US 10,881,448 B2Granted

Cam driven coupling between ultrasonic transducer and waveguide in surgical instrument

AssigneeEthicon, Inc.

InventorsKevin L Houser, William D. Dannaher, Stephen J. Balek, Wells D. Haberstich, Matthew C. Miller, Scott A. Woodruff

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Abstract

A surgical instrument includes a body assembly, a waveguide, a transducer, and a coupling assembly. In some versions the coupling assembly translates the transducer to couple the transducer to the waveguide. For instance, a gear having arcuate troughs may engage pins on the transducer and/or waveguide to mate the transducer to waveguide. A pawl may selectively engage and prevent rotation of the gear. Alternatively, lever arms may cam the transducer into the waveguide. The lever arms may selectively couple to a casing to prevent decoupling of the transducer and waveguide. In another configuration, a locking tab can be slid and locked into a slot to couple the transducer and waveguide. Further still, levers with self-locking pins may engage and couple the transducer to the waveguide. In another version, a rotatable body portion may engage a tab on the transducer to rotate and couple the transducer to the waveguide.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A surgical instrument comprising:

(a) a casing;
(b) a waveguide longitudinally extending along a central longitudinal axis and having a proximal end, wherein the proximal end comprises a longitudinal recess extending along the central longitudinal axis and a first transaxial hole transecting the longitudinal recess through the central longitudinal axis;
(c) a transducer comprising a horn insertable into the longitudinal recess and a second transaxial hole;
(d) a first pin and lever assembly comprising:
i. a first lever rotatably coupled to the casing, and
ii. a first pin portion having a first longitudinal width and actuatable by the first lever;
and
(e) a second pin and lever assembly comprising:
i. a second lever rotatably coupled to the casing, and
ii. a second pin portion having a second longitudinal width and actuatable by the second lever,
wherein the first and second pin portions are configured to selectively move from a first position to a second position,
wherein the first and second pin portions in the first position extend through the first and second transaxial holes such that at least one of the first and second pin portions transversely extends through the central longitudinal axis and the first and second portions engage together to collectively define a third longitudinal width larger than respectively each of the first and second longitudinal widths to thereby couple the transducer to the waveguide, and
wherein the first and second pin portions in the second position are positioned transversely away from the longitudinal axis to thereby decouple the transducer from the waveguide.

10 more elements

A surgical instrument comprising:

(a) a body;
(b) a waveguide longitudinally extending along a central longitudinal axis in a longitudinal direction and having a proximal end, wherein the proximal end comprises a longitudinal recess and a first transaxial hole;
(c) a transducer comprising a horn and a second transaxial hole, wherein the horn is insertable into the longitudinal recess;
(d) a first pin assembly comprising:
i. a first actuator movably coupled to the casing, and
ii. a first pin portion actuatable by the first actuator;
and
(e) a second pin assembly comprising:
i. a second actuator movably coupled to the casing, and
ii. a second pin portion actuatable by the second actuator,
wherein the first pin portion and the second pin portion are configured to actuate from a first position to a second position, wherein the first pin portion and the second pin portion are located within both the first transaxial hole and the second transaxial hole in the first position, wherein the first pin portion and the second pin portion are located outside both the first transaxial hole and the second transaxial hole in the second position, wherein the transducer is configured to transmit ultrasonic vibrations to the waveguide when the first pin portion and the second pin portion are in the first position,
wherein the first and second pin portions in the first position abut against each other such that at least one of the first and second pin portions is longitudinally urged in the longitudinal direction toward the waveguide to thereby urge the waveguide toward the transducer.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 14/788,915Filed 1 Jul 2015 · division
Priority: 5 Nov 2010
Published: US 2015/0305763 A129 Oct 2015
Granted: 5 Jan 2021
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification88 codes

A61B 17/00234
Surgical instruments, devices or methods: for minimally invasive surgery
A61B 17/2812
Surgical forceps: with a single pivotal connection
A61B 17/2909
Forceps for use in minimally invasive surgery: handles
A61B 17/320068
Surgical cutting instruments: using mechanical vibrations, e.g. ultrasonic

Family

Application61/410,603Us provisional application · filed 5 Nov 2010
Application61/487,846Us provisional application · filed 19 May 2011
Application13/274,496Parent of this division · filed 17 Oct 2011
US 2015/0305763 A1Pre-grant publication · published 29 Oct 2015
US 2012/0116262 A1Published application
US 10,881,448 B2This patent

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