SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS AND METHODS FOR PERFORMING TONSILLECTOMY, ADENOIDECTOMY, AND OTHER SURGICAL PROCEDURES

• US 20160338718A1
• Filed: 05/22/2015
• Published: 11/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: ALLEN, JAMES D. IV, OLSON, JESSICA E.C., WEIHE, JASON G.
• Granted Patent: US 10,624,662 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0218 for minimally invasive surgery A61B17/0281, A61B17/0469, A61B17/12013, A61B17/1285, A61B17/29, A61B17/320016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/26 Tonsillotomes, with or without means for stopping bleeding
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/295 combined with cutting implements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00353 one mechanical instrument performing multiple functions, e.g. cutting and grasping channel for multiple instruments A61B2017/3445; instrument channel A61B2017/22072; replaceable heads A61B2017/2931; suction A61M1/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00424 ergonomic, e.g. fitting in fist
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00526 Methods of manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2912 transmission of forces to actuating rod or piston
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2916 pins in guiding slots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2919 details of linkages or pivot points
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2925 Pistol grips
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2926 Details of heads or jaws
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320044 Blunt dissectors blunt suture needles A61B2017/06085

Abstract

A surgical instrument includes a housing having a barrel defining an axis and a fixed handle extending from the barrel. The barrel includes at least one elongated indentation and the fixed handle defines a waist. A shaft extends from the barrel along the axis and couple to an end effector at a distal end thereof. A movable handle coupled to the housing is configured to manipulate the end effector. The movable handle includes a proximal leg, a distal tail, an arcuate segment defining a finger-retaining area, and a proximal foot. A deployable member is slidably disposed within the shaft. A trigger coupled to the housing is configured to deploy the deployable member. The trigger defines a saddle portion. The housing, movable handle, and trigger are configured to facilitate operable grasping by a hand of a user in at least first and second different grasping configurations.

Claims

1. A surgical instrument, comprising:

a housing including a barrel portion defining a longitudinal axis and a fixed handle portion extending from the barrel portion transversely relative to the longitudinal axis, the barrel portion including at least one elongated indentation, the fixed handle portion defining a recessed waist adjacent the barrel portion;

a shaft extending distally from the barrel portion of the housing along the longitudinal axis;

an end effector assembly coupled at a distal end of the shaft;

a movable handle coupled to the housing and configured to manipulate the end effector assembly, the movable handle including a proximal leg defining a first end and a second end, a distal tail, an arcuate segment interconnecting the proximal leg and distal tail at the first end of the proximal leg to define a finger-retaining area therebetween, and a proximal foot disposed at the second end of the proximal leg to define a grasping surface between the first and second ends of the proximal leg;

a deployable member slidably disposed within the shaft; and

a trigger coupled to the housing and configured to deploy the deployable member relative to the end effector assembly, the trigger defining a saddle portion configured to receive a finger of a user,

wherein the housing, movable handle, and trigger are configured to facilitate operable grasping by a hand of a user in at least first and second grasping configurations and wherein, in each grasping configuration, a user'"'"'s fingers are arranged differently relative to the elongated indentation, recessed waist, finger-retaining area, grasping surface, and saddle portion.

2. The surgical instrument according to claim 1, wherein, in the first grasping configuration, the recessed waist is configured to partially receive a user'"'"'s thumb, the saddle is configured to partially receive a user'"'"'s index finger, the finger-retaining area is configured to partially receive a user'"'"'s middle finger, and the grasping surface is configured to partially receive a user'"'"'s ring finger and pinky adjacent thereto.

3. The surgical instrument according to claim 2, wherein, in the first grasping configuration, the recessed waist is configured to inhibit slipping of a user'"'"'s thumb, the saddle is configured to inhibit slipping of a user'"'"'s index finger, the finger-retaining area is configured to enable movement of the movable handle in opposite directions using a user'"'"'s middle finger, the grasping surface is configured to enable movement of the movable handle in one of the opposite directions using a user'"'"'s ring finger and pinky, and the proximal foot is configured to inhibit slipping of a user'"'"'s ring finger and pinky off of the grasping surface.

4. The surgical instrument according to claim 1, wherein, in the second grasping configuration, the saddle is configured to partially receive a user'"'"'s pinky, the finger-retaining area is configured to partially receive a user'"'"'s ring finger, and the grasping surface is configured to partially receive a user'"'"'s middle finger and index finger.

5. The surgical instrument according to claim 4, wherein, in the second grasping configuration, the saddle is configured to inhibit slipping of a user'"'"'s pinky, the finger-retaining area is configured to enable movement of the movable handle in opposite directions using a user'"'"'s ring finger, the grasping surface is configured to enable movement of the movable handle in one of the opposite directions using a user'"'"'s middle finger and index finger, and the proximal foot is configured to inhibit slipping of a user'"'"'s middle finger and index finger off of the grasping surface.

6. The surgical instrument according to claim 1, wherein the housing, movable handle, and trigger are further configured to facilitate operable grasping by a hand of a user in a third grasping configuration.

7. The surgical instrument according to claim 6, wherein, in the third grasping configuration, the elongated indentation is configured to partially receive a user'"'"'s index finger, the saddle is configured to partially receive a user'"'"'s middle finger, the finger-retaining area is configured to partially receive a user'"'"'s ring finger, and the grasping surface is configured to partially receive a user'"'"'s pinky adjacent thereto.

8. The surgical instrument according to claim 7, wherein, in the third grasping configuration, the elongated indentation is configured to inhibit slipping of a user'"'"'s index finger, the saddle is configured to inhibit slipping of a user'"'"'s middle finger, the finger-retaining area is configured to enable movement of the movable handle in opposite directions using a user'"'"'s ring finger, and the grasping surface is configured to enable movement of the movable handle in one of the opposite directions using a user'"'"'s pinky.

9. A method of using a surgical instrument, comprising:

selecting a grasping configuration from between at least a first grasping configuration and a second gasping configuration;

if the first grasping configuration is selected, grasping a surgical instrument such that a user'"'"'s thumb is disposed within a waist defined atop a housing of the surgical instrument, a user'"'"'s index finger is partially received within a saddle of a trigger of the surgical instrument, a user'"'"'s middle finger is partially received within a finger-retaining area defined atop a movable handle of the surgical instrument, and a user'"'"'s ring finger and pinky are positioned adjacent a grasping surface of the movable handle; and

if the second grasping configuration is selected, grasping the surgical instrument such that the user'"'"'s pinky is partially received within the saddle of the trigger, the user'"'"'s ring finger is partially received within the finger-retaining area of the movable handle, and the user'"'"'s middle finger and index finger are positioned adjacent the grasping surface of the movable handle.

10. The method according to claim 9, further including:

selecting between the first and second grasping configurations and a third grasping configuration; and

if the third grasping configuration is selected, grasping the surgical instrument such that the user'"'"'s index finger is partially received within an elongated indentation defined within the housing of the surgical instrument, the user'"'"'s middle finger is partially received within the saddle of the trigger of the surgical instrument, the user'"'"'s ring finger is partially received within the finger-retaining area of the movable handle of the surgical instrument, and the user'"'"'s pinky is positioned adjacent the grasping surface of the movable handle of the surgical instrument.

11. The method according to claim 9, further including moving the movable handle to actuate an end effector assembly of the surgical instrument.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the surgical instrument includes an end effector assembly operably coupled to the movable handle, the end effector assembly including first and second jaw members, and wherein moving the movable handle moves at least one of the first and second jaw members relative to the other to grasp tissue therebetween.

13. The method according to claim 11, further including moving the trigger to deploy a deployable member of the surgical instrument relative to the end effector assembly.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the deployable member is a knife and wherein moving the trigger includes moving the knife from a retracted position to an extended position relative to the end effector assembly.