System and method for driving an ultrasonic handpiece as a function of the mechanical impedance of the handpiece

1. A system for vibrating the tip of an ultrasonic handpiece, the handpiece having at least one driver to which an AC drive signal is applied to vibrate the tip, the system including:

a control console for generating the AC drive signal that is applied to the handpiece;

a sensor for measuring a voltage of the AC drive signal;

a sensor for measuring a current of the AC drive signal; and

a processor coupled to the sensors for measuring the voltage and current of the AC drive signal and configured to:

based on the voltage of the AC drive signal, the current of the AC drive signal, a frequency of the AC drive signal and a capacitance of the at least one driver, calculate a current applied to the at least one driver and an equivalent of current applied to the mechanical components of the handpiece;

calculate a value based on the current applied to the at least one driver and the equivalent of current applied to the mechanical components of the handpiece;

determine if the calculated value based on the current applied to the at least one driver and the equivalent of current applied to the mechanical components of the handpiece is substantially equal to a target value, the target value being based on a target frequency for the vibrations of the mechanical components of the handpiece; and

adjust the frequency of the AC drive signal output by the control console if the calculated value is not substantially equal to the target value.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising the handpiece having the at least one driver coupled to the control console.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein said processor is further configured to:

obtain from a memory associated with the handpiece data representative of the capacitance of the at least one driver; and

at least upon initial activation of said system: calculate the equivalent of current applied to the mechanical components of the handpiece based on the driver capacitance data obtained from the handpiece memory; and calculate the value based on the current applied to the at least one driver and the equivalent of current applied to the mechanical components of the handpiece based on the driver capacitance data read from the handpiece memory.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein said processor, by setting the frequency and voltage of the AC drive signal, is configured to determine the capacitance of the at least one driver of the handpiece.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein said processor is further configured to:

after generating the calculated value based on the current applied to the at least one driver and the equivalent of current applied to the mechanical components of the handpiece, produce a modified value based on the calculated value, the frequency of the AC drive signal, and a target frequency; and

based on the modified value, selectively set the frequency of the AC drive signal.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein said processor is configured to produce the modified value based on the calculated value and the difference between the frequency of the AC drive signal and the target frequency.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the sensors for measuring the current and voltage are coils.

8. A system for vibrating the tip of an ultrasonic handpiece, the handpiece having at least one driver to which an AC drive signal is applied to vibrate the tip, the system including:

a control console for generating the AC drive signal that is applied to the handpiece;

the handpiece having the at least one driver coupled to the control console to be energized by the AC drive signal;

a processor internal to the control console and configured to:

based on a voltage of the AC drive signal, a current of the AC drive signal, a frequency of the AC drive signal and a capacitance of the at least one driver, calculate a value, and

based on the calculated value, set the frequency of the AC drive signal output by the control console;

a power supply that outputs a signal at a constant frequency; and

an amplifier coupled to the power supply that receives the signal output by said power supply and that is configured to amplify the signal from said power supply so as to output a variable frequency signal, wherein the processor is coupled to said amplifier to set the potential and frequency of the AC drive signal by regulating the frequency and amplitude of the signal output by said amplifier.

9. The system of claim 8 , further comprising:

a sensor for measuring the voltage of the AC drive signal; and

a sensor for measuring the current of the AC drive signal.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein said processor is further configured to:

based on the voltage of the AC drive signal, the current of the AC drive signal, the frequency of the AC drive signal and the capacitance of the at least one driver, calculate a current applied to the at least one driver and an equivalent of current applied to the mechanical components of the handpiece;

calculate the value based on the current applied to the at least one driver and the equivalent of current applied to the mechanical components of the handpiece;

after generating the calculated value based on the current applied to the at least one driver and the equivalent of current applied to the mechanical components of the handpiece, produce a modified value based on the calculated value, the frequency of the AC drive signal, and a target frequency; and

based on the modified value, selectively set the frequency of the AC drive signal.

11. A method of regulating the sourcing of an AC drive signal to an ultrasonic handpiece having a tip and at least one driver to which the AC drive signal is applied to vibrate the tip, said method including the steps of:

sourcing an AC drive signal to the at least one driver, the AC drive signal having a potential and a frequency;

measuring a voltage and a current of the AC drive signal;

calculating a current applied to the at least one driver as a function of a capacitance of the at least one driver and the voltage and frequency of the AC drive signal;

calculating an equivalent of current applied to the mechanical components of the handpiece by determining a difference between the current of the AC drive signal and the current applied to the at least one driver;

calculating a value based on the current applied to the at least one driver and the equivalent of current applied to the mechanical components of the handpiece;

based on the calculated value, setting the frequency of the AC drive signal; and

supplying the AC drive signal to the handpiece having the at least one driver.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

setting the frequency of the AC drive signal based on a comparison between the calculated value and a target value;

determining a target current for the mechanical components of the handpiece;

comparing the target current to the calculated equivalent of current applied to the mechanical components of the handpiece; and

based on said current comparison, adjusting the target value for a next comparison of the value calculated based on the current applied to the at least one driver and the equivalent of current applied to the mechanical components of the handpiece to the target value to set the frequency of the AC drive signal.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

obtaining from a memory associated with the handpiece data representative of the capacitance of the at least one driver; and

at least upon initial activation of the ultrasonic handpiece:

calculating the equivalent of current applied to mechanical components of the handpiece based on the driver capacitance data obtained from the handpiece memory; and

calculating the value based on the current applied to the at least one driver and the equivalent of current applied to the mechanical components of the handpiece based on the driver capacitance data read from the handpiece memory.

14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

after generating the calculated value based on the current applied to the at least one driver and the equivalent of current applied to the mechanical components of the handpiece, producing a modified value based on the calculated value, the frequency of the AC drive signal, and a target frequency; and

based on the modified value, selectively setting the frequency of the AC drive signal.