Ultrasonic end effectors with increased active length

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016338726-A1
Application number	US-201615227587-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 3, 2016
Priority date	Jul 27, 2007
Publication date	Nov 24, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An end effector includes a first portion having a first specific acoustic impedance value, and a second portion having a second specific acoustic impedance value less than the first specific acoustic impedance value. The first portion may include a proximal end segment and a distal end segment. The proximal end segment and the distal end segment are composed of a first material. The second portion may include an insert segment composed of a second material. The insert segment is located between the proximal end segment and the distal end segment along the longitudinal axis of the end effector. The insert segment functions to bridge or fill a nodal energy gap defined by the end effector.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An end effector for an ultrasonic surgical instrument, the end effector comprising:
a first portion having a first specific acoustic impedance, the first portion disposed along a longitudinal axis and comprising a proximal end and a distal end; and a second portion having a second specific acoustic impedance different than the first specific acoustic impedance, the second portion disposed between the proximal end and the distal end of the first portion along the longitudinal axis.

2 . The end effector of claim 1 , wherein the second specific acoustic impedance is less than the first specific acoustic impedance.

3 . The end effector of claim 1 , wherein:
the proximal end of the first portion comprises a proximal end segment and the distal end of the first portion comprises a distal end segment; and the second portion comprises an insert segment.

4 . The end effector of claim 3 , wherein the proximal end segment and the distal end segment both comprise a first material and the insert segment comprises a second material.

5 . The end effector of claim 3 , wherein the distal end segment, the proximal end segment and the insert segment have matching cross-sectional areas.

6 . The end effector of claim 3 , wherein a cross-sectional area of the insert segment is less than cross-sectional areas of the proximal end segment and the distal end segment.

7 . The end effector of claim 3 , wherein the insert segment is positioned at a location corresponding to a location of a nodal energy gap.

8 . The end effector of claim 3 , wherein the insert segment comprises aluminum or alloys thereof, and the proximal end segment and the distal end segment comprise stainless steel.

9 . The end effector of claim 3 , wherein the insert segment comprises aluminum or alloys thereof, and the proximal end segment and the distal end segment comprise titanium or alloys thereof.

10 . The end effector of claim 3 , wherein the insert segment defines an aperture open to an external surface of the end effector.

11 . The end effector of claim 1 , wherein the second portion comprises a coating of material associated with the second portion.

12 . The end effector of claim 1 , wherein the second portion defines an internal cavity.

13 . An ultrasonic blade for an ultrasonic surgical instrument, the ultrasonic blade comprising:
a first portion having a first specific acoustic impedance, the first portion disposed along a longitudinal axis and comprising a proximal end and a distal end; and a second portion having a second specific acoustic impedance different than the first specific acoustic impedance, the second portion disposed between the proximal end and the distal end of the first portion along the longitudinal axis; wherein the ultrasonic surgical blade comprises: a body defining the longitudinal axis, the body comprising a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the distal end is movable along the longitudinal axis by ultrasonic vibrations produced by an ultrasonic transducer; a treatment region extending from the proximal end to the distal end; a top surface; and a bottom surface.

14 . An ultrasonic surgical instrument, comprising:
an end effector comprising a distal end segment, a distal insert segment, an intermediate insert segment, a proximal insert segment, and a proximal end segment, wherein the segments are disposed along a longitudinal axis having a length and configured to transmit ultrasonic vibrations along the length; wherein the end effector comprises:
a first portion having a first specific acoustic impedance, the first portion disposed along a longitudinal axis and comprising a proximal end and a distal end; and
a second portion having a second specific acoustic impedance different than the first specific acoustic impedance, the second portion disposed between the proximal end and the distal end of the first portion along the longitudinal axis.

15 . The ultrasonic surgical instrument of claim 14 , wherein the distal end segment comprises a first material having a first acoustic impedance;
the distal insert segment comprises a second material having a second acoustic impedance; the intermediate insert segment comprises a third material having a third acoustic impedance material; the proximal insert segment comprises a fourth material having a fourth acoustic impedance; and the proximal end segment comprises a fifth material having a fifth acoustic impedance.

16 . The ultrasonic surgical instrument of claim 15 , wherein the second material and fourth material are the same.

17 . The ultrasonic surgical instrument of claim 15 , wherein the second material and the fourth material are different.

18 . The ultrasonic surgical instrument of claim 15 , wherein the first material and the fifth material are the same.

19 . The ultrasonic surgical instrument of claim 15 , wherein the first material and the fifth material are different.

20 . The ultrasonic surgical instrument of claim 15 , wherein the acoustic impedance of the third material is greater than the acoustic the first material, the second material, the fourth material, and the fifth material.

21 . The ultrasonic surgical instrument of claim 15 , wherein the acoustic impedance of the first material, the third material, and the fifth material is greater than the acoustic impedance of the second material and the fourth material.

22 . The ultrasonic surgical instrument of claim 15 , wherein the acoustic impedance of the third material is greater than the acoustic impedance of the first material and the fifth material, and wherein the acoustic impedance of the second material and the fourth material is less than the acoustic impedance of the first material and the fifth material.

23 . The ultrasonic surgical instrument of claim 15 , wherein the intermediate insert segment is positioned at a location corresponding to a location of a node.

24 . The ultrasonic surgical instrument of claim 15 , wherein the intermediate segment defines an aperture open to an external surface of the end effector.

Assignees

• Ethicon Endo Surgery Llc

Inventors

• Stulen Foster B
• Houser Kevin L
• Battaglia Jr Vincent P
• Bertke Brian D

Classifications

• A61B2017/320088

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

• A61B2017/320078

  Tissue manipulating surface · CPC title

• A61B17/320092 Primary

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

• A61B2017/320069

  for ablating tissue · CPC title

• A61B2017/320089

  node location · CPC title