Bipolar cauterizing instrument

• US 6,840,938 B1
• Filed: 12/21/2001
• Issued: 01/11/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Incorporated (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Inventors: Maurer, Christopher W., Wallace, Daniel T., Morley, Tracey A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gibson, Roy D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ROANE, AARON F
• Application Number:
  US10/032,317
• Time in Patent Office: 1,117 Days
• Field of Search: 606 50- 52, 606205-211, 901/15, 901/28, 901/29, 901/30
• 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 2017/003 Steerable
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00477 Coupling A61B2017/0046 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00208 actively driven, e.g. by a motor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1495 Electrodes being detachable from a support structure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/305 Details of wrist mechanisms at distal ends of robotic arms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/506 using a parallelogram linkage, e.g. panthograph
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/30 Surgical robots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/71 Manipulators operated by drive cable mechanisms

Abstract

A bipolar surgical instrument that includes opposing grips that can engage the tissue. A current is delivered from an electrosurgical power source to electrodes disposed on the grips to cauterize the tissue. The electrode configurations provide efficient cauterization of the tissue. In some embodiments, the positive and negative electrodes will be offset from each other to prevent shorting and to provide a thin line of coagulation heating to the gripped tissue. In some embodiments the electrodes are removably coupled to the grips through nonconductive sleeves. In some embodiments, the first electrode is disposed in a groove and the second electrode is disposed on a boss.

Claims

1. An electrosurgical instrument for use with a robotic arm, the instrument comprising:

a body comprising an interface for coupling to the robotic arm;

a wrist body that is rotatably coupled to the body about a first axis;

a pair of opposed end effectors rotatably coupled to the wrist about a second axis, wherein the pair of end effectors being movable between an open position and a closed position;

a first electrode coupled to one of the end effectors; and

a second electrode coupled to one of the end effectors, wherein the first and second electrodes are in a spaced configuration when the end effectors are in the closed position.

2. The electrosurgical instrument of claim 1 further comprising an actuating device to move the pair of end effectors between the open and closed position.

3. The electrosurgical instrument of claim 2 wherein the actuating device comprises drive member(s) and pulley(s).

4. The electrosurgical instrument of claim 3 further comprising a robotic interface attached to the body for interfacing with a robotic manipulator assembly.

5. The electrosurgical instrument of claim 1 comprising first and second conductive leads that are coupleable to the first and second electrodes to a power source.

6. The electrosurgical instrument of claim 5, wherein the conductive leads extend through lumens in the body and wrist.

7. The electrosurgical instrument of claim 5 wherein first and second conductive leads electrically connect the electrosurgical power source to the electrodes, wherein at least one of the conductive leads is removably attachable to the corresponding electrode.

8. The electrosurgical instrument of claim 1 wherein the pair of end effectors comprise a corresponding pair of jaws including a corresponding pair of opposed, conductive grip surfaces, the jaws being arranged so that the respective grip surfaces are adjacent one another when the end effector is in the closed position.

9. The electrosurgical instrument of claim 8, wherein the jaws comprise a conductive material, and each jaw is coupled to the instrument by mounting to a corresponding non-conductive pulley member.

10. The electrocurgical-instrument of claim 9, wherein the jaws are replacably removably mounted from the end effectors mounted to the pulley members.

11. The electrosurgical instrument of claim 1 wherein the electrodes are substantially planar.

12. The electrosurgical instrument of claim 1 wherein the second axis is substantially orthogonal to the first axis.

13. The electrosurgical instrument of claim 1 wherein the body defines a longitudinal axis that is substantially orthogonal to the first axis, wherein the wrist and end effectors are rotatable about the longitudinal axis.

14. The electrosurgical instrument of claim 1 wherein the pair of end effectors are composed of a non-conductive material.

15. The electrosurgical instrument of claim 1 wherein the first and second electrodes are elongate.

16. The electrosurgical instrument of claim 1 wherein the electrodes in the closed position are spaced by a distance between approximately 0.01 inches and 0.10 inches.

17. The electrosurgical instrument of claim 1 wherein the first electrode is positioned within a groove and the second electrode is positioned on a boss.

18. The electrosurgical instrument of claim 1 wherein the first and second electrode are both disposed on the first end effector.

19. The electrosurgical instrument of claim 1 wherein the first and second electrodes are disposed on opposing end effectors.

20. The electrosurgical instrument of claim 1 wherein the first and second end effectors do not penetrate the tissue.

21. The electrosurgical instrument of claim 1 further comprising at least one nonconductive sleeve disposed over at least one of the end effectors, wherein at least one of the first and second electrodes are coupled to the end effectors through the nonconductive sleeves.

22. The electosurgical instrument of claim 21, wherein the sleeves are and electrodes are replacably removable from the end effectors.

23. An electrosurgical tool for use with a robotic surgery system, the tool comprising:

a body comprising a proximal portion and a distal portion, wherein the proximal portion comprises an interface for coupling to a robotic manipulator assembly;

a first and second opposing grips rotatably coupled to the distal portion of the body;

nonconductive sleeves disposed over the opposing grips;

a first and second electrode disposed on the nonconductive sleeves;

conductive leads that connect the first and second electrodes to an electrosurgical power source; and

an actuation mechanism coupled to the first and second grips to move the first and second grips between an open position and a closed position.

24. The electrosurgical tool of claim 23 wherein the grips are coupled to the body through a rotatable wrist.

25. The electrosurgical tool of claim 23 wherein the grips in the closed configuration positions the first and second electrode in a spaced configuration.

26. The electrosurgical tool of claim 25 the spaced configuration of the first and second electrode provides cauterization and cutting of a tissue engaged by the first and second grips.

27. The electrosurgical tool of claim 23 wherein the conductors are at least partially disposed outside of the body.

28. The electrosurgical tool of claim 23 wherein the electrodes are offset when the grips are in the closed position.

29. The electrosurgical tool of claim 23 wherein the actuation mechanism comprises a pulley assembly and at least one drive cable.

30. A electrosurgical cauterizer for manipulation by a robotic surgical system, the cauterizer comprising:

a body comprising an interface for coupling to a robotic surgical system;

a clevis rotatably coupled to the body about a first axis;

a first and second end effector coupled to the clevis about a second axis, wherein the first and second end effectors comprise;

a conductive grip body comprising a proximal portion and a distal portion, wherein the distal portion comprises grip for gripping a target tissue; and

nonconductive pulley disposed around the proximal portion of the grip body for insulating the first end effector from the second end effector;

a first conductive lead coupled to the first end effector and a second conductive lead coupled to the second end effector, wherein the first and second leads are attachable to a power source for delivering energy to the distal portions of the first and second end effectors.