Rotation features for ultrasonic surgical instrument

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12295608-B2
Application number	US-202217831598-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 3, 2022
Priority date	Dec 17, 2013
Publication date	May 13, 2025
Grant date	May 13, 2025

Abstract

An apparatus includes a shaft assembly, an ultrasonic blade, and a clamp assembly. The shaft assembly includes an acoustic waveguide operable to transmit ultrasonic vibrations to the blade. The clamp assembly includes a clamp arm pivotable toward and away from the blade about a pivot axis, to clamp tissue between the clamp arm and the blade. A rotation feature may provide rotation of the blade relative to the clamp arm about the longitudinal axis of the waveguide. Alternatively, the rotation feature may provide rotation of the clamp arm relative to the blade about the longitudinal axis. The rotation feature may be driven based on pivotal positioning of the clamp arm relative to the blade about the pivot axis. The rotation feature may selectively lock and unlock the angular position of either the blade or the clamp arm about the longitudinal axis at any of a number of predetermined angular positions.

First claim

We claim:

1. A surgical instrument, comprising:
(a) a body assembly;
(b) a shaft assembly distally extending from the body assembly and including an acoustic waveguide;
(c) an ultrasonic blade distally extending from the shaft assembly and in acoustic communication with the acoustic waveguide;
(d) a clamp assembly including a clamp arm having a passageway surrounded by an interior surface extending therethrough; and
(e) a coupling assembly defining an axis and including a pin received within the passageway along the axis thereby operatively connecting the shaft assembly and the clamp arm, wherein a first portion of the pin is in contact with the interior surface, wherein a second portion of the pin and the interior surface define a gap therebetween, wherein the coupling assembly is configured to couple the clamp arm relative to the ultrasonic blade such that the clamp arm is configured to selectively move toward the ultrasonic blade from a first configuration through a second configuration toward a third configuration,
wherein the clamp arm is configured to pivot relative to the axis via the coupling assembly with selective movement from the first configuration toward the second configuration, and
wherein the clamp arm is configured to translate relative to the axis via the coupling assembly with selective movement from the second configuration toward the third configuration.

2. The surgical instrument of claim 1 , wherein the first configuration is an open configuration of the clamp arm and the ultrasonic blade configured to receive a tissue, and wherein the second configuration is at least a partially closed configuration of the clamp arm and the ultrasonic blade.

3. The surgical instrument of claim 2 , wherein the second configuration is a fully closed configuration of the clamp arm and the ultrasonic blade.

4. The surgical instrument of claim 1 , wherein selective movement from the second configuration toward the third configuration reduces the gap.

5. The surgical instrument of claim 1 , wherein the pin incudes a teardrop shaped surface, wherein the passageway includes a first circular surface, and wherein the teardrop shaped surface is received against the first circular surface.

6. The surgical instrument of claim 5 , wherein the pin further includes a second circular surface.

7. The surgical instrument of claim 1 , wherein the pin defines a first shape transverse to the axis, wherein the passageway defines a second shape transverse to the axis, and wherein the first shape is different than the second shape.

8. The surgical instrument of claim 1 , wherein the axis is transverse to the distally extending ultrasonic blade.

9. The surgical instrument of claim 1 , wherein the clamp arm is configured to pivot relative to the axis in a plane, wherein the clamp arm is configured to translate relative to the axis in the plane.

10. The surgical instrument of claim 9 , wherein the clamp arm is configured to translate relative to the axis in the plane linearly toward the ultrasonic blade from the second configuration toward the third configuration.

11. The surgical instrument of claim 10 , wherein the clamp arm is configured to move relative to the axis such that the clamp arm moves laterally from the plane relative to the ultrasonic blade from the second configuration toward the third configuration.

12. The surgical instrument of claim 1 , wherein the clamp arm is configured to translate relative to the axis linearly toward the ultrasonic blade from the second configuration toward the third configuration.

13. The surgical instrument of claim 1 , wherein at least a first portion of the pin has a teardrop shape.

14. The surgical instrument of claim 13 , wherein at least a second portion of the pin has a circular shape.

15. The surgical instrument of claim 14 , wherein the first portion is an end portion of the pin, and wherein the second portion is a central portion of the pin.

16. A method of compressing a tissue with a surgical instrument, the surgical instrument including (a) a body assembly; (b) a shaft assembly distally extending from the body assembly and including an acoustic waveguide; (c) an ultrasonic blade distally extending from the shaft assembly and in acoustic communication with the acoustic waveguide; (d) a clamp assembly including a clamp arm; and (e) a coupling assembly including a pin and defining an axis, wherein at least a first portion of the pin has a teardrop shape, wherein the coupling assembly is operatively connected to the shaft assembly and the clamp arm, wherein the coupling assembly is configured to couple the clamp arm relative to the ultrasonic blade such that the clamp arm is configured to selectively move toward the ultrasonic blade from a first configuration through a second configuration toward a third configuration, wherein the clamp arm is configured to pivot relative to the axis via the coupling assembly with selective movement from the first configuration toward the second configuration, and wherein the clamp arm is configured to translate relative to the axis via the coupling assembly with selective movement from the second configuration toward the third configuration, the method comprising:
(a) pivoting the clamp arm toward the ultrasonic blade to compress the tissue therebetween; and
(b) translating the clamp arm toward the ultrasonic blade to further compress the tissue therebetween.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising activating the ultrasonic blade after translating the clamp arm toward the ultrasonic blade.

18. A surgical instrument, comprising:
(a) a body assembly;
(b) a shaft assembly distally extending from the body assembly and including an acoustic waveguide;
(c) an ultrasonic blade distally extending from the shaft assembly and in acoustic communication with the acoustic waveguide;
(d) a clamp assembly including a clamp arm; and
(e) a coupling assembly including a pin and defining an axis, wherein at least a first portion of the pin has a teardrop shape, wherein the coupling assembly is operatively connected to the shaft assembly and the clamp arm, wherein the coupling assembly is configured to couple the clamp arm relative to the ultrasonic blade such that the clamp arm is configured to selectively move toward the ultrasonic blade from a first configuration through a second configuration toward a third configuration,
wherein the clamp arm is configured to pivot relative to the axis via the coupling assembly with selective movement from the first configuration toward the second configuration, and
wherein the clamp arm is configured to translate relative to the axis via the coupling assembly with selective movement from the second configuration toward the third configuration.

19. The surgical instrument of claim 18 , wherein at least a second portion of the pin has a circular shape.

20. The surgical instrument of claim 19 , wherein the first portion is an end portion of the pin, and wherein the second portion is a central portion of the pin.

Assignees

• Cilag Gmbh Int

Inventors

• Faller Craig N
• Debenedictis Elizabeth
• Kelly William D
• Lamping Michael R
• Dietz Timothy G
• Weizman Patrick A
• Gee Jacob S
• Schulte John B
• Muhlenkamp Tylor C
• Turner Douglas J
• Smith Eric B
• Conlon Sean P
• Timm Richard W
• Messerly Jeffrey D
• Bertke Brian D

Classifications

• A61B2017/320072

  Working tips with special features, e.g. extending parts · CPC title

• A61B2090/0811

  for the position of a particular part of an instrument with respect to the rest of the instrument, e.g. position of the anvil of a stapling instrument · CPC title

• A61B2017/320088

  with acoustic insulation, e.g. elements for damping vibrations between horn and surrounding sheath · CPC title

• A61B2017/2947

  Pivots · CPC title

• A61B2017/2929

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