BACKGROUND

Console-based surgical systems include a surgical console having surgical devices and control devices (e.g., footswitches or handswitches) connected thereto. The surgical devices can be controlled by the control devices through the console. Conventionally, such control devices are physically and directly connected to the console. For example, the control device may include a hard-wired cable and a connector that plugs into the console, thereby allowing the control device to control the surgical device. In such configurations, presence of the cable clutters the operating room or causes a tripping hazard. Moreover, cable management before, during and after any operation requires more time from healthcare personal.

Attempts have been made to control the surgical devices through the console using wireless communication between the control device and the console. Typically, such configurations require a manual and complex pairing process to exchange pairing data between the control device and the console. Such manual pairing requires much time and effort to initiate and execute. For example, identifying and selecting the corresponding device for pairing can be a burdensome process, particularly considering that many other wireless devices are present and discoverable in the local area. Human involvement is needed to select the specific device from all the available devices within range. Manual pairing requires manual entry of verification data for one or more of the devices. Once the device with a specific ID is found, the process may request various security specific data from the devices to authenticate before enabling pairing to exchange the data. Moreover, even if identified and selected, the devices may fail to pair because of technical difficulties associated with manual pairing. The typical manual and complex pairing process involved with wireless communication is not user-friendly and discourages healthcare professionals from using wireless communication between the control device and console.

In some instances, wireless devices may be hard-paired, such that one device is preconfigured to wirelessly communicate solely with a specified device, and vice-versa. One problem with such an approach relates to inventory. In large healthcare facilities, for example, surgical system devices are often mixed and matched, as required by demand in the facility. Hard-paired devices must remain together in inventory to provide utility. If one of the devices is separated and mixed with another system, both devices become inoperable.

Therefore, there remains a need in the art to address at least the aforementioned problems related to wireless communication between surgical consoles and control devices.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

One example surgical system is provided. The surgical system comprises a surgical console, a control device, and a dongle. The surgical console operates a surgical device and comprises a connection port. The control device communicates with the surgical console to remotely control the surgical device. The dongle physically couples to the connection port of the surgical console. The control device comprises a first communication device and a radio frequency (RF) reader and the dongle comprises a second communication device and a passive RF device. The RF reader receives the pairing information from the passive RF device in response to the passive RF device being within a threshold proximity of the RF reader. The first and second communication devices wirelessly connect based on the pairing information, enabling the control device to wirelessly communicate with the surgical console to remotely control the surgical device.

One potential implementation of a method of operating a surgical system is provided. The surgical system comprises a surgical console configured to operate a surgical device, the surgical console comprising a connection port. The surgical system also comprises a control device and a dongle. The control device communicates with the surgical console to remotely control the surgical device, the control device comprising a first communication device and an RF reader. The dongle comprises a second communication device and a passive RF device. The method of operating the surgical system includes a step of establishing a threshold proximity between the passive RF device of the dongle and RF reader of the control device; a step of receiving, with the RF reader of the control device, pairing information from the passive RF device of the dongle in response to the passive RF device and the RF reader being within the threshold proximity; a step of physically coupling the dongle to the connection port of the surgical console; a step of establishing a wireless connection between the first and second communication devices based on the pairing information; and a step of remotely and wirelessly controlling the surgical device with the control device using the wireless connection.

An example surgical system is provided. The surgical system comprises a surgical console, a control device, a first dongle, and a second dongle. The surgical console operates a surgical device and comprises a connection port. The control device communicates with the surgical console to remotely control the surgical device. The first dongle comprises a first communication device and a passive RF device and the second dongle includes a second communication device and an RF reader. One of the first and second dongles physically couples to the connection port of the surgical console and the other one of the first and second dongles physically couples to the connection port of the control device. The RF reader receives the pairing information from the passive RF device in response to the passive RF device being within a threshold proximity of the RF reader. The first and second communication devices wirelessly connect based on the pairing information, enabling the control device to wirelessly communicate with the surgical console to remotely control the surgical device.

One example dongle for a surgical system is provided. The surgical system comprises a surgical console configured to operate a surgical device, the surgical console comprising a connection port. The surgical system also comprises a control device configured to communicate with the surgical console to remotely control the surgical device, the control device comprising a communication device and an RF reader. The dongle comprises a coupling interface, a passive RF device and a communication device. The coupling interface physically couples the dongle to the connection port of the surgical console. The passive RF device is configured to transmit pairing information to the RF reader of the control device in response to the passive RF device being within a threshold proximity of the RF reader. The communication device of the dongle is configured to wirelessly connect to the communication device of the control device based on the pairing information to enable wireless communication between the control device and the surgical console to remotely control the surgical device.

One example communication system for a surgical system is provided. The surgical system comprises a surgical console and a control device. The surgical console operates a surgical device and comprises a connection port. The control device communicates with the surgical console to remotely control the surgical device and comprises a connection port. The communication system comprises a first dongle and a second dongle. The first dongle comprises a first coupling interface configured to physically couple to the connection port of one of the surgical console and the control device, an RF reader, and a first communication device. The second dongle comprises a second coupling interface, a passive RF device, and a second communication device. The second coupling interface is configured to physically couple to the connection port of the other one of the surgical console and the control device, which is not physically coupled to the first coupling interface. The passive RF device transmits pairing information to the RF reader of the first dongle in response to the passive RF device and the RF reader being within a threshold proximity to one another. The second communication device wirelessly connects to the first communication device of the first dongle based on the pairing information to thereby enable the control device to wirelessly communicate with the surgical console to remotely control the surgical device.

Advantages of the surgical systems, methods, dongles, and communication systems will be readily appreciated from the specification.

