Articulation indicator for a surgical instrument
AssigneeCilag GmbH International
InventorsRICHARD L. LEIMBACH, MICHAEL J. STOKES
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A surgical instrument comprising an end effector and a closure actuator configured to engage with the end effector is disclosed. The surgical instrument further comprises an articulation drive operable to rotate the end effector about an articulation joint when the closure drive is in its partially-closed position. The surgical instrument further comprises a closure lock biased toward a top portion of the closure actuator and configured to interact with a top notch such that the closure actuator remains in a fully open position, a partially closed position, or a fully closed position.
Claims20
A surgical instrument comprising:
- a shaft;
- an end effector positioned at a distal end of the shaft, wherein the end effector is articulatable about an articulation joint;
- an articulation drive configured to articulate the end effector about the articulation joint;
- a control system in communication with the articulation drive;
- and
- an indicator configured to indicate a direction in which the end effector is being articulated.
A surgical instrument comprising:
- a handle;
- a shaft extending from the handle;
- an end effector positioned at a distal end of the shaft, wherein the end effector is articulatable about an articulation joint;
- an articulation drive configured to articulate the end effector about the articulation joint;
- a control system in communication with the articulation drive;
- a first indicator light positioned on a first side of the end effector;
- and
- a second indicator light positioned on a second side of the end effector opposite the first side, wherein the control system is configured to illuminate the first indicator light when the articulation drive articulates the end effector in a first direction and illuminate the second indicator light when the articulation drive articulates the end effector in a second direction opposite the first direction.
A surgical instrument comprising:
- a handle;
- a shaft extending from the handle;
- an end effector positioned at a distal end of the shaft, wherein the end effector is articulatable about an articulation joint;
- an articulation driver comprising a portion visible to a clinician;
- and
- indicia on the visible portion of the articulation driver, the indicia visually indicating a correspondence between a direction of translation of the articulation driver and a direction of articulation of the end effector.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.