Surgical instrument with a lateral-moving articulation control

• US 6,981,628 B2
• Filed: 07/09/2003
• Issued: 01/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cilag Gmbh International (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Wales, Kenneth S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rada, Rinaldi I.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DURAND, PAUL R
• Application Number:
  US10/615,972
• Publication Number:
  US 20050006430A1
• Time in Patent Office: 909 Days
• Field of Search: 227/19, 227/176.1, 227/180.1, 227/175.1, 606/205, 600/146
• US Class Current: 227/178.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/07207 the staples being applied sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2927 the angular position of the head being adjustable with respect to the shaft
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2943 Toothed members, e.g. rack and pinion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320052 Guides for cutting instruments

Abstract

An articulating surgical instrument suited for endoscopic use includes a lateral articulation control into a handle portion that provides an intuitive visual and tactile indication to the clinician as to the amount and direction of articulation of an end effector at a distal end of a shaft. Lateral movement of a lateral control actuator is converted into a longitudinal motion or a rotational motion transferred by the shaft to an articulation mechanism. A version of a lateral articulation control for a rotationally driven articulation mechanism incorporates an articulation backdrive lockout that prevents forces on the end effector from causing the selected amount of articulation from being changed.

Claims

1. A surgical instrument, comprising:

an end effector;

a shaft having a longitudinal axis and including an articulation motion transfer member operatively configured to transfer an articulation motion;

an articulation mechanism responsive to the articulation motion from the articulation motion transfer member and pivotally coupling the end effector to a distal end of the shaft in a single plane bisected by the longitudinal axis to articulate selectively in a first direction and a second direction; and

an articulation control coupled to a proximal portion of the shaft, comprising;

an actuator laterally and linearly positionable by a user, a lateral motion therefrom aligned to the single plane to correspond to the selected one of the first and second direction of articulation, and

a motion conversion mechanism coupled to the actuator and to the articulation mechanism and operably configured to convert the lateral motion from the articulation control to an articulation motion.

2. The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein the shaft further comprises an articulation drive tube transferring the articulation motion as a rotational motion to the articulation mechanism.

3. The surgical instrument of claim 2, wherein the motion conversion mechanism comprises a gear means for coupling the lateral movement to the rotational motion.

4. A surgical instrument, comprising:

an end effector;

a shaft including an articulation motion transfer member operatively configured to transfer an articulation motion;

an articulation mechanism responsive to the articulation motion and pivotally coupling the end effector to a distal end of the shaft; and

an articulation control coupled to a proximal portion of the shaft, comprising;

an actuator laterally positionable by a user,

a longitudinal control rod coupled to the end effector at an attachment offset from a pivot axis of the articulation mechanism, and

a motion conversion mechanism coupled to the actuator and to the articulation mechanism operably configured to convert a lateral motion from the articulation control to a longitudinal motion.

5. The surgical instrument of claim 4, wherein the motion conversion mechanism comprises a gear means for coupling the lateral movement to the longitudinal motion.

6. The surgical instrument of claim 4, wherein the motion conversion mechanism comprises:

a lateral gear rack coupled to the articulation control;

a gear engaged to the gear rack of the articulation control; and

a longitudinal gear rack coupled to the longitudinal control rod and engaged to the gear.

7. A surgical instrument, comprising:

an end effector;

a shaft including an articulation drive tube having a gear section for transferring an articulation rotational motion;

an articulation mechanism responsive to the articulation rotational motion and pivotally coupling the end effector to a distal end of the shaft; and

an articulation control coupled to a proximal portion of the shaft, comprising;

an actuator laterally positionable by a user, and

a motion conversion mechanism comprising a lateral gear rack coupled to the actuator and to the gear section of the articulation drive tube to convert a lateral motion from the actuator to the articulation rotational motion.

8. The surgical instrument of claim 7, wherein the motion conversion mechanism further comprises a backdrive lockout mechanism coupling the actuator to the lateral gear rack.

9. The surgical instrument of claim 8, wherein the backdrive lockout mechanism comprises:

a frame having a window;

a lockout member laterally locked into position with the window of the frame and coupled to the lateral gear rack; and

a deflection member coupled to the articulation control and positioned to disengage and to laterally position the lockout member.

10. The surgical instrument of claim 8, wherein the backdrive lockout mechanism comprises a means for preventing transferring motion from the articulation drive tube to the articulation mechanism.

11. A surgical instrument, comprising:

a shaft configured to independently transfer an actuating motion, and a rotational motion about a longitudinal axis thereof;

an end effector responsive to the actuating motion;

an articulation mechanism responsive to the rotational motion to articulate the end effector from the longitudinal axis of the shaft;

a handle portion coupled to the shaft operably configured to produce the actuating motion;

a lateral articulation control laterally positionable by a user and operably configured to produce the rotational motion, wherein the lateral articulation control further comprises a backdrive lockout mechanism.

12. A surgical instrument, comprising:

a handle portion operable to produce a firing motion, a closing motion, and an articulation motion;

a shaft coupled to the handle portion operable to separately transfer the firing motion, the closing motion, and the articulation motion;

an elongate channel coupled to the shaft;

an anvil pivotally coupled to the elongate channel, responsive to the closing motion from the shaft;

a firing device including a distally presented cutting edge longitudinally received between the elongate channel and the anvil;

an articulation mechanism pivoting the elongate channel from the shaft in response to the articulation motion; and

a lateral articulation control laterally positionable by a user and operably configured to produce the articulation motion, wherein the lateral articulation control further comprises a backdrive lockout mechanism.

13. A surgical instrument, comprising:

a shaft defining a longitudinal axis of the surgical instrument;

an end effector movable from a first position in alignment with said longitudinal axis to a second position at an angle in a single plane with said longitudinal axis;

a rotatable member operably coupled with said end effector such that rotation of said member moves said end effector from said first to said second position; and

a lateral control member moveable laterally and linearly to said longitudinal axis in corresponding alignment with the single plane formed by the end effector in moving between first and second positions and operably coupled to said rotatable member, wherein lateral movement of said lateral control member moves said end effector from said first to said second position.