Pneumatically powered surgical cutting and fastening instrument with a variable control of the actuating rate of firing with mechanical power assist

• US 8,631,987 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2010
• Issued: 01/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cilag Gmbh International (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Shelton, Frederick E. IV, Morgan, Jerome R., Timperman, Eugene L., Fugikawa, Leslie M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Elve, Alexandra
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHUKWURAH, NATHANIEL C
• Application Number:
  US12/781,575
• Publication Number:
  US 20100224669A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,345 Days
• Field of Search: 227/175.1, 227/175.2, 227/176.1, 227/19
• US Class Current: 227/175.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/07207 the staples being applied sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00544 pneumatically
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2927 the angular position of the head being adjustable with respect to the shaft
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2929 with a head rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the shaft

Abstract

A surgical instrument that includes a distal member configured to receive a pneumatically operated tool assembly therein. The instrument may also include pneumatically powered drive member configured to generate at least one actuation motion upon receipt of at least one pneumatic signal from a source of pneumatic power fluidically coupled thereto. A drive shaft assembly communicates with the pneumatically powered drive member for transmitting the actuation motions to the distally mounted pneumatically operated tool. The device further includes a power assist member that communicates with the drive shaft assembly for transmitting additional manually generated actuation motions to the drive shaft assembly.

Claims

1. A surgical instrument comprising:

an end effector comprising;

an elongate channel sized to receive a staple cartridge therein;

a firing mechanism operably supported within one of said elongate channel and the staple cartridge and being movable from an unactuated position to an actuated position in response to an application of a firing motion thereto; and

an anvil pivotally coupled to said elongate channel and being pivotally responsive to open and closing motions applied thereto and wherein said surgical instrument further comprises;

a handle assembly;

a closure drive operably supported by said handle assembly and configured to generate said opening and closing motions;

a drive system operably supported by said handle assembly and comprising a pneumatically powered motor being configured to selectively generate at least one of said firing motion and a retraction motion;

an elongate shaft assembly operably coupled to said handle assembly and communicating with said closure drive to transfer said opening and closing motions to said anvil, said elongate shaft assembly further having a drive shaft assembly communicating with said drive system and configured to operably transfer said firing motion and said retraction motion to said firing mechanism; and

a power assist trigger movably supported by said handle assembly and linked to said elongate shaft assembly by a linkage assembly comprising;

a first gear operably attached to an output shaft of said pneumatically powered motor;

a threaded shaft in threaded engagement with a portion of said power assist trigger such that when said power assist trigger is manually actuated, said threaded shaft is rotated; and

a second gear operably coupled to said threaded shaft and operably interfacing meshing engagement with said first gear such that upon manual application of a first actuation motion to said power assist trigger when said drive system is generating said firing motion, said linkage assembly transmits an additional firing motion to said drive shaft assembly to enhance said firing motion and upon a second actuation motion to said power assist trigger, said linkage assembly retards said firing motion generated by said drive system.

2. A surgical instrument comprising:

a handle assembly;

an end effector operably coupled to said handle assembly;

a firing mechanism operably supported within said end effector;

a drive system operably supported by said handle assembly and comprising a pneumatically powered motor being configured to selectively generate at least one firing motion;

a power assist trigger movably supported by said handle assembly and connected to a linkage assembly communicating with said firing mechanism, said power assist trigger comprising;

a first gear operably attached to an output shaft of said pneumatically powered motor;

a threaded shaft in threaded engagement with a portion of said power assist trigger such that when said power assist trigger is manually actuated, said threaded shaft is rotated; and

a second gear operably coupled to said threaded shaft and operably interfacing meshing engagement with said first gear such that upon manual application of a first actuation motion to said power assist trigger when said drive system is generating said firing motion, additional non-pneumatically and non-electrically generated firing motion is applied to said firing mechanism to enhance said firing motion and upon a second actuation motion to said power assist trigger, said linkage assembly retards said firing motion generated by said drive system.

3. A surgical instrument comprising:

a handle assembly;

a drive system supported by said handle assembly and being configured to selectively generate at least one of a firing motion and a retraction motion;

an end effector coupled to said handle assembly, said end effector comprising a firing mechanism movable from an unactuated position to an actuated position in response to an application of said firing motion thereto and being movable from said actuated position to said unactuated position in response to an application of said retraction motion thereto;

an activation trigger operably supported by said handle assembly for selectively controlling a flow of gas from a source of pneumatic power operably interfacing with said drive system to pneumatically apply said firing motion to said firing mechanism; and

a power assist trigger movably supported by said handle assembly and threadably communicating with said drive system such that upon manually actuating said power assist trigger, additional non-pneumatically and non-electrically threadably generated firing motion is applied to said firing mechanism.

4. A surgical instrument comprising:

a handle assembly;

a closure drive supported by said handle assembly and configured to generate a closing motion and an opening motion;

a drive system supported by said handle assembly and being configured to selectively generate at least one of a firing motion and a retraction motion;

an elongate shaft assembly coupled to said handle assembly and communicating with said closure drive to transfer said opening and closing motions and further communicating with said drive system to transfer said firing motion and said retraction motion;

an end effector coupled to said elongate shaft assembly, said end effector comprising;

an elongate channel sized to receive a staple cartridge therein;

an anvil pivotally coupled to said elongate channel and being pivotally responsive to said opening and closing motions from said elongate shaft assembly; and

a firing mechanism operably supported within one of said elongate channel and the staple cartridge and being movable from an unactuated position to an actuated position in response to an application of said firing motion from said elongate shaft assembly and being movable from said actuated position to said unactuated position in response to an application of said retraction motion from said elongate shaft assembly and wherein said surgical instrument further comprises;

a power assist trigger movably supported by said handle assembly and threadably linked to said elongate shaft assembly such that upon manually actuating said power assist trigger, additional non-pneumatically and non-electrically threadably generated firing motion is applied to said elongate shaft assembly for transfer to said firing mechanism.

5. The surgical instrument of claim 4 wherein said elongate shaft assembly further comprises a drive shaft assembly communicating with said drive system and the firing mechanism for transmitting said firing and retraction motions thereto and wherein said power assist trigger mechanically communicates with said drive shaft assembly for transmitting said additional non-pneumatically and non-electrically threadably generated firing motion thereto.

6. The surgical instrument of claim 5 wherein said power assist trigger is linked to said drive shaft assembly by a linkage assembly such that upon manual application of a first actuation motion to said power assist trigger when said drive system is generating said firing motion, said linkage assembly transmits said additional non-pneumatically and non-electrically threadably generated firing motion to said drive shaft assembly to enhance said firing motion and upon a second actuation motion to said power assist trigger, said linkage assembly retards said firing motion generated by said drive system.

7. The surgical instrument of claim 6 wherein said drive system further comprises a pneumatically powered motor having an output shaft and wherein said linkage assembly comprises:

a first gear operably attached to said output shaft of said pneumatically powered motor;

a threaded shaft in threaded engagement with a portion of said power assist trigger such that when said power assist trigger is manually actuated, said threaded shaft is rotated; and

a second gear operably coupled to said threaded shaft and in threaded engagement with said first gear.

8. The surgical instrument of claim 4 wherein said surgical instrument further comprises an activation trigger operably supported by said handle assembly for selectively controlling a flow of gas from a source of pneumatic power operably interfacing with said drive system.

9. The surgical instrument of claim 8 wherein said activation trigger is configured to selectively control the flow of gas from said source of pneumatic power to the drive system in proportion to an amount of manual force applied to said activation trigger.

10. The surgical instrument of claim 8 wherein said power assist trigger is pivotally supported relative to said handle assembly and wherein said activation trigger is pivotally supported relative to said handle assembly and is configured to pivotally travel with said power assist trigger.