Hand actuable surgical handpiece

• US 5,743,456 A
• Filed: 10/03/1995
• Issued: 04/28/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Stryker Corporation
• Original Assignee: Stryker Corporation
• Inventors: Nelson, Charles L., Jones, Christopher Scott, Sommer, Phillip R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rada, Rinaldi I.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ASHLEY, BOYER DOLINGER
• Application Number:
  US08/538,748
• Time in Patent Office: 938 Days
• Field of Search: 227/19, 227/176, 227/177, 227/178, 227/180, 227/176.1, 227/177.1, 227/178.1, 227/180.1
• US Class Current: 227/176.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0684 having a forming anvil staying above the tissue during stapling
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/2909 Handles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2927 the angular position of the head being adjustable with respect to the shaft

Abstract

An inventive surgical handpiece comprises a handle unit and structure carried by the handle unit for engaging a patient. A hand actuable element is mounted for rotation on the handle unit, about first and second mutually transverse axes. A first mechanism is responsive to rotation of the hand actuable element about its first axis for imparting first degree of freedom movement to the patient engaging structure. A second mechanism is responsive to rotation of the same hand actuable element about its second axis for imparting second degree of freedom movement to the patient engaging structure.

Claims

1. A surgical handpiece comprising:

a handle unit;

means carried by said handle unit for engaging a patient;

a hand actuable element mounted on said handle unit for rotation relative to said handle unit about first and second mutually transverse axes;

first means operatively connected to said hand actuable element and responsive to rotation of said hand actuable element relative to said handle unit about said first axis for imparting first degree of freedom movement to said patient engaging means;

second means operatively connected to said hand actuable element and responsive to rotation of said hand actuable element relative to said handle unit about said second axis for imparting second degree of freedom movement to said patient engaging means.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said handle unit comprises a barrel and a handgrip fixedly joined adjacent a rear end portion of said barrel, means mounting said hand actuable element substantially at the join of said barrel and handgrip for single hand actuation, said hand actuable element having exposed outer surface means for actuating engagement by a thumb of a person'"'"'s hand gripping said handgrip.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said hand actuable element is a ball and said first and second axes intersect said ball.

4. A surgical handpiece comprising:

a handle unit;

means carried by said handle unit for engaging a patient;

a hand actuable element mounted for rotation on said handle unit about first and second mutually transverse axes;

first means operatively connected to said hand engagable element and responsive to rotation of said hand actuable element about said first axis for imparting first degree of freedom movement to said patient engaging means;

second means operatively connected to said hand engagable element and responsive to rotation of said hand actuable element about said second axis for imparting second degree of freedom movement to said patient engaging means, said handle unit comprising a barrel and a handgrip fixed adjacent a rear end portion of said barrel, said hand actuable element comprising a convexly rounded element located for single hand actuation substantially at the juncture of said barrel and handgrip, said rounded element having an exposed outer surface engageable by a thumb of a person'"'"'s hand gripping said handgrip.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 in which said patient engaging means comprises means actuable for applying a fastener to a patient, means for movably mounting said patient engaging means on said handle unit, said first rotation responsive means comprising a first member moveable with respect to said handle unit and connected to said patient engaging means for imparting roll movement thereto, said second rotation responsive means comprising a second member moveable with respect to said handle unit and connected to said patient engaging means for imparting pitch movement thereto.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 in which said fastener applying means comprises means for feeding a staple and forming such staple in engagement with patient tissue.

7. A surgical handpiece comprising:

a handle unit;

means carried by said handle unit for engaging a patient;

a hand actuable element mounted for rotation on said handle unit about first and second mutually transverse axes;

first means operatively connected to said hand engagable element and responsive to rotation of said hand actuable element about said first axis for imparting first degree of freedom movement to said patient engaging means;

second means operatively connected to said hand engagable element and responsive to rotation of said hand actuable element about said second axis for imparting second degree of freedom movement to said patient engaging means, said handle unit comprising a barrel and handgrip fixed adjacent a rear end portion of said barrel, said hand actuable element comprising a ball swivelly located adjacent the juncture of said barrel and handgrip for rotation sideways about said first axis and forward about said second axis.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 in which said handle unit is hollow and defines a chamber therein, said ball being located in and partly protruding from a portal in said housing substantially at the juncture of said barrel and handgrip, said ball being hollow and having a recess open to said handle chamber, said first rotation responsive means comprising an elongate rotor extending longitudinally in, and substantially the length of, said barrel and supported therein for roll rotation about said first axis, shaft means transversely mounted on a rear end portion of said rotor and substantially diametrally mounting said ball for pitch rotation with respect to said rotor and about said second axis.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 in which said first rotation responsive means comprises an elongate tube fixed at a rear end thereof coaxially to said rotor and extending forwardly from said rotor and barrel for roll rotation therewith, pitch pivot means for mounting said patient engaging means for pitch rotation on a front end of said tube, said second rotation responsive means comprising an elongate pitch slider which is roll rotatable with and longitudinally slidable in said tube, eccentric means fixed on said ball for at least pitch rotation therewith and connected to a rear end portion of said pitch slider for moving said pitch slider longitudinally in said tube upon pitch rotation of said ball, means connecting a front end portion of said pitch slider to said patient engaging means for pitch rotation of said patient engaging means with respect to said tube.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 in which said rotor and pitch slider have rear end portions extending into said recess in said ball, said shaft means comprising a first shaft extending diametrally across said ball recess and through said rear end portion of said rotor, said eccentric means comprising a second shaft parallel to and located below said first shaft and engaging said rear end portion of said pitch slider so pitch rotation of said ball reciprocates said pitch slider longitudinally with respect to said rotor and in said tube.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 including a spool coaxially surrounding and axially slidable on said rotor, means for causing said spool to rotate with said rotor, spring means for urging said spool rearwardly with respect to said rotor and barrel, a trigger movably mounted on said handle and actuable by a hand holding said handle for axially sliding said spool with respect to said handle, a second elongate slider roll rotatable with and longitudinally slidable in said tube beside said pitch slider, means connecting said patient engaging means to a front end portion of said second slider for actuating said patient engaging means to treat tissue of a patient engaged thereby.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 in which said patient engaging means comprises staple forming means actuable by said second slider for stapling patient tissue.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 in which said trigger has a lower end portion actuable by a hand holding said handle, an upper end engageable with said spool, a rearwardly extending arm with ratchet teeth, and a pivot intermediate said trigger ends and for pivoting said trigger with respect to said handle, a pawl pivotable on said handle and extending forward to engage said ratchet teeth on said trigger, resilient biasing means biasing said pawl with respect to said handle to block reversal of movement of said trigger except at opposite ends of said trigger stroke.

14. A surgical apparatus for installing fasteners particularly for use in endoscopic surgery, comprising:

means for forming a fastener in contact with body tissue of a patient in a surgical procedure;

a handle unit comprising a frame and a multi-pivot member pivotable about first and second mutually transverse axes with respect to said frame in response to actuation by surgical personnel;

a coupling unit supporting said fastener forming means distally of said handle unit and comprising first and second means respectively responsive to pivoting of said multi-pivot member about said first and second axis for displacing said fastener forming means in respective different first and second degrees of freedom with respect to said handle unit, in which said multi-pivot member is generally ball-shaped and said pivot axes intersect substantially at the center of the curvature of said ball shape.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 in which said coupling unit includes a forward extending tube and means for supporting said tube on said frame for rotation about a roll axis defined by a longitudinal, forward extending axis of said tube, means connecting said multi-pivot member to said tube for roll motion therewith, such that roll motion of said multi-pivot member imparts roll motion to said tube, said multi-pivot member being pivotable with respect to said tube about a pitch axis, said roll axis and said pitch axis constituting said first and second mutually transverse axes of said multi-pivot member.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 in which said first means includes said tube, said second means comprising a generally forward extending rod longitudinally receivable in said tube, said first and second degrees of freedom respectively comprising roll pivoting about said longitudinal axis of said tube and pitch pivoting about said axis.

17. The apparatus of claim 14 in which said multi-pivot member is rigid with said first and second axes oriented for side to side and forward/rearward pivoting movement.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 in which one of said axes extends along a length of the apparatus and the other of said axes extends sideways of the apparatus, said axes intersecting.

19. The apparatus of claim 14 in which said frame comprises a substantially gun shaped housing having a forward extending barrel and a depending handgrip adjacent a rear end of said barrel, said ball-shaped member being located adjacent the intersection of said barrel and handgrip and adjacent said rear end of said barrel.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 in which said ball-shaped member is exposed rearwardly, sidewardly and upwardly for engagement by a thumb of a hand holding the handgrip.

21. A handle unit for a surgical handpiece, the handle unit comprising:

a hand actuable element mounted on said handle unit for rotation relative to said handle unit about first and second mutually transverse axes;

first means operatively connected to said hand actuable element and responsive to rotation of said hand actuable element relative to said handle unit about said first axis for imparting first degree of freedom movement to a patient engaging means;

second means operatively connected to said hand actuable element and responsive to rotation of said hand actuable element relative to said handle unit about said second axis for imparting second degree of freedom movement to a patient engaging means.

22. A surgical apparatus for installing fasteners particularly for use in endoscopic surgery, comprising:

means for forming a fastener in contact with body tissue of a patient in a surgical procedure;

a handle unit comprising a frame and a multi-pivot member pivotable about first and second mutually transverse axes with respect to said frame in response to actuation by surgical personnel;

a coupling unit supporting said fastener forming means distally of said handle unit and comprising first and second means respectively responsive to pivoting of said multi-pivot member about said first and second axis for displacing said fastener forming means in respective different first and second degrees of freedom with respect to said handle unit, said multi-pivot member comprising a ball, said first means comprising a tube extending forward from said frame along said first axis and supported for roll pivoting on said frame about said first axis, means pivotally mounting said ball with respect to a rear portion of said tube for roll pivoting therewith about said first axis and for pitch pivoting with respect thereto about said second axis, said second means comprising a rod extending longitudinally and slidably in said tube and coupled adjacent its rear end with respect to transverse pivot means on said ball.

23. A surgical apparatus for installing fasteners particularly for use in endoscopic surgery, comprising:

means for forming a fastener in contact with body tissue of a patient in a surgical procedure;

a handle unit comprising a frame and a multi-pivot member pivotable about first and second mutually transverse axes with respect to said frame in response to actuation by surgical personnel;

a coupling unit supporting said fastener forming means distally of said handle unit and comprising first and second means respectively responsive to pivoting of said multi-pivot member about said first and second axes for displacing said fastener forming means in respective different first and second degrees of freedom with respect to said handle unit.

24. A handle unit for a surgical handpiece, the handle unit comprising:

a hand actuable element mounted for rotation on said handle unit about first and second mutually transverse axes;

first means operatively connected to said hand engagable element and responsive to rotation of said hand actuable element about said first axis for imparting first degree of freedom movement to a patient engaging means;

second means operatively connected to said hand engagable element and responsive to rotation of said hand actuable element about said second axis for imparting second degree of freedom movement to a patient engaging means, said handle unit comprising a handgrip engageable by a palm and one or more fingers of a hand of a user, a trigger unit movable toward and away from the handgrip and engageable by a finger of the hand of the user, said hand actuable element comprising a ball mounted for rotation about said first and second axes above a palm engageable portion of said handgrip for engagement by a thumb of the hand of the user, means carried by said handgrip and extending forward therefrom for engaging a patient and comprising a tube and first and second sliders slidable longitudinally side by side along and within said tube, said first means including means responsive to rotation of said ball about said first axis for imparting roll rotation to said tube, said second means including means responsive to rotation of said ball about said second axis for imparting longitudinal sliding motion to first said slider, means connecting said trigger to said second slider for longitudinal sliding motion of said second slider in response to movement of said trigger.