MANUALLY ARTICULATING DEVICES

• US 20080147113A1
• Filed: 12/14/2006
• Published: 06/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Conlon, Sean P., Nobis, Rudolph H., Nalagatla, Anil K.
• Granted Patent: US 8,062,306 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/205
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 10/06 Biopsy forceps , e.g. with cup-shaped jaws
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/29 Forceps for use in minimally invasive surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/2909 Handles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2927 the angular position of the head being adjustable with respect to the shaft
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2929 with a head rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the shaft
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2939 Details of linkages or pivot points

Abstract

Methods and devices are provided for controlling movement of a working end of a surgical device, and in particular for performing various surgical procedures using an instrument having an end effector that can be articulated relative to an elongate shaft of the device. In certain embodiments, the end effector can also optionally rotate relative to the elongate shaft of the device, and/or the shaft can rotate relative to a handle of the device.

Claims

1. A surgical device, comprising:

an elongate shaft having proximal and distal ends; and

a three-bar linkage having proximal and distal ends, the proximal end being coupled to the distal end of the elongate shaft; and

an end effector coupled to the distal end of the three-bar linkage;

wherein the three-bar linkage is adapted to laterally articulate relative to a longitudinal axis of the elongate shaft to allow the end effector to be angularly oriented relative to the elongate shaft.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the three-bar linkage is rotatably coupled to the elongate shaft such that the three-bar linkage and the end effector coupled thereto are adapted to rotate about a longitudinal axis of the elongate shaft.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the end effector is rotatably coupled to the three-bar linkage such that the end effector can rotate relative to the three-bar linkage.

4. The device of claim 3, further comprising an actuation wire extending through the elongate shaft and the three-bar linkage and adapted to rotate the end effector relative to the three-bar linkage.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the three-bar linkage comprises:

a first articulating link having a proximal end coupled to the distal end of the elongate shaft;

a second articulating link having a proximal end pivotally coupled to a distal end of the first articulating link, and a distal end coupled to the end effector; and

a third articulating link having a proximal end pivotally coupled to an articulation actuator extending through the elongate shaft, and a distal end pivotally coupled to the second articulating link.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the third articulating link comprises a flexible wire adapted to buckle when a force is applied thereto to cause the second articulating link to pivot relative to the first articulating link.

7. The device of claim 5, wherein the third articulating link comprises a cam having a cam slot formed therein for receiving a pin formed on the second articulating link such that movement of the cam is effective to cause the second articulating link to pivot relative to the first articulating link.

8. The device of claim 5, wherein the articulation actuator is adapted to translate along a longitudinal axis of the elongate shaft to laterally articulate the second link and the end effector relative to the first link.

9. The device of claim 5, wherein the articulation actuator comprises a hollow elongate tube.

10. The device of claim 5, wherein the articulation actuator is rotatable relative to the elongate shaft such that rotation of the articulation actuator rotates the three-bar linkage and the end effector relative to the elongate shaft.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the end effector is selected from the group consisting of a grasper, a biopsy probe, a snare loop, forceps, scissors, a needle knife, and a sphincterotome.

12. The device of claim 1, further comprising an actuation wire extending through the elongate shaft and the three-bar linkage and adapted to translate along a longitudinal axis of the elongate shaft to actuate the end effector.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the elongate shaft is flexible.

14. A method for processing the device of claim 1 for surgery, comprising:

a) obtaining the device of claim 1;

b) sterilizing the device; and

c) storing the device in a sterile container.

15. A manually articulating device, comprising:

an elongate shaft having proximal and distal ends;

a first link having a proximal end coupled to the distal end of the elongate shaft;

a second link having a proximal end pivotally coupled to a distal end of the first link;

an end effector coupled to a distal end of the second link;

a third link having a distal end pivotally coupled to the second link; and

an articulation actuator extending through the elongate shaft and having a distal end coupled to a proximal end of the third link, the articulation actuator being adapted to translate along a longitudinal axis of the elongate shaft such that translation of the articulation actuator is adapted to laterally articulate the second link and the end effector relative to the first link and the elongate shaft.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the third link comprises a flexible wire adapted to buckle when a force is applied thereto to cause the second link to pivot relative to the first link.

17. The device of claim 15, wherein the third link comprises a cam having a cam slot formed therein for receiving a pin formed on the second link such that movement of the cam is effective to cause the second link to pivot relative to the first link.

18. The device of claim 15, wherein the articulation actuator comprises a hollow elongate tube.

19. The device of claim 15, wherein the end effector is rotatably coupled to the second link.

20. The device of claim 15, wherein proximal movement of the articulation link is adapted to laterally articulate the second link and the end effector in a first lateral direction, and distal movement of the articulation link is adapted to longitudinally align the second link and the end effector with the longitudinal axis of the elongate shaft.

21. The device of claim 15, wherein proximal movement of the articulation link is effective to move the third link proximally, which causes the second link to pivot relative to the first link.

22. The device of claim 15, wherein the first link is rotatably coupled to the elongate shaft such that the first link, second link, third link, and end effector are adapted to rotate about a longitudinal axis of the elongate shaft.

23. The device of claim 22, wherein the articulation actuator is rotatable relative to the elongate shaft such that rotation of the articulation actuator is effector to rotate the first link, second link, third link, and end effector about a longitudinal axis of the elongate shaft.

24. The device of claim 15, wherein the end effector is selected from the group consisting of a grasper, a biopsy probe, a snare loop, forceps, scissors, a needle knife, and a sphincterotome.

25. The device of claim 15, wherein the elongate shaft is flexible.

26. A surgical method, comprising:

inserting an elongate shaft of a surgical device through a body lumen to position an end effector located at a distal end of the elongate shaft adjacent to tissue to be treated;

translating an articulation actuator along a longitudinal axis of the elongate shaft to cause a three-bar linkage to laterally articulate the end effector in a direction substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the elongate shaft to allow the end effector to be angularly oriented relative to the elongate shaft; and

rotating the end effector relative to the elongate shaft.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the three-bar linkage rotates with the end effector relative to the elongate shaft.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein rotating the end effector comprises rotating the articulation actuator relative to the elongate shaft.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the end effector rotates relative to the three-bar linkage.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein rotating the end effector comprising rotating an actuation wire coupled to the end effector and extending through the elongate shaft and the three-bar linkage.

31. The method of claim 26, further including sterilizing the surgical device after at least one use.