Flexible endoscopic catheter with ligasure

• US 9,579,145 B2
• Filed: 02/04/2014
• Issued: 02/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covidien AG (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Covidien AG (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Johnson, Kristin D., Sartor, Joe D., Arts, Gene H., Frazier, Randel A.
• Primary Examiner(s): HUPCZEY, JR, RONALD JAMES
• Application Number:
  US14/172,050
• Publication Number:
  US 20140155891A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,120 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/29 Forceps for use in 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 17/320016 Endoscopic cutting instruments, e.g. arthroscopes, resectoscopes A61B10/0233, A61B17/29, A61B17/3207 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/32056 Surgical snare instruments for removing or smashing calculi A61B2017/2212; tonsillotomes A61B17/26
• 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 2017/00353 one mechanical instrument performing multiple functions, e.g. cutting and grasping channel for multiple instruments A61B2017/3445; instrument channel A61B2017/22072; replaceable heads A61B2017/2931; suction A61M1/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2905 flexible
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2927 the angular position of the head being adjustable with respect to the shaft
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1407 Loop

Abstract

An endoscopic forceps is disclosed including an end effector assembly having two jaw members movable from a first position in spaced relation relative to one another to at least a second position closer to one another for grasping tissue therebetween. Each of the jaw members is connectable to an electrosurgical energy source for conducting energy through tissue held therebetween. The jaw members are biased to the first position. The end effector assembly of the endoscopic forceps further includes a wire snare having a proximal end connectable to an electrosurgical energy source and a distal end translatably extending out of one of the jaw members and operatively associated with the other of the jaw members. In use, withdrawal of the proximal end of the wire snare results in movement of the jaw members from the first position to a second position and clamping of the tissue between the jaws.

Claims

1. An endoscopic forceps comprising:

a housing;

a shaft extending from the housing and defining a longitudinal axis, the shaft including proximal and distal portions;

an end effector assembly operatively supported on the distal portion of the shaft, the end effector assembly including;

a cutting blade supported on the distal portion of the shaft, the cutting blade including a cutting edge;

a movable jaw member translatably supported on the shaft, the movable jaw member including a tissue contacting portion extending transverse to the longitudinal axis of the shaft;

an anvil member slidably supported on the movable jaw member between the tissue contacting portion of the movable jaw member and the cutting blade, the anvil member including a blade slot configured to selectively receive the cutting blade therethrough, wherein proximal movement of the movable jaw member causes proximal movement of the anvil member towards the cutting edge of the cutting blade; and

a biasing member disposed between the anvil member and the distal portion of the shaft, the biasing member configured to resiliently bias the anvil member in a distal direction to space the anvil member from the distal portion of the shaft and the cutting edge of the cutting blade.

2. The endoscopic forceps according to claim 1, wherein the cutting edge is disposed along the longitudinal axis of the shaft.

3. The endoscopic forceps according to claim 1, wherein the cutting edge extends distally from the cutting blade.

4. The endoscopic forceps according to claim 1, wherein the movable jaw member includes a leg portion that extends longitudinally along the shaft, and the tissue contacting portion of the movable jaw member extends from the leg portion.

5. The endoscopic forceps according to claim 4, wherein the anvil member defines a first slot having the leg portion of the movable jaw member slidably extending therethrough.

6. The endoscopic forceps according to claim 1, wherein the tissue contacting portion of the movable jaw member extends transverse to the cutting blade.

7. The endoscopic forceps according to claim 1, wherein the end effector assembly is transitionable to a first condition wherein the tissue contacting portion of the movable jaw member is spaced apart from the anvil member for receiving tissue therebetween and the anvil member is spaced apart from the cutting blade such that the cutting blade does not extend through the blade slot of the anvil member.

8. The endoscopic forceps according to claim 1, wherein the end effector assembly is transitionable to a second condition wherein the tissue contacting portion of the movable jaw member is approximated toward the anvil member to grasp tissue disposed therebetween and the anvil member is spaced apart from the cutting blade such that the cutting blade does not extend through the blade slot formed therein.

9. The endoscopic forceps according to claim 1, wherein the end effector assembly is transitionable to a third condition wherein the tissue contacting portion of the movable jaw member is approximated toward the anvil member to grasp tissue therebetween and the anvil member is approximated toward the shaft such that the cutting edge of the cutting blade extends through the blade slot formed in the anvil member to sever tissue grasped between the anvil member and the movable jaw member.

10. The endoscopic forceps according to claim 9, wherein the cutting blade is in contact with the tissue contacting portion of the movable jaw member when the end effector assembly is disposed in the third condition.

11. The endoscopic forceps according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the tissue contacting portion or the anvil member is configured to connect to a source of electrosurgical energy.

12. The endoscopic forceps according to claim 1, wherein the cutting blade is longitudinally fixed relative to the shaft.

13. The endoscopic forceps according to claim 1, wherein an entirety of the anvil member is suspended in a space defined between the movable jaw member and the distal portion of the shaft.

14. The endoscopic forceps according to claim 1, wherein an entirety of the anvil member is disposed distally of the distal portion of the shaft.

15. The endoscopic forceps according to claim 1, wherein the anvil member is actuated to move proximally toward the cutting edge of the cutting blade only by proximal movement of the movable jaw member.

16. The endoscopic forceps according to claim 1, wherein remote actuation of the movable jaw member is the only remote actuation to cause proximal movement of the anvil member.