Back to results
US 11,696,776 B2Granted
Articulatable surgical instrument
AssigneeCilag GmbH International
InventorsFrederick E. Shelton, IV, Kevin M. Fiebig, Mark S. Zeiner
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A surgical instrument that includes a surgical end effector that is articulatable relative to a proximal shaft segment of the surgical instrument. The surgical end effector is attached to the proximal shaft segment by an articulation joint that comprises a plurality of movably interconnected links that interface with a centrally disposed drive member to apply articulation motions thereto and which serve to provide improved lateral stability to the articulation joint.
Claims23
A surgical instrument, comprising:
- a surgical end effector comprising an end effector frame assembly;
- and
- a proximal shaft segment defining a shaft axis, wherein said proximal shaft segment is attached to said end effector frame assembly by an articulation system to facilitate articulation of said end effector frame assembly relative to said proximal shaft segment about an articulation axis that is transverse to said shaft axis, wherein said articulation system comprises:
- a first link comprising:
- a first link proximal end pivotally coupled to said proximal shaft segment;
- and
- a first link distal end, wherein said articulation system further comprises:
- a second link, comprising:
- a second link proximal end pivotally coupled to said first link distal end;
- and
- a second link distal end pivotally coupled to said end effector frame assembly, wherein said articulation system further comprises an axially movable articulation actuator pivotally pinned to said first link at a location between said first link proximal end and said first link distal end to apply articulation motions thereto, and wherein axial movement of said axially movable articulation actuator only in a proximal axial direction causes articulation of said end effector frame assembly in a first articulation direction and articulation of said axially movable articulation actuator only in a distal axial direction causes articulation of said end effector frame assembly in a second articulation direction.
8 more elements
A surgical instrument, comprising:
- a surgical end effector comprising:
- an end effector frame assembly;
- a first jaw pivotally coupled to said end effector frame assembly;
- and
- a second jaw pivotally coupled to said first jaw, wherein said first jaw and said second jaw are pivotally movable between an open position and a closed position upon application of axial control motions to said second jaw, and wherein said surgical instrument further comprises:
- a proximal shaft segment defining a shaft axis, wherein said proximal shaft segment is attached to said end effector frame assembly by an articulation system, wherein said articulation system is configured to facilitate articulation of said end effector frame assembly relative to said proximal shaft segment about an articulation axis that is transverse to said shaft axis, wherein said articulation system comprises:
- a right L-shaped proximal link comprising:
- a right link proximal end pivotally coupled to said proximal shaft segment;
- and
- a right link distal end, and wherein said articulation system further comprises:
- a left L-shaped proximal link comprising:
- a left link proximal end pivotally coupled to said proximal shaft segment;
- and
- a left link distal end, and wherein said articulation system further comprises:
- a distal link
- pivotally coupled to said right link distal end and said left link distal end and said end effector frame assembly, wherein said articulation system further comprises an axially movable articulation actuator, wherein said axially movable articulation actuator is pivotally pinned to said right L-shaped proximal link at a location between said right link proximal end and said right link distal end to apply articulation motions thereto, wherein said axially movable articulation actuator is pivotally pinned to said left L-shaped proximal link at another location between said left link proximal end and said left link distal end to apply articulation motions thereto, and wherein said surgical instrument further comprises:
- a drive member coupled to said second jaw to apply said axial control motions thereto.
14 more elements
A surgical instrument, comprising:
- a surgical end effector;
- a shaft assembly defining a shaft axis;
- an articulation joint coupling said surgical end effector to said shaft assembly, wherein said articulation joint comprises:
- a right proximal link comprising a right L-shaped link body comprising a first right link leg portion and a second right link leg portion non-movably extending from the first right link leg portion to define a right link corner portion therebetween;
- a left proximal link comprising a left L-shaped link body comprising a first left link leg portion and a second left link leg portion non-movably extending from the first left link leg portion to define a left link corner portion therebetween;
- a proximal link pin coupled to said right link corner portion and said left link corner portion and extending therebetween;
- an axially movable articulation actuator operably interfacing with said proximal link pin to apply articulation motions thereto;
- and
- a second link pivotally coupled to said surgical end effector and said right proximal link and said left proximal link.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.