Ultrasonic surgical tool system including a tip capable of simultaneous longitudinal and torsional movement and a console capable of applying a drive signal to the tip so the tip engages in substantially torsional oscillations

1. An ultrasonic tool system comprising:

an ultrasonic handpiece including:

at least one driver that, in response to application of an AC drive signal, cyclically expands and contracts, and

a tip including opposed proximal and distal ends, the proximal end of the tip being coupled to the at least one driver so that the expansions and contractions of the at least one driver cause longitudinal vibrations at the proximal end of the tip, and a feature between the proximal and distal ends of the tip that converts the longitudinal vibrations present at the proximal end of the tip to vibrations at the distal end of the tip having a longitudinal component and a torsional component; and

a control console for vibrating the tip of the ultrasonic handpiece, the control console configured to:

generate the AC drive signal that is applied to the at least one driver of the ultrasonic handpiece, the AC drive signal having a variable frequency, and

set the frequency of the AC drive signal so the vibrations at the distal end of the tip are substantially torsional by being configured to set the frequency of the AC drive signal to a frequency between resonant frequencies of first and second adjacent mechanical resonant modes of the ultrasonic handpiece, the set frequency corresponding to first vibrations in the tip associated with the first mechanical resonant mode and second vibrations in the tip associated the second mechanical resonant mode, each of the first and second vibrations having a longitudinal component and a torsional component, the longitudinal component of the first vibrations at least partially cancelling out the longitudinal component of the second vibrations.

2. The ultrasonic tool system of claim 1 , wherein the control console comprises:

an assembly for measuring a current of the AC drive signal; and

an assembly for measuring a voltage of the AC drive signal,

wherein the control console is configured to set the frequency of the AC drive signal so the vibrations at the distal end of the tip are substantially torsional based on the measured current and voltage.

3. The ultrasonic tool system of claim 2 , wherein the control console is configured to:

determine a capacitance of the at least one driver; and

set the frequency of the AC drive signal so the vibrations at the distal end of the tip are substantially torsional based on the measured current and voltage and the capacitance of the at least one driver.

4. The ultrasonic tool system of claim 3 , wherein the control console is configured to:

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

set the frequency of the AC drive signal so the vibrations at the distal end of the tip are substantially torsional based on the mechanical equivalent of current applied to the mechanical components of the ultrasonic handpiece.

5. The ultrasonic tool system of claim 4 , wherein the control console is configured to calculate a mechanical equivalent of current applied to mechanical components of the ultrasonic handpiece based on the measured current and voltage, the capacitance of the at least one driver, and the frequency of the AC drive signal by being configured to:

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

determine a difference between the measured current and the current through the at least one driver.

6. The ultrasonic tool system of claim 4 , wherein the control console is configured to:

calculate a ratio between current through the at least one driver to the mechanical equivalent of current applied to the mechanical components of the ultrasonic handpiece; and

set the frequency of the AC drive signal so the vibrations at the distal end of the tip are substantially torsional based on the calculated ratio.

7. The ultrasonic tool system of claim 6 , wherein the control console is configured to set the frequency of the AC drive signal so the vibrations at the distal end of the tip are substantially torsional based on the calculated ratio by being configured to:

compare the calculated ratio to a target ratio; and

set the frequency of the AC drive signal so the vibrations at the distal end of the tip are substantially torsional based on the comparison of the calculated ratio to the target ratio.

8. The ultrasonic tool system of claim 7 , wherein the target ratio is zero.

9. The ultrasonic tool system of claim 7 , wherein the control console is configured to compare the calculated ratio to a target ratio by being configured to compare a real component of the calculated ratio to the target ratio.

10. The ultrasonic tool system of claim 3 , wherein the ultrasonic handpiece comprises a memory storing data indicating the capacitance of the at least one driver, and the control console is configured to determine a capacitance of the at least one driver by being configured to read the data indicating the capacitance of the at least one driver from the memory of the ultrasonic handpiece.

11. A method for controlling an ultrasonic handpiece including at least one driver that, in response to application of an AC drive signal, cyclically expands and contracts, and a tip including opposed proximal and distal ends, the proximal end of the tip being coupled to the at least one driver so that the expansions and contractions of the at least one driver cause longitudinal vibrations at the proximal end of the tip, and a feature between the proximal and distal ends of the tip that converts the longitudinal vibrations present at the proximal end of the tip to vibrations at the distal end of the tip having a longitudinal component and a torsional component, the method comprising:

generating the AC drive signal that is applied to the at least one driver of the ultrasonic handpiece, the AC drive signal having a variable frequency, and

setting the frequency of the AC drive signal so the vibrations at the distal end of the tip are substantially torsional by setting the frequency of the AC drive signal to a frequency between resonant frequencies of first and second adjacent mechanical resonant modes of the ultrasonic handpiece, the set frequency corresponding to first vibrations in the tip associated with the first mechanical resonant mode and second vibrations in the tip associated with the second mechanical resonant mode, each of the first and second vibrations having a longitudinal component and a torsional component, the longitudinal component of the first vibrations at least partially cancelling out the longitudinal component of the second vibrations.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

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

determining a capacitance of the at least one driver; and

setting the frequency of the AC drive signal so the vibrations at the distal end of the tip are substantially torsional based on the measured current and voltage and the capacitance of the at least one driver.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

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

setting the frequency of the AC drive signal so the vibrations at the distal end of the tip are substantially torsional based on the mechanical equivalent of current applied to mechanical components of the ultrasonic handpiece.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein calculating a mechanical equivalent of current applied to mechanical components of the ultrasonic handpiece based on the measured current and voltage, the capacitance of the at least one driver, and the frequency of the AC drive signal comprises:

calculating a current through the at least one driver based on the measured voltage, the capacitance of the at least one driver, and the frequency of the AC drive signal; and

determining a difference between the measured current and the current through the at least one driver.

15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

calculating a ratio between current through the at least one driver to the mechanical equivalent of current applied to the mechanical components of the ultrasonic handpiece; and

setting the frequency of the AC drive signal so the vibrations at the distal end of the tip are substantially torsional based on the calculated ratio.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein setting the frequency of the AC drive signal so the vibrations at the distal end of the tip are substantially torsional based on the calculated ratio comprises:

comparing the calculated ratio to a target ratio; and

setting the frequency of the AC drive signal so the vibrations at the distal end of the tip are substantially torsional based on the comparison of the calculated ratio to the target ratio.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein comparing the calculated ratio to a target ratio comprises comparing a real component of the calculated ratio to the target ratio.

18. The method of claim 12 , wherein the ultrasonic handpiece comprises a memory storing data indicating the capacitance of the at least one driver, and determining a capacitance of the at least one driver by being comprises reading the data indicating the capacitance of the at least one driver from the memory of the ultrasonic handpiece.

19. A control console for vibrating a tip of an ultrasonic handpiece including at least one driver that, in response to application of an AC drive signal, cyclically expands and contracts, and the tip including opposed proximal and distal ends, the proximal end of the tip being coupled to the at least one driver so that the expansions and contractions of the at least one driver cause longitudinal vibrations at the proximal end of the tip, and a feature between the proximal and distal ends of the tip that converts the longitudinal vibrations present at the proximal end of the tip to vibrations at the distal end of the tip having a longitudinal component and a torsional component, the control console comprising:

an assembly for measuring a current of the AC drive signal; and

an assembly for measuring a voltage of the AC drive signal,

wherein the control is configured to:

generate the AC drive signal that is applied to the at least one driver of the ultrasonic handpiece, the AC drive signal having a variable frequency, and

set the frequency of the AC drive signal so the vibrations at the distal end of the tip are substantially torsional based on the measured current and voltage.