Ethicon, Gmbh

Cilag International Gmbh

Ethicon Endo-surgery, Inc.

Crown Equipment Corporation

Jason R Lesko

Barry C Worrell

Chad Paul Boudreaux

James A Woodard, Jr

Kevin Michael Fiebig

William Bruce Weisenburgh, Ii

Brian D Black

Stephen M Leuck

Craig T Davis

Matthew C Miller

Ryan M Asher

John E Brady

Frederick L Estera

Geoffrey S Strobl

Gregory A Trees

David T Martin

William D Dannaher

Kevin L Houser

Jeffrey David Messerly

Gregory W Johnson

Rudolph Henry Nobis

William Eugene Clem

Jacob Spencer Gee

Sarah Alexandra Worthington

Richard C Smith

Eric M Roberson

Shan Wan

David C Yates

John A Hibner

Richard F Schwemberger

Craig N Faller

Benjamin D Dickerson

Gary W Knight

Katherine J Schmid

Mark A Davison

Robert J Laird

Frederick E Shelton, IV

Chester O Baxter, Iii

Richard L Leimbach

Jeffrey L Aldridge

Brett E Swensgard

Christopher C Miller

Zhifan F Huang

Chad E Eckert

Kristen G Denzinger

John P Measamer

Amy M Krumm

Ion V Nicolaescu

Catherine A Corbett

Candice Otrembiak

Andrew Kolpitcke

Timothy S Holland

Geni M Giannotti

Eric N Johnson

Shawn C Snyder

Nathan T Cummings

Ellen E Burkart

Carl J Draginoff, Jr

Joseph Daniel Dennis, Jr

Kris Eren Kallenberger

Amelia Pierce

Rafael J Ruiz Ortiz

David Alexander Monroe

Demetrius N Harris

Randolph C Stewart

Alexander R Cuti

Matthew Thomas Kuhn

Matthew S Schneider

Bryce Loring Heitman

Joseph E Hollo

Aaron J Brickner

Scott B Killinger

Guion Y Lucas

Fajian Zhang

Grace E Waters

Glenn W Ellison

Michael J Miller

Phillip H Clauda

Monica L Rivard

Cameron D McLain

James M Wilson

Monica L Zeckel

David M Locke

Kristen L D'Uva

Atul M Godbole

Michael V Sherrill

Christina M Hough

Michael P Gallagher

William Jason White

David James Cagle

Eric J Hanson

Aaron C Voegele

Benjamin M Boyd

William A Olson

Kevin M Montgomery

Patrick Jarvis Scoggins

Juergen Buchmann

Emron Jackson Henry

Tamara S Vetro Widenhouse

Bingshi Wang

A surgical instrument, has an end effector that includes an ultrasonic blade, and a clamp arm that moves relative to the ultrasonic blade from an opened position toward an intermediate position and a closed position. The clamp arm is offset from the ultrasonic blade to define a predetermined gap in the intermediate position between the opened position and the closed position. A clamp arm actuator connects to the clamp arm and moves from an opened configuration to a closed configuration to direct the clamp arm from the opened position toward the intermediate position and the closed position. A spacer connects with the clamp arm to inhibit movement of the clamp arm from the intermediate position toward the closed position for maintaining the predetermined gap between the clamp arm and the ultrasonic blade.

Surgical instrument with selectively actuated gap-setting features for end effector

An apparatus including a body, a shaft assembly extending distally from the body, and an end effector configured to grasp and transmit RF energy to the tissue. The end effector includes a first jaw having a first tissue grasping feature and a second jaw. The second jaw is pivotably coupled to the first jaw between an open position, a partially closed position, and a closed position. The second jaw includes a proximal taper having a proximal electrode surface, a distal taper including a distal electrode surface, and a juncture between the proximal and distal electrode surface. The juncture is spaced further from the first tissue grasping feature compared to the proximal and distal end while the second jaw is in the partially closed position. The proximal and distal electrode surface deform to define a gap with the first tissue grasping feature while in the closed position.

Jaw for surgical instrument end effector

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

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 ultrasonic surgical instrument includes a first modular assembly including at least one operator input feature an ultrasonic transducer supported by the first modular assembly, and a second modular assembly configured to be removably coupled with the first modular assembly. The second modular assembly includes at least a portion of an end effector extending distally from a distal end portion of the second modular assembly. The instrument includes a mechanical lockout assembly configured to switch between at least an unlocked configuration and a locked configuration. In the locked configuration, the first modular assembly and the second modular assembly are partially coupled together such that the operator is physically prevented from activating the instrument using the operator input feature. In the unlocked configuration, the first modular assembly and the second modular assembly are completely coupled together and the operator is able to activate the instrument using the operator input feature.

Mechanical lockout for ultrasonic surgical instrument

An apparatus includes a body, a shaft assembly, and an end effector. The end effector includes an ultrasonic blade and a clamp arm assembly. The ultrasonic blade is in acoustic communication with an acoustic waveguide of the shaft assembly. The clamp arm assembly is pivotable toward and away from the ultrasonic blade. The clamp arm assembly includes a first electrode and a second electrode. The first and second electrodes are operable to cooperate to apply bipolar RF energy to tissue.

End effector for instrument with ultrasonic blade and bipolar clamp arm

A surgical instrument includes an end effector, a shaft assembly, and a torque wrench integrally connected with the shaft assembly. The shaft assembly has an acoustic waveguide extending therethrough and the end effector projects distally from the shaft assembly. The acoustic waveguide has a proximal end portion configured to rotatably couple with an ultrasonic transducer assembly. The torque wrench is configured to transmit torque applied to the acoustic waveguide up to a predetermined torque. A portion of the torque wrench is configured to deflect upon receipt of torque greater than the predetermined torque. Accordingly, the portion of the torque wrench slips relative to the acoustic waveguide for limiting coupling of the acoustic waveguide to the ultrasonic transducer assembly to the predetermined torque.

Ultrasonic surgical instrument with integral shaft assembly torque wrench

An apparatus comprises an end effector, an elongate shaft, and a handle assembly. The shaft includes an articulation section that is operable to deflect the end effector away from the longitudinal axis of the shaft. The handle assembly includes a rotary member positioned within an intermediate section of the handle assembly. The rotary member is rotatable about an axis that is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the shaft. The rotary member is operable to control the articulation section of the shaft. The rotary member may include opposing thread sections that simultaneously drive lead screws in opposite longitudinal directions, to thereby control the articulation section. The shaft may be rotatable relative to the handle assembly, and the apparatus may selectively lock or resist such rotation based on the articulation state of the articulation section.

Surgical instrument with contained dual helix actuator assembly

A surgical end effector is provided having upper and lower jaws pivotally coupled to one another by at least one connecting member that is configured to allow a gap between the jaws to be set at a desired height. In one embodiment, the connecting member can be pivotably coupled to the upper jaw and fixed within a slot in the lower jaw. The connecting member can be fixed within the slot in one of multiple positions so as to position first and second tissue contacting surfaces of the upper and lower jaws at a predetermined distance from one another when the first and second jaws are in the closed position. The connecting member can include a pin formed thereon that extends into a bore formed in the upper jaw. Alternatively, the upper jaw can include a pin formed thereon that extends into a bore formed in the connecting member.

Surgical jaw coupling methods and devices

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

Growing community of inventors

Cincinnati, OH, United States of America

Jason R Lesko