Surgical instrument assembly comprising a flexible articulation system
First Claim
1. A surgical instrument, comprising:
- a shaft comprising a shaft frame;
an end effector, comprising;
an end effector frame; and
a jaw movable relative to said end effector frame;
an articulation joint, comprising;
an articulation frame, comprising;
a proximal articulation end; and
a distal articulation end;
a first articulation joint connecting said proximal articulation end to said shaft frame; and
a second articulation joint connecting said distal articulation end to said end effector frame;
a firing system movable relative to said shaft frame, said articulation frame, and said end effector frame, wherein said firing system comprises a cutting member movable relative to said end effector frame; and
an articulation wire fixedly attached to said end effector frame, wherein said articulation wire is structured to assume a collapsed configuration when subjected to a threshold compressive load and is configured to transmit an articulation force to said end effector frame when subjected to the threshold compressive load.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A surgical instrument can include a shaft, an end effector, and an articulation joint configured to permit the end effector to rotate relative to the shaft about the articulation joint. The surgical instrument can further comprise a first articulation actuator for rotating the end effector in a first direction and a second articulation actuator for rotating the end effector in a second direction. The articulation actuators can be configured to push the end effector. The articulation actuators can assume different configurations depending on whether they are experiencing a compressive load or a tensile load. The articulation joint can comprise an articulation frame which forms a proximal joint with the shaft and a distal joint with the end effector. The joints can comprise fixed axis joints and/or ball-and-socket joints, for example. The articulation joint can comprise links having different sizes to facilitate the articulation of the articulation joint.
4857 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A surgical instrument, comprising:
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a shaft comprising a shaft frame; an end effector, comprising; an end effector frame; and a jaw movable relative to said end effector frame; an articulation joint, comprising; an articulation frame, comprising; a proximal articulation end; and a distal articulation end; a first articulation joint connecting said proximal articulation end to said shaft frame; and a second articulation joint connecting said distal articulation end to said end effector frame; a firing system movable relative to said shaft frame, said articulation frame, and said end effector frame, wherein said firing system comprises a cutting member movable relative to said end effector frame; and an articulation wire fixedly attached to said end effector frame, wherein said articulation wire is structured to assume a collapsed configuration when subjected to a threshold compressive load and is configured to transmit an articulation force to said end effector frame when subjected to the threshold compressive load. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification