US 11,304,716 B2Granted

Surgical instruments including touch-sensing actuation

AssigneeCovidien LP

InventorJames D. Allen, IV

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Abstract

A surgical instrument includes a housing including a touch sensor having a sensor surface disposed thereon. The touch sensor is configured to sense an actuation pattern input on the sensor surface. A shaft extends distally from the housing and includes an end effector disposed at a distal end thereof. An actuation assembly is disposed within the housing and operably coupled to the end effector. A control module is operably coupled between the sensor surface and the actuation assembly. The control module is configured, in response to input of an actuation pattern on the sensor surface, to actuate the actuation assembly such that a function is performed at the end effector.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A surgical instrument, comprising:

a housing defining a handle and a trigger fixedly disposed thereon, the housing including a first sensor surface of a first sensor disposed on a distal face of the handle, a second sensor surface of a second sensor disposed on a distal face of the trigger, a third sensor surface of a third sensor disposed on a portion of the housing adjacent the handle and the trigger, and a fourth sensor surface of a fourth sensor disposed on a proximal end portion of the housing, the distal faces of the handle and the trigger each having a concave shape and the first and second sensor surfaces contoured to follow the concave shape of the respective distal face of the handle and the trigger, wherein each of the first, second, third, and fourth sensors is configured to sense a respective first, second, third and fourth actuation pattern input on the respective sensor surface mimicking a first, a second, a third, and a fourth actuation motion of first, second, third, and fourth actuation assemblies, respectively, disposed within the housing;
a shaft extending distally from the housing;
an end effector disposed at a distal end of the shaft;
and
a control module operably coupled between the first, second, third, and fourth sensor surfaces and the first, second, third, and fourth actuation assemblies, respectively, the control module configured, in response to input of a corresponding actuation pattern on one of the first, second, third, or fourth sensor surfaces, to actuate the corresponding actuation assembly such that a corresponding first, second, third, or fourth function is performed.

2 more elements

A surgical instrument, comprising:

a housing including a first sensor having a first sensor surface disposed on the housing, the housing defining a handle fixedly disposed on the housing, the handle including a second sensor having a second sensor surface disposed on the housing, the first and second sensor surfaces contoured to follow a contour of a respective surface of the housing on which the first and second sensor surfaces are disposed, the first sensor configured to sense a first actuation pattern on the first sensor surface and the second sensor configured to sense a second actuation pattern different from the first actuation pattern on the second sensor surface, the first actuation pattern mimicking a first actuation motion of a first actuation assembly of the surgical instrument for performing a first function and the second actuation pattern mimicking a second actuation motion of a second actuation assembly of the surgical instrument for performing a second function, wherein the first sensor does not recognize the second actuation pattern and wherein the second sensor does not recognize the first actuation pattern;
a shaft extending distally from the housing;
an end effector disposed at a distal end of the shaft, wherein the first function and the second function are capable of being performed at the end effector;
the first actuation assembly disposed within the housing and operably coupled to the end effector;
the second actuation assembly disposed within the housing and operably coupled to the end effector;
and
a control module operably coupled between the first and second sensors and the first and second actuation assemblies, respectively, the control module configured, in response to input of the first actuation pattern on the first sensor surface, to actuate the first actuation assembly such that the first function is performed at the end effector and, in response to input of the second actuation pattern on the second sensor surface, to actuate the second actuation assembly such that the second function is performed at the end effector.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/240,257Filed 18 Aug 2016 · us provisional application
Priority: 16 Dec 2015
Published: US 2017/0172594 A122 Jun 2017
Granted: 19 Apr 2022
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification11 codes

A61B 17/295
Forceps for use in minimally invasive surgery: combined with cutting implements
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 2017/00017
Surgical instruments, devices or methods: electrical control of surgical instruments
A61B 2017/00207
Electrical control of surgical instruments: with hand gesture control or hand gesture recognition

Family

Application62/268,222Us provisional application · filed 16 Dec 2015
US 2017/0172594 A1Pre-grant publication · published 22 Jun 2017
US 11,304,716 B2This patent

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

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