Latch mechanism for surgical instruments
AssigneeEthicon Endo-Surgery, Inc.
InventorsKenneth S. Wales, Charles A. Hansford, J. David Hughett
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A surgical instrument including a handle and a trigger is designed to be closed and latched by the operator, and includes a latch mechanism. The latch mechanism includes a latch on the grip, a latch knob including a latching notch on the trigger and a latch guide on the trigger to guide the latch hook into the latching notch.
Claims22
A surgical instrument including a latch mechanism, said latch mechanism comprising:
- a latch attached to and extending from a first handle of said surgical instrument;
- a latch knob including a guide surface and a latching notch on a second handle of said surgical instrument;
- and
- a latch guide on said second handle of said surgical instrument.
A surgical instrument including a latch mechanism, said latch mechanism comprising:
- a latch attached to and extending from a first handle of said surgical instrument, wherein said latch comprises:
- a flexible latch body adapted to flex around an axis;
- and
- a latch hook extending from said latch body in a direction substantially parallel to said axis;
- a latch guide on a second handle of said surgical instrument, wherein said latch guide comprises a first surface, said first surface being sloped toward a latching notch;
- and
- a latch knob on a mounting surface attached to said second handle of said surgical instrument, wherein said latch knob comprises:
- at least one deflecting surface;
- and
- said latching notch.
A surgical instrument including first and second elongated handles and including a latch mechanism, said latch mechanism comprising:
- a latch hook connected to and spaced from said first handle such that said latch hook is adapted to move in a first direction and in a second, opposite direction;
- a latch knob including a latching notch connected to a mounting surface of said second handle, said latch knob extending from said mounting surface in a direction which is substantially perpendicular to said first direction;
- a latch guide extending from said second handle and having at least a first surface separated from said latching notch;
- said first elongated handle includes first and second walls on either side of said latch hook;
- and
- said second elongated handle including an orientation guide.
An endoscopic surgical instrument comprising:
- a handle wherein said handle comprises a first handle element and a second handle element and a knife trigger;
- an end effector connected to said handle through an elongated tube, wherein said end effector comprises:
- a pair of grasping jaws;
- and
- a knife adapted to move between said jaws wherein said knife is connected to said knife trigger;
- and
- a latch mechanism, said latch mechanism comprising:
- a latch attached to and extending from said first handle of said surgical instrument;
- and
- a latch knob including a guide surface and a latching notch on said second handle of said surgical instrument.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.