Surgical instrument
DCFirst Claim
1. A medical instrument comprising:
- a proximal control handle;
a distal work member;
a proximal movable member controlled from said proximal control handle;
a distal movable member controlled from said proximal movable member to provide controlled movement of said distal work member via said proximal and distal movable members;
an instrument shaft that intercouples said proximal and distal movable members;
and actuation means coupled between said movable members;
a ball and socket assembly that includes a ball member pivotally retained by a socket defined in said proximal control handle and constructed and arranged for three dimensional motion relative to the socket;
said proximal movable member controlled by the ball member for three dimensional motion therewith;
said movable members both comprising bendable members and further including a rotation knob coupled to at least one of the proximal bendable member and the instrument shaft;
said rotation knob controlling the rotation of the proximal bendable member and, in turn, the instrument shaft, distal bendable member and distal work member;
wherein the internal cavity of the ball member comprises a conical cavity that provides a conical space in which the proximal bendable member is pivotable to enable the three dimensional motion.
5 Assignments
Litigations
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The surgical instrument includes a distal tool, an elongated shaft that supports the distal tool, and a proximal handle or control member, where the tool and the handle are coupled to the respective distal and proximal ends of the elongated shaft via distal and proximal bendable motion members. Actuation means extends between said distal and proximal members whereby any deflection of said control handle with respect to said elongated instrument shaft causes a corresponding bending of said distal motion member for control of said working member. The proximal bendable member comprises a ball and socket assembly supported between the handle and instrument shaft and constructed and arranged for three dimensional motion.
1588 Citations
88 Claims
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1. A medical instrument comprising:
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a proximal control handle; a distal work member; a proximal movable member controlled from said proximal control handle; a distal movable member controlled from said proximal movable member to provide controlled movement of said distal work member via said proximal and distal movable members; an instrument shaft that intercouples said proximal and distal movable members; and actuation means coupled between said movable members; a ball and socket assembly that includes a ball member pivotally retained by a socket defined in said proximal control handle and constructed and arranged for three dimensional motion relative to the socket; said proximal movable member controlled by the ball member for three dimensional motion therewith; said movable members both comprising bendable members and further including a rotation knob coupled to at least one of the proximal bendable member and the instrument shaft; said rotation knob controlling the rotation of the proximal bendable member and, in turn, the instrument shaft, distal bendable member and distal work member; wherein the internal cavity of the ball member comprises a conical cavity that provides a conical space in which the proximal bendable member is pivotable to enable the three dimensional motion. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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- 16. A medical instrument having a proximal control handle and a distal tool that are intercoupled by an elongated instrument shaft that is meant to pass internally of an anatomic body, proximal and distal bendable members that respectively intercouple said proximal control handle and said distal tool with said instrument shaft, cable actuation means extending through the proximal and distal bendable members for coupling motion of the proximal bendable member to the distal bendable member, and a pivot ball, said control handle comprising a base and a top section that defines an at least partially spherical socket that supports the pivot ball for three dimensional pivoting therein, said proximal bendable member constructed and arranged for mounting in the pivot ball, said pivot ball being supported relative to the socket for three dimensional pivoting in the socket.
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23. In a medical instrument having a proximal control handle and a distal tool that are intercoupled by an elongated instrument shaft that is meant to pass internally of an anatomic body, proximal and distal bendable members that respectively intercouple said proximal control handle and said distal tool with said instrument shaft, and cable actuation means extending through the proximal and distal bendable members for coupling motion of the proximal bendable member to the distal bendable member, a method of controlling the tool from the handle by means of a control element comprising;
- pivoting the control element in three dimensions to control the positioning of the tool in three dimensions, rotating the control element to control the rotational orientation of the tool by rotating the instrument shaft and mounting the proximal bendable member at least partially in a ball that is supported for three dimensional pivoting by means of the control element in a socket in the control handle.
- View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. In a medical instrument having a proximal control handle and a distal tool that are intercoupled by an elongated instrument shaft that is meant to pass internally of an anatomic body, proximal and distal bendable members that respectively intercouple said proximal control handle and said distal tool with said instrument shaft, and cable actuation means extending through the proximal and distal bendable members for coupling motion of the proximal bendable member to the distal bendable member, a method of controlling the tool from the handle by means of a control element comprising;
- pivoting the control element in three dimensions to control the positioning of the tool in three dimensions, rotating the control element to control the rotational orientation of the tool by rotating the instrument shaft, constructing the control element as a single control knob, wherein the step of pivoting the control element in three dimensions includes pivoting a proximal end of the proximal bendable member in three dimensions, mounting the proximal end of the proximal bendable member in a rotation ball that is supported for three dimensional pivoting in a socket in the control handle and rotatably supporting the proximal bendable member in the ball.
- View Dependent Claims (35)
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36. A surgical instrument comprising:
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an elongated instrument shaft having proximal and distal ends; a tool disposed from the distal end of the instrument shaft; a control handle disposed at the proximal end of the instrument shaft; a distal bendable member for coupling the distal end of the elongated instrument shaft to the tool and including proximal and distal ends; a proximal bendable member for coupling the proximal end of the elongated instrument shaft with the handle and including proximal and distal ends; and actuation means extending between said distal and proximal bendable members so that any bending of the proximal bendable member causes a corresponding bending of the distal bendable member for controlling the positioning of the tool; said control handle including first means for rotatably supporting the instrument shaft relative to the control handle and second means for pivotally supporting the proximal end of the proximal bendable member relative to the control handle and in three dimensions; said second means comprising a ball member mounted in an at least partially spherical socket defined in the control handle; said ball member defining a conical cavity that provides a conical space in which the proximal bendable member is pivotable to enable the three dimensional motion. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52)
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53. A surgical instrument comprising:
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a control handle; an instrument shaft that extends from the control handle; a tool disposed from the distal end of the instrument shaft and controlled from the handle as to actuation and positioning thereof; said control handle having a first section for supporting an actuation element for controlling the actuation of the tool, and a second section for supporting a positioning element for controlling the positioning of the tool; a distal bendable member for coupling the distal end of the instrument shaft to the tool; a proximal bendable member for coupling the proximal end of the instrument shaft to the control handle; cable actuation means extending through the proximal and distal bendable members for coupling motion of the proximal bendable member to the distal bendable members; said actuation element including actuation means extending at least between the distal and proximal bendable members for controlling the actuation of the tool; said positioning element including a manually manipulated control element that is both pivotal in three dimensions to control the positioning of the tool in three dimensions and rotatable to control the rotational orientation of the tool by rotating the instrument shaft; and means for mounting a proximal end of the proximal bendable member in a rotation ball that is supported for three dimensional pivoting in a socket in the control handle. - View Dependent Claims (54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 65, 66, 67, 68)
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61. A surgical instrument comprising:
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a control handle; an instrument shaft that extends from the control handle; a tool disposed from the distal end of the instrument shaft and controlled from the handle as to actuation and positioning thereof; a distal bendable member for coupling the distal end of the instrument shaft to the tool; a proximal bendable member for coupling the proximal end of the instrument shaft to the control handle; cable actuation means extending between the distal and proximal bendable members for coupling motion of the proximal bendable member to the distal bendable member for controlling the positioning of the tool; and a pivot element mounted by the handle; a proximal end of the proximal bendable member being mounted to the pivot element for movement therewith; wherein the pivot element comprises a ball member arranged in an at least partial spherical shaped socket in the handle and capable of three dimensional pivoting therein; and wherein the socket defines a conical cavity in which the proximal bendable member is pivotable to enable the three dimensional motion. - View Dependent Claims (62, 63, 64, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78)
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79. In a medical instrument having a proximal control handle and a distal tool that are intercoupled by an elongated instrument shaft that is meant to pass internally of an anatomic body, proximal and distal movable members that respectively intercouple said proximal control handle and said distal tool with said instrument shaft, and cable actuation means extending through the proximal and distal bendable members for coupling motion of the proximal bendable member to the distal bendable member, a method of controlling the position of the tool from the handle comprising;
- rotating a first control member to control the rotational position of the tool, actuating a second control member for locking the position of the tool at a fixed position, constructing the movable members as bendable members, supporting the proximal bendable member in a support member that is disposed within the handle and supporting the second control member between the support member and handle so as to selectively lock the position of the tool.
- View Dependent Claims (80, 81, 82, 83)
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84. In a medical instrument having a proximal control handle and a distal tool that are intercoupled by an elongated instrument shaft that is meant to pass internally of an anatomic body, proximal and distal movable members that respectively intercouple said proximal control handle and said distal tool with said instrument shaft, and cable actuation means extending through the proximal and distal bendable members for coupling motion of the proximal bendable member to the distal bendable member, a method of controlling the position of the tool from the handle comprising;
- rotating a first control member to control the rotational position of the tool, actuating a second control member for locking the position of the tool at a fixed position, providing a ball and socket and controlling the position of the ball so as to pivot the ball relative to the socket, constructing the movable members as bendable members, constructing the first control member as a single control knob and mounting a proximal end of the proximal bendable member in the ball that is supported for three dimensional pivoting in the socket.
- View Dependent Claims (85)
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86. A surgical instrument comprising:
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a control handle; an instrument shaft that extends from the control handle; a tool disposed from the distal end of the instrument shaft and controlled from the handle as to actuation and positioning thereof; said control handle having a first section for supporting a first actuation element for controlling the actuation of the tool, and a second section for supporting a second actuation element for controlling the positioning of the tool between locked and unlocked positions; a distal bendable member for coupling the distal end of the instrument shaft to the tool; a proximal bendable member for coupling the proximal end of the instrument shaft to the control handle; cable actuation means extending between the distal and proximal bendable members for coupling motion of the proximal bendable member to the distal bendable member for controlling the positioning of the tool; a ball and socket structure supported by the control handle responsive to the second actuation element for locking the relative position between the ball and socket; and means for mounting the proximal end of the proximal bendable member in the ball. - View Dependent Claims (87, 88)
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Specification