Ultrasonic surgical instrument with transducer locking feature

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11712318-B2
Application number	US-202016779761-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 3, 2020
Priority date	Dec 14, 2016
Publication date	Aug 1, 2023
Grant date	Aug 1, 2023

Abstract

A surgical instrument includes a body, an ultrasonic transducer assembly, and a transducer lock having a lock member configured to move between unlocked and locked positions. The transducer assembly is rotatably mounted along a longitudinal axis within the body such that the transducer assembly is configured to selectively rotate about the longitudinal axis. With the lock member in the unlocked position, the transducer assembly is configured to be selectively rotated about the longitudinal axis relative to the body. With the lock member in the locked position, the transducer lock is configured to seize the transducer assembly and inhibit rotation relative to the housing for coupling with an acoustic waveguide. The surgical instrument may also include an integral torque wrench for coupling the acoustic waveguide with a predetermined torque and an integral torque indictor for signaling to a user that the acoustic waveguide is coupled with the predetermined torque.

First claim

We claim:

1. A surgical instrument, comprising:
(a) an ultrasonic transducer assembly including a first thread;
(b) a shaft assembly including a second thread such that the shaft assembly is configured to threadably couple with the ultrasonic transducer assembly via engagement of the first and second threads; and
(c) an integral torque indicator including first and second members positioned such that the first member is configured to engage the second member as the shaft assembly is threadably coupled with the ultrasonic transducer assembly with a predetermined amount of torque, and wherein the first and second members are configured to engage each other to thereby generate a signal indicative of the predetermined amount of torque for a user.

2. The surgical instrument of claim 1 , wherein the shaft assembly includes an acoustic waveguide.

3. The surgical instrument of claim 2 , wherein the second thread is provided on the acoustic waveguide.

4. The surgical instrument of claim 1 , wherein the first member is resilient relative to the second member.

5. The surgical instrument of claim 4 , wherein the first member is configured to be plucked by the second member when the first and second members engage each other to thereby generate the signal.

6. The surgical instrument of claim 5 , wherein the first member includes at least one fin member, wherein the second member includes at least one pick tab.

7. The surgical instrument of claim 6 , wherein the first member includes first and second fin members positioned relative to each other to define a space therebetween.

8. The surgical instrument of claim 1 , wherein the first member is positioned on the shaft assembly, wherein the second member is positioned on the ultrasonic transducer assembly.

9. The surgical instrument of claim 8 , wherein the first member extends from the shaft assembly.

10. The surgical instrument of claim 8 , wherein the second member extends from the ultrasonic transducer assembly.

11. The surgical instrument of claim 1 , wherein one of the ultrasonic transducer assembly and the shaft assembly includes a stud and the respective first or second thread is positioned on the stud, wherein the other of the ultrasonic transducer assembly and the shaft assembly includes a hole and the respective first or second thread is positioned in the hole.

12. The surgical instrument of claim 11 , wherein the stud terminates at a head, wherein the respective first or second member is positioned on the head.

13. The surgical instrument of claim 12 , wherein the respective first or second member positioned on the head extends radially outwardly relative to the respective first or second thread positioned on the stud.

14. The surgical instrument of claim 12 , further comprising a resilient stop positioned about an end of the stud adjacent to the head.

15. The surgical instrument of claim 1 , further comprising an instrument body having the ultrasonic transducer mounted therein, and wherein the ultrasonic transducer assembly is rotatably mounted along a longitudinal axis within the instrument body.

16. The surgical instrument of claim 15 , further comprising a transducer lock having a lock member configured to be selectively moved between an unlocked position and a locked position, wherein the ultrasonic transducer assembly is configured to be selectively rotated about the longitudinal axis relative to the instrument body with the lock member in the unlocked position, and wherein the transducer lock is configured to seize the ultrasonic transducer assembly with the lock member in the locked position to thereby selectively inhibit rotation of the ultrasonic transducer assembly about the longitudinal axis relative to the instrument body for rotatably coupling with the shaft assembly.

17. The surgical instrument of claim 16 , wherein the transducer lock further includes an arrester and an engagement feature, wherein the arrester is configured to selectively move between a disengaged position and an engaged position, wherein the engagement feature is connected to the ultrasonic transducer assembly and configured to be engaged by the arrester in the engaged position such that the engagement feature and the arrester cooperatively inhibit rotation of the ultrasonic transducer assembly about the longitudinal axis relative to the instrument body.

18. The surgical instrument of claim 1 , wherein the signal includes at least one of an audible signal and a tactile signal.

19. A surgical instrument, comprising:
(a) an ultrasonic transducer assembly including a first coupling member and a first torque indicating member; and
(b) a shaft assembly including a second coupling member and a second torque indicating member, wherein the shaft assembly is configured to couple with the ultrasonic transducer assembly via engagement of the first and second coupling members,
wherein the first torque indicating member is configured to engage the second torque indicating member as the shaft assembly is coupled with the ultrasonic transducer assembly with a predetermined amount of torque, and wherein the first and second torque indicating members are configured to engage each other to thereby generate a signal indicative of the predetermined amount of torque for a user.

20. A surgical instrument, comprising:
(a) an ultrasonic transducer assembly including a first coupling member and a first torque indicating member;
wherein the first coupling member is configured to engage a second coupling member of a shaft assembly to couple the shaft assembly with the ultrasonic transducer assembly, wherein the first torque indicating member is configured to engage a second torque indicating member of the shaft assembly as the shaft assembly is coupled with the ultrasonic transducer assembly with a predetermined amount of torque, and wherein the first torque indicating member is configured to engage the second torque indicating member to thereby generate a signal indicative of the predetermined amount of torque for a user.

Assignees

• Cilag Gmbh Int

Inventors

• Roberson Eric
• Danaher William D
• Leuck Stephen M
• Zhang Fajian
• Jackson Cody R

Classifications

• A61B2017/2929

  with a head rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the shaft · CPC title

• A61B2017/293

  with means preventing relative rotation between the shaft and the actuating rod · CPC title

• A61B2017/2946

  Locking means · CPC title

• A61B90/03 Primary

  Automatic limiting or abutting means, e.g. for safety · CPC title

• A61B17/320068 Primary

  using mechanical vibrations, e.g. ultrasonic (A61B17/22012 takes precedence; dental tooth drilling devices operated by vibration A61C3/03; removing intra-ocular material using mechanical vibrations A61F9/00745) · CPC title