Surgical instrument with bending articulation controlled articulation pivot joint

• US 20070152014A1
• Filed: 12/30/2005
• Published: 07/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Boudreaux, Chad, Hogue, Kenneth, Siebenaler, Douglas, Gillum, Christoph, Hueil, Geoffrey
• Granted Patent: US 7,481,824 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 227/175.100
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/07207 the staples being applied sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2927 the angular position of the head being adjustable with respect to the shaft
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320052 Guides for cutting instruments
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20335 Wrist

Abstract

A surgical instrument particularly suited to endoscopic and laparoscopic insertion through a cannula of a trocar into an insufflated body cavity or lumen includes a bending member in an elongate shaft that acts to rotate an end effector about an articulation pivot joint. A proximally directed camming surface (e.g., gear segment, cam recess) aft of a pivotal attachment of the end effector to a proximal frame ground of the elongate shaft interacts with a bending member whose proximal end is ground to the proximal frame ground. Differential fluidic actuators or mechanical cam bars deflect a distal end (e.g., rack, cam point) of the bending member to effect articulation. Thereby, the end effector may act upon tissue that would otherwise be obscured, such as behind an organ. The articulated end effector also advantageously allows an endoscope to be positioned behind the end effector without being blocked by the instrument shaft.

Claims

1. A surgical instrument, comprising:

an end effector including a proximal camming surface;

an elongate shaft including a frame aligned with a longitudinal axis;

an articulation joint pivotally attaching the end effector to a distal end of the elongate shaft;

a bending member having a proximal end attached to the elongate shaft and a distal end engaged to the proximal camming surface of the end effector; and

an articulation control actuator proximally attached to the elongate shaft and operably configured to deflect a distal end of the bending member to articulate the end effector.

2. The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein the distal end of the bending member comprises a rack, the proximal camming surface of the end effector comprising a gear segment.

3. The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein the articulation control actuator further comprises a differential fluidic actuation system.

4. The surgical instrument of claim 3, wherein the differential fluidic actuation system further comprises actuating bladders opposingly positioned on opposite lateral sides of the bending member substantially encompassed by the elongate shaft.

5. The surgical instrument of claim 4, wherein each actuating bladder is operably configured to laterally expand in response to received fluid.

6. The surgical instrument of claim 5, wherein each actuating bladder is operably configured to longitudinally expand in response to received fluid.

7. The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein the bending member comprises a tiller pivotally received in the elongate shaft.

8. The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein the distal end of the bending member includes a camming surface, the articulation control actuator further comprising a pair of differential cam bars each comprising a movable proximal end and a distal camming end positioned opposingly against the camming surface of the bending member to differentially bend the bend member.

9. The surgical instrument of claim 8, wherein the articulation control actuator comprises proximal guide slots containing the cam bars to longitudinal travel and a laterally movable, proximal recess positioned to differentially and longitudinally translate the movable proximal ends of the cam bars.

10. The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein the articulation control actuator further comprises differential flexible push rods and a guide structure positioned in the elongate shaft to direct a distal end of each flexible push rod against respective opposing lateral sides of the distal end of the bending member.

11. The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein the camming surface of the end effector comprises a proximally directed surface attached to the distal end of the bending member, the articulation control actuator further comprising a differential fluidic actuation system.

12. The surgical instrument of claim 3, wherein the differential fluidic actuation system further comprises actuating bladders opposingly positioned on opposite lateral sides of the bending member substantially encompassed by the elongate shaft.

13. A surgical instrument, comprising:

an end effector including a proximal camming surface;

an elongate shaft including a frame aligned with the camming surface of the end effector;

an articulation joint pivotally attaching the end effector to a distal end of the elongate shaft, the pivot attachment positioned distal to the proximal camming surface of the end effector;

a bending member having a proximal end attached to the elongate shaft and a distal end engaged to the proximal camming surface of the end effector;

differential actuators opposingly positioned against the proximal camming surface of the end effector; and

an articulation control actuator proximally attached to the elongate shaft and operably configured to differentially move the differential actuators to selectively deflect a distal end of the bending member to articulate the end effector.

14. The surgical instrument of claim 13, wherein the differential actuators comprise fluidic actuating bladders.

15. The surgical instrument of claim 13, wherein the differential actuators comprise longitudinally translated differential cam bars.

16. The surgical instrument of claim 13, wherein the differential actuators comprise longitudinally translated push rods having distal ends angled into lateral opposing contact with the distal end of the end effector.

17. The surgical instrument of claim 13, wherein the bending member is attached to the proximal camming surface of the end effector.

18. A surgical instrument, comprising:

an end effector including a proximal surface;

an elongate shaft including a frame aligned with the proximal surface of the end effector;

an articulation joint pivotally attaching the end effector to a distal end of the elongate shaft, the pivot attachment positioned distal to the proximal camming surface of the end effector;

a bending member having a flexible shaft within the lateral recess having a proximal end attached to the elongate shaft and a distal end engaged to the proximal surface of the end effector; and

a means for selectively deflecting the distal end of the bending member to bend the flexible shaft and articulate the end effector.

19. The surgical instrument of claim 18, wherein the means for selectively deflecting the distal end of the bending member further comprises a means for converting a lateral control motion input by user into the deflecting of the bending member.

20. The surgical instrument of claim 18, wherein the end effector comprises a staple applying assembly, the surgical instrument further comprising a handle proximally attached to the elongate shaft and operatively configured to close and fire the staple applying assembly.