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US 2020/0345355 A1Published application
Articulation control mapping for a surgical instrument
AssigneeEthicon, Inc.
InventorsChester O. Baxter, III, Richard L. Leimbach, Michael J. Stokes, Cory G. Kimball, Taylor W. Aronhalt, Matthew S. Corbin, Pierre R. Mesnil, Nicholas J. Ross, Shane R. Adams
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A surgical instrument comprising a handle, a shaft rotatable relative to the handle, and an articulation joint rotatable relative to the shaft. The surgical instrument further comprises a motor-driven articulation system including articulation controls which are flipped by a control system of the surgical instrument when the shaft is rotated upside down relative to the handle.
Claims24
A surgical instrument, comprising:
- a housing;
- a shaft extending distally from said housing, wherein said shaft defines a longitudinal axis;
- a rotation joint rotatably connecting said shaft to said housing, wherein said shaft is rotatable relative to said handle about said longitudinal axis;
- an articulation joint;
- an end effector rotatably connected to said shaft about said articulation joint, wherein said end effector comprises a first jaw and a second jaw, wherein said end effector is rotatable within a first range of orientations in which said first jaw is positioned vertically above said second jaw and a second range of orientations in which said second jaw is positioned vertically above said first jaw;
- and
- an articulation drive system configured to articulate said end effector relative to said shaft, wherein said articulation drive system comprises:
- a control system;
- an electric motor in communication with said control system;
- an articulation actuator in communication with said control system, wherein said articulation actuator is actuatable into a first state and a second state;
- and
- an articulation driver driveable by said electric motor to articulate said end effector, wherein said control system is configured to operate in:
- a first operational state when said shaft is oriented in said first range of orientations, wherein said control system is configured to operate said electric motor to articulate said end effector in a first direction relative to said shaft when said articulation actuator is actuated into said first state, wherein said control system is configured to operate said electric motor to articulate said end effector in a second direction relative to said shaft when said articulation actuator is actuated into said second state, and wherein said second direction is opposite said first direction;
- and
- a second operational state when said shaft is oriented in said second range of orientations, wherein said control system is configured to operate said electric motor to articulate said end effector in said second direction relative to said shaft when said articulation actuator is actuated into said first state, and wherein said control system is configured to operate said electric motor to articulate said end effector in said first direction relative to said shaft when said articulation actuator is actuated into said second state.
12 more elements
A surgical instrument, comprising:
- a housing comprising a top;
- a shaft extending distally from said housing, wherein said shaft defines a longitudinal axis;
- a rotation joint rotatably connecting said shaft to said housing, wherein said shaft is rotatable relative to said handle about said longitudinal axis;
- an articulation joint;
- an end effector rotatably connected to said shaft about said articulation joint, wherein said end effector comprises a first jaw and a second jaw, wherein said end effector is rotatable within a first range of orientations in which said first jaw is positioned closer to said top than said second jaw and a second range of orientations in which said second jaw is positioned closer to said top than said first jaw;
- and
- an articulation drive system configured to articulate said end effector relative to said shaft, wherein said articulation drive system comprises:
- a control system;
- an electric motor in communication with said control system;
- an articulation actuator in communication with said control system, wherein said articulation actuator is actuatable into a first state and a second state;
- and
- an articulation driver driveable by said electric motor to articulate said end effector, wherein said control system is configured to operate in:
- a first operational state when said shaft is oriented in said first range of orientations, wherein said control system is configured to operate said electric motor to articulate said end effector in a first direction relative to said shaft when said articulation actuator is actuated into said first state, wherein said control system is configured to operate said electric motor to articulate said end effector in a second direction relative to said shaft when said articulation actuator is actuated into said second state, and wherein said second direction is opposite said first direction;
- and
- a second operational state when said shaft is oriented in said second range of orientations, wherein said control system is configured to operate said electric motor to articulate said end effector in said second direction relative to said shaft when said articulation actuator is actuated into said first state, and wherein said control system is configured to operate said electric motor to articulate said end effector in said first direction relative to said shaft when said articulation actuator is actuated into said second state.
12 more elements
A surgical instrument, comprising:
- a housing;
- a shaft extending distally from said housing, wherein said shaft defines a longitudinal axis;
- a rotation joint rotatably connecting said shaft to said housing, wherein said shaft is rotatable relative to said handle about said longitudinal axis;
- an articulation joint;
- an end effector rotatably connected to said shaft about said articulation joint, wherein said end effector comprises a first jaw and a second jaw, wherein said end effector is rotatable within a first range of orientations in which said first jaw is positioned vertically above said second jaw and a second range of orientations in which said second jaw is positioned vertically above said first jaw;
- and
- an articulation drive system configured to articulate said end effector relative to said shaft, wherein said articulation drive system comprises:
- a control system;
- an electric motor in communication with said control system;
- an articulation actuator controls in communication with said control system, wherein said articulation actuator is actuatable into a first state and a second state;
- an articulation driver driveable by said electric motor to articulate said end effector, wherein said control system is configured to operate in a first operational state when said shaft is oriented in said first range of orientations and a second operational state when said shaft is oriented in said second range of orientations;
- and
- wherein said control system is configured to flip the response of said electric motor relative to said articulation actuator controls when said shaft is flipped from said first range of orientations into said second range of orientations.
10 more elements
A surgical instrument, comprising:
- a housing comprising a top;
- a shaft extending distally from said housing, wherein said shaft defines a longitudinal axis;
- a rotation joint rotatably connecting said shaft to said housing, wherein said shaft is rotatable relative to said handle about said longitudinal axis;
- an articulation joint;
- an end effector rotatably connected to said shaft about said articulation joint, wherein said end effector comprises a first jaw and a second jaw, wherein said end effector is rotatable within a first range of orientations in which said first jaw is positioned closer to said top than said second jaw and a second range of orientations in which said second jaw is positioned closer to said top than said first jaw;
- and
- an articulation drive system configured to articulate said end effector relative to said shaft, wherein said articulation drive system comprises:
- a control system;
- an electric motor in communication with said control system;
- an articulation actuator in communication with said control system, wherein said articulation actuator is actuatable into a first state and a second state;
- an articulation driver driveable by said electric motor to articulate said end effector, wherein said control system is configured to operate in a first operational state when said shaft is oriented in said first range of orientations and a second operational state when said shaft is oriented in said second range of orientations;
- and
- wherein said control system is configured to flip the response of said electric motor relative to said articulation actuator controls when said shaft is flipped from said first range of orientations into said second range of orientations.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.