Surgical instrument

• US 20080046000A1
• Filed: 11/28/2006
• Published: 02/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Endobotics, LLC
• Original Assignee: Cambridge Endoscopic Devices Inc.
• Inventors: Chamorro, Andres, Ross, Richard, Lee, Woojin
• Granted Patent: US 7,708,758 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/205
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/29 Forceps for use in minimally invasive surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/003 Steerable
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2905 flexible
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/291 the position of the handle being adjustable with respect to the shaft
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/292 connection of actuating rod to handle, e.g. ball end in recess

Abstract

The surgical instrument includes a distal tool, an elongated shaft that supports the distal tool, and a proximal handle or control member, where the tool and the handle are coupled to the respective distal and proximal ends of the elongated shaft via distal and proximal bendable motion members. Actuation means extends between said distal and proximal members whereby any deflection of said control handle with respect to said elongated instrument shaft causes a corresponding bending of said distal motion member for control of said working member. The proximal bendable member comprises a ball and socket assembly supported between the handle and instrument shaft and constructed and arranged for three dimensional motion.

Claims

1. A medical instrument comprising:

a proximal control handle;

a distal work member;

a proximal movable member controlled from said proximal control handle;

a distal movable member controlled from said proximal movable member to provide controlled movement of said distal work member from said proximal control handle;

an instrument shaft that intercouples said proximal and distal movable members;

and actuation means coupled between said movable members;

said proximal movable member comprising a ball and socket assembly supported between said handle and instrument shaft and constructed and arranged for three dimensional motion.

2. The medical instrument of claim 1 further including a locking member supported from said proximal control handle and having locked and unlocked states;

said locking member in said unlocked state enabling control of said distal work member from said proximal control handle via said movable members; and

said locking member, in said locked state, holding said movable members in a desired fixed position.

3. The medical instrument of claim 2 wherein said locking member, in the locked state, fixes the position of the proximal movable member.

4. The medical instrument of claim 1 wherein said distal movable members comprise a uni-body structure.

5. The medical instrument of claim 1 wherein said ball and socket assembly includes a ball supported from said instrument shaft, a socket defined in said handle and an anchor ring rotatably supported at said handle.

6. The medical instrument of claim 5 wherein said actuation means comprises a plurality of cables that are supported at proximal ends by said anchor ring.

7. The medical instrument of claim 6 wherein said ball has pins that ride in slots in said socket.

8. The medical instrument of claim 6 including a rotation control member and a piston assembly that couples between said handle and rotation control member.

9. The medical instrument of claim 8 wherein said piston assembly further includes pistons, a ring on said rotation control member, links that pivotally connect between said ring and pistons and a locking knob for holding a position of said pistons.

10. The medical instrument of claim 8 wherein said piston assembly further comprises a rotatable cage supported by said handle, sliders supported by said cage and links coupled between said sliders and the rotation control member.

11. The medical instrument of claim 6 including a follower on said handle and including a rider, a sphere for supporting said rider and an anchor ring rotatably supported on said rider.

12. The medical instrument of claim 11 including a locking member having a split ball and a wedge member movable into the split ball to lock the position of the proximal moveable member.

13. The medical instrument of claim 1 including a rotation control member adjacent said proximal control handle for controlling said distal work member to rotate about a distal work member axis.

14. The medical instrument of claim 1 wherein said actuation means comprises a set of cables that couple between said moveable members and further including a cable retainer supported by said handle and for retaining proximal ends of said cables.

15. The medical instrument of claim 1 wherein said handle comprises a pistol grip handle that includes a base and a top section that defines a spherical socket that supports the ball, said ball supporting the proximal moveable member.

16. The medical instrument of claim 15 wherein said proximal moveable member comprises a unitary bendable member and further including a rotatable control member in line with said proximal bendable member.

17. In a medical instrument having a proximal control handle and a distal tool that are intercoupled by an elongated instrument shaft that is meant to pass internally of an anatomic body, proximal and distal movable members that respectively intercouple said proximal control handle and said distal tool with said instrument shaft, cable actuation means disposed between said movable members and a rotation ball and wherein said control handle comprises a base and a top section that defines a spherical socket that supports the rotation ball for three dimensional pivoting therein.

18. The medical instrument of claim 17 wherein said proximal moveable member comprises a proximal bendable member that is supported by said rotation ball.

19. The medical instrument of claim 18 further including a rotation control member supported in line with said proximal bendable member for controlling the three dimensional pivoting.

20. The medical instrument of claim 19 wherein said rotation control member controls the three dimensional pivoting, as well as a rotation about a longitudinal axis of said proximal bendable member so as to control the rotation of said tool about its distal tool axis.

21. The medical instrument of claim 18 further including a pivot control member at the proximal end of said proximal bendable member for controlling the three dimensional pivoting.

22. The medical instrument of claim 21 wherein said pivot control member also controls rotation of the instrument shaft.

23. The medical instrument of claim 18 including a locking means that is manually operable by a user and that locks the ball in the socket.

24. In a medical instrument having a proximal control handle and a distal tool that are intercoupled by an elongated instrument shaft that is meant to pass internally of an anatomic body, proximal and distal movable members that respectively intercouple said proximal control handle and said distal tool with said instrument shaft, and cable actuation means disposed between said movable members, a method of controlling the tool from the handle by means of a control element comprising pivoting the control element to control the positioning of the tool in three dimensions and to control the rotational orientation of the tool by rotating the instrument shaft.

25. The method of claim 24 including providing a ball and socket as part of the proximal moveable member and controlling the control element so as to pivot the ball relative to the socket.