Passive dissection features for ultrasonic surgical instrument

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10543013-B2
Application number	US-201615158769-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 19, 2016
Priority date	May 19, 2016
Publication date	Jan 28, 2020
Grant date	Jan 28, 2020

Abstract

An apparatus for operating on tissue includes a body assembly, a shaft, an acoustic waveguide, and an end effector. The end effector includes an ultrasonic blade, a clamp arm, and a blade guard. The ultrasonic blade is in acoustic communication with the waveguide. The clamp arm is configured to pivot toward and away from the ultrasonic blade. The clamp arm has a first tine. The blade guard extends from the shaft. The blade guard has a longitudinally extending arm defining a concave pathway and a second tine located distal to the longitudinally extending arm. The ultrasonic blade is partially housed within the concave pathway. The first tine and the second tine are configured to grasp tissue when the clamp arm pivots toward the ultrasonic blade.

First claim

I claim:

1. An apparatus for operating on tissue, the apparatus comprising:
(a) a body assembly;
(b) a shaft extending distally from the body assembly;
(c) an acoustic waveguide; and
(d) an end effector comprising:
(i) an ultrasonic blade in acoustic communication with the waveguide,
(ii) a clamp arm configured to pivot toward and away from the ultrasonic blade, wherein the clamp arm comprises a first tine, and
(iii) a blade guard extending from the shaft, wherein the blade guard comprises a longitudinally extending arm defining a concave pathway and a second tine located distal to the longitudinally extending arm; wherein the second tine has a gasping surface extending along an upper plane, wherein the ultrasonic blade is partially housed within the concave pathway such that the blade guard is transversely above the ultrasonic blade and the ultrasonic blade is transversely between the blade guard and the clamp arm, wherein the first tine and the second tine are configured to grasp tissue when the clamp arm pivots toward the ultrasonic blade, wherein at least a portion of the ultrasonic blade is positioned transversely below the upper plane of the second tine toward the clamp arm.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the ultrasonic blade defines a longitudinal axis, wherein the first tine and the second tine extend transversely relative to the longitudinal axis.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the clamp arm further comprises a clamp pad facing the ultrasonic blade.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the first tine has another grasping surface extending along a lower plane, and wherein the clamp pad is positioned transversely below the lower plane of the first tine away from the ultrasonic blade.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the longitudinally extending arm is unitarily formed with the blade guard.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the clamp arm is configured to pivot toward the ultrasonic blade from an open configuration to a first closed configuration, wherein the first tine and the second tine are configured to grasp tissue in the first closed configuration, wherein the clamp arm is configured to pivot further toward the ultrasonic blade from the first closed configuration to a second closed configuration, wherein the ultrasonic blade is configured to cut tissue in the second closed configuration.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the blade guard is configured to flex when the clamp arm transitions from the first closed configuration to the second closed configuration.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the second tine is configured to flex relative to the longitudinally extending arm when the clamp arm transitions from the first closed configuration to the second closed configuration.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the longitudinally extending arm is configured to flex relative to the shaft when the clamp arm transitions from the first closed configuration to the second closed configuration.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the concave pathway is dimensioned to prevent contact between the blade guard and the ultrasonic blade when the clamp arm is in the second closed configuration.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the ultrasonic blade defines a longitudinal axis, wherein the longitudinally extending arm is configured to flex along the longitudinal axis when the clamp arm transitions from the first closed configuration to the second closed configuration.

12. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the safety switch is configured to selectively allow activation of the ultrasonic blade when the clamp arm is in the second closed configuration.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second tine has a distal tine end that defines a distal opening in longitudinal alignment with the ultrasonic blade, wherein the ultrasonic blade extends longitudinally past the distal tine end of the second tine from the concave pathway through the distal opening.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the clamp arm is unitarily connected to a shank, wherein the shank is pivotally coupled to the shaft via a pin.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the clamp arm is configured to pivot toward the ultrasonic blade from an open configuration to a first closed configuration, wherein the ultrasonic blade is configured to cut tissue in the first closed configuration, wherein the clamp arm is configured to pivot toward the ultrasonic blade from the first closed configuration to a second closed configuration, wherein the first tine and the second tine are configured to grasp tissue in the second closed configuration.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the ultrasonic blade is configured to flex when the clamp arm pivots from the first closed configuration to the second closed configuration.

17. An apparatus for operating on tissue, the apparatus comprising:
(a) a body assembly;
(b) a shaft extending distally from the body assembly;
(c) an acoustic waveguide; and
(d) an end effector comprising:
(i) an ultrasonic blade in acoustic communication with the waveguide,
(ii) a clamp arm comprising a first distal end and a clamp pad, wherein the clamp arm is configured to pivot toward and away the ultrasonic blade, wherein the clamp pad faces the ultrasonic blade,
(iii) a blade guard extending from the shaft, wherein the blade guard comprises a second distal end, wherein the blade guard partially houses the ultrasonic blade,
(v) a first tine attached to the first distal end of the clamp arm, wherein the first tine extends transversely relative to a longitudinal axis defined by the clamp arm, and
(iv) a second tine attached to the second distal end of the blade guard, wherein the second tine extends transversely relative to a longitudinal axis defined by the blade guard; wherein the first tine and the second tine are configured to grasp tissue when the clamp arm pivots toward the ultrasonic blade, wherein the second tine has a distal tine end that defines a distal opening in longitudinal alignment with the ultrasonic blade, wherein the ultrasonic blade extends longitudinally past the distal tine end of the second tine from the concave pathway through the distal opening.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the blade guard is configured to flex in response to the clamp arm pivoting toward the ultrasonic blade.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the second tine is configured to flex relative to the blade guard in response to the clamp arm pivoting toward the ultrasonic blade.

20. An apparatus for operating on tissue, the apparatus comprising:
(a) a body assembly;
(b) a shaft extending distally from the body assembly;
(c) an acoustic waveguide comprising a first side and a second side, wherein the first side is opposite the second side; and
(d) an end effector comprising:
(i) an ultrasonic blade in acoustic communication with the waveguide,
(ii) a first clamp arm configured to pivot toward and away from the first side of the ultrasonic blade, wherein the clamp arm comprises a first tine, and
(iii) a second clamp arm configured to pivot toward and away from the second side of the ultrasonic blade, wherein the second clamp arm comprises a second tine; wherein the first clamp arm and the second clamp arm pivot relative to each other, wherein the first tine and the second tine are configured to grasp tissue when the first clamp arm pivots toward the first side of the ultrasonic blade and the second clamp arm pivots toward the second side of the ultrasonic blade.

Assignees

• Ethicon Endo Surgery Llc
• Ethicon Llc

Inventors

• Houser Kevin L

Classifications

• A61B2017/320095

  with sealing or cauterizing means · CPC title

• A61B17/320092 Primary

  with additional movable means for clamping or cutting tissue, e.g. with a pivoting jaw · CPC title

• A61B2017/320094

  additional movable means performing clamping operation · CPC title

• A61B2017/2829

  with a removable cover · CPC title

• A61B2090/08021

  of the patient or his organs · CPC title