Instrument flushing system
AssigneeIntuitive Surgical Operations, Inc.
InventorsBram Gilbert Antoon Lambrecht, S. Christopher Anderson, Thomas G. Cooper
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A medical instrument includes an instrument shaft with exit holes near a distal end of the shaft, a tool coupled to the distal end of the shaft, and a backend. The backend may include a mechanism that manipulates a drive element that extends through the shaft and couples to the tool, a fluid inlet, and a fluid channel assembly providing fluid communication between the fluid inlet and the proximal end of the shaft. Cleaning fluid is directed into the fluid inlet, through the fluid channel assembly, and into the shaft. A chassis or other structural piece of the backend may form part of the fluid channel assembly.
Claims20
A medical device, comprising:
- a housing;
- a shaft extending from the housing;
- a drive element manipulation mechanism within the housing;
- a drive element coupled to the drive element manipulation mechanism;
- a cap comprising a cap opening;
- and
- a guide comprising a guide opening;
- wherein the guide opening overlaps with the cap opening to form a through hole smaller than the cap opening and smaller than the guide opening;
- wherein the drive element extends from the drive element manipulation mechanism through the through hole and into the shaft;
- and
- wherein the through hole is sized to provide a close fit around the drive element to prevent a fluid from passing through the through hole.
A medical device, comprising:
- a housing;
- a shaft extending from the housing;
- a drive element extending from the housing into the shaft;
- a cap comprising a cap opening;
- and
- a guide comprising a guide opening;
- wherein the guide opening overlaps with the cap opening to form a through hole smaller than the cap opening and smaller than the guide opening;
- wherein the drive element extends through the through hole;
- and
- wherein the through hole is sized to provide a close fit around the drive element to prevent a fluid from passing through the through hole.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.