Vessel sealer and divider for use with small trocars and cannulas

• US 8,647,341 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2006
• Issued: 02/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covidien AG (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Covidien AG (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Dycus, Sean T., Kerr, Duane E., Peterson, Darion
• Primary Examiner(s): Dvorak, Linda
• Assistant Examiner(s): DELLA, JAYMI E
• Application Number:
  US11/588,482
• Publication Number:
  US 20070043353A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,664 Days
• Field of Search: 606/48, 606 50- 52, 606/208
• US Class Current: 606/51
• 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 18/00 Surgical instruments, devices or methods for transferring non-mechanical forms of energy to or from the body eye surgery A61F9/007; ear surgery A61F11/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/085 Forceps, scissors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1445 at the distal end of a shaft, e.g. forceps or scissors at the end of a rigid rod
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1482 having a long rigid shaft for accessing the inner body transcutaneously in minimal invasive surgery, e.g. laparoscopy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2902 characterized by features of the actuating rod
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/294 Connection of actuating rod to jaw, e.g. releasable
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00196 reciprocating lengthwise
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00202 rotating
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00404 Blood vessels other than those in or around the heart
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00601 Cutting
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/0063 Sealing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00916 with means for switching or controlling the main function of the instrument or device
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1412 Blade
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1452 including means for cutting A61B2018/146 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1455 having a moving blade for cutting tissue grasped by the jaws
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1861 with an instrument inserted into a body lumen or cavity, e.g. a catheter
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/034 abutting on parts of the device itself

Abstract

An endoscopic bipolar forceps includes a housing and a shaft affixed to the housing. The shaft includes a longitudinal axis defined therethrough and a pair of jaw members attached to a distal end thereof. The forceps also includes a drive assembly for moving one of the jaw members relative to the other jaw member from a first position wherein the movable jaw members are disposed in spaced relation relative to each other to a second position wherein the jaw members are closer one another for manipulating tissue. A movable handle is included which is rotatable about a pivot to force a drive flange of the movable handle into mechanical cooperation with the drive assembly to move the jaw members from the open and closed positions. The pivot is located a fixed distance from the longitudinal axis and the drive flange is located generally along the longitudinal axis. The forceps is connected to a source of electrosurgical energy connected to each jaw member such that the jaw members are capable of conducting bipolar energy through tissue held therebetween to effect a tissue seal.

Claims

1. An endoscopic bipolar forceps, comprising:

a housing;

a shaft affixed to the housing having a movable jaw member and a fixed jaw member at a distal end thereof, the shaft defining a longitudinal axis therethrough, the movable jaw member movable about a hinge axis transverse to the longitudinal axis of the shaft and including a pivot flange having a central protrusion that extends from a center of the pivot flange orthogonally to the hinge axis;

a drive assembly configured to move the movable jaw member relative to the fixed jaw member from a first position wherein the movable jaw member is disposed in spaced relation relative to the fixed jaw member to a second position wherein the movable jaw member is closer to the fixed jaw member for manipulating tissue, the drive assembly being actuatable by proximal movement of a movable handle to rotate a drive flange proximally about a drive pivot which proximally biases a proximal portion of the drive assembly, which as a result moves a tubular reciprocating sleeve proximally along the longitudinal axis, wherein the proximal portion of the drive assembly is disposed proximally of the drive flange, the tubular reciprocating sleeve including an aperture defined therein at a distal end thereof that receives the central protrusion of the pivot flange of the movable jaw member to impart a predetermined closure force to the movable jaw member, the drive pivot being located a fixed distance above the longitudinal axis in a direction substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the shaft, and a gripping portion of the movable handle being located a fixed distance below the longitudinal axis in a direction substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the shaft;

each of the movable and fixed jaw members adapted to connect to a source of electrosurgical energy such that the movable and fixed jaw members are capable of conducting energy through the tissue held therebetween to effect a tissue seal; and

a selectively advanceable knife assembly that cuts the tissue in a forward direction along the tissue seal.

2. An endoscopic forceps according to claim 1, wherein the movable handle includes a lockout flange dimensioned to impede selective advancement of the knife assembly when the movable handle is disposed in a first position and wherein the lockout flange of the movable handle is repositioned to permit selective advancement of the knife assembly when the movable handle rotates to a second position.

3. An endoscopic bipolar forceps according to claim 1, further comprising a rotating assembly operable to rotate the movable and fixed jaw members about the longitudinal axis defined through the shaft.

4. An endoscopic bipolar forceps according to claim 1, further comprising a hand switch disposed within the housing and in electromechanical cooperation with the source of electrosurgical energy, the hand switch operable to allow a user to selectively supply bipolar energy to the movable and fixed jaw members to effect the tissue seal.

5. An endoscopic bipolar forceps according to claim 4, wherein the hand switch is disposed proximal to the movable handle.

6. An endoscopic bipolar forceps according to claim 1, wherein the movable jaw member includes a first electrical potential and the fixed jaw member includes a second electrical potential, wherein the second electrical potential is conducted to the fixed jaw member by a conductive tube disposed through the shaft.

7. An endoscopic bipolar forceps according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the movable and fixed jaw members includes at least one stop member disposed thereon configured to regulate a distance between the movable and fixed jaw members during sealing.

8. An endoscopic bipolar forceps according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined closure force is in the range of about 3 kg/cm2 to about 16 kg/cm2.

9. An endoscopic bipolar forceps, comprising:

a housing;

a shaft affixed to the housing having a movable jaw member and a fixed jaw member at a distal end thereof, each of the movable and fixed jaw members adapted to connect to an energy source such that each of the movable and fixed jaw members are capable of conducting energy through tissue held therebetween to effect a tissue seal, the shaft defining a longitudinal axis therethrough, the movable jaw member movable about a hinge axis transverse to the longitudinal axis of the shaft and including a pivot flange having a central protrusion that extends from a center of the pivot flange orthogonally to the hinge axis;

a drive assembly configured to move the movable jaw member relative to the fixed jaw member from a first position wherein the movable jaw member is disposed in spaced relation relative to the fixed jaw member to a second position wherein the movable jaw member is closer to the fixed jaw member for manipulating the tissue, the drive assembly being actuatable by proximal movement of a movable handle to rotate a drive flange proximally about a first drive pivot which proximally biases a proximal portion of the drive assembly, which as a result moves a tubular reciprocating sleeve proximally along the longitudinal axis, the tubular reciprocating sleeve including an aperture defined therein at a distal end thereof that receives the central protrusion of the pivot flange of the movable jaw member to impart a closure force to the movable jaw member, wherein the proximal portion of the drive assembly is disposed proximally of the drive flange; and

a selectively advanceable knife assembly that cuts the tissue in a forward direction along the tissue seal, the knife assembly mechanically cooperating with a trigger assembly having a finger actuator that rotates a drive bar about a second drive pivot to force a drive ring of the knife assembly distally to advance a knife blade through tissue disposed between the jaw members;

wherein the first drive pivot is located a fixed distance above the longitudinal axis in a direction substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the shaft, and a gripping portion of the movable handle being located a fixed distance below the longitudinal axis in a direction substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the shaft.

10. An endoscopic bipolar forceps according to claim 9, wherein the reciprocating sleeve includes the aperture defined therein at a distal end thereof that mechanically cooperates with the central protrusion of the pivot flange of the movable jaw member to impart a predetermined closure force to the movable jaw member.

11. An endoscopic bipolar forceps according to claim 9, wherein the knife assembly includes a spring that biases the finger actuator and the knife blade in a proximal-most, pre-firing position.

12. An endoscopic bipolar forceps according to claim 9, further comprising a hand switch disposed within the housing and in electromechanical cooperation with the source of electrosurgical energy, the hand switch operable to allow a user to selectively supply bipolar energy to the movable and fixed jaw members to effect the tissue seal.

13. An endoscopic bipolar forceps according to claim 12 wherein the hand switch is decommissioned when the trigger assembly is actuated to eliminate unintentionally activating the endoscopic bipolar forceps during the cutting process.

14. An endoscopic bipolar forceps according to claim 9, wherein the movable jaw member includes a first electrical potential and the fixed jaw member includes a second electrical potential, wherein the second electrical potential is conducted to the fixed jaw member by a conductive tube disposed through the shaft.

15. An endoscopic bipolar forceps according to claim 9, wherein at least one of the movable and fixed jaw members includes at least one stop member disposed thereon configured to regulate a distance between the movable and fixed jaw members during sealing.

16. An endoscopic bipolar forceps according to claim 10, wherein the predetermined closure force is in the range of about 3 kg/cm2 to about 16 kg/cm2.

17. An endoscopic bipolar forceps, comprising:

a housing;

a shaft affixed to the housing having a movable jaw member and a fixed jaw member at a distal end thereof, each of the movable and fixed jaw members adapted to connect to an energy source such that the movable and fixed jaw members are capable of conducting energy through tissue held therebetween to effect a tissue seal, the shaft defining a longitudinal axis therethrough, the movable jaw member movable about a hinge axis transverse to the longitudinal axis of the shaft and including a pivot flange having a central protrusion that extends from a center of the pivot flange and orthogonally to the hinge axis;

a drive assembly configured to move the movable jaw member relative to the fixed jaw member from a first position wherein the movable jaw member is disposed in spaced relation relative to the fixed jaw member to a second position wherein the movable jaw member is closer to the fixed jaw member for manipulating the tissue, the drive assembly being actuatable by movement of a movable handle to rotate a drive flange proximally about a first drive pivot which biases a proximal portion of the drive assembly, which as a result moves a tubular reciprocating sleeve along the longitudinal axis, the tubular reciprocating sleeve including an aperture defined therein at the distal end thereof that receives the central protrusion of the pivot flange of the movable jaw member to impart a closure force to the movable jaw member, wherein the proximal portion of the drive assembly is disposed proximally of the drive flange; and

a selectively advanceable knife assembly that cuts the tissue in a forward direction along the tissue seal, the knife assembly mechanically cooperating with a trigger assembly having a finger actuator that rotates a drive bar about a second drive pivot to force a drive ring of the knife assembly distally to advance a knife blade through the tissue disposed between the movable and fixed jaw members;

wherein the first drive pivot is located a fixed distance relative to the longitudinal axis in a direction substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the shaft and in a direction opposite to the movable handle to position the drive flange generally along the longitudinal axis of the shaft.