Locking arrangements for detachable shaft assemblies with articulatable surgical end effectors
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A surgical instrument comprising:
- a housing;
an interchangeable shaft assembly removably attached to said housing and comprising an elongate shaft;
a surgical end effector operably coupled to said elongate shaft for selective articulation relative thereto;
an articulation system configured to selectively apply articulation motions to said surgical end effector when said articulation system is in an actuated orientation, wherein said articulation system comprises;
an articulation actuator movably supported on said interchangeable shaft assembly and being selectively movable between an unactuated orientation wherein said surgical end effector is in an unarticulated orientation and a plurality of actuated orientations wherein said surgical end effector is articulated relative to a shaft axis defined by said elongate shaft;
a first articulation member operably interfacing with said surgical end effector and said articulation actuator; and
a second articulation member operably interfacing with said surgical end effector and said articulation actuator; and
means for preventing detachment of said interchangeable shaft assembly from said housing when said articulation system is in said actuated orientation, wherein said interchangeable shaft assembly is removably coupled to said housing by a latch member that is selectively movable between a latched position and an unlatched position and wherein said means for preventing detachment operably interfaces with said articulation system and said latch member, wherein said articulation actuator comprises an articulation drive gear assembly in meshing engagement with said first and second articulation members, wherein said articulation drive gear assembly is movable between said unactuated and said actuated orientations, and wherein said means for preventing detachment comprises a lock member operably interfacing with said articulation drive gear assembly and said latch member such that when said articulation drive gear assembly is in said unactuated orientation, said latch member is movable to said unlatched position and when said articulation drive gear assembly is in any one of said actuated orientations, said lock member prevents said latch member from being moved to said unlatched position.
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Abstract
A surgical instrument. In one form, the surgical instrument includes a housing that has an interchangeable shaft assembly removably attached thereto. The interchangeable shaft assembly includes an elongate shaft that has a surgical end effector operably coupled thereto for selective articulation relative to the elongate shaft. An articulation system is configured to selectively apply articulation motions to the surgical end effector when the articulation system is in an actuated orientation. A locking arrangement prevents detachment of the interchangeable shaft assembly from the housing when the articulation system is in the actuated orientation.
4830 Citations
13 Claims
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1. A surgical instrument comprising:
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a housing; an interchangeable shaft assembly removably attached to said housing and comprising an elongate shaft; a surgical end effector operably coupled to said elongate shaft for selective articulation relative thereto; an articulation system configured to selectively apply articulation motions to said surgical end effector when said articulation system is in an actuated orientation, wherein said articulation system comprises; an articulation actuator movably supported on said interchangeable shaft assembly and being selectively movable between an unactuated orientation wherein said surgical end effector is in an unarticulated orientation and a plurality of actuated orientations wherein said surgical end effector is articulated relative to a shaft axis defined by said elongate shaft; a first articulation member operably interfacing with said surgical end effector and said articulation actuator; and a second articulation member operably interfacing with said surgical end effector and said articulation actuator; and means for preventing detachment of said interchangeable shaft assembly from said housing when said articulation system is in said actuated orientation, wherein said interchangeable shaft assembly is removably coupled to said housing by a latch member that is selectively movable between a latched position and an unlatched position and wherein said means for preventing detachment operably interfaces with said articulation system and said latch member, wherein said articulation actuator comprises an articulation drive gear assembly in meshing engagement with said first and second articulation members, wherein said articulation drive gear assembly is movable between said unactuated and said actuated orientations, and wherein said means for preventing detachment comprises a lock member operably interfacing with said articulation drive gear assembly and said latch member such that when said articulation drive gear assembly is in said unactuated orientation, said latch member is movable to said unlatched position and when said articulation drive gear assembly is in any one of said actuated orientations, said lock member prevents said latch member from being moved to said unlatched position. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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Specification