Ultrasonic Surgical Apparatus with Silicon Waveguide

• US 20110040213A1
• Filed: 08/16/2010
• Published: 02/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cilag Gmbh International (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Olson, William A., Rhee, Sora, Willis, John W., Dannaher, William D., Dietz, Timothy G., Stulen, Foster B., Houser, Kevin L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,882,792 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 601/2
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22015 with details of the transmission member
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2253 using a coupling gel or liquid
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/306 holding by means of suction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320069 for ablating tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/32007 with suction or vacuum means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320082 for incising tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320089 node location
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320098 with transverse or torsional motion
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0034 Skin treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0078 with multiple treatment transducers
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0082 Scanning transducers
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/00 Ultrasound therapy lithotripsy A61B17/22, A61B17/225; massage using supersonic vibration A61H23/00 ; using ultrasound for introducing media into the body A61M37/0092
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 3/00 Methods or apparatus specially adapted for transmitting mechanical vibrations of infrasonic, sonic, or ultrasonic frequency

Abstract

Ultrasound surgical apparatus are disclosed, including: medical ultrasound handpieces with proximally mounted ultrasound radiators configured to create a distally-focused beam of ultrasound energy, in combination with distal guide members for control of focal point depth; medical ultrasound handpieces with proximally mounted ultrasound radiators configured to create a distally-focused beam of ultrasound energy, in combination with distal rolling members for manipulability and control of focal point depth; medical ultrasound handpiece assemblies with coupled end effectors providing a probe with a probe dilation region configured to have an average outside diameter that is equal to or greater than the average outside diameter of a probe tip and neck; as well as junctions to an ultrasonically inactive probe sheath; medical ultrasound handpiece assemblies with coupled end effectors having positionable, ultrasonically inactive probe sheath ends slidably operable to both cover and expose at least a probe tip; and ultrasound transducer cores including a transducing structure affixed to a longitudinally elongated, generally planar, single crystal or polycrystalline material waveguide.

Claims

1-65. -65. (canceled)

66. An ultrasonic core for an ultrasonic surgical instrument, the core comprising:

a longitudinally elongated, generally planar waveguide constructed from a single crystal or polycrystalline material, the waveguide including, in order, a first resonator or proximall end portion, a transduction portion, and a second resonator; and

a transducing structure affixed to the waveguide.

67. The ultrasonic core of claim 66, wherein the waveguide material consists essentially of silicon or silicon with a dopant.

68. The ultrasonic core of claim 66, wherein the waveguide is a monolithic structure.

69. The ultrasonic core of claim 66, wherein the waveguide is a laminated structure including a plurality of planar layers of the single crystal or polycrystalline material.

70. The ultrasonic core of claim 69, wherein two adjoining layers define an internal lumen.

71. The ultrasonic core of claim 66, further comprising:

an end effector portion constructed from the single crystal or polycrystalline material.

72. The ultrasonic core of claim 71, wherein the waveguide and the end effector portion are a monolithic structure.

73. The ultrasonic core of claim 71, wherein the waveguide and the end effector are resonantly adjoining.

74. The ultrasonic core of claim 71 wherein the end effector portion includes, in order, an ultrasonically active shaft, a probe neck, and a distal probe tip.

75. The ultrasonic core of claim 66, wherein the second resonator is configured to vary the magnitude of a mode of ultrasonic vibration created in the transduction portion.

76. The ultrasonic core of claim 75, wherein the second resonator includes a proximal end having first transverse extent, a distal end having a second, lesser transverse extent, and a body generally narrowing between the first and second transverse extents.

77. The ultrasonic core of claim 76, wherein portions of a transducer of the transducing structure extend over the proximal end of the second resonator.

78. The ultrasonic core of claim 76, wherein the second resonator is symmetric with respect to a central longitudinal axis of the waveguide, and has a substantial body portion with an essentially invariant transverse extent matching the second transverse extent.

79. The ultrasonic core of claim 76, wherein the second resonator is asymmetric with respect to a central longitudinal axis of the waveguide.

80. The ultrasonic core of claim 79, wherein the edges of the second resonator are asymmetric with respect to the central longitudinal axis of the wave guide.

81. The ultrasonic core of claim 79, wherein at least one aperture is disposed asymmertically within the second resonator.

82. The ultrasonic core of claim 81, wherein the aperture is a slot extending partially longitudinally and partially laterally inwards from an edge of the second resonator.

83. The ultrasonic core of claim 76, wherein the second resonator includes a gain portion of a transducer of the transducer structure, the gain portion including a proximal end having first transverse extent, a distal end having a second, lesser transverse extent, and a body generally narrowing between the first and second transverse extents.

84. The ultrasonic core of claim 66, wherein the transducer structure includes a transducer constructed from a piezoelectric or electrostrictive ceramic, and the transducer is directly bonded to a side of the transduction portion.

85. The ultrasonic core of claim 84, wherein the transducer is directly bonded on opposite sides to the transduction portions of adjacent or adjoining layers of a laminated waveguide.

86. The ultrasonic core of claim 84, wherein the transduction portion includes at least one aperture, the transducer includes a bridging portion bridging the transduction portion through the aperture, and the transducer is directly bonded to both sides of the transduction portion.

87. The ultrasonic core of claim 66, wherein the transducer structure includes a transducer, and the transducer is clamped to a side of the transduction portion.

88. The ultrasonic core of claim 66, wherein the transducer structure includes a transducer, and the transducer is indirectly bonded to the transduction portion by an adhesive or a braze.

89. The ultrasonic core of claim 88, wherein a proximal end and a distal end of the transducer were longitudinally compressed during bonding with the adhesive or braze, such that the transducer remains residually compressed by the bond between the transducer, the adhesive or braze, and the transduction portion.

90. The ultrasonic core of claim 66, wherein the transducer structure includes a transducer indirectly bonded to a carrier, and the carrier is laminated or indirectly bonded to the transduction portion.

91. The ultrasonic core of claim 90, wherein the carrier is laminated to the transduction portion with a silion-glass-silicon anodic laminant.

92. The ultrasonic core of claim 90, wherein the carrier is indirectly bonded to the transduction portion by a braze.

93. The ultrasonic core of claim 66, wherein the transducer structure includes at least one transducer affixed to the transduction portion and configured to create a transverse mode of vibration.

94. The ultrasonic core of claim 93, wherein the transducer is affixed to an exposed side of the transduction portion and configured to operate in a transverse resonant mode perpendicular to the plane of the waveguide;

wherein no transducer is affixed to the opposite exposed side of the transduction portion; and

wherein a proximal portion of the transduction portion is fixed against vibration.

95. The ultrasonic core of claim 93, wherein a first transducer is affixed to an exposed side of the transduction portion, a second transducer is affixed to an opposite exposed side of the transduction portion, and the first and second transducers are configured to operate in a transverse resonant mode perpendicular to the plane of the waveguide, with the first transducer 180 degrees out of phase with the second transducer.

96. The ultrasonic core of claim 93, wherein a first transducer is affixed adjacent one edge of the transduction portion, a second transducer is affixed adjacent to an opposite edge of the transduction portion, the first and second transducers are separated by the central longitudinal axis of the waveguide, and the first and second transducers are configured to operate in a longitudinally-vibrating shear mode with the first transducer 180 degrees out of phase with the second transducer.

97. The ultrasonic core of claim 66, wherein the transduction portion includes at least one electrical contact disposed on an exposed side of the transduction portion;

wherein the transducer structure includes a transducer affixed to the transduction portion; and

wherein the transducer includes an electrode portion joined to the electrical contact by a braze.

98. The ultrasonic core of claim 66, wherein the transduction portion includes first and second generally linear arrays of electrical contacts disposed on an exposed side of the transduction portion, with the first array electrically connected to a first remote electrical contact, and the second array electrically connected to a second remote electrical contact.

99. The ultrasonic core of claim 98, wherein the transducer structure includes a transducer, and the transducer is configured as a multi-element transducer stack having first and second generally linear arrays of electrode portions extending from stack electrodes disposed between every element of the stack, with the first and second arrays being alternatingly connected to successive stack electrodes through the stack.

100. The ultrasonic core of claim 99, wherein the first and second arrays of the transducer are connected to the first and second arrays of electrical contacts, with the individual electrode portions electrically joined to corresponding individual electrical contacts by a braze.

101. The ultrasonic core of claim 66, wherein the transduction portion is configured to have a first plurality of source electrical contacts and a second plurality of ground electrical contacts, both disposed on an exposed side of the transduction portion, with the first plurality electrically connected to an electric source and the second plurality electrically connected to an electric ground;

wherein a multi-element transducer stack is indirectly bonded to the transduction portion 594 at least through a first plurality of source electrical contacts, electrically connected to the elements of the stack to supply power, and a second plurality of ground contacts, electrically connected to the elements of the stack to provide ground; and

wherein the first plurality of source electrical contacts of the transducer stack are conductively bonded to the first plurality of source electrical contacts of the transduction portion, and the second plurality of ground electrical contacts of the transducer stack are conductively bonded to the second plurality of ground electrical contacts of the transduction portion

102. The ultrasonic core of claim 66, wherein an end mass is affixed to the first resonator or proximal end.

103. The ultrasonic core of claim 102, wherein the first resonator or proximal end is a projecting portion of the waveguide including at least one aperture, the end mass includes at least one corresponding aperture, and the projecting portion and end mass are joined by a compressive fastener received in the apertures.

104. The ultrasonic core of claim 102, wherein the first resonator or proximal end is a projecting portion of the waveguide, and the end mass includes a channel configured to receive the projecting portion.

105. The ultrasonic core of claim 104, wherein the projecting portion includes teeth having substantially inclined proximal surfaces and substantially perpendicular distal surfaces, and the channel of the end mass includes teeth with substantially vertical proximal surfaces and correspondingly inclined distal surfaces.

106. The ultrasonic core of claim 104, wherein the projecting portion is bonded to the end mass by an adhesive or braze.

107. The ultrasonic core of claim 104, wherein the projecting portion includes a lumen, and the end mass includes a correspondingly positioned lumen in fluid communication with the projecting portion lumen.

108. The ultrasonic core of claim 78, wherein the transducer structure longitudinally vibrates the transduction portion at a primary frequency, and an end effector portion coupled to the second resonator is configured to operate in a transverse working mode at subharmonic frequency of the primary frequency, whereby the mode of ultrasonic vibration is effectively transformed from a longitudinal driving mode at a frequency ω

_n to a transverse working mode at a frequency ω

_n/N.