Surgical instrument, in particular pointer instrument, comprising tip sensor

摘要

The invention relates to a surgical instrument comprising a handle portion and a tip, wherein a tip sensor is provided on the handle portion. The tip sensor enables detection of when a tip is inserted into and/or removed from the handle. In addition, the tip sensor enables a navigation system to be notified when landmarks are probed with the surgical instrument, thereby ensuring accurate capture of the location of the landmark.

主权项

1. A surgical instrument adapted to be repeatedly heat sterilized when exposed to an associated sterilizing heat source, the surgical instrument comprising:
a handle portion; a tip; an energy generator and storage device configured to generate and store energy when the surgical instrument is heat sterilized, the energy generator and storage device comprising:
a thermo-electric element comprising:
a solid-state emitter:a solid-state collector; anda thermo-electric semiconductor disposed between the solid-state emitter and the solid-state collector, wherein the thermo-electric element selectively generates the energy responsive to a temperature gradient resulting from the surgical instrument being exposed to the associated sterilizing heat source, wherein the handle portion comprises a sink adjacent the solid-state collector; and a tip sensor provided on the handle portion, the tip sensor being operatively coupled with the energy generator and storage device and configured to distinguish between different tips based on a tip identifying device comprising at least one of a radio frequency identification (RFID), a shape identification, or a barcode identification, wherein the tip identifying device is configured to provide identification data from the tip to the tip sensor that allows the tip sensor to determine which one of the different tips is attached to the handle portion to facilitate use of the surgical instrument in an associated medical navigation system.