Surgical Instrument with Integral Knife Blade

• US 20130105545A1
• Filed: 10/26/2012
• Published: 05/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2011
• 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
• Granted Patent: US 9,924,941 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 227/175.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/068 Surgical staplers , e.g. containing multiple staples or clampsstaplers containing only one staple A61B17/10; magazines or containers for staples A61B17/105; for performing anastomosis A61B17/115; staplers in general B25C5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/07207 the staples being applied sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/07271 characterised by its cartridge
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/07278 characterised by its sled or its staple holder
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/07285 characterised by its cutter
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320052 Guides for cutting instruments by marking A61B2090/395
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/0801 Prevention of accidental cutting or pricking
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 50/13 Trolleys, e.g. carts

Abstract

A cartridge of a surgical instrument includes a housing, a lead screw mounted for rotation in the housing, a drive member operatively coupled with the lead screw, and a knife member. The knife member is driven distally by the drive member and is configured to cut when moved distally. During an initial distal movement of the drive member, the knife member is coupled with the housing to restrain the knife member from moving distally. Subsequent to the initial distal movement of the drive member, the drive member drives the knife member toward the distal end.

Claims

1. A method of articulating a cutting blade in a surgical instrument, the method comprising:

supporting a knife member having a cutting blade within a housing of the instrument, the housing having a proximal end and a distal end, the cutting blade being configured to cut when the knife member is moved distally;

moving a drive member distally through a first movement from a first position to a second position;

coupling the knife member with the housing during the first movement of the drive member to restrain the knife member from moving distally; and

using the drive member to drive the knife member distally during a second distal movement of the drive member from the second position to a third position.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the knife member is restrained from moving distally throughout an approximate 4 mm movement of the drive member distally.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said act of coupling the knife member with the housing includes using the drive member to secure engagement between the knife member and the housing.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said act of using the drive member to secure engagement between the knife member and the housing includes interfacing the drive member with the knife member.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the knife member includes a first protrusion, the first protrusion interfacing with the drive member and a receptacle of the housing to restrain the knife member during the first movement of the drive member from moving distally.

6. The method of claim 5, comprising rotating the knife member to remove the first protrusion from the housing receptacle.

7. The method of claim 6, comprising:

receiving the first protrusion into a receptacle of the drive member; and

accommodating the first protrusion in the drive member receptacle during the second movement of the drive member.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the knife member includes a drive feature that does not interface with the drive member during the first movement of the drive member, the knife drive feature interfacing with the drive member during the second movement of the drive member.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the knife drive feature includes a second protrusion.

10. The method of claim 1, comprising driving the knife member along a cam surface thereby raising a distal end of the knife member and lowering the cutting blade into the housing.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising using the drive member to deploy staples during the second movement of the drive member.

12. A surgical instrument comprising:

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

an end effector coupled to the shaft distal end and including opposed jaws;

a housing included in one of the jaws, the housing including a housing proximal end, a housing distal end, an upper surface extending between the housing proximal and distal ends, a central cavity extending between the housing proximal and distal ends, and a longitudinal slot extending through the upper surface;

a knife member supported within the housing for movement distally, the knife member having a cutting blade configured to cut when the knife member is moved distally; and

a drive member slidably mounted in the housing for movement distally, the knife member being coupled with the housing during a first movement of the drive member distally from a first position to a second position to restrain the knife member from moving distally, the knife member being driven distally by the drive member during a second movement of the drive member distally from the second position to a third position.

13. The instrument of claim 12, wherein the knife member is restrained from moving distally throughout an approximate 4 mm movement of the drive member distally.

14. The instrument of claim 12, wherein the drive member is used to secure engagement between the knife member and the housing during the first movement of the drive member to restrain the knife member from moving distally.

15. The instrument of claim 14, wherein the drive member interfaces with the knife member to secure engagement between the knife member and the housing during the first movement of the drive member to restrain the knife member from moving distally.

16. The instrument of claim 15, wherein the knife member includes a first protrusion, the first protrusion interfacing with the drive member and a receptacle of the housing to restrain the knife member during the first movement of the drive member from moving distally.

17. The instrument of claim 16, wherein the knife member is rotated to remove the first protrusion from the housing receptacle prior to the drive member reaching the third position.

18. The instrument of claim 17, wherein a receptacle of the drive member is configured to receive the first protrusion and accommodate the first protrusion during the second movement of the drive member.

19. The instrument of claim 12, wherein the knife member includes a drive feature, the drive member not interfacing with the drive feature during the first movement of the drive member, the drive member interfacing with the drive feature during the second movement of the drive member to drive the knife member distally.

20. The instrument of claim 19, wherein the drive feature includes a second protrusion.

21. The instrument of claim 12, comprising a cam surface configured to interface with knife member as the drive member is moved distally through a third movement from the third position to a fourth position to raise a distal end of the knife member to lower the cutting blade into the housing.

22. The instrument of claim 12, wherein the housing includes a plurality of staple openings extending between the upper surface and the central cavity, and the instrument further comprises a plurality of staples disposed in the staple openings, each of the staples being deployed in response to a movement of the drive member distally.

23. A demountably attachable cartridge of a surgical instrument, the cartridge comprising:

a housing demountably attachable to an end effector of the surgical instrument, the housing including a proximal end, a distal end, an upper surface extending between the proximal and distal ends, a central cavity extending between the proximal and distal ends, and a longitudinal slot extending through the upper surface;

a lead screw coupled with the housing for rotation relative to the housing;

a rotary input rotationally coupled with the lead screw, the rotary input being configured to couple with a rotary output of the surgical instrument when the housing is attached to the end effector;

a knife member supported within the housing for movement distally, the knife member having a cutting blade configured to cut when the knife member is moved distally; and

a drive member mounted in the housing and coupled with the lead screw for movement along the lead screw in response to rotation of the lead screw, the knife member being coupled with the housing during a first movement of the drive member distally from a first position to a second position to restrain the knife member from moving distally, the knife member being driven distally by the drive member during a second movement of the drive member distally from the second position to a third position.

24. The cartridge of claim 23, wherein the housing includes a plurality of staple openings extending between the upper surface and the central cavity, and the cartridge further comprises a plurality of staples disposed in the staple openings, each of the staples being deployed in response to a movement of the drive member distally.