Patent ID: 11896327
Assignee: CILAG GMBH INTERNATIONAL
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A | IPC A

Claim 19:
20. A method of operating a surgical instrument having first and second electrodes and an end effector that houses a microcontroller, the method comprising:
(a) controlling, using the microcontroller, delivery of an electrical signal to the first electrode, wherein the first electrode is configured to directly contact and deliver the electrical signal to in vivo material clamped by the end effector;
(b) receiving the electrical signal with the second electrode after the electrical signal has passed through the in vivo material from the first electrode;
(c) determining with the microcontroller, based on the electrical signal as received by the second electrode, an electrical impedance associated with the in vivo material; and
(d) determining with the microcontroller, based on the electrical impedance, at least one of:
(i) a presence of a tissue in the in vivo material,
(ii) an absence of a tissue in the in vivo material, or
(iii) a characteristic of a tissue forming at least a part of the in vivo material.