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US 12,193,725 B2Granted
Surgical clamp
AssigneeAtriCure, Inc.
InventorsJames David Hughett, Sr., Salvatore Privitera
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A surgical clamp including a pair of jaws, which may be used to ablate or create lesions in tissue. In an exemplary embodiment, the jaws are movable between an articulated position in which the jaws are separated and not parallel to one another, an opened position in which the jaws are separated and substantially parallel to one another, and a closed position in which the jaws are adjacent and substantially parallel to one another.
Claims19
A surgical clamp, comprising:
- an end effector including,
- a head configured to be disposed at a distal end of a shaft,
- a first jaw and a second jaw extending from the head,
- a first rotating offset, the first rotating offset being rotatably mounted to the head, the first rotating offset being pivotably coupled to the first jaw, and
- a second rotating offset, the second rotating offset being rotatably mounted to the head, the second rotating offset being pivotably and slidably coupled to the first jaw;
- wherein the first rotating offset and the second rotating offset are configured to articulate the first jaw by rotation of the first rotating offset and the second rotating offset effected by movement of at least one linkage;
- and
- wherein the end effector is configured to move between an open position in which the first jaw and the second jaw are separated and substantially non-parallel, an intermediate position in which the first jaw and the second jaw are separated by a first distance and substantially parallel, and a closed position in which the first jaw and the second jaw are separated by a second distance, less than the first distance, and substantially parallel to one another.
5 more elements
A surgical clamp, comprising:
- an end effector including,
- a head configured to be disposed at a distal end of a shaft,
- a first jaw and a second jaw extending from the head,
- a first rotating offset comprising a first pulley, the first rotating offset being rotatably mounted to the head, the first rotating offset being pivotably coupled to the first jaw by a first pin, and
- a second rotating offset comprising a second pulley, the second rotating offset being rotatably mounted to the head, the second rotating offset being pivotably and slidably coupled to the first jaw by a second pin mounted to the second rotating offset, the second pin being slidable in a slot disposed in the first jaw;
- wherein the first rotating offset and the second rotating offset are configured to articulate the first jaw by rotation of the first rotating offset and the second rotating offset effected by movement of at least one linkage;
- and
- wherein the end effector is configured to move between an open position in which the first jaw and the second jaw are separated and substantially non-parallel, an intermediate position in which the first jaw and the second jaw are separated by a first distance and substantially parallel, and a closed position in which the first jaw and the second jaw are separated by a second distance, less than the first distance, and substantially parallel to one another.
5 more elements
A method of operating a surgical device comprising an end effector including a head, a first jaw, and a second jaw, the first jaw and the second jaw coupled to and extending from the head, the method comprising:
- repositioning the first jaw from an open position in which the first jaw and the second jaw are separated and substantially non-parallel to an intermediate position in which the first jaw and the second jaw are separated by a first distance and substantially parallel, and to a closed position in which the first jaw and the second jaw are separated by a second distance, less than the first distance, and substantially parallel to one another, where repositioning the first jaw comprises,
- rotating a first rotating offset rotatably mounted to the head, the first rotating offset being pivotably coupled to the first jaw, and
- rotating a second rotating offset rotatably mounted to the head, the second rotating offset being pivotably and slidably coupled to the first jaw.
The method of 14, wherein:
- rotating the first jaw relative to the second rotating offset comprises rotating the first jaw relative to the second rotating offset about the second pin;
- and
- translating the first jaw relative to the second rotating offset comprises translating the second pin relative to the slot.
A surgical clamp, comprising:
- an end effector including,
- a first jaw including a first sliding pin slot and a first rotating pin cavity,
- a second jaw including a second sliding pin slot and a second rotating pin cavity,
- a first rotating offset comprising a first pulley, the first rotating offset being mounted to a head, the first rotating offset being pivotably and slidably coupled to the first jaw by a first pin received within the first sliding pin slot, and
- a second rotating offset comprising a second pulley, the second rotating offset being mounted to the head, the second rotating offset being pivotably and slidably coupled to the second jaw by a second pin mounted to the second rotating offset, the second pin received within the second sliding pin slot;
- wherein the first rotating offset and the second rotating offset are configured to articulate the first jaw and the second jaw by rotation of the first rotating offset and the second rotating offset effected by movement of at least one linkage;
- and
- wherein the end effector is configured to move between an open position in which the first jaw and the second jaw are separated and substantially non-parallel, an intermediate position in which the first jaw and the second jaw are separated by a first distance and substantially parallel, and a closed position in which the first jaw and the second jaw are separated by a second distance, less than the first distance, and substantially parallel to one another.
5 more elements
An end effector, comprising:
- a first wheel rotatable about a first axis, the first wheel including a first pin radially spaced from the first axis and parallel to the first axis;
- a second wheel rotatable about a second axis, the second wheel including a second pin radially spaced from the second axis and parallel to the second axis;
- a first jaw defining a first hole and a first slot, the first pin of the first wheel received in the first slot of the first jaw;
- a second jaw defining a second hole and a second slot, the second pin of the second wheel received in the second slot of the second jaw,
- wherein the first and second jaws are movable relative to one another between a first open non-parallel state, a second open parallel state, and a third closed parallel state in response to rotation of at least one of the first and second wheels.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.