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US 11,304,766 B2Granted
Sheath for surgical instrument
AssigneeIntuitive Surgical Operations, Inc.
InventorsWilliam J. Park, S. Christopher Anderson, Thomas G. Cooper, Matthew R. Williams
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A surgical apparatus comprises an instrument shaft having a proximal end and a distal end, an end effector coupled to the distal end of the shaft, and a sheath disposed on an external surface of the instrument shaft. The sheath has a first section made of ePTFE and a second section made of a second material, wherein the second section provides a friction seal with the shaft, and wherein the ePTFE is gas-permeable.
Claims17
A surgical apparatus, comprising:
- an instrument shaft comprising a proximal end portion and a distal end portion;
- an end effector coupled to the distal end portion of the shaft;
- and
- a sheath covering an external surface of the instrument shaft, wherein:
- a first section of the sheath is made of a single layer of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) and is gas-permeable, wherein the gas permeability of the first section permits permeation of gas through the ePTFE between an interior and an exterior of the sheath so as to permit equalization of pressure between the interior and exterior of the sheath after insertion of the shaft covered by the sheath into an environment at a surgical insufflation gas pressure,
- a second section of the sheath extends from the first section proximally along the shaft, the second section of the sheath being more rigid than the first section of the sheath, and
- the sheath engages with the instrument shaft to provide a seal with the instrument shaft.
4 more elements
A sheath for a surgical apparatus, the sheath comprising:
- a hollow tubular body configured to surround a surgical apparatus and provide a barrier to infiltration of liquid and biomaterial into the surgical apparatus;
- and
- a retaining cuff attached to an end portion of the hollow tubular body, wherein the retaining cuff comprises fluorinated ethylene-propylene (FEP),
- wherein the hollow tubular body comprises:
- a first portion comprising a single layer of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE), and
- a second portion comprising FEP or PEBA,
- wherein the first portion is permeable to surgical insufflation gas so as to permit an equalization of pressure between a surgical insufflation gas pressure external to the sheath and a pressure internal to the sheath initially lower than the surgical insufflation gas pressure external to the sheath.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.