Manually-operable surgical tool suitable for laparoscopic operations, readily adaptable for different functions by quick change of tissue-contacting operational elements
First Claim
1. An apparatus, comprising:
- an elongate outer tubular element having a proximal end and a distal end formed to have a first cleft, the first cleft having a first cleft orientation defining a first plane;
an elongate inner element having a proximal end and a distal end formed to have a second cleft, the second cleft having a second cleft orientation defining a second plane;
a mechanism for controllably moving the inner element longitudinally within the tubular element;
a force-application pin mounted to the inner element to bridge the second cleft;
a pair of parallel cantilevered cam pins, each of the cantilevered cam pins having an elongate axis, the pair of cam pins being mounted on opposite sides of a central axis of the tubular element inside the first cleft and wherein the elongate axis of each cam pin is oriented in a direction transverse to the first plane and transverse to the second plane; and
a pair of cooperating end effector elements, each having a force-receiving portion and a force-applying portion, each force-receiving portion being formed to pivotally engage with the force-application pin and to simultaneously engage with a respective one of the cam pins, so that relative longitudinal motion between the tubular element and the inner element when in a first direction causes forcible rotations of the end effector elements about the force-application pin to drive the force-applying portions toward each other and when in a second direction causes opposite forcible rotations of the end effector elements about the force-application pin to drive the force-applying portions apart.
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Abstract
A manually-operable surgical tool, suitable for laparoscopic operations, has separable parts which cooperate to move a pair of end effector elements which can be readily replaced by another pair of end effector elements. A handle portion enables controlled longitudinal movement of an elongate inner element relative to an outer surrounding tubular element. The tubular element has a distal end with a first cleft and a pair of parallel cantilevered inwardly-oriented opposed cam pins. The distal end of the elongate inner element is provided with a second cleft and a transverse force-application pin. The selected end effector elements rotatably fit inside the cleft of the inner element to receive an applied force via the force-application pin. Each end effector element has a blind-ended cutout having an open end for engaging at least with a corresponding one of the cam pins. As the inner element moves longitudinally of the tubular element, the cutouts of the end effector elements rotatably and slidably engage with corresponding cam pins and via the force-application pin have their force-applying portions driven towards each other or moved apart. In another aspect of this invention, pairs of cooperating end effector elements for performing specific surgical operations are stored in modular contamination-resistant containers from which they can be moved to engage directly with the inner and outer elements of the surgical instrument for use. Used end effector elements can be put in a disengagement position by movement of the inner element within the outer tubular element and may be removed.
61 Citations
49 Claims
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1. An apparatus, comprising:
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an elongate outer tubular element having a proximal end and a distal end formed to have a first cleft, the first cleft having a first cleft orientation defining a first plane; an elongate inner element having a proximal end and a distal end formed to have a second cleft, the second cleft having a second cleft orientation defining a second plane; a mechanism for controllably moving the inner element longitudinally within the tubular element; a force-application pin mounted to the inner element to bridge the second cleft; a pair of parallel cantilevered cam pins, each of the cantilevered cam pins having an elongate axis, the pair of cam pins being mounted on opposite sides of a central axis of the tubular element inside the first cleft and wherein the elongate axis of each cam pin is oriented in a direction transverse to the first plane and transverse to the second plane; and a pair of cooperating end effector elements, each having a force-receiving portion and a force-applying portion, each force-receiving portion being formed to pivotally engage with the force-application pin and to simultaneously engage with a respective one of the cam pins, so that relative longitudinal motion between the tubular element and the inner element when in a first direction causes forcible rotations of the end effector elements about the force-application pin to drive the force-applying portions toward each other and when in a second direction causes opposite forcible rotations of the end effector elements about the force-application pin to drive the force-applying portions apart. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. An improved hand-held surgical instrument comprising an elongate outer tubular element having a proximal end and a distal end, an elongate inner element disposed longitudinally within the tubular element and having a proximal end and a distal end, and a mechanism for controllably moving the inner element longitudinally within the tubular element to actuate a pair of cooperating end effector elements which engage with both the tubular element and the inner element, wherein the improvement comprises:
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a first cleft formed in the distal end of the tubular element, the first cleft having a first cleft orientation defining a first plane; a second cleft formed in the distal end of the inner element, the second cleft having a second cleft orientation defining a second plane; a force-application pin mounted to the inner element to bridge the second cleft therein; and a pair of parallel cantilevered cam pins, each of the cantilevered cam pins having an elongate axis, the pair of cam pins being mounted on opposite sides of a central axis of the tubular element inside the first cleft, wherein the elongate axis of each of the cam pins is oriented in a direction transverse to the first plane and transverse to the second plane; wherein each end effector element is provided with a force-receiving portion and a force-applying portion, each force-receiving portion being formed to pivotally engage with the force-application pin and to simultaneously engage with a respective cam pin, so that longitudinal motion between the tubular element and the inner element when in a first direction causes forcible rotations of the end effector elements about the force-application pin to drive the force-application portions toward each other and when in a second direction causes opposite forcible rotations of the end effector elements about the force-application pin to drive the force-applying portions apart. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47)
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48. A method of mounting a pair of cooperating end effector elements to a hand-held surgical instrument which comprises an elongate outer tubular element having a proximal end and a distal end formed to have a first cleft, the first cleft having a first cleft orientation defining a first plane, an elongate inner element having a proximal end and a distal end formed to have a second cleft, and a mechanism for controllably moving the inner element longitudinally within the tubular element, the second cleft having a second cleft orientation defining a second plane, comprising the steps of:
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providing a force-application pin mounted to the inner element so as to bridge the second cleft therein; providing a pair of parallel cantilevered cam pins, each of the cantilevered cam pins having an elongate axis, the pair of cam pins being mounted on opposite sides of a central axis of the tubular element inside the first cleft, wherein the elongate axis of each of the cam pins is oriented in a direction transverse to the first plane and transverse to the second plane; providing a pair of cooperating end effector elements each having a force-receiving portion and a force-applying portion, each force-receiving portion being formed to have a single blind cutout formed to receive therein both the force-application pin and a corresponding cam pin, each force-receiving portion also being formed to pivotally engage with the force-application pin and to simultaneously engage with a respective cam pin so that relative longitudinal motion between the tubular element and the inner element when in a first direction causes forcible rotations of the end effector elements about the force-application pin to drive the force-applying portions toward each other and when in a second direction causes opposite forcible rotations of the end effector elements about the force-application pin to drive the force-applying portions apart. - View Dependent Claims (49)
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Specification