper, a needle holder, and a coagulator.
12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the identifier members have different colors for each of a pair of scissors, a dissector, a set of forceps, a grasper, a needle holder, and a coagulator.
13 . The method of claim 10 , wherein, after observing the identifier member on the first instrument, the method further comprises:
identifying that the first instrument has the wrong type of tool tip;
removing the first instrument from the surgical space;
introducing a tool tip of a second instrument into the surgical space; and
using the tool tip of the second instrument to perform one or more steps of the laparoscopic procedure.
14 . The method of claim 10 , wherein each of the identifier features comprises a light-emitting diode.
15 . The method of claim 10 , wherein each of the identifier features comprises luminescent material.
16 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising
introducing a tool tip of a second instrument into a surgical space within the patient's body; and
while the tool tip is in the surgical space, observing the identifier member of the second instrument to identify one of a type and a class of the end effector on the first instrument or to distinguish the first instrument from the second instrument.
17 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the identifier feature is provided on one of the handpiece, the proximal end of each surgical instrument, and a knob on the proximal end of each surgical instrument, wherein the identifier feature has a predetermined geometric cross-sectional shape configured to provide tactile confirmation of one of the type and the class of the end effector on the respective surgical instrument.
18 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the light-emitting identifier feature is added on a proximal end of each of the surgical instruments.
19 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising removing the light-emitting identifier feature from each of the surgical instruments after the procedure.
20 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the light-emitting identifier feature is added to one of a handpiece and a knob of the surgical instrument before introducing the distal tip into the surgical space.
21 . The method of claim 20 , further comprising removing the light-emitting identifier feature from the surgical instrument after the procedure.
22 . The method of claim 3 , wherein adding the removable light-emitting identifier feature comprises attaching the removable light-emitting identifier feature over the proximal end of the shaft adjacent a handle.
23 . The method of claim 10 , wherein adding the removable light-emitting identifier feature comprises adding the light-emitting identifier feature to one of a handpiece and a knob of each of the surgical instruments.
24 . The method of claim 10 , wherein adding the removable light-emitting identifier feature comprises attaching the removable light-emitting identifier feature over the proximal end of the shaft adjacent a handle of each of the surgical instruments.
25 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the tool tip is introduced into the surgical space during a robotic surgical procedure, and wherein the surgeon observes the light-emitting identifier from a console.