Electrosurgical cutting and sealing instrument

• US 8,979,844 B2
• Filed: 07/23/2010
• Issued: 03/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cilag Gmbh International (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: White, Bradley E., Cummings, John F., Kimball, Cory G., Beckman, Andrew T., Schall, Christopher J., Mirel, Al
• Primary Examiner(s): DELLA, JAYMI E
• Application Number:
  US12/842,518
• Publication Number:
  US 20120022528A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,698 Days
• Field of Search: 606 50- 52, 606205-207
• US Class Current: 606/51
• 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 2018/00196 reciprocating lengthwise
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00607 Coagulation and cutting with the same instrument
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00702 Power or energy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00791 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00875 Resistance or impedance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1455 having a moving blade for cutting tissue grasped by the jaws
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/065 for measuring contact or contact pressure

Abstract

A surgical instrument for supplying energy to tissue can comprise a jaw member comprising an electrode, wherein the electrode is configured to supply energy from a power source to captured tissue. The surgical instrument comprises a tissue-cutting element to transect the captured tissue. The rate of distal translation of the tissue-cutting element during the operational stroke may be regulated by an electromagnetic brake.

Claims

1. An electrosurgical instrument, comprising:

a handle;

an elongate shaft extending distally from the handle;

a trigger movable between a first position and a second position during an operational stroke;

an electromagnetic brake; and

an end effector coupled to a distal end of the elongate shaft, comprising;

a first jaw member;

a second jaw member, wherein the first jaw member is movable relative to the second jaw member between an open and a closed position; and

a tissue-cutting element configured to translate with respect to the first jaw member and the second jaw member;

an axially movable cutting member configured to move the first jaw member to the closed position, the tissue-cutting element positioned at a distal end of the axially movable cutting member, wherein the electromagnetic brake is configured to regulate movement of the axially movable cutting member at a plurality of positions during the operational stroke; and

an electrode.

2. The electrosurgical instrument of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic brake is configured to selectably engage the trigger.

3. The electrosurgical instrument of claim 2, wherein the electromagnetic brake comprises a brake pad.

4. The electrosurgical instrument of claim 3, wherein the electromagnetic brake comprises a solenoid coupled to the brake pad.

8. The electrosurgical instrument of claim 1, further comprising a controller, wherein the controller is in electrical communication with the electromagnetic brake.

5. An electrosurgical instrument, comprising:

a handle;

an elongate shaft extending distally from the handle;

a trigger movable between a first position and a second position;

an electromagnetic brake; and

an end effector coupled to a distal end of the elongate shaft, comprising;

a first jaw member;

a second jaw member, wherein the first jaw member is movable relative to the second jaw member between an open and a closed position; and

a tissue-cutting element configured to translate with respect to the first jaw member and the second jaw member;

an axially movable cutting member configured to move the first jaw member to the closed position, the tissue-cutting element positioned at a distal end of the axially movable cutting member; and

an electrode, wherein the electromagnetic brake is configured to selectably engage the trigger, wherein the electromagnetic brake comprises a brake pad, wherein the brake pad comprises at least one pad ridge, and wherein at least one of the trigger and the axially movable cutting member comprises a brake pad engagement portion.

6. The electrosurgical instrument of claim 5, wherein the brake pad engagement portion comprises a plurality of troughs.

7. The electrosurgical instrument of claim 6, wherein the at least one pad ridge is configured to engage at least one of the plurality of troughs.

9. An electrosurgical instrument, comprising:

a handle;

an elongate shaft extending distally from the handle;

a trigger movable between a first position and a second position during an operational stroke;

an electrically activated brake comprising an engaging portion, wherein the engaging portion is configured to move from a non-engaged position to an engaged position;

a controller;

an end effector coupled to a distal end of the elongate shaft, comprising;

a first jaw member;

a second jaw member, wherein the first jaw member is movable relative to the second jaw member between an open and a closed position;

a tissue-cutting element configured to translate with respect to the first jaw member and the second jaw member; and

a sensor in electrical communication with the controller; and

an axially movable cutting member configured to move the first jaw member to the closed position, the tissue-cutting element positioned at a distal end of the axially movable cutting member, wherein the controller is configured to selectively activate the electrically activated brake to control a rate of motion of the axially movable cutting member at a plurality of positions during the operational stroke.

10. The electrosurgical instrument of claim 9, wherein the sensor is one of an impedance sensor and a temperature sensor.

11. The electrosurgical instrument of claim 9, wherein the controller is configured to move the electrically activated brake from the non-engaged position to the engaged position.

12. The electrosurgical instrument of claim 9, wherein the engaging portion comprises a brake pad.

13. An electrosurgical instrument, comprising:

a handle;

an elongate shaft extending distally from the handle;

a trigger movable between a first position and a second position;

an electrically activated brake comprising an engaging portion, wherein the engaging portion is configured to move from a non-engaged position to an engaged position;

a controller;

an end effector coupled to a distal end of the elongate shaft, comprising;

a first jaw member;

a second jaw member, wherein the first jaw member is movable relative to the second jaw member between an open and a closed position;

a tissue-cutting element configured to translate with respect to the first jaw and the second jaw; and

a sensor in electrical communication with the controller; and

an axially movable cutting member configured to move the first jaw member to the closed position, the tissue-cutting element positioned at a distal end of the axially movable cutting member, wherein the engaging portion comprises a brake pad, wherein the brake pad comprises a plurality of teeth.

14. The electrosurgical instrument of claim 13, wherein one of the axially movable cutting member and the trigger comprise a second plurality of teeth.

15. An electrosurgical instrument, comprising:

a handle;

an elongate shaft extending distally from the handle;

a trigger comprising a rotor movable between a first position and a second position during an operational stroke;

an end effector coupled to a distal end of the elongate shaft, comprising;

a first jaw member;

a second jaw member, wherein the first jaw member is movable relative to the second jaw member between an open and a closed position;

a tissue-cutting element configured to translate with respect to the first jaw member and the second jaw member; and

an electrode;

an axially movable cutting member configured to move the first jaw member to the closed position, the tissue-cutting element positioned at a distal end of the axially movable cutting member; and

an electromagnetic brake configured to selectively engage the rotor to selectively retard motion of the axially movable cutting member at an initial position, a final position, and at least one position between the initial and final positions during the operational stroke.

16. The electrosurgical instrument of claim 15, wherein the rotor comprises iron.

17. The electrosurgical instrument of claim 15, wherein the electromagnetic brake comprises a selectively magnetized portion positioned proximate the rotor.

18. The electrosurgical instrument of claim 15, further comprising an electromagnetic brake controller.

19. The electrosurgical instrument of claim 18, wherein the electromagnetic brake controller is configured to provide electrical current to a selectively magnetized portion of the electromagnetic brake.

20. The electrosurgical instrument of claim 18, wherein the end effector further comprises a sensor configured to provide tissue data to the electromagnetic brake controller, wherein the tissue data is one of temperature data and impedance data.