US 10,743,898 B2Granted

Surgical devices having power-assisted jaw closure and methods for compressing and sensing tissue

AssigneeEthicon, Inc.

InventorsJohn A. Hibner, Catherine A. Corbett, Scott R. Bingham, Chad P. Boudreaux, Carl J. Draginoff, Jr., Geoffrey S. Strobl, Eric N. Johnson

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Abstract

Surgical devices are provided having power-assisted or fully powered jaw closure. The devices herein generally include a handle portion, an elongate shaft, and an effector having first and second jaws configured to engage tissue. A motor and one or more compression springs can be operatively coupled, and activation of the motor can compress the spring(s) to reduce the amount of user supplied force to compress tissue between the jaws. In some embodiments, the devices can be configured to regulate an amount of compression applied by the jaws prior to, during, and/or after cutting of the tissue to promote hemostasis. For example, the devices can include sensors, processors, and/or other components that analyze data indicative of tissue type and tissue load. Based on this feedback, the device can automatically adjust the amount of compression or energy applied to the tissue to seal the tissue.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A surgical instrument, comprising:

a jaw assembly having a first jaw and a second jaw pivotally coupled together, the first and second jaws having opposed tissue contacting surfaces configured to pivot towards each other to compress tissue therebetween when a force applied to at least one of the first and second jaws meets or exceeds a threshold force;
a cutting member having a distal portion thereof disposed between the opposed tissue contacting surfaces of the first and second jaws, the distal portion including a cutting edge that extends between and substantially perpendicular to the first and second jaws;
a housing having a motor, a first spring, and a counterbalance spring disposed therein, the motor being operatively coupled to the first spring such that the motor is configured to move the first spring from a first position to a second, compressed position to increase a force the jaws apply to the tissue, the first spring being in series with the counterbalance spring such that activation of the motor decreases compression on the counterbalance spring and increases compression of the first spring to compress tissue disposed in the jaws, and the motor further being operatively coupled to the cutting member such that the motor is configured to drive the cutting member distally through the first and second jaws;
and
a rotatable housing and a translation mechanism configured so that activation of the motor rotates the rotatable housing which moves the translation mechanism distally to compress the first spring.

2 more elements

A surgical instrument, comprising:

a jaw assembly having a first jaw and a second jaw pivotally coupled together, the first and second jaws having opposed tissue contacting surfaces configured to pivot towards each other to compress tissue therebetween when a force applied to at least one of the first and second jaws meets or exceeds a threshold force;
a cutting member having a distal portion thereof disposed between the opposed tissue contacting surfaces of the first and second jaws, the distal portion including a cutting edge that extends between and substantially perpendicular to the first and second jaws;
a housing having a motor and a first spring disposed therein, the motor being operatively coupled to the first spring such that the motor is configured to move the first spring from a first position to a second, compressed position to increase a force the jaws apply to the tissue, and the motor further being operatively coupled to the cutting member such that the motor is configured to drive the cutting member distally through the first and second jaws;
and
a drive mechanism operatively coupling the motor to the first spring, the drive mechanism including a lead screw having first and second threaded portions, the first threaded portion coupled to a first driving member for compressing the first spring and the second threaded portion coupled to a second driving member for advancing the cutting member within the jaws;
wherein the second driving member comprises a rack and first and second pinions coupled to the first spring such that when the motor is activated, the lead screw rotates and moves the second driving member distally toward the jaws, rotating the first and second pinions which move a distal end of the first spring proximally away from the jaws to compress the first spring.

3 more elements

A surgical instrument, comprising:

a jaw assembly having a first jaw and a second jaw pivotally coupled together, the first and second jaws having opposed tissue contacting surfaces configured to pivot towards each other to compress tissue therebetween when a force applied to at least one of the first and second jaws meets or exceeds a threshold force;
a cutting member having a distal portion thereof disposed between the opposed tissue contacting surfaces of the first and second jaws, the distal portion including a cutting edge that extends between and substantially perpendicular to the first and second jaws;
and
a housing having a motor and a first spring disposed therein, the motor being operatively coupled to the first spring such that the motor is configured to move the first spring from a first position to a second, compressed position to increase a force the jaws apply to the tissue, and the motor further being operatively coupled to the cutting member such that the motor is configured to drive the cutting member distally through the first and second jaws;
and
a spring-loaded bendix mechanism having a compression gear and a blade advancing gear spaced axially apart, the bendix mechanism being configured to move away from the motor when the motor is activated, and the axial spacing between the compression gear and the blade advancing gear increasing during activation of the motor.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/030,062Filed 9 Jul 2018 · division
Priority: 30 Sep 2014
Published: US 2019/0000495 A13 Jan 2019
Granted: 18 Aug 2020
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification13 codes

A61B 17/285
Surgical forceps: combined with cutting implements
A61B 17/282
With a single pivotal connection: jaws
A61B 18/1445
Probes having pivoting end effectors, e.g. forceps: at the distal end of a shaft, e.g. forceps or scissors at the end of a rigid rod
A61B 2017/00039
Sensing or detecting at the treatment site: electric or electromagnetic phenomena other than conductivity, e.g. capacity, inductivity, Hall effect

Family

Application14/503,045Parent of this division · filed 30 Sep 2014
US 2019/0000495 A1Pre-grant publication · published 3 Jan 2019
US 10,039,564 B2Parent of this division
US 2016/0089175 A1Published application
US 10,743,898 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.