Endoscopic surgical instrument

• US 6,666,854 B1
• Filed: 12/11/2001
• Issued: 12/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: La Precision Co.
• Original Assignee: La Precision Co.
• Inventors: Lange, Grégoire
• Primary Examiner(s): PEFFLEY, MICHAEL F
• Application Number:
  US10/009,606
• Time in Patent Office: 742 Days
• Field of Search: 606/1, 606/51, 606/52, 606/205-211, 606/46, 606/174, 600/562, 600/564
• US Class Current: 606/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0052 Constructional details of control elements, e.g. handles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/2909 Handles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2927 the angular position of the head being adjustable with respect to the shaft
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2929 with a head rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the shaft

Abstract

The present invention relates to an instrument for endoscopic surgical instrument. The invention is characterized by a single control element whose orientation enables the distal part of the instrument to be articulated at any angle, and whose rotation (about its own axis) enables the orientation of this distal part about its lengthwise axis to be controlled. The position of this single control element, in front of the handle, is ergonomic and reflects the simple rotation controls existing in the rigid, straight-line instruments available on the market and habitually used by surgeons. In general, the endoscopic surgical instrument comprises a gripping and control handle, an elongated tubular part, a ball joint, a terminal or distal part, and a tool carried by the end of distal part. In the handle is a controller, for controlling the tool attached to the end of the distal part, and an assembly for controlling the angle and/or orientation of the distal part, or at least of the attached tool, relative to the elongated tubular part, by joint. The assembly that controls the angle and orientation of distal part is located in the front part of handle, and this assembly, through manipulation of a single operating element, enables both the angle of distal part and the orientation of this part, or at least its terminal tool, to be controlled.

Claims

1. An endoscopic surgical instrument, comprising:

a handle extended by an elongated tubular part, itself connected by a multidirectional joint to a terminal or distal part that carries a tool,

a control means being provided in the area of said handle to control articulation of the terminal part through a mechanical wire or cable transmission, having a front end and a back end, passing inside the tubular part, also traversed by a central cable controlling tool, wherein the control means, located in the front part of the handle, comprises a spherical crown having a center and an axis, the spherical crown being orientable in all directions inside a cone relative to its center and being rotatable about its axis and is linked at an angle to a control part controlling the wire or cable transmission, and the proximal ends of the wire or cable transmission are attached to said control part,

a transmission means to transmit the rotation of the spherical crown about its axis to an internal element rotatably mounted about the axis of the elongated tubular part, and rotation of this element is transmitted through said joint to the terminal part in order to orient the terminal part around its own lengthwise axis, and

a locking means for non-permanent locking said joint at any angle.

2. The endoscopic surgical instrument according to claim 1, wherein the spherical crown is connected to the internal element rotatably mounted about the axis of the elongated tubular part by a gimbal mechanism.

3. The endoscopic surgical instrument according to claim 2, wherein:

the output element of the gimbal mechanism is coupled to the central cable controlling tool by means of a gear train able to transmit the movement from the outside of the elongated tubular part to the inside thereof, and

the gear train comprises a first gear rotatably linked to the output element of the gimbal mechanism, a second gear is rotatably linked to a central rod linked to the cable controlling tool, and intermediate pinions engage the two gears.

4. The endoscopic surgical instrument according to claim 2, wherein the output element of the gimbal mechanism is magnetically coupled to the central cable controlling tool and a fixed nonmagnetic impermeable wall is interposed between the output element and the central cable controlling tool.

5. The endoscopic surgical instrument according to claim 2, wherein the output element of the gimbal mechanism is coupled directly to an internal rotating tubular element surrounding the cable controlling tool and forming a rotatable assembly with the cable controlling tool.

6. The endoscopic surgical instrument according to claim 1, wherein the spherical crown is itself the operating element activatable by the user.

7. The endoscopic surgical instrument according to claim 1, wherein the spherical crown is surrounded concentrically with an external operating ring to which it is magnetically coupled, and a fixed nonmagnetic impermeable wall is interposed between the spherical crown and the external operating ring.

8. The endoscopic surgical instrument according to claim 1, wherein the sealing means are flexible sleeves located in the proximal and distal parts of the instrument, and means for limiting the rotation of the distal part about its lengthwise axis are provided.

9. The endoscopic surgical instrument according to claim 8, wherein the means for limiting the rotation of the terminal or distal part about its axis comprises a part mounted to rotate freely in the handle, said part being entrained rotationally by a first finger linked rotationally with the internal element receiving the rotational movement of the spherical crown, said part itself having a second finger that abuts a fixed part.

10. The endoscopic surgical instrument according to claim 1, wherein the joint between the elongated tubular part and the terminal or distal part of the instrument comprises a free intermediate ball joint able to describe an orientation movement with respect to a first female ball joint integral with the front end of the elongated tubular part and also with respect to a second female ball joint integral with the back end of the terminal part of the instrument, both the first and second female ball joints are concentric, and the transmission wires or cables pass by the periphery of the intermediate ball joint and are connected by their front ends to the terminal part of the instrument.

11. The endoscopic surgical instrument according to claim 10, wherein both the first and second female ball joints each have a displacement of approximately ±

30°

with respect to the intermediate ball joint such that the distal part can be oriented over approximately ±

60°

in all directions of space.

12. The endoscopic surgical instrument according to claim 10, wherein the intermediate ball joint has a shaped diametral passage traversed by the central flexible cable controlling tool carried by the instrument in order to guide the flexible cable, which positions the intermediate ball joint.

13. The endoscopic surgical instrument according to claim 10, wherein the transmission wires or cables have their back ends anchored on an internal spherical control element, which has a larger diameter than that of the intermediate ball joint.

14. The endoscopic surgical instrument according to claim 1, wherein the nonpermanent locking means of joint between the elongated tubular part and the distal part of the instrument comprise gripping elements that grip the transmission wires or cables, the elements are located on said elongated tubular part.

15. The endoscopic surgical instrument according to claim 14, wherein the gripping elements that lock said joint comprise a ring with recesses mounted to rotate about the elongated tubular part and simultaneously jams all the wires or cables, themselves positioned in lengthwise recesses of the main body of elongated tubular part.

16. The endoscopic surgical instrument according to claim 14, wherein the gripping elements that lock said joint comprise a jamming ring or sleeve slidably mounted in the axial direction of the elongated tubular part and have a frustroconical part acting on the wires or cables.

17. The endoscopic surgical instrument according to claim 15, wherein the assembly controlling the orientation of the distal part is translationally movable along the axis of the elongated tubular part and controls the jamming and releasing of the transmission wires or cables by means of a cam.

18. The endoscopic surgical instrument according to claim 1, wherein a buttress type locking means located on the handle is provided that acts on an axially movable central rod connected to the control cable of the tool in order to maintain the position of the tool.

19. The endoscopic surgical instrument according to claim 1, characterized in that it has a robot control.

20. The endoscopic surgical instrument according to claim 4, wherein the output element of the gimbal mechanism is magnetically coupled to the central cable controlling tool by permanent magnets.

21. The endoscopic surgical instrument according to claim 7, wherein the spherical crown is surrounded concentrically with an external operating ring to which it is magnetically coupled by permanent magnets.

22. The endoscopic surgical instrument according to claim 13, wherein the diameter of the internal spherical control element is twice that of intermediate ball joint.

23. The endoscopic surgical instrument according to claim 14, wherein the gripping elements are located a short distance from the joint.

24. The endoscopic surgical instrument according to claim 18, wherein the buttress type locking means closes forceps.