Surgical cutting devices and methods that include a self-adjusting cutting blade

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9526518-B2
Application number	US-201414229456-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 28, 2014
Priority date	Mar 28, 2014
Publication date	Dec 27, 2016
Grant date	Dec 27, 2016

Abstract

Devices and methods for cutting tissue are provided, and more particularly the devices and methods provide for ways to prevent a cutting blade from becoming dislodged or otherwise disassociated from jaws of a surgical device. In one exemplary embodiment, a surgical device includes a jaw assembly having first and second jaws and a cutting blade. The cutting blade can include a spring mechanism configured to engage a portion of the second jaw to bias a cutting edge of the cutting blade towards the first jaw such that a top of the cutting blade distal portion contacts a portion of the first jaw. In another exemplary embodiment, a biasing block is included as part of a surgical instrument to help maintain distal ends of two cutting blades hooked against each other to form a single cutting surface. Other devices and methods for cutting tissue are also provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A surgical instrument, comprising:
a jaw assembly having a first jaw and a second jaw pivotally coupled together, the first and second jaws each having an axial channel extending through a portion thereof, and the first and second jaws being configured to engage tissue therebetween;
a first cutting blade having a portion thereof disposed in the axial channel of the first jaw, the first cutting blade having a proximal end, a distal end, a first side surface facing in a first direction, and a second side surface facing in a second, opposite direction, the distal end being configured to cut tissue disposed between the first and second jaws;
a second cutting blade having a portion thereof disposed in the axial channel of the second jaw, the second cutting blade having a proximal end, a distal end, a first side surface facing in the second, opposite direction, and a second side surface facing in the first direction, the distal end being configured to cut tissue disposed between the first and second jaws, wherein an intermediate portion of the first side surface of the first cutting blade is adjacent to and faces an intermediate portion of the first side surface of the second cutting blade; and
a biasing block,
wherein the proximal ends of the first and second cutting blades are disposed in the biasing block and the distal ends of the first and second cutting blades are hooked against each other such that the second side surface of the first cutting blade is in contact with the second side surface of the second cutting blade, and a position of the distal ends being hooked against each other being maintained by a bias supplied by the proximal ends being disposed in the biasing block.

2. The instrument of claim 1 , wherein the axial channels of the first and second jaws are substantially centrally disposed with respect to a width of the respective first and second jaws, and the biasing block biases the distal ends of the first and second cutting blades such that the cutting blades are approximately centrally disposed within the axial channels of the respective first and second jaws.

3. The instrument of claim 1 , wherein the biasing block further comprises:
a first receiving block having a slot disposed therein, the slot being configured to receive the proximal end of the first cutting blade; and
a second receiving block pivotally coupled to the first receiving block, the second receiving block having a slot disposed therein, and the slot being configured to receive the proximal end of the second cutting blade.

4. The instrument of claim 3 , wherein the slot of the first receiving block extends at a first angle with respect to a central longitudinal axis extending between the first and second jaws, and the slot of the second receiving block extends at a second angle with respect to the central longitudinal axis.

5. The instrument of claim 4 , wherein the first angle and the second angle have substantially the same value with the first angle extending in a first direction away from the central longitudinal axis and the second angle extending in a second direction away from the central longitudinal axis, the first and second directions being opposed to each other.

6. The instrument of claim 5 , wherein the first angle and the second angle have values in the range of greater than 0 degrees to about 10 degrees.

7. The instrument of claim 1 , wherein the distal ends of the first and second cutting blades overlap to form a cutting surface to cut tissue disposed between the first and second jaws.

8. The instrument of claim 1 , further comprising one or more biasing elements coupled to the first and second cutting blades, the one or more biasing elements being configured to bias the first cutting blade towards a base of the axial channel of the first jaw and to bias the second cutting blade towards a base of the axial channel of the second jaw.

9. The instrument of claim 1 , wherein the axial channels of the first and second jaws are curved with respect to a central longitudinal axis extending between the first and second jaws.

10. The instrument of claim 1 , wherein the proximal ends of the first and second cutting blades disposed in the biasing block cross each other such that at least a portion of the proximal end of the first blade is disposed more proximate to the second side surface of the second blade than the first side surface of the second blade when viewed from a plane that is perpendicular to a plane that extends through a majority of the surface area of the first side surface of the first cutting blade.

11. The instrument of claim 10 , wherein the distal ends of the first and second cutting blades cross each other such that at least a portion of the distal end of the second blade is disposed more proximate to the second side surface of the second blade than the first side surface of the second blade when viewed from a plane that is perpendicular to a plane that extends through a majority of the surface area of the first side surface of the first cutting blade.

12. A surgical instrument, comprising:
a jaw assembly having a first jaw and a second jaw pivotally coupled together, the first and second jaws each having an axial channel extending through a portion thereof, and the first and second jaws being configured to engage tissue therebetween;
a first cutting blade having a portion thereof disposed in the axial channel of the first jaw, the first cutting blade having a proximal end, a distal end, a first side surface, and a second side surface, the distal end being configured to cut tissue disposed between the first and second jaws;
a second cutting blade having a portion thereof disposed in the axial channel of the second jaw, the second cutting blade having a proximal end, a distal end, a first side surface facing in a first direction, and a second side surface facing in a second, opposite direction, the distal end being configured to cut tissue disposed between the first and second jaws, wherein an intermediate portion of the first side surface of the first cutting blade is adjacent to an intermediate portion of the first side surface of the second cutting blade, wherein the first side surface of the first cutting blade and the first side surface of the second cutting blade are facing each other; and
a biasing block,
wherein the proximal ends of the first and second cutting blades are disposed in the biasing block, the proximal ends being disposed at a non-zero angle with respect to a central longitudinal axis extending through the biasing block when viewed from a plane that is perpendicular to a plane that extends through a majority of the surface area of the first side surface of the first cutting blade, and
wherein the distal ends of the first and second cutting blades are hooked against each other such that the second side surface of the first cutting blade is in contact with the second side surface of the second cutting blade, and a position of the distal ends being hooked against each other being maintained by a bias supplied by the proximal ends being disposed in the biasing block.

13. The instrument of claim 12 , wherein the biasing block further comprises:
a first receiving block; and
a second receiving block pivotally coupled to the first receiving block,
wherein the first cutting blade is disposed in the first receiving block and the second cutting blade is disposed in the second receiving block.

14. The instrument of claim 13 , further comprising a pivot pin disposed through each of the first and second receiving blocks to pivotally couple the first and second receiving blocks to each other.

Assignees

• Ethicon Endo Surgery Llc

Inventors

• Nobis Rudolph H

Classifications

• A61B2018/0063

  Sealing · CPC title

• A61B2018/1457

  having opposing blades cutting tissue grasped by the jaws, i.e. combined scissors and pliers · 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

• A61B17/3201 Primary

  Scissors (for biopsy A61B10/02) · CPC title

• A61B2560/04

  Constructional details of apparatus · CPC title