Ultrasonic surgical blades

• US 10,463,887 B2
• Filed: 03/24/2017
• Issued: 11/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cilag Gmbh International (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Ethicon, LLC (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Witt, David A., Messerly, Jeffrey D., Houser, Kevin L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Stransky, Katrina M
• Application Number:
  US15/469,105
• Publication Number:
  US 20170196587A1
• Time in Patent Office: 956 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/320068 using mechanical vibrations, e.g. ultrasonic A61B17/22012 takes precedence; dental tooth drilling devices operated by vibration A61C3/03; removing intra-ocular material using mechanical vibrations A61F9/00745
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/320092 with additional movable means for clamping or cutting tissue, e.g. with a pivoting jaw
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00849 with respect to tissue, e.g. hollow organs
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00853 low friction, hydrophobic and corrosion-resistant fluorocarbon resin coating (ptf, ptfe, polytetrafluoroethylene)
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0088 ceramic
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320078 Tissue manipulating surface
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320093 additional movable means performing cutting operation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320094 additional movable means performing clamping operation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320095 with sealing or cauterizing means
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2400/10 Materials for lubricating medical devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2420/08 Coatings comprising two or more layers
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 31/08 Materials for coatings
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 31/088 Other specific inorganic materials not covered by A61L31/084 or A61L31/086
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 31/10 Macromolecular materials
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 31/14 Materials characterised by their function or physical properties , e.g. injectable or lubricating compositions, shape-memory materials, surface modified materials
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/00 Ultrasound therapy lithotripsy A61B17/22, A61B17/225; massage using supersonic vibration A61H23/00 ; using ultrasound for introducing media into the body A61M37/0092
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/02 Localised ultrasound hyperthermia hyperthermia in general A61F7/00

Abstract

An ultrasonic surgical blade includes a body having a proximal end, a distal end, and an outer surface. The distal end is movable relative to a longitudinal axis in accordance with ultrasonic vibrations applied to the proximal end. At least a portion of the outer surface of the body comprises a lubricious coating adhered thereto. The lubricious coating has a coefficient of friction that is less than the coefficient of friction of the outer surface of the body.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic surgical instrument, comprising:

a waveguide extending along a longitudinal axis;

an ultrasonic blade, comprising;

a proximal end coupled to the waveguide;

a distal end movable relative to the longitudinal axis in accordance with ultrasonic vibrations applied to the waveguide; and

a tissue treatment region comprising a lubricious coating; and

a clamp arm movable between an unclamped position and a clamped position, wherein the clamp arm is positioned to exert a clamping force on a tissue positioned intermediate the clamp arm and at least a portion of the lubricious coating when the clamp arm is in the clamped position.

2. The ultrasonic surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein the lubricious coating comprises a polymeric material.

3. The ultrasonic surgical instrument of claim 2, wherein the polymeric material is selected from the following group:

tetrafluoroethylene (TFE) and hexafluoropropylene (HFP) copolymers (FEP), liquid FEP, FEP/ceramic composites, liquid FEP ceramic epoxy composites, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), and PTFE/ceramic composites, and combinations thereof.

4. The ultrasonic surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein the tissue treatment region further comprises a surface treatment to enhance adhesion of the lubricious coating.

5. The ultrasonic surgical instrument of claim 4, wherein the surface treatment comprises a roughening treatment to roughen an outer surface of the ultrasonic blade.

6. The ultrasonic surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein a blade axis extends between the proximal end and the distal end of the ultrasonic blade, and wherein the blade axis defines at least one curve.

7. The ultrasonic surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein the ultrasonic blade comprises an asymmetrical blade body.

8. The ultrasonic surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein the ultrasonic blade is operably coupled to a generator that is susceptible to a lockout condition at power levels above a threshold power, and wherein the lubricious coating is configured to reduce friction at an interface between a tissue and the ultrasonic blade to avoid exceeding the threshold power draw by the generator to prevent the lockout condition.

9. An ultrasonic surgical instrument, comprising:

a waveguide extending along a longitudinal axis;

an ultrasonic blade, comprising;

a proximal end coupled to the waveguide;

a distal end movable relative to the longitudinal axis in accordance with ultrasonic vibrations applied to the waveguide; and

a tissue treatment region comprising a lubricious coating; and

a clamp arm movable between an unclamped position and a clamped position, wherein the clamp arm comprises a tissue pad positioned opposite at least a portion of the lubricious coating when the clamp arm is in the clamped position.

10. The ultrasonic surgical instrument of claim 9, wherein the lubricious coating comprises a polymeric material.

11. The ultrasonic surgical instrument of claim 10, wherein the polymeric material is selected from the following group:

tetrafluoroethylene (TFE) and hexafluoropropylene (HFP) copolymers (FEP), liquid FEP, FEP/ceramic composites, liquid FEP ceramic epoxy composites, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), and PTFE/ceramic composites, and combinations thereof.

12. The ultrasonic surgical instrument of claim 9, wherein the tissue treatment region further comprises a frictional surface treatment to enhance adhesion of the lubricious coating to the tissue treatment region.

13. The ultrasonic surgical instrument of claim 9, wherein a blade axis extends between the proximal end and the distal end of the ultrasonic blade, and wherein the blade axis defines at least one curve.

14. The ultrasonic surgical instrument of claim 9, wherein the ultrasonic blade comprises an asymmetrical blade body.

15. The ultrasonic surgical instrument of claim 9, wherein the ultrasonic blade is operably coupled to a generator that is susceptible to a lockout condition at power levels above a threshold power, and wherein the lubricious coating is configured to reduce friction at an interface between a tissue and the ultrasonic blade to avoid exceeding the threshold power draw by the generator to prevent the lockout condition.

16. An ultrasonic surgical instrument, comprising:

a waveguide extending along a longitudinal axis;

an ultrasonic blade, comprising;

a proximal end coupled to the waveguide;

a distal end movable relative to the longitudinal axis in accordance with ultrasonic vibrations applied to the waveguide; and

a tissue treatment region comprising a lubricious coating; and

means for operably exerting a clamping force on a tissue positioned against the lubricious coating.

17. The ultrasonic surgical instrument of claim 16, wherein the lubricious coating comprises a polymeric material.

18. The ultrasonic surgical instrument of claim 17, wherein the polymeric material is selected from the following group:

tetrafluoroethylene (TFE) and hexafluoropropylene (HFP) copolymers (FEP), liquid FEP, FEP/ceramic composites, liquid FEP ceramic epoxy composites, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), and PTFE/ceramic composites, and combinations thereof.

19. The ultrasonic surgical instrument of claim 16, wherein the tissue treatment region further comprises a frictional surface treatment to enhance adhesion of the lubricious coating to the tissue treatment region.

20. The ultrasonic surgical instrument of claim 16, wherein the ultrasonic blade is operably coupled to a generator that is susceptible to a lockout condition at power levels above a threshold power, and wherein the lubricious coating is configured to reduce friction at an interface between a tissue and the ultrasonic blade to avoid exceeding the threshold power draw by the generator to prevent the lockout condition.