Combination bipolar forceps and scissors instrument

• US 6,773,434 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2002
• Issued: 08/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ethicon Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Ethicon Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Ciarrocca, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Cohen, Lee S.
• Application Number:
  US10/219,571
• Publication Number:
  US 20030055424A1
• Time in Patent Office: 726 Days
• Field of Search: 606/51, 606/52, 606/170, 606/174, 606/205, 606/207
• US Class Current: 606/51
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1445 at the distal end of a shaft, e.g. forceps or scissors at the end of a rigid rod
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2945 Curved jaws
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00196 reciprocating lengthwise
• 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 2018/126 bipolar
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1412 Blade
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1432 curved
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1455 having a moving blade for cutting tissue grasped by the jaws

Abstract

A surgical instrument is provided having a shaft with a handpiece at a proximal end and a grasping device at the distal end. The grasping device has a first jaw element and a second jaw element pivotably coupled thereto and selectively pivotable between open and closed positions. The instrument also includes a cutting device having a first cutting element and a second cutting element pivotably coupled to the first cutting element. The cutting device is movable between a retracted position wherein it is positioned within the shaft and an extended position wherein it is disposed at the distal end of the shaft. When in the extended position, the cutting elements are coupled to the respective jaw elements for movement therewith between open and closed positions. Also provided is a method for surgically manipulating tissue using such a device.

Claims

1. A surgical instrument comprising:

a shaft having a proximal end and a distal end;

a handpiece disposed at the proximal end of the shaft;

a grasping device disposed at the distal end of the shaft, and having a first jaw element and a second jaw element pivotally coupled to the first jaw element and selectively pivotable relative to the first jaw element between an open jaw position and a closed jaw position; and

a cutting device having a first cutting element and a second cutting element pivotally coupled to the first cutting element for permitting free unbiased pivoting of the second cutting element relative to the first cutting element, the cutting device being movable between a retracted position wherein it is positioned within the shaft and an extended position wherein it is disposed at the distal end of the shaft, wherein when the cutting device is in the extended position, the second cutting element is retained within the second jaw element to hold the second cutting element in place relative to the second jaw element so that movement of the second jaw element from the open jaw position to the closed jaw position causes a corresponding movement of the second cutting element from an open cutting position to a closed cutting position.

2. The surgical instrument according to claim 1, further comprising:

a grasper activation assembly for selectively moving the grasping device between the open and closed positions; and

a cutting device activation assembly for selectively moving the cutting device between the retracted and extended positions.

3. The surgical instrument according to claim 2, wherein the grasping activation assembly further comprises a grasping activator element associated with the handpiece, and grasping activation coupling elements for coupling the grasping activator element with the grasping device so that selective movement of the grasping device between the open and closed positions can be accomplished by manipulating the grasping activator element, and wherein the cutting activation assembly further comprises a cutting activator element associated with the handpiece, and cutting activator coupling elements for coupling the cutting activation element with the cutting device so that selective movement of the cutting device between the retracted and extended positions can be accomplished by manipulating the cutting activator element.

4. The surgical instrument according to claim 3, wherein the grasping activation coupling elements include an elongate element positioned within the shaft, wherein longitudinal movement of the elongate element along the axis of the shaft causes the second jaw element to pivot relative to the first jaw element between the open and closed positions, and wherein the cutting activation elements include an elongate element positioned within the shaft, wherein longitudinal movement of the elongate element along the axis of the shaft causes the cutting device to move between the retracted and extended positions.

5. The surgical instrument according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said first and second cutting elements further comprises a sharpened leading edge.

6. The surgical instrument according to claim 1, further comprising at least one pair of bipolar electrodes contained within the first and second jaw elements respectively, the arrangement being such that when the grasping device is in the closed position, the electrodes are substantially facing towards one another and substantially offset from one another.

7. The surgical instrument according to claim 6, wherein the at least one set of positive and negative electrodes are laterally offset.

8. The surgical instrument according to claim 7, wherein the electrodes are insulated except where exposed at the surface of the first and second jaw elements.

9. The surgical instrument according to claim 1, further comprising at least one pair of bipolar electrodes contained within the first and second jaw elements respectively, the arrangement being such that when the grasping device is in the closed position, the electrodes are substantially facing towards one another and substantially opposing one another.

10. The surgical instrument according to claim 1, further comprising a cutting device safety element that prevents the cutting device from moving from the retracted position to the extended position unless the grasping device is substantially in the closed position.

11. The surgical instrument according to claim 1, wherein the first and second jaw elements have first and second channels therein respectively, and wherein, when in the extended position, the first and second cutting elements are positioned within the first and second channels respectively.

12. The surgical instrument according to claim 1, further comprising means for impeding rotation of the grasping element when in the closed position.

13. The surgical instrument according to claim 1, wherein the first cutting element is retained within the first jaw element when the first cutting element is in the extended position to hold the first cutting element in place relative to the first jaw element.

14. The surgical instrument according to claim 13, wherein the first and second cutting elements have first and second protrusions respectively that, when the cutting device is in the extended position, are retained within first and second recesses in the first and second jaw elements respectively to hold the first and second cutting elements in place relative to the first and second jaw elements.

15. A surgical instrument comprising:

a shaft having a proximal end and a distal end;

a handpiece disposed at the proximal end of the shaft;

a grasping device disposed at the distal end of the shaft having first and second jaw elements pivotally coupled to one another and pivotable relative to one another between an opened jaw position and a closed jaw position; and

a cutting device having a first cutting element and a second cutting element pivotally coupled to the first cutting element for permitting free unbiased pivoting of the second cutting element relative to the first cutting element, the cutting device being movable between a retracted position wherein it is positioned within the shaft and a extended position wherein it is disposed at the distal end of the shaft, wherein when the cutting device is in the extended position, the second cutting element is retained within the second jaw element to hold the second cutting element in place relative to the second jaw element so that movement of the second jaw element from the opened jaw position to the closed jaw position causes a corresponding movement of the second cutting element from an opened cutting position to a closed cutting position;

wherein at least one of said first and second cutting elements has a sharpened leading edge capable of dissecting tissue when the cutting device is moved from the retracted position to the extended position.

16. The surgical instrument according to claim 15, further comprising at least one pair of bipolar electrodes contained within the first and second jaw elements respectively, the arrangement of the electrodes being such that when the grasping device is in the closed position the electrodes are substantially facing towards one another and substantially offset from one another.

17. The surgical instrument according to claim 15, further comprising at least one pair of bipolar electrodes contained within the first and second jaw elements respectively, the arrangement of the electrodes being such that when the grasping device is in the closed position the electrodes are substantially facing towards one another and substantially opposing one another.

18. The surgical instrument according to claim 15, further comprising:

a grasper activation assembly for selectively moving the grasping device between the opened and closed positions, the grasper activation assembly including a grasper activator element associated with the handpiece, and grasper activation coupling elements coupling the grasper activation element to the grasping device, wherein manipulation of the grasper activation element causes movement of the grasping device between the opened and closed positions; and

a cutting device activation assembly for selectively moving the cutting device between the retracted and extended positions, the cutting device activation assembly including a cutting device activator element associated with the handpiece, and cutting device activation coupling elements coupling the cutting device activator element with the cutting device, wherein manipulation of the cutting device activator element causes movement of the cutting element between the retracted and extended positions.

19. A method for surgically manipulating tissue comprising the steps of:

grasping a portion of tissue using a grasping device positioned at a distal end of a shaft of a surgical instrument;

coagulating the grasped tissue by applying bipolar electrical energy to bipolar electrodes within the grasping device;

deploying a cutting device into the grasping device, the cutting device having a first cutting element and a second cutting element pivotally coupled to the first cutting element for permitting free unbiased pivoting of the second cutting element relative to the first cutting element;

retaining the deployed cutting device within the grasping device to hold the cutting device in place relative to the grasping device;

opening the grasping device so as to correspondingly open the cutting device; and

closing the grasping device around the tissue so as to correspondingly close the cutting device to thereby transect the tissue with the cutting, device.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the cutting device has a sharpened leading edge, and the step of deploying the cutting device includes the step of moving the cutting device from a retracted position to an extended position while the grasping device is grasping the tissue so that the sharpened leading edge transects the tissue.

21. The method according to claim 19, wherein the bipolar electrodes within the grasping device are positioned so as to substantially face one another, and are offset from one another.

22. The method according to claim 19, wherein the bipolar electrodes within the grasping device are positioned so as to substantially face one another, and are substantially opposing one another.