Electrical lockout for ultrasonic surgical instrument

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11076881-B2
Application number	US-201815951747-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 12, 2018
Priority date	Apr 12, 2018
Publication date	Aug 3, 2021
Grant date	Aug 3, 2021

Abstract

An ultrasonic surgical instrument and method of assembly with a predetermined alignment includes first and second modular assemblies and an electrical lockout. The first modular assembly includes at least a portion of an end effector configured to manipulate a tissue. The second modular assembly includes a transducer power circuit and an activation switch electrically connected to the transducer power circuit. The electrical lockout is electrically connected to the transducer power circuit and configured to inhibit the activation switch from powering the ultrasonic transducer with the first and second modular assemblies misaligned from the predetermined alignment such that the first and second modular assemblies are in a locked-out state. The electrical lockout is further configured to allow the activation switch to power the ultrasonic transducer with the first and second modular assemblies in the predetermined alignment such that the first and second modular assemblies are in an operational state.

First claim

We claim:

1. An ultrasonic surgical instrument, comprising:
(a) a first modular assembly, including:
(i) at least a portion of an end effector configured to manipulate a tissue;

(b) a second modular assembly configured to mechanically couple with the first modular assembly at a mechanical coupling in a predetermined alignment relative to each other such that the first and second modular assemblies are radially fixed relative to each other at the mechanical coupling, wherein the second modular assembly includes:
(i) a body assembly configured to support an ultrasonic transducer,
(ii) a transducer power circuit configured to electrically connect to the ultrasonic transducer and a generator, and
(iii) an activation switch electrically connected to the transducer power circuit, wherein the activation switch is configured to selectively power the ultrasonic transducer by directing electrical power from the generator to the ultrasonic transducer with the first and second modular assemblies in the predetermined alignment; and

(c) an electrical lockout electrically connected to the transducer power circuit,
wherein the electrical lockout is configured to inhibit the activation switch from powering the ultrasonic transducer with the first and second modular assemblies misaligned from the predetermined alignment such that the first and second modular assemblies are in a locked-out state, and
wherein the electrical lockout is further configured to allow the activation switch to power the ultrasonic transducer with the first and second modular assemblies in the predetermined alignment such that the first and second modular assemblies are in an operational state,
wherein the electrical lockout further includes a first lockout portion positioned on the first modular assembly and a second lockout portion electrically connected to the transducer power circuit and positioned on the body, wherein the second lockout portion is not electrically connected to the first lockout portion in the locked-out state and thereby configured to inhibit the transducer power circuit from powering the ultrasonic transducer in the locked-out state, and wherein the first and second lockout portion in the predetermined alignment are electrically connected in the operational state and collectively configured to allow the activation switch to power the ultrasonic transducer in the operational state.

2. The ultrasonic surgical instrument of claim 1 , wherein the first modular assembly further includes a shaft assembly, wherein the shaft assembly includes an acoustic waveguide extending therealong and the at least the portion of the end effector projecting distally therefrom, and wherein the at least the portion of the end effector further includes an ultrasonic blade extending from the acoustic waveguide.

3. The ultrasonic surgical instrument of claim 2 , wherein the at least the portion of the end effector further includes a clamp arm assembly movably connected relative to the ultrasonic blade and configured to compress the tissue against the ultrasonic blade.

4. The ultrasonic surgical instrument of claim 1 , wherein the second modular assembly further includes an acoustic waveguide extending to an ultrasonic blade, wherein the at least the portion of the end effector of the first modular assembly further includes a clamp arm assembly, wherein the clamp arm assembly is configured to be movably connected relative to the ultrasonic blade to compress the tissue against the ultrasonic blade.

5. The ultrasonic surgical instrument of claim 1 , wherein the body assembly of the second modular assembly further includes an ultrasonic transducer supported therein.

6. The ultrasonic surgical instrument of claim 1 , wherein the electrical lockout further includes a first lockout portion positioned on the first modular assembly and a second lockout portion electrically connected to the transducer power circuit and positioned on the body, wherein the second lockout portion is configured to inhibit the transducer power circuit from powering the ultrasonic transducer in the locked-out state, and wherein the first and second lockout portion in the predetermined alignment are collectively configured to allow the activation switch to power the ultrasonic transducer in the operational state.

7. The ultrasonic surgical instrument of claim 6 , wherein the first lockout portion includes a first electrical shunt, wherein the second lockout portion includes a first pair of electrical contacts, wherein the first pair of electrical contacts define a first electrical gap in the locked-out state to inhibit electrical flow between the first pair of electrical contacts, wherein the first electrical shunt in the predetermined alignment electrically connects the first pair of electrical contacts for the operational state.

8. The ultrasonic surgical instrument of claim 7 , wherein the first lockout portion includes a second electrical shunt, wherein the second lockout portion includes a second pair of electrical contacts, wherein the second pair of electrical contacts defines a second electrical gap in the locked-out state to inhibit electrical flow between the second pair of electrical contacts, wherein the second electrical shunt in the predetermined alignment electrically connects the second pair of electrical contacts for the operational state.

9. The surgical instrument of claim 6 , wherein the first lockout portion includes a first metallic member, wherein the second lockout portion includes a second metallic member, wherein the first metallic member and the second metallic member in the predetermined alignment collectively define an electrical capacitor, and wherein the electrical capacitor is configured to generate a capacitance in the predetermined alignment for the operational state.

10. The surgical instrument of claim 6 wherein the first lockout portion includes a first metallic member, wherein the second lockout portion includes an electrical coil, wherein the electrical coil receives the metallic member in the predetermined alignment to collectively define an electrical inductor, wherein the electrical inductor is configured to generator an inductance in the predetermined alignment for the operational state.

11. The surgical instrument of claim 6 , wherein the first lockout portion includes a reflective surface, wherein the second lockout portion includes an infrared light source and an infrared receiver, wherein the infrared light source is configured to direct infrared light to reflect from the reflective surface and into the infrared receiver in the predetermined alignment for the operational state.

12. The surgical instrument of claim 6 , wherein the first lockout portion includes a ramp surface, wherein the second lockout portion includes a movable member connected to a potentiometer, wherein the movable member is configured to be moved by the ramp surface from a disconnected position, through an intermediate position, and to a connected position as the first modular assembly is being mechanically connected to the second modular assembly with the predetermined alignment, wherein the movable member in the disconnected position directs the potentiometer to generate a disconnected voltage for indicating that the first modular assembly is completely disconnected from the second modular assembly and in the locked-out state, wherein the movable member in the intermediate position directs the potentiometer to generate an intermediate voltage for indicating that the first modular assembly is partially connected to the second modular assembly and in the locked-out state, and wherein the movable member in the connected position directs the potentiom

Assignees

• Ethicon Llc
• Cilag Gmbh Int

Inventors

• Asher Ryan M
• Black Brian D
• Brady John E
• Cuti Alexander R
• Harris Demetrius N
• Draginoff Jr Carl J
• Burkart Ellen
• Giannotti Geni M
• Kolpitcke Andrew
• Krumm Amy M
• Kuhn Matthew T
• Leuck Stephen M
• Mclain Cameron D
• Nicolaescu Ion V
• Otrembiak Candice
• Sawhney Amrita S
• Voegele Aaron C
• Waters Grace E
• Zhang Fajian

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

• A61B2018/0063

  Sealing · CPC title

• A61B17/320092 Primary

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

• A61B2017/00424

  ergonomic, e.g. fitting in fist · CPC title

• A61B2017/320094

  additional movable means performing clamping operation · CPC title