Motor-driven surgical cutting and fastening instrument with user feedback system

• US 20070175958A1
• Filed: 01/31/2006
• Published: 08/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Shelton, Frederick, Morgan, Jerome, Ouwerkerk, John
• Granted Patent: US 7,766,210 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 227/178.100
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/07207 the staples being applied sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00017 Electrical control of surgical instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00128 related to intensity or progress of surgical action
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/0811 for the position of a particular part of an instrument with respect to the rest of the instrument, e.g. position of the anvil of a stapling instrument

Abstract

A surgical cutting and fastening instrument is disclosed. According to various embodiments, the instrument includes an end effector comprising a moveable cutting instrument for cutting an object positioned in the end effector, a main drive shaft assembly connected to the end effector, and a handle connected to the main drive shaft assembly. The handle includes a gear drive train connected to the main drive shaft assembly, a main motor for actuating the gear drive train, and a firing trigger such that retraction of the firing trigger causes actuation of the motor. Also, the rotational position of the firing trigger is related to the position of the cutting instrument in the end effector.

Claims

1. A surgical cutting and fastening instrument comprising:

an end effector comprising a moveable cutting instrument for cutting an object positioned in the end effector;

a main drive shaft assembly connected to the end effector; and

a handle connected to the main drive shaft assembly, the handle comprising;

a gear drive train connected to the main drive shaft assembly;

a main motor for actuating the gear drive train; and

a firing trigger configured such that retraction of the firing trigger causes actuation of the motor, wherein the rotational position of the firing trigger is related to the position of the cutting instrument in the end effector.

2. The surgical cutting and fastening instrument of claim 1, wherein the handle further comprises a closure trigger, separate from the firing trigger, wherein retraction of the closure trigger causes the end effector to clamp the object positioned in the end effector.

3. The surgical cutting and fastening instrument of claim 2, wherein the firing trigger includes a gear portion that is geared to the gear drive train.

4. The surgical cutting and fastening instrument of claim 2, further comprising a run motor sensor for sensing retracting of the firing trigger, wherein, when retraction of the firing trigger is sensed by the run motor sensor, the motor is signaled to forward rotate to cause cutting of the object positioned in the end effector by the cutting instrument.

5. The surgical cutting and fastening instrument of claim 4, wherein the run motor sensor comprises a proportional switch such that the rate of rotation of the motor is proportional to the retraction force applied to the firing trigger.

6. The surgical cutting and fastening instrument of claim 4, wherein the run motor sensor comprises an on/off switch

7. The surgical cutting and fastening instrument of claim 4, further comprising:

a reverse motor sensor for sensing an end of a cutting stroke of the cutting instrument such that when the reverse motor sensor senses the end of the cutting stroke, the motor is signaled to reverse rotate to retract the cutting instrument;

a stop motor sensor for sensing retraction of the cutting instrument such that when the stop motor sensor senses retraction of the cutting instrument, the motor is signaled to stop rotating.

8. The surgical cutting and fastening instrument of claim 7, wherein the end effector includes a staple cartridge.

9. The surgical cutting and fastening instrument of claim 7, wherein the end effector includes a helical drive screw, such that forward rotation of the helical drive screw causes the cutting instrument to undertake the cutting stroke, and reverse rotation of the helical drive screw causes the cutting instrument to retract.

10. The surgical cutting and fastening instrument of claim 7, wherein the main drive shaft includes articulation means for articulating the end effector.

11. The surgical cutting and fastening instrument of claim 1, further comprising a closure trigger separate from the firing trigger, wherein retraction of the closure trigger causes the end effector to clamp the object positioned in the end effector.

12. The surgical cutting and fastening instrument of claim 2, further comprising a mechanical closure system for closing the end effector when the closure trigger is retracted.

13. The surgical cutting and fastening instrument of claim 7, wherein the end effector comprises:

an elongate channel for carrying the cutting instrument; and

a clamping member pivotably connected to the elongate channel.

14. The surgical cutting and fastening instrument of claim 7, further comprising means for locking the closure trigger to the handle when the closure trigger is retracted.

15. The surgical cutting and fastening instrument of claim 7, wherein the gear drive train includes a helical drum gear.

16. The surgical cutting and fastening instrument of claim 3, wherein the gear drive train includes a gear box assembly between the motor and the main drive shaft, wherein the gear portion of the firing trigger is geared into a gear of the gear box assembly.

17. A surgical cutting and fastening instrument comprising:

an end effector comprising;

an elongate channel;

a clamping member pivotably connected to the channel; and

a moveable cutting instrument for traversing the channel to cut an object clamped in the end effector by the clamping member when the clamping member is in a clamped position

a main drive shaft assembly connected to the end effector; and

a handle connected to the main drive shaft assembly, the handle comprising;

a closure trigger for causing the clamping member to pivot to the clamped position when the closure trigger is retracted;

a gear drive train connected to the main drive shaft assembly;

a main motor for actuating the gear drive train; and

a firing trigger configured such that retraction of the firing trigger causes actuation of the motor, wherein the rotational position of the firing trigger is related to the position of the cutting instrument in the end effector.

18. The surgical cutting and fastening instrument of claim 17, further comprising means for locking the closure trigger to the handle when the closure trigger is retracted.

19. The surgical cutting and fastening instrument of claim 17, further comprising a run motor sensor for sensing retracting of the firing trigger, wherein, when retraction of the firing trigger is sensed by the run motor sensor, the motor is signaled to forward rotate to cause cutting of the object positioned in the end effector by the cutting instrument.

20. A surgical cutting and fastening instrument comprising:

an end effector comprising a moveable cutting instrument;

a handle connected to the end effector via a shaft, wherein the handle comprising a firing trigger and a separate closure trigger;

closure means for causing the end effector to clamp an object positioned in the end effector when the closure trigger is retracted;

a firing trigger; and

motorized means responsive to the firing trigger for actuating the cutting instrument when the firing trigger is actuated, wherein the rotational position of the firing trigger is related to the position of the cutting instrument in the end effector.