Patent Application
20080319440
The present invention relates, in general, to electrosurgical systems and devices and, more particularly, to bipolar electrosurgical systems with interchangeable tools.
The present invention relates to surgical instruments and systems, with some embodiments relating to different electrosurgical devices such as clamps, articulated clamps, and tissue ablating clamps. Surgery generally refers to the diagnosis or treatment of injury, deformity, or disease. In a variety of surgical procedures, it is desired to ablate tissue or cause lesions in tissue. Some examples of such procedures include, without limitation, electrical isolation of the pulmonary veins to treat atrial fibrillation, ablation of uterine tissue associated with endometriosis, ablation of esophageal tissue associated with Barrett's esophagus, ablation of cancerous liver tissue, and the like. The foregoing examples are merely illustrative and not exhaustive.
Depending on the surgeon's needs, different electrosurgical devices can be plugged into and used with the same electrosurgical generator to form an electrosurgical system with different energy applying capabilities. While a variety of techniques and devices have been used to ablate or cause lesions in tissue, no one has previously made or used an electrosurgical system and electrosurgical instruments in accordance with the present invention. Other aspects of the present teaching relate to non-energy based surgical instruments and are not limited to tissue ablation.
While the specification concludes with claims which particularly point out and distinctly claim the invention, it is believed the present invention will be better understood from the following description of certain examples taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals identify the same elements and in which:
The following description of certain examples of the invention should not be used to limit the scope of the present invention. Other examples, features, aspects, embodiments, and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description, which is by way of illustration, one of the best modes contemplated for carrying out the invention. As will be realized, the invention is capable of other different and obvious aspects, all without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and descriptions should be regarded as illustrative in nature and not restrictive.
In a variety of surgical procedures, it is desirable to ablate tissue or cause lesions in tissue. Tissue ablation can be effected through a variety of different mechanisms known to those skilled in the art, such as mono-polar radiofrequency (“RF”) energy, bi-polar RF energy, cryogenic techniques, and the like. In clamping arrangements, tissue ablation can be effected through a single jaw of a clamp or through both jaws of a clamp. Tissue ablation will typically be performed once the target tissue is clamped between the closed jaws. One with ordinary skill in the art will recognize that one or more of the foregoing tissue ablation techniques may be employed with the various clamp configurations described below. One with ordinary skill in the art will also recognize advantages of the surgical clamps without tissue ablation functionality. Accordingly, the foregoing examples may or may not include ablation functionality. Examples of tissue ablating clamps are found in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/254,075, filed Oct. 19, 2005, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
As shown in
Alternately, instead of a number of electrosurgical devices, a universal handpiece or universal handle 910 can be provided that can accommodate a plurality of interchangeable shaft assemblies 970. The interchangeable shaft assemblies 970, in combination with universal handle 910, can be assembled, disassembled and reassembled into a variety of electrosurgical devices including the clamps described above. Additionally, the universal handle 910 may include an operator actuatable trigger or plunger 914 to actuate mechanical elements of a shaft assembly 910. The combination of universal handle 910 and shaft assemblies 970 could contain electronic elements that provide the electrosurgical generator 902 with information as to which tool or shaft assembly 970 is attached. With this information, generator 902 could perform any one of a number of functions that can include, but is not restricted to, activating sensors, actuating LED's and adjusting power algorithms and voltages automatically without surgeon intervention. A number of interchangeable shaft assemblies such as shaft assembly 970 may be provided for the universal handle 910. Each of the shaft assemblies 970 can have a unique distal end effector 975 that performs a set of functions. By way of example, but not inclusive, a left clamp assembly, a dissector shaft, a right clamp assembly or a shaft assembly (none of which are shown) could be attached to universal handle 910. It would be obvious to one skilled in the art that a number of alternate interchangeable shaft assemblies 970 with different end effectors 975 could be constructed. Additionally, one with ordinary skill in the art will also recognize advantages of the shaft assemblies without tissue ablation functionality that can be used with an electrosurgical system. Accordingly, the foregoing examples may or may not include ablation functionality
In
Universal handle 910 has grips 911, 912, 913 and a plunger 914. A plunger 914 is operably connected to internal drive member 923 such that activation or depression of plunger 914 may actuate end effectors 975 in a number of interchangeable shaft assemblies 970. That is, longitudinal motion and forces applied to plunger 914 can be transmitted to internal drive member 923 and then to shaft actuation mechanisms such as end effector 975 in universal shaft 910. Any one of a number of linear motion drive mechanisms, return springs, and end effector force limiting mechanisms as are known in the art can be used in any combination in universal handle 910. A lock 915 holds depressed plunger 914 at different actuation positions when plunger 914 moves distally to actuate end effectors 975. Depressing lock 915 releases a depressed and locked plunger 914 to return drive member 923 proximally and sequentially to at least one intermediate position and then to un-actuated position of
Referring to
To complete installation of shaft assembly 970 into handpiece 910, shaft retention lock 922 must be depressed to bias drive blade 922b downwardly into alignment with actuator channel 977 of and interchangeable shaft assembly 970 and to move lock blades 922c of shaft retention lock 922 downwardly to allow passage of shaft assembly 910 through opening 922a. Shaft assembly 910 is shown fully inserted into shaft socket 920 which engages male pins 921 in handle 910 to shaft female sockets 979 of shaft assembly 970, and fully engages generator 902 to shaft assembly 970 through universal handle 910. Release of shaft retention lock 922 results in spring 933 biasing shaft retention lock 922 upwardly, engaging lock blades 922 with shaft retention slots 984 and securing shaft 970 to handle 910. Release of shaft retention lock 922 also releases drive member 923 by moving unlocking blade 922b upwardly enabling drive member spring 923a to bias tab 923b into locked engagement with slot 977a of actuator 977. When tab 923b is locked into slot 977a, proximal and distal movement of plunger 914 moves actuator channel 977 of shaft assembly 970 in a like manner to actuate and de-actuate end effector 975. Thus, universal handle 910 can be removeably engaged with any one of a number of shaft assemblies 970. If desired, electronics can be deleted from a shaft assembly 970 and universal handpiece 910 can operate a completely mechanical shaft assembly 970 with plunger 914.
The universal handle 910 preferably includes a circuit board 930 that can provide a thermocouple pass through, an EEPROM pass through, a LED pass through, a shaft indicator pass through, or any one of a number of other pass throughs for shaft electronics. Additionally, electrode switching circuits can be on the circuit board 930, as well as a mount for the activation switch. In addition, a shaft retention lock out can be included to lock out engagement of generator 902 unless a shaft assembly 970 is fully inserted and locked to handle 910. If desired, a generator activation switch 916 can be added to actuate generator 902 from handpiece 910, and, if desired, may not actuate until shaft retention lock out 990 is actuated by an inserted shaft assembly 970. A shaft retention lock out can be included to lock out generator 903 until shaft retention lock 922 is fully locked. Shaft connector 932 can be mounted to the circuit board 930 if desired or connected with cabling or flex circuitry. Actuation connector 928 and RF power connector 927 can also be attached to the circuit board 930 in universal handle 910. A battery and switch can be added to handpiece 910. The switch 993 locks out the battery to conserve power and can be engaged by removal of a battery lock tab or manual actuation of switch 993.
By way of example, a circuit board for a left clamp assembly or right clamp assembly may be provided for attachment to universal handle 910. Clamp shaft assemblies can be electrically identical but differ mechanically. Two pairs of opposed electrodes may be provided with connections to a connector. A thermocouple may also be provided and extends to the connector. Shaft electronics such as an EEPROM can contain information about the shaft assembly that enables generator 903 to recognize the shaft assembly and end effector and set generator operating parameters to match. A shaft present loop can also be provided to indicate to the universal handpiece 910 and generator 903 that an interchangeable shaft assembly is operably connected to handpiece 910.
Having shown and described various embodiments of the present invention, further adaptations of the methods and systems described herein may be accomplished by appropriate modifications by one of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention. Several of such potential modifications have been mentioned, and others will be apparent to those skilled in the art. For instance, the examples, embodiments, geometries, materials, dimensions, ratios, steps, and the like discussed above are illustrative and are not required. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention should be considered in terms of the following claims and is understood not to be limited to the details of structure and operation shown and described in the specification and drawings.
While preferred embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described herein, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that such embodiments are provided by way of example only. Numerous variations, changes, and substitutions will now occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the invention. Accordingly, it is intended that the invention be limited only by the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
