Method of assembling a cordless hand-held ultrasonic cautery cutting device

• US 8,992,555 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2013
• Issued: 03/31/2015
• 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): SHI, KATHERINE MENGLIN
• Application Number:
  US13/873,958
• Publication Number:
  US 20130239402A1
• Time in Patent Office: 700 Days
• Field of Search: 606/169, 601/1, 601/2, 604/22, 600/437, 600/461, 600/471, 433/86, 433/119, 295/94, 298/31, 298/32, 298/54
• 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 for prosthetic joint-implanting tools A61F2/4603
• 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

A method for assembling an ultrasonic surgical device includes the steps of rotatably freely connecting an ultrasonic waveguide to an ultrasonic surgical handle body, the ultrasonic waveguide having a proximal coupling end, substantially simultaneously removably coupling an ultrasonic-driving-wave-signal generating circuit to the ultrasonic surgical handle body and removably inserting an ultrasonic-movement-producing distal end of a cordless, rotatably free ultrasonic transducer into the ultrasonic surgical handle body opposite the proximal coupling end of the ultrasonic waveguide, and rotating the ultrasonic waveguide with respect to the ultrasonic transducer to fixedly couple the ultrasonic waveguide to the ultrasonic-movement-producing distal end of the ultrasonic transducer.

Claims

1. A method for assembling an ultrasonic surgical device, the method comprising:

rotatably freely connecting an ultrasonic waveguide to an ultrasonic surgical handle body, the ultrasonic waveguide having a proximal coupling end;

substantially simultaneously;

removably coupling an ultrasonic-driving-wave-signal generating circuit to the ultrasonic surgical handle body; and

removably inserting an ultrasonic-movement-producing distal end of a rotatably free, cordless ultrasonic transducer into the ultrasonic surgical handle body opposite the proximal coupling end of the ultrasonic waveguide, the ultrasonic transducer being operable to dynamically produce a resonant wave along the ultrasonic waveguide when coupled thereto; and

rotating the ultrasonic waveguide with respect to the ultrasonic transducer to fixedly couple the ultrasonic waveguide to the ultrasonic-movement-producing distal end of the ultrasonic transducer.

2. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises providing the ultrasonic-driving-wave-signal generating circuit and the cordless, rotatably free ultrasonic transducer within a shell of an ultrasonic-movement-generator assembly to expose a proximal end of the ultrasonic transducer to the environment for rotation by a user.

3. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises removably inserting at least a portion of a battery at an aseptically sealable battery-holding compartment of the ultrasonic surgical handle body.

4. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises removably inserting a battery into a selectively accessible and aseptically sealable battery-holding compartment of the ultrasonic surgical handle body.

5. The method according to claim 2, which further comprises retaining a battery at an aseptically sealed battery-holding compartment of one of the shell and the ultrasonic surgical handle body.

6. The method according to claim 2, which further comprises removably inserting a battery in an aseptically sealed battery-holding compartment of one of the shell and the ultrasonic surgical handle body.

7. The method according to claim 2, wherein:

the ultrasonic-driving-wave-signal generating circuit and the cordless, rotatably free ultrasonic transducer are part of the ultrasonic-movement-generator assembly;

the ultrasonic surgical handle body has a grip portion; and

an aseptically sealable battery-holding compartment is at one of the grip portion and the ultrasonic-movement-generator assembly.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the ultrasonic transducer has an exposed proximal end;

the ultrasonic waveguide has an ultrasonic end effector; and

which further comprises touchlessly rotating the ultrasonic end effector by rotating the exposed proximal end of the ultrasonic transducer.

9. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises uncoupling the ultrasonic waveguide from the ultrasonic-movement-producing distal end of the ultrasonic transducer by rotating the ultrasonic waveguide with respect to the ultrasonic transducer.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the ultrasonic-driving-wave-signal generating circuit is operable to generate an output waveform capable of causing ultrasonic movement in the ultrasonic waveguide through the ultrasonic transducer.

11. A method for assembling an ultrasonic surgical assembly, the method comprising:

providing an ultrasonic-signal-generator assembly with;

an ultrasonic-driving-wave-signal generating circuit; and

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

providing an ultrasonic waveguide;

providing a handle body with;

an ultrasonic-signal-generator assembly dock shaped to selectively removably secure the ultrasonic-signal-generator assembly to the handle body;

an ultrasonic transducer dock shaped to accept the ultrasonic-movement-producing distal end of the ultrasonic transducer when the ultrasonic-signal-generator assembly is secured to the ultrasonic-signal-generator assembly dock; and

a waveguide attachment dock rotatably freely connecting the ultrasonic waveguide thereto and placing the ultrasonic waveguide in alignment with the ultrasonic transducer when the ultrasonic-signal-generator assembly is secured to the ultrasonic-signal-generator assembly dock;

substantially simultaneously;

inserting the ultrasonic-signal-generator assembly into the ultrasonic-signal-generator assembly dock; and

inserting the ultrasonic-movement-producing distal end of the ultrasonic transducer into the ultrasonic transducer dock while the proximal end of the ultrasonic transducer is exposed to the environment; and

removably fixedly coupling the ultrasonic waveguide to the ultrasonic-movement-producing distal end of the ultrasonic transducer by rotating one of the ultrasonic waveguide and the ultrasonic transducer with respect to the other, the ultrasonic transducer being operable to dynamically produce a resonant wave along the ultrasonic waveguide when coupled thereto.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising removably inserting a battery at an aseptically sealable battery-holding compartment.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein:

the handle body has a grip portion; and

the battery-holding compartment is disposed at one of;

the grip portion of the handle body; and

the ultrasonic-signal-generator assembly.

14. The method according to claim 11, further comprising manipulating an end effector of the ultrasonic waveguide by rotating the proximal end of the ultrasonic transducer.

15. The method according to claim 11, further comprising uncoupling the ultrasonic waveguide from the ultrasonic-movement-producing distal end of the ultrasonic transducer by rotating one of the ultrasonic waveguide and the ultrasonic transducer with respect to the other.

16. The method according to claim 11, wherein the ultrasonic-driving-wave-signal generating circuit is operable to generate an output waveform capable of causing ultrasonic movement in the ultrasonic waveguide through the ultrasonic transducer.

17. The method according to claim 11, wherein the ultrasonic-signal-generator assembly further comprises a shell:

housing the ultrasonic-driving-wave-signal generating circuit therein; and

housing at least a portion of the ultrasonic transducer therein such that the proximal end of the ultrasonic transducer is left exposed to the environment for rotation by the user.

18. The method according to claim 11, further comprising removably connecting a battery at a selectively accessible and aseptically sealable battery-holding compartment of the handle body.