Electrosurgical tool cover

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10039594-B2
Application number	US-201514833955-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 24, 2015
Priority date	Jul 9, 2010
Publication date	Aug 7, 2018
Grant date	Aug 7, 2018

Abstract

A cover for an electrosurgical instrument having a wrist structure and an end effector is provided. The cover includes a hollow elongated structure, which includes a tip cover portion and a base cover portion integrally connected to the tip cover portion. The tip cover portion has a distal end with an opening therethrough sized to receive the end effector of the electrosurgical instrument and is composed of a first, electrically insulative material having a flexibility sufficient to allow the end effector to be manipulated while the end effector is received in the opening. The base cover portion is composed of a second material having a higher tear strength than the first material. The tip cover portion and the base cover portion overlap at an overlap region configured to receive the wrist structure of the electrosurgical instrument when the end effector is received in the opening.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electrosurgical instrument system comprising:
an electrosurgical instrument comprising a shaft, a wrist structure coupled to a distal end of the shaft, and an end effector coupled to the wrist structure; and
a cover having a hollow elongated structure configured to be placed around at least the wrist structure, the cover comprising:
a tip cover portion having a distal end with an opening therethrough sized to receive the end effector of the electrosurgical instrument, the tip cover portion being composed of a first material having a flexibility sufficient to allow the end effector to be manipulated while the end effector is received in the opening, the first material being electrically insulative; and
a base cover portion integrally connected to the tip cover portion, the base cover portion being composed of a second material having a higher tear strength than the first material;
wherein the tip cover portion surrounds the base cover portion at an overlap region configured to receive the wrist structure of the electrosurgical instrument when the end effector is received in the opening.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the second material has a higher tensile strength than the first material.

3. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the base cover portion has a first part surrounded by the tip cover portion to form the overlap region and a second part extending from the first part in a direction away from the tip cover portion.

4. The system according to claim 3 , wherein the tip cover portion does not surround the second part of the base cover portion.

5. The system according to claim 3 , wherein the second part of the base cover portion has an outer diameter that tapers in a direction away from a distal end of the base cover portion, the outer diameter of a proximal end of the second part providing a smooth transition with the outer diameter of the shaft at a location where the proximal end of the second part of the base cover portion is disposed along the shaft when the end effector is received in the opening.

6. The system according to claim 3 , wherein the first part of the base cover portion is tapered along at least some of a length of the first part.

7. The system according to claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the first material and a thickness of the second material vary along at least part of a length of the overlap region.

8. The system according to claim 7 , wherein the thickness of the first material decreases along at least part of the overlap region in a direction away from the distal end of the tip cover portion.

9. The system according to claim 7 , wherein the thickness of the second material increases along at least part of the overlap region in a direction away from the distal end of the tip cover portion.

10. The system according to claim 1 , wherein an interface of the first material and the second material at a distal end portion of the overlap region is disposed at a nonorthogonal angle with respect to a longitudinal axis of the hollow elongated structure.

11. The system according to claim 1 , wherein part of the tip cover portion including the distal end does not surround the base cover portion, the part of the tip cover portion that does not surround the base cover portion having a wall thickness larger than a wall thickness of the overlap region.

12. The system according to claim 2 , wherein the first material is silicone and the second material is a thermoplastic.

13. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the base cover portion includes at least one protrusion extending inwardly from an inner wall of the base cover portion, the at least one protrusion being configured to engage with the shaft to retain the cover on the electrosurgical instrument.

14. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the hollow elongated structure has an outer surface that reflects light emanating from proximal to the cover in a direction away from the base cover portion and toward the tip cover portion.

15. An electrosurgical instrument system, comprising:
an electrosurgical instrument comprising a shaft, a wrist structure coupled to a distal end of the shaft, and an end effector coupled to the wrist structure; and
a cover having a hollow elongated composite material structure configured to be placed around at least the wrist structure, the hollow elongated composite material structure comprising:
an end with an opening therethrough sized to receive the end effector;
a first distal region comprising the end with the opening, the first distal region being composed of a first material having a flexibility sufficient to allow the end effector of the electrosurgical instrument to be manipulated while the end effector is received in the opening, the first material being electrically insulative;
a second proximal region composed of a second material having a higher tear strength than the first material; and
a transition region in which the first material surrounds the second material, the transition region being disposed between the first distal region and the second proximal region.

16. The system according to claim 15 , wherein the second material has a higher tensile strength than the first material.

17. An electrosurgical instrument system, comprising:
an electrosurgical instrument comprising a shaft, a wrist structure coupled to a distal end of the shaft, and an end effector coupled to the wrist structure; and
a cover comprising a hollow elongated structure configured to be placed around at least the wrist structure, the cover comprising:
a tip cover portion having a distal end with an opening therethrough sized to receive the end effector of the electrosurgical instrument, the tip cover portion being composed of a first material having a flexibility sufficient to allow the end effector to be manipulated while the end effector is received in the opening, the first material being electrically insulative; and
a base cover portion integrally connected to the tip cover portion, the base cover portion being composed of a second material having a higher tensile strength than the first material;
wherein the tip cover portion surrounds the base cover portion at an overlap region configured to receive the wrist structure of the electrosurgical instrument when the end effector is received in the opening.

18. The system according to claim 17 , wherein a ratio of the tensile strength of the second material to the tensile strength of the first material is at least 2:1.

19. A method comprising:
positioning a cover over a portion of an electrosurgical surgical instrument comprising a shaft, a wrist structure coupled to a distal end of the shaft, and an end effector coupled to the wrist structure, the positioning including surrounding with the cover a distal end portion of the shaft and the wrist structure, wherein:
the cover has a hollow elongated structure comprising:
an end with an opening therethrough sized to receive the end effector;
a first distal region comprising the end with the opening, the first distal region being composed of a first material having a flexibility sufficient to allow an end effector of the electrosurgical instrument to be manipulated while the end effector is received in the opening, the first material being electrically insulative;
a second proximal region composed of a second material having a higher tear strength than the first material; and
a transition region in which the first material surrounds the second material, the transition region being disposed betw

Assignees

• Intuitive Surgical Operations

Inventors

• Krom Justin
• Gong Kenneth L
• Gresham Richard D
• Manzo Scott E
• Orban Iii Joseph P

Classifications

• A61B18/1445 Primary

  at the distal end of a shaft, e.g. forceps or scissors at the end of a rigid rod · CPC title

• A61B90/04

  Protection of tissue around surgical sites against effects of non-mechanical surgery, e.g. laser surgery (protection of eyes against laser radiation A61F9/022) · CPC title

• A61B2018/00083

  low, i.e. electrically insulating · CPC title

• A61B2090/0436

  Shielding · CPC title

• A61B34/30

  Surgical robots · CPC title