Ultrasonic surgical instruments utilize ultrasonic energy for both precise cutting and controlled coagulation of tissue. The ultrasonic energy cuts and coagulates by vibrating a blade in contact with the tissue. Vibrating at frequencies of approximately 50 kilohertz (kHz), for example, the ultrasonic blade denatures protein in the tissue to form a sticky coagulum. Pressure exerted on the tissue with the blade surface collapses blood vessels and allows the coagulum to form a hemostatic seal. The precision of cutting and coagulation may be controlled by the surgeon's technique and adjusting the power level, blade edge, tissue traction, and blade pressure, for example.
Examples of ultrasonic surgical devices include the HARMONIC ACE® Ultrasonic Shears, the HARMONIC WAVE® Ultrasonic Shears, the HARMONIC FOCUS® Ultrasonic Shears, and the HARMONIC SYNERGY® Ultrasonic Blades, all by Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. of Cincinnati, Ohio. Further examples of such devices and related concepts are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,322,055, entitled “Clamp Coagulator/Cutting System for Ultrasonic Surgical Instruments,” issued Jun. 21, 1994, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pat. No. 5,873,873, entitled “Ultrasonic Clamp Coagulator Apparatus Having Improved Clamp Mechanism,” issued Feb. 23, 1999, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pat. No. 5,980,510, entitled “Ultrasonic Clamp Coagulator Apparatus Having Improved Clamp Arm Pivot Mount,” issued Nov. 9, 1999, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pat. No. 6,283,981, entitled “Method of Balancing Asymmetric Ultrasonic Surgical Blades,” issued Sep. 4, 2001, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pat. No. 6,309,400, entitled “Curved Ultrasonic Blade having a Trapezoidal Cross Section,” issued Oct. 30, 2001, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pat. No. 6,325,811, entitled “Blades with Functional Balance Asymmetries for use with Ultrasonic Surgical Instruments,” issued Dec. 4, 2001, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pat. No. 6,423,082, entitled “Ultrasonic Surgical Blade with Improved Cutting and Coagulation Features,” issued Jul. 23, 2002, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pat. No. 6,773,444, entitled “Blades with Functional Balance Asymmetries for Use with Ultrasonic Surgical Instruments,” issued Aug. 10, 2004, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pat. No. 6,783,524, entitled “Robotic Surgical Tool with Ultrasound Cauterizing and Cutting Instrument,” issued Aug. 31, 2004, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pat. No. 8,057,498, entitled “Ultrasonic Surgical Instrument Blades,” issued Nov. 15, 2011, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pat. No. 8,461,744, entitled “Rotating Transducer Mount for Ultrasonic Surgical Instruments,” issued Jun. 11, 2013, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pat. No. 8,591,536, entitled “Ultrasonic Surgical Instrument Blades,” issued Nov. 26, 2013, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pat. No. 8,623,027, entitled “Ergonomic Surgical Instruments,” issued Jan. 7, 2014, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pat. No. 9,095,367, entitled “Flexible Harmonic Waveguides/Blades for Surgical Instruments,” issued Aug. 4, 2015, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; and U.S. Pub. No. 2016/0022305, entitled “Ultrasonic Blade Overmold,” published Jan. 28, 2016, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein.
While various types of ultrasonic surgical instruments have been made and used, it is believed that no one prior to the inventor(s) has made or used the invention described herein.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention, and, together with the general description of the invention given above, and the detailed description of the embodiments given below, serve to explain the principles of the present invention.
The drawings are not intended to be limiting in any way, and it is contemplated that various embodiments of the invention may be carried out in a variety of other ways, including those not necessarily depicted in the drawings. The accompanying drawings incorporated in and forming a part of the specification illustrate several aspects of the present invention, and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention; it being understood, however, that this invention is not limited to the precise arrangements shown.
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.
For clarity of disclosure, the terms “proximal” and “distal” are defined herein relative to a surgeon, or other operator, grasping a surgical instrument having a distal surgical end effector. The term “proximal” refers to the position of an element arranged closer to the surgeon, and the term “distal” refers to the position of an element arranged closer to the surgical end effector of the surgical instrument and further away from the surgeon. Moreover, to the extent that spatial terms such as “upper,” “lower,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” or the like are used herein with reference to the drawings, it will be appreciated that such terms are used for exemplary description purposes only and are not intended to be limiting or absolute. In that regard, it will be understood that surgical instruments such as those disclosed herein may be used in a variety of orientations and positions not limited to those shown and described herein.
A. Overview of Exemplary Ultrasonic Surgical Instrument
An outer shaft tube (32) of shaft assembly (16) extends distally from handle assembly (12) and is movably coupled with body (20) such that outer shaft tube (32) is configured to translate relative to body (20), and rotate relative to body (20) with a rotation knob (34). As shown in
Clamp arm (38) includes a clamp pad (44) configured to engage and clamp tissue against an ultrasonic blade (56) of end effector (18) when clamp arm (38) is in a closed position. Clamp arm (38) further includes a pair of proximally extending clevis arms (46) that receive therebetween and pivotably couple to a distal end of connector tube (36) with a pivot pin (48) received through upper ends of clevis arms (46). Lower ends of clevis arms (46) include inwardly extending protrusions that pivotably couple with the distal end of outer shaft tube (32). Clamp arm (38) is configured to selectively pivot about pivot pin (48) toward and away from ultrasonic blade (56) upon actuation of outer shaft tube (32) relative to body (20) by trigger (28). In particular, clamp arm (38) is operatively coupled with trigger (24) by outer shaft tube (32) such that pivoting of trigger (24) toward pistol grip (20) drives proximal translation of outer shaft tube (32) relative to connector tube (36), and resultant pivoting of clamp arm (38) toward ultrasonic blade (56) to a closed position (not shown). Conversely, pivoting of trigger (28) away from pistol grip (22) drives distal translation of outer shaft tube (32) relative to connector tube (36), and resultant pivoting of clamp arm (38) away from ultrasonic blade (56) to an open position, shown in
B. Removable Acoustic Assembly Having Alignment Pin
As shown in
Removable acoustic assembly (14) further includes an inner shaft tube (62) of shaft assembly (16). Inner shaft tube (62) houses waveguide (54) and extends distally from a distal end of transducer (50) to a distal end of waveguide (54). Waveguide (54) may be supported within inner shaft tube (62) by a plurality of nodal support elements (not shown) positioned at various locations along a length of waveguide (54) corresponding to acoustic nodes. As shown in
An alignment pin (66) extends transversely through waveguide (54) and inner shaft tube (62) at a longitudinal location corresponding to a proximal acoustic node of waveguide (54), thereby coupling waveguide (54) and inner shaft tube (62) together axially and rotationally. An exposed end of alignment pin (66) protrudes radially outwardly from the upper side of inner shaft tube (62) at a position in angular alignment with distal opening (64) of inner shaft tube (62) and primary blade treatment surface (58) of ultrasonic blade (56). As described in greater detail below, the exposed end of alignment pin (66) is configured to engage alignment features disposed in the interior of handle assembly (12) to thereby guide rotation of waveguide (54), blade (56), and inner shaft tube (62) through a predefined range of angular motion relative to outer shaft tube (32) and clamp arm (38).
In use, a generator (not shown) is electrically coupled with ultrasonic transducer (50) and powers ultrasonic transducer (50) to produce ultrasonic mechanical vibrations, which are communicated distally through waveguide (54) to ultrasonic blade (56). Ultrasonic blade (56) is caused to oscillate longitudinally in the range of approximately 10 to 500 microns peak-to-peak, for example, and in some instances in the range of approximately 20 to 200 microns, at a predetermined vibratory frequency fo of approximately 50 kHz, for example. Vibrating ultrasonic blade (56) may be positioned in direct contact with tissue, with or without assistive clamping force provided by clamp arm (38), to impart ultrasonic vibrational energy to the tissue and thereby cut and/or seal the tissue.
Transducer housing (52) of removable acoustic assembly (14) includes a proximal stationary section (82) and a distal rotating section (84) rotatably coupled with proximal stationary section (82). Distal rotating section (84) is configured to rotate with ultrasonic transducer (50), waveguide (54), and inner shaft tube (62) relative to proximal stationary section (82). As shown in
Proximal stationary section (82) of transducer housing (52) includes a cylindrical proximal body (94) and an adapter ring (96) received within proximal body (94) and coupled to a proximal face of inner distal body (88) with fasteners (98). As shown in
An outer surface of proximal transducer housing section (82) includes a pair of axially extending coupling ribs (108) spaced circumferentially from one another on a lower side of proximal body (94). Each coupling rib (108) is configured to be slidably received within a respective coupling slot (110) formed in a sidewall of instrument body (20) and which is accessible via proximal body opening (30), as shown in
In various applications, removable acoustic assembly (14) may be provided to a user in a pre-assembled state such that no attachment and torquing of waveguide (54) relative to ultrasonic transducer (50) must be performed by the user. This arrangement eliminates the risk of mechanical failure of acoustic assembly (14) during use otherwise caused by waveguide (54) being under-torqued or over-torqued to transducer (50) by the user.
C. Exemplary Handle Assembly Having Shaft Alignment Tube
During assembly of an acoustic assembly of an ultrasonic surgical instrument with its handle assembly, it is generally desirable to orient the ultrasonic blade in rotational alignment with the clamp arm. This ensures effective clamping of tissue captured between the clamp arm and the primary treatment surface of the blade, and resulting cutting and/or sealing of the clamped tissue. The features of ultrasonic surgical instrument (10) described below facilitate proper rotational alignment of clamp arm (38) with primary treatment surface (58) of ultrasonic blade (56), thereby ensuring optimal performance of surgical instrument (10).
As shown in
As shown best in
As shown in
In use, pivoting trigger (28) toward pistol grip (22) drives link (152) and translating member (154) proximally, which in turn drives shaft alignment tube (120) proximally until proximal flange (128) abuts a proximal wall of body pocket (136). Proximal translation of shaft alignment tube (120) drives proximal translation of outer shaft tube (32) relative to connector tube (36) and inner shaft tube (62), thereby pivoting clamp arm (38) toward ultrasonic blade (56). Pivoting trigger (28) away from pistol grip (22) drives link (152), translating member (154), alignment tube (120), and outer shaft tube (32) distally, which causes clamp arm (38) to pivot away from ultrasonic blade (56). In the present example, a compression spring (160) is arranged between the proximal end of translating member (154) and an inner surface of body (20) so as to bias translating member (154) distally, and thus clamp arm (38) toward its open position. In other examples, actuation assembly (150) may further include a force-limiting feature configured to limit the maximum clamping force applicable to tissue with clamp arm (38), such as a spring stack similar to spring stack (266) described below, for example.
As best shown in
Alignment slot (170) is defined by first and second camming surfaces (172, 174) that extend distally through proximal and medial tube portions (122, 124), along a sidewall of shaft alignment tube (120). Alignment slot (170) includes a proximal angular slot portion (176) that opens to proximal tube opening (138), a proximal axial slot portion (178) extending distally from proximal angular slot portion (176), a distal angular slot portion (180) extending distally from proximal axial slot portion (178), and a distal axial slot portion (182) extending distally from distal angular slot portion (180). As used herein in connection with angular slot portions (176, 180), the term “angular” means non-parallel to a central axis of shaft alignment tube (120). For example, as shown in
As shown in
D. Mating of Removable Acoustic Assembly with Handle Assembly
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
As described above, in the present example waveguide (54) and inner shaft tube (62) are inserted into shaft alignment tube (120) in a starting rotational orientation in which the exposed portion of alignment pin (66) extends generally upwardly such that pin (66) contacts and travels distally along first camming surface (172), in a counter-clockwise direction. In other examples, waveguide (54) and inner shaft tube (62) may be provided in a starting rotational orientation in which the exposed portion of alignment pin (66) extends generally downwardly such that pin (66) contacts and travels distally along second camming surface (174), in a clockwise direction. Accordingly, and advantageously, first and second camming surfaces (172, 174) are configured to contact and direct alignment pin (66) distally and circumferentially into alignment with proximal axial slot portion (178), such that primary blade treatment surface (58) is oriented perpendicularly to clamp arm (38), given any degree of rotational offset between alignment pin (66) and proximal axial slot portion (178).
As shown in
As shown in
It will be appreciated that inner and outer shaft tubes (32, 62) are rotationally coupled together at their proximal ends by engagement of alignment pin (66) with the lateral sides of distal axial slot portion (182) of shaft alignment tube (120), which is rotationally coupled with outer shaft tube (32) as described above. Accordingly, any rotational input applied to rotation knob (34) is transferred to all rotatable components of instrument (10), including outer shaft tube (32), inner shaft tube (62), waveguide (54), shaft alignment tube (120), ultrasonic transducer (50), and distal transducer housing section (84).
The mechanical grounding of connector tube (36) to inner shaft tube (62) as described above enables outer shaft tube (32) to be actuated axially relative to connector tube (36) to thereby pivot clamp arm (38) between open and closed positions relative to ultrasonic blade (56) while clamp arm (38) remains in rotational alignment with primary blade treatment surface (58). In particular, as outer shaft tube (42) is actuated proximally by squeezing trigger (28) toward pistol grip (22), connector tube (36) remains axially fixed by its connection to inner shaft tube (62), which is axially fixed relative to body (20), via snap arm (40) and tab (41). Accordingly, clamp arm (38) pivots about pivot pin (48) from an open position to a closed position against primary blade treatment surface (58). When trigger (28) is released and moves away from pistol grip (22), outer shaft tube (32) actuates distally relative to connector tube (36), thereby pivoting clamp arm (38) to an open position.
Following completion of a surgical procedure, removable acoustic assembly (14) may be separated from handle assembly (12) by depressing coupling tabs (112) to thereby disengage tab projections (114) from coupling ribs (108) of proximal transducer housing section (82). Simultaneously, connector tube snap arm (40) is disengaged from distal opening (64) of inner shaft tube (62), and removable acoustic assembly (14) is drawn proximally. As acoustic assembly (14) is withdrawn proximally from handle assembly (12), alignment pin (66) travels proximally through alignment slot (170), thereby rotating ultrasonic blade (56) in directions opposite those described above, to enable blade (56) to pass freely back through outer shaft tube (32).
A. Overview of Ultrasonic Surgical Instrument
Ultrasonic surgical instrument (200) includes a handle assembly (202), an acoustic assembly (204) coupled to the handle assembly (202), and a removable clamp assembly (206) configured to selectively couple with and decouple from handle assembly (202). In the assembled state shown in
Acoustic assembly (204) is shown coupled with handle assembly (202) includes a detachable ultrasonic transducer (222) (or “handpiece”), an ultrasonic waveguide (224) acoustically coupled to and extending distally from a distal end of transducer (222), and an ultrasonic blade (226) formed integrally with and extending distally from a distal end of waveguide (224). Transducer (222) may include components similar to those of transducer (50) described above, and transducer (222) is configured to drive (i.e., vibrate) waveguide (224) and blade (226) at ultrasonic frequencies for cutting and/or sealing tissue positioned in contact with blade (226). Similar to ultrasonic blade (56), ultrasonic blade (226) extends distally with a lateral curvature and includes a primary blade treatment surface (228) arranged on an upper side of blade (226), and a lower cutting edge (230) arranged on an opposing lower side of blade (226), as also seen in
As shown in
As shown in
B. Clamp Actuation Assembly of Ultrasonic Surgical Instrument
A distal portion of shaft alignment tube (264) extending distally from medial flange (272) is received within an outer guide tube (274). Outer guide tube (274) is coupled axially and rotationally to rotation knob (236) by a pair of clips (276) that extend circumferentially about outer guide tube (274). Outer guide tube (274) is coupled rotationally to shaft alignment tube (264), inner shaft tube (232), and waveguide (224) by a coupling pin (278) that extends transversely through these components. A proximal portion of shaft alignment tube (264) includes a pair of axially extending pin slots (280) through which coupling pin (278) extends. Pin slots (280) permit shaft alignment tube (264) to translate proximally and distally relative to outer guide tube (274), inner shaft tube (232), and waveguide (224). As described in greater detail below, the proximal portion of shaft alignment tube (264) further includes features configured to interlock with alignment plug (246) so that shaft alignment tube (264), alignment plug (246), and outer shaft tube (240) may translate proximally and distally relative to handle assembly body (212) to actuate clamp arm (244).
As shown in
Spring stack (266) is configured to limit the maximum clamping force exerted by clamp arm (244). In particular, when the proximally-directed force exerted on spring stack (266) by yoke (286) exceeds the predetermined force threshold described above, for example when clamp arm (244) encounters substantial resistance to further pivoting toward ultrasonic blade (226), spring stack (266) will compress to thereby limit the transfer of the proximally-directed force to outer shaft tube (240) and clamp arm (244). More specifically, when the force threshold is reached, spring stack (266) will compress proximally against retaining nut (268) while retaining nut (268) and shaft alignment tube (264) remain stationary relative to handle assembly body (212). Accordingly, when the force threshold is reached, trigger (220) will continue to advance toward pistol grip (214), but clamp arm (244) will cease further pivotal movement toward ultrasonic blade (226). Retaining nut (268) may be selectively rotated into more or less threaded engagement with shaft alignment tube (264) to thereby adjust the force threshold. For example, nut (268) may be rotated to further threadedly engage shaft alignment tube (264) and compress spring stack (266) against translating ring (270) and yoke (286) with a desired amount of pre-load to thereby increase the force threshold.
C. Shaft Alignment Features of Ultrasonic Surgical Instrument
As shown in
As shown in
Following completion of a surgical procedure, removable clamp assembly (206) may be separated from handle assembly (202) by reversing the steps described above. Specifically, alignment plug (246) is rotated counter-clockwise 90 degrees relative to shaft alignment tube (264) and outer guide tube (274) so that lugs (310) disengage circumferential lug slots (318). Removable clamp assembly (206) may then be withdrawn distally from outer guide tube (274) and along inner shaft tube (232) until ultrasonic blade (226) is freed from clamp assembly (206).
D. Alternative Shaft Alignment Plug and Outer Guide Tube
As shown in
While the teachings herein are disclosed in connection with ultrasonic surgical instruments, it will be appreciated that they may also be employed in connection with surgical instruments configured to provide a combination of ultrasonic and radio frequency (RF) energies. Examples of such instruments and related methods and concepts are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,663,220, entitled “Ultrasonic Surgical Instruments,” issued Mar. 4, 2014, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pub. No. 2015/0141981, entitled “Ultrasonic Surgical Instrument with Electrosurgical Feature,” published May 21, 2015, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; and U.S. Pub. No. 2017/0000541, entitled “Surgical Instrument with User Adaptable Techniques,” published Jan. 5, 2017, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein.
The following examples relate to various non-exhaustive ways in which the teachings herein may be combined or applied. It should be understood that the following examples are not intended to restrict the coverage of any claims that may be presented at any time in this application or in subsequent filings of this application. No disclaimer is intended. The following examples are being provided for nothing more than merely illustrative purposes. It is contemplated that the various teachings herein may be arranged and applied in numerous other ways. It is also contemplated that some variations may omit certain features referred to in the below examples. Therefore, none of the aspects or features referred to below should be deemed critical unless otherwise explicitly indicated as such at a later date by the inventors or by a successor in interest to the inventors. If any claims are presented in this application or in subsequent filings related to this application that include additional features beyond those referred to below, those additional features shall not be presumed to have been added for any reason relating to patentability.
An ultrasonic surgical instrument comprising: (a) a body; (b) an ultrasonic transducer configured to be supported by the body; (c) a shaft extending distally from the body and defining a shaft axis; (d) a waveguide configured to extend distally through the shaft; and (e) an end effector arranged at a distal end of the shaft, wherein the end effector comprises: (i) an ultrasonic blade coupled to a distal end of the waveguide and having a primary blade treatment surface configured to treat tissue, wherein the ultrasonic transducer is configured to drive the waveguide and the ultrasonic blade with ultrasonic energy, and (ii) a clamp arm coupled to the distal end of the shaft, wherein the clamp arm is configured to clamp tissue against the primary blade treatment surface, wherein the shaft and the waveguide are selectively rotatable relative to one another about the shaft axis through a predefined range of angular motion between an assembly state and an operational state, wherein in the assembly state the clamp arm and the primary blade treatment surface are rotationally offset from one another, wherein in the operational state the clamp arm and the primary blade treatment surface are rotationally aligned with one another.
The ultrasonic surgical instrument of Example 1, wherein the clamp arm is configured to confront the primary blade treatment surface when the surgical instrument is in the operational state.
The ultrasonic surgical instrument of any one or more of the preceding Examples, wherein the predefined range of angular motion comprises at least 90 degrees of angular motion.
The ultrasonic surgical instrument of any one or more of the preceding Examples, wherein the shaft comprises an outer shaft tube and an inner shaft tube configured to be received within the outer shaft tube, wherein the clamp arm is coupled to the outer shaft tube and the waveguide is disposed within the inner shaft tube, wherein the outer shaft tube and the inner shaft tube are rotatable relative to one another through the predefined range of angular motion.
The ultrasonic surgical instrument of Example 4, wherein the shaft further comprises a connector element configured to rotationally couple the outer shaft tube with the inner shaft tube when the surgical instrument is in the operational state.
The ultrasonic surgical instrument of any one or more of the preceding Examples, further comprising: (a) a first alignment member coupled to the body, and (b) a second alignment member coupled to waveguide, wherein the first and second alignment members are configured to engage one another to guide relative rotation between the shaft and the waveguide through the predefined range of angular motion.
The ultrasonic surgical instrument of Example 6, wherein the first alignment member includes one of a protrusion or a slot, wherein the second alignment member includes the other of a protrusion or a slot, wherein the protrusion is slidable within the slot.
The ultrasonic surgical instrument of any one or more of Examples 6 through 7, wherein the first alignment member comprises an alignment tube coupled to the body, wherein the waveguide is configured to extend distally through the alignment tube.
The ultrasonic surgical instrument of any one or more of Examples 7 through 8, wherein at least a portion of the slot extends angularly relative to the shaft axis and is configured to direct rotation of the waveguide relative to the shaft in response to distal movement of the protrusion through the slot.
The ultrasonic surgical instrument of Example 9, wherein the slot includes a first angular portion configured to direct rotation of the waveguide relative to the shaft in a first angular direction, and a second angular portion configured to direct rotation of the waveguide relative to the shaft in a second angular direction, wherein the second angular portion is arranged distally of the first angular portion.
The ultrasonic surgical instrument of any one or more of Examples 9 through 10, wherein the slot includes first and second camming surfaces configured to engage the protrusion to direct rotation of the waveguide relative to the shaft.
The ultrasonic surgical instrument of any one or more of Examples 6 through 8, wherein the first alignment member comprises an alignment tube coupled to the body, wherein the second alignment member comprises an alignment plug coupled to a proximal end of the shaft, wherein the alignment tube is configured to receive the alignment plug, wherein the alignment plug is configured to rotate relative to the alignment tube through the predefined range of angular motion for transitioning the instrument between the assembly state and the operational state.
The ultrasonic surgical instrument of Example 12, wherein the alignment plug is rotatable relative to the alignment tube between a first plug position in which the instrument is in the assembly state and the alignment plug is prevented from translating with the alignment tube relative to the body, and a second plug position in which the instrument is in the operational state and the alignment plug is permitted to translate with the alignment tube relative to the body to thereby actuate the clamp arm.
The ultrasonic surgical instrument of Example 13, wherein the alignment plug includes a lug, wherein the alignment tube includes a circumferentially extending slot configured to receive the lug, wherein the circumferentially extending slot has a first slot end that defines the first plug position and a second slot end that defines the second plug position.
The ultrasonic surgical instrument of any one or more of Examples 12 through 14, further comprising an outer guide tube coupled to the body, wherein the alignment tube is disposed within a first end of the outer guide tube, wherein the alignment plug is configured to be received within a second end of the outer guide tube.
An ultrasonic surgical instrument comprising: (a) a body; (b) an ultrasonic transducer configured to be supported by the body; (c) a waveguide extending distally from the ultrasonic transducer and terminating at an ultrasonic blade, wherein the ultrasonic transducer is configured to drive the waveguide and the ultrasonic blade with ultrasonic energy; (d) a first shaft tube extending distally from the body and defining a shaft axis; (e) a first shaft alignment member coupled to the body; and (f) a removable assembly selectively coupleable with the body, wherein the removable assembly comprises: (i) a second shaft tube configured to extend longitudinally with the first shaft tube when the removable assembly is coupled with the body, and (ii) a second shaft alignment member coupled to the second shaft tube, wherein the first and second shaft alignment members are configured to engage one another and guide relative rotation between the first and second shaft tubes to thereby orient the first and second shaft tubes in rotational alignment with one another when the removable assembly is coupled to the body.
The ultrasonic surgical instrument of Example 16, wherein one of the first or second shaft alignment members includes a protrusion, wherein the other of the first or second shaft alignment members includes a slot configured to receive the protrusion, wherein the slot is configured to guide the protrusion along a path that extends circumferentially about the shaft axis.
The ultrasonic surgical instrument of any or more of Examples 16 through 17, wherein the first shaft alignment member comprises a tube, wherein the tube is configured to rotate relative to the body about the shaft axis.
An ultrasonic surgical instrument comprising: (a) a body; (b) a shaft tube extending distally from the body; and (c) a removeable assembly selectively coupleable with the body, wherein the removable assembly comprises: (i) an ultrasonic transducer, and (ii) a waveguide extending distally from the ultrasonic transducer and terminating at an ultrasonic blade, wherein the waveguide is configured to be received within the shaft tube, wherein the ultrasonic transducer is configured to drive the waveguide and the ultrasonic blade with ultrasonic energy, wherein the waveguide and the ultrasonic blade are configured to rotate relative to the shaft tube through a predefined range of angular motion in response to longitudinal movement of the removable assembly relative to the body.
The ultrasonic surgical instrument of Example 19, further comprising: (a) a first alignment member coupled to the body, and (b) a second alignment member coupled to the removable assembly, wherein the first and second alignment members are configured to engage one another to guide rotation of the waveguide and the ultrasonic blade relative to the shaft tube.
It should be understood that any one or more of the teachings, expressions, embodiments, examples, etc. described herein may be combined with any one or more of the other teachings, expressions, embodiments, examples, etc. that are described herein. The above-described teachings, expressions, embodiments, examples, etc. should therefore not be viewed in isolation relative to each other. Various suitable ways in which the teachings herein may be combined will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in view of the teachings herein. Such modifications and variations are intended to be included within the scope of the claims.
It should be appreciated that any patent, publication, or other disclosure material, in whole or in part, that is said to be incorporated by reference herein is incorporated herein only to the extent that the incorporated material does not conflict with existing definitions, statements, or other disclosure material set forth in this disclosure. As such, and to the extent necessary, the disclosure as explicitly set forth herein supersedes any conflicting material incorporated herein by reference. Any material, or portion thereof, that is said to be incorporated by reference herein, but which conflicts with existing definitions, statements, or other disclosure material set forth herein will only be incorporated to the extent that no conflict arises between that incorporated material and the existing disclosure material.
Versions of the devices described above may have application in conventional medical treatments and procedures conducted by a medical professional, as well as application in robotic-assisted medical treatments and procedures. By way of example only, various teachings herein may be readily incorporated into a robotic surgical system such as the DAVINCI™ system by Intuitive Surgical, Inc., of Sunnyvale, Calif. Similarly, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that various teachings herein may be readily combined with various teachings of any of the following: U.S. Pat. No. 5,792,135, entitled “Articulated Surgical Instrument For Performing Minimally Invasive Surgery With Enhanced Dexterity and Sensitivity,” issued Aug. 11, 1998, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pat. No. 5,817,084, entitled “Remote Center Positioning Device with Flexible Drive,” issued Oct. 6, 1998, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pat. No. 5,878,193, entitled “Automated Endoscope System for Optimal Positioning,” issued Mar. 2, 1999, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pat. No. 6,231,565, entitled “Robotic Arm DLUS for Performing Surgical Tasks,” issued May 15, 2001, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pat. No. 6,783,524, entitled “Robotic Surgical Tool with Ultrasound Cauterizing and Cutting Instrument,” issued Aug. 31, 2004, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pat. No. 6,364,888, entitled “Alignment of Master and Slave in a Minimally Invasive Surgical Apparatus,” issued Apr. 2, 2002, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pat. No. 7,524,320, entitled “Mechanical Actuator Interface System for Robotic Surgical Tools,” issued Apr. 28, 2009, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pat. No. 7,691,098, entitled “Platform Link Wrist Mechanism,” issued Apr. 6, 2010, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pat. No. 7,806,891, entitled “Repositioning and Reorientation of Master/Slave Relationship in Minimally Invasive Telesurgery,” issued Oct. 5, 2010, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pat. No. 8,844,789, entitled “Automated End Effector Component Reloading System for Use with a Robotic System,” issued Sep. 30, 2014, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pat. No. 8,820,605, entitled “Robotically-Controlled Surgical Instruments,” issued Sep. 2, 2014, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pat. No. 8,616,431, entitled “Shiftable Drive Interface for Robotically-Controlled Surgical Tool,” issued Dec. 31, 2013, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pat. No. 8,573,461, entitled “Surgical Stapling Instruments with Cam-Driven Staple Deployment Arrangements,” issued Nov. 5, 2013, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pat. No. 8,602,288, entitled “Robotically-Controlled Motorized Surgical End Effector System with Rotary Actuated Closure Systems Having Variable Actuation Speeds,” issued Dec. 10, 2013, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pat. No. 9,301,759, entitled “Robotically-Controlled Surgical Instrument with Selectively Articulatable End Effector,” issued Apr. 5, 2016, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pat. No. 8,783,541, entitled “Robotically-Controlled Surgical End Effector System,” issued Jul. 22, 2014, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pat. No. 8,479,969, entitled “Drive Interface for Operably Coupling a Manipulatable Surgical Tool to a Robot,” issued Jul. 9, 2013; U.S. Pat. No. 8,800,838, entitled “Robotically-Controlled Cable-Based Surgical End Effectors,” issued Aug. 12, 2014, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; and/or U.S. Pat. No. 8,573,465, entitled “Robotically-Controlled Surgical End Effector System with Rotary Actuated Closure Systems,” issued Nov. 5, 2013, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein.
Versions of the devices described above may be designed to be disposed of after a single use, or they can be designed to be used multiple times. Versions may, in either or both cases, be reconditioned for reuse after at least one use. Reconditioning may include any combination of the steps of disassembly of the device, followed by cleaning or replacement of particular pieces, and subsequent reassembly. In particular, some versions of the device may be disassembled, and any number of the particular pieces or parts of the device may be selectively replaced or removed in any combination. Upon cleaning and/or replacement of particular parts, some versions of the device may be reassembled for subsequent use either at a reconditioning facility, or by a user immediately prior to a procedure. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that reconditioning of a device may utilize a variety of techniques for disassembly, cleaning/replacement, and reassembly. Use of such techniques, and the resulting reconditioned device, are all within the scope of the present application.
By way of example only, versions described herein may be sterilized before and/or after a procedure. In one sterilization technique, the device is placed in a closed and sealed container, such as a plastic or TYVEK bag. The container and device may then be placed in a field of radiation that can penetrate the container, such as gamma radiation, x-rays, or high-energy electrons. The radiation may kill bacteria on the device and in the container. The sterilized device may then be stored in the sterile container for later use. A device may also be sterilized using any other technique known in the art, including but not limited to beta or gamma radiation, ethylene oxide, or steam.
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, geometrics, 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.