Laparoscopic device with compound angulation
AssigneeEthicon Endo-Surgery, Inc.
InventorsMichael J. Stokes, Christopher J. Hess, William B. Weisenburgh, II
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods and devices are provided for performing minimally invasive surgical procedures. In one embodiment, a surgical device is provided that includes an elongate shaft having a distal portion configured to be movable between a first configuration in which the distal portion of the shaft is substantially straight or linear and a second configuration in which the distal portion of the shaft is bent at a compound angle. The shaft's distal portion can be configured to be articulated in a wide range of compound angles and can be configured to be selectively locked in a fixed position anywhere within that range.
Claims19
An articulating laparoscopic device, comprising:
- an elongate shaft having first and second articulation joints such that the shaft is configured to form compound angles;
- an end effector coupled to a distal end of the elongate shaft and positioned distal of the first and second articulation joints;
- and
- an articulator element extending through the elongate shaft and configured to rigidly maintain the elongate shaft in a plurality of positions in which the elongate shaft has compound angles.
An articulating laparoscopic device, comprising:
- an elongate shaft;
- a first linkage coupled to a distal end of the elongate shaft at a first articulation joint;
- a second linkage coupled to a distal end of the first linkage at a second articulation joint;
- and
- an articulator element having a proximal articulation rod extending through the elongate shaft and a distal articulation rod extending through the first linkage, a proximal end of the distal articulation rod being pivotally coupled to a distal end of the proximal articulation rod at a pivot point that floats laterally relative to the elongate shaft and the first linkage, and a distal end of the distal articulation rod being coupled to the second linkage.
An articulating laparoscopic device, comprising:
- an elongate shaft;
- a first linkage having a proximal end coupled to a distal end of the elongate shaft at a first articulation joint;
- a second linkage having a proximal end coupled to a distal end of the first linkage at a second articulation joint, the second articulation joint being movable toward and away from a longitudinal axis of the elongate shaft such that the first and second linkages are movable between an initial position in which the first and second linkages are longitudinally aligned with the longitudinal axis of the elongate shaft and an articulated position in which the first and second linkages are angularly oriented relative to the longitudinal axis of the elongate shaft;
- an end effector coupled to a distal end of the second linkage;
- and
- a rigid articulator element having a proximal portion disposed within the elongate shaft and configured to translate longitudinally relative to the elongate shaft, and a distal portion disposed within the first linkage and configured to translate laterally relative to the first linkage.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.