Apparatus for high efficiency, high safety ultrasound power delivery with digital efficiency indicator and one clock cycle shutdown

The invention in general relates to Medical Instruments for bone fracture healing, ultrasonic surgery, tissue ablation and cutting and drilling, dry powder inhalers and more particularly to a method to monitor load condition and overall efficiency, safety and reliability of ultrasonic energy delivery using a Class E power Amplifier. Three parameters: frequency (f), duty cycle (D) and Power Amplifier supply voltage (Vdd) are continuously adjusted in order to maintain optimal and suboptimal Class E operation. The load for the power driver can be a single element or a stack. For every frequency and duty cycle of operation the MOSFET drain voltage is compared to a known value which is proportional to Power Amplifier supply voltage Vdd. During the MOSFET OFF part of operation a timer is started when drain voltage falls below a known threshold value. The timer is stopped by the MOSFET leading edge gate clock. A measure of the distance from optimal operation is implemented in the form of a counter value N thus allowing a continuous load monitoring. A one Class E Amplifier clock cycle reaction to fast load change is thus possible and therefore a robust efficient operation, with increased safety and reliability of Ultrasonic power delivery.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In Medical Instrumentation applications using ultrasonic energy as means to perform work, many solutions have been presented for different constitutive building blocks like current/voltage feedback loops, driver Amplifier (single stage, push-pull, half bridge, full bridge). In bone fracture healing and various surgical Instruments a wide load variation is expected and for safety and reliability reasons a fast response to fast load change is desired. These Instruments use piezoelectric single elements or stacks as load for the power amplifier. For low acoustic power application, in general less than 5 Watts a single element is used, for higher power, for example higher than 20 Watts a stack of elements is preferred. The electrical parameters [8], [9] are well defined by the manufacturer and they depend on the mechanical action that they have to perform. The mechanical work varies widely and due to the interdependence between electrical and mechanical parameters, the Power Amplifier driving the piezoelectric load “sees” a continuously varying electrical load. Fast reaction to fast load change is therefore something desirable. Typical piezoelectric constructions in Medical applications can be exemplified in U.S. Pat. No. 4,530,138 or U.S. Pat. No. 3,889,166

1. Field of the Invention

The invention in general relates to Medical Instruments delivering ultrasonic energy to perform work and more particularly to improvements related to load monitoring, by implementing a method to digitally measure the distance from optimal load conditions and also a method to fast react (and shut down if necessary) due to load changes in one clock cycle of the Power Amplifier if the load changes in one cycle.

2. Description of Prior Art

For cutting and cauterization applications, In Surgical Instrument presented in U.S. Pat. No. 7,273,483 a solution is offered for an environment where transducer temperature increase can lead to material fatigue and possible failure. Mainly for adjusting Power to the load via a push-pull amplifier, it measures load conditions via current averaging and voltage averaging followed by analog to digital (ADC) conversion in a feedback loop control scheme. Reaction time to load change is thus determined by current and voltage averaging filters plus ADC conversion time, too slow for a sudden load change which could lead to Instrument failure. A similar feedback approach is adopted in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,026,387 and 4,056,761. These Instruments cannot react fast enough to prevent a catastrophic load condition which could lead to shatter or breakage.

In Exogen 2000+SAFHS, a Pulsed Ultrasound Instrument for bone fracture healing manufactured by Smith and Nephew located in Memphis, Tenn., a generic averaging filter is used to determine transducer electrical impedance variation due to the amount of coupling gel used and thus determining gel/no gel alarm conditions (U.S. Pat. No. 6,261,249). These Pulsed Ultrasound Instruments under sudden load change can also lead to Instrument failure. Therefore there is a need for a fast Instrument response due to fast load change. In this application a Class E Power Amplifier driving a piezoelectric load is used as Power Stage. Class E amplifier is well known. Fast feedback Class E operation is also not new. A generic Class E amplifier as final power stage and a predictor to load change was presented in [1]. It was tested by slightly adjusting the frequency of operation. In reference [1] a resistor is placed in series with the source of power transistor Q1and an additional circuit is built to indicate class E or non class E operation, however such a circuit has a time response of 20 to 30 ms when operating at 1 MHz which in certain situations like highly load sensitive ultrasonic surgery instruments and Pulsed Ultrasound can be too slow. FIG. 4A in U.S. Pat. No. 3,919,656 and reference [1]FIG. 2present typical Class E waveforms under variable load quality factor (Q). Design of Class E power Amplifiers under nominal or off nominal (variable duty cycle D, or duty ratio as it is considered in [2], [3]) is also known.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention presents a method to control the Ultrasonic power delivered to a piezoelectric or magnetostrictive load using a Class E Amplifier by means of digitally monitoring in each cycle the amplifier operation. This Power Amplifier is first designed so that it presents a predefined sensitivity to load changes and these changes are monitored in each clock cycle by means of a timer content. A trend can therefore be determined as successive values of a counter timer number. An emergency shut down is thus possible in one clock cycle of the first occurrence of non optimal operation of the Class E amplifier due to load change.

A non optimal operation is a non-zero MOSFET drain voltage at MOSFET turn on.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In reference toFIGS. 1 to 7a description of the preferred embodiment is presented.

Ref toFIG. 1, a microcontroller MCU100is used to program the programmable oscillator106via an interface105. Examples of such components could be Texas Instruments, Dallas Tex., MSP430FG437 for the MCU and Linear Technology, Milpitas Ca, LTC6904 for the frequency f programmable oscillator. The digital signal from 106 is gated with the processor logic signal112in gate113in order to generate bursts of pulses according to treatment indication or a continuous digital signal. For example the duration of the logic “1” signal112could be 200 μs followed by 800 μs “0” logic for a 1 KHz PRF (Pulse Repetition Rate) ultrasound delivery system, or a continuous digital logic “1” for 25 KHz to 100 KHz Ultrasonic surgery Instruments. R9, C5is an integrator circuit, the resultant triangular pulses are applied to the inverting input of comparator115. The non-inverting input of this comparator takes a continuously variable voltage signal from a digital to analog converter, D/A on line121via resistors R7, R8, R11and as a result the digital signal at the output of the gate114is adjustable both in duty cycle D, and frequency f. This is block117shown in an accolade, the waveform is shown pictorially in block118. The driving signal is applied to MOSFET Q1gate via the coupling capacitor C4and resistor R5in junction126. This digital signal also drives, via connection127the clock input of the D flip-flop102. Another comparator,116takes at the inverting input a fraction (k) of the MOSFET drain voltage via resistor divider R1and R2and at the non-inverting input the power Amplifier voltage Vdd, via resistors R3and R4. Resistors R1and R3are connected to ground at line132. This voltage, Vdd is generated by the DC/DC converter101, preferably a high speed Class E converter. Such a converter is known for one skilled in the art and has the advantage of having both step-up and step-down capabilities [4], [6]. For fast DC/DC ON/OFF time, the switching frequency of the converter101should be at least 10 times higher than the frequency generated by the oscillator106. For example, for f=1.5 MHz used in bone fracture healing Instruments the frequency generated by the processor100on line108should be at least 15 MHz to start the DC/DC converter101. For 20 KHz to 100 kHz Ultrasonic surgery Instruments, at least a 1 MHz frequency Class E DC/DC is required. The Enable line109is a logic signal to turn ON/OFF the converter. R10and C7provide a low pass filter function for comparator116output and is connected, via line128to the D input of the D flip-flop102. The input D of the flip-flop102is also connected via line134to an MCU100timer input. The inverted output107(Ō) is connected to an MCU (or processor)100input interrupt line INT1. The fast dynamic action on INT1input can be explained with reference toFIG. 6where, due to a fast load change, a transition from optimal Class E to non-optimal (non Class E) drain voltage operation is illustrated. As soon as, due to drain voltage change, the comparator output waveform605trailing edge falls behind the trailing edge of the Mosfet Q1gate voltage603, the interrupt line607normally at “0” logic is now fast switched to logic 1 thus providing an interrupt INT1to the processor100. It is recognized here that this constitutes a fast feedback mechanism for class E operation with one Mosfet clock cycle delay. The processor can now decide whether to stop providing further pulses and shut down operation due to abnormal load conditions or continue providing pulses and monitor more closely the load via Mosfet drain voltage.

Vcomp and V threshold inFIG. 6represent the input voltages of comparator116. Ref. now toFIG. 2, an optimal Class E drain voltage is shown. The horizontal dotted line represents ground reference voltage (GND) as inFIGS. 3 and 4. D represents the Mosfet turned OFF portion of a typical clock cycle. In normal load conditions (optimal or nominal operation as it is known in published literature, for example ref. [2], [3] the drain voltage during the Mosfet turn-on (t2) should be zero (“0”) with “0” slope.

The comparator116Vthresholdvoltage is such that the drain voltage falls below this level at moment t1and at this moment the comparator output switches to logic 1, starting the timer counter. When the Mosfet turns on at moment t2the software stops the counter and the count number N indicates a typical class E optimal drain voltage landing. The falling edge of the Mosfet clock at moment t3happens before the comparator output falling edge at moment t4due to low pass filtering action of R10and C7. So in normal (optimal) operation, in each MOSFET clock cycle a timer is started by comparator116output connection134and is stopped by software via connection135, which is another interrupt line (INT2) to the processor. INT1has higher priority than INT2since it indicates a non Class E operation. The timer content, N gives thus an indication of Class E Power Amplifier distance from optimal operation. In this load condition the D flip-flop output stays always “0” logic since the clock for D flip-flop102always “sees” a “1” (and latches it) at the D input and therefore the negated output is “0”. The counter start signal always occurs before the Mosfet clock arrives, therefore no Interrupt INT1is triggered. At the moment t2the count is N1±ΔN as illustrated inFIG. 7.

A sub optimal class E drain voltage landing is shown inFIG. 3where the drain voltage falls to zero with non-zero slope. The drain voltage is limited to almost zero (actually slightly negative due to the Mosfet body diode). The distance between moments t1and t2is higher and the content N2of the counter is higher than previously and thus the timer content (see N2inFIG. 7also) provides a digital indication of the distance from optimal Class E operating condition. Moments t3and t4occur as inFIG. 2and D flip-flop output remains “0” and no interrupt is triggered. Optimal (FIG. 1) and suboptimal (fig2) conditions in Class E Amplifier operation are considered high efficiency because the voltage across MOSFET is zero at turn on (moment t2).

InFIG. 4a non-ZVS (non Zero Voltage Switching) drain voltage landing is shown, where moment t2occurs before t1. In this case comparator output remains “0” when the Mosfet clock trailing edge is applied and thus it latches logic “1” on Interrupt INT1, line107. So comparator102output is now “0” and D flip-flop output is “1”. Fast load conditions will lead to fast drain voltage change and as explained above, this is illustrated inFIG. 6Here it is seen that as soon as the leading edge of comparator116signal output605falls behind Mosfet clock cycle at moment608, an interrupt is triggered by the leading edge of the MOSFET gate pulse608due to a gradual transition from optimal to non optimal conditions and this change on D flip-flop output606is as fast as the load change. This is where “one clock cycle” shutdown is obvious. As soon as this condition occurs, the processor can stop providing pulses in the next cycle, so the abnormal load condition time resolution is one clock cycle and the condition can be addresses in the next clock cycle.

FIG. 5represents a software flowchart diagram explaining the decision to further apply or not pulses based upon the Timer value N. N=N1±ΔN indicates an optimal operating condition (FIG. 7). If the value has a tendency to increase from cycle to cycle this is an indication of transition from optimal to suboptimal Class E operation (N2) and pulses are applied normally. If the trend from cycle to cycle is towards N decreasing, this is an indication that a non Class E operation is imminent and if the timer content falls below a predetermined safety value then the processor stops applying pulses by bringing line112to gate114to “0” logic.

In what follows, the analytical value of the Mosfet Q1drain voltage is calculated along with Vthresholdand Vcomparator.

This value depends on the duty cycle D, frequency f, power stage supply voltage Vdd and load phase angle φ.

The analysis is carried out with the usual assumptions for Class E operation [1]-[5] and considering load131inFIG. 1connected at point110as pure resistive, with value R.

FromFIG. 1with angular switching frequency w=2πf and θ=ωt and considering the R1+R2resistor value large enough so the current through it can be ignored, the inductor L1current Idd is:
Idd=Ic+I0(1)
where Icis the current through the capacitor C1and I0is the load current.
Ic=ic(θ),I0=Imsin(θ+φ)  (2)
ic(θ)=Idd−Imsin(θ+φ)  (3)

The Mosfet drain voltage is the voltage across Capacitor C1, which is

With zero voltage condition at Mosfet turn on
Vs(2πD)=0  (6)
equation (5) becomes

Considering ideal components, the load output power is equal to the input power, i.e.
IddVdd=Im2R/2  (8)
so substituting Idd from (8) in (7), the load current amplitude is

Im=2⁢⁢V⁢⁢d⁢⁢d⁢⁢sin⁢⁢π⁢⁢D⁢⁢sin⁡(π⁢⁢D+φ)π⁢⁢D⁢⁢R(9)
and from (7) and (9) the power supply current is

The dc component across choke inductor L1is zero so,

And finally with Idd and Imfrom (10) and (9) respectively and with ωC1from (12), equation (5), the time (θ) dependent Mosfet drain voltage becomes:

Now, with

It is contemplated here that R3can be made variable (digital potentiometer) and thus an adaptive control can be implemented.

In reference toFIG. 1again—the primary power supply133can be a lithium-ion battery pack or another power source. ON/OFF switch124is used to turn the instrument on and off. The linear regulator (LDO)136provides the necessary low voltage power Vcc at line125for the logic circuits and the MCU. Preferably LDO output voltage Vcc is between 3 and 3.6 V. After the instrument is turned on via switch124the DC/DC converter101is connected to the primary input Power supply133via line123. Line122represents the output voltage of the DC/DC converter, Vdd. C8is the output filter capacitor of the converter. The instrument is also provided with a display119and an alarm module120. The latter can be a buzzer or a regular speaker. For one skilled in the art it is recognized that the power stage consisting of Mosfet transistor Q1, RF choke L1, capacitor C1, C2, and inductor L2represents a Class E amplifier with a complex load (detailed as blocks131or130) coupled directly or via transformer T1in node129. The load can be piezoelectric, resistive or magnetostrictive. For high power applications a stack consisting of piezoelectric rings can be used. Some manufactures of such rings are: Channel Industries (C8800 series for example), Morgan Matroc or APC. For magnetostrictive loads (terfenol) a typical manufacturer is ETREMA Inc. In this case the load will be mainly inductive and ref [4], [5] provide a way to carry out an inductive impedance inverter for Class E operation. The power stage preferably operates at a frequency near the series resonance of the piezoelectric element (marked fs in the waveform104block) where it can be reduced (simplified) to a parallel RC circuit. The closer to resonance frequency fs of the piezoelectric load, the more “pure resistive” the load. The drain voltage inFIG. 1represented in block111and calculated in formula (13) above can have a shape represented inFIG. 2,3,4or5depending on the load operating conditions. The operation of a class E amplifier under Class E circuit parameters variation is well known and has been described by Raab[7] and Kazimierczuk [2], [3], however the value of the drain voltage depending on the load phase angle, frequency, power supply voltage Vdd and duty cycle has not been directly calculated. A class E predictor [1] and drain voltage slope [2] have been used as ways to determine the distance from Class E operation. A new, fast feedback method has been implemented in the present description where the reaction time of the feedback loop due to load electrical impedance change is one Power Amplifier clock cycle. Also, a distance from Class E nominal operation is implemented in the form of digital timer content. It is contemplated that for one skilled in the art the present description can be extended to other industrial application some of which are (but not limited to) induction heating and cleaning it is contemplated that although block102was described as a “D flip-flop” external to the processor100, this could be integrated within the processor or an equivalent circuit could be used (for example an RST flip-flop) without departing from the scope of the present description. Similarly, alternatives to the Mosfet switch Q1are within the scope of the current description. Also, although the preferred embodiment presents an “analog” Duty cycle adjustment block117using a comparator and an integrator, a “digital” duty cycle adjustment (a Pulse Width Modulator PWM, or a digitally generated variable width pulse) is within the scope of the present description. Similarly, it is contemplated that the Class E DC/DC converter in the preferred embodiment inFIG. 1can be replaced with other known DC/DC converter topologies, for example, SEPIC, çuk without departing from the scope of the current description. Linear regulator136can also be a step-down (buck) DC/DC converter.