Surgical instrument with stowing knife blade
First Claim
1. A method of moving a knife of a surgical instrument end effector having a first end and a second end, the method comprising:
- blocking a rotation of the knife relative to a first member with a second member, the knife being rotatably supported by the first member;
moving the first member and the second member at the same rate towards the second end; and
generating relative movement between the first member and the second member to accomplish at least one of permitting rotation of the knife and inducing rotation of the knife by moving one of the first member and the second member toward one of the first end and the second end while not moving the other of the first member and the second member.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A surgical instrument with a stowing knife blade includes an elongated shaft, an end effector coupled to the shaft and including two opposed jaws, a housing included in one of the jaws, a first member mounted in the housing and movable distally, a knife pivotally coupled with the first member, and a second member. The knife is configured to cut when advanced distally. The first and second members are moved distally at the same rate during a cutting motion of the knife and the second member blocks a rotation of the knife relative to the first member during the cutting motion of the knife. After moving through the first distance, relative movement between the first and second members occurs so as to permit or induce the previously blocked rotation of the knife so that the knife can be stowed.
60 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method of moving a knife of a surgical instrument end effector having a first end and a second end, the method comprising:
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blocking a rotation of the knife relative to a first member with a second member, the knife being rotatably supported by the first member; moving the first member and the second member at the same rate towards the second end; and generating relative movement between the first member and the second member to accomplish at least one of permitting rotation of the knife and inducing rotation of the knife by moving one of the first member and the second member toward one of the first end and the second end while not moving the other of the first member and the second member. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method comprising:
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translating a knife in a cutting position and a first member supporting the knife in the cutting position at the same rate along a line toward one end of an end effector; and after the translation of the knife and the first member at the same rate along the line, generating rotation of the knife from the cutting position to a non-cutting position by translating the first member relative to the knife along the line. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method comprising:
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blocking rotation of a knife supported by a first member with a second member as the first member and a second member move at the same rate towards a distal end of a surgical instrument end effector; and after the first member and the second member move at the same rate towards the distal end of the surgical instrument end effector, translating the second member relative to the knife to a position that does not block rotation of the knife.
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Specification