Blades with functional balance asymmetries for use with ultrasonic surgical instruments
First Claim
1. An ultrasonic clamp coagulator apparatus comprising:
- a housing;
an outer tube having a proximal end joined to said housing, and a distal end;
an ultrasonic waveguide positioned within said outer tube, said ultrasonic waveguide having a blade extending distally from said distal end of said outer tube; and
said blade having an ultrasonically actuated motion in substantially a single plane of motion and comprises a curved treatment portion defining a plane of asymmetry perpendicular to the plane of motion and a balance portion including at least one balance asymmetry, wherein the balance asymmetry is positioned to counter motion of the blade in a plane orthogonal to the single actuation plane of motion.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed is an ultrasonic surgical instrument that combines end-effector geometry to best affect the multiple functions of a shears-type configuration. The shape of the blade is characterized by a radiused cut offset by some distance to form a curved geometry. The cut creates a curved surface with multiple asymmetries causing multiple imbalances within the blade. Imbalance due to the curve of the instrument is corrected by a non-functional asymmetry proximal to the functional asymmetry. Imbalance due to the asymmetric cross-section of the blade is corrected by the appropriate selection of the volume and location of material removed from a functional asymmetry. The shape of the blade in one embodiment of the present invention is characterized by two radiused cuts offset by some distance to form a curved and potentially tapered geometry. These two cuts create curved surfaces including a concave surface and a convex surface. The length of the radiused cuts affects, in part, the acoustic balancing of the transverse motion induced by the curved shape.
264 Citations
13 Claims
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1. An ultrasonic clamp coagulator apparatus comprising:
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a housing; an outer tube having a proximal end joined to said housing, and a distal end; an ultrasonic waveguide positioned within said outer tube, said ultrasonic waveguide having a blade extending distally from said distal end of said outer tube; and said blade having an ultrasonically actuated motion in substantially a single plane of motion and comprises a curved treatment portion defining a plane of asymmetry perpendicular to the plane of motion and a balance portion including at least one balance asymmetry, wherein the balance asymmetry is positioned to counter motion of the blade in a plane orthogonal to the single actuation plane of motion. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An ultrasonic clamp coagulator apparatus comprising:
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a housing; an outer tube having a proximal end joined to said housing, and a distal end; an ultrasonic waveguide positioned within said outer tube, said ultrasonic waveguide having a blade extending distally from said distal end of said outer tube, the blade comprising an ultrasonically actuated motion in substantially a single plane of motion and a curved treatment portion defining a plane of asymmetry; and a clamp member having an open position in which at least a portion of the clamp member is spaced from the blade and a closed position in which the clamp member is adjacent to the blade and that the motion from the closed position to the open position occurs in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of asymmetry.
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12. An ultrasonic clamp coagulator apparatus comprising:
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a housing; an outer tube having a proximal end joined to said housing, and a distal end; an ultrasonic waveguide positioned within said outer tube, said ultrasonic waveguide having a blade extending distally from said distal end of said outer tube, the blade comprising an ultrasonically actuated motion in substantially a single plane of motion and a curved treatment portion defining a plane of asymmetry; and a clamp member having an open position in which at least a portion of the clamp member is spaced from the blade and a closed position in which the clamp member is adjacent to the blade and that the motion from the closed position to the open position occurs in a plane substantially perpendicular to the plane of asymmetry.
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13. An ultrasonic clamp coagulator apparatus comprising:
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a housing; an outer tube having a proximal end joined to said housing, and a distal end; an ultrasonic waveguide positioned within said outer tube, said ultrasonic waveguide having a blade extending distally from said distal end of said outer tube; and said blade having an ultrasonically actuated motion in substantially a single plane of motion and comprises a curved treatment portion defining a plane of asymmetry parallel to the plane of motion and a balance portion including at least one balance asymmetry, wherein the balance asymmetry is positioned to counter motion of the blade in a plane orthogonal to the plane of motion.
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Specification