SURGICAL INSTRUMENT WITH JAW MEMBER

• US 20120083784A1
• Filed: 10/01/2010
• Published: 04/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cilag Gmbh International (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Davison, Mark A., Boudreaux, Chad P., Killinger, Scott B., Batross, Jonathan T., Giordano, James R., Trees, Gregory A., Voegele, Aaron C., Norvell, David K., Wang, Bingshi
• Granted Patent: US 8,979,890 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/48
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1442 Probes having pivoting end effectors, e.g. forceps
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1445 at the distal end of a shaft, e.g. forceps or scissors at the end of a rigid rod
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00526 Methods of manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/0063 Sealing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1452 including means for cutting A61B2018/146 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1455 having a moving blade for cutting tissue grasped by the jaws
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/034 abutting on parts of the device itself
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 Conductor or circuit manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49959 Nonresilient fastener

Abstract

A surgical instrument for supplying energy to tissue may comprise a handle, a trigger, an electrical input, and a shaft extending from the handle. The surgical instrument may comprise and end effector first and second tissue engaging surfaces that are slanted with respect to a transection plane. The end effector may, for example, have an electrode defining a V-shaped cross sectional profile. The end effector may comprise a plurality of raised surfaces that are received by a plurality of indentions when the end effector is in the closed position. The end effector may comprise a cutting member having a plurality of bands.

Claims

1. A surgical instrument for supplying energy to tissue, comprising:

a handle, comprising;

a trigger; and

an electrical input;

a shaft extending from the handle, wherein the shaft comprises a conductor, and wherein the trigger is selectively actuatable to electrically couple the electrical input and the conductor; and

an end effector defining a longitudinal axis and a transection plane, comprising;

a first jaw member;

a second jaw member, wherein at least one of the first jaw member and the second jaw member is movable relative to the other of the first jaw member and the second jaw member to clamp tissue intermediate the first jaw member and the second jaw member;

an electrode electrically coupled with the conductor; and

first and second tissue engaging surfaces coupled to one of the first and second jaw members and extending along the longitudinal axis, wherein each of the first and second tissue engaging surfaces have an inner portion and an outer portion, wherein the first and second tissue engaging surfaces are slanted with respect to the transection plane.

2. The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein the electrode comprises:

a first lateral portion having a first outer edge;

a second lateral portion having a second outer edge;

a transverse portion connecting the first lateral portion and the second lateral portion, wherein the first and second tissue engaging surfaces are positioned intermediate the first outer edge and the second outer edge.

3. The surgical instrument of claim 2, wherein the first lateral portion of the electrode and the second lateral portion of the electrode collectively define a V-shaped profile.

4. The surgical instrument of claim 1, comprising a conductive first stop on the first jaw member and a conductive second stop on the second jaw member, the first stop opposing the second stop when the first jaw member and the second jaw member are in a closed position to form a clearance between the electrode and an electrically conductive return path when the first conductive stop member contacts the conductive second stop member.

5. A surgical instrument for supplying energy to tissue, comprising:

a handle, comprising;

a trigger; and

an electrical input;

a shaft extending from the handle, wherein the shaft comprises a conductor, and wherein the trigger is selectively actuatable to electrically couple the electrical input and the conductor; and

an end effector defining a longitudinal axis, comprising;

a first jaw member;

a second jaw member, wherein at least one of the first jaw member and the second jaw member is movable relative to the other of the first jaw member and the second jaw member between an open and closed positions to clamp tissue intermediate the first jaw member and the second jaw member in the closed position;

a passive electrode having a passive electrode tissue contacting surface; and

an active electrode having a first active electrode tissue contacting surface and a second active electrode tissue contacting surface, the active electrode electrically coupled with the conductor, the first active electrode tissue contacting surface generally parallel to the passive electrode tissue contacting surface in the closed position, and the second active electrode tissue contacting surface generally oblique to the passive electrode tissue contacting surface in the closed position.

6. The surgical instrument of claim 5, wherein the active electrode defines a V-shaped cross sectional profile.

7. The surgical instrument of claim 5, wherein the first jaw comprises a tooth having a tissue gripping surface, wherein the tissue gripping surface is substantially parallel to the second active electrode tissue contacting surface in the closed position.

8. The surgical instrument of claim 5, wherein the active electrode comprises a first vertical component and a second vertical component, wherein the first and second vertical components are substantially parallel to a transection plane of the end effector.

9. The surgical instrument of claim 5, wherein, when in the closed position, a lateral boundary of the active electrode tissue contacting surface is laterally offset from a lateral boundary of the first passive electrode tissue contacting surface.

10. A surgical instrument for supplying energy to tissue, comprising:

a handle, comprising;

a trigger; and

an electrical input;

a shaft extending from the handle, wherein the shaft comprises a conductor, and wherein the trigger is selectively actuatable to electrically couple the electrical input and the conductor; and

an end effector defining a longitudinal axis, comprising;

a first jaw member;

a second jaw member, wherein at least one of the first jaw member and the second jaw member is movable relative to the other of the first jaw member and the second jaw member between an open and closed positions to clamp tissue intermediate the first jaw member and the second jaw member in the closed position;

a first electrode coupled with the conductor, the first electrode comprising a plurality of raised surfaces; and

a tissue contacting surface opposing the first electrode in the closed position, the tissue contacting surface defining a plurality of indentations, the indentations positioned to receive the plurality of raised surfaces when the first and second jaw members are in the closed position.

11. The surgical instrument of claim 10, wherein the plurality of raised surfaces and the plurality of indentations are arranged in a grid.

12. The surgical instrument of claim 10, wherein the electrode comprises at least twenty raised surfaces.

13. The surgical instrument of claim 10, wherein the plurality of raised surfaces have a height of about 0.020″

and the plurality of indentations have a depth of about 0.020″

.

14. A surgical instrument for supplying energy to tissue, comprising:

a trigger; and

an electrical input;

a shaft extending from the handle, wherein the shaft comprises a conductor, and wherein the trigger is selectively actuatable to electrically couple the electrical input and the conductor; and

an end effector defining a longitudinal axis, comprising;

a first jaw member;

a second jaw member, wherein at least one of the first jaw member and the second jaw member is movable relative to the other of the first jaw member and the second jaw member between an open and closed positions to clamp tissue intermediate the first jaw member and the second jaw member in the closed position;

the first and second jaw members defining a channel;

a cutting member including a distal end, wherein the cutting member is sized and configured to fit at least partially within the channel, the cutting member configured to translate along the channel between a retracted position and a fully advanced position, the cutting member comprising at least a first, second, and third bands, wherein the second band is disposed intermediate the first and third bands and comprises a sharp distal cutting element; and

at least one compression element extending from the cutting member, wherein the at least one compression element engages one of the first and second jaws to move the first and second jaws from the open position to the closed position when the cutting member translates with respect to the first jaw member beyond the retracted position.

15. The surgical instrument of claim 14, the first jaw comprises a first track and the second jaw comprises a second track, wherein the at least one compression element comprises a first compression element that moves in the first track and a second compression element that moves in the second track.

16. The surgical instrument of claim 15, wherein the first track comprises a first distal stop to engage the first compression element and the second track comprises a second distal stop to engage the second compression element.

17. The surgical instrument of claim 15, wherein the channel extends in a distal direction further than the first and second tracks.

18. The surgical instrument of claim 14, wherein the first and third bands comprise a funneling portion proximate to the sharp distal cutting element.