Surgical instrument for cutting and coagulating patient tissue

• US 20070173872A1
• Filed: 01/23/2006
• Published: 07/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Cilag Gmbh International (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Neuenfeldt, Steven
• Application Number:
  US11/337,405
• Publication Number:
  US 20070173872A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/169
• 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 17/3201 Scissors for biopsy A61B10/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1442 Probes having pivoting end effectors, e.g. forceps
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00778 Operations on blood vessels A61B2017/22097, A61B2017/320741 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2927 the angular position of the head being adjustable with respect to the shaft
• 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: A61B 2018/1452 including means for cutting A61B2018/146 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1467 using more than two electrodes on a single probe

Abstract

A first medical instrument is for cutting and coagulating patient tissue and includes a two-pronged end effector. The end effector has a first prong which includes a medical ultrasonic blade, has a second prong which includes an arm opposing the ultrasonic blade, and has a surgical knife. A second medical instrument is for a medical instrument for cutting and coagulating patient tissue and includes a two-pronged end effector. The end effector has a first prong which includes a first bipolar radio-frequency electrode, has a second prong which includes an arm opposing the electrodes, and has a surgical knife.

Claims

1. A medical instrument for cutting and coagulating patient tissue comprising a two-pronged end effector having a first prong which includes a medical ultrasonic blade, having a second prong which includes an arm opposing the ultrasonic blade, and having a surgical knife.

2. The medical instrument of claim 1, wherein the surgical knife is attached to one of the ultrasonic blade and the arm.

3. The medical instrument of claim 2, wherein the ultrasonic blade is disposed at an angle with respect to the arm.

4. The medical instrument of claim 3, wherein the surgical knife is always angularly spaced apart from the other of the ultrasonic blade and the arm.

5. The medical instrument of claim 4, wherein the angle is invariant.

6. The medical instrument of claim 4, wherein the angle is a user-adjustable angle.

7. The medical instrument of claim 6, wherein the ultrasonic blade and the arm at least partially define an ultrasonic surgical shears, wherein the angle is user-decreased to grasp patient tissue between the ultrasonic blade and the arm, and wherein the angle is user-increased to release the grasped patient tissue.

8. The medical instrument of claim 6, wherein the ultrasonic blade and the arm are devoid of any patient tissue clamping and unclamping mode of operation.

10. The medical instrument of claim 1, wherein the ultrasonic blade has a longitudinal axis, and wherein the ultrasonic blade is rotatable about the longitudinal axis without rotating the arm.

9. A medical instrument for cutting and coagulating patient tissue comprising a two-pronged end effector having a first prong which includes a medical ultrasonic blade, having a second prong which includes an arm opposing the ultrasonic blade, and having a surgical knife, wherein the medical ultrasonic blade is an ultrasonic blade portion of an ultrasonic surgical shears, wherein the arm is a clamp arm portion of the ultrasonic surgical shears, wherein the surgical knife is attached to the ultrasonic blade, wherein the surgical blade has at least one vibration node, and wherein the surgical knife is spaced apart from each of the at-least-one vibration node.

11. A medical instrument for cutting and coagulating patient tissue comprising a two-pronged end effector having a first prong which includes a first bipolar radio-frequency electrode, having a second prong which includes an arm opposing the electrodes, and having a surgical knife.

12. The medical instrument of claim 11, wherein the surgical knife is attached to one of the first prong and the arm.

13. The medical instrument of claim 12, wherein the first prong is disposed at an angle with respect to the arm.

14. The medical instrument of claim 13, wherein the surgical knife is always angularly spaced apart from the other of the first prong and the arm.

15. The medical instrument of claim 14, wherein the angle is invariant.

16. The medical instrument of claim 14, wherein the angle is a user-adjustable angle.

17. The medical instrument of claim 16, wherein the first prong and the arm at least partially define a radio-frequency surgical shears, wherein the angle is user-decreased to grasp patient tissue between the first prong and the arm, and wherein the angle is user-increased to release the grasped patient tissue.

18. The medical instrument of claim 16, wherein the first prong and the arm are devoid of any patient tissue clamping and unclamping mode of operation.

19. The medical instrument of claim 11, wherein the first prong is an electrode-supporting portion of a radio-frequency surgical shears, wherein the arm is a clamp arm portion of the radio-frequency surgical shears, and wherein the surgical knife is attached to the arm.

20. The medical instrument of claim 11, wherein the arm has a longitudinal axis, and wherein the arm is rotatable about the longitudinal axis without rotating the first prong.

21. The medical instrument of claim 11, wherein one of the first and second prongs includes a second bipolar radio-frequency electrode.