LAPAROSCOPIC DEVICE WITH COMPOUND ANGULATION

• US 20110087236A1
• Filed: 05/07/2010
• Published: 04/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Hess, Christopher J., Stokes, Michael J., Weisenburgh, William B. II
• Granted Patent: US 9,474,540 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/130
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/29 Forceps for use in minimally invasive surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2908 Multiple segments connected by articulations
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2912 transmission of forces to actuating rod or piston
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2919 details of linkages or pivot points
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/292 connection of actuating rod to handle, e.g. ball end in recess
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2922 toggle linkages
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/3445 used as instrument channel for multiple instruments catheters A61B2017/22072

Abstract

Methods and devices are provided for performing minimally invasive surgical procedures. In one embodiment, a surgical device is provided that includes an elongate shaft having a distal portion configured to be movable between a first configuration in which the distal portion of the shaft is substantially straight or linear and a second configuration in which the distal portion of the shaft is bent at a compound angle. The shaft'"'"'s distal portion can be configured to be articulated in a wide range of compound angles and can be configured to be selectively locked in a fixed position anywhere within that range.

Claims

1. An articulating laparoscopic device, comprising:

an elongate shaft having first and second articulation joints such that the shaft is configured to form compound angles;

an end effector coupled to a distal end of the elongate shaft and positioned distal of the first and second articulation joints; and

an articulator element extending through the elongate shaft and configured to rigidly maintain the elongate shaft in a plurality of positions in which the elongate shaft has compound angles.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the articulator element is rigid.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the articulator element translates longitudinally relative to the elongate shaft, and at least a portion of the articulator element translates laterally relative to the elongate shaft.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the second articulation joint is movable toward and away from a longitudinal axis of the elongate shaft, and the first articulation joint is limited to longitudinal movement along an axis substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the elongate shaft.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the elongate shaft includes:

a main shaft extending from a handle;

a first linkage having a proximal end coupled to a distal end of the main shaft at the first articulation joint; and

a second linkage having a proximal end coupled to a distal end of the first linkage at the second articulation joint.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the first and second linkages are movable between an initial position in which the first and second linkages are longitudinally aligned with the longitudinal axis of the elongate shaft and an articulated position in which the first and second linkages are angularly oriented relative to the longitudinal axis of the elongate shaft.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the articulator element comprises first and second articulation rods extending through the elongate shaft and being pivotally coupled to one another at a pivot point.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the pivot point floats laterally relative to the elongate shaft.

9. The device of claim 7, wherein the articulator element includes a pin that extends into a cam slot formed in a portion of the elongate shaft for guiding movement of the articulator element relative to the elongate shaft.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the end effector comprises graspers having opposed jaws, and the elongate shaft includes a flexible actuator element extending therethrough and being effective to move the opposed jaws between a closed position and an open position.

11. An articulating laparoscopic device, comprising:

an elongate shaft;

a first linkage coupled to a distal end of the elongate shaft at a first articulation joint;

a second linkage coupled to a distal end of the first linkage at a second articulation joint; and

an articulator element having a proximal articulation rod extending through the elongate shaft and a distal articulation rod extending through the first linkage, a proximal end of the distal articulation rod being pivotally coupled to a distal end of the proximal articulation rod at a pivot point that floats laterally relative to the elongate shaft and the first linkage, and a distal end of the distal articulation rod being coupled to the second linkage.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the proximal and distal articulation rods are rigid.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein the proximal articulation rod is configured to translate longitudinally relative to the elongate shaft and the distal articulation rod is configured to translate laterally relative to the first linkage.

14. The device of claim 11, wherein the proximal articulation rod includes a pin that extends into a cam slot formed in the first linkage.

15. The device of claim 11, further comprising an end effector coupled to a distal end of the second linkage.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the end effector includes opposed jaws, and the device includes an actuator element extending through the elongate shaft, the first linkage, and the second linkage and coupled to a proximal end of the opposed jaws, the actuator element being configured to move the opposed jaws between a closed position and an open position.

17. An articulating laparoscopic device, comprising:

an elongate shaft;

a first linkage having a proximal end coupled to a distal end of the elongate shaft at a first articulation joint;

a second linkage having a proximal end coupled to a distal end of the first linkage at a second articulation joint, the second articulation joint being movable toward and away from a longitudinal axis of the elongate shaft such that the first and second linkages are movable between an initial position in which the first and second linkages are longitudinally aligned with the longitudinal axis of the elongate shaft and an articulated position in which the first and second linkages are angularly oriented relative to the longitudinal axis of the elongate shaft;

an end effector coupled to a distal end of the second linkage; and

a rigid articulator element having a proximal portion disposed within the elongate shaft and configured to translate longitudinally relative to the elongate shaft, and a distal portion disposed within the first linkage and configured to translate laterally relative to the first linkage.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the articulator element is configured to rigidly maintain the first and second linkages in a fixed angular orientation through an entire range of motion of the first and second linkages between the initial and articulated positions.

19. The device of claim 17, wherein the proximal portion of the articulator element is coupled to the distal portion of the articulator element at a pivot point that is movable laterally relative to the elongate shaft and the first linkage.