US 12,746,003 B2 · Surgical instrument with adjustable jaws

Abstract

A surgical instrument, such as a tissue sealing instrument, is provided with an end effector having first and second movable jaws that define a gap therebetween in the closed position for clamping, sealing and/or stapling tissue. The jaws are movable relative to each other in the closed position to reduce a thickness of least one portion of this gap. This configuration allows the jaws to be moved closer together to reduce the overall size of the instrument when, for example, the instrument is introduced and retracted through an opening in the patient, or maneuvered within a body cavity. The surgical instrument may also have multiple settings for use with different staple cartridges, while still maintaining a fixed dimension between the two jaws for clamping, stapling and/or sealing tissue, providing a more adaptable surgical instrument that allows the surgeon to use different staple cartridges without having to change surgical instruments.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A surgical instrument comprising:

a drive member having first and second projections;
and
an end effector comprising a first jaw and a second jaw, at least one of the first jaw and the second jaw being configured to move relative to the other of the first and second jaws to move the end effector from an open position to a closed position, wherein the first jaw defines first and second longitudinal slots each configured to accommodate the first projection of the drive member, wherein the first longitudinal slot is positioned a first distance relative to the second jaw and wherein the second longitudinal slot is positioned at a second distance relative to the second jaw, the first distance being different than the second distance, wherein the second jaw defines a third longitudinal slot configured to accommodate the second projection of the drive member;
wherein during a first operational mode, the first projection travels within the first longitudinal slot of the first jaw;
and
wherein during a second operational mode, the first projection travels within the second longitudinal slot of the first jaw.

3 more elements

A surgical instrument comprising:

a drive member having first and second projections;
and
an end effector comprising a first jaw and a second jaw, the end effector being configured to move between an open position and a closed position, wherein the first jaw defines first and second longitudinal slots each configured to accommodate the first projection of the drive member, wherein the second jaw defines a third longitudinal slot configured to accommodate the second projection of the drive member;
wherein during a first operational mode, the first projection travels within the first longitudinal slot of the first jaw;
wherein during a second operational mode, the first projection travels within the second longitudinal slot of the first jaw;
and
wherein the jaws are in a first position when the first projection is translated through the first longitudinal slot and the jaws are in a second position when the first projection is translated through the second longitudinal slot, and wherein the first and second jaws define a gap therebetween in the closed position, the gap extending substantially along a longitudinal axis of the end effector, and wherein the gap has a first thickness between the first and second jaws in the first position and the gap has a second thickness between the first and second jaws in the second position, the first thickness being greater than the second thickness.

4 more elements

A surgical instrument comprising:

a drive member having first and second projections;
and
an end effector comprising a first jaw and a second jaw, the end effector being configured to move between an open position and a closed position, wherein the first jaw defines first and second longitudinal slots each configured to accommodate the first projection of the drive member, wherein the second jaw defines a third longitudinal slot configured to accommodate the second projection of the drive member;
wherein during a first operational mode, the first projection travels within the first longitudinal slot of the first jaw;
wherein during a second operational mode, the first projection travels within the second longitudinal slot of the first jaw;
and
an actuator configured to switch between the first operational mode and the second operational mode, wherein the actuator comprises a camming surface configured to cooperate with the first projection of the drive member such that distal translation of the drive member moves the first projection from the first longitudinal slot to the second longitudinal slot.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Surgical instrument with adjustable jaws

Life of this patent

Surgical instrument with adjustable jaws

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims19