SURGICAL STAPLING INSTRUMENT WITH SHAFT RELEASE, POWERED FIRING, AND POWERED ARTICULATION

• US 20170086823A1
• Filed: 09/29/2015
• Published: 03/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cilag Gmbh International (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery LLC (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Hansen, Bryce, Morgan, Joshua, Schings, Brian, Posada, Sol, Leimbach, Richard L., Siebel, Tony, Swensgard, Brett E., Overmyer, Mark D., Adams, Shane
• Granted Patent: US 10,182,813 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 2017/00115 with audible or visual output with imaging means A61B90/37, A61B34/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0046 with a releasable handle; with handle and operating part separable for prosthetic joint-implanting tools A61F2/4603
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00477 Coupling A61B2017/0046 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00734 battery operated
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2927 the angular position of the head being adjustable with respect to the shaft
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/0807 Indication means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/98 using electromagnetic means, e.g. transponders

Abstract

A surgical instrument includes a shaft assembly, a handle assembly, and a latch system configured to operatively couple the shaft and handle assemblies. The latch system includes shaft and a handle lock members respectively connected to the shaft and handle assemblies for inhibiting operative uncoupling of the shaft and handle assemblies. The latch member has a cam surface and a latch member. The latch member is configured to selectively move from a locked position to a released position such that movement of the latch member causes the shaft and handle lock members to disengage and uncouple the shaft and handle assemblies. The latch member is further configured to selectively move from the released position to a removal position such that further movement of the latch member causes the cam surface of the latch member to engage the cam base and urge the shaft assembly in a removal direction.

Claims

1. A surgical instrument, comprising:

(a) a shaft assembly having a distal end portion and a proximal end portion, the proximal end portion including an end effector projecting distally therefrom;

(b) a handle assembly configured to receive the proximal end portion of the shaft assembly; and

(c) a latch system configured to operatively couple the shaft assembly to the handle assembly, the latch system including;

(i) a shaft lock member connected to the shaft assembly,

(ii) a handle lock member connected to the handle assembly, wherein the handle lock member is configured to engage the shaft lock member and inhibit the shaft assembly from operatively uncoupling from the handle assembly,

(iii) a cam base, and

(iv) a latch member, the latch member having a cam surface configured to engage the cam base,

wherein the latch member is configured to selectively move from a locked position to a released position such that movement of the latch member toward the unlocked position is configured to cause the shaft lock member to disengage from the handle lock member and thereby operatively uncouple the shaft assembly from the handle assembly in the released position,

wherein the latch member is further configured to selectively move from the released position to a removal position such that movement of the latch member toward the removal position is configured to cause the cam surface of the latch member to engage the cam base and thereby urge the shaft assembly in a removal direction relative to the handle assembly for indicating the removal direction to a user.

2. The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein the latch member is configured to engage at least one of the shaft and handle lock members and thereby cause the shaft lock member to disengage from the handle lock member as the latch member moves from the unlocked position toward the released position.

3. The surgical instrument of claim 2, wherein the handle assembly includes the cam base and the shaft assembly includes the latch member.

4. The surgical instrument of claim 3, wherein the latch member of the shaft assembly is configured to engage the shaft lock member and thereby cause the shaft lock member to disengage from the handle lock member as the latch member moves from the unlocked position toward the released position.

5. The surgical instrument of claim 4, wherein the handle lock member is rigidly connected to the handle assembly and the shaft lock member is in the form of a shaft lock yoke pivotally connected to the shaft assembly, such that the shaft lock yoke is biased for engaging the handle lock member.

6. The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein the handle assembly includes the cam base and the shaft assembly includes the latch member, and the latch member comprises a latch button, wherein the latch button is slidably mounted to the proximal end portion of the shaft assembly such that the latch button is configured to slide from the locked position toward the removal position.

7. The surgical instrument of claim 6 wherein the latch button includes a distal nose configured to engage the shaft lock member for disengagement from the handle lock member.

8. The surgical instrument of claim 6, wherein the cam surface of the latch button is in the form of a lower ramp cam surface configured to transversely slide along the cam base to thereby urge the shaft assembly in the removal direction relative to the handle assembly.

9. The surgical instrument of claim 6, wherein the latch system further includes a latch mount body rigidly connected to the proximal end portion thereof, the latch mount body configured to transversely capture the latch button while the latch button is configured to slide relative to the latch mount body from the locked position toward the removal position.

10. The surgical instrument of claim 9, wherein the latch mount body includes a hole extending therethrough, and the hole is configured to provide for direct contact between the cam base and the cam surface of the latch button therethrough.

11. The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein the handle assembly includes the cam base and the shaft assembly includes the latch member, and the latch member comprises a latch switch, wherein the latch switch is pivotally mounted to the proximal end portion of the shaft assembly such that the latch switch is configured to pivot from the locked position toward the removal position.

12. The surgical instrument of claim 11, wherein the latch switch includes a distal nose configured to engage the shaft lock member for disengagement from the handle lock member.

13. The surgical instrument of claim 11, wherein the cam surface of the latch switch is in the form of a cam lobe surface configured to rotatably slide along the cam base to thereby urge the shaft assembly in the removal direction relative to the handle assembly.

14. The surgical instrument of claim 11, wherein the latch system further includes a latch mount body rigidly connected to the proximal end portion thereof, the latch mount body configured to capture the latch switch such that the latch switch is configured to pivot relative to the latch mount body from the locked position toward the removal position.

15. The surgical instrument of claim 14, wherein the latch mount body includes a hole extending therethrough, and the hole is configured to provide for direct contact between the cam base and the cam surface of the latch switch therethrough.

16. A surgical instrument, comprising:

(a) a shaft assembly having a distal end portion and a proximal end portion, the proximal end portion including an end effector projecting distally therefrom;

(b) a handle assembly configured to receive the proximal end portion of the shaft assembly; and

(c) a latch system configured to operatively couple the shaft assembly to the handle assembly, the latch system including;

(i) a shaft lock member connected to the shaft assembly,

(ii) a handle lock member connected to the handle assembly, wherein the handle lock member is configured to engage the shaft lock member and inhibit the shaft assembly from operatively uncoupling from the handle assembly, and

(iii) a latch switch configured to selectively pivot from a locked position to a released position such that movement of the latch switch toward the unlocked position is configured to cause the shaft lock member to disengage from the handle lock member and thereby operatively uncouple the shaft assembly from the handle assembly in the released position.

17. The surgical instrument of claim 16, wherein the latch system further comprises a cam base and the latch switch includes a cam lobe surface, wherein the cam lobe surface is configured to rotatably slide along the cam base to thereby urge the shaft assembly in a removal direction relative to the handle assembly from the released position toward a removal position for indicating the removal direction to a user.

18. A method of removing a shaft assembly from a handle assembly of a surgical instrument, the surgical instrument having a latch system having a shaft lock member, a handle lock member, a cam base, and a latch member, the shaft lock member connected to the shaft assembly, the handle lock member connected to the handle assembly, wherein the handle lock member is configured to engage the shaft lock member and inhibit the shaft assembly from operatively uncoupling from the handle assembly, the latch member having a cam surface configured to engage the cam base, method comprising:

(a) moving the latch member from a locked position toward a released position in order to disengage the shaft lock member from the handle lock member in the released position;

(b) operatively uncoupling the shaft assembly from the handle assembly;

(c) moving the latch member from the released position toward a removal position; and

(d) engaging the cam surface of the shaft assembly against the cam base in order to urge the shaft assembly in a removal direction relative to the handle assembly for removal of the shaft assembly from the handle assembly.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the latch member comprises a latch button and moving the latch button further comprises sliding the latch button.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the latch member comprises a latch switch and moving the latch button further comprises pivoting the latch switch.