Rotary drive shaft assemblies for surgical instruments with articulatable end effectors
AssigneeEthicon Endo-Surgery, Inc.
InventorsFrederick E. Shelton, IV, Jeffrey S. Swayze, Jerome R. Morgan, John L. Stammen, Chester O. Baxter, III
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Drive shaft assemblies for a surgical instrument. Various forms include a plurality of movably interlocking joint segments that are interconnected to form a flexible hollow tube. A flexible secondary constraining member is configured in flexible constraining engagement with the plurality of movably interlocking joint segments to retain the interlocking joint segments in movable interlocking engagement while facilitating flexing of the drive shaft assembly.
Claims18
A drive shaft assembly for a surgical instrument, the drive shaft assembly comprising:
- a plurality of movably interlocking joint segments interconnected to form a flexible hollow tube, said interlocking joint segments being coupled together by a plurality of loosely interlocking opposed T-shaped portions formed therein;
- and
- a flexible secondary constraining member in flexible constraining engagement with the plurality of movably interlocking joint segments to retain the interlocking joint segments in movable interlocking engagement while facilitating flexing of the drive shaft assembly.
7-10. (canceled)
A composite drive shaft assembly for a surgical instrument, the drive shaft assembly comprising:
- a plurality of movably interlocking joint segments coupled together by a plurality of loosely interlocking opposed T-shaped portions cut into a hollow tube by a laser, the hollow tube having a proximal end and a distal end;
- and
- a flexible secondary constraining member in flexible constraining engagement with the plurality of movably interlocking joint segments to retain the interlocking joint segments in movable interlocking engagement while facilitating flexing of the drive shaft assembly.
15-21. (canceled)
A surgical instrument comprising:
- a surgical end effector configured to perform at least one action upon application of a control motion thereto;
- a drive shaft assembly operably interfacing with the surgical end effector, the drive shaft assembly comprising:
- a plurality of movably interlocking joint segments interconnected to form a flexible hollow tube;
- and
- a helically wound member extending around the perimeter of the hollow tube in flexible constraining engagement with the plurality of movably interlocking joint segments to retain the interlocking joint segments in movable interlocking engagement while facilitating flexing of the drive shaft assembly, the helically wound member including a desired pitch for transmitting the control motion to the surgical end effector upon rotation of the drive shaft assembly relative to the end effector.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.