END EFFECTOR WITH REDUNDANT CLOSING MECHANISMS

• US 20110118778A1
• Filed: 11/12/2010
• Published: 05/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Inventors: Burbank, William A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,876,857 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/205
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/072 for applying a row of staples in a single action , e.g. the staples being applied simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/07207 the staples being applied sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/285 combined with cutting implements
• 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 2017/00398 using powered actuators, e.g. stepper motors, solenoids
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00477 Coupling A61B2017/0046 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/07214 Stapler heads
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2932 Transmission of forces to jaw members
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2933 camming or guiding means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2938 Independently actuatable jaw members, e.g. two actuating rods
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2944 Translation of jaw members
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2946 Locking means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2947 Pivots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320052 Guides for cutting instruments by marking A61B2090/395
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/30 Surgical robots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/37 Master-slave robots A61B34/35 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/71 Manipulators operated by drive cable mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 50/10 Furniture specially adapted for surgical or diagnostic appliances or instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 50/13 Trolleys, e.g. carts
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 50/15 : Mayo stands; Tables

Abstract

End effectors with redundant closing mechanisms, and related tools and methods are disclosed. The disclosed end effectors may be particularly beneficial when used for minimally invasive surgery. An example surgical tool comprises an elongate shaft having a proximal end and a distal end, a tool body disposed at the distal end of the shaft, a jaw movable relative to the tool body between a clamped configuration and an open configuration, a first actuation mechanism coupled with the jaw and operable to vary the position of the jaw relative to the tool body between the clamped configuration and the open configuration, and a second actuation mechanism coupled with the jaw. The second actuation mechanism has a first configuration where the jaw is held in the clamped configuration and a second configuration where the position of the jaw relative to the tool body is unconstrained by the second actuation mechanism.

Claims

1. A minimally invasive surgical method comprising:

introducing a jaw of a tool to an internal surgical site within a patient through a minimally invasive aperture or natural orifice;

manipulating tissue at the internal surgical site with a grasping force by articulating the jaw with a first actuation mechanism, the first actuation mechanism extending along a shaft from outside the patient to the jaw; and

treating a target tissue at the internal surgical site using a clamping force by articulating the jaw of the tool with a second actuation mechanism, the second actuation mechanism extending along the shaft from outside the patient to the jaw, the clamping force being greater than the grasping force.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the manipulation of the tissue is performed by closing the jaw using tension in a first cable segment and by opening the jaw using tension in a second cable segment, the first actuation mechanism comprising the cable segments, and wherein the treatment of the tissue is performed by closing the jaw using rotation of a drive shaft within the shaft of the tool, the second actuation mechanism comprising the drive shaft.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the second mechanism back-drives the first mechanism such that articulation of the second actuation mechanism to close the jaw will drive the cable segments toward a closed jaw configuration, wherein articulation of the second actuation mechanism toward an open jaw configuration will not back-drive the first mechanism or open the jaw if the cable segments remain in a closed jaw configuration.

4. A surgical tool comprising:

an elongate shaft having a proximal end and a distal end;

a tool body disposed at the distal end of the shaft;

a jaw movable relative to the tool body between a clamped configuration and an open configuration;

a first actuation mechanism coupled with the jaw and operable to vary the position of the jaw relative to the tool body between the clamped configuration and the open configuration; and

a second actuation mechanism coupled with the jaw, the second actuation mechanism having a first configuration in which the jaw is held in the clamped configuration and a second configuration in which the position of the jaw relative to the tool body is unconstrained by the second actuation mechanism.

5. The tool of claim 4, wherein the first actuation mechanism is back-drivable.

6. The tool of claim 4, wherein the first actuation mechanism comprises cables.

7. The tool of claim 6, wherein:

a pulling movement of a first cable segment of the first actuation mechanism moves the jaw towards the open configuration; and

a pulling movement of a second cable segment of the first actuation mechanism moves the jaw towards the clamped configuration.

8. The tool of claim 7, wherein the first actuation mechanism further comprises:

a first linkage coupling the first cable segment with the jaw and the tool body; and

a second linkage coupling the second cable segment with the jaw and the tool body

9. The tool of claim 4, wherein the second actuation mechanism is non-back-drivable.

10. The tool of claim 4, wherein the second actuation mechanism is operable to produce a clamping force between the jaw and the tool body of at least 20 lbs.

11. The tool of claim 4, wherein the second actuation mechanism comprises a leadscrew.

12. The tool of claim 11, wherein:

the second actuation mechanism further comprises a leadscrew driven cam operatively coupled with the leadscrew; and

the jaw comprises an interfacing cam surface for contact with the leadscrew driven cam.

13. The tool of claim 4, further comprising an actuated device.

14. A robotic tool for mounting on a manipulator having a first drive, the tool comprising:

a proximal tool chassis releasably mountable to the manipulator;

a drive motor coupled with the tool chassis and disposed adjacent the tool chassis;

a distal end effector comprising a movable jaw;

an instrument shaft having a proximal end adjacent the chassis, and a distal end adjacent the end effector;

a first actuation mechanism coupling the first drive to the end effector when the chassis is mounted to the manipulator so as to articulate the end effector between an open configuration and a clamped configurations; and

a second actuation mechanism coupling the drive motor to the end effector so as to articulate the end effector into the clamped configuration from the open configuration.

15. The tool of claim 14, wherein the first actuation mechanism is back-drivable.

16. The tool of claim 14, wherein the first actuation mechanism comprises cables extending from the chassis distally within a bore of the instrument shaft operatively coupling the end effector to the first drive.

17. The tool of claim 14, wherein the second actuation mechanism is non-back-drivable.

18. The tool of claim 14, wherein the second actuation mechanism comprises a leadscrew driven cam.

19. The tool of claim 14, wherein the second actuation mechanism has a first configuration where the jaw is held in the clamped configuration and a second configuration where the position of the jaw relative to the tool body is unconstrained by the second actuation mechanism.

20. The tool of claim 14, wherein the second actuation mechanism comprises a drive shaft mounted for rotation within a bore of the instrument shaft and operatively coupling the end effector with the drive motor.

21. A surgical instrument comprising:

an end effector comprising a movable jaw;

a first jaw actuation mechanism coupled to the movable jaw; and

a second jaw actuation mechanism coupled to the movable jaw;

wherein the first jaw actuation mechanism moves the jaw from an open position to a closed position independently of the second jaw actuation mechanism; and

wherein the second jaw actuation mechanism moves the jaw from the open to the closed position independently of the first jaw actuation mechanism.

22. The surgical instrument of claim 21, wherein the second actuation mechanism in a first configuration holds the movable jaw in a clamped position that prevents the first actuation mechanism from moving the movable jaw.

23. The surgical instrument of claim 22, wherein a maximum clamping force of the movable jaw provided by the second actuation mechanism is larger than a maximum clamping force of the movable jaw provided by the first actuation mechanism.

24. The surgical instrument of claim 21, wherein:

a force used by the first jaw actuation mechanism to move the jaw from the open to the closed position comprises a linear force; and

a force used by the second jaw actuation mechanism to move the jaw from the open to the closed position comprises a torque.

25. The surgical instrument of claim 21, wherein:

the first jaw actuation mechanism comprises a cable-driven mechanism; and

the second jaw actuation mechanism comprises a leadscrew-driven mechanism.