Manifold for gas enhanced surgical instruments

• US 20070208337A1
• Filed: 03/03/2006
• Published: 09/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covidien AG (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Sherwood Services AG
• Inventors: Podhajsky, Ronald, Reschke, Arlan
• Granted Patent: US 7,691,102 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/45
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/042 using additional gas becoming plasma
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/14 Probes or electrodes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00178 Electrical connectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00595 Cauterization
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/122 ionizing, with corona
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 39/12 for joining a flexible tube to a rigid attachment
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 39/223 Multiway valves
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/85938 Non-valved flow dividers

Abstract

There is disclosed a fluid supply manifold for use with various surgical instruments, such as, electrosurgical instruments. The fluid supply manifold includes two or more connection ports for receipt of sources of fluid supply by either bulk sources or sources contained within canisters. The manifold may include a mixing chamber for mixing the various sources of fluids within the manifold or may include flow tubes for providing the sources of fluid directly to the surgical instrument to be mixed within the surgical instrument. Control valves are associated with each of the connection ports to control the flow of fluids through the manifold. The manifold may also include a gas inlet to facilitate drawing the fluids out of the various sources as well as mixing the fluids within the manifold.

Claims

1. A fluid supply manifold for use with a surgical instrument comprising:

a housing;

at least two connection ports for receipt of sources of fluid supply; and

an individual flow port provided on each of the at least two connection ports.

2. The fluid supply manifold as recited in claim 1, wherein the housing defines a mixing chamber in fluid communication with each of the individual flow ports.

3. The fluid supply manifold as recited in claim 2, wherein at least one of the at least two connection ports includes a control valve to regulate the flow of fluid through the housing.

4. The fluid supply manifold as recited in claim 3, wherein the control valve is operated by an actuator associated with a surgical instrument assembly.

5. The fluid supply manifold as recited in claim 2, wherein the housing includes a gas inlet port defined therein, the gas inlet port being in fluid communication with the mixing chamber.

6. The fluid supply manifold as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of the connection ports includes a needle defining a fluid flow path into the housing, the needle configured to pierce a septum of an associated fluid supply canister.

7. The fluid supply manifold as recited in claim 6, wherein each connection port includes an O-ring seated therein dimensioned to provide a fluid-tight seal with an external fluid supply source.

8. The fluid supply manifold as recited in claim 6, wherein the connection ports are threaded to receive a corresponding thread on a fluid supply source.

9. The fluid supply manifold as recited in claim 6, wherein the external fluid supply source is affixed within the connection port by a press fit such that the needle is forced through a septum of the external fluid supply source.

10. The fluid supply manifold as recited in claim 2, wherein the housing includes a discharge tube in fluid communication with the mixing chamber.

11. The fluid supply manifold as recited in claim 1, wherein each connection port includes a flow tube passing through the housing.

12. The fluid supply manifold as recited in claim 11, further comprising a control valve position intermediate the flow port and the flow tube.

13. The fluid supply manifold as recited in claim 11, wherein the housing includes a neck for connection with an associated flow tube port on a surgical instrument.

14. A surgical instrument assembly comprising:

a surgical instrument having a fluid flow tube, the fluid flow tube having a discharge port defined at a distal end of the surgical instrument;

an actuator assembly having an actuator that controls the flow of fluid through the fluid flow tube; and

a manifold which supplys at least one or more sources of fluid to the fluid flow tube of the surgical instrument.

15. The surgical instrument assembly as recited in claim 14, wherein the manifold is attached to the actuator of the actuator assembly.

16. The surgical instrument assembly as recited in claim 14, wherein the manifold is attached to the surgical instrument.

17. The surgical instrument assembly as recited in claim 16, wherein the manifold is attached to a proximal end of the surgical instrument.

18. The surgical instrument assembly as recited in claim 16, wherein the manifold is attached to a mixing chamber on the surgical instrument.

19. A gas enhanced electrosurgical instrument assembly comprising:

an electrosurgical instrument having a fluid flow tube, the fluid flow tube having a discharge port defined at a distal end of the surgical instrument;

a generator that provides a source of energy to the electrosurgical instrument;

a manifold that supplies one or more sources of fluids to the fluid flow tube of the electrosurgical instrument; and

an actuator assembly having an actuator that controls the source of energy provided by the generator and the flow of fluids from the manifold to the fluid flow tube of the electrosurgical instrument.

20. The electrosurgical instrument assembly as recited in claim 19, wherein the manifold is affixed to the actuator assembly.