Endoscopic instrument

• US 9,161,769 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 10/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Stoddard, Robert B., Cunningham, James S., Dickhans, William J., Hempstead, Russell D., Larson, Eric R., Kerr, Duane E., Nau, William H. Jr., Ross, Anthony B., Kappus, John J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Stransky, Katrina
• Assistant Examiner(s): SCHWIKER, KATHERINE H
• Application Number:
  US13/838,945
• Publication Number:
  US 20140031860A1
• Time in Patent Office: 949 Days
• Field of Search: 606205-209, 606167-171, 600/125, 600/136, 403/335, 403/356, 403/357, 403/351
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/29 Forceps for use in minimally invasive surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/2909 Handles
• 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 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 2017/0046 with a releasable handle; with handle and operating part separable for prosthetic joint-implanting tools A61F2/4603
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00734 battery operated
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2925 Pistol grips
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2929 with a head rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the shaft
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/293 with means preventing relative rotation between the shaft and the actuating rod
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2931 with releasable head
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2946 Locking means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320095 with sealing or cauterizing means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/0019 vibrating
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/0063 Sealing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00994 combining two or more different kinds of non-mechanical energy or combining one or more non-mechanical energies with ultrasound

Abstract

An endoscopic instrument is provided and includes a housing including an elongated shaft assembly extending distally therefrom. The elongated shaft assembly includes inner and outer shaft members. The inner and outer shaft members are removably coupled to the housing and the outer shaft member is movable with respect to the inner shaft member. An end effector is operably supported at the distal end of the outer shaft member and includes a pair of jaw members configured for treating tissue. A bushing operably couples to the inner and outer shaft members of the shaft assembly and selectively and releasably couples to the housing. The bushing includes one or more mechanical interfaces configured to engage one or more slots defined through the inner shaft member and one or more slots defined through the outer shaft member to release the inner and outer shaft members from the housing.

Claims

1. An endoscopic instrument, comprising:

a housing including an elongated shaft assembly extending distally therefrom, the elongated shaft assembly having inner and outer shaft members, the inner and outer shaft members removably coupled to the housing and the outer shaft member movable with respect to the inner shaft member;

an end effector operably supported at a distal end of the outer shaft member; and

a bushing operably coupled to the inner and outer shaft members of the shaft assembly and selectively and releasably coupled to the housing,

wherein the bushing includes at least one resilient finger that engages at least one slot defined through the inner shaft member and at least one first slot defined through the outer shaft member; and

a spring carrier operably supported within the housing and including at least one resilient boss that releasably engages at least one second slot defined through the outer shaft member at a proximal end thereof, the at least one resilient boss being disengaged from the at least one second slot to release the inner and outer shaft members from the housing when the outer shaft member is rotated with respect to the spring carrier, the spring carrier further configured to provide axial movement of the outer shaft member when a handle assembly associated with the housing is actuated,

wherein the spring carrier includes a plurality of radial slots defined on a distal face thereof, the plurality of radial slots engage a corresponding plurality of mating features disposed on an interior wall of the housing when the spring carrier is moved to a forward most position within the housing, wherein engagement between the plurality of radial slots and corresponding plurality of mating features inhibits rotation of the spring carrier when the outer shaft member is rotated, thus facilitating release of the inner and outer shaft members from the housing.

2. An endoscopic instrument according to claim 1, wherein the at least one first slot of the outer shaft member is longer than the at least one slot of the inner shaft member such that when the resilient finger of the bushing engages the at least one first slot of the outer shaft member and the at least one slot of the inner shaft member, the outer shaft member is able to translate with respect to the inner shaft member.

3. An endoscopic instrument according to claim 1, wherein the endoscopic instrument is an ultrasonic instrument configured to ultrasonically treat tissue.

4. An endoscopic instrument according to claim 1, wherein the at least one resilient boss includes a chamfered edge that is configured to contact an edge of the corresponding second slot to move the at least one resilient boss out of engagement with the corresponding second slot when the outer shaft member is rotated relative to the spring carrier.

5. An endoscopic instrument, comprising:

a housing including an elongated shaft assembly extending distally therefrom, the elongated shaft assembly having inner and outer shaft members, the inner and outer shaft members removably coupled to the housing and the outer shaft member movable with respect to the inner shaft member;

a rotating assembly operably coupled to the housing and configured to rotate the inner and outer shaft members;

a bushing removably coupled to the rotating assembly and operably coupled to the inner and outer shaft members and selectively and releasably coupled to the rotating assembly;

an end effector operably supported at the distal end of the outer shaft member,

wherein the bushing includes at least one mechanical interface that engages at least one slot defined through the inner shaft member and at least one first slot defined through the outer shaft member; and

a spring carrier operably supported within the housing and including at least one resilient boss that releasably engages at least one second slot defined through the outer shaft member at a proximal end thereof, the at least one resilient boss being disengaged from the at least one second slot to release the inner and outer shaft members from the housing when the outer shaft member is rotated with respect to the spring carrier, the spring carrier further configured to provide axial movement of the outer shaft member when a handle assembly associated with the housing is actuated,

wherein the spring carrier includes a plurality of radial slots defined on a distal face thereof, the plurality of radial slots engage a corresponding plurality of mating features disposed on an interior wall of the housing when the spring carrier is moved to a forward-most position within the housing, wherein engagement between the plurality of radial slots and corresponding plurality of mating features inhibits rotation of the spring carrier when the outer shaft member is rotated, thus facilitating release of the inner and outer shaft members from the housing.

6. An endoscopic instrument according to claim 5, wherein the at least one mechanical interface of the bushing includes at least one resilient finger or at least one detent.

7. An endoscopic instrument according to claim 6, wherein the at least one first slot of the outer shaft member is longer than the at least one slot of the inner shaft member such that when the resilient finger of the bushing engages the at least one first slot of the outer shaft member and the at least one slot of the inner shaft member, the outer shaft member is able to translate with respect to the inner shaft member.

8. An endoscopic instrument according to claim 5, wherein the at least one resilient boss includes a chamfered edge that is configured to contact an edge of the corresponding second slot to move the at least one resilient boss out of engagement with the corresponding second slot when the outer shaft member is rotated relative to the spring carrier.