Electrosurgical tissue sealer and cutter

• US 9,265,570 B2
• Filed: 01/27/2014
• Issued: 02/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Heard, David N.
• Primary Examiner(s): GILBERT, ANDREW M
• Application Number:
  US14/164,569
• Publication Number:
  US 20140142574A1
• Time in Patent Office: 757 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3205 Excision instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1442 Probes having pivoting end effectors, e.g. forceps
• 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 2017/00398 using powered actuators, e.g. stepper motors, solenoids
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2923 Toothed members, e.g. rack and pinion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2936 Pins in guiding slots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00083 low, i.e. electrically insulating
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00196 reciprocating lengthwise
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/0063 Sealing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00654 with individual control of each of a plurality of energy emitting elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/124 switching the output to different electrodes, e.g. sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1412 Blade
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1455 having a moving blade for cutting tissue grasped by the jaws
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1467 using more than two electrodes on a single probe
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/034 abutting on parts of the device itself
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/0811 for the position of a particular part of an instrument with respect to the rest of the instrument, e.g. position of the anvil of a stapling instrument

Abstract

A surgical instrument comprises an end effector including a pair of jaw members configured to move with respect to one another between an open configuration and a closed configuration for clamping tissue. At least one jaw member includes an elongate cam slot extending in a longitudinal direction over a substantial a length a tissue clamping surface of the at least one jaw member. A plurality of electrically isolated, and longitudinally spaced electrodes is supported by the tissue clamping surface and is configured to deliver electrosurgical energy to tissue. A reciprocating member engages the elongate cam slot and is extendable to a sealing position with respect to each of the electrodes to define a predetermined gap distance between a particular electrode and an opposing tissue clamping surface.

Claims

1. A surgical instrument, comprising:

an end effector including a pair of jaw members having opposing tissue clamping surfaces, at least one of the jaw members configured to move with respect to the other jaw member from an open configuration for receiving tissue and a closed configuration for clamping tissue between the opposing tissue clamping surfaces, at least one jaw member defining a knife channel extending longitudinally along a length of the tissue clamping surface, the knife channel including a blade slot and an elongated cam slot, the blade slot extending between the tissue clamping surfaces and the elongated cam slot;

a plurality of electrically isolated and independently activatable electrodes supported by at least one of the tissue clamping surfaces of one of the jaw members, each of the plurality of electrically insulated electrodes spaced along at least one respective tissue clamping surface and configured to selectively deliver electrosurgical energy to tissue to seal or divide tissue;

a reciprocating member selectively extendable through the elongated cam slot to a distal end thereof to cam the jaw members to the closed configuration, each of the plurality of electrodes independently activatable as the reciprocating member extends through the elongated cam slot; and

an interruption mechanism configured to interrupt advancement of the reciprocating member at sequential sealing positions along the elongated cam slot to allow selective application of electrosurgical energy.

2. The surgical instrument according to claim 1, wherein the interruption mechanism includes a handle movable with respect to a grip member, wherein the reciprocating member is operatively coupled to the movable handle such that the reciprocating member is advanced upon approximation of the movable handle with the grip member and advancement of the reciprocating member is interrupted upon separation of the movable handle from the grip member.

3. The surgical instrument according to claim 1, wherein the interruption mechanism includes a motor and a controller, the motor operatively associated with the reciprocating member to advance the reciprocating member upon activation of the motor and interrupt advancement upon deactivation of the motor, the controller operatively associated with the motor to activate and deactivate the motor.

4. The surgical instrument according to claim 1, further comprising a sensor array in electrical communication with the controller, the sensor array adapted to detect the position of the reciprocating member within the elongated cam slot with respect to at least one sealing position.

5. The surgical instrument according to claim 1, further comprising a controller for providing electrical energy to a particular electrically isolated electrode while maintaining other electrically isolated electrodes in an electrically inactive state.

6. The surgical instrument according to claim 5, further comprising a sensor array in electrical communication with the controller, the sensor array adapted to detect a characteristic of tissue indicative of a completed electrosurgical treatment.

7. The surgical instrument according to claim 6, wherein the sensor array includes at least one of a temperature sensor, an impedance sensor, and an optical sensor.

8. The surgical instrument according to claim 1, wherein the reciprocating member includes a blade for transecting tissue.

9. The surgical instrument according to claim 8, wherein the reciprocating member includes a cam driver configured to engage the elongated cam slot and the blade is disposed proximal the cam driver.

10. The surgical instrument according to claim 9, wherein the blade is disposed sufficiently proximal relative to the cam driver such that when the reciprocating member is in the sealing position associated with a particular electrically isolated electrode, the blade is disposed proximal of the particular electrically isolated electrode.

11. The surgical instrument according to claim 1, wherein the reciprocating member generally exhibits an I-beam geometry including a pair of opposed flanges connected by an intermediate web.

12. The surgical instrument according to claim 11, wherein one of the pair of opposed flanges engages the elongated cam slot defined within one of the jaw members and the other of the pair of opposed flanged engages a second elongated cam slot defined within the other of the jaw members.

13. The surgical instrument according to claim 1, wherein the elongated cam slot is angled such that advancement of the reciprocating member therethrough urges the end effector to the closed configuration.

14. The surgical instrument according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of electrically isolated and independently activatable electrodes includes a plurality of electrode sets, each electrode set including at least two electrically isolated electrodes of opposite polarity supported on respective opposing tissue clamping surfaces such that the electrically isolated electrodes of opposite polarity cooperate to induce electrosurgical current flow through tissue positioned between the tissue clamping surfaces.

15. The surgical instrument according to claim 1, wherein the elongated cam slot has a width greater than the width of the blade slot.

16. The surgical instrument according to claim 1, wherein the elongated cam slot and the blade slot form a T-shape with one another.

17. The surgical instrument according to claim 1, wherein the elongated cam slot includes cam engagement surfaces substantially parallel to the tissue clamping surfaces, the cam engagement surfaces engaged by the reciprocating member to cam the jaw members to the closed configuration.