Surgical instrument for stapling and cutting blood vessels and organic structures

• US 6,460,749 B1
• Filed: 10/02/2000
• Issued: 10/08/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Scion International, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Scion International, Inc.
• Inventors: Connell, Neal S., Levinson, Melvin E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dawson, Glenn K.
• Application Number:
  US09/677,739
• Time in Patent Office: 736 Days
• Field of Search: 606/205-211, 606/1, 606/110, 606/113, 606/114, 606/127, 606/151, 606/159, 606/119-123, 606/167, 606/170, 606/171, 606/174, 606/180, 606/185, 606/139, 606/142, 606/219, 606/143, 606/157, 227/175--18, 227/901, 227/902
• US Class Current: 227/180.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1285 for minimally invasive surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2933 camming or guiding means

Abstract

A surgical instrument for stapling and cutting a blood vessel or other organic structure utilizes surgical staple clips. The surgical instrument includes an elongated tube or rod having a longitudinally movable rod disposed therein. A handle is mounted on the proximal end of the tube. The handle has a movable member which causes the movable rod to longitudinally shift positions in the tube. In one version, a pair of surgical staple clip-carrying jaw sets are pivotally mounted on a common lateral axis located at the distal end of the elongated tube. A scissor jaw set may also be included in the system. When the rod longitudinally moves with respect to the elongated tube or rod, the clip jaw sets clip the surgical staple clips onto the blood vessel or other organic structure. The handle for the surgical instrument includes a movable member coupled to a movable rod and a stationary grip member mounted to the elongated tube, within which moves the longitudinally movable rod. The movable handle member pivots towards and away from the stationary handle member. The movable member includes a tactile response surface which abuts a response wall on the stationary member. The surgical staple clip includes a clip face adapted to interface with the blood vessel or other organic structure.

Claims

1. A handle in combination with a surgical instrument which staples with surgical clips and cuts a blood vessel or other organic structures, the surgical instrument including an elongated tube having a proximal end and a distal end, said tube having a longitudinally movable rod disposed therein, the handle comprising:

a movable member coupled to said movable rod, said moveable member longitudinally moves said rod with respect to said distal end of said tube upon actuation of said movable member, said movable member pivotally mounted on said elongated tube;

a stationary grip member mounted to said elongated tube, said movable member pivoting towards and away from said stationary member;

said movable member having a tactile response surface which abuts a responsive tactile piece carried by said stationary member, said tactile response surface generating tactile responses when said movable member pivots towards said stationary member due to interference with said responsive tactile piece, said tactile response surface and said responsive tactile piece define a ratchet set, said tactile responses surface defines a plurality of fine tooth ridges and said responsive tactile piece includes a biased member with a complementary fine tooth providing tactile responses upon movement of said movable member relative to said stationary member, said biased member of said responsive tactile piece is biased towards said tactile responses surface and includes as operator control surface to provide a counter force against said biased member, and including a latch to lock said biased member and said responsive tactile piece away from said tactile responses surface.

2. A handle as claimed in claim 1 wherein said latch includes a detent and a complementary nub defined by said biased member and said stationary member.

3. A handle as claimed in claim 1 wherein said tactile response surface has a further undulated surface which rides over a further tactile response wall.

4. A handle as claimed in 3 wherein said further tactile responses wall is generally planar.

5. A handle as claimed in claim 4 wherein said further tactile response surface defines a plurality of ridges which ride over a generally planar further tactile response wall.