Ethicon, Gmbh

Cilag International Gmbh

Ethicon Endo-surgery, Inc.

Delphi Technologies, Inc.

Gm Global Technology Operations LLC

Autoliv Development Ab

Saturn Corporation

Barry C Worrell

Frederick E Shelton, IV

Geoffrey S Strobl

Gregory W Johnson

William Bruce Weisenburgh, Ii

Taylor W Aronhalt

Gregory A Trees

Chad Paul Boudreaux

Benjamin D Dickerson

Joseph E Young

Jerome R Morgan

Christopher J Schall

Jason R Lesko

David C Yates

Matthew C Miller

David Keith Norvell

John A Hibner

Christopher J Hess

Daniel J Mumaw

David T Martin

Charles J Scheib

Shailendra Kumar Parihar

Craig N Faller

Chester O Baxter, Iii

Jeffrey S Swayze

Kevin L Houser

Foster B Stulen

Tylor C Muhlenkamp

Randolph C Stewart

Jeffrey David Messerly

Emily A Schellin

William D Dannaher

Michael R Lamping

Rudolph Henry Nobis

Kristen G Denzinger

Shawn C Snyder

Jonathan T Batross

Kevin M Montgomery

David Alexander Monroe

David A Witt

William Eugene Clem

Jacob Spencer Gee

Brian D Black

John B Schulte

Mark A Davison

David James Cagle

Michael J Andreyko

Nicholas G Molitor

Kevin Michael Fiebig

Richard William Timm

Cory G Kimball

Sean P Conlon

Ryan M Asher

Stephen M Leuck

Disha V Labhasetwar

Frederick L Estera

Carl J Draginoff, Jr

Jason E Zerkle

Nathan T Cummings

Michael J Vendely

John V Hunt

Ashvani K Madan

William Jason White

Aaron C Voegele

Richard C Smith

Craig T Davis

Eric N Johnson

William A Olson

Mark S Ortiz

Michael J Stokes

Timothy G Dietz

Gavin Martin Monson

Joseph M Johnson

Stephen J Balek

Sora Rhee

Gregory D Bishop

Aron O Zingman

Benjamin J Danziger

Catherine A Corbett

Eitan T Wiener

Daniel W Price

Andrew T Beckman

Jeffrey L Aldridge

Steven G Hall

Galen C Robertson

Kyle P Moore

James Lloyd Webber

Gary W Knight

Katherine J Schmid

Michael S Cropper

Tamara S Widenhouse

William D Fox

Zhifan F Huang

Donna L Korvick

Ryan Todd Pinsenschaum

Mark Thomas Winters

Ronald Helmut Haag

Stuart K Morgan

Jeffrey C Gagel

John A Weed, Iii

A surgical apparatus includes a body assembly, a shaft, an acoustic waveguide, an articulation section, an end effector, and a rigidizing member. The shaft extends distally from the body assembly and defines a longitudinal axis. The acoustic waveguide includes a flexible portion. The articulation section is coupled with the shaft. A portion of the articulation section encompasses the flexible portion of the waveguide. The articulation section includes a first member and a second member. The second member is longitudinally translatable relative to the first member. The end effector includes an ultrasonic blade in acoustic communication with the waveguide. The rigidizing member is configured to selectively engage at least a portion of the articulation section to thereby selectively provide rigidity to the articulation section.

Ultrasonic surgical instrument with movable rigidizing member

Aspects of the present disclosure include control systems of an electrosurgical system for managing the flow of fluid, such as saline, and rates of aspiration or suction, in response to various states of conditions at a surgical site. The control system(s) may monitor and adjust to impedance at the surgical site, temperature of the surgical tissue, and/or RF current of electrodes, and may account for certain undesirable conditions, such as the electrodes sticking. The control systems may include various automatic sensing scenarios, while also allowing for several manual conditions.

Systems and methods for managing fluid and suction in electrosurgical systems

A surgical apparatus comprises a body, an ultrasonic transducer, a shaft, an acoustic waveguide, an articulation section, an end effector, and an articulation drive assembly. The ultrasonic transducer is operable to convert electrical power into ultrasonic vibrations. The shaft couples the end effector and the body together. The acoustic waveguide is coupled with the transducer. The articulation section includes a collar that is located distal to a nodal portion of the waveguide and is operable to deflect the end effector away from the longitudinal axis. The end effector comprises an ultrasonic blade in acoustic communication with the ultrasonic transducer. The articulation drive assembly is operable to drive articulation of the articulation section. The articulation drive assembly comprises at least one translating articulation driver coupled with the collar. The ultrasonic blade is operable to deliver ultrasonic vibrations to tissue even when the articulation section is in an articulated state.

Articulation features for ultrasonic surgical instrument

A surgical tool that includes a drive housing, an elongate shaft that extends from the drive housing, and an end effector arranged at a distal end of the elongate shaft and including a jaw secured to a jaw holder, the jaw providing a contact plate and the jaw holder defining a cable passage. A wrist couples the end effector to the elongate shaft and includes a distal clevis having an axle that rotatably mounts the jaw holder to the distal clevis. An electrical conductor extends from the drive housing, through the wrist and the cable passage, and terminates at the contact plate to supply electrical energy to the jaw.

Electrical isolation of electrosurgical instruments

A surgical instrument includes a shaft assembly and an articulation control assembly. The shaft assembly includes an articulation section that is configured to deflect a distal end portion from the longitudinal axis. The articulation control assembly includes an articulation control member and a transmission assembly. The articulation control member is rotatably mounted relative to the shaft assembly. The transmission assembly is operatively connected between the articulation control member and the articulation section of the shaft assembly. The transmission assembly is configured to transmit selective manipulation of the articulation control member to the articulation section and selectively actuate the articulation section. The articulation control assembly is configured to lock without selective manipulation of the articulation control member to thereby inhibit actuation of the articulation section and unlock with selective manipulation of the articulation control member to thereby actuate the articulation section.

Surgical instrument with locking articulation drive wheel

Various embodiments of surgical robot control systems are disclosed. In one example embodiment, the surgical robot control system comprises a housing. A controller is located within the housing and is coupled to a socket. The socket receives a handheld surgical user interface therein to control a surgical instrument. The surgical instrument is connected to the surgical robot and comprises an end effector and a mechanical interface to manipulate the end effector. The mechanical interface is coupled to the controller. At least one sensor is coupled to the controller and the socket to convert movement of the handheld surgical user interface into electrical signals corresponding to the movement of the surgical instrument. At least one feedback device is coupled to the controller to provide feedback to a user. The feedback is associated with a predetermined function of the surgical instrument.

Haptic feedback devices for surgical robot

An apparatus comprises a body assembly, a shaft, an acoustic waveguide, an articulation section, an end effector, an articulation drive assembly, and a locking feature. The shaft extends distally from the body assembly. The waveguide comprises a flexible portion. The articulation drive assembly is operable to drive articulation of the articulation section to thereby deflect the end effector from the longitudinal axis of the shaft. The articulation drive assembly comprises an actuator. The actuator is movable relative to the body assembly to drive articulation of the articulation section. The locking feature is in communication with the actuator. The locking feature is movable between an unlocked state and a locked state. The locking feature is configured to permit movement of the actuator relative to the body assembly in the unlocked state. The locking feature is configured to prevent movement of the actuator relative to the body assembly in the locked state.

Ultrasonic surgical instrument with articulation joint having plurality of locking positions

An end effector for a surgical tool includes a distal clevis, first and second jaws rotatably mounted to the distal clevis at a first axle, a proximal clevis rotatably coupled to the distal clevis at a second axle, and an electrical conductor extending through and electrically bypassing the proximal clevis and terminating at the distal clevis to supply electrical energy to at least one of the first and second jaws via conduction. A portion of the electrical conductor provides a conductive spring member that allows the electrical conductor to flex as the distal clevis articulates.

Supplying electrical energy to electrosurgical instruments

Devices and methods for articulating a distal end of a surgical device are provided. In one exemplary embodiment, the device includes an articulation joint that includes both an inner guide and an outer sleeve. The inner guide includes one channel extending therethrough that receives both a cutting mechanism and a closure band. Further, an outer surface of the inner guide, in conjunction with the outer sleeve, can define two additional channels that each receive an articulation band for articulating an end effector coupled to the articulation joint. The outer surface of the inner guide can include a plurality of ribs that also help define the two additional channels. Further, the outer sleeve can include a plurality of slots formed in it to improve flexibility and stability. Additional configurations of articulation joints, and configurations of components of a surgical device, are also provided, as are methods for using the same.

Articulation joint having an inner guide

An apparatus includes a body, a shaft assembly, an end effector, and an articulation section. The articulation section is longitudinally interposed between a distal end of the shaft assembly and a proximal end of the end effector. The articulation section is configured to flex to thereby provide deflection of the end effector away from the longitudinal axis of the shaft assembly. The articulation section includes a first frame member, a second frame member, and a sleeve. The proximal end of the second frame member is proximal to the proximal end of the first frame member. The sleeve is disposed about the first and second frame members.

Articulation section for shaft assembly of surgical instrument

An apparatus includes a shaft assembly and an end effector, which includes first and second jaws pivotably coupled together. The first jaw includes a first jaw body and a first electrode surface. The second jaw includes a second jaw body and an electrode assembly, which includes a distal end pivotably supported by the distal end of the second jaw body. The electrode assembly further includes a second electrode surface positioned to face the first electrode surface when the first and second jaws are placed in a closed configuration. The first and second electrode surfaces are operable to apply RF energy to tissue. The electrode assembly further includes at least one compressible member interposed between the second electrode surface and the second jaw body. The at least one compressible is being configured to urge a proximal region of the second electrode surface toward a corresponding region of the first electrode surface.

Electrosurgical instrument with floating jaw component

Methods of manufacturing a medical device are provided, which include injection molding a substantially cylindrical monolithic outer shell having an inner lumen and a plurality of ribs spaced longitudinally and extending partially circumferentially around the substantially cylindrical monolithic outer shell with elongate slots separating each rib. At least one flexible divider can be injection molded and advanced into the inner lumen to separate the inner lumen into first and second elongate channels and can be freely slidable relative to the substantially cylindrical monolithic outer shell. Proximal and distal ends of the substantially cylindrical monolithic outer shell can be respectively mated to a distal end of the elongate shaft and a proximal end of an end effector. First and second articulation bands can be advanced through the elongate shaft and channels and mated to opposed sides of the end effector.

Flexible neck for surgical instruments

Various exemplary methods and devices for actuating surgical instruments are provided. In general, a surgical device can include one or more actuation shafts configured to facilitate actuation of the device. In an exemplary embodiment, the device can include four actuation shafts, two actuation shafts to facilitate articulation of the device, one actuation shaft to facilitate opening and closing of jaws at a distal end of the device, and one actuation shaft to facilitate moving a cutting element of the device. In an exemplary embodiment, each of the one or more actuation shafts can include a distal elongate member and a proximal elongate member having a proximal end attached to a distal end of the distal elongate member. The proximal elongate member can be rigid, and the distal elongate member can be flexible.

Methods and devices for actuating surgical instruments

An apparatus includes a body, a shaft assembly, an articulation section, an end effector, an articulation connector, and an articulation drive assembly. The shaft assembly extends distally from the body. The end effector is connected to the articulation section such that the end effector is configured to deflect relative to the longitudinal axis of the shaft assembly. The articulation connector is configured to translate relative to the shaft assembly to deflect the end effector relative to the longitudinal axis. The articulation drive assembly is configured to translate the articulation connector relative to the shaft assembly. The articulation drive assembly includes a rotatable housing and a first lead screw assembly. The first lead screw assembly includes a first half and a second half. The first lead screw assembly is slidably coupled with the shaft assembly and is configured to translate in response to rotation of the rotatable housing.

Lead screw assembly for articulation control in surgical instrument

An end effector includes a distal clevis, an axle mounted to the distal clevis, a first jaw holder and corresponding first jaw member rotatably mounted to the axle, and second jaw holder and corresponding second jaw member rotatably mounted to the axle. A cylindrical sleeve axle having opposing first and second ends and defining a central passageway extending between the opposing first and second ends, the sleeve axle providing a continuously straight and uninterrupted outer surface extending entirely between the opposing first and second ends. The axle is received within the central passageway and the sleeve axle is rotatable relative to the axle.

Dual axle robotic end effector

Growing community of inventors

Centerville, OH, United States of America

Barry C Worrell