Endoscopic instrument having a torsionally stiff drive shaft for applying fasteners to tissue
AssigneeEthicon, Inc.
InventorsMichael D. Hooven, Joseph C. Hueil
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A drive mechanism for an endoscopic surgical instrument which has a rotatable drive shaft and a mechanism for translating the rotational force of the shaft for applying fasteners to tissue during endoscopic surgery.
Claims17
An instrument for applying fasteners to tissue during endoscopic surgery, said instrument comprising a handle portion for manipulation outside a body of a mammal, means comprising a business head for applying a fastener to tissue within the body of said mammal;
- and a housing portion connecting said handle portion to said business head, said housing portion and said business head insertable into said mammal endoscopically through a trocar cannula, said housing portion having a rotatable drive shaft disposed therein and extending from said handle portion to said business head, said drive shaft being torsionally stiff to generate sufficient force to drive a fastener through tissue and apply said fastener to the tissue, and means disposed in said business head for translating the rotational forces of the drive shaft into non-rotational forces for applying said fastener and wherein the means disposed in said business head for translating the rotational forces of the drive shaft into non-rotational forces translates said rotational forces into reciprocating forces for applying said fastener.
An instrument for applying fasteners to tissue during endoscopic surgery, said instrument comprising a handle portion for manipulation outside a body of a human, means comprising a business head for applying a fastener to tissue within the body of said human;
- and a flexible housing portion connecting said handle portion to said business head, said housing portion and said business head insertable into said mammal endoscopically through a trocar cannula, said flexible housing portion having a rotatable, axially flexible, torsionally stiff drive shaft disposed therein and extending from said handle portion to said business head to generate sufficient forces to drive a fastener through tissue and apply said fastener to the tissue and wherein the means disposed in said business head for translating the rotational forces of the drive shaft into non-rotational forces translates said rotational forces into reciprocating forces for applying said fastener.
An instrument for applying fasteners to tissue during endoscopic surgery, said instrument comprising a handle portion for manipulation outside the body of a human, means comprising a business head for applying a fastener to tissue within the body of said human;
- and a flexible housing portion connecting said handle portion to said business head, said housing portion and said business insertable into said mammal endoscopically through a trocar cannula, said flexible housing portion having an axially flexible, torsionally stiff rotatable drive shaft disposed therein and extending from said handle portion to said business head to apply sufficient force to said business head to apply a fastener to tissue, means disposed in said flexible housing for controlling the position of said business head with respect to said handle portion and means disposed in said business head for translating the rotational forces of the drive shaft into non-rotational forces for applying said fastener and wherein the means disposed in said business head for translating the rotational forces of the drive shaft into non-rotational forces translates said rotational forces into reciprocating forces for applying said fastener.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.