Cordless hand-held ultrasonic cautery cutting device

• US 8,372,101 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2011
• Issued: 02/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covidien AG (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Covidien AG (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Smith, Kevin W., Bales, Thomas O. Jr., Palmer, Matthew A., Deville, Derek Dee
• Primary Examiner(s): Hughes, S. Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHI, KATHERINE MENGLIN
• Application Number:
  US13/072,309
• Publication Number:
  US 20110184445A1
• Time in Patent Office: 690 Days
• Field of Search: 606/169, 600/437, 600/461, 600/471, 601/2, 604/22, 433/86, 433/119
• US Class Current: 606/169
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1285 for minimally invasive surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/32 Surgical cutting instruments A61B18/042 takes precedence; suture cutters A61B17/0467; instruments for ligaturing or cutting A61B17/128; instruments for rupturing the amniotic membrane A61B17/4208; specially adapted knives for eye surgery A61F9/0133
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/320068 using mechanical vibrations, e.g. ultrasonic A61B17/22012 takes precedence; dental tooth drilling devices operated by vibration A61C3/03; removing intra-ocular material using mechanical vibrations A61F9/00745
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/320092 with additional movable means for clamping or cutting tissue, e.g. with a pivoting jaw
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00017 Electrical control of surgical instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00075 Motion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00137 Details of operation mode
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0046 with a releasable handle; with handle and operating part separable
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00477 Coupling A61B2017/0046 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00734 battery operated
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320089 node location
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320093 additional movable means performing cutting operation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320094 additional movable means performing clamping operation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320095 with sealing or cauterizing means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320097 with stapling means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320098 with transverse or torsional motion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/0803 Counting the number of times an instrument is used
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/0807 Indication means
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 3/00 Methods or apparatus specially adapted for transmitting mechanical vibrations of infrasonic, sonic, or ultrasonic frequency
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49005 Acoustic transducer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49169 : Assembling electrical component directly to terminal or elongated conductor

Abstract

An ultrasonic surgical assembly includes an ultrasonic waveguide having a proximal end for receiving ultrasonic movement thereat, an ultrasonic-movement-generator assembly having a shell, an ultrasonic-driving-wave-signal generating circuit housed within the shell, and an ultrasonic transducer having a proximal end disposed within the shell and an ultrasonic-movement-producing distal end, and a handle body having a waveguide attachment dock operable to accept the waveguide therein, an assembly dock shaped to removably secure at least a portion of the ultrasonic-movement-generator assembly thereat, the assembly dock operable to selectively removably secure at least the shell thereat and to position the ultrasonic-movement-producing distal end of the ultrasonic transducer co-axially opposite the proximal end of the ultrasonic waveguide when the ultrasonic waveguide is disposed within the waveguide attachment dock.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic surgical assembly, comprising:

an ultrasonic waveguide having a proximal end for receiving ultrasonic movement thereat;

an ultrasonic-movement-generator assembly having;

a shell;

an ultrasonic-driving-wave-signal generating circuit housed within the shell; and

a cordless ultrasonic transducer having a proximal end disposed within the shell and an ultrasonic-movement-producing distal end that when excited by the ultrasonic-driving-wave-signal generating circuit, dynamically produces a resonant wave along the ultrasonic waveguide; and

a handle body having;

a waveguide attachment dock operable to accept the waveguide therein;

an assembly dock shaped to removably secure at least a portion of the ultrasonic-movement-generator assembly thereat, the assembly dock operable;

to selectively removably secure at least the shell thereat; and

to position the ultrasonic-movement-producing distal end of the ultrasonic transducer co-axially opposite the proximal end of the ultrasonic waveguide when the ultrasonic waveguide is disposed within the waveguide attachment dock.

2. The ultrasonic surgical assembly according to claim 1, wherein the ultrasonic transducer is rotatably freely disposed at the shell and is rotatably free with respect to the ultrasonic-driving-wave-signal generating circuit.

3. The ultrasonic surgical assembly according to claim 1, wherein:

the handle body has an electrical coupler; and

when a least a portion of the shell is placed within the assembly dock, the ultrasonic-movement-producing distal end is axially aligned opposite the proximal end of the ultrasonic waveguide substantially simultaneously with an electric coupling of the ultrasonic-driving-wave-signal generating circuit to the electrical coupler of the handle body.

4. The ultrasonic surgical assembly according to claim 1, wherein the shell surrounds substantially all of the ultrasonic transducer except the distal end.

5. The ultrasonic surgical assembly according to claim 1, wherein the handle body further comprises:

an upper handle portion; and

a grip portion defining therein a selectively accessible and aseptically sealable battery-holding compartment shaped to receive at least a portion of a removable battery therein.

6. The ultrasonic surgical assembly according to claim 5, wherein the waveguide attachment dock and the assembly dock are disposed at the upper handle portion.

7. The ultrasonic surgical assembly according to claim 5, wherein the grip portion comprises a battery ejector at the battery-holding compartment operable to cause at least a portion of the battery to eject from the battery-holding compartment.

8. The ultrasonic surgical assembly according to claim 5, wherein the grip portion comprises a compartment door movably attached at the battery-holding compartment and having:

an open position permitting entry and removal of the battery respectively into and out from the battery-holding compartment; and

a closed position aseptically sealing the battery-holding compartment from the environment.

9. The ultrasonic surgical assembly according to claim 5, further comprising a device identifier communicatively coupled to the battery-holding compartment and operable to communicate at least one piece of information about at least one of the ultrasonic waveguide, the ultrasonic-movement-generator assembly, the ultrasonic transducer, the ultrasonic-driving-wave-signal generating circuit, and the handle body.

10. The ultrasonic surgical assembly according to claim 9, wherein the at least one piece of information is at least one of a handle body identifier, a history of previous use, and a waveguide identifier.

11. The ultrasonic surgical assembly according to claim 9, further comprising a removable battery disposed in one of:

the ultrasonic-movement-generator assembly; and

the handle body, the device identifier being operable to communicate with the removable battery.

12. The ultrasonic surgical assembly according to claim 9, further comprising:

a removable battery disposed at one of;

the ultrasonic-movement-generator assembly; and

the handle body;

the removable battery having a power source and a power-source controller;

the at least one piece of information being an identifier selected from at least one of a waveguide type, a handle type, and a transducer type; and

the power-source controller being operable to select one of a set of different battery output powers dependent upon an identification of the identifier.

13. The ultrasonic surgical assembly according to claim 1, wherein the ultrasonic-movement-generator assembly includes a battery-holding compartment shaped to receive a battery therein.

14. The ultrasonic surgical assembly according to claim 1, wherein the assembly dock includes one of a rail, a dovetail, a T-slot, at least one pin, more than one pin, and an undercut slot.

15. The ultrasonic surgical assembly according to claim 1, wherein the waveguide attachment dock is operable to rotatably connect the waveguide in the waveguide attachment dock to the ultrasonic transducer in the assembly dock and to allow the ultrasonic transducer and the waveguide to correspondingly rotate with respect to the handle body.

16. The ultrasonic surgical assembly according to claim 1, wherein the ultrasonic-driving-wave-signal generating circuit comprises at least one of:

a control circuit;

a drive circuit; and

a matching circuit.

17. The ultrasonic surgical assembly according to claim 1, wherein the ultrasonic transducer, when coupled to the assembly dock, rotates free of limit stops.

18. The ultrasonic surgical assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a removable battery disposed at one of:

the ultrasonic-movement-generator assembly; and

the handle body.

19. The ultrasonic surgical assembly according to claim 1, wherein the assembly dock is operable to selectively removably and rotatably couple the ultrasonic transducer to the ultrasonic waveguide.

20. The ultrasonic surgical assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a memory electrically connected to the ultrasonic-driving-wave-signal generating circuit and operable to store a device use history.

21. The ultrasonic surgical assembly according to claim 1, wherein:

the ultrasonic waveguide has one of a set of different waveguide types; and

the ultrasonic-movement-generator assembly;

generates a driving-wave frequency and a driving-wave power; and

is operable to vary at least one of the driving-wave frequency and the driving-wave power based on an identified one of the waveguide types.

22. The ultrasonic surgical assembly according to claim 1, wherein the ultrasonic-movement-generator assembly is one of hermetically sealed and aseptically sealed.

23. The ultrasonic surgical assembly according to claim 1, wherein the resonant wave is a sine wave.

24. An ultrasonic surgical assembly, comprising:

an ultrasonic waveguide having a proximal end for receiving ultrasonic movement thereat;

an ultrasonic-movement-generator assembly having;

a shell;

a selectively removable securing connector at the shell;

an ultrasonic-driving-wave-signal generating circuit housed within the shell; and

a cordless ultrasonic transducer operable to dynamically produce a resonant wave along the ultrasonic waveguide when the ultrasonic waveguide is connected thereto and when the ultrasonic transducer is excited by the ultrasonic-driving-wave-signal generating circuit, the ultrasonic transducer having;

an ultrasonic-movement-producing distal end; and

a proximal end disposed within the shell;

a removable battery; and

a surgical handle having;

a first handle body portion having;

a waveguide attachment dock operable to rotatably secure the ultrasonic waveguide to the ultrasonic transducer when the ultrasonic transducer is connected thereto; and

an assembly dock operable to;

position the ultrasonic-movement-producing distal end of the ultrasonic transducer co-axially opposite the proximal end of the ultrasonic waveguide when the ultrasonic waveguide is disposed within the waveguide attachment dock;

removably secure the securing connector of the ultrasonic-movement-generator assembly to the first handle body portion; and

electrically couple the ultrasonic-driving-wave-signal generating circuit to the removable battery; and

a second handle body portion connected to the first handle body portion and defining therein a battery-holding compartment;

selectively exposed to the environment;

removably holding the removable battery thereat; and

electrically connecting the removable battery disposed thereat to the ultrasonic-driving-wave-signal generating circuit when the selectively removable securing connector of the ultrasonic-movement-generator assembly is connected to the first handle body portion.

25. The ultrasonic surgical assembly according to claim 24, wherein the assembly dock is operable to substantially simultaneously:

axially align the ultrasonic-movement-producing distal end of the ultrasonic transducer opposite the proximal end of the ultrasonic waveguide when the ultrasonic waveguide is disposed within the waveguide attachment dock;

removably secure the securing connector of the ultrasonic-movement-generator assembly to the first handle body portion; and

electrically couple the ultrasonic-driving-wave-signal generating circuit to the removable battery.

26. The ultrasonic surgical assembly according to claim 24, wherein:

the ultrasonic transducer is rotatable with respect to the first handle body portion; and

the waveguide attachment dock is operable to rotatably couple the ultrasonic waveguide in the waveguide attachment dock to the ultrasonic transducer in the assembly dock through the first handle body portion.

27. The ultrasonic surgical assembly according to claim 24, wherein the waveguide attachment dock and the assembly dock are disposed to directly physically couple the ultrasonic waveguide and the ultrasonic transducer and cause a corresponding rotation of the ultrasonic transducer with respect to the first handle body portion when at least one of the ultrasonic waveguide and the ultrasonic transducer rotates.

28. The ultrasonic surgical assembly according to claim 24, wherein the resonant wave is a sine wave.

29. An ultrasonic surgical assembly, comprising:

an ultrasonic-movement-generator assembly having;

a shell;

an ultrasonic-driving-wave-signal generating circuit housed within the shell; and

a cordless ultrasonic transducer having an ultrasonic-movement-producing distal end;

an ultrasonic waveguide having a proximal end, the ultrasonic transducer operable to dynamically produce a resonant wave along the ultrasonic waveguide when the ultrasonic waveguide is connected thereto and when the ultrasonic transducer is excited by the ultrasonic-driving-wave-signal generating circuit; and

a handle body having;

an assembly dock shaped;

to selectively removably couple the shell to the handle body; and

to selectively removably receive the ultrasonic transducer at the handle body; and

a waveguide attachment dock shaped to rotatably couple the ultrasonic waveguide to the ultrasonic transducer when the shell is coupled to the assembly dock, the handle body being shaped to substantially simultaneously electrically couple the ultrasonic-driving-wave-signal generating circuit to the assembly dock and insert the ultrasonic-movement-producing distal end of the ultrasonic transducer into the handle body opposite the proximal end of the ultrasonic waveguide.

30. The ultrasonic surgical assembly according to claim 29, wherein the resonant wave is a sine wave.