Method and System for Sterilizing an Electrosurgical Instrument

• US 20090209957A1
• Filed: 02/09/2009
• Published: 08/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Tyco Healthcare Group LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Schmaltz, Dale F., Guerra, Paul, Appel, Victor K.
• Granted Patent: US 8,623,276 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/41
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/29 Forceps for use in minimally invasive surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/320016 Endoscopic cutting instruments, e.g. arthroscopes, resectoscopes A61B10/0233, A61B17/29, A61B17/3207 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1445 at the distal end of a shaft, e.g. forceps or scissors at the end of a rigid rod
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2901 Details of shaft
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2945 Curved jaws
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1432 curved
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/0813 Accessories designed for easy sterilising, i.e. re-usable
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/70 Cleaning devices specially adapted for surgical instruments

Abstract

An apparatus and method for use in sterilizing a surgical instrument is provided. The apparatus includes a surgical instrument that includes a housing having a shaft extending therefrom. The shaft includes one or more grooves defined therein that extends at least partially along the length thereof. The one or more grooves is configured to allow a sterilant passage therethrough. The apparatus also includes a jacket that encloses the shaft and allows the sterilant to travel along the one or more grooves.

Claims

1. A surgical instrument, comprising:

a housing having a shaft extending therefrom;

the shaft including at least one groove defined therein that extends at least partially along the length thereof, the at least one groove configured to allow a sterilant passage therethrough; and

a jacket enclosing the shaft and allowing the sterilant to travel along the at least one groove.

2. The laparoscopic instrument according to claim 1, wherein the shaft includes a plurality of grooves extending the entire length thereof disposed in a fixed spatial relation relative to each other.

3. The laparoscopic instrument according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of grooves are disposed in a generally orthogonal relation to each other.

4. The laparoscopic instrument according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of grooves has a depth of about 0.002″

and a width of about 0.004″

.

5. The laparoscopic instrument according to claim 1, wherein the jacket is a heat shrink wrap.

6. The laparoscopic instrument according to claim 1, wherein the sterilant includes ethylene oxide.

7. A method for sterilizing a surgical instrument the method comprising the steps of:

providing the surgical instrument with a shaft having at least one groove defined therein that extends at least partially along the length thereof;

enclosing the shaft with a shrink wrap; and

introducing a sterilant into the at least one groove.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the shaft includes a plurality of grooves extending the entire length thereof disposed in a fixed spatial relation relative to each other.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the plurality of grooves are disposed in a generally orthogonal relation to each other.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein the plurality of grooves has a depth of about 0.002″

and a width of about 0.004″

.

11. The method according to claim 7, wherein the shrink wrap is a heat shrink wrap.

12. The method according to claim 7, wherein the sterilant includes ethylene oxide.

13. A method for sterilizing a laparoscopic surgical instrument the method comprising the steps of:

providing the surgical instrument with a housing having a shaft extending therefrom, the shaft including at least one groove defined therein that extends at least partially the length thereof;

enclosing the shaft with a shrink wrap;

placing the surgical instrument into a sterilization apparatus;

introducing a sterilant into the sterilization apparatus for; and

subjecting the shrink wrap to a final shrinking stage, wherein after the final shrinking stage is completed the shrink wrap forms a tight seal against the shaft.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the sterilization apparatus is a sterilization chamber.