Articulated surgical instrument with improved jaw closure mechanism
First Claim
1. An articulated surgical instrument for use in laparoscopic surgical procedures comprising:
- a handle;
an elongated shaft having a distal end and a proximal end, said proximal end of said elongated shaft being coupled to said handle;
a tip pivotally coupled to said distal end of said shaft for articulation about an articulation axis and including two opposed jaws pivotally coupled at a pivot axis for movement between an open position and a closed position, at least one of said jaws having a camming portion proximal to said pivot axis of said jaws; and
a camming driver disposed in said shaft for reciprocating movement between a proximal position and a distal position and including a camming portion which contacts said jaw camming portion such that movement of said camming driver from its proximal position to its distal position causes said jaws to pivot from their open position to their closed position;
wherein said jaw camming portion and said driver camming portion are adapted to contact each other at a cam point thereby accommodating articulation of said tip.
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Accused Products
Abstract
This invention provides an articulated surgical instrument for use in laparoscopic surgical procedures including, in general, a handle, an elongated shaft, and a tip. The shaft is coupled to the handle, and the tip is pivotally coupled to the distal end of the shaft for articulation about an articulation axis. The tip includes two opposed jaws. The jaws are pivotally coupled at a pivot axis for movement between an open position and a closed position, and at least one of the jaws has a camming portion proximal to the pivot axis of the jaws. The instrument further includes a camming driver disposed in the shaft for reciprocating movement between a proximal position and a distal position. The camming driver has a camming portion. The drive camming portion contacts the jaw camming portion at a cam point. Preferably, the jaw camming portion is a hemispherically-shaped projection and the driver camming portion is a ramp. Movement of the camming driver from its proximal position to its distal position causes the jaws to pivot from their open position to their closed positions.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. An articulated surgical instrument for use in laparoscopic surgical procedures comprising:
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a handle; an elongated shaft having a distal end and a proximal end, said proximal end of said elongated shaft being coupled to said handle; a tip pivotally coupled to said distal end of said shaft for articulation about an articulation axis and including two opposed jaws pivotally coupled at a pivot axis for movement between an open position and a closed position, at least one of said jaws having a camming portion proximal to said pivot axis of said jaws; and a camming driver disposed in said shaft for reciprocating movement between a proximal position and a distal position and including a camming portion which contacts said jaw camming portion such that movement of said camming driver from its proximal position to its distal position causes said jaws to pivot from their open position to their closed position; wherein said jaw camming portion and said driver camming portion are adapted to contact each other at a cam point thereby accommodating articulation of said tip. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. In an articulated surgical instrument for use in laparoscopic surgical procedures including a handle;
- an elongated shaft having a distal end and a proximal end, the proximal end of the elongated shaft being coupled to the handle;
a tip pivotally coupled to the distal end of the shaft for articulation about an articulation axis and including two opposed jaws pivotally coupled at a pivot axis for movement between an open position and a closed position;
a manually engageable actuator mounted on the handle; and
a drive shaft operatively coupled to the actuator which reciprocates between a proximal position and a distal position in response to movements of the actuator;
the improvement comprising;at least one of the jaws having a camming portion proximal to the pivot axis of the jaws; and a camming driver coupled to the drive shaft and disposed in the elongated shaft for reciprocating movement between a proximal position and a distal position in response to the reciprocating movement of the drive shaft, said camming driver having a camming portion which contacts said jaw camming portion such that movement of said camming driver from its proximal position to its distal position causes the jaws to pivot from their open position to their closed position; wherein said jaw camming portion and said driver camming portion are adapted to contact each other at a cam point thereby accommodating articulation of the tip.
- an elongated shaft having a distal end and a proximal end, the proximal end of the elongated shaft being coupled to the handle;
Specification