Ultrasonic surgical blades

• US 10,010,339 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2008
• Issued: 07/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cilag Gmbh International (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Ethicon, LLC (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Witt, David A., Messerly, Jeffrey D., Houser, Kevin L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Stransky, Katrina
• Application Number:
  US12/274,884
• Publication Number:
  US 20090143806A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,512 Days
• Field of Search: 606168, 606169, 606159, 606160, 433118, 433119, 604 22, 427 21, 427 228
• 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 17/320092 with additional movable means for clamping or cutting tissue, e.g. with a pivoting jaw
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00849 with respect to tissue, e.g. hollow organs
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00853 low friction, hydrophobic and corrosion-resistant fluorocarbon resin coating (ptf, ptfe, polytetrafluoroethylene)
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0088 ceramic
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320078 Tissue manipulating surface
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320093 additional movable means performing cutting operation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320094 additional movable means performing clamping operation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320095 with sealing or cauterizing means
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2400/10 Materials for lubricating medical devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2420/08 Coatings comprising two or more layers
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 31/08 Materials for coatings
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 31/088 Other specific inorganic materials not covered by A61L31/084 or A61L31/086
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 31/10 Macromolecular materials
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 31/14 Materials characterised by their function or physical properties , e.g. injectable or lubricating compositions, shape-memory materials, surface modified materials
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/02 Localised ultrasound hyperthermia hyperthermia in general A61F7/00

Abstract

An ultrasonic surgical blade includes a body having a proximal end, a distal end, and an outer surface. The distal end is movable relative to a longitudinal axis in accordance with ultrasonic vibrations applied to the proximal end. At least a portion of the outer surface of the body comprises a lubricious coating adhered thereto. The lubricious coating has a coefficient of friction that is less than the coefficient of friction of the outer surface of the body.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

an ultrasonic surgical blade for at least one of cutting and coagulating tissue, wherein the ultrasonic surgical blade comprises;

a body having a proximal end, a distal end, and an outer surface comprising a treatment region configured to directly contact the tissue to be treated, wherein the distal end is movable relative to a longitudinal axis in accordance with ultrasonic vibrations applied to the proximal end; and

a lubricious coating for contacting tissue, wherein the lubricious coating comprises a coefficient of friction that is less than the coefficient of friction of the outer surface of the body, wherein the lubricious coating is adhered to at least a portion of the treatment region of the outer surface of the body, and wherein the lubricious coating comprises a polymeric material.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the polymeric material is selected from the group consisting of tetrafluoroethylene (TFE) and hexafluoropropylene (HFP) copolymers (FEP), liquid FEP, FEP/ceramic composites, liquid FEP ceramic epoxy composites, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), and PTFE/ceramic composites.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the lubricious coating comprises a dry film lubricant.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the dry film lubricant is selected from the group consisting of tungsten disulfide, molybdenum disulfide, graphite, and fluorinated polymers.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising a surface treatment formed on the at least a portion of the treatment region of the outer surface of the body to enhance adhesion of a material to the at least a portion of the treatment region of the outer surface of the body.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the lubricious coating has a thickness of about 0.0001 to about 0.010 inches.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the longitudinal axis extends between the proximal end and the distal end of the body, and wherein the longitudinal axis defines at least one curve.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the lubricious coating has a thickness of about 0.0001 to about 0.010 inches.

8. An apparatus, comprising:

an ultrasonic surgical blade for at least one of cutting and coagulating tissue, wherein the ultrasonic surgical blade comprises;

a curved body having a proximal end, a distal end, an outer surface, and a longitudinal axis defined between the proximal end and the distal end of the curved body, wherein the longitudinal axis defines at least one curve, and wherein the distal end is movable relative to the longitudinal axis in accordance with ultrasonic vibrations applied to the proximal end, and wherein the outer surface comprises a treatment region configured to directly contact the tissue to be treated; and

a lubricious coating having a coefficient of friction that is less than the coefficient of friction of the outer surface of the curved body, wherein the lubricious coating is adhered to at least a portion of the treatment region of the outer surface of the curved body, and wherein the lubricious coating comprises a polymeric material.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the polymeric material is selected from the group consisting of tetrafluoroethylene (TFE) and hexafluoropropylene (HFP) copolymers (FEP), liquid FEP, FEP/ceramic composites, liquid FEP ceramic epoxy composites, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), and PTFE/ceramic composites.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the lubricious coating comprises a dry film lubricant.

12. An apparatus, comprising:

an ultrasonic blade structured to coagulate and cut tissue, the ultrasonic blade comprising;

a proximal end;

a distal end movable relative to a longitudinal axis in accordance with ultrasonic vibrations applied to the proximal end;

an outer surface comprising a tissue treatment region configured to directly contact the tissue to be treated;

a surface treatment applied to at least a portion of the tissue treatment region; and

a lubricious coating applied over at least a portion of the surface treatment, wherein the lubricious coating comprises a coefficient of friction that is less than the coefficient of friction of the outer surface, wherein the surface treatment is configured to enhance adhesion of the lubricious coating to the outer surface, and wherein the lubricious coating comprises a polymeric material.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the polymeric material is selected from the group consisting of tetrafluoroethylene (TFE) and hexafluoropropylene (HFP) copolymers (FEP), liquid FEP, FEP/ceramic composites, liquid FEP ceramic epoxy composites, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), and PTFE/ceramic composites.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the lubricious coating comprises a dry film lubricant.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the dry film lubricant is selected from the group consisting of tungsten disulfide, molybdenum disulfide, graphite, and fluorinated polymers.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the lubricious coating has a thickness of about 0.0001 to about 0.010 inches.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the ultrasonic blade comprises a curved body.