Hermetic rotating handle assembly for a surgical clip applier for laparoscopic procedures

• US 9,468,444 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2014
• Issued: 10/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Conmed Corporation (Jefferies Financial Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Conmed Corporation (Jefferies Financial Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Menn, Pavel, Rosso, Nathaniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Anderson, Gregory
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAUER, CHRISTINA C
• Application Number:
  US14/224,499
• Publication Number:
  US 20140296879A1
• Time in Patent Office: 938 Days
• Field of Search: 606139-149, 623/1.11, 623/1.23
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/00234 for minimally invasive surgery A61B17/0218, A61B17/0469, A61B17/12013, A61B17/1285, A61B17/29, A61B17/320016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/105 Wound clamp magazines for packaging sharps A61B50/3001
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1285 for minimally invasive surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/2909 Handles
• 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 2017/2925 Pistol grips
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/0813 Accessories designed for easy sterilising, i.e. re-usable
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/08 Accessories or related features not otherwise provided for

Abstract

This invention provides hermetically-sealed handle assembly with a rotating trigger for use with disposable components, such as surgical clip appliers. The rotating trigger reduces the gripping force necessary to fully control the internal actuator mechanism to operate a disposable surgical clip applier to fully ligate a vessel or other tissue. The hermetic seal on the handle assembly prevents any patient fluids and other bioburden from entering the internal structures. This reduces the possibility of cross-contamination and the costs of sterilization.

Claims

1. An endoscopic surgical tool, comprising:

a housing comprising an upper portion and a handle, the handle having a top and a bottom, the top of the handle coupled to the upper portion of the housing;

an actuating mechanism disposed in the housing along a first axis, the actuating mechanism having a first shaft axis extending from a proximal end to a distal end, wherein the first axis and the first shaft axis are substantially parallel;

a lever coupled at a proximal end to the actuating mechanism and extending in a downward direction, wherein the lever is pivotably coupled at a distal end to a trigger shaft that extends along a second shaft axis that is substantially perpendicular to the first shaft axis;

a first end of the trigger shaft extending through a first opening in the housing proximate to the top of the handle, and further extending through a central opening of a first disc spring;

a second end of the trigger shaft extending through a second opening in the housing proximate to the top of the handle, and further extending through a central opening of a second disc spring, wherein the first opening and the second opening are substantially parallel with each other;

a first hinge element comprising a first substantially semi-spherical top portion coupled to the first end of the trigger shaft after extending through the first disc spring, wherein the first hinge element further comprises a first substantially half cylindrical lower portion with a first substantially flat surface, wherein the first disc spring provides a first seal about the first end of the trigger shaft by providing a first compressive force on the first substantially semi-spherical top portion of the first hinge element and an opposing second compressive force on the exterior surface about the first opening in the housing;

a second hinge element comprising a second substantially semi-spherical top portion coupled to the second end of the trigger shaft after extending through the second disc spring, wherein the second hinge element further comprises a second substantially half-cylindrical lower portion with a second substantially flat surface, wherein the second disc spring provides a second seal about the second end of the trigger shaft by providing a third compressive force on the second substantially semi-spherical top portion of the second hinge element and an opposing fourth compressive force on the exterior surface about the second opening in the housing, wherein the first and second substantially flat surface of the first and second hinge elements couple to form a substantially cylindrical trigger defining a longitudinal axis; and

a hollow substantially cylindrical trigger grip coupled over the cylindrical trigger;

wherein application of compressive force to the trigger grip towards the handle rotates the cylindrical trigger about the longitudinal axis in a first direction to rotate the first and second ends of the trigger shaft in a direction away from the second shaft axis, wherein rotation of the trigger shaft pivots the coupled lever to operate the actuating mechanism.

2. The endoscopic surgical tool of claim 1, wherein the first and second hinge elements comprise complementary configurations.

3. The endoscopic surgical tool of claim 1, wherein the first and second disc springs comprise conical spring washers.

4. The endoscopic surgical tool of claim 1, wherein the housing is nondisposable.

5. The endoscopic surgical tool of claim 1, wherein the cylindrical trigger rotates about the longitudinal axis in a second direction, opposite the first direction, when the cylindrical trigger is released.

6. The endoscopic surgical tool of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a single piece.

7. The endoscopic surgical tool of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises two coupled pieces with complementary configurations.

8. An apparatus, comprising:

a housing including a proximal end portion and a distal end portion and defining an inner volume therebetween, the distal end portion of the housing including a distal opening configured to receive a removable cartridge;

an actuator mechanism disposed in the housing and configured to be operably coupled to the removable cartridge, the actuator mechanism including a trigger shaft defining a first axis about which the trigger shaft is configured to rotate; and

a trigger assembly operably coupled to the actuator mechanism, the trigger assembly configured to be moved between a first position relative to the housing and a second position relative to the housing to move the actuator mechanism between a first configuration and a second configuration,

the trigger assembly defining a central axis and including a trigger grip configured to rotate around the central axis of the trigger assembly as the trigger assembly is moved between the first position and the second position, the central axis being perpendicular to the first axis in at least one plane.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the housing includes a trigger assembly mounting portion having a first opening and a second opening, a first portion of the trigger shaft is disposed in the first opening of the trigger assembly mounting portion and a second portion of the trigger shaft is disposed in the second opening of the trigger assembly mounting portion such that the trigger shaft is rotatably coupled to the trigger assembly mounting portion.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the trigger assembly includes a first hinge element and a second hinge element, the first hinge element coupled to the first portion of the trigger shaft, and the second hinge element coupled to the second portion of the trigger shaft.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:

a first sealing member disposed on the first portion of the trigger shaft; and

a second sealing member disposed on the second portion of the trigger shaft.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first sealing member and the second sealing member are configured to prevent bioburden from entering the inner volume.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein at least a portion of the actuator mechanism is disposed in the distal opening of the housing in the first configuration and the second configuration, the portion of the actuator mechanism disposed in the distal opening configured to prevent bioburden from entering the inner volume.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

a lever configured to operably couple the actuator mechanism to the trigger assembly.

15. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the trigger assembly includes a trigger spine and the trigger grip is rotatably coupled to the trigger spine.

16. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the removable cartridge includes a plurality of surgical clips, the actuator mechanism configured to operate the removable cartridge to ligate a vessel or tissue when the actuator mechanism moves between the first configuration and the second configuration.

17. An apparatus, comprising:

a housing including a proximal end portion and a distal end portion and defining an inner volume therebetween, the housing including a trigger assembly mounting portion having a first opening and a second opening;

an actuator mechanism disposed in the housing and configured to be operably coupled to a removable cartridge; and

a trigger assembly including a trigger shaft movably coupled to the housing, the trigger shaft including a first portion disposed in the first opening of the trigger shaft mounting portion and a second portion disposed in the second opening of the trigger assembly mounting portion, the trigger assembly including a first circular sealing member disposed on the first portion of the trigger shaft and a second circular sealing member disposed on the second portion of the trigger shaft, the first circular sealing member and the second circular sealing member configured to prevent fluid from entering the inner volume,

the trigger assembly operably coupled to the actuator mechanism and configured to be moved between a first position relative to the housing and a second position relative to the housing to move the actuator mechanism between a first configuration and a second configuration.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the trigger assembly includes a trigger grip configured to rotate about an axis defined by the trigger assembly when the trigger assembly is moved between the first position and the second position.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the distal end portion of the housing includes a distal opening configured to receive the removable cartridge.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the removable cartridge includes a plurality of surgical clips, the actuator mechanism configured to operate the removable cartridge to ligate a vessel or tissue when the actuator mechanism moves between the first configuration and the second configuration.