Articulation joint features for articulating surgical device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9402682-B2
Application number	US-201113235660-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 19, 2011
Priority date	Sep 24, 2010
Publication date	Aug 2, 2016
Grant date	Aug 2, 2016

Abstract

An electrosurgical device comprises a body, an end effector, a cutting member, and a shaft. The end effector includes a pair of jaws that are operable to deliver RF energy to tissue that is clamped between the jaws. The cutting member is operable to sever tissue that is clamped between the jaws. The shaft extends between the body and the end effector. The shaft includes an articulation section that is operable to selectively position the end effector at non-parallel positions relative to the longitudinal axis of the shaft. Some versions include a rotation section that is distal to the articulation section. The rotation section is operable to rotate the end effector relative to the articulation section.

First claim

We claim:

1. An electrosurgical device, comprising:
(a) a body;
(b) an end effector comprising:
(i) a first jaw, wherein the first jaw includes a first electrode, and
(ii) a second jaw, wherein the second jaw includes a second electrode, wherein the first jaw is movable toward the second jaw to clamp tissue between the first and second jaws,

wherein the first and second electrodes are operable to deliver RF energy to tissue clamped between the first and second jaws;
(c) a cutting member operable to cut tissue clamped between the first jaw and the second jaw;
(d) a shaft extending between the body and the end effector, wherein the shaft defines a longitudinal axis, wherein the shaft includes an articulation section, wherein the articulation section is bendable to allow selective positioning of the end effector at non-parallel positions relative to the longitudinal axis of the shaft, wherein the articulation section further comprises:
(i) a first portion including a plurality of first recesses, and
(ii) a second portion including a plurality of second recesses,
wherein the first and second recesses are configured to align and form at least one channel when the first and second portions are joined together,
wherein one of the first portion or second portion includes a plurality of posts and the other of the first portion or second portion includes a plurality of recesses configured to matingly receive the posts along axes that are laterally offset from and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis when the first and second portions are joined together; and
(e) at least one articulation member, wherein at least a portion of the at least one articulation member is received in the at least one channel;
wherein the at least one articulation member is selectively advanceable or retractable in a path that is at least partially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the shaft to selectively deflect the end effector away from the longitudinal axis of the shaft.

2. The electrosurgical device of claim 1 , wherein the articulation section comprises a molded piece of plastic.

3. The electrosurgical device of claim 2 , wherein the articulation section comprises a pair of complementary pieces of molded plastic apposed together.

4. The electrosurgical device of claim 1 , wherein the articulation section further comprises an elongate recess, wherein a portion of the cutting member is disposed in the elongate recess.

5. The electrosurgical device of claim 1 , wherein the first portion and second portion each comprise ribs, wherein the ribs positioned on the first portion of the articulation section are longitudinally offset relative to the ribs positioned on the second portion of the articulation section.

6. The electrosurgical device of claim 1 , wherein the articulation section is configured to receive a wire to provide electrical power to the end effector.

7. The electrosurgical device of claim 1 , wherein the articulation section includes an outer shrink tubing.

8. The electrosurgical device of claim 1 , wherein the shaft further comprises a rotation section, wherein the rotation section is distal to the articulation section, wherein the rotation section is operable to rotate the end effector relative to the articulation section.

9. The electrosurgical device of claim 1 , wherein the body comprises a handpiece.

10. An electrosurgical device, comprising:
(a) a body;
(b) an end effector comprising:
(i) a first jaw, and
(ii) a second jaw,
wherein the first jaw is movable toward the second jaw to clamp tissue between the first and second jaw,
wherein at least one of the jaws comprises at least one electrode,
wherein the at least one electrode is operable to deliver RF energy to tissue clamped between the first and second jaw;

(c) a cutting member operable to cut tissue clamped between the first jaw and the second jaw, wherein the first jaw is configured to move towards the second jaw in response to distal advancement of the cutting member; and
(d) a shaft extending between the body and the end effector, wherein the shaft defines a longitudinal axis, wherein the shaft includes an articulation section and a rotation section positioned distal to the articulation section, wherein the rotation section is operable to selectively rotate together with the end effector relative to the articulation section around the longitudinal axis while the articulation section and a portion of the shaft proximal to the articulation section remain substantially stationary, wherein the articulation section is bendable to selectively position the end effector at non-parallel positions relative to the longitudinal axis of the shaft, wherein the articulation section comprises:
(i) a passageway, wherein a portion of the cutting member is slidably disposed in the passageway, wherein at least a portion of the passageway is in a curved configuration when the articulation section is in a bent configuration, wherein the cutting member is configured to bend in order to traverse the passageway in the curved configuration,
(ii) a first articulation member, and
(iii) a second articulation member,
wherein the first articulation member and the second articulation member are operable to selectively deflect the end effector away from the longitudinal axis of the shaft.

11. An electrosurgical device, comprising:
(a) a body;
(b) an end effector comprising:
(i) a first jaw, and
(ii) a second jaw,
wherein the first jaw is movable toward the second jaw to clamp tissue between the first and second jaw,
wherein at least one of the jaws comprises at least one electrode,
wherein the at least one electrode is operable to deliver RF energy to tissue clamped between the first and second jaw;

(c) a cutting member operable to cut tissue clamped between the first jaw and the second jaw; and
(d) a shaft extending between the body and the end effector, wherein the shaft defines a longitudinal axis, wherein the shaft includes:
(i) a proximal section,
(ii) an articulation section, wherein the articulation section is distal to the proximal section, wherein the articulation section is operable to selectively position the end effector at non-parallel positions relative to the longitudinal axis of the shaft, and
(iii) a rotation section, wherein the rotation section is distal to the articulation section, wherein the rotation section is operable to selectively rotate together with the end effector relative to the articulation section around the longitudinal axis while the articulation section and the proximal section of the shaft remain substantially stationary.

12. The electrosurgical device of claim 11 , wherein the articulation section presents a plurality of lateral recesses separating a plurality of laterally extending ribs positioned on two lateral sides of the articulation section, wherein a first set of the ribs are also positioned on a top half of the articulation section, wherein a second set of the ribs are positioned on a bottom half of the articulation section, wherein the first set of ribs are interleaved with the second set of ribs.

13. The electrosurgical device of claim 11 , wherein the articulation section presents a plurality of lateral recesses separating a plurality of laterally extending ribs positioned on two lateral sides of the articulation section, wherein the articulation section further includes spine portions separating the two lateral sides of the articulation section, wherein a proximal spine portion has a first width at a proximal region of the articulation section, wherein a distal spine portion has a second width at a distal region of the articulation section.

Assignees

• Worrell Barry C
• Norvell David K
• Scheib Charles J
• Shelton Iv Frederick E
• Strobl Geoffrey S
• Swayze Jeffrey S
• Trees Gregory A
• Zerkle Jason E
• Montgomery Kevin M
• Ethicon Endo Surgery Llc

Inventors

• Worrell Barry C
• Norvell David K
• Scheib Charles J
• Shelton Iv Frederick E
• Strobl Geoffrey S
• Swayze Jeffrey S
• Trees Gregory A
• Zerkle Jason E
• Montgomery Kevin M

Classifications

• A61B2018/0063

  Sealing · CPC title

• A61B2018/00601

  Cutting · CPC title

• A61B2017/00314

  Separate linked members · CPC title

• A61B18/1447 Primary

  wherein sliding surfaces cause opening/closing of the end effectors · CPC title

• A61B2018/1455

  having a moving blade for cutting tissue grasped by the jaws · CPC title