Mechanical lockout for ultrasonic surgical instrument

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11051841-B2
Application number	US-201815951788-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 12, 2018
Priority date	Apr 12, 2018
Publication date	Jul 6, 2021
Grant date	Jul 6, 2021

Abstract

An ultrasonic surgical instrument that includes a handle assembly including at least one user input feature; an ultrasonic transducer supported by the handle assembly, a shaft assembly configured to removably couple with the handle assembly, and a mechanical lockout assembly. The shaft assembly includes a distal end portion. The shaft assembly further includes an end effector extending distally from the distal end portion, and an ultrasonic waveguide configured to be acoustically coupled with the ultrasonic transducer. The mechanical lockout assembly is configured to move between at least an unlocked configuration and a locked configuration. In the locked configuration, the handle assembly and the shaft assembly are only partially coupled together physically preventing the user from activating the instrument using the user input feature. In the unlocked configuration, the handle assembly and shaft assembly are completely coupled together enabling the user to activate the instrument using the user input feature.

First claim

We claim:

1. An ultrasonic surgical instrument, comprising:
(a) a handle assembly including at least one user input feature configured to selectively mechanically actuate from a first position to a second position to thereby activate the instrument in the second position;
(b) an ultrasonic transducer supported by the handle assembly, wherein the ultrasonic transducer is operatively connected to the at least one user input feature;
(c) a shaft assembly configured to removably couple with the handle assembly, wherein the shaft assembly includes a distal end portion, wherein the shaft assembly further includes:
(i) an end effector extending distally from the distal end portion, and
(ii) an ultrasonic waveguide configured to be acoustically coupled with the ultrasonic transducer; and

(d) a mechanical lockout assembly configured to move between at least an unlocked configuration and a locked configuration,
wherein in the locked configuration the mechanical lockout assembly prevents selective mechanical actuation of the at least one user input feature from the first position to the second position such that the handle assembly and the shaft assembly are only partially coupled together physically preventing the user from activating the instrument using the at least one user input feature, and
wherein in the unlocked configuration the mechanical lockout assembly allows selective mechanical actuation of the at least one user input feature from the first position to the second position such that the handle assembly and the shaft assembly are completely coupled together enabling the user to activate the instrument using the at least one user input feature.

2. The ultrasonic surgical instrument of claim 1 , wherein in the locked configuration, the mechanical lockout assembly prevents the at least one user input feature from activating at least one switch disposed in the handle assembly thereby preventing the user from activating the ultrasonic transducer.

3. The ultrasonic surgical instrument of claim 1 , wherein a spring pushes the mechanical lockout assembly to the locked configuration from the unlocked configuration when the shaft assembly is removed from the handle assembly.

4. The ultrasonic surgical instrument of claim 1 , wherein the at least one user input feature includes at least one energy control button separated by a passageway from a switch within the handle assembly, wherein the mechanical lockout assembly further includes a barrier that includes a body portion and at least one aperture that translates within the passageway between the locked configuration and the unlocked configuration, wherein in the locked configuration when the shaft assembly is not completely coupled with the handle assembly, the body portion is disposed within the passageway between the at least one energy control button and the switch preventing the switch from activating the instrument, and wherein in the unlocked configuration when the shaft assembly is completely coupled with the handle assembly, the at least one aperture is disposed within the passageway between the at least one energy control button and the switch enabling the switch to activate the instrument.

5. The ultrasonic surgical instrument of claim 4 , wherein the barrier includes a flexible member that is operatively coupled with the shaft assembly, wherein the flexible member is pushed into the passageway such that in the locked configuration the flexible member extends between the at least one energy control button and the switch.

6. The ultrasonic surgical instrument of claim 4 , wherein in the unlocked configuration, at least one of the at least one energy control button or the switch extends at least partially through the at least one aperture of the barrier and makes direct physical contact with the other of the at least one energy control button or the switch through the at least one aperture.

7. The ultrasonic surgical instrument of claim 4 , wherein the mechanical lockout assembly further includes an angled slide that is configured to be contacted by a projection of the shaft assembly, wherein the angled slide is configured to contact the barrier causing the mechanical lockout assembly to transition from the locked configuration to the unlocked configuration, and wherein in the locked configuration, the body portion of the barrier is disposed within the passageway between the at least one energy control button and the switch preventing the switch from activating the instrument.

8. An ultrasonic surgical instrument, comprising:
(a) a handle assembly including an energy control button that is separated by a passageway from a switch within the handle assembly;
(b) an ultrasonic transducer supported by the handle assembly;
(c) a shaft assembly configured to removably couple with the handle assembly, wherein the shaft assembly includes a distal end portion, wherein the shaft assembly further includes:
(i) an end effector extending distally from the distal end portion, and
(ii) an ultrasonic waveguide configured to be acoustically coupled with the ultrasonic transducer; and

(d) a barrier that includes a body portion and at least one aperture extending at least partially through the body portion, wherein the barrier translates within the passageway between a locked configuration and an unlocked configuration,
wherein in the locked configuration, the body portion is disposed within the passageway between the energy control button and the switch preventing the switch from activating the instrument, and
wherein in the unlocked configuration, the at least one aperture is disposed within the passageway between the energy control button and the switch, and at least one of the energy control button or the switch extends at least partially through the at least one aperture of the barrier and makes direct physical contact with the other of the energy control button or the switch through the at least one aperture enabling the switch to activate the instrument.

9. The ultrasonic surgical instrument of claim 8 , wherein a spring pushes the body portion of the barrier to the locked configuration from the unlocked configuration when the shaft assembly is removed from the handle assembly.

10. An ultrasonic surgical instrument, comprising:
(a) a handle assembly including a user input feature and a switch, wherein the switch is configured to be selectively actuated by the user input feature;
(b) an ultrasonic transducer supported by the handle assembly and operatively connected to the switch such that the switch is configured to activate the ultrasonic transducer;
(c) a shaft assembly configured to removably couple with the handle assembly, wherein the shaft assembly includes a distal end portion, wherein the shaft assembly further includes:
(i) an end effector extending distally from the distal end portion, and
(ii) an ultrasonic waveguide configured to be acoustically coupled with the ultrasonic transducer; and

(d) a mechanical lockout assembly including a barrier configured to move between at least an unlocked configuration and a locked configuration,
wherein in the locked configuration, the barrier is disposed in a first position to block movement of the user input feature thereby preventing the switch from activating the ultrasonic transducer, and
wherein in the unlocked configuration, the barrier is in a second position to enable movement of the user input feature thereby enabling the switch to activate the ultrasonic transducer.

11. The ultrasonic surgical instrument of claim 10 , wherein in the locked configuration, the handle assembly and the shaft assembly are only partially coupled together physically preventing the user from activating the

Assignees

• Ethicon Llc

Inventors

• Brady John E
• Cuti Alexander R
• Fiebig Kevin M
• Burkart Ellen
• Harris Demetrius N
• Kolpitcke Andrew
• Krumm Amy M
• Kuhn Matthew T
• Lesko Jason R
• Leuck Stephen M
• Lucas Guion Y
• Meyers Andrew S
• Otrembiak Candice
• Waters Grace E

Classifications

• A61B2018/00994

  combining two or more different kinds of non-mechanical energy or combining one or more non-mechanical energies with ultrasound · CPC title

• A61B2017/00473

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

• A61B2017/00477

  Coupling (A61B2017/0046 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61B18/1445

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

• A61B2017/320095

  with sealing or cauterizing means · CPC title