The disclosure relates to adapter assemblies for circular surgical stapling instruments. More particularly, the disclosure relates to adapter assemblies having a trocar assembly with a hard-stop.
Surgical instruments for applying staples, clips, or other fasteners to tissue are well known. Typically, endoscopic stapling instruments include an actuation unit, i.e., a handle assembly for actuating the instrument, an elongate shaft releasably securable to the actuation unit for accessing a body cavity, i.e., an adapter assembly, and a tool assembly, i.e., a reload assembly and an anvil assembly, disposed at a distal end of the elongate shaft.
Adapter assemblies used with a circular stapling tool assembly include a trocar assembly having a trocar member that is advanceable and retractable relative to a reload assembly to position an anvil assembly relative to the reload assembly. Advancement of the trocar member in excess of its operable range may result in separation of the trocar member from the stapling assembly. Separation of the trocar member from the stapling assembly may unnecessary complicate the surgical procedure.
A trocar assembly for releasable engagement with an adapter assembly of a surgical stapling instrument is provided. The trocar assembly includes a housing, a trocar member slidably supported within the housing between a retracted position and an advanced position, and a. drive member rotatably supported within the housing and in operable engagement with the trocar member. The housing includes a tubular body having a distal portion and an end cap assembly secured to the distal portion. The trocar member includes a proximal portion and at least one tab disposed on the proximal portion. The drive member being configured to cause longitudinal movement of the trocar member relative to the housing between the advanced position and the retracted position. The at least one tab is configured to engage the end cap assembly when the trocar member is in the advanced position to prevent further advancement of the trocar member.
In certain aspects of the disclosure, the end cap assembly includes a cap member and an alignment spacer. The trocar member may engage the alignment spacer when the trocar member is in the advanced position. The housing and the trocar member may be rotationally fixed relative to each other. Rotation of the drive member in a first direction may cause advancement of the trocar member and rotation of the drive member in a second direction may cause retraction of the trocar member.
In aspects of the disclosure, the trocar member includes at least one flattened outer surface and the end cap assembly includes at least one flattened inner surface. Cooperation between the at least on inner surface and at least one outer surface may maintain the trocar member rotationally fixed relative to the trocar housing. The housing may define at least one slot for facilitating attachment of the trocar assembly within an adapter assembly. A distal end of the trocar member may include a trocar spike for operable engagement with an anvil assembly. The distal end of the trocar member may include a tapered end.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate aspects of the disclosure and, together with a general description of the disclosure given above, and the detailed description of the aspects given below, serve to explain the principles of the disclosure, wherein:
Aspects of the disclosed trocar assembly will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings in which like reference numerals designate identical or corresponding elements in each of the several views. As is common in the art, the term “proximal” refers to that part or component closer to the user or operator, i,e. surgeon or clinician, while the term “distal” refers to that part or component farther away from the user.
The adapter assembly 20 of the surgical stapling instrument 10 will only be described to the extent necessary to fully disclose the aspects of the present disclosure. For a detailed description of exemplary adapter assemblies, please refer to commonly owned U.S. Pat. Nos. 10,226,254 and 10,111,684 (“the '684 patent”).
A trocar assembly 100 extends distally from the distal portion 24 of the adapter assembly 20 of the surgical stapling instrument 10. The trocar assembly 100 is releasably secured within the distal portion 24 of the adapter assembly 20 by a locking mechanism (not shown). For a detailed description of an exemplary locking mechanism for securing the trocar assembly 100 within the distal portion 24 of the adapter assembly 20, please refer to the '684 patent.
The trocar housing 110 of the trocar assembly 100 includes a substantially tubular body 112 having proximal and distal portions 112a, 112b. In certain aspects of the disclosure, and as shown, the tubular body 112 defines a pair of opening 111.1 (only one shown) to facilitate releasable attachment of the trocar assembly 100 within the distal portion 24 of the adapter assembly 20 of the surgical stapling instrument 10. Alternatively, the tubular body 112 of the housing 110 may include tabs, slots and tabs, threading, or other suitable feature for releasable attachment of the trocar assembly 100 to the adapter assembly 20. As noted above, an exemplary locking mechanism for securing the trocar assembly 100 within the distal portion 24 of the adapter assembly 20 is disclosed in the '684 patent.
The trocar assembly 100 includes a proximal end cap 114 disposed on the proximal portion 112a of the tubular body 112. The proximal end cap 114 supports the drive member 130. More particularly, the proximal end cap 114 supports a bearing assembly 140 (
The trocar assembly 100 also includes a distal end cap assembly 115 disposed on the distal portion 112b of the tubular body 112, The distal end cap assembly of the trocar assembly 100 supports the trocar member 120 of the trocar assembly 100 as the trocar member 120 moves longitudinally relative to the trocar housing 110. More particularly, the distal end cap assembly 115 includes an end cap member 116 supporting an alignment spacer 118, and both the distal end cap member 116 and the alignment spacer 118 support the trocar member 120. As will be described in further detail below, the alignment spacer 118 is configured to engage a tab 124 of the trocar member 120 to prevent the trocar member 120 from extending beyond the trocar housing 110. Although shown as separate components, it is envisioned that the distal end cap 116 and the alignment spacer 118 may be integrally formed.
Each of the distal end cap 116 and the alignment spacer 118 of the trocar assembly 100 include first and second flattened inner surfaces 116a (
Adjacent the proximal ends of the respective first and second flattened surfaces 126a, 126b (
As will be detailed below, the first and second tabs 128a, 128b formed on the elongate body 122 of the trocar member 120 act as a hard-stop to prevent the trocar member 120 from separating from the trocar housing 110. The hard-stop also allows software within the powered handle assembly 30 (
The trocar member 120 defines a longitudinal channel 121 (
Further advancement of the trocar member 120 of the trocar assembly 100 causes the first and second tabs 128a, 128b on the elongate body 122 of the trocar member 120 to engage the alignment spacer 118 of the trocar housing 110, thereby providing a hard-stop for the advancement of the trocar member 120. As described above, the hard-stop permits the software to calibrate the position of the trocar spike 124 (
Although the illustrative aspects of the disclosure have been described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the disclosure is not limited to those precise aspects, and that various other changes and modifications may be effected therein by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope or spirit of the disclosure.
This application claims the benefit of and prior to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/089,707, filed on Oct. 9, 2020, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
63089707 | Oct 2020 | US |