The present disclosure relates to surgical instruments and, more particularly, to jaw members of energy-based surgical instruments and energy-based surgical instruments incorporating the same.
Many energy-based surgical instruments employ an end effector including one or more jaw members configured to facilitate clamping, manipulating, and/or applying energy to tissue to treat tissue.
Ultrasonic surgical instruments, for example, utilize ultrasonic energy in the form of ultrasonic vibrations to coagulate, cauterize, fuse, seal, cut, desiccate, fulgurate, or otherwise treat tissue. The ultrasonic energy is typically produced by a generator and transducer and is transmitted along a waveguide to an end effector of the ultrasonic surgical instrument. The end effector may include a blade that receives the ultrasonic energy from the waveguide for application to tissue and a jaw member configured to clamp tissue between the blade and the jaw member to facilitate treatment thereof.
As vibrations induced in the blade and thermal energy generated by the blade may be transferred to the jaw member, jaw members have been developed that include a jaw liner engaged to a structural body of the jaw member. While the jaw liner inhibits vibrations and thermal energy from being transferred to the structural body, the jaw liner is subject to wear from repeated and/or prolonged contact with the energized blade.
As used herein, the term “distal” refers to the portion that is being described which is further from a user, while the term “proximal” refers to the portion that is being described which is closer to a user. Further, to the extent consistent, any of the aspects described herein may be used in conjunction with any or all of the other aspects described herein.
Provided in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure is a surgical instrument including a support frame and a jaw member.
The support frame defines a first and a second non-circular aperture, each of which further define at least one stop surface. The jaw member includes a structural body, which itself further includes a proximal flange portion and an elongated distal portion extending distally from the proximal flange portion. A jaw liner is engaged with the base of the elongated distal portion and defines a tissue-contacting surface. A first and a second pivot boss protrude from opposite sides of the proximal flange portion and at least partially into the first and second non-circular apertures, respectively. Each pivot boss is non-circular and defines at least one stop surface configured to mate with the at least one stop surface of the respective non-circular aperture to stop rotation of the jaw member.
In aspects, the support frame is an inner tube extending between a handle assembly and an end effector of the surgical instrument.
In aspects, the first and second non-circular apertures are defined in a pair of support arms disposed on the distal end of the support frame.
In aspects, the first and second non-circular apertures are coupled with the first and second pivot bosses such that the first and second pivot bosses are operably connected to the pair of support arms.
In aspects, the pair of support arms are spaced apart such that the first and second non-circular apertures are transversely oriented with respect to one another.
In aspects, the first and second apertures are configured to pivotably receive the first and second pivot bosses and to allow only partial rotation of the first and second pivot bosses when coupled.
In aspects, each aperture is in the shape of a partial circle with a shelf portion in the lower distal quadrant, such that the at least one stop surface of each pivot boss will come into contact with the at least one stop surface of each aperture when rotated to prevent further closure of the jaw member.
In aspects, each pivot boss is semi-circular in shape.
In aspects, the first and second pivot bosses are configured to actuate the jaw member between an open position and a closed position, such that when the first and second pivot bosses are vertically oriented the jaw member is disposed in the open position and when the pair of pivot bosses is horizontally oriented the jaw member is disposed in the closed position.
In aspects, a separation exists between the jaw liner and the blade from the surgical instrument when disposed in the closed position.
In aspects, an interference exists between the law liner and the blade from the surgical instrument when disposed in the closed position.
A surgical instrument provided in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure includes an energy-delivering component and a jaw member positioned to oppose the energy-delivering component and movable relative thereto between an open position and a closed position for clamping tissue between the jaw member and the energy-delivering component. The jaw member may be configured similarly to any of the above aspects or as otherwise detailed herein.
In aspects, the energy-delivering component is an ultrasonic blade.
The above and other aspects and features of the present disclosure will become more apparent in view of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Jaw members and surgical instruments including such jaw members are provided in accordance with the present disclosure and detailed hereinbelow. Referring to
Ultrasonic surgical instrument 10 generally includes a handle assembly 12, an elongated body portion 14, and an end effector 16. Handle assembly 12 supports a power supply, e.g., a battery assembly 18, and an ultrasonic transducer and generator assembly (“TAG”) 20, although ultrasonic surgical instrument 10 may alternatively be configured as a tethered instrument wherein the power supply and generator are remote components coupled to handle assembly 12 via one or more surgical cables (not shown). Handle assembly 12 includes a rotation wheel 22, an activation button 24, and a clamp trigger 26. Battery assembly 18 and TAG 20 are each releasably coupled to handle assembly 12 and are removable therefrom to facilitate disposal of any disposable components, e.g., handle assembly 12, elongated body portion 14, and/or end effector 16, and reprocessing of any reusable components, e.g., battery assembly 18 and TAG 20.
With additional reference to
Elongated body portion 14 further includes a support frame in the form of an inner tube 40 disposed about waveguide 30 and extending between handle assembly 12 and end effector 16. Inner tube 40, more specifically, includes a proximal end portion that extends into handle assembly 12. Inner tube 40 further includes a distal end portion including a pair of spaced-apart support arms 42 (only one of which is illustrated in
An outer tube 50 is slidably disposed about inner tube 40 and similarly extends between handle assembly 12 and end effector 16. Outer tube 50, more specifically, includes a proximal end portion that extends into handle assembly 12 and operably couples to clamp trigger 26 by way of a drive assembly (not shown), and a distal end portion defining a cut-out (not shown) that operably receives legs 116 of proximal flanges 112 of structural body 110 of jaw member 100. As a result of this configuration, clamp trigger 26 may be manipulated between an un-actuated position and an actuated position to translate outer tube 50 between an advanced position and a retracted position, thereby pivoting jaw member 100 between an open position (
Rotation wheel 22 is operably coupled to waveguide 30, inner tube 40, and outer tube 50 such that rotation of rotation wheel 22 relative to handle assembly 12 similarly rotates waveguide 30, inner tube 40, and outer tube 50 relative to handle assembly 12, thereby also rotating blade 32 and jaw member 100 relative to handle assembly 12 in a similar manner. Activation button 24 is configured to selectively activate battery assembly 18 and TAG 20 to produce ultrasonic energy that is transmitted along waveguide 30 to blade 32 of end effector 16.
As detailed above, jaw member 100 includes a structural body 110 including a pair of proximal flanges 112 which enable pivotable coupling of jaw member 100 with inner tube 40 and operable coupling of jaw member 100 with outer tube 50. Structural body 110 of jaw member 100 further includes an elongated distal portion 118 extending distally from the pair of proximal flanges 112. A jaw liner 130 is engaged with elongated distal portion 118 of structural body 110 and is positioned to oppose blade 32 such that blade 32 is inhibited from contacting structural body 110 of jaw member 100. As a result, the transfer of ultrasonic vibrations and/or thermal energy from blade 32 to structural body 110 during use is reduced. Jaw liner 130 may be formed from a compliant material, e.g., PTFE, or maybe otherwise formed.
With additional reference to
When the pivot boss 114 is rotated in a clockwise direction (from the orientation illustrated in
Similarly, when the pivot boss 114 is rotated in the counter-clockwise direction (from the orientation illustrated in
With general reference to
While several embodiments of the disclosure have been described above and illustrated in the drawings, it is not intended that the disclosure be limited thereto, as it is intended that the disclosure be as broad in scope as the art will allow and that the specification be read likewise. Therefore, the above description should not be construed as limiting, but merely as exemplifications of particular embodiments. Those skilled in the art will envision other modifications within the scope and spirit of the claims appended hereto.
This application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/887,999 filed Aug. 16, 2019, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein.
Number | Date | Country | |
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62887999 | Aug 2019 | US |