Granted Patent B2

US 12,629,194 · App. 18/131,107 · Granted May 19, 2026

Inventors: Joshua M. Henderson (Cincinnati, OH); Joshua P. Morgan (Loveland, OH); Andrew W. Carroll (Cincinnati, OH); Jeffrey L. Aldridge (Lebanon, OH); Eitan T. Wiener (Loveland, OH); James M. Vachon (West Chester, OH); Ryan M. Asher (Cincinnati, OH); John B. Schulte (West Chester, OH); John E. Hein (Neenah, WI); James R. Hoch (Appleton, WI); Gregory J. Bakos (Mason, OH)

Assignee: Cilag GmbH International

A61B18/00A61B17/072A61B17/320068A61B17/320092A61B18/1206A61B18/1233A61B18/1445A61B18/16A61B34/20A61B34/25A61B34/35A61B34/74A61B90/361A61B90/90G06F8/65G16H20/40H01R43/26H04L49/25H04L63/0245H04L67/10H04L67/12H04M1/72406H05K5/30A61B2017/00026A61B2017/00199A61B2017/00221A61B2017/00225A61B2017/00398A61B2017/00477A61B2017/00526A61B2017/00973A61B2017/07257A61B2017/07271A61B2017/07285A61B2017/320074A61B2018/00178A61B2018/00208A61B2018/00601A61B2018/0063A61B2018/00642A61B2018/00702A61B2018/00708A61B2018/0072A61B2018/00732A61B2018/00767A61B2018/00845A61B2018/00875A61B2018/00916A61B2018/0094A61B2018/00958A61B2018/00994A61B2018/1253A61B2018/126A61B2018/1273A61B2018/128A61B2018/1286A61B2018/165A61B2034/2048A61B2034/2055A61B2034/305A61B34/37A61B90/30A61B90/37A61B2090/371A61B2090/378A61B2218/002A61B2218/007A61B2218/008A61B2560/0443A61B2560/0456H01R2201/12H04L27/04H05K5/0026H05K5/0065H05K7/023

Abstract

Claims (28)

1 . A modular surgical system for use in a surgical procedure comprising:

a control module having a pulse generator configured to generate a clock pulse signal;

a first surgical module arrangeable in a stack configuration with the control module, wherein the first surgical module comprises:

a first timing circuit, wherein the clock pulse signal causes the first timing circuit to initiate a first timer; and

a first delay circuit, wherein the clock pulse signal causes the first delay circuit to transmit a first delayed sequence signal to the first timing circuit to finalize the first timer and set a first elapsed time, wherein the first timing circuit and the first delay circuit are electrically couplable with the pulse generator when the first surgical module is arranged in the stack configuration with the control module; and

a second surgical module arrangeable with the control module and the first surgical module in the stack configuration, wherein the second surgical module comprises:

a second timing circuit, wherein the clock pulse signal causes the second timing circuit to initiate a second timer; and

a second delay circuit, wherein the first delayed sequence signal causes the second delay circuit to transmit a second delayed sequence signal to the second timing circuit to finalize the second timer and set a second elapsed time, wherein the second timing circuit is electrically couplable with the pulse generator and the second delay circuit is electrically couplable with the first delay circuit when the second surgical module is arranged in the stack configuration with the control module and the first surgical module.

2 . The modular surgical system of claim 1 , wherein the first elapsed time is indicative of a physical position of the first surgical module in the stack configuration.

3 . The modular surgical system of claim 2 , wherein the second elapsed time is indicative of a physical position of the second surgical module in the stack configuration different from the physical position of the first surgical module.

4 . The modular surgical system of claim 1 , further comprising a display, wherein the display is configured to visually represent a physical position of the first surgical module relative to the control module based on the first elapsed time and visually represent a physical position of the second surgical module relative to the control module based on the second elapsed time.

5 . The modular surgical system of claim 1 , wherein the first delay circuit comprises a first resistor-capacitor (RC) delay circuit and a first flip-flop.

6 . The modular surgical system of claim 5 , wherein the first RC delay circuit is configured to receive the clock pulse signal, wherein the first RC delay circuit is configured to produce the first delayed sequence signal at a predetermined time after receiving the clock pulse signal, and wherein the first RC delay circuit is configured to transmit the first delayed sequence signal to a first clock input of the first flip-flop.

7 . The modular surgical system of claim 6 , further comprising a first means for providing a fast-rising edge at the first clock input of the first flip-flop based on the first delayed sequence signal.

8 . The modular surgical system of claim 7 , wherein the first means for providing is selected from the group consisting of: a comparator and a Schmitt-Trigger style buffer.

9 . The modular surgical system of claim 7 , wherein the first timing circuit comprises:

a first input pin electrically connected with the clock pulse generator when the first surgical module is arranged in the stack configuration with the control module, wherein the first input pin is configured to receive the clock pulse signal; and

a second input pin electrically connected with the first flip flop, wherein the first flip flop is configured to transmit a first output signal to the second input pin of the first timing circuit based on receiving the first delayed sequence signal from the first RC delay circuit.

10 . The modular surgical system of claim 9 , wherein the second delay circuit comprises a second RC delay circuit and a second flip-flop.

11 . The modular surgical system of claim 10 , wherein the first flip flop is configured to transmit the first output signal to the second RC delay circuit, wherein the second RC delay circuit is configured to produce the second delayed sequence signal at a predetermined time after receiving the first output signal, and wherein the second RC delay circuit is configured to transmit the second delayed sequence signal to a second clock input of the second flip-flop.

12 . The modular surgical system of claim 10 , wherein the second timing circuit comprises:

a third input pin electrically connected with the clock pulse generator when the second surgical module is arranged in the stack configuration with the control module and the first surgical module, wherein the third input pin is configured to receive the clock pulse signal; and

a fourth input pin electrically connected with the second flip flop, wherein the second flip flop is configured to transmit a second output signal to the fourth input pin of the second timing circuit based on receiving the second delayed sequence signal from the second RC delay circuit.

13 . The modular surgical system of claim 1 , further comprising a third surgical module arrangeable with the control module, the first surgical module, and the second module in the stack configuration, wherein the third surgical module comprises:

a third timing circuit, wherein the clock pulse signal causes the third timing circuit to initiate a third timer; and

a third delay circuit, wherein the second delayed sequence signal causes the third delay circuit to transmit a third delayed sequence signal to the third timing circuit to finalize the third timer and set a third elapsed time, wherein the third timing circuit is electrically couplable with the pulse generator and the third delay circuit is electrically couplable with the second delay circuit when the third surgical module is arranged in the stack configuration with the control module, the first surgical module, and the second module.

14 . The modular surgical system of claim 1 , wherein the first timing circuit comprises a microprocessor.

15 . The modular surgical system of claim 1 , wherein the first timing circuit comprises a field programmable gate array (FPGA).

Assignments (5)

Continuity (7)

References Cited (400)