US 12,142,373 B2
Modular energy system with hardware mitigated communication
James M. Vachon, West Chester, OH (US); Joshua P Morgan, Loveland, OH (US); Andrew W. Carroll, Cincinnati, OH (US); and Jeffrey A Bullock, Cincinnati, OH (US)
Assigned to Cilag GmbH International, Zug (CH)
Filed by Cilag GmbH International, Zug (CH)
Filed on Mar. 30, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/217,461.
Prior Publication US 2022/0319685 A1, Oct. 6, 2022
Int. Cl. G16H 40/63 (2018.01); A61B 34/30 (2016.01); A61B 90/00 (2016.01); G16H 20/40 (2018.01); A61B 17/00 (2006.01); H04L 67/12 (2022.01)
CPC G16H 40/63 (2018.01) [A61B 34/30 (2016.02); A61B 90/36 (2016.02); G16H 20/40 (2018.01); A61B 2017/00225 (2013.01); A61B 2217/007 (2013.01); A61B 2560/045 (2013.01); H04L 67/12 (2013.01)] 21 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A modular energy system for use in a surgical environment, the system comprising:
a plurality of functional modules, wherein at least two of the plurality of functional modules comprises:
a module control circuit;
a local data bus comprising a communication switch in data communication with the control circuit; and
a transceiver timer; and
an internal data bus comprising a serial array of the local data busses of the plurality of functional modules in mutual data communication,
wherein a first functional module of the plurality of functional modules is configured to transmit a data message over the internal data bus to a second functional module of the plurality of functional modules,
wherein the first functional module is configured to:
obtain a transmission time from a transceiver timer of the first functional module;
append the transmission time to the data message; and
transmit the data message over the internal data bus to the second functional module; and
wherein the second functional module is configured to:
receive the data message over the internal data bus from the first functional module;
obtain a receipt time from a transceiver timer of the second functional module; and
obtain the transmission time from the data message.
 
11. A smart surgical system comprising:
a plurality of surgical subsystems in mutual data communication over a surgical system bus, wherein at least one of the plurality of surgical subsystems comprises a subsystem transceiver timer; and
a modular energy system comprising:
a plurality of functional modules, wherein at least one of the plurality of functional modules comprises:
a module control circuit;
a local data bus comprising a communication switch in data communication with the control circuit; and
a transceiver timer; and
an internal data bus comprising a serial array of the local data busses of the plurality of functional modules in mutual data communication,
wherein a system data bus comprises the internal data bus of the modular energy system in data communication with the surgical system bus,
wherein a transmitting component comprises one of the plurality of surgical subsystems or one of the plurality of functional modules,
wherein a receiving component comprises one of the plurality of surgical subsystems or one of the plurality of functional modules and is not the transmitting component,
wherein the transmitting component is configured to transmit a data message over the system data bus to the receiving component,
wherein the transmitting component is configured to:
obtain a transmission time from a transceiver timer of the transmitting component;
append the transmission time to the data message; and
transmit the data message over the system bus to the receiving component; and
wherein the receiving component is configured to:
receive the data message over the system data bus from the transmitting component;
obtain a receipt time from a transceiver timer of the receiving component; and
obtain the transmission time from the data message.