Seals and sealing methods for a surgical instrument having an articulated end effector actuated by a drive shaft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11098803-B2
Application number	US-201916263996-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 31, 2019
Priority date	Feb 15, 2011
Publication date	Aug 24, 2021
Grant date	Aug 24, 2021

Abstract

Sealing assemblies and methods are disclosed for sealing a surgical instrument having an internal drive shaft subject to lateral displacement. A sealing assembly includes a rigid portion shaped to interface with an instrument shaft of the surgical instrument. A laterally oriented slot is open at a radially perimeter location and configured to receive an o-ring seal via the perimeter location. Apertures are disposed on opposing sides of the slot and open to the slot. The apertures are configured to receive the drive shaft there through and are larger than the drive shaft to accommodate lateral displacement of the drive shaft. The slot includes opposing internal sides spaced to interface with opposed axial surfaces of the o-ring seal. The seal inhibits axial transmission of an insufflated gas and/or bodily fluids while accommodating lateral displacement of the drive shaft.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A seal for a minimally-invasive surgical instrument having an internal drive shaft, the seal comprising:
a first O-ring seal;
a substantially rigid portion having an outer perimeter shaped to interface with an instrument shaft of the surgical instrument, the instrument shaft defining a shaft axis and the rigid portion is configured to receive an internal drive shaft mounted axially there through for rotation within the instrument shaft; and
a first slot oriented laterally to the shaft axis and first and second apertures configured to receive the internal drive shaft axially there through, the first and second apertures disposed on opposing sides of the first slot and opening to the first slot, the first slot forming a first opening at a first perimeter location of the seal and configured to receive the first O-ring seal via the first perimeter opening, the first slot having opposing internal sides oriented laterally to the shaft axis and spaced to simultaneously interface with opposed axial surfaces of the first O-ring seal, the first and second apertures being larger than the internal drive shaft passing through the first and second apertures, respectively, so as to accommodate lateral displacement of the internal drive shaft relative to the instrument shaft while the internal drive shaft rotates and the first O-ring seal inhibits axial transmission of at least one of an insufflated gas or bodily fluids within the instrument shaft.

2. The seal of claim 1 , wherein the first O-ring seal has a cross-sectional radius of sufficient magnitude so as to accommodate a range of lateral displacement of the internal drive shaft relative to the instrument shaft without having any portion of the opposed axial surfaces of the first O-ring seal move out of contact with the opposing internal sides of the first slot.

3. The seal of claim 1 , wherein the seal comprises a molded portion attached to the rigid portion and including the first slot.

4. The seal of claim 3 , wherein molded portion comprises a fluoropolymer.

5. The seal of claim 4 , wherein the molded portion consists essentially of the fluoropolymer.

6. The seal of claim 3 , further comprising a second O-ring seal, and wherein:
the rigid portion is configured to receive a second internal drive shaft mounted for rotation within the instrument shaft;
the seal includes a second slot oriented laterally to the shaft axis and includes third and fourth apertures disposed on opposing sides of the second slot and opening to the second slot, the second slot forming a second opening at a second perimeter location of the seal and configured to receive the second O-ring seal via the second perimeter opening, the second slot having opposing internal sides oriented laterally to the shaft axis and spaced to simultaneously interface with opposed axial surfaces of the second O-ring seal; and
the third and fourth apertures are larger than the second internal drive shaft passing through the third and fourth apertures, respectively, so as to accommodate lateral displacement of the second internal drive shaft relative to the instrument shaft while the second internal drive shaft rotates and the second O-ring seal inhibits axial transmission of at least one of an insufflated gas or bodily fluids within the instrument shaft.

7. The seal of claim 6 , further comprising a cable or rod routed within the instrument shaft, and wherein:
the rigid portion includes one or more apertures, each of which is configured to guide the cable or rod; and
the seal includes a molded portion attached to the rigid portion and including the first and second slots, the molded portion includes corresponding one or more additional apertures, each of which is undersized relative to the cable or rod to provide an interference fit seal for the cable or rod.

8. The seal of claim 3 , further comprising a cable or rod routed within the instrument shaft, and wherein:
the rigid portion includes one or more apertures, each of which is configured to guide the cable or rod; and
the molded portion includes corresponding one or more additional apertures, each of which is undersized relative to the cable or rod to provide an interference fit seal for the cable or rod.

9. The seal of claim 1 , wherein the rigid portion is configured to splice first and second segments of the instrument shaft.

10. The seal of claim 9 , wherein the rigid portion comprises distal and proximal radially peripheral portions that interface with and align the spliced first and second segments of the instrument shaft.

Assignees

• Intuitive Surgical Operations

Inventors

• Duque Grant
• Murphy Todd
• Burbank William
• Dachs Ii Gregory W

Classifications

• A61B34/30 Primary

  Surgical robots · CPC title

• A61B2034/305

  Details of wrist mechanisms at distal ends of robotic arms · CPC title

• A61B2050/0066

  with additional sealing means, e.g. O-ring · CPC title

• A61B2017/3419

  Sealing means between cannula and body · CPC title

• A61B17/3421

  Cannulas · CPC title