Dual articulation drive system arrangements for articulatable surgical instruments
First Claim
1. A surgical instrument comprising:
- a housing;
an elongate shaft assembly operably coupled to said housing and defining a shaft axis;
a surgical end effector pivotally coupled to said elongate shaft assembly for selective articulation relative to said elongate shaft assembly about an articulation axis that is transverse to said shaft axis; and
an articulation system, comprising;
a source of axial articulation motions operably supported by said housing;
a proximal articulation driver operably supported in said elongate shaft assembly and interfacing with said source of axial articulation motions for selective axial movement in first and second axial directions;
a first distal articulation driver operably interfacing with said proximal articulation driver and supported for selective longitudinal travel in a distal direction and a proximal direction in response to corresponding articulation motions applied thereto by said proximal articulation driver, said first distal articulation driver operably coupled to said surgical end effector;
a second distal articulation driver supported for longitudinal travel in said distal and proximal directions, said second distal articulation driver operably coupled to said surgical end effector; and
at least two pinion gears in meshing engagement with said first distal articulation driver and said second distal articulation driver such that when said first distal articulation driver is moved in said distal direction, said at least two pinion gears drive said second distal articulation driver in said proximal direction to articulate said surgical end effector about said articulation axis in a first articulation direction and when said first distal articulation driver is moved in said proximal direction, said at least two pinion gears drive said second distal articulation driver in said distal direction to articulate said surgical end effector about said articulation axis in a second articulation direction that is opposite to said first articulation direction.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A surgical stapling instrument comprising an elongate shaft assembly that includes a surgical end effector that is operably coupled thereto by an articulation joint. The surgical instrument may include a first distal articulation driver operably coupled to the surgical end effector and a second distal articulation driver that is coupled to the surgical end effector. At least one driver member may operably engage the first and second distal articulation drivers such that when the first distal articulation driver is moved in a distal direction, the least one driver moves the second distal articulation driver in a proximal direction and when the first distal articulation driver is moved in the proximal direction, the at least one driver member moves the second distal articulation driver in the distal direction.
996 Citations
12 Claims
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1. A surgical instrument comprising:
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a housing; an elongate shaft assembly operably coupled to said housing and defining a shaft axis; a surgical end effector pivotally coupled to said elongate shaft assembly for selective articulation relative to said elongate shaft assembly about an articulation axis that is transverse to said shaft axis; and an articulation system, comprising; a source of axial articulation motions operably supported by said housing; a proximal articulation driver operably supported in said elongate shaft assembly and interfacing with said source of axial articulation motions for selective axial movement in first and second axial directions; a first distal articulation driver operably interfacing with said proximal articulation driver and supported for selective longitudinal travel in a distal direction and a proximal direction in response to corresponding articulation motions applied thereto by said proximal articulation driver, said first distal articulation driver operably coupled to said surgical end effector; a second distal articulation driver supported for longitudinal travel in said distal and proximal directions, said second distal articulation driver operably coupled to said surgical end effector; and at least two pinion gears in meshing engagement with said first distal articulation driver and said second distal articulation driver such that when said first distal articulation driver is moved in said distal direction, said at least two pinion gears drive said second distal articulation driver in said proximal direction to articulate said surgical end effector about said articulation axis in a first articulation direction and when said first distal articulation driver is moved in said proximal direction, said at least two pinion gears drive said second distal articulation driver in said distal direction to articulate said surgical end effector about said articulation axis in a second articulation direction that is opposite to said first articulation direction. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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Specification