Symbiosis Corporation

Ethicon, Gmbh

Gregory J Murphy

Kevin W Smith

Charles R Slater

Thomas O Bales, Jr

Frank A Scarfone

John W Box

Michael D Bacon

Matthew S Solar

Devin Lee Moore

Saul Gottlieb

Kirk William Charles

David S Rowley

Jurgen A Kortenbach

Dana W Ryan

Joe Kopp

Lionel Gillespie

Endoscopic electrosurgical suction-irrigation instrument

Surgical instruments for insertion through trocar tubes are disclosed. The instruments broadly include: a hollow tube; a clevis which is formed separately from the tube with the distal end of the hollow tube crimped around the proximal end of the clevis, and with the clevis including a pivot pin; at least one end effector element having a pivot hole through which the pivot pin of the clevis is pivotally engaged, and another through-hole; a push rod extending at least partially through the hollow tube and mechanically coupled to the end effector element; and a plastic actuator engaging the proximal end of the push rod and for imparting reciprocal motion to the push rod relative to the tube, where the reciprocal motion is translated at the clevis into pivotal motion of the end effector element. Preferably, staple-like connectors are used to mechanically couple the end effector element to the push rod, especially for double acting instruments. The end effector elements are preferably formed of investment cast bronze.

Endoscopic surgical instruments

Medical instruments are provided having end effectors and end effector actuator apparatus which are rotatable relative to the end effectors. The instruments generally include a tube which is typically coupled to the end effectors via a clevis around which the end effectors pivot, a push rod extending through the tube and coupled to the end effectors, and an actuator apparatus engaging the tube and the push rod with the actuator apparatus including a handle which surrounds and rotatably engages the proximal end of the tube, and a lever arm which pivotally engages the handle and is coupled to the push rod such that pivotal movement of the lever arm relative to the handle effects axial movement of the push rod relative to the tube and pivotal movement of the end effectors. In order to alternatively fix or allow rotation of the actuator apparatus relative to the tube and end effectors, the tube is provided with a plurality of peripherally spaced apart recesses in a portion thereof, and the handle is provided with a resiliently biased contact element which is coupled to an electrode and which when seated in a recess restrains rotation of the outer tube about the longitudinal axis, but which can be unseated by a sufficient relative rotational force. To decouple rotation of the push rod from the lever arm, a generally spherical push rod engaging element is provided in a cylindrical bore of the lever arm.

Endoscopic surgical instruments having stepped rotatable end effectors

A Verres-type needle which has a sharpened outer needle and allows passage of a blunt inner needle within the outer needle. The Verress needle also contains a position indicator to indicate the position of the inner needle within the outer needle, so that the user knows whether the inner needle is in a protective or non-protective position. Further, a liquid level indicator demonstrates the path of liquid flow within the Verress-type needle. Finally, there is an acoustical enhancment mechanism, which allows the user to know whether the blunt inner needle has sprung forward within the abdominal cavity, to its most forward, protective position.

Verress needle with enhanced acoustical means

Disposable laparoscopic surgical instruments for insertion through trocar tubes are disclosed. The instruments broadly include: a hollow aluminum tube; an aluminum clevis which is formed separately from the aluminum tube with the distal end of the hollow aluminum tube crimped around the proximal end of the clevis, and with the clevis including a pivot pin; at least one end effector element having a pivot hole through which the pivot pin of the clevis is pivotally engaged, and another through-hole; an aluminum push rod extending at least partially through the hollow aluminum tube and mechanically coupled to the end effector element; and a plastic actuator engaging the proximal end of the push rod and for imparting reciprocal motion to the push rod relative to the aluminum tube, where the reciprocal motion is translated at the clevis into pivotal motion of the end effector element. Preferably, staple-like connectors are used to mechanically couple the end effector element to the push rod, especially for double acting instruments. The end effector elements are preferably formed of investment cast bronze.

Disposable laparoscopic surgical instruments

Releasable ratchet mechanism for medical instruments such as endoscopic instruments are disclosed. The ratchet mechanism includes: a leaf spring with a locking barb which is located on a handle of the medical instrument; a ratchet on a lever arm of the medical instrument which lever arm is pivotally engaged to the handle; and a latch on the handle of the medical instrument. The latch on the handle engages and resiliently deforms the leaf spring to cause engagement of the locking barb in a groove of the ratchet when the latch is in a first position. When in a second position, the latch releases the locking barb from the ratchet groove. Preferably, the locking barb has an extending edge surface on an axis which is substantially parallel to the pivoting axis of the handle and lever arm, and the teeth of the ratchet have extending edge surfaces on axes substantially parallel to the extending edge surface of the locking barb. Also, preferably, the edge surfaces of said teeth of the ratchet are located along an arc of a cylinder having the handle/lever arm pivot axis as its center line.

Ratchet locking mechanism for surgical instruments

Medical instruments are provided having end effectors and end effector actuator apparatus which are rotatable relative to the end effectors. The instruments generally include a tube which is typically coupled to the end effectors via a clevis around which the end effectors pivot, a push rod extending through the tube and coupled to the end effectors, an actuator apparatus engaging the tube and the push rod and imparting reciprocal axial motion to the push rod relative to the tube, and end effectors. The actuator apparatus includes a sleeve, spring, handle, and lever arm. The sleeve is movable along the longitudinal axis of the tube against a biasing force of the spring, but is restrained from rotating about the tube. The sleeve has a locking element on its proximal end. The handle surrounds and rotatably engages the proximal end of the tube and has a locking element on its distal end which mates with the locking element of the sleeve and disengages therewith when the sleeve is advanced along the tube. Upon disengagement, the tube, push rod, and end effectors can be rotated. The lever arm pivotally engages the handle and is coupled to the push rod such that pivotal movement of the lever arm relative to the handle effects movement of the push rod relative to the tube and pivotal movement of the end effectors. To decouple rotation of the push rod from the lever arm, a generally spherical push rod engaging element is provided in a generally cylindrical bore of the lever arm.

Endoscopic surgical instruments having rotatable end effectors

Connecting elements are disclosed for a laparoscopic surgical instrument. Each connecting element engages a reciprocally movable push rod having a first through-hole and a pivotally rotatable end effector having a second through-hole. The connecting element is preferably a resilient staple-like element having a first terminal portion configured to pivotally engage the first through-hole in the push rod, an oppositely extending second terminal portion configured to pivotally engage the second through-hole in the end effector, and a substantially U-shaped middle portion coupling the first and second terminal portions. Where a double acting surgical instrument is used, two connecting elements are required. For improved stability, the connecting elements of the double acting surgical instrument can be crossed.

Connecting elements for connecting push rod to end effectors in a

A Verress-type needle which has a sharpened outer needle and allows passage of a blunt inner needle within the outer needle. The Verress needle also contains a position indicator to indicate the position of the inner needle within the outer needle, so that the user knows whether the inner needle is in a protective or non-protective position. Further, a liquid level indicator demonstrates the path of liquid flow within the Verress-type needle. Finally, there is an acoustical enhancement mechanism, which allows the user to know whether the blunt inner needle has sprung forward within the abdominal cavity, to its most forward, protective position.

An investment cast bronze end effector blade for a disposable laparoscopic surgical instrument having a push rod is disclosed. The end effector blade has an aperture for engaging either the push rod or a connecting staple which couples the push rod of the instrument to the end effector blade. The end effector blade has a body member having a sharp edge element and a base element integral with integral first and second masses of bronze. The base element is an extended portion substantially parallel to and in an offset configuration with the sharp edge portion, and includes an aperture to which the push rod or connecting staple couples. The first mass of bronze integral with the investment cast end effector blade bridges the offset configuration between the sharp edge element and the base element. The second mass of bronze integral with the investment cast blade partially surrounds the aperture of the base element and extends to the end of the base element remote from the sharp edge portion.

Growing community of inventors

Sunrise, FL, United States of America

Gregory J Murphy