Method and waveguides for changing the direction of longitudinal vibrations
AssigneeEthicon Endo-Surgery, Inc.
InventorJean M. Beaupre
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A curved ultrasonic waveguide, as used in an ultrasonic surgical instrument, includes two curved half-wave sections, having similar vibratory motion at their respective distal tips, which are integrally or compressively joined at the distal tips to create a single waveguide with a sharper bend radius than is conventionally possible. The resulting waveguide does not produce parasitic motion or generate excessive heat at the input or output portions of the waveguide.
Claims20
A waveguide for redirecting substantially longitudinal ultrasonic vibrations along a first axis to substantially longitudinal motion along a second axis inclined at an angle relative to the first axis, the waveguide comprising;
- first and second half-wave sections, each half-wave section including a straight portion, a balancing region, and a curved portion with an end tip located in series along the length of the half-wave section,
- the straight portion of the first half-wave section extending along the first axis, and the curved portion of the first half-wave section curving from the first axis to the curved portion of the second half-wave section;
- the straight portion of the second half-wave section extending along the second axis, and the curved portion of the second half-wave section curving from the curved portion of the first half-section to the second axis;
- the half-wave sections being joined at the tips of their curved portions, and wherein the ultrasonic vibrations at the tip of the curved portion of the first half-wave section are substantially identical in magnitude and direction to the vibrations at the tip of the curved portion of the second half-wave section.
A method for redirecting substantially longitudinal ultrasonic vibrations along a first axis to substantially longitudinal motion along a second axis inclined at an angle relative to the first axis, the method comprising
- providing first and second half-wave sections, each half-wave section including a straight portion, a balancing region, and a curved portion with an end tip located in series along the length of the half-wave section,
- the straight portion of the first half-wave section extending along the first axis, and the curved portion of the first half-wave section curving from the first axis to the curved portion of the second half-wave section;
- the straight portion of the second half-wave section extending along the second axis, and the curved portion of the second half-wave section curving from the curved portion of the first half-section to the second axis;
- joining together the half-wave sections at the tips of their curved portions, and providing ultrasonic vibrations at the tip of the curved portion of the first half-wave section which are substantially identical in magnitude and direction to the vibrations at the tip of the curved portion of the second half-wave section.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.