Ethicon, Gmbh

Cilag International Gmbh

Ethicon Endo-surgery, Inc.

Craig T Davis

Ryan M Asher

Chad Paul Boudreaux

Jeffrey L Aldridge

Timothy G Dietz

Richard William Timm

Richard C Smith

Daniel W Price

Shan Wan

Kevin L Houser

Foster B Stulen

Gregory W Johnson

Brian D Black

Jason R Lesko

Frederick L Estera

Jeffrey David Messerly

William Bruce Weisenburgh, Ii

Benjamin D Dickerson

Stephen M Leuck

Eric M Roberson

John A Weed, Iii

Ion V Nicolaescu

Jose Domingo Vasquez

Daniel J Mumaw

Jacob Spencer Gee

William D Dannaher

Ashvani K Madan

Tylor C Muhlenkamp

Jeffery Kirk

Timothy S Holland

Amelia Pierce

James Walden Voegele

Craig N Faller

David A Witt

John B Schulte

John E Brady

Sora Rhee

Catherine A Corbett

David Alexander Monroe

Nathan T Cummings

Kip M Rupp

Emron Jackson Henry

Mark E Tebbe

David C Yates

John A Hibner

Barry C Worrell

Cory G Kimball

Sean P Conlon

Joseph Daniel Dennis, Jr

Amy M Krumm

Candice Otrembiak

Thomas C Gallmeyer

Joseph E Hollo

Jeffrey A Bullock

Geni M Giannotti

Geoffrey S Strobl

Prasanna Malaviya

David Keith Norvell

Mark A Davison

Kristen G Denzinger

Kevin D Felder

Paul T Franer

Robert J Beetel, Iii

Rafael J Ruiz Ortiz

Douglas J Turner

James M Wilson

Kevin Bash

Christina M Hough

Frederick E Shelton, IV

Jerome R Morgan

Eitan T Wiener

Matthew C Miller

James R Giordano

Galen C Robertson

Gregory A Trees

William Eugene Clem

Tamara S Widenhouse

Aaron C Voegele

Amy L Marcotte

Benjamin M Boyd

William A Olson

Amrita Singh Sawhney

Brian D Bertke

Jonathan T Batross

Scott A Nield

Tony C Siebel

Edward G Chekan

Phillip H Clauda

Bryce Loring Heitman

Karalyn R Tellio

Monica L Z Rivard

Monica L Rivard

Monica L Zeckel

Fajian Zhang

John Michael Sarley

Alex W Kiturkes

Joseph Isosaki

Kristen L D'Uva

Terry McFarland

William B Weisenburgh

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 system configured to control operation of an ultrasonic surgical instrument is disclosed. The system comprises a generator configured to generate a signal, and a computer communicably coupled to the generator. The computer is configured to receive a first set of variables corresponding to a first signal at a first power level of the instrument, evaluate the first set of variables with a model to generate a first output, wherein the first output comprises a value between the first set of variables and a condition set, and wherein the condition set comprises a plurality of conditions that correspond to a plurality of responses, determine the first output meets a first threshold value for a first condition; determine a first response corresponding to the first condition, wherein the first response is a second power level for the instrument, and transmit the second power level to the generator for a second signal.

Switch arrangements for ultrasonic surgical instruments

An ultrasonic instrument includes a housing, an ultrasonic transducer support by the housing, and an integrated usage indicator. The housing is configured to removably connect to a shaft assembly. The ultrasonic transducer is configured to be acoustically connected to a waveguide and operated a predetermined number of use cycles. The integrated usage indicator is operatively connected to the housing and includes a used state indicator. The used state indicator is configured to indicate to a clinician in a used state when the ultrasonic transducer has been operated at least the predetermined number of use cycles for limiting usage of the ultrasonic transducer to the predetermined number of use cycles.

Surgical instrument use indicator

A surgical instrument includes a rotatable electrical coupling assembly having a first part and a second part that electrically couple and rotate relative to each other. The second part is carried by and rotates with a tube collar coupled to a transducer. A portion of the transducer is inserted through an aperture of the second part, but does not contact the second part. The first part of the assembly may electrically couple to the second part via pogo pins, brush contacts, or ball bearings. Alternatively, the first part may comprise conductive channels formed in the casing. The second part may comprise a rotatable drum with a conductive trace. In some versions, one or more components may comprise MID components. In another version, the rotatable electrical coupling assembly comprises a rotatable PC board and brush contact. Further still, a circuit board may be provided with the transducer inside a transducer casing.

Surgical instrument with slip ring assembly to power ultrasonic transducer

Systems, devices, and methods are operable to track usage of a surgical instrument and modify the performance of the surgical instrument based on the prior usage of the surgical instrument. Some surgical instruments are designed to have a limited service life beginning at their first use, or a limit to their overall usage in order to ensure safe use of the sensitive instruments. However, a lack of ability to track usage characteristics when the instrument is separated from an external power supply allows for user abuse and avoidance of such safety mechanisms. Adding a battery or capacitor to the instrument may allow for an ability to track usage when the instrument is separated from an external power supply. Implementing special user prompts, device use ratios, and device use half-life upon powering down of an instrument may additionally be used to prevent circumvention of safety features.

System and method to track usage of surgical instrument

An end effector of an electrosurgical device may include a discharge port, an aspiration port, two electrodes, and a diverter formed from a porous material. The diverter includes a matrix having voids to receive fluid from the discharge port. A releasable diverter assembly may include an assembly body configured to receive a pair of electrodes and a diverter composed of a porous material. A shaft assembly of an electrosurgical device may include two electrodes and two fluid cannulae. Each cannula may be disposed proximate to a surface of each of the electrodes. An end effector of an electrosurgical device may include a fluid discharge port, two electrodes, and a diverter disposed therebetween. A proximal edge of the diverter may form a secant line with respect to the end of the discharge port so that fluid emitted by the discharge port is disposed on a surface of the diverter.

Saline contact with electrodes

Ultrasonic surgical instruments including a handle housing, a switch frame, and a switch assembly are disclosed. The switch assembly may include a first switch arrangement movably supported on a distal portion of the handle housing and selectively movable relative to a first switch contact supported by the switch frame. The switch assembly may further include a second switch arrangement including a right switch button movably supported on a right side of the handle housing and selectively movable relative to a right switch contact supported by the switch frame, and a left switch button movably supported on a left side of the handle housing and selectively movable relative to a left switch contact supported by the switch frame. The first and second switch arrangements may be configured to be selectively actuatable by a single hand supporting the handle housing.

An apparatus includes a shaft assembly and an end effector. The shaft assembly includes an outer sheath, at least one irrigation conduit, and at least one suction conduit. The end effector includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and a web. The electrodes extend distally relative to a distal end of the outer sheath. The electrodes are operable to apply bipolar RF energy to tissue. The web extends laterally between the first and second electrodes. The web is positioned distal to the distal end of the outer sheath.

End effector for electrosurgical instrument with irrigation

A surgical instrument includes an ultrasonic transducer, a distally extending shaft, and an end effector at a distal end of the shaft. The end effector includes an ultrasonic blade and a clamp arm. The ultrasonic blade includes an upper treatment side, a lower treatment side, a first lateral side, and a second lateral side. The clamp arm is movable relative to the ultrasonic blade for clamping tissue therebetween, and it provides an RF electrode operable to seal tissue with RF energy. The RF electrode includes first and second electrode side portions. The first electrode side portion is spaced laterally outward from the first lateral side of the ultrasonic blade by a first lateral gap distance. The second electrode side portion spaced from the first electrode side portion and is spaced laterally outward from the second lateral side of the ultrasonic blade by a second lateral gap distance.

Combination ultrasonic and electrosurgical instrument having clamp arm electrode

A surgical instrument includes an ultrasonic transducer, a shaft extending distally along a shaft axis, a waveguide acoustically coupled with the ultrasonic transducer and extending distally through the shaft, and an end effector at a distal end of the shaft. The end effector includes an ultrasonic blade acoustically coupled with the waveguide. A nodal support element is arranged within a distal portion of the shaft and encircles the waveguide at a distal-most acoustic node of the waveguide. The nodal support element includes a support portion aligned with the distal-most acoustic node, and a sealing portion extending axially from the support portion. The support portion engages an inner surface of the shaft and is configured to support the waveguide in coaxial alignment with the shaft axis. The sealing portion sealingly engages the inner surface of the shaft and is configured to prevent proximal ingress of fluid through the shaft.

Combination ultrasonic and electrosurgical instrument having ultrasonic waveguide with distal overmold member

Various ultrasonic instruments are disclosed. The ultrasonic instruments include structures configured to indicate the cutting length of the instruments, detect when grasped tissue has extended beyond the cutting length of the instrument, and prevent tissue from extending beyond the cutting length. Several techniques for each types of structures are disclosed.

Tissue loading of a surgical instrument

A surgical instrument includes a shaft, an ultrasonic transducer, a waveguide, and an end effector at a distal end of the shaft. The end effector includes an ultrasonic blade acoustically coupled with the waveguide, a clamp arm movable relative to the ultrasonic blade, a first RF electrode provided by the clamp arm, and a second RF electrode provided by the ultrasonic blade. The first RF electrode is electrically coupled with a first RF electrical path of the instrument, and the second RF electrode is electrically coupled with a second RF electrical path of the instrument. The RF electrodes are operable to seal tissue with bipolar RF energy. An electrically insulative layer is provided on at least a portion of at least one of the ultrasonic blade, the waveguide, the shaft, or the clamp arm, and is configured to prevent shorting between the first and second RF electrical paths.

Combination ultrasonic and electrosurgical instrument having electrically insulating features

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Cincinnati, OH, United States of America

Craig T Davis