Drive mechanism for surgical instruments

• US 5,330,487 A
• Filed: 12/17/1992
• Issued: 07/19/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Technology Holding Company II (Teleflex Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: TFI Acquisition Corporation
• Inventors: Ruckdeschel, Thomas W., Thornton, Curtis W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Graysay, Tamara L.
• Application Number:
  US07/991,891
• Time in Patent Office: 579 Days
• Field of Search: 606/143, 606/142, 606/139, 227/175, 227/176, 227/177, 227/181, 227/182, 227/19, 227/901
• US Class Current: 606/143
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1285 for minimally invasive surgery

Abstract

A surgical instrument for applying a ligating device to a surgical work site. The instrument is provided with a power subassembly which provides the power by which the ligating device is placed into proper position for being applied to the work site. In one embodiment, the instrument is a hemostatic clip applier and the power subassembly feeds the clips into position between the jaws of the applier which are then closed by squeezing the applier handles.

Claims

1. A surgical instrument comprising:

means for storing a plurality of binding devices;

means for applying at least one of said binding devices to an object at a surgical work site;

means for feeding said binding devices at least one at a time to said applying means, said means for feeding comprising;

power source means having a power outer, said power source means being pre-loaded with sufficient energy to feed more than one said binding devices;

a feeder member means for engaging at least one of said binding devices and for moving it into a position to be acted on by said applying means;

a drive link means operatively connected to said power source means and said feeder member means for transmitting power from said power source means to said feeder member means; and

means associated with said applying means for enabling said power source means to apply said power output to said drive link means at a predetermined time.

2. A surgical instrument according to claim 1 wherein said applying means comprises a pair of squeezable handles and said enabling means comprises a portion of one of said handles adapted to cooperate with said power source means.

3. A surgical instrument according to claim 1 wherein said power source means comprises a spring and said drive link means comprises a cylindrical body cyclically rotatable about its axis.

4. A surgical instrument according to claim 3 wherein said cylindrical body comprises:

an annular groove perpendicular to the axis of said body and adapted to engage an inwardly extending annular rib on a surface portion of said power source means adjacent thereto;

an annular cam groove inclined to the axis of said body and adapted to engage an inwardly extending cam connected to said feeder member means.

5. A surgical instrument according to claim 1 wherein said power source means comprises a flat, wound coil spring having a drive coil portion and a take-up portion and said drive link comprises a flat plate cyclically reciprocable in a predetermined direction.

6. A surgical instrument according to claim 5 further comprising a transversely extending post secured to one end of said spring and wherein said drive link comprises an aperture for mateable engagement with said post.

7. In a surgical instrument for applying a binding device to a surgical work site, the instrument having a cartridge for storing a plurality of said binding devices, a jaw means for receiving a binding device, a means for feeding the binding devices to said jaw means, a handle for actuating the instrument to apply the binding device to a selected area at the work site, the improvement comprising:

spring means having a drive coil and a take-up coil, each of said coils situated in a common plane;

a post extending perpendicularly to said plane for being rotated by the drive coil of said spring means;

a planar drive member situated in a plane parallel to said common plane and having a transverse slot for receiving said post therethrough, said drive member adapted to reciprocate longitudinally in response to rotary motion of said post;

means for connecting said drive member to said feeding means;

control means for enabling said drive member to move cyclically through a distal/proximal cycle at predetermined points relative to the position of the handles of the instrument.

8. In a surgical clip applier for applying ligating clips to a surgical work site, said applier comprising at least one clip for being applied to the surgical work site, a means for applying said clip to the surgical work site, and means for feeding a clip to said applying means, the improvement comprising:

a pre-loaded energy source; and

connecting means for operatively connecting said energy source to said means for feeding, said pre-loaded energy source being initially pre-loaded with enough energy to feed more than one ligating clip to said means for feeding one at a time.

9. A method of feeding surgical binding devices from a storage means loaded with a plurality of said binding devices and attached to a surgical instrument to a binding-device-applying-means at the working tip of said surgical instrument comprising the steps of:

providing said surgical instrument with a self-contained, pre-loaded energized power source means which has a power output means and is loaded with sufficient power to feed more than of the binding devices stored in said storage means;

operatively connecting said power output means to a means for feeding said binding device to the working tip.

10. A method according to claim 9 further comprising the step of:

controlling the operation of said power source means in a cyclical manner to produce a power output therefrom only at predetermined points in the operation of said instrument.

11. A method according to claim 10 further comprising the step of:

cocking said power source means in response to a predetermined position of said binding device applying means such that a change of said position then results in said production of a power output from said power source means.

12. A method according to claim 9 further comprising the step of:

providing a cylindrical drive link to transmit power from said power source means to said feeding means.

13. A method according to claim 9 further comprising the step of:

providing a planar drive link to transmit power from said power source means to said feeding means.

14. A method of feeding surgical binding devices from a storage means loaded with a plurality of said binding devices and attached to a surgical instrument to a binding-device-applying-means at the working tip of said surgical instrument comprising the steps of:

providing said surgical instrument with a self-contained, energized power source means which has a power output means and is loaded with sufficient power to feed a predetermined number of the binding devices stored in said storage means;

operatively connecting said power output means to a means for feeding said binding device to the working tip;

providing a cylindrical drive link to transmit power from said power source means to said feeding means.

15. A surgical instrument comprising:

means for storing a plurality of binding devices;

means for applying at least one of said binding devices to an obect at a surgical work site;

means for feeding said binding devices at least one at a time to said applying means, said means for feeding comprising;

power source means having a power output, said power source means comprising a spring;

a feeder member means for engaging at least one of said binding devices and for moving it into a position to be acted on by said applying means;

a drive link means operatively connected to said power source means and said feeder member means for transmitting power from said power source means to said feeder member means, said drive link means comprising a cylindrical body cyclically rotatable about its axis; and

means associated with said applying means for enabling said power source means to apply said power output to said drive link means at a predetermined time.

16. A surgical instrument according to claim 15 wherein said cylindrical body comprises:

an annular groove perpendicular to the axis of said body and adapted to engage an inwardly extending annular rib on a surface portion of said power source means adjacent thereto;

an annular cam groove inclined to the axis of said body and adapted to engage an inwardly extending cam connected to said feeder member means.

17. A surgical instrument comprising:

means for storing a plurality of binding devices;

means for applying at least one of said binding devices to an object at a surgical work site;

means for feeding said binding devices at least one at a time to said applying means, said means for feeding comprising;

power source means having a power output, said power source means comprising a flat, wound coil spring having a drive coil portion and a take-up portion;

a feeder member means for engaging at least one of said binding devices and for moving it into a position to be acted on by said applying means;

a drive link means operatively connected to said power source means and said feeder member means for transmitting power from said power source means to said feeder member means, said drive link comprising a flat plate cyclically reciprocable in a predetermined direction; and

means associated with said applying means for enabling said power source means to apply said power output to said drive link means at a predetermined time.

18. A surgical instrument according to claim 17 further comprising a transversely extending post secured to one end of said spring and wherein said drive link comprises an aperture for mateable engagement with said post.