Electrosurgical forceps

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10299853-B2
Application number	US-201615194291-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 27, 2016
Priority date	Feb 5, 2013
Publication date	May 28, 2019
Grant date	May 28, 2019

Abstract

An electrosurgical forceps includes a housing having a shaft extending distally therefrom. The shaft defines a longitudinal axis therethrough and a knife blade shaft is operably disposed within the shaft. An end effector is operably disposed at a distal end of the shaft. The end effector includes a pair of spaced-apart first and second jaw members that are movable from an open configuration to a clamping configuration. An electrode assembly includes first and second electrode housings and a knife blade. The first and second electrode housings are operably coupled to one another and are configured to selectively couple to respective first and second jaw members to electrosurgically treat tissue clamped between the first and second jaw members. The knife blade is configured to selectively couple to the knife blade shaft.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electrosurgical forceps, comprising:
a housing;
a knife blade shaft operably positioned within the housing;
a gear coupled to the knife blade shaft, such that the knife blade shaft is configured to rotate with rotation of the gear; and
a selector switch rotatably coupled to the housing and including a plurality of teeth operably coupled to the gear such that the gear rotates in response to rotation of the selector switch to rotate the knife blade shaft.

2. The electrosurgical forceps according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of teeth extend along an arcuate pathway.

3. The electrosurgical forceps according to claim 1 , wherein the housing defines a grooved area having an arcuate portion, the plurality of teeth extending through the arcuate portion of the grooved area.

4. The electrosurgical forceps according to claim 3 , further comprising a blade link having a portion movably received within the grooved area, the portion of the blade link configured to move within the grooved area between a first position, wherein the blade link is coupled to the knife blade shaft, and a second position, wherein the blade link is decoupled from the knife blade shaft.

5. The electrosurgical forceps according to claim 4 , wherein the grooved area includes a horizontal portion in communication with the arcuate portion and extends proximally from the arcuate portion, the portion of the blade link movable within the horizontal portion of the grooved area.

6. The electrosurgical forceps according to claim 5 , wherein the grooved area includes a vertical portion in communication with the horizontal portion of the grooved area, the portion of the blade link movable between the second position and a third position, wherein the portion of the blade link is disposed in the vertical portion of the grooved area and the blade link is in a raised position.

7. The electrosurgical forceps according to claim 4 , further comprising a trigger operably coupled to the blade link such that the blade link moves the knife blade shaft longitudinally relative to the housing in response to actuation of the trigger.

8. The electrosurgical forceps according to claim 1 , wherein the gear is a spur gear and is disposed at a proximal end of the housing.

9. The electrosurgical forceps according to claim 1 , further comprising a shaft extending distally from the housing and defining a longitudinal axis, wherein the knife blade shaft is rotatable about the longitudinal axis.

10. The electrosurgical forceps according to claim 9 , wherein the knife blade shaft has a distal end configured to selectively couple and decouple to a proximal end of a knife blade in response to rotation of the knife blade shaft about the longitudinal axis.

11. A method of disassembling an electrosurgical forceps, comprising:
moving, in a proximal direction, a portion of a blade link within a grooved area defined in a housing of an electrosurgical forceps to decouple the blade link from a knife blade shaft;
disengaging a selector switch from a gear, the gear coupled to the knife blade shaft, such that the knife blade shaft is configured to rotate with rotation of the gear, the selector switch configured to rotate the knife blade shaft in response to rotating the gear; and
removing the knife blade shaft from the housing.

12. The method according to claim 11 , further comprising:
sterilizing the knife blade shaft; and
reinstalling the knife blade shaft in the housing of the electrosurgical forceps.

13. The method according to claim 11 , further comprising moving the portion of the blade link in an upward direction within the grooved area prior to removing the knife blade shaft from the housing, wherein moving the portion of the blade link in an upward direction raises the blade link relative to the knife blade shaft.

14. The method according to claim 11 , wherein disengaging the selector switch from the gear includes removing the selector switch from an arcuate portion of the grooved area.

15. The method according to claim 11 , further comprising rotating the selector switch to rotate the knife blade shaft to a position in which a distal end of the knife blade shaft decouples from a proximal end of a knife blade.

Assignees

• Covidien Lp

Inventors

• Cunningham James S
• Evans Allan J
• Mueller Peter M
• White Nathan
• Schechter David A
• Evans Stephen

Classifications

• A61B2018/1495

  Electrodes being detachable from a support structure · CPC title

• A61B2018/1455

  having a moving blade for cutting tissue grasped by the jaws · CPC title

• A61B2018/00607

  Coagulation and cutting with the same instrument · CPC title

• A61B2017/00477

  Coupling (A61B2017/0046 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61B18/1442 Primary

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