ROTATIONAL COUPLING DEVICE FOR SURGICAL INSTRUMENT WITH FLEXIBLE ACTUATORS

• US 20100131005A1
• Filed: 11/25/2008
• Published: 05/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cilag Gmbh International (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Conlon, Sean P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,157,834 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/207
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/00234 for minimally invasive surgery A61B17/0218, A61B17/0469, A61B17/12013, A61B17/1285, A61B17/29, A61B17/320016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/29 Forceps for use in minimally invasive surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0038 Simultaneous actuation of two tools by pushing one button or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00477 Coupling A61B2017/0046 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2929 with a head rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the shaft
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2938 Independently actuatable jaw members, e.g. two actuating rods
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 1/101 Intermediate connectors for joining portions of split flexible shafts and/or sheathings
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2316/10 in medical appliances, e.g. in diagnosis, dentistry, instruments, prostheses, medical imaging appliances
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 19/06 comprising flexible members, e.g. an endless flexible member
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2019/0695 Generating pivoting movement of a joint

Abstract

Rotational couplers for use with surgical devices that are actuated by semi-flexible actuators such as wires and the like. The couplers enable the actuators to apply various actuation motions to actuation features on the surgical device as well as other actuators to apply axial and rotational motions to the surgical device to manipulate the device into various orientations relative to an elongate shaft to which the device is movably attached.

Claims

1. A surgical device, comprising:

an elongate substantially hollow shaft defining an elongate axis;

an end effector operably coupled to a distal end of said elongate shaft for selective pivotal and rotational travel relative thereto, said end effector having at least one actuation feature thereon that is actuatable upon application of at least one axial actuation motion thereto;

an articulation actuator operably interfacing with said end effector for applying axial articulation motions thereto to cause said end effector to pivot relative to said distal end of said elongate shaft and selectively apply at least one rotation motion thereto to cause said end effector to rotate relative to said distal end of said elongate shaft about said elongate axis;

a first input actuator for applying said at least one axial actuation motion; and

a rotational coupling, comprising;

a driving coupler movably supported within a portion of said elongate substantially hollow shaft and coupled to a distal end of said first input actuator for receiving said at least one axial actuation motion therefrom;

an idler coupler movably supported within said portion of said substantially elongate hollow shaft and rotatably coupled to said driving coupler for rotation relative thereto about said elongate axis and axial travel with said driving coupler along said actuation axis; and

at least one second input actuator coupled to said idler coupler and said actuation features on said end effector such that said second input actuator transfers said at least one axial actuation motion from said rotational coupling to said at least one actuation feature of said end effector.

2. The surgical device of claim 1 wherein said actuation feature is selected from the group of actuation features consisting of grasper jaws, a biopsy probe, a snare loop, forceps, scissors, a needle knife, and a sphincterotome.

3. The surgical device of claim 1 wherein said articulation actuator comprises a semi-flexible wire that extends through said rotation coupling and is axially and rotatably movable relative thereto.

4. The surgical device of claim 1 wherein said first input actuator comprises a second semi-flexible wire and wherein said second input actuator comprises a third semi-flexible wire.

5. The surgical device of claim 1 wherein said end effector is operably coupled to said distal end of said substantially hollow elongate shaft by a multiple-bar linkage.

6. The surgical device of claim 5 wherein said three bar linkage comprises:

a first substantially hollow first link rotatably coupled to said distal end of said substantially hollow elongate shaft and pivotally coupled to said end effector such that said end effector may pivot relative thereto about a pivot axis and rotation of said first link about said elongate axis causes said end effector rotate about said elongate axis;

a second link coupled to said articulation actuator and movably supported within said first link for axial travel relative thereto in response to said axial articulation motions applied thereto from said articulation actuator; and

a third link pivotally coupled to said second link and said end effector such that the application of said axial articulation motions to said second link by said articulation actuator causes said end effector to pivot about said pivot axis.

7. The surgical device of claim 1 further comprising a handle assembly coupled to a proximal end of said substantially hollow elongate shaft.

9. A method for processing a device for surgery, the method comprising:

obtaining the surgical device of claim 1;

sterilizing the surgical device; and

storing the surgical device in a sterile container.

8. The surgical device of claim 8 wherein said articulation actuator is operably coupled to an articulation knob that is rotatably and axially movably supported on said handle assembly and wherein said first input actuator is operably coupled to an actuation knob that is axially movably supported on said handle assembly.

10. A surgical device, comprising:

an elongate substantially hollow shaft defining an elongate axis;

an end effector operably coupled to a distal end of said elongate shaft for selective pivotal and rotational travel relative thereto, said end effector having at least one actuation feature thereon that is actuatable upon application of at least one axial actuation motion thereto;

an articulation actuator operably interfacing with said end effector for applying axial articulation motions thereto to cause said end effector to pivot relative to said distal end of said elongate shaft and selectively apply rotation motions thereto to cause said end effector to rotate relative to said distal end of said elongate shaft about said elongate axis;

a first input actuator extending from said handle assembly to transfer said at least one axial actuation motion therefrom; and

a rotational coupling, comprising;

a proximal tubular member rotatably supported within said hollow elongate shaft and coupled to said first input actuator for receiving said at least one axial actuation motion therefrom;

a distal tubular member rotatably supported within said hollow elongate shaft and coupled to said proximal tubular member for axial travel therewith and such that said distal tubular member can rotate relative to said proximal tubular member; and

at least one second input actuator coupled to said distal tubular member and said actuation features on said end effector such that said second input actuator transfers said at least one axial actuation motion applied thereto to said at least one actuation feature of said end effector.

11. The surgical device of claim 11 wherein said articulation actuator extends through said proximal and distal tubular members and is rotatably and axially movable therein.

12. The surgical device of claim 11 wherein said proximal tubular member is coupled to said distal tubular member by a coupler housing supported within a elongate shaft such that said distal tubular member may rotate about an elongate axis relative to said proximal tubular member and such that said proximal and distal tubular members may axially moved as a unit within said elongate shaft.

13. A rotational coupling for a surgical device that is movably coupled to an elongate shaft wherein the surgical device has at least one actuation feature thereon that is actuatable upon application of at least one actuation motion from an actuator and which surgical device is articulatable and rotatable relative to the elongate shaft upon application of other actuation motions respectively from another actuator, said rotational coupling comprising:

driver member coupled to the actuator for receiving the at least one actuation motion therefrom;

an idler member rotatably coupled to said driver member for selective rotation relative to said driver member about a longitudinal axis and configured to axially move as a unit with said driver member, said driver member and said idler member movably supporting a portion of the other actuator therein; and

an output member coupled to said idler member and surgical device for transferring the at least one actuation motion from said idler member to the surgical device.

14. The rotational coupling of claim 14 wherein said actuator, said another actuator and said output members each comprise a semi-flexible wire.

15. The rotational coupling of claim 14 wherein a distal end portion of said driver member and a proximal end portion of said idler member are rotatably coupled together by a coupler housing that is movably supported within an elongate shaft coupled to the surgical device.

16. The rotational coupling of claim 14 wherein the at least one actuation motion applied by the actuator is at least one axial motion and the other actuation motions applied by the other actuator are other axial motions and rotation motions.

17. The rotational coupling of claim 14 wherein said driver member comprises a proximal tubular member having an axial passage extending therethrough and wherein said idler member comprises a distal tubular member having another axial passage therethrough.

18. The rotational coupling of claim 18 wherein a distal end of said proximal tubular member is movably supported in a coupler housing and wherein a proximal end of said distal tubular member is movably supported in said coupler housing such that said another axial passage is substantially coaxially aligned with said coaxial passage in said proximal tubular member to form a passageway through said rotational coupling to movably support therethrough an articulation actuator.

19. The rotational coupling of claim 19 wherein said passageway is configured to permit said articulation actuator to move axially and rotatably therethrough.