US 11,076,881 B2Granted

Electrical lockout for ultrasonic surgical instrument

AssigneeCilag GmbH International

InventorsRyan M. Asher, Brian D. Black, John E. Brady, Alexander R. Cuti, Demetrius N. Harris, Carl J. Draginoff, Jr., Ellen Burkart, Geni M. Giannotti, Andrew Kolpitcke, Amy M. Krumm, Matthew T. Kuhn, Stephen M. Leuck, Cameron D. McLain, Ion V. Nicolaescu, Candice Otrembiak, Amrita S. Sawhney, Aaron C. Voegele, Grace E. Waters, Fajian Zhang

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Abstract

An ultrasonic surgical instrument and method of assembly with a predetermined alignment includes first and second modular assemblies and an electrical lockout. The first modular assembly includes at least a portion of an end effector configured to manipulate a tissue. The second modular assembly includes a transducer power circuit and an activation switch electrically connected to the transducer power circuit. The electrical lockout is electrically connected to the transducer power circuit and configured to inhibit the activation switch from powering the ultrasonic transducer with the first and second modular assemblies misaligned from the predetermined alignment such that the first and second modular assemblies are in a locked-out state. The electrical lockout is further configured to allow the activation switch to power the ultrasonic transducer with the first and second modular assemblies in the predetermined alignment such that the first and second modular assemblies are in an operational state.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An ultrasonic surgical instrument, comprising:

(a) a first modular assembly, including:
(i) at least a portion of an end effector configured to manipulate a tissue;
(b) a second modular assembly configured to mechanically couple with the first modular assembly at a mechanical coupling in a predetermined alignment relative to each other such that the first and second modular assemblies are radially fixed relative to each other at the mechanical coupling, wherein the second modular assembly includes:
(i) a body assembly configured to support an ultrasonic transducer,
(ii) a transducer power circuit configured to electrically connect to the ultrasonic transducer and a generator, and
(iii) an activation switch electrically connected to the transducer power circuit, wherein the activation switch is configured to selectively power the ultrasonic transducer by directing electrical power from the generator to the ultrasonic transducer with the first and second modular assemblies in the predetermined alignment;
and
(c) an electrical lockout electrically connected to the transducer power circuit,
wherein the electrical lockout is configured to inhibit the activation switch from powering the ultrasonic transducer with the first and second modular assemblies misaligned from the predetermined alignment such that the first and second modular assemblies are in a locked-out state, and
wherein the electrical lockout is further configured to allow the activation switch to power the ultrasonic transducer with the first and second modular assemblies in the predetermined alignment such that the first and second modular assemblies are in an operational state,
wherein the electrical lockout further includes a first lockout portion positioned on the first modular assembly and a second lockout portion electrically connected to the transducer power circuit and positioned on the body, wherein the second lockout portion is not electrically connected to the first lockout portion in the locked-out state and thereby configured to inhibit the transducer power circuit from powering the ultrasonic transducer in the locked-out state, and wherein the first and second lockout portion in the predetermined alignment are electrically connected in the operational state and collectively configured to allow the activation switch to power the ultrasonic transducer in the operational state.

8 more elements

An ultrasonic surgical instrument, comprising:

(a) a first modular assembly, including:
(i) a shaft assembly having an acoustic waveguide extending therealong,
(ii) an end effector projecting distally from the shaft assembly, wherein the end effector is further configured to manipulate a tissue, wherein the end effector includes an ultrasonic blade extending from the acoustic waveguide and a clamp arm assembly movably connected relative to the ultrasonic blade and configured to compress the tissue against the ultrasonic blade;
(b) a second modular assembly configured to mechanically couple with the first modular assembly in a predetermined alignment relative to each other, wherein the second modular assembly includes:
(i) a body assembly configured to support an ultrasonic transducer;
(ii) a transducer power circuit configured to electrically connect to the ultrasonic transducer and a generator, and
(iii) an activation switch electrically connected to the transducer power circuit, wherein the activation switch is configured to selectively power the ultrasonic transducer by directing electrical power from the generator to the ultrasonic transducer with the first and second modular assemblies in the predetermined alignment, and
(c) an electrical lockout configured to inhibit the activation switch from powering the ultrasonic transducer with the first and second modular assemblies misaligned from the predetermined alignment such that the first and second modular assemblies are in a locked-out state, wherein the electrical lockout is further configured to allow the activation switch to power the ultrasonic transducer with the first and second modular assemblies in the predetermined alignment such that the first and second modular assemblies are in an operational state, wherein the electrical lockout includes:
(i) a first lockout portion positioned on the first modular assembly, and
(ii) a second lockout portion electrically connected to the transducer power circuit and positioned on the body,
wherein the second lockout portion is configured to inhibit the transducer power circuit from powering the ultrasonic transducer in the locked-out state, and wherein the first and second lockout portion in the predetermined alignment are collectively configured to allow the activation switch to power the ultrasonic transducer in the operational state,
wherein the first lockout portion includes a first electrical shunt, wherein the second lockout portion includes a first pair of electrical contacts, wherein the first pair of electrical contacts define a first electrical gap in the locked-out state to inhibit electrical flow between the first pair of electrical contacts, wherein the first electrical shunt in the predetermined alignment electrically connects the first pair of electrical contacts for the operational state.

9 more elements

An ultrasonic surgical instrument, comprising:

(a) a first modular assembly, including:
(i) at least a portion of an end effector configured to manipulate a tissue;
(b) a second modular assembly configured to mechanically couple with the first modular assembly in a predetermined alignment relative to each other, wherein the second modular assembly includes:
(i) a body assembly configured to support an ultrasonic transducer,
(ii) a transducer power circuit configured to electrically connect to the ultrasonic transducer and a generator, and
(iii) an activation switch electrically connected to the transducer power circuit, wherein the activation switch is configured to selectively power the ultrasonic transducer by directing electrical power from the generator to the ultrasonic transducer with the first and second modular assemblies in the predetermined alignment;
and
(c) an electrical lockout electrically connected to the transducer power circuit, wherein the electrical lockout includes:
wherein the electrical lockout is configured to inhibit the activation switch from powering the ultrasonic transducer with the first and second modular assemblies misaligned from the predetermined alignment such that the first and second modular assemblies are in a locked-out state,
wherein the electrical lockout is further configured to allow the activation switch to power the ultrasonic transducer with the first and second modular assemblies in the predetermined alignment such that the first and second modular assemblies are in an operational state, and
wherein the electrical lockout further includes:
(i) a first lockout portion positioned on the first modular assembly, and
(ii) a second lockout portion positioned on the second modular assembly,
wherein the first lockout portion includes one of an electrical shunt or a pair of electrical contacts, and wherein the second lockout includes the other of the electrical shunt or the pair of electrical contacts.

11 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/951,747Filed 12 Apr 2018
Published: US 2019/0314054 A117 Oct 2019
Granted: 3 Aug 2021
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification19 codes

A61B 17/320092
Using mechanical vibrations, e.g. ultrasonic: with additional movable means for clamping or cutting tissue, e.g. with a pivoting jaw
A61B 17/320068
Surgical cutting instruments: using mechanical vibrations, e.g. ultrasonic
A61B 17/2804
Surgical forceps: with two or more pivotal connections
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

Family

US 2019/0314054 A1Pre-grant publication · published 17 Oct 2019
US 11,076,881 B2This patent

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

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