EP4009894A1

EP4009894A1 - Device and method for measuring tissue temperature

Info

Publication number: EP4009894A1
Application number: EP20753713.5A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Christian Huber; Christoph Rothweiler; Detlef Russ; Oliver FUGGER; Raimund Hibst
Original assignee: Aesculap AG
Current assignee: Aesculap AG
Priority date: 2019-08-07
Filing date: 2020-08-05
Publication date: 2022-06-15
Also published as: KR20220047300A; BR112022002256A2; US20220313093A1; WO2021023780A1; JP2022543835A; DE102019121366A1; CN114206245A

Abstract

A device and a method for measuring temperature, the method comprising the steps: At least one illumination device emits light with an illumination spectrum into tissue, at least one detector receives the diffuse reflection of the light with a remission spectrum, from the tissue, the detector converts the remission spectrum into a detector signal, the detector signal is sent to a computing unit, the computing unit calculates a remission spectrum from the detector signal, the computing unit calculates an absorption spectrum of the tissue by comparing the illumination spectrum with the remission spectrum, the computing unit calculates at least one absorption maximum from the absorption spectrum, and the computing unit calculates a temperature in the tissue by comparing the absorption maximum with at least one reference.

Description

Apparatus and method for measuring tissue temperature

Technical area

The invention relates to a device and a method for measuring tissue temperature, in particular of human tissue, in a medical high-frequency surgical instrument during a thermal process (HF, ultrasonic, laser instrument, etc.).

Background of the invention

In high-frequency surgery (hereinafter referred to as HF surgery), high-frequency alternating current is passed through the human body or a part of the body in order to specifically obliterate tissue (coagulation) or cut (electrotomy) due to the heating caused by it. The tissue damaged in this way is later resorbed by the surrounding healthy tissue. A major advantage over conventional cutting techniques with the scalpel is that the bleeding can be stopped at the same time as the cut by closing the affected vessels, in the sense of coagulation. So-called Seal & Cut instruments should be used to safely close vessels. The devices used are also known as electric scalpel.

With the frequencies used for HF surgery (high frequency surgery), the body tissue behaves like an ohmic resistance (impedance). The specific resistance depends strongly on the type of tissue. The specific resistance of muscle tissue and tissue with a strong blood supply is relatively low. That of fat is about a factor of 15 higher and that of bones by a factor of 1000. The frequency, shape and level of the current must / should be tailored to the type of tissue being operated on.

Monopolar HF technology is currently used most frequently in HF surgery. One pole of the HF voltage source is connected to the patient via a counter electrode that is as large as possible, e.g. through contacts on the operating table on which the patient is lying, through contact bracelets or Contact foot straps or through adhesive electrodes. This counter electrode is often called a neutral electrode or neutral electrode. The other pole is connected to the surgical instrument and this forms the so-called active electrode or active electrode. The current flows from the active electrode to the neutral electrode via the path with the least resistance. The current density is highest in the immediate vicinity of the active electrode; this is where the thermal effect takes place most strongly. The current density decreases with the square of the distance. The neutral electrode should be as large as possible and well connected to the body so that the current density in the body is kept low and no burns occur. The skin on the neutral electrode is not noticeably warmed up by the large surface. Strict safety measures apply when attaching the neutral electrode. In order not to cause burns, the correct position and good contact of the neutral electrode (depending on the operating area) are decisive.

With bipolar HF technology, in contrast to monopolar technology, the current flows through a small part of the body - the part in which the surgical effect (incision or coagulation) is desired. Two mutually insulated electrodes (e.g. used in instrument branches), between which the HF voltage is applied, are led directly to the surgical site. The circuit is closed via the tissue in between. The thermal effect takes place in the tissue between the electrodes.

Coagulation clamps are known. The high-frequency connections are usually provided on the handles / the handle. A screw provided with an insulating cover, with which the two clamping legs are each pivotably attached to one another with their handles, often serves as the axis for the joint.

With a bipolar HF vessel sealing and / or cutting system, vessels or tissue bundles can be effectively and permanently sealed in general or during the cutting. This limits the lateral thermal damage to the surrounding tissue, and tissue buildup is reduced to a minimum. In medicine, tissue is an organic material that consists of a group of similar or differently differentiated cells that share a common function or structure. In addition to cells, tissue also includes the extracellular matrix (ECM). Examples of human tissue are, for example, blood vessels.

The chemical composition of the human body consists of approx. 56% oxygen (0), 28% carbon (C), 9% hydrogen (H), 2% nitrogen (N), 1.5% calcium, 1% chlorine (CI), 1% phosphorus (P), 0.25% potassium (K), 0.2% sulfur (S) and other chemical substances in smaller proportions (all data in percent by weight).

The substance composition of the human body consists of approx. 67% water, 16% proteins or protein (e.g. collagens), 10% lipids (e.g. fat), 1% carbohydrates, 1% nucleic acids and 5% various minerals (all data in percent by weight) .

Collagens are a group of structural proteins found in humans and animals (a "protein" that forms a fiber bundle) mainly in the connective tissue (more precisely: the extracellular matrix). Collagens are found in the white, inelastic fibers of tendons, ligaments, bones and cartilage, among other things. Layers of the skin (subcutaneous tissue) also consist of collagens. In the human body, collagen is the most common protein with over 30% of the total mass of all proteins.

In living organisms, lipids are mainly used as structural components in cell membranes, as energy stores or as signal molecules. The term “fat” is often used as a synonym for lipids, but fats (triglycerides) are only a subgroup of lipids.

The main optical absorbers in tissue, such as in blood vessels in the NIR range, are water and collagen. The blood vessels are usually surrounded by fat. When electromagnetic radiation interacts with solids, liquids or gases, various effects such as absorption, reflection, scattering or transmission occur. In other words, if the electromagnetic radiation hits an obstacle, it is either absorbed (swallowed), scattered (deflected from its original direction), transmitted (let through) or reflected (thrown back) - one also speaks of remission during reflection.

In physics, remission is the term used to describe diffuse (non-directional) electromagnetic radiation, especially light, which penetrates through the surface into a scattering medium, interacts with it and exits again through this surface. In contrast to regular directed reflection, which fulfills the law of reflection. In both cases, however, the term reflection is used more often. A distinction is then made between specular and diffuse reflection. With remission (diffuse reflection), part of the light is absorbed and transmitted. The surface-related measure of remission is the degree of remission.

Remission spectroscopy is a branch of spectroscopy that measures the radiation remitted by a sample. Remission spectroscopy is primarily used for the spectral examination of opaque and insoluble samples. The measured remission spectrum of a sample consists of two parts: 1) the regular reflection, in which the radiation is reflected from the surface. It is described by Fresnel's equations; 2) the diffuse remission, in which the radiation exits the sample isotropically in all directions. It comes about because the radiation penetrates the sample and, after partial absorption and multiple scattering, returns to the surface.

The respective absorption spectrum of water, collagen and fat has already been measured by numerous groups. The values for the absorption coefficients are available in the visible spectral range (VIS) as well as in the near infrared spectral range (NIR). The control of the control processes in bipolar HF technology takes place in the prior art via the tissue impedance, which changes in the course of the energy supply, mainly due to the loss of water. The impedance of the tissue is calculated using Ohm's law based on the measured voltage and current values. Due to the configuration of an instrument, the determined impedance is always an average value of the entire system (tissue, instrument, cable, generator).

The quality of the sealing of blood vessels essentially depends on the control process and the associated energy input into the tissue. In addition to overheating the instruments, this can also lead to thermal damage to the surrounding tissue. An insufficient input of energy can also lead to the failure / bursting of the fused areas, which in turn is noticeable through bleeding. This bleeding often does not occur until hours after the actual operation, so that, depending on the vessel diameter, emergency operations may be necessary to stop the bleeding or to close the vessel safely.

State of the art

It is therefore known from the prior art to measure the tissue temperature and to allow the measured temperature values to flow into the regulation / control of the thermal process. In order not to falsify the temperature measurement results due to the electrode temperature, a sufficiently large distance or thermal separation / insulation between the tissue temperature sensor and the electrode (s) is required. However, this is disadvantageous insofar as the measured tissue temperature does not exactly correspond to the tissue temperature directly on the electrode (s).

Brief description of the invention

The object of the invention is therefore to enable, in addition or as an alternative to the measurement of the impedance, a measurement of the temperature of the tissue to be fused as precisely as possible, preferably online, in order to achieve a controlled energy input (electrical and thermal) or a controlled, reversible Carry out “damage” to the tissue directly on the electrode (s) and, if necessary, prevent the instruments from overheating. In other words, the object of the invention is to enable the fused vessels to be securely closed by additionally monitoring the temperature in the tissue.

The object of the invention is achieved by the features of the method in claim 1 and by a device in claim 7.

The invention relates to a method for temperature measurement, preferably in a medical instrument, particularly preferably during a thermal method / process, comprising the steps (preferably in this order): emitting light with an illumination spectrum, preferably in the VIS / NIR range, into a tissue by means of at least one lighting and / or a plurality of lighting,

Receiving the remission of the light, with a remission spectrum, from the tissue by at least one detector, preferably a sensor, and / or by a plurality of detectors, the plurality of illuminations and plurality of detectors each in or on at least one instrument branch or alternately two opposing instrument branches are designed or arranged and are in electrical connection with a computing unit,

Converting the remission spectrum by means of the detector and / or the detectors into a detector signal, preferably an electrical signal / data signal,

Sending the detector signal to the computing unit, preferably a CPU, evaluating the remission spectrum from the detector signal by means of the computing unit,

Evaluating an absorption spectrum of the tissue by comparing the illumination spectrum with the reflectance spectrum using the computing unit, determining at least one absorption maximum from the absorption spectrum using the computing unit, and Calculating a temperature in the tissue by comparing the absorption maximum with at least one reference, preferably stored in the computing unit, by means of the computing unit.

According to the above aspect, a plurality of detectors are alternately formed or arranged on two opposite instrument branches and are in electrical connection with a computing unit. In other words, this means that a lighting and a detector are arranged alternately on one instrument branch, with lighting on the opposite instrument branch of the lighting and a detector opposite the detector in order to falsify the measurement at the respective detector due to light entered on the opposite side reduce or avoid.

A thermal process is preferably any process that generates thermal effects in the tissue through the release of energy. This also includes processes that use high frequency, ultrasound, laser and / or temperature. This also includes processes that are carried out using high-frequency, ultrasound, laser and / or temperature instruments (e.g. using thermocautery), or all medical instruments that generate thermal effects in the tissue by emitting energy.

The essence of the present invention is therefore not to measure the (tissue) temperature directly, but to determine it by measuring another parameter (unequal to the temperature), which on the one hand enables direct or indirect conclusions to be drawn about the current temperature (causal Relationship between the temperature and the parameter) and on the other hand is (exclusively) tissue-specific, ie is not influenced by the electrode (s). The tissue temperature is determined based on the position / course of at least one absorption maximum / absorption maximum spectrum / absorption maximum range. This means that the absorption maximum can represent a (numerical) individual value, a plurality of values, a range or a spectrum, with only the term absorption maximum being used in the following since the principle remains the same. To be more precise, at least one Absorption spectrum / absorption spectrum range / absorption energy fraction (qualitative statement) of the tissue, preferably for at least one tissue component, determined by relating the reflectance spectrum to the illumination spectrum, preferably dividing it. The lighting spectrum is the spectrum that is emitted by the light source of the lighting and the remission spectrum is the spectrum that is remitted by the tissue. Preferred tissue components are water, fat and / or collagen. From the absorption spectrum obtained in this way it can be determined at which point there is at least one absorption maximum of the absorption spectrum of the tissue, preferably at least one tissue component. The absorption maximum or the absorption maximum range, preferably the wavelength, the frequency of the wavelength, the wave number or the position of the absorption maximum, is compared with at least one reference stored on the computing unit, preferably on the storage medium. The at least one stored reference can then be determined from a table or by means of a reference measurement, so that it can be established that a certain temperature prevails in the tissue at a certain position / wavelength / frequency / wave number of the absorption maximum. If this position / wavelength / frequency / wave number of the absorption maximum is not stored in a table, you can shift the calculated position / wavelength /

Frequency / wave number of the absorption maximum from a stored position / wavelength / frequency / wave number of the absorption maximum on the computing unit, the temperature in the tissue can be calculated. Instead of the absorption maximum, any other position / wavelength / frequency / wave number from the absorption spectrum can be used that has a significant recognition value (e.g. maxima or minima).

The fabric parts of the fabric show a typical absorption characteristic. For example, water has an absorption maximum at approx. 1470 nm at room temperature, collagen, on the other hand, has an absorption maximum at approx. 1500 nm at room temperature and fat has an absorption maximum at 1210 nm and at approx. 1400 nm at room temperature. The absorption maximum of water is preferably at 1470 nm +/- 20 nm, particularly preferably at 1470 nm +/- 10 nm, particularly preferably at 1470 nm +/- 5 nm. The absorption maximum of collagen is preferably at 1500 nm +/- 20 nm, particularly preferably at 1500 nm +/- 10 nm, particularly preferably at 1500 nm +/- 5 nm Maximum absorption of fat at 1210 and at 1400 nm +/- 20 nm, particularly preferred at 1210 and at 1400 nm +/- 10 nm, particularly preferred at 1210 and at 1400 nm +/- 5 nm.

The method preferably further comprises the step:

Storing at least one reference in the form of an absorption maximum at a certain temperature in the computing unit, preferably a storage medium in the computing unit, preferably for water and / or fat and / or collagen.

The computing unit can preferably use the characteristic absorption spectrum of water as a reference to determine which temperature prevails in the tissue. The computing unit or storage medium stores the fact that water has a certain absorption maximum at a certain temperature (e.g. at room temperature 1470 nm). By comparing the shift of the absorption maxima from a pre-stored value and / or by comparing with a large number of predefined corresponding values in a stored table, it can be determined at which wavelength of the absorption maximum which temperature prevails in the water of the tissue. The characteristic absorption spectrum of water can be determined most easily because the tissue components in the body are known and water, at approx. 67%, is most abundant in the tissue. The shift in the spectral absorption maximum of water can be calculated / determined on the basis of the measured absorption spectrum. The temperature can be determined on the basis of this shift in the absorption maximum, which is approx. 0.5 nm / K. The above can be applied analogously to fat and / or collagen and / or other components of the tissue.

In addition to water, the above steps for measuring the absorption spectrum can also be used for fat, collagen or other tissue components. Thus, from an absorption spectrum recorded by a detector and is determined by a computing unit, the individual absorption spectra of water, fat and collagen in tissue are determined.

The method preferably further comprises the step:

Applying the illumination and the detector to the tissue. The detector and the lighting are thus advantageously in direct contact with the tissue.

The method preferably further comprises the step:

Controlling and / or regulating and / or switching off a device, preferably a medical instrument, by means of the computing unit on the basis of the calculated temperature and / or tissue impedance.

The control and / or regulation and / or shutdown preferably takes place when a predetermined temperature is reached, preferably at a temperature greater than 85 ° Celsius and less than 110 ° Celsius, particularly preferably at a temperature greater than 95 ° Celsius and less than 100 ° Celsius is. The coagulation of tissue achieves the best result at a temperature, preferably a constant temperature, at a temperature that is greater than 85 ° Celsius and less than 110 ° Celsius, particularly preferably at a temperature that is greater than 95 ° Celsius and less than 100 ° Celsius.

Preferably all steps take place online / in real time. This means that controlling and / or regulating and / or switching off the medical instrument takes place online, preferably in real time. In other words, the absorption spectrum of the tissue is measured online, preferably in real time, whereby the temperature in the tissue can be calculated online, that is, in real time. The temperature then preferably flows online, preferably in real time, into the control / regulation of at least one electrode / sonotrode / laser source of the medical instrument, preferably the Cut & Seal device. The method for temperature measurement is preferably carried out during a sealing process, particularly preferably in the tissue in the medical instrument.

The detectors are preferably provided and adapted to detect remission, preferably the remission spectra, in the NIR range from 1000 nm to 1700 nm, particularly preferably in the range from 1400 nm to 1600 nm.

The at least one illumination unit and the at least one detector are preferably spaced apart, preferably in a medical instrument.

The method for measuring a tissue temperature is preferably used in a medical instrument.

A temperature measuring device preferably has a storage medium on which at least one of the following steps is stored (in the case of a plurality, preferably in this order):

Emission of light with an illumination spectrum, preferably in the VIS / NIR range, into a tissue by means of at least one illumination,

Receiving the remission of the light, with a remission spectrum, from the tissue by at least one detector, preferably a sensor, converting the remission spectrum by means of the detector into a detector signal, preferably an electrical signal / data signal,

Sending the detector signal to a computing unit, preferably a CPU, calculating the remission spectrum from the detector signal by means of the computing unit, Calculating an absorption spectrum of the tissue by comparing the illumination spectrum with the reflectance spectrum using the computing unit, calculating at least one absorption maximum from the absorption spectrum using the computing unit,

Calculating a temperature in the tissue by comparing the absorption maximum with at least one reference, preferably stored in the computing unit, using the computing unit, and controlling and / or regulating and / or switching off a device, preferably a medical instrument, using the computing unit on the basis of the calculated Temperature and / or tissue impedance.

In other words, remission spectra in the NIR range from 1000 nm to 1700 nm are recorded online by a detector in the temperature measurement during a sealing process. The shift in the position of the absorption maxima, which can be derived from the recorded spectra, can be used to infer the temperature of the tissue held in the instrument with sufficient accuracy for the application. As the temperature increases, the position of the absorption peak shifts towards shorter wavelengths. The shift is about 0.5 nm / K. If the tissue cools down further, the absorption peak shifts again towards longer wavelengths. Since the main absorber in the tissue to be sealed is water in the wavelength range around 1470 nm, the temperature determined in this way reflects the temperature in the water content of the tissue. The particular advantage of this temperature measurement method is that it can be used to measure the actual temperature in the tissue, since the NIR radiation can pass through the entire thickness of the tissue layer due to the scattering. In contrast, when measuring the temperature during sealing with a thermocouple, only the temperature of the contact surface is measured. The temperature and the heat capacity of the electrodes represent a disturbance variable for the determination of the tissue temperature with this method. This leads to latency times and falsifications of the true tissue temperature. This method therefore does not reflect the tissue temperature, but represents the temperature of the environment with which the thermocouple is in contact. With the optical temperature determination it is possible to obtain important parameters for the control of the sealing process. The determined Temperature can be used as a shutdown / regulation / control criterion / process parameter or for process regulation / process control.

It has been shown that light, preferably of a certain wavelength (e.g. white light in the VIS-NIR range) is remitted by the body tissue, with the spectrum of the light remitted by the body tissue changing depending on the temperature. It is therefore possible to bring an illumination / illumination output for irradiating body tissue as well as a detector / detector input for detecting light remitted by the body tissue directly to the electrode (s) and thus to bring the tissue temperature in the immediate vicinity of (between) the electrode (s) ( n) to be determined via the detour of the detected remitted light and its spectral distribution.

In the preferred embodiment, a medical instrument (of the HF type) accordingly has at least one instrument branch which forms at least one electrifiable electrode for sealing and / or cutting tissue or in or on the at least one electrifiable electrode for sealing and / or cutting tissue is arranged, wherein the current supply to the electrode can be controlled and / or regulated by a computing unit, and at least one temperature measuring device, with at least one lighting and at least one light detector, each in or on the at least one instrument branch or in opposite direction in / on two Instrument branches (alternately) formed or arranged / are and which are in electrical connection with the computing unit. In other words, an illumination and a detector are arranged alternately on an instrument branch, an illumination and a detector being opposite the detector on the opposite instrument branch of the illumination.

Preferably, the medical instrument is a surgical instrument, a monopolar instrument, a bipolar instrument, an electrosurgical instrument, a surgical clip, a surgical clamp, surgical forceps, surgical scissors, a scalpel and / or the like. This is particularly preferred medical instrument a Seal & Cut instrument that is intended and adapted to cut tissue using RF technology and to seal it at the same time. Monopolar instruments have the advantage that the fact that they are formed as a single shell (only one single instrument branch) enables a compact design and thus lower costs in their manufacture. Bipolar instruments (two opposing instrument branches) have the advantage that a resolved analysis can be implemented more easily and that they are more variable in the implementation of the duplication.

The at least one instrument branch is preferably to be understood as the part / end of a medical instrument whose distal part is an instrument branch body or tissue engagement section (branch body) that can be brought into contact with the tissue, and whose proximal part is designed as an actuation or grip section . The at least one instrument branch is further preferably a jaw part branch. The instrument branch body of the at least one instrument branch can be designed as an electrode for sealing tissue, preferably the instrument branch body is in this case in one piece / from a single part made of a conductive metal or graphite. Alternatively, the electrode can be embodied / arranged / embedded in and / or on and / or on the instrument branch, in this case the instrument branch is preferably made of an insulator or electrically insulating material.

The medical instrument preferably has two opposing instrument branches, which are preferably movable / pivotable relative to one another, at the ends of which faces / jaws / areas / instrument branch ends / instrument branch bodies are arranged / formed that can be brought into contact with the tissue. The

Instrument branch ends / instrument branch bodies can themselves be designed as electrodes for sealing tissue; the instrument branch ends / instrument branch bodies are preferably made of a conductive metal or graphite and insulated from one another. The electrodes can also be in and / or on and / or on the

Instrument branch ends / instrument branch bodies formed / arranged / be embedded, preferably the instrument branches are made of an insulator or electrically insulating material or are made of metal and insulated from the electrodes

At least one electrode can preferably be controlled and / or regulated by the computing unit. More precisely, the current intensity, the voltage, the phase and / or the frequency of the electrical current which is applied to the electrode can be controlled or regulated.

The temperature measuring device is preferably an optical temperature measuring device / a thermometer with an optical transmitter in the form of an illumination and an optical receiver in the form of a light detector.

Illumination is preferably to be understood as at least one light source / excitation light source and, alternatively, also other optical components, such as a light tunnel that has optical waveguides / mirrors / lenses / reflective inner walls / scattering media and the like. More preferably, a light source is to be understood as a white light source / an LED (in the VIS and / or IR and / or UV range), a deuterium lamp (UV range) and / or a halogen lamp (VIS range). In other words, the light on / in / on the instrument branch at the irradiation location / at the at least one inlet opening can be generated directly by means of a light source or by applying the light from a light source by means of optical waveguides / mirrors / lenses / light tunnels / scattering media and the like an irradiation location / a light inlet opening / a light inlet opening of the contact surface of the instrument branch, which is provided and adapted to come into contact with the tissue. More preferably, the irradiation of the light of the lighting takes place at a certain angle relative to the tissue contact surface of the corresponding instrument branch or electrode, that is, the lighting has an angled / inclined outlet opening and / or light radiation in / on / on the instrument branch. In yet other words, the light source itself is arranged obliquely / angled on / on / in the instrument branch or has an oblique / angled surface with respect to the tissue contact surface or light exit surface. Alternatively, an optical Element such as a mirror and / or an optical waveguide can be arranged obliquely on / on / in the contact surface (the area that is intended and adapted to come into contact with tissue) of the instrument branch and the light from the light source to the irradiation location or the Lead contact surface.

A white light source, i.e. a light source that emits electromagnetic radiation over the entire VIS range, has the advantage that more information can be obtained from the tissue to be illuminated, which enables tissue detection and / or multivariate data analysis. It is also possible to carry out a large number of different measurements. For example, at least one lighting with a white light source and at least one detector can be arranged on the instrument branch, which is provided and adapted to measure spectral ranges, preferably with different sensors (Si, InGaAs sensors, etc.).

A light source with a narrow spectral bandwidth has the advantage that the implementation is simple, that such a light source is inexpensive, that a high temporal scanning can be achieved with such a light source and that distances of more than 2 mm from one another and / or from a detector are possible because a higher intensity is possible in a certain spectral range.

Preferably, the term detector or light detector should be understood to mean at least one sensor / photodiode and / or photomultiplier (PMT) and possibly other optical components, such as a light tunnel, the optical waveguide / mirror / lenses / / reflective inner walls / scattering Media and the like may have. In other words, the light from the detector / detector part installed in / on / on the instrument branch can be measured at the remission location directly by means of a sensor of the detector or the like arranged there on / in / on the instrument branch or via a light tunnel, the optical waveguide / Mirrors / lenses / / reflective inner walls / scattering media and the like can have and light from the contact surface / a light inlet opening of the instrument branch to a remote from the contact surface of the instrument branch or even away from the instrument branch Sensor or the like are performed. More preferably, the light is irradiated starting from the illumination at a certain angle (0 ° <angle <90 °) relative to the tissue contact surface of the corresponding instrument branch or electrode. More preferably, the detector in / on / on the instrument branch has an entry opening that is also angled / inclined to the contact surface. In yet other words, the detector itself is arranged obliquely / angled on / on / in the instrument branch or has an oblique / angled surface with respect to the tissue contact surface. Alternatively, an optical element such as a mirror and / or an optical waveguide can be arranged obliquely on / on / in the contact surface (the area which is intended and adapted to come into contact with tissue) of the instrument branch and reflected light to a remote sensor or lead like that. The light remitted by the body tissue after irradiation is preferably spectrally resolved in at least two channels (by means of spectrometers, prisms or different filters) and then recorded by the at least two sensors or the like, which send at least two signals to the processing unit / CPU as a function thereof, which transforms the at least two signals into a temperature value.

The electrode for sealing tissue is preferably made of metal, conductive ceramic, metallized ceramic, graphite or metallized graphite. The electrode is furthermore preferably designed with a surface which is provided and adapted to reflect electromagnetic radiation.

The computing unit preferably has a processor and a storage medium. The storage medium is provided and adapted to store steps for carrying out the measurement of the temperature and / or the control and / or regulation of the current of the electrode.

The computing unit controls the lighting / light source of the lighting (duration, intensity, wavelength, etc.) by means of a first electrical signal and the detector detects the light scattered / reflected (exclusively) by the body tissue or the remission directly on the tissue to be measured / treated ( between the instrument branches) and sends the determined data as a second electrical one Signal to the processing unit. The computing unit now uses an algorithm on the storage medium to calculate the temperature of the tissue that can be derived from the respective second electrical signal. On the basis of the temperature of the tissue calculated in this way, it is calculated online / in real time which current intensity, which voltage and / or which frequency the electrical current should have which is applied to the at least one electrode.

In addition, in one embodiment, the resistance of the tissue (tissue impedance) can also be determined by the computing unit and incorporated into the calculation. In other words, the tissue impedance of the tissue on / between the electrodes / sonotrodes can be determined, so that the current strength, voltage and / or frequency of the electrical current applied to the electrode (s) or the US converter in response to the determined tissue impedance and (in combination with) the second signal of the (optical) temperature measuring device can be controlled or regulated by the computing unit.

The computing unit is preferably connected to the (optical) temperature measuring device according to the invention in such a way that the current intensity, the voltage and / or the frequency of the electrical current applied to the at least one electrode can be changed in response to the temperature calculated by the computing unit / CPU , preferably automatically and / or by a predetermined algorithm.

The second electrical signal from the detector preferably corresponds to a light spectrum which represents the wavelength and the intensity of the light detected at the detector. The shift in the spectral absorption maximum of water is calculated / determined on the basis of this spectrum. The temperature can be determined on the basis of this shift in the absorption maximum, which is approx. 0.5 nm / K. Since the absorption spectrum of water is characteristic, the shift can also be determined without a reference measurement and / or with a reference measurement.

The computing unit is preferably configured in such a way that it has at least one of the following steps or it is on a storage medium in the computing unit at least one of the following steps is saved (preferably in the following order):

- Control of the lighting by the computing unit with a first electrical signal, preferably with an electrical current with a certain current strength and / or a certain voltage and / or a certain frequency,

- Emission of electromagnetic radiation from the illumination (preferably white light) into the tissue, in a certain area in the immediate vicinity of an electrode or between two electrodes opposite one another,

- measuring (by means of the detector) the remission / diffuse reflection of the electromagnetic radiation from the body tissue,

- Sending the measurement results from the detector to the computing unit by means of a second electrical signal,

- transforming the second electrical signal into a tissue temperature value,

- Preferably determining the tissue impedance, preferably between two electrodes, and

Processing of the tissue temperature value and preferably the determined tissue impedance by means of the computing unit, preferably by means of a preprogrammed algorithm on the storage medium, to determine a new current strength, voltage and / or frequency for the electrical current applied to the electrode (s) to reach or approach a temperature of the tissue of over 95 ° Celsius and preferably simultaneously below 100 ° Celsius.

In one embodiment, the light tunnel that is connected to the light source can be fed at at least one end by at least one light source and the at least one other end can end in the instrument branch. In other words, light from at least one light source can be conducted via an optical waveguide or the like to at least one output which is located on / on / in the instrument branch. Alternatively, at least one light source, for example the LED, can be located / arranged directly on / on / in the instrument branch. In one embodiment, the light tunnel connected to the detector can have at least one sensor at at least one end and terminate at the at least one other end in the instrumentation sector. In other words, light / remission can be conducted from at least one input located on / in the instrument branch via a reflective light channel / optical waveguide or the like to at least one sensor / photodiode / photomultiplier or the like. Alternatively, at least one sensor / photodiode / photomultiplier can be located / arranged on / on / in the instrument branch.

Preferably, the lighting and the detector can share one end of a light tunnel. In other words, the beam path of the light source and the beam path of the sensor / photodiode / photomultiplier can share a light tunnel, so that both via a single optical opening, which simultaneously forms the entrance and exit of the light on / to / in the instrument branch, is in optical contact with body tissue.

A plurality of detectors and a plurality of illuminations are preferably arranged on at least one instrument branch. The detectors or lights can each be arranged on an instrument branch in a predetermined pattern. The pattern is preferably linear. Alternatively, at least one detector and / or lighting can be arranged on a first instrument branch and at least one detector and / or lighting can be arranged on a second instrument branch, preferably on mutually facing sides of opposite instrument branches. In other words, in this embodiment for bipolar instruments, the light from an illumination device can be introduced into the tissue, and a detector can measure the light remitted by the tissue on an opposite side.

The distance between the at least one illumination and the at least one detector is preferably between 0 and 5 mm, particularly preferably between 0 and 1 mm, since the intensity of the remission is very high there. The at least one instrument branch preferably has a plurality of detectors per illumination, particularly preferably the detectors are arranged at the same and / or different distances from the illumination. In other words, the distance from an illumination to a second detector can be greater than the distance to a first detector.

The lighting preferably has a discrete light source, preferably with a defined bandwidth, particularly preferably with a bandwidth of less than 100 nm.

The (optical) temperature measuring device is preferably arranged on a level of the instrument branch which is lower than the contact surface of the electrode. In other words, a contact surface of the electrodes and / or of the instrument branches that comes into contact with tissue forms a plane. This plane is higher in the contact direction (closer to the tissue) than the plane on which the at least one illumination and / or the at least one detector is arranged.

The (optical) temperature measuring device preferably enables a real-time / online determination of the temperature during a sealing process / sealing. The online determination is of particular importance for the quality of the sealing. The measurement represents the temperature in the tissue / the tissue temperature and has no latency period or a falsification of the measured temperature due to the heat capacity of the measuring device, for example due to the heat capacity of electrodes made of metal. The advantage of an optical temperature measurement, which is sensitive to the water in the seized tissue / in the tissue coming into contact, is that this temperature measurement device has no appreciable heat capacity.

The remission measurement can preferably be carried out in the instrument branch or in the jaw part of a Seal & Cut instrument, regardless of the position at which the tissue comes into contact with the instrument branch. In other words, the temperature measuring device is on the surface of the instrument branch in the area that is provided and adapted to the To come into contact with tissue, arranged distributed, preferably distributed evenly. As explained above, the at least one instrument branch can have a multiplicity of excitation and detection paths / illumination or detection paths, preferably along and / or in an electrode.

As stated above, a measurement of the temperature should take place in addition or as an alternative to the measurement of the impedance. The temperature is measured directly in the tissue to be fused, preferably between two opposite branches of the instrument, preferably in the (temporal) course of the energization / heating of the tissue. In this way, the change in the tissue condition can be detected directly / online and a response can be made to it. By expanding the algorithm with a further control parameter, it is possible to better evaluate the energy input into the tissue and thus to better control / regulate the fusion of the tissue. In addition, other properties of the tissue can also be measured with the temperature measuring device according to the invention, for example the water content / the water content in the tissue.

The electrode preferably has at least one first electrode surface on the area which is provided and adapted to come into contact with the tissue. The electrode is preferably located on an instrument branch body (in the jaw part) of an instrument branch or is formed by the instrument branch. In the electrode and / or the instrument industry there are preferably at least one light source / at least one light guide / at least one optical component (dichroic mirror / radiation splitter / mirror) and / or at least one light detector (or a part thereof) with at least one sensor and possibly one Light guide introduced. A photodiode or a photomultiplier can also be understood as a sensor. The electrode preferably has at least one light exit opening from / through which the light from the light source emits from the electrode surface and / or into the tissue. The electrode preferably has at least one light inlet opening through which the light (exclusively) from the tissue (remission) radiates / is reflected / reflected into / through the electrode surface into the sensor. The electrode preferably has at least one channel that is provided and adapted, data by means of at least one Cable / electrical line to at least one processing unit, or light, by means of at least one scattering medium / at least one optical waveguide / at least one reflective surface to a remote sensor, which in turn transmits data, by means of at least one cable / electrical line to at least one Computing unit conducts. If the invention has more than one electrode surface or more than one instrument branch, the electrode surfaces / instrument branches are spaced from one another, preferably parallel. The space between the electrode surfaces / instrument branches is preferably provided and adapted to accommodate a cutting device, such as a knife, scalpel, HF scalpel or the like, which is provided and adapted to separate / cut tissue. The electrode / branch surfaces are thus formed on the at least two sides of the cut of the tissue in order to coagulate the tissue by means of HF technology.

A narrow-band filter is preferably arranged in front of the sensor. A light tunnel can be formed in the electrode and / or the instrument branch. In other words, the light tunnel can guide light through the instrument branch and / or the at least one electrode. All embodiments can be combined with one another.

The invention is explained in more detail below using preferred exemplary embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure description

1 shows a region of an instrument branch according to a first embodiment.

2 shows a first lighting and detection arrangement in an instrument branch.

3 shows a second lighting and detection arrangement for an instrument branch. 4 shows a third lighting and detection arrangement for an instrument branch.

5 shows a region of an instrument branch according to a second embodiment.

Fig. 6 shows the light guidance in the area of the instrument industry according to the second embodiment.

7 shows a region of an instrument branch according to a third embodiment.

8 shows the light guidance in the area of the instrument branch according to the third embodiment.

9 shows a region of an instrument branch according to a fourth embodiment.

Fig. 10 shows the light guidance in the area of the instrument branch according to the fourth embodiment.

11 shows a region of an instrument branch according to a fifth embodiment.

Fig. 12 shows the light guide in the area of the instrument branch according to the fifth embodiment.

13 shows a region of an instrument branch according to a sixth embodiment.

14 shows the light guide in the area of the instrument branch according to the sixth embodiment. 15 shows a region of an instrument branch according to a seventh embodiment.

16 shows the light guide in the area of the instrument branch according to the sixth embodiment.

17 shows a region of an instrument branch according to an eighth embodiment.

18 shows the light guide in the area of the instrument branch according to the eighth embodiment.

19 shows a region of an instrument branch according to a ninth embodiment.

Fig. 20 shows the light guide in the area of the instrument branch according to the ninth embodiment.

21 shows a region of an instrument branch according to a tenth embodiment.

22 shows the light guide in the instrument branch area according to the tenth embodiment.

23 shows a bipolar instrument branch according to previous embodiments.

Figure 24 shows opposing detectors and lights on a bipolar RF instrument.

25 shows a schematic representation of a medical device according to the invention. 26 shows an example of a medical high-frequency surgical instrument according to the invention.

1 shows a region of an instrument branch 1 according to a first embodiment. The instrument branch 1 has at least one electrode 2 which is embedded in the instrument branch 1 in an insulated manner. The electrode 2 has a first electrode surface 4 and a second electrode surface 6 on the branch side which is provided and adapted to come into contact with a body tissue. The electrode (s) 2 is located in / on an instrument branch body 8 of the instrument branch 1, which represents one half of an actuatable instrument jaw part. In the electrode 2 or in the instrument industry 1 / the instrument industry bodies 8 are alternately light sources ^(LED's) incorporated 10 and light detectors or sensors 12th The electrode 2 or the instrument branch 1 / the instrument branch body 8 has light exit openings 14 through which the light from the light source 10 radiates from the electrode surface 4 and / or 6 or the branch contact surface into the tissue. The electrode 2 or the instrument branch 1 / the

Instrument branch body 8 furthermore has light inlet openings 16 through which the light from the tissue is reflected in / through the electrode surface 4 and / or 6 or through the branch contact surface into the sensor 12. The electrode 2 or the instrument branch 1 / the instrument branch body 8 has at least one (longitudinal) channel 18 which is provided and adapted to receive data / signals from the sensors 12 by means of a cable (not shown in detail) to a computing unit (not shown in detail) shown).

2 shows a first variant of a lighting and detection arrangement of the instrument branch 1. Each of the embodiments of this application can have the first lighting and detection arrangement. The upper row of the lighting and detection arrangement of FIG. 2 is arranged / embedded on / in the second electrode / branch surface 6 of FIG. 1. The lower row of the lighting and detection arrangement of FIG. 2 is arranged / embedded on / in the first electrode / branch surface 4 of FIG. 1. In each row is A detector / sensor 12 and an illumination / light source 10 are arranged alternately. The dark points represent a detector / sensor 12 and the bright points an illumination / light source 10. A narrow-band (light) filter (not shown) is preferably arranged in front of the detector / sensor 12. The optoelectronic components (sensor 12 and lighting 10) are also preferably attached to a circuit board below the electrode / below the tissue contact surface of the branch.

3 shows a second variant of a lighting and detection arrangement in an instrument branch. Each of the embodiments of this application can have the second variant of an illumination and detection arrangement. The dark points represent a sensor 12 and the light points represent a light source 10. The second variant of a lighting and detection arrangement is designed in such a way that four sensors 12 are arranged around a light source 10 at the same distance from the light source 10 one light source each shares two sensors 12 with another, immediately adjacent light source. In other words, the / each light source 10 is located in the center of an imaginary rectangle, at whose corner points the sensors 12 are positioned.

FIG. 4 shows a third variant of a lighting and detection arrangement in an instrument branch. Each of the embodiments of this application can have the third variant of an illumination and detection arrangement. The dark points represent a sensor 12 and the light points represent a light source 10. The third variant of a lighting and detection arrangement is the same as the first variant of a lighting and detection arrangement with the difference that the row of the lighting and detection arrangement of the second electrodes - / branch surface begins where the series of lighting and detection arrangements of the first electrode / branch surface ends.

5 shows a region of an instrument branch 101 according to a second embodiment. The instrument branch 101 has an electrode 102. The electrode 102 has a first electrode surface 104 and a second electrode surface 106 on the (branch) surface which is provided and adapted to come into contact with the tissue. In this respect, the industry corresponds to the second Embodiment of the branch of the first embodiment. The electrode 102 is located in particular on a distal instrument branch body 108 of the instrument branch 101, which represents part of an instrument jaw part. In the instrument branch 101, for example in an actuation section or in a handle section of the instrument branch 101, light sources 110 and sensors 112 (not shown in more detail) are introduced at a distance from the tissue contact surface of the instrument branch body 108. The electrode 102 / instrument branch body 108 has light exit openings 114 through which the light from the light source is guided and from which light from the electrode surface 104 and / or 106 or tissue contact surface of the instrument branch body 108 radiates / enters the tissue. The electrode 102 / instrument branch body 108 has light entry openings 116 through which the light from the tissue in / through the electrode surface 104 and / or 106 or tissue contact surface of the instrument branch body 108 radiates / enters a light tunnel 120 that ends in the sensor. The light from the light source to the light exit opening 114 is also guided through a, preferably different, light tunnel 120. The light tunnels 120 are filled with air or another gas or have a vacuum. The light tunnels 120 lead through the instrument branch body 108 and / or through the electrode 102. The preferably cylindrical light tunnels 120 have an inner tunnel surface (in the hollow cylindrical shape), which in turn has reflective properties for electromagnetic waves (light waves). The tunnel surface on the inside of the tunnel is therefore provided and adapted to enable total reflection.

6 shows the light guidance in the area of the instrument branch / the instrument branch body according to the second embodiment in the light tunnel 120. The incoming light coming from the light source is totally reflected on the inner surface of the light tunnel 120 and can thus be guided through the light tunnel 120. Due to the total reflection on the inside of the light tunnel 120, the light can also be guided through bent areas / at least one arch or the like. In this case, the light tunnel 120 is guided along the branch body 108 and then in a substantially 90 ° arc to the tissue contact surface of the Branch body 108 (or some other angle with respect to the tissue contact surface) where the light tunnel 120 opens.

7 shows a region of an instrument branch 201 according to a third embodiment. The instrument industry 201 has a

Instrument branch body 208 which forms part of an instrument jaw part which is an electrode or in which, as shown in FIG. 7, an electrode 202 is embedded in an insulating manner. The electrode 202 has a first electrode surface 204 and a second electrode surface 206 on the branch surface which is provided and adapted to come into contact with the tissue. The electrode 202 is accordingly located on / in the instrument branch body 208 of the instrument branch 201. In the instrument branch 201, for example in an actuation section or in a handle section of the instrument branch 201, light sources 210 and sensors 212 are introduced away from the tissue contact surface (not shown in detail). The electrode 202 or the instrument branch body 208 has light exit openings 214 through which the light is guided and the light source and from which light radiates / enters the tissue from the electrode surface 204 and / or 206 or the tissue contact surface. The electrode 202 or the instrument branch body 208 has light entry openings 216 through which the light from the tissue in / through the electrode surface 204 and / or 206 or the tissue contact surface of the instrument branch body 208 radiates / enters a light tunnel 220 that ends in a sensor . The light from the light source to the light inlet opening 216 is also guided through a, preferably different, light tunnel 220. The light tunnels 220 are filled with air or another gas or have a vacuum. The light tunnels 220 lead through the instrument branch body 208 and / or through the electrode 202. The light from the light source is introduced / radiated in perpendicular to the opening of the, preferably cylindrical, light tunnel 220 / to the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical light tunnel 220. The light is thus guided straight / straight in the light tunnel 220. To direct the light, at least one mirror and / or a prism is used in the light tunnel 220 in order to deflect / guide the light at a desired angle. The tunnel 220 can assume any geometric shape, for example cylindrical, cuboid, etc. 8 shows the light guidance in the area of the instrument branch according to the third embodiment in the light tunnel 220. The incoming light coming from the light source is fed straight / directed / parallel directed into the light tunnel 220. Due to the guidance by means of at least one mirror in the light tunnel 220, the light can also be guided over angled beeches / angles or the like.

9 shows a region of an instrument branch 301 according to a fourth embodiment. The instrument branch 301 has an electrode 302 that is received in an instrument branch body 308 that forms a tissue contact surface. The electrode 302 has a first electrode surface 304 and a second electrode surface 306 on the area which is provided and adapted to come into contact with the tissue. The electrode 302 is thus located in / on the instrument branch body 308 of the instrument branch 301. In the instrument branch 301, for example in an actuation section or in a handle section of the instrument branch 301, light sources 310 and sensors 312 are introduced at a distance from the tissue contact surface of the instrument branch body 308 (not in detail shown). The electrode 302 or the instrument branch body 308 has light exit openings 314 through which the light from the light source is guided and from which light emits / enters the tissue from the electrode surface 304 and / or 306 or or the instrument branch body 308. The electrode 302 or the instrument branch body 308 has light entry openings 316 (not shown in detail) through which the light from the tissue in / through the electrode surface 304 and / or 306 or through the contact surface of the instrument branch body 308 in a light tunnel 320 radiates / enters ending in a sensor. The light from the light source to the light exit opening 314 is also guided through a, preferably different, light tunnel (not shown). The light tunnels 320 are filled with a scattering bulk material 322. The light tunnels 320 lead through the instrument branch body 308 and / or through the electrode 302. In this embodiment, at least two light tunnels 320 are arranged in parallel in the electrode 302 and / or the instrument branch body 308 in a row, so that in each case a row with light entry openings 314 and light exit openings (not shown) in one electrode surface 304 each and 306 is introduced. In an embodiment not shown, the bulk material of the fourth embodiment can itself represent a light source, ie the bulk material can shine.

10 shows the light guidance in the area of the instrument industry according to the fourth embodiment in a light tunnel 320. The incoming light coming from the light source is fed into the light tunnel 320, more precisely into the scattering and / or luminous bulk material 322 in the light tunnel 320. As a result of the scattering of the light in the bulk material 322, the light is radiated into the tissue and the remitted light is guided / scattered by another light tunnel (not shown) with the same structure to the sensor.

11 shows a region of an instrument branch 401 according to a fifth embodiment. The instrument branch 401 has an electrode 402 which in the present case is embedded in an insulating instrument branch body 408. The electrode 402 has a first electrode surface 404 and a second electrode surface 406 on the surface of the instrument branch body 408 which is provided and adapted to come into contact with the tissue. The electrode 402 is thus located in / on the instrument branch body 408 of the instrument branch body 401. In the instrument branch 401, for example in an actuation section or in a handle section of the instrument branch 401, light sources 410 and sensors 412 are introduced at a distance from the tissue contact surface of the instrument branch body 408 (not shown ). The electrode 402 or the instrument branch body 408 has light exit openings 414 through which the light of a light source is guided and from which light emits / enters the tissue from the electrode surface 404 and / or 406 or from the tissue contact area. The electrode 402 or the instrument branch body 408 has light inlet openings (not shown) through which the light from the tissue in / through the electrode surface 404 and / or 406 or through the tissue contact surface in a light tunnel 420 radiates / exits, which in a sensor ends. The light from the light source to the light exit opening 414 is also guided through a, preferably different, light tunnel (not shown). The light tunnels 420 are filled with a structured bulk material 422. The light tunnels 420 lead through the Instrument branch body 408 and / or through the electrode 402. In this embodiment, at least two light tunnels 420 are arranged in parallel in the electrode 402 and / or the instrument branch body 408 in a row, so that in each case a row with light entry openings 414 and light exit openings (not shown) is introduced into an electrode surface 404 and 406, respectively. In an embodiment not shown, the bulk material of the fifth embodiment can itself represent a light source, ie the bulk material can shine.

12 shows the light guidance in the area of the instrument industry according to the fifth embodiment in a light tunnel 420. The incoming light coming from the light source is fed into the light tunnel 420, more precisely into the structured bulk material 422 in the light tunnel 420 Insertion in the bulk material 422, the light is radiated into the tissue and the remitted light is guided / scattered by another light tunnel (not shown) with the same structure to a sensor.

13 shows a region of an instrument branch 501 according to a sixth embodiment. The instrument branch 501 has an electrode 502, wherein in this embodiment the instrument branch body 501 and the electrode 502 correspond to the previous exemplary embodiments with regard to their construction and arrangement. Light sources 510 and sensors 512 are introduced into the instrument branch body 508 (not shown in more detail). The electrode 502 / the instrument branch body has light exit openings 514 through which the light of a light source is guided and from which light radiates / enters the tissue. The electrode 502 / the instrument branch body has light entry openings (not shown) through which the light from the tissue radiates / enters a light tunnel 520 which ends in a sensor. The light from the light source to the light inlet opening 514 is guided through at least one light tunnel 520. In this embodiment, a single light tunnel 520 is formed in the electrode 502 and thus in the instrument branch body 501. A row with light exit openings 514 and light entry openings (not shown) is made in the electrode 502 or in the body of the instrument branch. In the light tunnel 520 is at least one mirrored / reflective inclined / angled plane 524 is formed. The plane 524 can be produced by polishing the electrode or the instrument branch body or by introducing a mirror into the light tunnel 520. The light tunnel 520 leads through the instrument branch body. At least one row with light exit openings 514 and light entry openings (not shown) is made in a surface of the electrode 502 / of the instrument branch body. Alternatively or additionally, a single light tunnel 520 of this type can serve both for the excitation and for the reception of reflected light - with the appropriate filters. This means that a filter is attached after the light source that corresponds to the remission wavelength range, but the remaining light is guided into the tissue and received by the same and / or an adjacent opening and guided back to the sensor via the same reflecting plane 524.

14 shows the light guidance in the area of the instrument branch 501 according to the sixth embodiment in the light tunnel 520. The incoming light coming from the light source is fed into the light tunnel 520 and at the angled, reflective plane 524 at a predetermined angle (preferably with a Angle between 0 ° and 90 °). The light is radiated into the tissue through the mirror / reflective surface / reflective plane 524 and the remitted light is guided / guided by another light tunnel (not shown) with the same structure to a sensor.

15 shows a region of an instrument branch 601 according to a seventh embodiment. The instrument branch 601 has an electrode 602 received by an instrument branch body 608. The electrode 602 has a first electrode surface 604 and a second electrode surface 606 on the surface of the instrument branch body 608 which is provided and adapted to come into contact with the tissue. Light sources 610 and sensors 612 are introduced into the instrument branch body 608 (not shown in more detail). The instrument branch body 608 has light exit openings 614 through which the light of a light source (not shown) is guided and radiates / enters the tissue from the tissue contact surface. The instrument industry body 608 also has light entry openings (not shown) through which the light from the tissue radiates / enters through the tissue contact surface of the instrument branch body 608 into a light tunnel 620 which ends in a sensor. The light from the light source to the light exit opening 614 is also guided through a second light tunnel (not shown). At least one partially transparent plane 626 is introduced into the light tunnel 620, which plane transmits part of electromagnetic radiation, that is to say is transparent to part of the light and reflects part of the light. The partially translucent plane is preferably a partially translucent mirror and more preferably several partially translucent planes 626 are arranged one behind the other in the light tunnel.

16 shows the light guidance in the area of the instrument branch 601 according to the seventh embodiment in a light tunnel 620. The incoming light coming from the light source is fed into the light tunnel 620. The incoming light coming from the light source is fed straight / directed / parallel directed into the light tunnel 620. Due to the guidance by means of at least one partially translucent mirror 626 in the light tunnel 620, the light is guided / reflected / mirrored over angled areas / angles or the like. The light that passes through a partially transparent mirror 626 strikes another partially transparent mirror 626 which is arranged at the same angle as that of the previous mirror and so on. The light is radiated into the tissue through the partially translucent mirror / reflective surface / reflective plane 626 and the remitted light is guided / guided by another light tunnel (not shown) with the same structure to a sensor.

17 shows a region of an instrument branch 701 according to an eighth embodiment. The instrument branch 701 has an electrode 702. The electrode 702 is located on an instrument branch body 708 of the instrument branch 701. In the instrument branch 701, for example in an actuation section or in a handle section of the instrument branch 701, light sources 710 and sensors 712 are introduced remotely from the instrument branch body 708, preferably externally (not shown in detail). . The instrument branch body 708 has at least one light tunnel 720 through which the light from the light source is guided and from which light radiates / enters the tissue. The instrument branch body 708 has at least one further light tunnel 720 through which the light from the tissue is guided to a sensor. In this embodiment, the light tunnels 720 are formed by optical waveguides such as, for example, glass fibers.

18 shows the light guidance in the area of the instrument industry according to the eighth embodiment in a light tunnel 720. The incoming light coming from the light source is totally reflected on the inner surface of the light tunnel 720 and can thus be guided through the light tunnel 720. Due to the total reflection on the inside of the light tunnel 720, the light can also be guided through bent areas / at least one arch or the like.

19 shows a region of an instrument branch 801 according to a ninth embodiment. The instrument branch 801 has an electrode 802. The electrode 802 has a first electrode surface 804 and a second electrode surface 806 on the tissue contact surface of its instrument branch body which is provided and adapted to come into contact with the tissue. Light sources 810 and sensors 812 are introduced into the instrument branch body 808 (not shown in more detail). The instrument branch body also has light exit openings 814 through which the light from a light source is guided and radiates / enters the tissue. The instrument branch body also has light entry openings 816 through which the light from the tissue in / through the instrument branch body radiates / enters a light tunnel 820 which ends in a sensor. The light from the light source to the light exit opening 814 is guided through the same light tunnel. In other words, light exit openings 814 can function as light entry openings 816 and vice versa. At least two partially translucent planes 626 are introduced into the light tunnel 820, which planes 626 transmit part of an electromagnetic radiation, that is to say are permeable to part of the light, and reflect part of the light. The partially transparent plane is preferably a partially transparent mirror and more preferably a plurality of partially transparent planes 626 are arranged one behind the other in the light tunnel. With this arrangement in this embodiment, each is a partially transparent mirror each assigned to a light exit opening 814 or a light entry opening 816.

20 shows the light guidance in the area of the instrument branch 801 according to the ninth embodiment in a light tunnel 820. The light entering from the light source is fed into the light tunnel 820. The incoming light coming from the light source is fed into the light tunnel 820 in a straight line / directional / parallel direction. As a result of the guidance by means of at least two partially translucent mirrors 826 in the light tunnel 820, the light is guided / reflected / mirrored over angled areas / angles or the like. The light that penetrates a partially transparent mirror 826 hits at least one further partially transparent mirror 826 which is arranged at the same angle as the previous mirror and so on. The light is radiated into the tissue through the partially translucent mirror / reflective surface / reflective plane 826 and the remitted light is guided / guided by the same light tunnel 820 but through an adjacent opening to a sensor. In yet other words, an opening is at the same time a light exit opening and a light entry opening for an adjacent opening.

21 shows a region of an instrument branch 901 according to a tenth embodiment.

The instrument branch 901 has an electrode 902, wherein in this embodiment the instrument branch body and the electrode correspond to the previous exemplary embodiments with regard to their structure and arrangement. In the instrument branch, for example in an actuation section or in a handle section of the instrument branch 901, light sources 910 and sensors 912 are accordingly introduced at a distance from the tissue contact surface of the instrument branch body (not shown in greater detail). The instrument branch body has light exit openings 914 through which the light from a light source (not shown) is guided and from which light radiates / enters the tissue. The instrument branch body 908 also has light entry openings 916 through which the light radiates / exits the tissue into a light tunnel 920, which ends in a sensor. The light from the light source to the light exit opening 914 is guided through at least one light tunnel 920. The light from the light inlet opening 91 to the sensor is guided through at least one further light tunnel 920 (of the same type). In this embodiment, at least two light tunnels 920 are thus formed in the instrument branch body 908. The light exit opening (s) 914 and light entry opening (s) 916 are alternately introduced into the instrument branch body. At least one mirrored / reflective inclined / angled plane 924 is formed in the light tunnel 920.

22 shows the light guidance in the area of the instrument branch 901 according to the tenth embodiment in the light tunnel 920. The incoming light coming from the light source is fed into the light tunnel 920, and at the angled reflective plane 924 at a predetermined angle (preferably with a Angle between 0 and 90 °). The light is radiated into the tissue through the mirror / reflecting surface / reflecting plane 924 and the remitted light is guided / guided by another light tunnel 920 with the same structure to a sensor.

23 shows a bipolar instrument branch 1028 according to the above embodiments. Embodiments one to ten are provided and adapted to be used in a bipolar medical HF instrument, in which two instrument branch bodies are preferably mounted pivotably relative to one another and define a tissue receiving gap between them.

Fig. 24 shows opposing detectors and illuminations on a bipolar RF instrument. The light exit openings 1014 of the lighting and the light entry openings 1016 of the detectors are each arranged on opposite instrument branches / instrument branch bodies.

25 shows a schematic illustration of a medical device 1100 according to the invention. A light source 1110 is provided and adapted to emit light. A sensor 1112 is provided and adapted to detect light. The light source emits the light through a light exit opening 1114. The Sensor 1112 receives light via a light inlet opening 1116. The light sources 1110 and the sensors 1112 are in connection with data lines 1130 and 1132 located in a channel 1118. The channel 1118 is formed in an instrument branch body 1128, which also receives the electrodes in an insulating manner. The one instrument branch body in which the electrode 1134 is received clamps the tissue 1138 with an instrument branch body in which the opposite electrode 1136 is received. Electrode 1134 and electrode 1136 are in communication with leads 1140 and 1142. The data lines 1130 and 1132, as well as the lines 1140 and 1142 are in connection with a computing unit 1144, which has a storage medium 1146.

Fig. 26 shows an example of a high-frequency medical surgical instrument

1000 according to the invention, which has a first instrument branch 1001 and a second instrument branch 1002. At the distal end of the first instrument branch

1001, an instrument branch body 1008 is formed, and an actuation or handle section 1009 is formed at the proximal end of the first instrument branch 1001.

List of reference symbols

1, 101, 201, 301, 401, 501, 601, 701, 801, 901 instrument branch

2, 102, 202, 302, 402, 502, 602, 702, 802, 902 electrode

4, 104, 204, 304, 404, 604, 804, 904 First electrode surface

6, 106, 206, 306, 406, 606, 806, 906 second electrode surface

8, 108, 208, 308, 408, 508, 608, 708, 808, 908, 1128 instrument branch body

10, 110, 210, 310, 410, 510, 610, 710, 810, 910, 1110 light source

12, 112, 212, 312, 412, 512, 612, 712, 812, 912 1112 sensor

14, 114, 214, 314, 414, 514, 614, 714, 814, 914, 1014, 1114 light entry opening

16, 116, 216, 616, 716, 816, 916, 1016, 1116 light exit opening

18, 1118 canal 120, 220, 320, 420, 520, 620, 720, 820, 920 light tunnel

322, 422 bulk material

524, 924

Mirrored inclined plane

626, 826

Partially permeable plane

1028

Bipolar instrument industry

1100

Medical device

1130, 1132, 1140, 1142 lines

1134

First electrode

1136

Second electrode

1138

tissue

1144

Arithmetic unit 1146

Storage medium

Claims

Expectations

1. A method for temperature measurement comprising the steps:

- Emission of light, with an illumination spectrum, into a tissue by means of a plurality of illuminations (10, 1110),

- Receiving the remission of the light, with a remission spectrum, from the tissue by a plurality of detectors (12, 1112), the plurality of illuminations (10, 1110) and plurality of detectors (12, 1112) each in or on at least one Instrument branch (1, 101, 201, 301, 401, 501, 601, 701, 801, 901) or are formed or arranged alternately on two opposite instrument branches and are in electrical connection with a computing unit (1144),

- Conversion of the remission spectrum by means of the detectors (12, 1112) into a detector signal,

- Sending the detector signal to the computing unit (1144),

- Evaluation of the remission spectrum from the detector signal by means of the computing unit (1144),

- Evaluation of an absorption spectrum of the tissue by comparing the illumination spectrum with the remission spectrum by means of the computing unit (1144),

- Determination of at least one absorption maximum from the absorption spectrum by means of the computing unit (1144), and

- Calculating a temperature in the tissue by comparing the absorption maximum with at least one reference by means of the computing unit (1144).

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step

- Storing at least one reference in the form of an absorption maximum at a certain temperature in the computing unit, preferably a storage medium in the computing unit, preferably for water and / or fat and / or collagen.

3. The method of claim 1 or 2, further comprising the step

- Applying the plurality of lights and detectors (12, 1120) to the tissue.

4. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising the step

5. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the method for temperature measurement is carried out during a sealing process.

6. Application of the method according to one of the preceding claims for measuring a tissue temperature in a medical instrument.

7. Comprising medical instrument (1110)

- at least one instrument branch (1, 101, 201, 301, 401, 501, 601, 701,

801, 901), the at least one electrode (502, 602, 702, 802,

902, 1134, 1136) for sealing and / or cutting tissue or is arranged in or on the at least one electrifiable electrode (2, 102, 202, 302, 402, 702) for sealing and / or cutting tissue, the The supply of current to the electrode (2, 102, 202, 302, 402, 502, 602, 702, 802, 902, 1134, 1136) can be controlled and / or regulated by a computing unit (1144), and

- At least one optical temperature measuring device with a plurality of lights (10, 1110) and at least a plurality of detectors (12, 1112), which are each in or on the at least one instrument branch (1,

101, 201, 301, 401, 501, 601, 701, 801, 901) or are formed or arranged alternately on two opposite instrument branches and which are in electrical connection with the arithmetic unit (1144), which is provided and adapted for this, signals from the at least a plurality of detectors (12, 1112) to transform into temperature values.

8. Medical instrument (1110) according to claim 7, characterized in that the arithmetic unit (1144) is connected to the temperature measuring device in such a way that the current intensity, the voltage and / or the frequency of the electrical current which is applied to the at least one electrode ( 2, 102, 202, 302, 402, 502, 602, 702, 802, 902, 1134, 1136) is present, can be changed in response to the calculated temperature value, preferably automatically and / or by a predetermined algorithm which is implemented in the computing unit ( 1144) is saved.

9. Medical instrument (1110) according to one of claims 7 to 8, characterized in that the plurality of detectors and / or the plurality of illuminations have at least one light tunnel or optical waveguide (120, 220, 320, 420, 520, 620, 720, 820, 920).

10. Medical instrument (1110) according to one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that the plurality of illuminations and the plurality of detectors are the end of a light tunnel or optical waveguide (120, 220, 320,

420, 520, 620, 720, 820, 920).

11. Medical instrument (1110) according to one of claims 7 to 10, characterized in that at least one light tunnel (320) is filled with a scattering bulk material (322).

12. Medical instrument (1110) according to one of claims 7 to 11, characterized in that the surface of the electrodes (2, 102, 202, 302, 402, 502, 602, 702, 802, 902, 1134, 1136) consists of a reflective material, especially metal.

13. Medical instrument (1110) according to one of claims 7 to 12, characterized in that at least two detectors are provided, the distance from one of the plurality of illuminations to a second detector being greater than the distance to a first detector.

14. Medical instrument (1110) according to one of claims 7 to 13, characterized in that the temperature measuring device is arranged on a plane which is lower than a contact surface of the electrode (2, 102, 202, 302, 402, 502, 602, 702, 802, 902, 1134, 1136).

15. Medical instrument according to one of claims 7 to 14, characterized in that the medical instrument has two instrument branches (1, 101, 201, 301, 401, 501, 601, 701, 801, 901), a first instrument branch (1 , 101, 201, 301, 401, 501, 601, 701, 801, 901) a plurality of lights and a second instrument branch (1, 101, 201, 301, 401, 501, 601, 701, 801, 901) a plurality of detectors.