Surgical tissue treating device with locking mechanism

• US 6,024,741 A
• Filed: 03/05/1997
• Issued: 02/15/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Williamson, Warren P. IV, Yates, David C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nasser, Robert L.
• Application Number:
  US08/810,896
• Time in Patent Office: 1,077 Days
• Field of Search: 606/32, 606/40, 606/41, 606/42, 606/50, 606/51, 606/52, 606/120, 606/174, 606/167, 606/172
• US Class Current: 606/40
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/07207 the staples being applied sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/115 Staplers for performing anastomosis in a single operation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/32 Surgical cutting instruments A61B18/042 takes precedence; suture cutters A61B17/0467; instruments for ligaturing or cutting A61B17/128; instruments for rupturing the amniotic membrane A61B17/4208; specially adapted knives for eye surgery A61F9/0133
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1206 Generators therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1402 Probes for open surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1447 wherein sliding surfaces cause opening/closing of the end effectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2923 Toothed members, e.g. rack and pinion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2929 with a head rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the shaft
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00404 Blood vessels other than those in or around the heart
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00601 Cutting
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00642 with feedback, i.e. closed loop control
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00666 using a threshold value
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00672 lower
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00678 upper
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00684 using lookup tables
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00702 Power or energy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00708 switching the power on or off
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00761 Duration
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00875 Resistance or impedance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00886 Duration
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1273 : including multiple generators in one device
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/032 : pressure limiting, e.g. hydrostatic

Abstract

A locking mechanism for ensuring proper sequential usage of a surgical instrument is provided for an instrument utilizing a tissue treating energy, particularly a tissue heating energy, such as, for example, electrosurgical, ultrasonic, thermal, laser, infrared light, or other heating energies. One embodiment includes a cutting element to be used after heat treatment of tissue is completed to a desired degree. The instrument of the preferred embodiment includes a feedback monitor arranged to provide a signal indicating completion of tissue treatment. One embodiment includes an electro-mechanical locking mechanism responsive to the tissue treatment complete feedback signal and arranged to unlock when tissue treatment is complete.

Claims

1. A surgical treatment device comprising:

a tissue treating portion including;

a therapeutic energy delivering device arranged to deliver therapeutic energy to tissue, and a tissue manipulating device;

a shaft coupled to said tissue treating portion, said shaft including a therapeutic energy communication device operatively coupled to said therapeutic energy delivering device, said energy delivering device and said energy communicating device adapted to be actuated to deliver therapeutic energy to tissue;

a tissue manipulation actuating device having a locked mode and an unlocked mode, said tissue manipulation actuating device extending through said shaft and operatively coupled to said tissue manipulation device, wherein said tissue manipulation actuating device may be moved relative to said shaft in said unlocked mode,

a locking mechanism coupled to said tissue manipulation actuating device for moving said tissue manipulation actuating device from said locked mode to said unlocked mode, wherein actuation of said therapeutic energy delivery device activates said locking mechanism, placing said tissue manipulation actuating device in said unlocked mode.

2. The surgical instrument of claim 1 wherein said surgical instrument further comprises a tissue parameter measurement and instrument control device adapted to provide a feedback signal representative of a tissue treatment status of tissue being treated by said therapeutic energy delivering device, said parameter measurement and instrument control device coupled to said tissue treating portion of said instrument.

3. The surgical instrument of claim 2 wherein said parameter measurement and instrument control device is a tissue electrical impedance measuring device.

4. The surgical instrument of claim 1 wherein said tissue manipulation device comprises a tissue cutting device.

5. The surgical instrument of claim 1 wherein said therapeutic energy delivering device comprises at least one electrode of an electrosurgical system and wherein said therapeutic energy delivering device comprises an electrosurgical energy communicating means for providing electrosurgical energy to said at least one electrode.