US 11,701,165 B2
System and method to protect against insulation breach in an electrosurgical instrument
Duane W. Marion, Scottsdale, AZ (US); Thomas G. Cooper, Menlo Park, CA (US); Eric J. Earnst, Saratoga, CA (US); Jason W. Hemphill, Los Gatos, CA (US); and Alan E. Loh, Los Altos, CA (US)
Assigned to Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA (US)
Appl. No. 16/616,711
Filed by Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA (US)
PCT Filed May 31, 2018, PCT No. PCT/US2018/035436
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Nov. 25, 2019,
PCT Pub. No. WO2018/222899, PCT Pub. Date Dec. 6, 2018.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/513,282, filed on May 31, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2021/0145504 A1, May 20, 2021
Int. Cl. A61B 18/12 (2006.01); A61B 18/16 (2006.01); A61B 18/00 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 18/1233 (2013.01) [A61B 18/16 (2013.01); A61B 2018/00077 (2013.01); A61B 2018/00083 (2013.01); A61B 2018/00845 (2013.01); A61B 2018/00869 (2013.01); A61B 2018/00875 (2013.01); A61B 2018/00892 (2013.01); A61B 2018/00904 (2013.01); A61B 2018/1286 (2013.01); A61B 2018/167 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus to detect electrical contact between an anatomical tissue portion near a surgical site and a protective shield conductor surrounding an active conductor of an electrosurgical instrument comprising:
a transformer including a primary winding and a secondary winding;
an alternating current (AC) reference frequency signal generator coupled to inject an AC reference frequency signal to the primary winding;
a first reactive impedance coupled in parallel with the secondary winding between a first node and a second node;
wherein the primary and secondary windings are magnetically coupled such that the injected AC reference frequency signal in the primary winding induces an AC reference frequency signal in the secondary winding and the secondary winding is configured to reflect back to the primary winding a reflected AC reference frequency signal having a phase shift relative to the injected AC reference frequency signal that is indicative of an impedance between the first and second nodes; and
a phase match detector circuit is configured to detect a phase match between the AC reference frequency signal and the reflected AC reference frequency signal.