Medical instrument
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A hydraulically actuated medical instrument, comprising:
- an elongated shaft including a proximal end and a distal end;
an end effector at the distal end of the elongated shaft; and
a handle portion at the proximal end of the elongated shaft;
a fluid flow path extending between the handle portion and the end effector through the elongated shaft;
the end effector including an extensible balloon communicating with the fluid flow path and operable upon pressurization through the fluid flow path to cause an effector action; and
a biasing member being associated with the fluid flow path to move the balloon to a retracted position upon a reduction in pressurization in the fluid flow path.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A hydraulically actuated medical instrument includes an elongated shaft having proximal and distal ends, a hydraulically actuated end effector at the distal end of the shaft and a fluid flow path extending through the shaft to the end effector. The end effector may be directly manually operated by way of a handle located at the proximal end of the shaft or remotely, for example, via robotic controller. Articulation joints may be provided along the shaft, between the shaft and end effector or handle, or elsewhere. The hydraulic actuation of the present invention permits multiple axis instrument articulation, miniaturization and simplified instrument fabrication.
-
Citations
32 Claims
-
1. A hydraulically actuated medical instrument, comprising:
-
an elongated shaft including a proximal end and a distal end; an end effector at the distal end of the elongated shaft; and a handle portion at the proximal end of the elongated shaft; a fluid flow path extending between the handle portion and the end effector through the elongated shaft; the end effector including an extensible balloon communicating with the fluid flow path and operable upon pressurization through the fluid flow path to cause an effector action; and a biasing member being associated with the fluid flow path to move the balloon to a retracted position upon a reduction in pressurization in the fluid flow path. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
-
-
14. A hydraulically actuated medical instrument, comprising:
-
a handle portion; an end effector carried by the handle portion; the end effector including first and second hydraulic actuators, responsive to changes in hydraulic actuation pressure; a first hydraulic fluid flow path and a second hydraulic fluid flow path communicating between the handle portion and the first and second hydraulic actuators, respectively; and
,the handle portion including a hydraulic cylinder block including first and second cylinders communicating, respectively, with the first and second flow paths, and first and second pistons slidably movable with respect to the first and second cylinders, respectively; first and second members movably mounted and engageable, respectively, with the first and second pistons for moving the pistons relative to the cylinders from a first position to a second position to change the pressure of hydraulic fluid in the flow paths, at least one said first and second members being movable between a deployed position and an undeployed position; first and second biasing members being movable, respectively, with the first and second pistons for returning the first and second pistons to the first position; and a latch for retaining said at least one of said first and second members in said undeployed position, said latch being operable to allow release of said at least one of said first and second members to said deployed position. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
-
Specification