Knife shield for surgical instruments

• US 5,800,449 A
• Filed: 03/11/1997
• Issued: 09/01/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Wales, Kenneth S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Buiz, Michael Powell
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shai, Daphna
• Application Number:
  US08/816,017
• Time in Patent Office: 539 Days
• Field of Search: 606/170, 606/172, 606/205, 606/206, 606/207, 606/37, 606/41, 606/45, 606/46, 606/48, 606/49, 606/50, 606/51, 606/52, 606/167
• US Class Current: 606/172
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/320016 Endoscopic cutting instruments, e.g. arthroscopes, resectoscopes A61B10/0233, A61B17/29, A61B17/3207 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1447 wherein sliding surfaces cause opening/closing of the end effectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/08021 of the patient or his organs

Abstract

A surgical instrument according to the present invention includes a handle, an elongated closure tube, an end effector, a pair of wireform elements which may be, for example, wireform conductors, extending through the elongated tube from the handle to the end effector and a knife blade at the end effector and a tissue stop adapted to shield the knife blade when the knife blade is in its proximal most position. In a surgical instrument according to the present invention, the wireform elements are positioned within wireform guide channels formed in the tissue stop. In a surgical instrument according to the present invention, the closure tube includes a tissue stop including a distal end and a proximal end. The tissue stop further includes a body, a neck a knife housing and knife channel, the knife channel being adapted to support the shank of the knife as it moves within the knife channel.

Claims

1. A surgical instrument including a handle, an end effector and an elongated closure tube connected to said handle and adapted to actuate said end effector comprising:

a tissue stop for use in a surgical instrument, wherein said tissue stop comprises;

a distal end and a proximal end;

a body at said proximal end;

a knife housing at said distal end;

a neck interconnecting said body and said knife housing;

a knife blade slot in said knife housing at said distal end;

a knife channel connecting said distal end to said proximal end through said body, said neck and said housing;

a first wireform guide channel on a first side of said body; and

a second wireform guide channel on a second side of said body;

a first wireform element passing through said elongated tube on a first side of said tissue stop;

a second wireform element passing through said elongated tube on a second side of said tissue stop;

a knife positioned within said tissue stop wherein said knife includes a blade positioned in said knife blade slot;

a knife edge at a distal end of said knife blade such that the entirety of said knife edge is contained within said slot when said knife is in a proximal position.

2. A surgical instrument according to claim 1 wherein said first wireform guide channel includes a rib element adapted to engage a slot in said first wireform element and said second wireform guide channel includes a rib element adapted to engage a slot in said second wireform guide channel.

3. A surgical instrument according to claim 2 wherein said knife includes a knife shank which is moveable within said knife channel, said knife channel providing support for said knife shank.

4. A surgical instrument according to claim 1 wherein said first wireform element is connected to a first jaw of said surgical instrument and said second wireform element is connected to a second jaw of said surgical instrument.

5. An electrosurgical instrument comprising:

a handle;

an end effector operatively connected to said handle through an elongated tube;

first wireform means for supporting a first jaw of said end effector wherein said first wireform means extends from said handle to said first jaw through said elongated tube;

second wireform means for supporting a second jaw of said end effector wherein said second wireform means extends from said handle to said second jaw through said elongated tube;

a knife means for cutting tissue, said knife means being moveable within said end effector and including a knife edge at a distal end thereof;

button means for moving said knife means, said button means being positioned on said handle;

tissue stop means for positioning tissue engaged by said end effector, wherein said tissue stop means comprises;

a distal end and a proximal end;

a body at said proximal end;

a knife housing at said distal end;

a neck interconnecting said body and said knife housing;

a knife blade slot in said knife housing at said distal end;

wherein said knife edge is positioned such that the entirety of said knife edge is contained within said knife blade slot when said knife means is in a proximal position;

a knife channel connecting said distal end to said proximal end through said body, said neck and said housing;

a first wireform guide channel on a first side of said body; and

a second wireform guide channel on a second side of said body.

6. A surgical instrument according to claim 5 wherein said first wireform guide channel includes a rib element adapted to engage a slot in said first wireform means and said second wireform guide channel includes a rib element adapted to engage a slot in said second wireform means.

7. A surgical instrument according to claim 6 wherein said knife includes a knife shank means adapted to support a knife blade wherein said knife shank is moveable within said knife channel, said knife channel providing support for said knife shank means.

8. A surgical instrument according to claim 5 wherein said first wireform means is connected to a first jaw of said surgical instrument and said second wireform means is connected to a second jaw of said surgical instrument.

9. A surgical instrument according to claim 8 wherein said knife housing is positioned between said jaws and is elongated in a direction parallel to the movement of said jaws.