Covidien LP

Crystal A Adams

Zachary S Heiliger

Dylan R Kingsley

Jason Gary Weihe

Russell W Holbrook

Curtis M Siebenaller

William Ross Whitney

Kurt J Anglese

David D Brause

Haralambos P Apostolopoulos

Jeremy P Green

Ian M Anderson

A surgical instrument includes a housing, an articulating shaft, and an end effector assembly extending from the articulating shaft. Tensioning a first articulation cable and slackening a second articulation cable articulates the end effector assembly in a first direction and the opposite articulates the end effector assembly in a second, opposite direction. An articulation mechanism includes first and second capstans including proximal end portions of the first and second articulation cables at least partially wound thereabout. The first capstan is configured to rotate in a first direction to wind up the proximal end portion of the first articulation cable to tension the first articulation cable and in a second direction to unwind the proximal end portion of the first articulation cable to slacken the first articulation cable. The second capstan acts in an opposite manner to tension and slacken the second articulation cable.

Articulation mechanisms for surgical instruments such as for use in robotic surgical systems

An end effector assembly of a robotic surgical instrument includes a distal segment and first and second jaw members supported by the distal segment. The distal segment defines an elongate slot therein. The first jaw member has a proximal flange portion received in the elongate slot of the distal segment, and the second jaw member has a proximal flange portion received in the distal segment. The proximal flange portions of each of the first and second jaw member are pinned to the distal segment.

End effector assembly for use in a robotic surgical instrument

A robotic surgical instrument includes a housing, a shaft assembly extending distally from the housing, and an end effector assembly. The shaft assembly has a proximal segment coupled to the housing, a clevis supporting the end effector assembly, and at least one articulating link pivotably coupled to and interconnecting the proximal segment and the clevis such that the end effector assembly is configured to articulate relative to the proximal segment via the at least one articulating link in at least two directions.

Robotic surgical instrument

A robotic surgical instrument includes a housing, a support plate disposed within the housing, and a shaft having a proximal end portion coupled to the support plate within the housing, a proximal segment, a distal segment, and an articulating portion interconnecting the proximal and distal segments. An end effector assembly is coupled to the distal segment of the shaft. A plurality of actuation components extends through the support plate and at least a portion of the shaft to operably couple to at least one of the end effector assembly, the articulating portion, or the distal segment to enable selective actuation of the end effector assembly. A seal configuration establishes seals against an interior annular surface of the shaft, about each actuation component of the plurality of actuation components, and within the proximal end portion of the shaft to inhibit fluid communication from the shaft into the housing.

Seal configurations for surgical instruments such as for use in robotic surgical systems

An end effector assembly includes a clevis having first and second spaced-apart arms, a ceiling, a floor, pivot and cam pins extending between the arms, and first and second jaw members. Each jaw member includes a proximal portion and a distal body extending distally from the clevis. The proximal portion of the first jaw member includes a first flag disposed between the first and second arms of the clevis, operably coupled to both the pivot pin and the cam pin, extending vertically at least partially through openings defined within the ceiling and floor. The proximal portion of the second jaw member includes second and third flags disposed between the first and second arms of the clevis in spaced-apart relative to one another and between the ceiling and the floor. The second and third flags are fixedly engaged to the clevis.

End effector assemblies for surgical instruments such as for use in robotic surgical systems

A surgical instrument includes an elongated shaft including an articulating segment. A jaw assembly extends from a distal segment of the elongated shaft. A first jaw member can be actuated between a closed configuration and an open configuration. An articulation cable assembly includes a first articulation cable including a first extending portion, a second extending portion spaced apart from the first extending portion, and a loop portion connecting distal ends of the first and second extending portions of the first articulation cable. A first ferrule is positioned about the loop portion of the first articulation cable. A second articulation cable includes a first extending portion, a second extending portion spaced apart from the first extending portion, and a loop portion connecting distal ends of the first and second extending portions of the second articulation cable. A second ferrule is positioned about the loop portion of the second articulation cable.

Surgical instruments having an articulating section such as for use in robotic surgical systems

An articulation assembly for a robotic surgical instrument includes a plurality of rotatable but longitudinally fixed lead screws extending between first and second base plates, a collar threaded about each lead screws and configured to translate therealong in response to rotation of the corresponding lead screw, an articulation cable coupled to each collar and defining or having a threaded shaft, and a threaded nipple threaded about each of the threaded shafts. Each threaded nipple is engaged with one of the collars to thereby engage each of the articulation cables with a corresponding one of the collars such that longitudinal translation of the corresponding collar pushes or pulls the corresponding articulation cable. Each threaded nipple is configured for further threading or unthreading about the corresponding threaded shaft to vary a pre-tension on the corresponding articulation cable.

Tensioning mechanisms and methods for articulating surgical instruments such as for use in robotic surgical systems

A surgical end effector assembly includes first and second jaw members configured to grasp tissue. Each of the first and second jaw members includes a proximal flange portion and a distal body portion. The proximal flange portions are pivotably coupled to one another to move the distal body portions between a spaced-apart position and an approximated position.

End effector assemblies for surgical instruments

A robotic surgical instrument includes a housing having a shaft extending therefrom. A spring compression assembly is supported within the housing and includes: a proximal hub configured to secure a drive rod disposed therethrough, the proximal hub including teeth; a distal hub spaced from the proximal hub and including teeth; and a compression spring mounted between the proximal and distal hubs. A drive gear includes a proximal portion extending therefrom having threads disposed thereabout configured to engage the teeth of the proximal and distal hubs such that rotation thereof translates the hubs relative to one another and actuates the end effector assembly. A thumb wheel is included that has a portion exposed outside the housing for external manipulation thereof. The thumb wheel is selectively positionable between a disengaged position spaced relative to the drive gear and an engaged position to matingly engage the drive gear.

Manual end effector activation for robotic surgical systems

A robotic surgical instrument includes a housing, a shaft assembly extending distally from the housing, and an end effector assembly. The shaft assembly has a proximal segment coupled to the housing, a clevis supporting the end effector assembly, and an articulating link pivotably coupled to and interconnecting the proximal segment and the clevis such that the end effector assembly is configured to articulate relative to the proximal segment via the articulating link in at least two directions.

An end effector assembly of a robotic surgical instrument includes a clevis, first and second jaw members supported by the clevis, and a cam bar configured to move the first and second jaw members between an open state and a closed state.

A surgical end effector assembly includes first and second jaw members configured to grasp tissue. At least one of the jaw members defines a channel. A cutting element reciprocates through the channel to cut grasped tissue. The cutting element may include a first bevel defined along a first portion of a distal edge on a first side surface of the cutting element and a second bevel defined along a second portion of the distal edge on a second side surface of the cutting element. The first and second portions of the distal edge are sharpened to facilitate cutting tissue upon distal advancement of the cutting element. Alternatively or additionally, the cutting element may include a proximal body and a distal fin defining a height greater than a height of the proximal body and including a thinned portion defining a depression within a first side surface thereof.

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Westminster, CO, United States of America

Crystal A Adams