End effector apparatus for a surgical instrument

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10945748-B2
Application number	US-201615566525-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 29, 2016
Priority date	Apr 14, 2015
Publication date	Mar 16, 2021
Grant date	Mar 16, 2021

Abstract

An end effector apparatus for a surgical instrument is disclosed. The apparatus includes a first jaw mounted on a first revolute joint, the first jaw having a manipulating portion extending forwardly from the first revolute joint and a lever arm projecting rearwardly from the first revolute joint. The apparatus also includes a second jaw having a manipulating portion generally opposing the manipulating portion of the first jaw, and a coupler having an actuation end disposed overlapping the lever arm of the first jaw, the first and second jaws being laterally spaced apart to provide clearance for the actuation end of the coupler. The apparatus further includes a linkage extending rearwardly between the actuation end of the coupler and the lever arm of the first jaw, the linkage being operable to cause opening and closing movements of the first jaw about the first revolute joint in response to reciprocating movement of the coupler.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An end effector apparatus for a surgical instrument, the apparatus comprising:
a first jaw being mounted on a first revolute joint, the first jaw having:
a manipulating portion extending forwardly from the first revolute joint, and
a lever arm projecting rearwardly from the first revolute joint;

a second jaw being mounted on a second revolute joint, the second jaw having a manipulating portion generally opposing the manipulating portion of the first jaw;
a coupler having an actuation end disposed overlapping the lever arm of the first jaw, the first revolute joint and the second revolute joint being laterally spaced apart to provide a clearance for the actuation end of the coupler such that the clearance is configured to receive a distalmost end of the actuation end and
a first linkage extending rearwardly between the actuation end of the coupler and the lever arm of the first jaw, the first linkage being operable to cause opening and closing movements of the first jaw about the first revolute joint in response to reciprocating movement of the coupler, the first linkage being pivotally connected to the coupler by a first pivot pin and pivotally connected to the lever arm by a second pin, wherein a first linkage length is defined between the first pivot pin and the second pivot pin, and wherein a first arm length is defined between the first revolute joint and the second pivot pin,
wherein the first arm length and the first linkage length are selected such that:
the distalmost end of the actuation end is positioned distal to a proximal end of the first revolute joint and between the first revolute joint and the second revolute joint and is within the clearance when the end effector apparatus is in an open state; and
the distalmost end of the actuation end is positioned rearwardly of the first revolute joint and the clearance when the end effector apparatus is in a closed state.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the coupler is operably configured to cause an opening movement of the first jaw about the first revolute joint in response to forward movement of the actuation end of the coupler into the clearance between the first and second revolute joints and to cause a closing movement of the first jaw about the first revolute joint in response to rearward movement of the actuation end of the coupler.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the rearward movement of the actuation end of the coupler increases an angle between the first linkage and the coupler causing a corresponding increase in a component of force transmitted through the first linkage for closing the first jaw providing increased leverage for maintaining the first jaw in a closed position.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the second jaw the second jaw has a lever arm projecting rearwardly from the second revolute joint, and wherein the apparatus further comprises:
a second linkage extending rearwardly between the actuation end of the coupler and the lever arm of the second jaw, the second linkage being operable to cause opening and closing movements of the second jaw about the second revolute joint in response to reciprocating movement of the actuation end of the coupler.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the actuating end of the coupler comprises an opening for receiving the first pivot pin and a second pivot pin for pivotally mounting to each of the first and second linkages.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein each of the lever arms associated with the first and second jaws comprises an opening for receiving the first pivot pin and a second pivot pin for pivotally connecting the respective linkages to the respective lever arms.

7. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the coupler has an interface for receiving a control link, the control link being actuated by the surgical instrument for causing movement of the coupler.

8. The apparatus of claim 4 further comprising a housing operable to support the first and second revolute joints.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the first revolute joint comprises a first revolute pivot pin and the second revolute joint comprises a second revolute pivot pin, the first and second revolute pivot pins supported within the housing and extending through an opening in the respective first and second jaws.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the housing comprises an interface for removably mounting the end effector to a distal end of the surgical instrument.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein each of the first and second revolute pivot pins is supported between a pair of electrically insulating bushings received in respective openings disposed on either side of the first jaw, the electrically insulated bushings being operable to electrically isolate the respective jaws from the housing.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein each of the first and second jaws further comprise an electrical connection for connecting to respective electrical conductors associated with the surgical instrument, the electrical conductors being operable to supply an electrical current through the respective jaws.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least one of the manipulating portion of the first jaw and the manipulating portion of the second jaw comprises:
a cutting edge oriented toward the manipulating portion of the other of the first and second jaws for cutting tissue;
a gripping surface oriented toward the manipulating portion of the other of the first and second jaws for grasping; and
a retractor surface oriented away from the manipulating portion of the other of the first and second jaws for manipulating a retractable clamp.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a housing surrounding at least the first revolute joint, wherein the first revolute joint comprises a revolute pivot pin supported within the housing and extending through an opening in the first jaw.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the housing comprises an interface for removably mounting the end effector to a distal end of the surgical instrument.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the revolute pivot pin is supported between a pair of electrically insulating bushings received in respective openings disposed on either side of the first jaw, the electrically insulated bushings being operable to electrically isolate the first jaw from the housing.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the first jaw further comprises an electrical connection for connecting to an electrical conductor associated with the surgical instrument, the electrical conductor for supplying an electrical current to the first jaw.

18. A method for actuating an end effector for a surgical instrument, the end effector including a first jaw being mounted on a first revolute joint, the first jaw having a manipulating portion extending forwardly from the first revolute joint and a lever arm projecting rearwardly from the first revolute joint, a second jaw being mounted on a second revolute joint and having a manipulating portion generally opposing the manipulating portion of the first jaw, the method comprising:
causing reciprocating movement of a coupler having an actuation end disposed overlapping the lever arm of the first jaw, the first revolute joint and the second revolute joint being laterally spaced apart to provide a clearance for the actuation end of the coupler such that the clearance is configured to receive a distalmost end of the actuation end,
transmitting reciprocating movements of the coupler through a linkage extending rearwardly between the actuation end of the coupler a

Assignees

• Titan Med Inc

Inventors

• Robert Rene

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

• A61B17/062

  Needle manipulators · CPC title

• A61B2017/00473

  Distal part, e.g. tip or head (A61B2017/00464 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61B34/30

  Surgical robots · CPC title

• A61B17/29 Primary

  Forceps for use in minimally invasive surgery · CPC title