Surgical instrument with automatically reconfigurable articulating end effector

• US 7,922,061 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2008
• Issued: 04/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cilag Gmbh International (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Smith, Richard C., Shelton, Frederick E. IV, Yates, David C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Durand; Paul R
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHUKWURAH, NATHANIEL C
• Application Number:
  US12/124,655
• Publication Number:
  US 20090289096A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,056 Days
• Field of Search: 227/175.1, 227/176.1, 227/180.1
• US Class Current: 227/175.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/07207 the staples being applied sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00022 Sensing or detecting at the treatment site
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0003 of parts of the instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00039 Electric or electromagnetic phenomena other than conductivity, e.g. capacity, inductivity, Hall effect
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00539 hydraulically
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2927 the angular position of the head being adjustable with respect to the shaft
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/067 for measuring angles

Abstract

A surgical instrument, such as a surgical cutting and fastening instrument, with an automatically articulatable end effector. The surgical instrument may comprise an end effector, a shaft, and an articulatable joint assembly connected between the end effector and the shaft. The joint assembly comprises at least one motor for articulating the end effector relative to the shaft. The joint assembly comprises at least one articulation sensor for sensing articulation of the end effector relative to the shaft. The instrument further comprises a control unit in communication with the articulation sensor and the motor. The control unit comprises at least one memory unit for storing articulation data from the at least one articulation sensor. When activated, the control unit sends control signals to the motor of the joint assembly to articulate automatically the end effector to a desired position based on the articulation data from the articulation sensor that is stored in the memory unit of the control unit.

Claims

1. A method of performing a medical procedure on a patient, the method comprising:

(a) inserting an articulatable end effector of a surgical cutting and fastening instrument into the patient through a cannula, wherein the end effector is in a first articulation state when the end effector is inserted through the cannula;

(b) after step (a), manually articulating the end effector to a second articulation state that is different from the first articulation state;

(c) after step (b), firing the surgical cutting and fastening instrument to sever and fasten tissue clamped in the end effector;

(d) after step (c), activating an input device on the surgical cutting and fastening instrument to cause the end effector to automatically articulate to the first articulation state;

(e) after step (d), withdrawing the end effector from the patient through the cannula;

(f) after step (e), replacing a staple cartridge on the end effector with a second staple cartridge;

(g) after step (f), inserting the articulatable end effector of the surgical cutting and fastening instrument into the patient through the cannula, wherein the end effector is in a first articulation state when the end effector is inserted through the cannula;

(h) after step (g), activating the input device on the surgical cutting and fastening instrument to cause the end effector to automatically articulate to the second articulation state;

(i) after step (h), firing the surgical cutting and fastening instrument to sever and fasten tissue clamped in the end effector;

(j) after step (i), activating the input device to cause the end effector to automatically articulate to the first articulation state; and

(k) after step (j), withdrawing the end effector from the patient through the cannula.

2. The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein controls the at least one motor to automatically articulate the automatically articulatable joint assembly to articulate from the second articulation state to the first articulation state when the automatic articulation input device is actuated and when the articulatable joint assembly is in the second articulation state.

10. The surgical instrument of claim 2, wherein the first articulation state is zero-articulation state.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(l) after step (k), replacing the second staple cartridge on the end effector with a third staple cartridge; and

(m) repeating steps (g) through (k).

3. A surgical instrument comprising:

a handle;

an end effector;

a shaft connected to the handle;

an automatically articulatable joint assembly connected between the end effector and the shaft for articulating the end effector relative to the shaft, wherein the automatically articulatable joint assembly comprises;

at least one articulation sensor for sensing articulation of the automatically articulatable joint assembly, wherein the at least one articulation sensor is located adjacent to the end effector; and

at least one motor for automatically articulating the end effector relative to the shaft, wherein the at least one motor is located between the end effector and the shaft;

a manual articulation control adjacent to the handle that articulates upon user manipulation the end effector relative to the shaft from a first articulation state to a second articulation state;

an automatic articulation input device on the handle; and

a control unit in communication with the at least one articulation sensor and the automatic articulation input device, wherein the control unit comprises at least one memory unit for storing articulation data indicative of the second articulation state from the at least one articulation sensor, and wherein the control unit is in communication with the at least one motor of the automatically articulatable joint assembly and controls the at least one motor to automatically articulate the automatically articulatable joint assembly to articulate from the first articulation state to the second articulation state when the automatic articulation input device is actuated and when the articulatable joint assembly is not in the second articulation state.

4. The surgical instrument of claim 3, wherein the at least one motor comprises an electric motor.

5. The surgical instrument of claim 3, wherein the at least one motor comprises a hydraulic motor.

6. The surgical instrument of claim 3, wherein the control unit is in the handle.

7. The surgical instrument of claim 3, wherein the end effector comprises:

a first jaw member; and

a second jaw member pivotably connected to the first jaw member.

8. The surgical instrument of claim 7, wherein the control unit comprises a processor in communication with the at least one memory unit.

9. A surgical cutting and fastening instrument comprising:

an end effector comprising;

a moveable cutting instrument for cutting an object positioned in the end effector;

a first jaw member comprising an elongate channel for carrying the cutting instrument; and

a second jaw member pivotably connected to and opposing the first jaw member;

a shaft;

an automatically articulatable joint assembly joint assembly connected between the end effector and the shaft for articulating the end effector relative to the shaft, wherein the automatically articulatable joint assembly comprises;

at least one articulation sensor for sensing articulation of the automatically articulatable joint assembly, wherein the at least one articulation sensor is located adjacent to the end effector; and

at least one motor for automatically articulating the end effector relative to the shaft wherein the at least one motor is located between the end effector and the shaft;

a manual articulation control that articulates upon user manipulation articulation the end effector relative to the shaft from a first articulation state to a second articulation state;

a handle connected to the shaft, wherein the manual articulation control is adjacent to the handle, and wherein the handle comprises;

an automatic articulation input device; and

a control unit in communication with the at least one articulation sensor and the automatic articulation input device, wherein the control unit comprises at least one memory unit for storing articulation data indicative of the second articulation state from the at least one articulation sensor, and wherein the control unit is in communication with the at least one motor of the automatically articulatable joint assembly and controls the at least one motor to automatically articulate the automatically articulatable joint assembly to articulate from the first articulation state to the second articulation state when the automatic articulation input device is actuated and when the articulatable joint assembly is not in the second articulation state.

11. The surgical instrument of claim 9, wherein controls the at least one motor to automatically articulate the automatically articulatable joint assembly to articulate from the second articulation state to the first articulation state when the automatic articulation input device is actuated and when the articulatable joint assembly is in the second articulation state.