Surgical instrument with latching trigger lockout

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017367752-A1
Application number	US-201615192534-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 24, 2016
Priority date	Jun 24, 2016
Publication date	Dec 28, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

Instruments and methods for providing selective surgical instrument trigger lockout are provided herein. In one embodiment, a surgical instrument can include a distal end effector, a proximal actuator portion, a first trigger, a second trigger, and a lock arm. The lock arm can be configured to move between a first position, in which it interferes with actuation of the first trigger, and a second position, in which it permits actuation of the first trigger. Further, actuation of the second trigger can be effective to move the lock arm from the first position to the second position. Actuation of the first trigger can therefore be prevented if the second trigger is not already actuated. Selective trigger lockout can be useful in a variety of instruments, including, for example, surgical instruments that grasp, seal, and transect tissue.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A surgical instrument, comprising:
a distal end effector; a proximal actuator portion; a first trigger coupled to the proximal actuator portion; a second trigger coupled to the proximal actuator portion; a lock arm coupled to the proximal actuator portion; wherein the lock arm is configured to move between a first position, in which it interferes with actuation of the second trigger, and a second position, in which it permits actuation of the second trigger; and wherein actuation of the first trigger is effective to move the lock arm from the first position to the second position.

2 . The instrument of claim 1 , wherein release of the first trigger is effective to return the lock arm from the second position to the first position.

3 . The instrument of claim 2 , wherein the second trigger is configured to interfere with the return of the lock arm from the second position to the first position until the second trigger is released.

4 . The instrument of claim 3 , wherein the lock arm includes a ledge configured to ride along a shoulder of the second trigger to interfere with the return of the lock arm from the second position to the first position when the second trigger is being actuated.

5 . The instrument of claim 1 , wherein the lock arm is configured to rotate between the first position and the second position.

6 . The instrument of claim 1 , wherein the lock arm is configured to translate between the first position and the second position.

7 . The instrument of claim 1 , further comprising a latch that is coupled to the lock arm and configured to be received by a catch coupled to the first trigger.

8 . The instrument of claim 7 , wherein the latch is pivotably coupled to the proximal actuator portion and biased toward a resting position, and wherein the catch coupled to the first trigger is configured to move the latch away from the resting position as the latch is received by the catch.

9 . The instrument of claim 8 , wherein the movement of the latch away from the resting position causes movement of the lock arm from the first position to the second position.

10 . The instrument of claim 7 , further comprising:
a latch plate coupled to the proximal actuator portion, the latch, and the lock arm; wherein the latch plate is configured to move relative to the proximal actuator portion from a released position to a latched position when the latch is received by the catch.

11 . The instrument of claim 10 , wherein the latch plate is configured to pivotably move relative to the proximal actuator portion.

12 . The instrument of claim 10 , wherein movement of the latch plate from the released position to the latched position causes movement of the lock arm from the first position to the second position.

13 . The instrument of claim 10 , wherein the latch plate is biased toward the released position.

14 . The instrument of claim 1 , wherein the distal end effector includes a first jaw member, a second jaw member, and a cutting element, the first and second jaw members being configured to move between an open configuration and a closed configuration to clamp tissue therebetween, and the cutting element being configured to transect the tissue clamped between the first and second jaw members.

15 . The instrument of claim 14 , wherein actuation of the first trigger is configured to move the first and second jaw members from the open configuration to the closed configuration and actuation of the second trigger is configured to distally translate the cutting member.

16 . The instrument of claim 14 , wherein the distal end effector is further configured to deliver radio frequency (RF) energy to tissue clamped between the first and second jaw members.

17 . A surgical instrument, comprising:
a distal end effector configured to releasably grasp tissue, deliver radio frequency (RF) energy to grasped tissue, and transect the grasped tissue; a proximal actuator portion; a first trigger coupled to the proximal actuator portion and configured to control grasping of tissue by the distal end effector; a second trigger coupled to the proximal actuator portion and configured to control transecting the grasped tissue by the distal end effector; a first latch component coupled to the proximal actuator portion; a second latch component coupled to the first trigger; and a lock arm coupled to the first latch component and configured to move between a first position, in which the lock arm interferes with actuation of the second trigger, and a second position, in which the second trigger can be actuated while clearing the lock arm; wherein the first latch component and the second latch component are configured to contact one another such that the first trigger is retained in a closed position and the lock arm is retained in the second position.

18 . The instrument of claim 17 , further comprising:
a latch plate coupled to the proximal actuator portion, the first latch component, and the lock arm; wherein the latch plate is configured to move relative to the proximal actuator portion from a released position to a latched position when the first latch component and the second latch component contact one another.

19 . The instrument of claim 18 , wherein movement of the latch plate from the released position to the latched position causes movement of the lock arm from the first position to the second position.

20 . A surgical method, comprising:
actuating a first trigger of a surgical instrument to move first and second jaw members of the surgical instrument from an open configuration to a closed configuration to clamp tissue therebetween; latching the first trigger to retain the first trigger in an actuated position and to move a lock arm from a first position, in which the lock arm blocks movement of a second trigger of the surgical instrument, to a second position, in which the lock arm permits movement of the second trigger; and actuating the second trigger to transect tissue clamped between the first and second jaw members.

21 . The method of claim 20 , further comprising:
releasing the second trigger; and unlatching the first trigger to release the first trigger from the actuated position and to move the lock arm from the second position to the first position.

22 . The method of claim 21 , wherein interference between a shoulder of the second trigger and a ledge of the lock arm prevents unlatching the first trigger until after releasing the second trigger.

Assignees

• Ethicon Endo Surgery Llc

Inventors

• Boudreaux Chad P
• Trees Gregory A
• Strobl Geoffrey S

Classifications

• A61B17/07207

  the staples being applied sequentially · CPC title

• A61B2017/00371

  Multiple actuation, e.g. pushing of two buttons, or two working tips becoming operational · CPC title

• A61B18/1445 Primary

  at the distal end of a shaft, e.g. forceps or scissors at the end of a rigid rod · CPC title

• A61B2017/00367

  Details of actuation of instruments, e.g. relations between pushing buttons, or the like, and activation of the tool, working tip, or the like · CPC title

• A61B2018/0063

  Sealing · CPC title