Surgical stapling and cutting device and method for using the device

• US 20070027469A1
• Filed: 07/24/2006
• Published: 02/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hybrid Tech., LLC, Cilag Gmbh International (Johnson & Johnson), KMS Medical LLC
• Original Assignee: KMS Medical LLC
• Inventors: Kline, Korey, Smith, Kevin, Palmer, Matthew, Deville, Derek
• Granted Patent: US 8,579,176 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/205
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/00234 for minimally invasive surgery A61B17/0218, A61B17/0469, A61B17/12013, A61B17/1285, A61B17/29, A61B17/320016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/068 Surgical staplers , e.g. containing multiple staples or clampsstaplers containing only one staple A61B17/10; magazines or containers for staples A61B17/105; for performing anastomosis A61B17/115; staplers in general B25C5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/072 for applying a row of staples in a single action , e.g. the staples being applied simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/07207 the staples being applied sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/115 Staplers for performing anastomosis in a single operation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/003 Steerable
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00389 Button or wheel for performing multiple functions, e.g. rotation of shaft and end effector
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/07214 Stapler heads
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/07271 characterised by its cartridge
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/07285 characterised by its cutter
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2927 the angular position of the head being adjustable with respect to the shaft
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2931 with releasable head
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320052 Guides for cutting instruments by marking A61B2090/395

Abstract

A medical device includes a control handle having an articulation joint actuator, a surgical end effector, and a passive articulating joint connecting the end effector to the control handle. The articulation joint actuator, when unactuated, holds the passive articulation joint and, thereby, the end effector, in a substantially fixed articulation position, and, when actuated, releases the passive articulation joint into a freely articulating state to permit free articulation of the end effector with respect to the control handle dependent upon external forces acting upon the end effector. A method for operating the end effector includes retaining the passive articulation joint in a stable position with an articulation lock and actuating a release of the articulation lock to unlock the passive articulation joint and, thereby, permit articulating motion of the end effector through the passive articulation joint dependent upon the external forces acting upon the end effector.

Claims

1. A medical device end effector connection assembly, comprising:

a passive articulation joint for connecting an end effector to a control handle.

2. In a medical device having an end effector connected to a control handle, an end effector connection assembly comprising:

a passive articulation joint connecting the end effector to the control handle.

3. A medical device, comprising:

a control handle; and

a surgical end effector connected to said control handle through a passive articulating connection.

4. A medical device, comprising:

a control handle; and

a surgical end effector passively articulated with respect to said control handle.

5. A medical device, comprising:

a control handle having a first portion of a passive articulation joint; and

a surgical end effector having a second portion of said passive articulation joint, said first and second portions of said passive articulation joint connecting said end effector to said control handle.

6. A medical device, comprising:

a control handle; and

a surgical end effector having a passive articulation joint connecting said end effector to said control handle.

7. A medical device, comprising:

a control handle;

a surgical end effector; and

a passive articulating joint connecting said end effector to said control handle.

8. The medical device according to claim 7, wherein said control handle has an articulation joint actuator connected to said passive articulation joint to change an articulation state of said passive articulation joint.

9. The medical device according to claim 8, wherein said passive articulation joint:

articulatingly holds said end effector in position when said articulation joint actuator is not actuated; and

articulatingly releases said end effector when said articulation joint actuator is actuated.

10. The medical device according to claim 8, wherein said passive articulation joint:

articulatingly holds said end effector in a given articulated position when said articulation joint actuator is not actuated; and

articulatingly releases said end effector to articulate freely when said articulation joint actuator is actuated.

11. The medical device according to claim 8, wherein said articulation joint actuator causes said passive articulation joint:

to articulatingly hold said end effector in position when said articulation joint actuator is not actuated; and

to articulatingly release said end effector when said articulation joint actuator is actuated.

12. The medical device according to claim 7, wherein actuation of at least a part of said control handle articulatingly frees said passive articulation joint when said part is actuated.

13. The medical device according to claim 7, wherein actuation of at least a part of said control handle releases said passive articulation joint to freely articulate when said part is actuated.

14. The medical device according to claim 7, wherein said control handle has an articulation joint actuator holding said passive articulation joint in position when not actuated and releasing said passive articulation joint when actuated.

15. The medical device according to claim 7, wherein said control handle articulatingly releases said passive articulation joint when actuated.

16. The medical device according to claim 7, wherein:

said control handle has an articulation joint actuator having an unactuated state and an actuated state;

said end effector has an articulation lock with a locked articulation state and an unlocked articulation state; and

said articulation joint actuator;

changes said articulation lock from said locked articulation state to said unlocked articulation state when changed from said unactuated state to said actuated state; and

changes said articulation lock from said unlocked articulation state to said locked articulation state when changed from said actuated state to said unactuated state.

17. The medical device according to claim 8, wherein said articulation joint actuator has an unactuated state and an actuated state and articulatingly releases said passive articulation joint when in said actuated state.

18. The medical device according to claim 17, wherein said end effector articulates when:

said articulation joint actuator is actuated; and

an external force is applied to said end effector.

19. The medical device according to claim 17, wherein said end effector freely articulates dependent upon forces acting upon said end effector when said articulation joint actuator is actuated.

20. The medical device according to claim 17, wherein said end effector:

freely responds to forces acting upon said end effector to cause articulation motion thereof when said articulation joint actuator is actuated; and

is locked in a given articulation position when said articulation joint actuator is unactuated.

21. The medical device according to claim 17, wherein:

said end effector is a surgical stapling end effector having at least one of a stapling device with staples and a cutting device with a blade; and

said control handle has;

a stapler closing actuator closing said stapling device when actuated;

a staple firing actuator at least one of stapling said staples and cutting tissue with said cutting device when actuated; and

said stapler closing actuator and said staple firing actuator are different from said articulation joint actuator.

22. The medical device according to claim 21, further comprising:

at least one first flexible beam connecting said control handle to said staple firing actuator through said passive articulation joint;

at least one second flexible beam longitudinally connecting said end effector to said control handle through said passive articulation joint; and

said at least one first flexible beam and said at least one second flexible beam flexing in a corresponding way to an articulation of said passive articulation joint.

23. The medical device according to claim 7, wherein:

said control handle has a first longitudinal axis;

said end effector has a second longitudinal axis;

at least one of said control handle, said end effector, and said passive articulating joint has an alignment device; and

said alignment device biases said end effector to substantially align said first and said longitudinal axes when said articulation joint actuator is actuated.

24. The medical device according to claim 23, wherein said alignment device is a center-biasing device.

25. The medical device according to claim 24, wherein said center-biasing device is a set of spring-loaded plungers disposed on opposing sides of said first longitudinal axis and independently urging said end effector to align said second longitudinal axis with said first longitudinal axis.

26. The medical device according to claim 8, wherein actuation of said articulation joint actuator removes an articulation lock on said end effector.

27. The medical device according to claim 8, wherein:

said articulation joint actuator has a pull-lock with distally directed teeth;

said passive articulation joint has a gear with proximally directed teeth interlocked with said distally directed teeth when said articulation joint actuator is unactuated; and

said articulation joint actuator disengages said distally directed teeth from said proximally directed teeth to articulating unlock said end effector when said articulation joint actuator is unactuated.

28. The medical device according to claim 8, wherein said articulation joint actuator is a pull-to-release and release-to-relock trigger assembly.

29. The medical device according to claim 7, wherein:

said passive articulation joint is a ball joint having;

a ball;

a cupping device; and

a ball-cup locking device for locking and unlocking said ball and said cupping device with respect to one another, said ball-cup locking device being in a locked state when said control handle is in an unactuated state and in an unlocked state when said control handle is in an actuated state;

said end effector has one of said ball and said cupping device; and

said control handle has the other one of said ball and said cupping device.

30. The medical device according to claim 29, wherein said ball is removably connected to said cupping device.

31. The medical device according to claim 29, wherein:

said end effector has two longitudinal ends; and

said ball is two balls, each of said two balls being disposed on one of said two longitudinal ends; and

said two balls are each removably connectable to said cupping device.

32. A medical device, comprising:

a control handle having an articulation joint actuator, said articulation joint actuator having an unactuated state and an actuated state;

a surgical end effector;

a passive articulating joint connecting said end effector to said control handle; and

said articulation joint actuator;

when in said unactuated state, holding said passive articulation joint and, thereby, said end effector, in a substantially fixed articulation position; and

when in said actuated state, releasing said passive articulation joint into a freely articulating state to permit free articulation of said end effector with respect to said control handle dependent upon external forces acting upon said end effector.

33. A medical device, comprising:

a surgical stapling end effector having at least one of a stapling device with staples and a cutting device with a blade;

a control handle having;

a stapler closing actuator closing said stapling device when actuated;

a staple firing actuator at least one of stapling said staples and cutting tissue with said cutting device when actuated; and

an articulation joint actuator having an unactuated state and an actuated state;

a passive articulating joint connecting said end effector to said control handle; and

said end effector;

freely articulating dependent upon forces acting upon said end effector when said articulation joint actuator is actuated; and

being locked in a given articulation position when said articulation joint actuator is unactuated.

34. A method for operating an end effector of a medical device, which comprises:

retaining a passive articulation joint controlling articulation movement of an end effector in a stable position with an articulation lock; and

actuating a release of the articulation lock to unlock the passive articulation joint and permit articulating motion of the end effector through the passive articulation joint dependent upon external forces acting upon the end effector.

35. The method according to claim 34, which further comprises passively moving the end effector into an articulated position.

36. The method according to claim 34, which further comprises passively moving the end effector into an articulated position by pressing a portion of the end effector against a feature of the environment.

37. A method for operating an end effector of a medical device, which comprises:

retaining a passive articulation joint in a locked state with an articulation lock; and

actuating the articulation lock to unlock the passive articulation joint and permit articulating motion of the passive articulation joint dependent upon external forces acting upon the end effector.

38. The method according to claim 37, which further comprises applying a force to the end effector to articulate the end effector into a desired articulated position.

39. The method according to claim 38, which further comprises removing the actuation of the articulation lock to lock the passive articulation joint and, thereby, prevent further articulating motion of the end effector.

40. The method according to claim 39, which further comprises carrying out the retaining, actuating, applying and removing steps with one-hand.

41. The method according to claim 39, which further comprises repeating the retaining, actuating, applying, and removing steps to place the end effector in the desired articulated position.