CONTROL FEATURES FOR ARTICULATING SURGICAL DEVICE

• US 20120078244A1
• Filed: 09/19/2011
• Published: 03/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Cilag Gmbh International (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Cilag Gmbh International (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Worrell, Barry C., Boudreaux, Chad P., Miller, Matthew C., Scheib, Charles J., Shelton, Frederick E. IV, Strobl, Geoffrey S., Stulen, Foster B., Trees, Gregory A., Voegele, Aaron C., Clem, William E., Madsen, Steven D., Henry, Emron J.
• Application Number:
  US13/235,648
• Publication Number:
  US 20120078244A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/33
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/07207 the staples being applied sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0038 Simultaneous actuation of two tools by pushing one button or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2908 Multiple segments connected by articulations
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2927 the angular position of the head being adjustable with respect to the shaft
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2946 Locking means

Abstract

An electrosurgical device includes a body, an end effector, a cutting member, and a shaft. The end effector comprises a pair of jaws and at least one electrode that is operable to deliver RF energy to tissue clamped between the jaws. The cutting member is operable to cut tissue clamped between the jaws. The shaft includes an articulation section that is operable to selectively articulate the end effector relative to the shaft. The body includes a controller operable to selectively actuate the articulation section. The controller may include a trigger that also drives the cutting member, a rotator that also rotates the shaft and end effector, a wedge-shaped pivoting member, a pivotally coupled pair of housing portions, or a pivoting cam member, etc. A release member may selectively release the articulation section from the controller, allowing a resilient bias to return the end effector into alignment with the shaft.

Claims

1. An electrosurgical device, comprising:

(a) a body;

(b) an end effector comprising;

(i) a first jaw, and

(ii) a second jaw,

wherein the first jaw is movable toward the second jaw to clamp tissue between the first and second jaw,

wherein at least one of the jaws comprises at least one electrode,

wherein the at least one electrode is operable to deliver RF energy to tissue clamped between the first and second jaw;

(c) a cutting member operable to cut tissue clamped between the first jaw and the second jaw;

(d) an actuating member operable to selectively actuate the cutting member; and

(e) a shaft extending between the body and the end effector, wherein the shaft defines a longitudinal axis, wherein the shaft includes an articulation section, wherein the articulation section is operable to selectively position the end effector at non-parallel positions relative to the longitudinal axis of the shaft, wherein the body includes a controller operable to selectively actuate the articulation section.

2. The electrosurgical device of claim 1, wherein the actuating member is in communication with the controller, such that the controller is operable to cause the actuating member to actuate the cutting member and such that the controller is operable to selectively actuate the articulation section.

3. The electrosurgical device of claim 2, wherein the body comprises a handpiece, wherein the handpiece defines a first axis, wherein the first axis is non-parallel to the longitudinal axis of the shaft, wherein the controller is movable toward and away from the first axis to cause the actuating member to actuate the cutting member.

4. The electrosurgical device of claim 3, wherein the controller is pivotable about the first axis to selectively actuate the articulation section.

5. The electrosurgical device of claim 3, further comprising a mode selector operable to select an operational mode for the controller, wherein the mode selector is operable to select between a cutting mode and an articulation mode, wherein the controller is operable to cause the actuating member to actuate the cutting member when the mode selector is in the cutting mode, wherein the controller is operable to selectively actuate the articulation section when the mode selector is in the articulation mode.

6. The electrosurgical device of claim 1, wherein the shaft and end effector are rotatable relative to the body, wherein the controller is further operable to rotate the shaft and end effector relative to the body.

7. The electrosurgical device of claim 6, wherein the controller is movable relative to the body between a first longitudinal position and a second longitudinal position, wherein the controller is operable to rotate the shaft and end effector relative to the body but not actuate the articulation section when the controller is in the first longitudinal position, wherein the controller is operable to actuate the articulation section but not rotate the shaft and end effector relative to the body when the controller is in the second longitudinal position.

8. The electrosurgical device of claim 1, further comprising a pair of elongate members extending longitudinally through the shaft, wherein the elongate members are translatable in opposing longitudinal directions to actuate the articulation section, wherein the controller comprises at least one cam member operable to translate the elongate members in opposing longitudinal directions.

9. The electrosurgical device of claim 8, wherein the controller further comprises at least one rotatable member operable to drive the at least one cam member to translate the elongate members in opposing longitudinal directions, wherein the at least one rotatable member is rotatable about an axis that is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the shaft.

10. The electrosurgical device of claim 8, wherein the controller further comprises a pivoting member operable to drive the at least one cam member to translate the elongate members in opposing longitudinal directions, wherein the pivoting member is pivotable about an axis that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the shaft.

11. The electrosurgical device of claim 10, further comprising a pair of concentric rings engaged with the at least one cam member, wherein one of the elongate members is integral with one of the concentric rings and the other of the elongate members is integral with the other of the concentric rings.

12. The electrosurgical device of claim 1, further comprising a pair of elongate members extending longitudinally through the shaft, wherein the elongate members are translatable in opposing longitudinal directions to actuate the articulation section, wherein the controller comprises a pivoting member operable to pivot about an axis that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the shaft to drive at least one of the elongate members in a longitudinal direction.

13. The electrosurgical device of claim 12, wherein the pivoting member includes an integral rack, wherein the integral rack is operable to rotate a pinion to drive the at least one of the elongate members in a longitudinal direction.

14. The electrosurgical device of claim 13, wherein the at least one of the elongate members includes an integral rack engaged with the pinion.

15. The electro surgical device of claim 13, wherein the pinion includes an integral spool, wherein a portion of the at least one of the elongate members is wrapped about the spool.

16. The electrosurgical instrument of claim 1, wherein the body includes a first body housing and a second body housing, wherein the first body housing is rotatable relative to the second body housing to form the controller.

17. The electrosurgical instrument of claim 1, wherein the controller is rotatable along a first plane to selectively actuate the articulation section, wherein the controller is rotatable along a second plane to selectively lock the articulation section.

18. The electrosurgical instrument of claim 1, wherein the actuator comprises a driver tube.

19. A surgical instrument, comprising:

(a) a body;

(b) an end effector, wherein the end effector is operable to engage tissue;

(c) a shaft extending between the body and the end effector, wherein the shaft defines a longitudinal axis, wherein the shaft includes an articulation section, wherein the articulation section is operable to selectively position the end effector at non-parallel positions relative to the longitudinal axis of the shaft, wherein the articulation section is resiliently biased to align the end effector with the shaft;

(d) a controller operable to selectively actuate the articulation section against the resilient bias of the articulation section; and

(e) a release member operable to selectively release the articulation section from the controller to return the articulation section to a position aligned with the shaft.

20. A surgical instrument, the instrument comprising:

(a) a body;

(b) an end effector comprising;

(i) a first jaw, and

(ii) a second jaw,

wherein the first jaw is movable toward the second jaw to clamp tissue between the first and second jaw;

(c) a cutting member operable to cut tissue clamped between the first jaw and the second jaw;

(d) a shaft extending between the body and the end effector, wherein the shaft and the end effector are together rotatable relative to the body; and

(e) a controller operable to selectively rotate the shaft and the end effector relative to the body, wherein the controller is further operable to articulate the end effector relative to the body.