Surgical instrument

• US 20070282371A1
• Filed: 09/19/2006
• Published: 12/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Endobotics, LLC
• Original Assignee: Cambridge Endoscopic Devices Inc.
• Inventors: Lee, Woojin, Chamorro, Andres
• Granted Patent: US 7,615,067 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/205
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0052 Constructional details of control elements, e.g. handles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0057 Constructional details of force transmission elements, e.g. control wires
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/062 Needle manipulators
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/29 Forceps for use in minimally invasive surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/003 Steerable
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00309 Cut-outs or slits
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00327 with actuating members moving in opposite directions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2902 characterized by features of the actuating rod
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2905 flexible
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/291 the position of the handle being adjustable with respect to the shaft
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2927 the angular position of the head being adjustable with respect to the shaft

Abstract

The surgical instrument includes a distal tool, a rigid or flexible elongated shaft that supports the distal tool, and a proximal handle or control member, where the tool and the handle are coupled to the respective distal and proximal ends of the elongated shaft via distal and proximal bendable motion members. Actuation means extends between said distal and proximal members whereby any deflection of said control handle with respect to said elongated instrument shaft causes a corresponding bending of said distal motion member for control of said working member. The proximal movable member comprises a movable ring assembly supported from the handle and adapted for three dimensional motion relative to the handle. A manually rotatable member may be arranged adjacent to the control handle for manually rotating the instrument shaft and working member relative to the control handle. A locking member may be supported from the control handle. The locking member is manually operable by a user and includes a follower the position of which is responsive to the position of the movable members.

Claims

1. A medical instrument comprising:

a proximal control handle;

a distal work member;

a proximal movable member controlled from said proximal control handle;

a distal movable member controlled from said proximal movable member to provide controlled movement of said distal work member from said proximal control handle;

an instrument shaft that intercouples said proximal and distal movable members;

and actuation means coupled between said movable members;

said proximal movable member comprising a movable ring assembly supported from said handle and adapted for three dimensional motion relative to said handle.

2. The medical instrument of claim 1 further including a locking member supported from said proximal control handle and having locked and unlocked states;

said locking member in said unlocked state enabling control of said distal work member from said proximal control handle via said movable members; and

said locking member, in said locked state, holding said movable members in a desired fixed position.

3. The medical instrument of claim 2 wherein said locking member, in the locked state, fixes the position of the proximal movable member.

4. The medical instrument of claim 1 wherein said distal movable members comprise a uni-body structure.

5. The medical instrument of claim 1 wherein said movable ring assembly includes a rotation control member adjacent said proximal control handle for controlling said distal work member to rotate about a distal work member axis.

6. The medical instrument of claim 5 wherein said handle includes a ball end upon which said ring assembly is mounted for pivoting thereon in three dimensions.

7. The medical instrument of claim 6 wherein said ring assembly further includes a rider on the ball and at least one locking lever supported by said rider.

8. The medical instrument of claim 1 wherein said actuation means comprises a set of cables that couple between said turnable members and further including a cable retainer supported by said rotation control member and for retaining proximal ends of said cables.

9. The medical instrument of claim 1 wherein said proximal movable member comprises a bendable member that includes a bellows connected to said rotation control member, a rider and bearing means between said rotation control member and said rider.

10. The medical instrument of claim 1 including a ball secured to the proximal end of the instrument shaft and received in a socket of the control handle.

11. The medical instrument of claim 10 wherein said ring assembly includes a rotation knob mounted for rotation relative to said handle.

12. The medical instrument of claim 11 wherein said actuation means comprises a set of cables that couple between said turnable members and further including a cable retainer supported by said rotation control member and for retaining proximal ends of said cables.

13. The medical instrument of claim 10 further including at least one locking lever supported by said handle and including a locking pad that is urged against the ball.

14. The medical instrument of claim 1 wherein said ring assembly includes a rotation control member and rider for controlling said distal work member to rotate about a distal axis, said handle including a ball end upon which said ring assembly is mounted for pivoting thereon, said ball end being split to receive a locking wedge to lock the position of the rider on the ball.

15. The medical instrument of claim 14 including a slide button for controlling said locking wedge position relative to said ball.

16. The medical instrument of claim 14 wherein said actuation means comprises cables and said rotation control member also includes a cable retainer for the proximal ends of the cables.

17. The medical instrument of claim 14 wherein said proximal movable member comprises a bendable member that includes a bellows.

18. In a medical instrument having a proximal control handle and a distal tool that are intercoupled by an elongated instrument shaft that is meant to pass internally of an anatomic body, proximal and distal movable members that respectively intercouple said proximal control handle and said distal tool with said instrument shaft, cable actuation means disposed between said movable members and a locking means that is manually operable by a user and that includes a follower the position of which is responsive to the position of said movable members.

19. The medical instrument of claim 18 wherein said movable members comprise bendable members, said cable actuation means comprising a first cable set disposed between said bendable members and further including a second cable set coupled between said follower and proximal bendable member.

20. The medical instrument of claim 19 wherein the cables of said second set terminate at the distal end of the proximal bendable member.

21. The medical instrument of claim 20 wherein both of said bendable members comprise uni-body members that include discs that define slots therebetween, said first cable set extending through both distal and proximal uni-body members while said second cable set extends through only said proximal uni-body member.

22. The medical instrument of claim 19 wherein said follower includes a ball and a rider supported on said ball, said second cable set connected to said rider to pivot said rider on said ball in response to bending at said proximal bendable member.

23. The medical instrument of claim 22 including a rotation member adjacent said proximal control handle controllable to rotate said tool about its distal tool axis.

24. The medical instrument of claim 23 wherein said rotation member includes a pair of legs that define at least one slot for guiding at least one pin of the rider.

25. The medical instrument of claim 24 wherein said rotation member includes opposed legs that define opposed slots for receiving opposed pins of the rider.

26. The medical instrument of claim 22 wherein said ball is a split ball and said locking means further includes a wedge member that is operable in the locked state to engage the split ball to, in turn, freeze the position of the follower on the ball.

27. The medical instrument of claim 18 wherein said locking means comprises a slide button mounted at said handle and a wedge member responsive to said slide button for locking the position of said follower.

28. The medical instrument of claim 27 wherein said follower includes a ball and a rider supported on said ball, said ball being split for receiving said wedge member.

29. The medical instrument of claim 28 wherein said slide button includes opposed ends that are respectively disposed on opposite sides of the handle and are manually actuable to either lock or unlock the instrument by depression thereof.

30. In a surgical instrument having a proximal control handle and a distal tool that are intercoupled by an elongated instrument shaft that is meant to pass internally of an anatomic body, proximal and distal movable members that respectively intercouple said proximal control handle and said distal tool with said instrument shaft, a first cable set disposed between said movable members to transfer control between said movable members, a follower disposed at the proximal control handle and a second cable set disposed between the follower and one of said movable members, the position of said follower being responsive to the position of said movable members.

31. The surgical instrument of claim 30 wherein said movable members comprise bendable members and further including a locking member that is manually operable by a user and that is adapted to fix the position of said follower when locked.

32. The surgical instrument of claim 31 wherein said second cable set connects between said follower and said proximal bendable member.

33. The surgical instrument of claim 31 wherein said follower includes a ball and a rider supported on said ball, said second cable set connected to said rider to pivot said rider on said ball in response to bending at said proximal bendable member.