MANUALLY ARTICULATING DEVICES

• US 20090306658A1
• Filed: 06/05/2008
• Published: 12/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2008
• 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.
• Granted Patent: US 8,403,926 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/46
• 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 18/1482 having a long rigid shaft for accessing the inner body transcutaneously in minimal invasive surgery, e.g. laparoscopy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1422 Hook
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1475 Electrodes retractable in or deployable from a housing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1861 with an instrument inserted into a body lumen or cavity, e.g. a catheter

Abstract

A surgical device is disclosed. The device includes an elongate shaft having a distal end coupled to a proximal end of an articulation joint, and an actuation wire extending through the elongate shaft and the articulation joint. The device further includes an end effector having a distal tip coupled to a distal end of the articulation joint and receiving therethrough a distal end of the actuation wire. The end effector includes a hook knife disposed adjacent the distal tip and having a proximal end connected to the distal end of the actuation wire. The actuation wire is translatable along a longitudinal axis of the elongate shaft to extend and retract the distal end of the hook knife relative to the distal tip of the end effector, and the articulation joint is laterally articulatable relative to the longitudinal axis of the elongate shaft to allow the end effector to be angularly oriented relative to the elongate shaft.

Claims

1. A surgical device, comprising:

an elongate shaft comprising proximal and distal ends;

an articulation joint comprising proximal and distal ends, the proximal end coupled to the distal end of the elongate shaft;

an actuation wire extending through the elongate shaft and the articulation joint; and

an end effector, comprising;

a distal tip coupled to the distal end of the articulation joint, the distal tip receiving therethrough a distal end of the actuation wire;

a hook knife disposed adjacent the distal tip and comprising proximal and distal ends, the proximal end of the hook knife attached to the distal end of the actuation wire;

wherein the actuation wire is translatable along a longitudinal axis of the elongate shaft to extend and retract the distal end of the hook knife relative to the distal tip; and

wherein the articulation joint is articulatable relative to the 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, comprising an insulating sleeve rotatably disposed on the distal end of the actuation wire in a position adjacent the proximal end of the hook knife, wherein extension and retraction of the distal end of the hook knife relative to the distal tip causes a corresponding telescopic extension and retraction of the sleeve relative to the distal tip.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the actuation wire is rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the elongate shaft to rotate the distal end of the hook knife relative to the distal tip.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the proximal end of the articulation joint is rotatably coupled to the distal end of the elongate shaft.

5. The device of claim 4, comprising an articulation actuator extending through the elongate shaft and coupled to the articulation joint, wherein the articulation actuator is translatable along the longitudinal axis of the elongate shaft to articulate the articulation joint, and wherein the articulation actuator is rotatable within the elongate shaft to rotate the articulation joint about the longitudinal axis of the elongate shaft.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the articulation joint comprises:

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

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

a third articulating link comprising a proximal end pivotally coupled to the articulation actuator, and a distal end pivotally coupled to the second articulating link.

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

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the actuation wire is disposed through the articulation actuator.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein rotation and translation of the actuation wire are independent of rotation and translation of the articulation actuator.

10. The device of claim 5, comprising a handle coupled to the proximal end of the elongate shaft, the handle comprising:

a first knob coupled to the articulation actuator, the first knob to at least one of translate and rotate the articulation actuator relative to the longitudinal axis of the elongate shaft; and

a second knob coupled to the actuation wire, the second knob to at least one of translate the actuation wire relative to the longitudinal axis of the elongate shaft and rotate the actuation wire about the longitudinal axis of the elongate shaft.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the handle comprises a third knob for fixing the longitudinal position of the actuation wire relative to the longitudinal axis of the elongate shaft.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the second knob and the third knob are coupled to the actuation wire via a common shaft.

13. The device of claim 10, wherein the handle is electrically coupled to the hook knife via the actuation wire, and wherein the handle comprises an electrical connector for coupling the hook knife to a source of electrical energy.

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

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

obtaining the device of claim 1;

sterilizing the device; and

storing the device in a sterile container.

16. A surgical method, comprising:

inserting an elongate shaft of a surgical device through a body lumen to position an end effector adjacent tissue to be treated, wherein the device comprises an articulation joint disposed on a distal end of the elongate shaft, and wherein the end effector comprises;

a distal tip coupled to a distal end of the articulation joint and receiving therethrough a distal end of an actuation wire, the actuation wire extending through the elongate shaft and the articulation joint; and

a hook knife disposed adjacent the distal tip and comprising proximal and distal ends, the proximal end of the hook knife attached to the distal end of the actuation wire;

translating the actuation wire along a longitudinal axis of the elongate shaft to at least one of extend and retract the distal end of the hook knife relative to the distal tip;

translating an articulation actuator along a longitudinal axis of the elongate shaft to cause the articulation joint to articulate the end effector such that the end effector is angularly oriented relative to the elongate shaft; and

rotating the articulation actuator about the longitudinal axis of the elongate shaft to cause the end effector to rotate relative to the elongate shaft.

17. The method of claim 16, comprising rotating the actuation wire about the longitudinal axis of the elongate shaft to rotate the distal end of the hook knife relative to the distal tip.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein translating and rotating the articulation actuator comprise translating and rotating the articulation actuator using a first knob disposed on a handle coupled to the elongate shaft.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein translating and rotating the actuation wire comprise translating and rotating the actuation wire using a second knob disposed on the handle.

20. The method of claim 16, comprising transmitting electrical energy to the hook knife via the actuation wire.

21. The method of claim 16, comprising sterilizing the surgical device after at least one use.