Coupling arrangements and methods for attaching tools to ultrasonic surgical instruments

• US 9,700,339 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2009
• Issued: 07/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cilag Gmbh International (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Nield, Scott A.
• Primary Examiner(s): SZPIRA, JULIE ANN
• Application Number:
  US12/469,293
• Publication Number:
  US 20100298851A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,974 Days
• Field of Search: 606169, 606 1, 601 2
• 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 2017/00464 for use with different instruments with hole for different instruments A61B2017/22072
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320069 for ablating tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320071 with articulating means for working tip
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320073 probe
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320089 node location
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/00 Ultrasound therapy lithotripsy A61B17/22, A61B17/225; massage using supersonic vibration A61H23/00 ; using ultrasound for introducing media into the body A61M37/0092

Abstract

An ultrasonic surgical instrument that has a waveguide that protrudes distally from the handpiece and a surgical tool that is configured to be coupled to the waveguide. The waveguide may have a distal end that is sized to be inserted into a cavity in a proximal end of the surgical tool and then selectively expanded to retain the distal end within the cavity to couple the surgical tool to the waveguide.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic surgical instrument having a handpiece operably supporting at least one ultrasonic transducer therein, said surgical instrument comprising:

a surgical tool having a proximal end with a cavity therein; and

a waveguide protruding distally from the handpiece and interacting with the at least one ultrasonic transducer, said waveguide having a distal end portion sized to be inserted into said cavity in said proximal end of said surgical tool and selectively expanded into an acoustically coupled retaining engagement therewith.

2. The ultrasonic surgical instrument of claim 1 wherein said distal end portion of said waveguide is selectively radially expandable.

3. The ultrasonic surgical instrument of claim 1 further comprising an actuator member operably supported by said waveguide.

4. The ultrasonic surgical instrument of claim 3 wherein said actuator member comprises an axially movable actuator rod.

5. The ultrasonic surgical instrument of claim 4 wherein said distal end portion has at least two lugs formed thereon.

6. The ultrasonic surgical instrument of claim 5 wherein said cavity has tapered wall portions to engage said lugs.

7. The ultrasonic surgical instrument of claim 4 wherein said movable actuator rod comprises:

a rod portion movably supported within a slot in said waveguide; and

a radially extending actuation portion that protrudes through a portion of the handpiece.

8. The ultrasonic surgical instrument of claim 1 wherein said surgical tool is selected from the group of surgical tools consisting of:

straight and curved blades, sharp hooks, dissecting hooks, ball coagulators, and clamp coagulators.

9. An ultrasonic surgical instrument comprising:

a handpiece having a housing;

at least one ultrasonic transducer operably supported in said housing and operably coupled to an ultrasonic signal generator;

a waveguide protruding distally from said housing and interacting with said at least one ultrasonic transducer, said waveguide having a selectively expandable distal end portion;

an actuator rod movably supported within said waveguide and moveable between a first position wherein said distal end portion is expanded and a second position wherein said distal end portion is unexpanded; and

a surgical tool having a proximal end portion, said proximal end portion having a cavity therein for receiving said distal end portion of said waveguide therein.

10. The ultrasonic surgical instrument of claim 9 wherein said distal end portion has at least two lugs formed thereon.

11. The ultrasonic surgical instrument of claim 10 wherein said cavity has tapered wall portions to engage said lugs.