Lower anterior resection 90 degree instrument
AssigneeCovidien LP
InventorsErnest Aranyi, Stanislaw Kostrzewski
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An articulating surgical instrument is disclosed, and includes an end effector and a drive assembly operably coupled with the end effector. The end effector includes a first drive shaft defining a first axis, and a second drive shaft operably engaged with and extending away from the first drive shaft. The second drive shaft is operably coupled with the end effector and defines a second axis, the second axis different from the first axis. The first drive shaft and the second drive shaft are pivotably arranged such that the first drive shaft and the second drive shaft are configured to transition between a first, substantially straight arrangement and a second, substantially perpendicular arrangement.
Claims18
A drive assembly for use with an articulating surgical instrument, the drive assembly comprising:
- a first bevel gear;
- a second bevel gear;
- a first drive shaft coupled to the first bevel gear;
- and
- a drive pin coupled to the second bevel gear, a portion of the first drive shaft configured to engage a portion of the second bevel gear;
- wherein the first drive shaft and the drive pin are configured to transition between a first, substantially linear arrangement where the first bevel gear and the second bevel gear are disengaged from each other, and a second, substantially perpendicular arrangement where the first bevel gear is engaged with the second bevel gear.
A method of using an articulating surgical instrument, comprising:
- pivoting a drive pin from a first arrangement where the drive pin and a drive shaft are disposed in a substantially linear arrangement and where a first bevel gear and a second bevel gear are disengaged from each other, to a second arrangement where the drive pin and the drive shaft are disposed in a substantially perpendicular arrangement and where the first bevel gear is in direct engagement with the second bevel gear;
- and
- moving a portion of the drive shaft at least partially through an aperture of the second bevel gear.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.