Snap fit clamp pad for ultrasonic surgical instrument
AssigneeEthicon, Inc.
InventorsPaul F. Riestenberg, David Sepulveda-Leyva, Benjamin D. Dickerson, Craig N. Faller
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An ultrasonic instrument includes a shaft assembly and an end effector having an ultrasonic blade, a clamp arm, and a clamp pad. The clamp arm is pivotally coupled with the shaft assembly. The clamp pad is configured to removably couple with the clamp arm while the clamp arm is pivotally coupled to the shaft assembly. The clamp arm includes a mortise and a pair of support gussets. The clamp pad includes a tenon and a pair of resilient projections where the tenon engages the mortise of the clamp arm and the projections contact the support gussets of the clamp arm.
Claims19
An ultrasonic instrument comprising:
- (a) a shaft assembly;
- (b) an acoustic waveguide positioned within the shaft assembly, wherein the waveguide is configured to acoustically couple with an ultrasonic transducer;
- and
- (c) an end effector, wherein the end effector comprises:
- (i) an ultrasonic blade in acoustic communication with the waveguide, and
- (ii) a clamp arm assembly, wherein the clamp arm assembly comprises:
- (A) a clamp arm pivotally coupled with the shaft assembly, and
- (B) a clamp pad defining a longitudinal axis in a longitudinal direction that bisects the clamp pad in a transverse direction and extends to a distal pad end, wherein the clamp pad has a first side surface extending proximally away from the distal pad end toward a first projection, wherein the first side surface has a proximal portion and a distal portion thereof, wherein the first projection transversely and outwardly extends beyond the proximal and distal portions of the first side surface in the transverse direction from the longitudinal axis such that the first projection is configured to removably couple with the clamp arm using a snap-fit connection,
- wherein the first projection is positioned longitudinally between the proximal portion of the first side surface and the distal portion of the first side surface.
A method of assembling a clamp pad with a clamp arm of an ultrasonic surgical instrument, the method comprising the method steps of:
- (a) aligning a distal end of the clamp pad with a proximal end of the clamp arm;
- (b) inserting a distal end of a tenon in the clamp pad into a proximal end of a mortise in the clamp arm;
- (c) advancing the clamp pad distally relative to the clamp arm to slidably engage the tenon with the mortise;
- (d) positioning a projection of the clamp pad in contact with a first support gusset of the clamp arm causing inward deformation of the projection toward a second support gusset of the clamp arm such that the projection is compressed between the first and second gussets;
- and
- (e) positioning the projection of the clamp pad distally of the first and second support gussets of the clamp arm to remove the deformation of the projection caused by the projection being compressed between the first and second support gussets.
An ultrasonic instrument comprising:
- (a) a shaft assembly;
- (b) an acoustic waveguide positioned within the shaft assembly, wherein the waveguide is configured to acoustically couple with an ultrasonic transducer;
- and
- (c) an end effector, wherein the end effector comprises:
- (i) an ultrasonic blade in acoustic communication with the waveguide, and
- (ii) a clamp arm assembly, wherein the clamp arm assembly comprises:
- (A) a clamp arm pivotally coupled with the shaft assembly, and
- (B) a clamp pad including a pad body and a tenon and defining a longitudinal axis in a longitudinal direction that bisects the clamp pad in a transverse direction and extends to a distal pad end, wherein the clamp pad has a first side surface extending proximally away from the distal pad end toward a first projection, wherein the first projection transversely and outwardly extends beyond the first side surface in the transverse direction from the longitudinal axis such that the first projection is configured to removably couple with the clamp arm using a snap-fit connection,
- wherein the tenon extends longitudinally along the pad body and comprises a cross sectional profile having a “T” shape.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.