SURGICAL END EFFECTOR JAW AND ELECTRODE CONFIGURATIONS

• US 20140005640A1
• Filed: 06/28/2012
• Published: 01/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Cilag Gmbh International (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Shelton, Frederick E. IV, Morgan, Jerome R., Baxter, Chester O. III, Yates, David C.
• Application Number:
  US13/536,393
• Publication Number:
  US 20140005640A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1206 Generators therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1442 Probes having pivoting end effectors, e.g. forceps
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00477 Coupling A61B2017/0046 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00083 low, i.e. electrically insulating
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00345 Vascular system
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00619 Welding
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00982 combined with or comprising means for visual or photographic inspections inside the body, e.g. endoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00988 Means for storing information, e.g. calibration constants, or for preventing excessive use, e.g. usage, service life counter
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1226 powered by a battery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/126 bipolar
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1455 having a moving blade for cutting tissue grasped by the jaws
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1467 using more than two electrodes on a single probe
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/254 being adapted depending on the stage of the surgical procedure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/303 specifically adapted for manipulations within body lumens, e.g. within lumen of gut, spine, or blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/306 Wrists with multiple vertebrae
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/743 Keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/506 using a parallelogram linkage, e.g. panthograph
• 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 90/10 for stereotaxic surgery, e.g. frame-based stereotaxis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/50 : Supports for surgical instruments, e.g. articulated arms

Abstract

A surgical end effector may comprise first and second jaw members. The second jaw member may comprise an offset proximal supply electrode that is positioned to contact an opposing member of the first jaw member when the first and second jaw members are in the closed position. The second jaw member may also comprise a distal supply electrode that is positioned distal of the offset proximal electrode and is aligned with a conductive surface of the first jaw member when the first and second jaw members are in the closed position. When the first and second jaw members are in the closed position, the proximal supply electrode may be in contact with the opposing member and the distal supply electrode is not in contact with the conductive surface of the first jaw member.

Claims

1. A surgical end effector comprising:

a first jaw member;

a second jaw member pivotable relative to the first jaw member from a first open position to a closed position, wherein the first and second jaw members are substantially parallel in the closed position, wherein the second jaw member comprises;

an offset proximal supply electrode that is positioned to contact an opposing member of the first jaw member when the first and second jaw members are in the closed position; and

a distal supply electrode that is positioned distal of the offset proximal electrode and is aligned with a conductive surface of the first jaw member when the first and second jaw members are in the closed position; and

wherein, when the first and second jaw members are in the closed position, the proximal supply electrode is in contact with the opposing member and the distal supply electrode is not in contact with the conductive surface of the first jaw member.

2. The end effector of claim 1, wherein the distal supply electrode comprises a distal electrode portion that extends distally over at least a portion of a distal edge of the second jaw member.

3. The end effector of claim 1, wherein the proximal supply electrode and the distal supply electrode are in electrical contact.

4. The end effector of claim 1, wherein the second jaw further comprises:

a first insulating layer positioned between the proximal supply electrode and a first portion of the second jaw member; and

a second insulating layer positioned between the distal supply electrode and a second portion of the second jaw member.

5. The end effector of claim 4, wherein the first and second insulating layers form a continuous insulating layer.

6. The end effector of claim 1, wherein the first jaw member defines a first longitudinal channel and the second jaw members defines a second longitudinal channel.

7. The end effector of claim 6, wherein the end effector further comprises a cutting element positioned to extend distally through the first and second longitudinal channels to sever tissue positioned between the first and second jaw members.

8. The end effector of claim 6, wherein the first longitudinal channel extends distally through at least a portion of the offset proximal supply electrode.

9. The end effector of claim 6, wherein the distal supply electrode is positioned distally from the first longitudinal channel.

10. The end effector of claim 6, wherein the offset proximal electrode comprises a first region on a first side of the first longitudinal channel and a second region on a second side of the first longitudinal channel.

11. The end effector of claim 10, wherein the offset proximal electrode comprises a third region distal from the first longitudinal channel.

12. The end effector of claim 1, wherein the distal supply electrode and the conductive surface define grip elements.

13. The end effector of claim 1, wherein the opposing member is an electric insulator.

14. The end effector of claim 1, wherein the opposing member comprises a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) material.

15. A surgical end effector comprising first and second jaw members pivotable from a first open position to a closed position:

wherein the first and second jaw members define a proximal tissue treatment region and distal tissue treatment region;

wherein the second jaw member comprises, in the proximal tissue treatment region, an offset proximal supply electrode positioned such that when the jaw members are in the closed position the proximal supply electrode is in physical contact with the first jaw member and is not in electrical contact with the first jaw member;

wherein the second jaw member further comprises, in the distal tissue treatment region, a distal supply electrode positioned such that when the jaw members are in the closed position, the distal supply electrode is aligned with a conductive surface of the first jaw member; and

wherein, when the jaw members are in the closed position, the jaw members define a physical gap between the distal supply electrode and the conductive surface of the first jaw member.

16. The end effector of claim 15, wherein the proximal supply contact is in physical contact with an opposing member of the first jaw member when the first and second jaw members are in the closed position.

17. The end effector of claim 15, wherein the opposing member is an electric insulator.

18. The end effector of claim 15, wherein the opposing member comprises a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) material.

19. The end effector of claim 15, wherein the distal supply electrode and the conductive surface define grip elements.

20. The end effector of claim 15, wherein the proximal supply electrode and the distal supply electrode are in electrical contact.