Accurate jaw closure force in a catheter based instrument
AssigneeCovidien LP
InventorDuane E. Kerr
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A surgical instrument includes a housing, an end effector and an elongated shaft extending therebetween. The end effector is movable between open and closed configurations. The elongated shaft includes a distal portion that is movable between aligned and articulated configurations. The surgical instrument further includes a driving assembly that induces motion in the end effector between open and closed configuration and maintains a closure pressure in the range of about 3 kg/cm2 to about 16 kg/cm2 between aligned and articulated configurations of the elongated shaft.
Claims13
1-20. (canceled)
An articulating surgical instrument, comprising:
- a housing;
- an elongated shaft extending distally from the housing and defining a longitudinal axis, the elongated shaft having a proximal portion and an articulating distal portion;
- an end effector disposed at a distal end of the articulating distal portion and having first and second opposable jaw members movable between an open configuration for receiving tissue between the opposable jaw members and a closed configuration for grasping tissue between the opposable jaw members, the end effector configured to be articulated by the articulating distal portion;
- and
- a driving assembly disposed within the housing and configured to receive an input for remotely moving the opposable jaw members between the open and closed configurations, the driving assembly including a spring configured to be compressed to cause a drive wire to move longitudinally within the elongated shaft to move the opposable jaw members between the open and closed configurations, wherein the spring stretches as a result of the articulating distal portion articulating relative to the longitudinal axis thereby placing the drive wire under increased tension as a result of a spring force on the stretched spring.
An articulating surgical instrument, comprising:
- a housing;
- an elongated shaft extending distally from the housing and defining a longitudinal axis;
- an end effector having first and second opposable jaw members movable between an open configuration for receiving tissue between the opposable jaw members and a closed configuration for grasping tissue between the opposable jaw members;
- a plurality of joints interconnecting the end effector to the elongated shaft and configured to articulate the end effector relative to the longitudinal axis;
- and
- a driving assembly disposed within the housing and configured to receive an input for remotely moving the opposable jaw members between the open and closed configurations, the driving assembly including a spring configured to be compressed to cause a drive wire to move longitudinally within the elongated shaft to move the opposable jaw members between the open and closed configurations, wherein the spring stretches as a result of the plurality of joints articulating the end effector relative to the longitudinal axis thereby placing the drive wire under increased tension as a result of a spring force on the stretched spring.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.