Compound angle laparoscopic methods and devices
AssigneeEthicon, Inc.
InventorsSean P. Conlon, William B. Weisenburgh, II
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods and devices are provided for performing minimally invasive surgical procedures. In one embodiment, a surgical device is provided that include an elongate shaft having a distal portion configured to be movable between a first configuration in which the distal portion of the shaft is substantially straight or linear and a second configuration in which the distal portion of the shaft is articulated at a compound angle. The shaft's distal portion can include two articulation joints to facilitate formation of the compound angle.
Claims14
A method for laparoscopic surgery, comprising:
- inserting an end effector of a tool into a body cavity, the tool having a first linkage coupled to an elongate shaft at a first joint, a second linkage having a proximal end coupled to the first linkage at a second joint that is movable away from a central longitudinal axis of the elongate shaft, and an end effector coupled to and inserted through a distal end of the second linkage;
- and
- actuating the tool to cause the distal end of the second linkage to move parallel to the central longitudinal axis of the elongate shaft.
A method for laparoscopic surgery, comprising:
- inserting a first tool through a first port formed in a housing disposed within tissue to position a first end effector on a distal end of the first tool within a body cavity;
- inserting a second tool through a second port formed in the housing to position a second end effector on a distal end of the second tool within the body cavity;
- longitudinally moving a first actuator extending along a first elongate shaft of the first tool to cause a first linkage and a second linkage on the first end effector to form a compound angle;
- and
- longitudinally moving a second actuator extending along a second elongate shaft of the second tool to cause a third linkage and a fourth linkage on the second end effector to form a compound angle;
- wherein, when proximal portions of each of the first and second tools are substantially parallel, actuating the first and second tools causes the first and second end effectors to be oriented toward one another without causing the first and second end effectors to intersect.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.