Surgical instrument with stopper assembly

• US 10,463,422 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2014
• Issued: 11/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Bhagat, Simranjeet, Appel, Victor
• Primary Examiner(s): Dvorak, Linda C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Clark, Ryan T
• Application Number:
  US14/574,693
• Publication Number:
  US 20160175026A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,783 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/29 Forceps for use in minimally invasive surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/295 combined with cutting implements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1445 at the distal end of a shaft, e.g. forceps or scissors at the end of a rigid rod
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0046 with a releasable handle; with handle and operating part separable for prosthetic joint-implanting tools A61F2/4603
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2903 transferring rotary motion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2946 Locking means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00297 Means for providing haptic feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1455 having a moving blade for cutting tissue grasped by the jaws
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/034 abutting on parts of the device itself

Abstract

A surgical instrument includes a housing, an elongated member that extends distally from the housing and defines a longitudinal axis, an end effector assembly coupled to a distal portion of the elongated member, and a stopper assembly operably coupled to the proximal portion of the outer shaft member. The stopper assembly is disposed within one or more cavities defined within the housing. The stopper assembly is configured to prevent longitudinal movement of the outer shaft member along the longitudinal axis and to rotate within the one or more cavities upon rotation of the elongated member about the longitudinal axis.

Claims

1. A surgical instrument, comprising:

a housing including a cavity defined between a distal wall and a proximal wall, each of the proximal and distal walls defining an annular clearance therethrough;

an elongated member extending distally from the housing and defining a longitudinal axis, the elongated member configured to rotate about the longitudinal axis and including an outer shaft member having a proximal portion extending through the annular clearance of each of the proximal and distal walls;

an end effector assembly coupled to a distal portion of the elongated member, the end effector assembly including a pair of opposing jaw members moveable relative to each other to grasp tissue therebetween, at least one of the jaw members adapted to connect to an electrosurgical energy source for conducting electrosurgical energy through the grasped tissue;

a spindle disposed on the proximal portion of the outer shaft member and disposed within the annular clearance defined through the proximal wall, the spindle including a distal portion disposed within the cavity distal to the annular clearance defined by the proximal wall and a proximal portion disposed proximal to the annular clearance defined by the proximal wall; and

a stopper assembly disposed on the proximal portion of the outer shaft member and extending radially outward from an outer surface of the outer shaft member, the stopper assembly rotatable within the cavity upon rotation of the elongated member about the longitudinal axis and configured to engage at least one of the distal wall of the cavity or the distal portion of the spindle to prevent longitudinal movement of the outer shaft member along the longitudinal axis, the stopper assembly including;

an annular member disposed around the proximal portion of the outer shaft member and defining a pair of opposing slots aligned with a corresponding pair of opposing grooves formed in the outer surface of the outer shaft member; and

a genrally u-shaped clip member having a first end portion and an opposing second end portion forming a pair of free ends extending through a respective one of the pair of opposing slots and a corresponding one of the pair of opposing grooves to maintain the annular member on the proximal portion of the outer shaft member.

2. The surgical instrument according to claim 1, wherein a diameter of the proximal and distal portions of the spindle is greater than a diameter of the annular clearance defined by the proximal wall.

3. The surgical instrument according to claim 1, wherein the spindle includes an elongated body portion extending between the proximal and distal portions of the spindle, and a diameter of the proximal and distal portions of the spindle is greater than a diameter of the elongated body portion.

4. The surgical instrument according to claim 1, wherein the pair of opposing slots are disposed perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

5. A surgical instrument, comprising:

a housing including a cavity defined therein, the cavity defined by a distal wall and a proximal wall each defining an annular clearance;

an elongated member extending distally from the housing and defining a longitudinal axis, the elongated member configured to rotate about the longitudinal axis and including an outer shaft member having a proximal portion extending through the annular clearance of each of the distal and proximal walls;

an end effector assembly coupled to a distal portion of the elongated member, the end effector assembly including a pair of opposing jaw members moveable relative to each other to grasp tissue therebetween, at least one of the jaw members adapted to connect to an electrosurgical energy source for conducting electrosurgical energy through the grasped tissue;

a spindle disposed on the proximal portion of the outer shaft and disposed within the annular clearance defined through the proximal wall, the spindle including a distal portion disposed within the cavity distal to the annular clearance defined by the proximal wall and a proximal portion disposed proximal to the annular clearance defined by the proximal wall; and

a stopper assembly disposed on the proximal portion of the outer shaft member and rotatable within the cavity upon rotation of the elongated member about the longitudinal axis, the stopper assembly extending radially outward from an outer surface of the outer shaft member and having a diameter that is greater than a diameter of the annular clearance defined through the distal wall, the stopper assembly configured to engage at least one of the distal wall or the distal portion of the spindle to prevent longitudinal movement of the outer shaft member along the longitudinal axis, the stopper assembly including;

an annular member disposed around the proximal portion of the outer shaft member and defining a pair of opposing slots aligned with a corresponding pair of opposing grooves formed in the outer surface of the outer shaft member; and

a generally u-shaped clip member having a first end portion and an opposing second end portion forming a pair of free ends extending through a respective one of the pair of opposing slots and a corresponding one of the pair of opposing grooves to maintain the annular member on the proximal portion of the outer shaft member.

6. The surgical instrument according to claim 5, wherein a diameter of the proximal and distal portions of the spindle is greater than a diameter of the annular clearance defined by the proximal wall.

7. The surgical instrument according to claim 5, wherein the spindle includes an elongated body portion extending between the proximal and distal portions of the spindle, and a diameter of the proximal and distal portions of the spindle is greater than a diameter of the elongated body portion.

8. The surgical instrument according to claim 5, wherein the pair of opposing slots are disposed perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.