Methods of manufacturing jaw members of surgical forceps

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10098689-B2
Application number	US-201615052451-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 24, 2016
Priority date	Feb 24, 2016
Publication date	Oct 16, 2018
Grant date	Oct 16, 2018

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a jaw member of a surgical forceps includes forming a jaw frame having a distal jaw support. The method also includes forming an electrically-conductive defining an aperture having a first diameter, forming a stop member including a body having a second diameter smaller than the first diameter and a shoulder having a third diameter greater than the first diameter. The method also includes inserting the stop member into the aperture such that the body extends through the aperture and the shoulder abuts a portion of the electrically-conductive plate surrounding the aperture, and overmolding an outer housing about at least a portion of the jaw frame, electrically-conductive plate, and stop member to secure the jaw frame, electrically-conductive plate, and stop member to one another.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of manufacturing a jaw member of a surgical forceps, comprising:
forming a jaw frame of the jaw member, the jaw frame including a distal jaw support;
forming an electrically-conductive plate defining an aperture having a first diameter;
forming a stop member including a body having a second diameter smaller than the first diameter and a shoulder having a third diameter greater than the first diameter;
inserting the stop member into the aperture such that the body extends through the aperture and the shoulder abuts a portion of the electrically-conductive plate surrounding the aperture; and
overmolding an outer housing about at least a portion of the jaw frame, electrically-conductive plate, and stop member to secure the jaw frame, electrically-conductive plate, and stop member to one another to form the jaw member.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
positioning an insulative spacer on the distal jaw support.

3. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising:
positioning the electrically-conductive plate and the stop member located therein on the insulative spacer and the jaw frame.

4. The method according to claim 3 , further comprising:
forming an outer housing about a portion of the jaw frame, the insulative spacer, and the electrically-conductive plate such that the jaw frame, the insulative spacer, the electrically-conductive plate, and the stop member located therein are secured in an assembled condition.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein forming the electrically-conductive plate includes deforming the electrically-conductive plate to form a fill-aperture configured to locate a portion of the outer housing.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein forming the stop member includes forming a body portion of the stop member having a height such that the body portion of the stop member extends from a tissue-contacting surface of the electrically-conductive plate a distance of between about 0.001 inches and about 0.006 inches.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein forming the electrically-conductive plate includes deforming the electrically-conductive plate such that the electrically-conductive plate includes a thickness, wherein the difference between the height of the body portion of the stop member and the thickness of the electrically-conductive plate is between about 0.001 inches and about 0.006 inches.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein forming the electrically-conductive plate includes forming the electrically-conductive plate via stamping.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein positioning the insulative spacer on the distal jaw support includes overmolding the insulative spacer on the distal jaw support.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein forming the stop member includes forming the stop member from a heat-resistant ceramic, wherein the stop member is machined from a ceramic rod or slug.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein forming the stop member includes forming the stop member from a heat-resistant ceramic, wherein the stop member is injection molded.

Assignees

• Covidien Lp

Inventors

• Soni Purvish

Classifications

• A61B18/1442 Primary

  Probes having pivoting end effectors, e.g. forceps · CPC title

• A61B2017/00526

  Methods of manufacturing · CPC title

• A61B18/1445 Primary

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

• A61B2017/2936

  Pins in guiding slots · CPC title

• A61B2018/0063

  Sealing · CPC title