Heart stabilizer

• US 7,217,240 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2004
• Issued: 05/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/1999
• 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: Snow, Edward Ramsey
• Primary Examiner(s): Lacyk; John P.
• Application Number:
  US10/892,386
• Publication Number:
  US 20050043717A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,035 Days
• Field of Search: 600/37, 600/201, 600/210, 600/215, 600/222, 600/227, 600/228, 600/235, 128897-898
• US Class Current: 600/37
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/02 for holding wounds open; Tractors specula A61B1/32 ; drainage appliances for wounds A61M27/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0243 for immobilizing local areas of the heart, e.g. while it beats
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/306 holding by means of suction

Abstract

A heart stabilizer that may include a wrist which couples an end effector to a first linkage. The end effector and wrist may be inserted through an incision in the chest of a patient to assist in performing a minimally invasive coronary procedure. The wrist provides dexterity so that the end effector can be placed on the heart to stabilize the same. The end effector may include a pair of paddles that are moved between open and closed positions by a pair of manually actuated levers. The paddles may have cleats that allow sutures to be attached to the stabilizer during a minimally invasive procedure.

Claims

1. A surgical instrument, comprising:

a linkage;

a first shaft extending through the linkage;

a second shaft extending through the linkage; and

an end effector;

wherein the end effector comprises a first paddle and a second paddle, the first and second paddles being substantially parallel;

wherein the end effector is coupled to the linkage via a first universal joint;

wherein the first paddle is coupled to the first shaft via a second universal joint;

wherein the second paddle is coupled to the second shaft via a third universal joint;

wherein translation of the first shaft, translation of the second shaft, or translation of both the first and the second shaft moves the end effector;

wherein rotation of the first shaft moves the first paddle; and

wherein rotation of the second shaft moves the second paddle.

2. The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein the end effector comprises a heart stabilizer.

3. The surgical instrument of claim 1 further comprising an opening in at least one of the paddles, the opening being configured to provide suction.

4. The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein the end effector comprises a retractor.

5. The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein the rotation of the first shaft is motor driven.

6. The surgical instrument of claim 5, wherein the motor is voice activated.

7. The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein the rotation of the first shaft is manually actuated.

8. The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein the rotation of the first shaft turns a pinion gear engaged with a rack.

9. The surgical instrument of claim 1 further comprising a locking pin that locks a position of the end effector.