Surgical instrument with mechanical harmonic generator
AssigneeCilag GmbH International
InventorsBrian W. Bear, Joshua D. Wilson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A surgical instrument includes an ultrasonic blade and a mechanical harmonic generator coupled to the ultrasonic blade. The mechanical harmonic generator includes an exciter wheel operatively coupled to an electric motor. The exciter wheel, when rotated by the electric motor, causes the ultrasonic blade to vibrate at a reference frequency. In some embodiments, the exciter wheel may be in contact with the ultrasonic blade and rotate on the ultrasonic blade by stick-slip motion. Additionally, the mechanical harmonic generator may include a resonator assembly and a tensile vibrator, and the exciter wheel may be contact with the resonator assembly or the tensile vibrator.
Claims20
A surgical instrument comprising:
- an end effector having an ultrasonic blade;
- and
- a mechanical harmonic generator coupled to the ultrasonic blade, wherein the mechanical harmonic generator includes an exciter wheel operatively coupled to an electric motor, wherein the exciter wheel, when rotated by the electric motor, causes the ultrasonic blade to vibrate at a reference frequency.
A surgical instrument comprising:
- an ultrasonic blade;
- an electric motor having a motor shaft;
- an exciter wheel operatively coupled to the motor shaft of the electric motor and in contact with the ultrasonic blade, and
- wherein the electric motor is configured to rotate the exciter wheel on the ultrasonic blade to cause the ultrasonic blade to vibrate at a reference frequency.
A surgical instrument comprising:
- an ultrasonic blade;
- a resonator assembly coupled to the ultrasonic blade
- an electric motor;
- an exciter wheel operatively coupled to the electric motor and in contact with the ultrasonic blade, and
- wherein the exciter wheel, when rotated by the electric motor, causes the resonator assembly to vibrate at a reference frequency, and wherein the resonator assembly, when vibrated by the exciter wheel, causes the ultrasonic blade to vibrate at the reference frequency.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.