ERGONOMIC SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS

• US 20120184946A1
• Filed: 03/21/2012
• Published: 07/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cilag Gmbh International (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Price, Daniel W., Robertson, Galen C., Kimball, Cory G., Woodruff, Scott A., Miller, Matthew C., Rupp, Kip M., Fihe, Carrie I., Sheetz, Jane A., Draginoff, Carl J. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 9,486,236 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/1
• 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 2017/00424 ergonomic, e.g. fitting in fist
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00429 with a roughened portion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2925 Pistol grips
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2929 with a head rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the shaft
• 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

Abstract

A surgical instrument comprising a trigger configured to be actuated by a proximally directed force and by a distally directed force. The trigger may comprise a proximal trigger portion having a first length and a distal trigger hook comprising a distal portion having a second length. The second length may be less than the first length. The distal trigger hook may be coupled to the proximal trigger portion.

Claims

1. A surgical instrument comprising:

a trigger configured to be actuated by a proximally directed force and by a distally directed force, and wherein the trigger comprises;

a proximal trigger portion having a first length; and

a distal trigger hook comprising a distal portion having a second length, wherein the second length is less than the first length, and wherein the distal trigger hook is coupled to the proximal trigger portion.

2. The surgical instrument of claim 1, further comprising an actuation switch positioned upwardly from the trigger, wherein the actuation switch is actuatable in a substantially proximal direction.

3. The surgical instrument of claim 1, further comprising a shaft rotation assembly for rotating a shaft of the surgical instrument about a longitudinal axis.

4. The surgical instrument of claim 3, wherein the shaft rotation assembly comprises first and second rotation knobs, wherein the first rotation knob is positioned at a handle portion of the surgical instrument proximately from the shaft and wherein the second rotation knob is positioned at the handle portion of the surgical instrument proximately from the first rotation knob.

5. The surgical instrument of claim 3, wherein the shaft rotation assembly comprises a fluted rotation knob.

6. The surgical instrument of claim 1, further comprising:

an actuation switch positioned upwardly from the trigger, wherein the actuation switch is actuatable in a substantially proximal direction; and

a shaft rotation assembly for rotating a shaft of the surgical instrument about a longitudinal axis, wherein the shaft rotation assembly is positioned upwardly from the actuation switch.

7. The surgical instrument of claim 6, wherein the actuation switch comprises a rocker switch, wherein actuation of a first side of the rocker switch causes the surgical instrument to operate according to a first mode and actuation of a second side of the rocker switch to operate according to a second mode.

8. The surgical instrument of claim 1, further comprising a housing, wherein the trigger is movably coupled to the housing.

9. The surgical instrument of claim 8, wherein the housing defines a body portion extending along a distally-directed longitudinal axis and a handle portion extending downwardly from the body portion and away from the longitudinal axis.

10. The surgical instrument of claim 9, wherein the handle portion defines a saddle surface on a proximate portion of the handle portion adjacent the body portion for receiving a clinician'"'"'s hand at a web portion of the hand between a thumb and an index finger of the hand and a contact surface below the saddle surface configured to be received in a palm of a clinician'"'"'s hand, wherein the contact surface defines a convex curvature extending proximally from the handle portion.

11. The surgical instrument of claim 10, wherein the housing comprises a removable adapter positioned over the handle portion to change a radius of the convex curvature of the contact surface, and wherein the removable adapter comprises a loop element positioned proximally from the handle portion such that a clinician'"'"'s hand is receivable between the handle portion and the loop element.

12. The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein a ratio of the first length over the second length is equal to about 1.25.

13. The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein the first length is about 2.5 inches.

14. The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein a distance between the proximal trigger portion and the distal portion is at least about 0.65 inches.

15. The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein the proximal trigger portion is positioned to receive the proximally directed force from a clinician'"'"'s middle finger, ring finger and little finger, and wherein the distal portion is positioned to receive a distally directed force from the clinician'"'"'s middle finger and ring finger.

16. A surgical instrument comprising:

a housing defining a body portion extending along a distally-directed longitudinal axis and a handle portion extending downwardly from the body portion and away from the longitudinal axis;

a trigger coupled to the housing and alternately actuatable in a substantially proximal direction relative to the handle portion and in a substantially distal direction relative to the handle portion, wherein the trigger comprises;

a proximal member extending downwardly from the body portion by a first distance; and

a distal member extending downwardly from the body portion by a second distance, wherein the second distance is less than the first distance, and wherein the proximal member and the distal member define an aperture therebetween.

17. The surgical instrument of claim 16, wherein the handle portion is fixed.

18. The surgical instrument of claim 16, wherein the trigger also comprises an upper portion coupling the proximal member and the distal member to one another.

19. The surgical instrument of claim 16, wherein a ratio of the first distance over the second distance is equal to about 1.25.

20. The surgical instrument of claim 16, wherein the first distance is about 2.5 inches.

21. The surgical instrument of claim 16, wherein a distance between the proximal member and the distal member is at least about 0.65 inches.

22. The surgical instrument of claim 21, wherein the housing further defines a contact surface and a stabilization tail.

23. The surgical instrument of claim 22, wherein the stabilization tail extends proximally from at least one of the handle portion and the body portion.

24. A hand-held surgical instrument comprising:

an end effector, the end effector comprising;

an ultrasonic blade; and

a clamp arm pivotable towards the ultrasonic blade;

an elongate shaft extending along a longitudinal axis, wherein the end effector is positioned at about a distal portion of the elongate shaft;

a housing coupled to the elongate shaft at a proximal portion of the elongate shaft, the housing defining a body portion extending proximally from the elongate shaft, and a handle portion extending downwardly from the body portion and away from the longitudinal axis; and

a trigger to control the clamp arm, the trigger coupled to the housing and alternately actuatable in a substantially proximal direction relative to the handle portion and in a substantially distal direction relative to the handle portion, wherein the trigger comprises;

a proximal member extending downwardly from the body portion by a first distance; and

a distal member extending downwardly from the body portion by a second distance, wherein the second distance is less than the first distance, and wherein the proximal member and the distal member define an aperture therebetween.

25. The surgical instrument of claim 24, wherein the clamp arm is coupled to the distal portion of the elongate shaft.

26. The surgical instrument of claim 24, further comprising an actuation switch positioned on a distal portion of the housing below the elongate shaft and above the trigger, wherein the actuation switch is actuatable in a substantially proximal direction to activate the ultrasonic blade.

27. The surgical instrument of claim 24, wherein a ratio of the first distance over the second distance is equal to about 1.25.

28. The surgical instrument of claim 24, wherein the first distance is about 2.5 inches.

29. The surgical instrument of claim 24, wherein a distance between the proximal member and the distal member is greater than about 0.65 inches.

30. The surgical instrument of claim 24, further comprising a rotation assembly coupled to the elongate shaft such that rotation of the rotation assembly about the longitudinal axis causes rotation of the elongate shaft about the longitudinal axis.