Ethicon Endo-surgery, Inc.

Ethicon, Gmbh

Cilag International Gmbh

Hill-rom Services, Inc.

Devicor Medical Products, Inc.

Patrick A Weizman

Frederick E Shelton, IV

Dean B Bruewer

Geoffrey C Hueil

Douglas B Hoffman

Mark S Ortiz

Jeffrey David Messerly

Gregory B Blair

Steven G Hall

Galen C Robertson

Andrew M Zwolinski

Randall J Tanguay

William David Kelly

Jerome R Morgan

Richard William Timm

William Bruce Weisenburgh, Ii

Donna L Korvick

Kyle P Moore

Charles J Scheib

Craig N Faller

Joshua R Uth

Kevin Ross Doll

Jeffrey S Swayze

Thomas W Huitema

Shailendra Kumar Parihar

Timothy G Dietz

Bret William Smith

Jacob Spencer Gee

Zhifan F Huang

John B Schulte

Mark H Ransick

Ronald John Kolata

Glen A Armstrong

Foster B Stulen

Sean P Conlon

David Keith Norvell

Tylor C Muhlenkamp

Brian D Bertke

Douglas J Turner

Jeffrey L Aldridge

Cory G Kimball

Kevin D Felder

Michael R Lamping

Carl J Draginoff, Jr

Eric B Smith

David W Hensley

Steven P Smolik

Gary S Siegle

Chester O Baxter, Iii

John V Hunt

Christopher C Miller

Adam R Dunki-Jacobs

Joseph E Young

Scott A Woodruff

Barry Thomas Jamison

Cortney E Henderson

Carl J Shurtleff

Jean-Bernard Duvert

Johnny H Alexander, Iii

John F Cummings

Edward G Chekan

Patrick J Swindon

Venkataramanan Mandakolathur Vasudevan

Joseph P Schowalter

Gwendolyn Perez Payne

Jason L Harris

Kevin L Houser

Chad Paul Boudreaux

Anil K Nalagatla

Geoffrey S Strobl

Richard F Schwemberger

David A Witt

Amy L Marcotte

Aron O Zingman

John W Willis

David C Yates

Eitan T Wiener

Daniel W Price

Andrew T Beckman

Gregory W Johnson

Matthew C Miller

James R Giordano

James Walden Voegele

Ryan M Asher

William D Dannaher

Michael S Cropper

Prasanna Malaviya

Tamara S Widenhouse

John P Measamer

Christopher J Schall

Paul T Franer

Robert J Laird

Patrick Jarvis Scoggins

John A Weed, Iii

Scott A Nield

John L Stammen

Bradley E White

Tamara S Vetro Widenhouse

Thomas C Gallmeyer

Karalyn R Tellio

Various embodiments are directed to articulatable surgical instruments. Some embodiments comprise an end effector to treat tissue, where the end effector comprises an ultrasonic blade. A hollow shaft may extend proximally from the end effector along a longitudinal axis. A waveguide may extend through the shaft and may be acoustically coupled to the ultrasonic blade. The waveguide may comprise a distally positioned flange positioned within the hollow shaft proximally from the blade and may be held stationary at a first pivot point positioned within the hollow shaft proximally from the flange. A reciprocating wedge may be positioned within the hollow shaft such that distal motion of the wedge pushes the wedge between the flange and the hollow shaft, causing the ultrasonic blade to pivot about the first pivot point in a first direction.

Surgical instruments with articulating shafts

An apparatus includes a shaft assembly, an ultrasonic blade, and a clamp assembly. The shaft assembly includes an acoustic waveguide operable to transmit ultrasonic vibrations to the blade. The clamp assembly includes a clamp arm pivotable toward and away from the blade about a pivot axis, to clamp tissue between the clamp arm and the blade. A rotation feature may provide rotation of the blade relative to the clamp arm about the longitudinal axis of the waveguide. Alternatively, the rotation feature may provide rotation of the clamp arm relative to the blade about the longitudinal axis. The rotation feature may be driven based on pivotal positioning of the clamp arm relative to the blade about the pivot axis. The rotation feature may selectively lock and unlock the angular position of either the blade or the clamp arm about the longitudinal axis at any of a number of predetermined angular positions.

Rotation features for ultrasonic surgical instrument

In various embodiments, a surgical stapling instrument can include a handle, a shaft extending from the handle, wherein the shaft defines an axis, and a disposable loading unit which is assembled to the shaft in a direction which is transverse to the shaft axis. Such a connection between the disposable loading unit and the shaft can prevent, or at least inhibit, the disposable loading unit from being unintentionally displaced proximally and/or distally relative to the shaft of the surgical instrument. The surgical stapling instrument and/or disposable loading unit can further include a threaded collar and/or detent assembly configured to hold the disposable loading unit in place. In various embodiments, a disposable loading unit can include a lockout feature which can prevent, or at least inhibit, an expended disposable loading unit from being reassembled to the elongated body of the surgical instrument.

End effector coupling arrangements for a surgical cutting and stapling instrument

Various embodiments are directed to articulatable surgical instruments and surgical systems comprising articulatable surgical instruments. Some embodiments comprise an end effector to comprising an ultrasonic blade. A hollow shaft may extend proximally from the end effector along a longitudinal axis. The hollow shaft may comprise a rigid portion and a flexible portion at a first position on the longitudinal axis distal from the rigid portion. A waveguide may extend through the shaft and may be acoustically coupled to the ultrasonic blade. The waveguide may comprise a flexible portion at the first position on the longitudinal axis such that the end effector is pivotable away from the longitudinal axis from the first position.

A surgical instrument comprising a waveguide, an end effector, and an electrical switch is disclosed. The waveguide comprises a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the proximal end is configured to couple to an ultrasonic transducer and one output of a radio frequency (RF) generator. The end effector may comprise an ultrasonic blade and a clamp arm. The ultrasonic blade is mechanically coupled to the distal end of the waveguide and electrically coupled to the waveguide. The clamp arm comprises a movable jaw member electrically coupled to another output of the RF generator. The electrical switch is operable to cause the surgical instrument to deliver electrical current from the RF generator to the movable jaw member for a first period, and to cause the surgical instrument to deliver ultrasonic energy to the ultrasonic blade for a second period.

Ultrasonic and electrosurgical devices

A surgical stapling assembly comprising a firing member, an end effector, a closure member, and a shaft including an attachment interface is disclosed. The surgical stapling assembly is configured to be attached to a surgical instrument interface by way of the attachment interface. The end effector comprises a first jaw, a second jaw, and a staple cartridge comprising staples configured to be ejected by the firing member. The second jaw is movable relative to the first jaw between an open position, a fully-clamped position, and a collapsed position. The end effector further comprises an interconnection between the first jaw and the second jaw defining a rotational axis about which the second iaw is movable relative to the first iaw. The rotational axis is shiftable toward and away from the first iaw as the second iaw is moved between the open position, the fully-clamped position, and the collapsed position.

A surgical stapling assembly comprising a staple cartridge carrier, an anvil, an outer surface, a closure member, a staple cartridge, and a firing system is disclosed. The anvil is rotatable between a first position and a second position. The closure member is slideable along the outer surface to hold the anvil in the second position. The closure member comprises a clearance opening. The staple cartridge is positioned within the staple cartridge carrier. The staple cartridge comprises staples removably stored therein. The staple cartridge and the anvil define a tissue gap therebetween when the anvil is in the second position. The clearance opening is aligned with the tissue gap when the anvil is in the second position. The firing system is configured to eject the staples from the staple cartridge during a staple firing stroke. The firing system engages the staple cartridge carrier and the anvil during the staple firing stroke.

Surgical stapling apparatus with control features operable with one hand

A surgical instrument can comprise a first jaw and second jaw, wherein the first jaw is movable relative to the second jaw to capture tissue having a tissue thickness. A tissue cutting force monitor is configured to determine the tissue thickness of the captured tissue and communicate the tissue thickness to a controller, wherein the controller is configured to adjust the speed of a tissue-cutting element during a cutting portion of a firing stroke based on the tissue thickness communicated from the tissue cutting force monitor. The controller is configured to reduce the speed of the tissue-cutting element when the tissue cutting force monitor communicates a thicker tissue thickness to the controller. The controller is configured to increase the speed of the tissue-cutting element when the tissue cutting force monitor communicates a thinner tissue thickness to the controller.

Surgical instrument

Systems, devices and methods manage surgical instruments throughout their lifecycle by reprogramming a device to account for operational displacement of ultrasonic components based upon a diagnostic test. A diagnostic test tip is used with a surgical instrument to simulate device usage and capture capacitance and phase margin of the device. This information is used to calculate an optimal current to supply to the device during future procedures.

System and method to establish current setpoint for ultrasonic transducer

Various embodiments are directed to articulatable surgical instruments and surgical systems comprising articulatable surgical instruments. Some embodiments comprise an end effector to treat tissue, where the end effector comprises an ultrasonic blade. A hollow shaft may extend proximally from the end effector along a longitudinal axis. A waveguide may extend through the hollow shaft and may be acoustically coupled to the ultrasonic blade. The waveguide may comprise a distally positioned flange positioned within the hollow shaft proximally from the ultrasonic blade and may be held stationary at a first pivot point positioned within the hollow shaft proximally from the flange. A reciprocatable wedge may be configured to interact with the flange to cause the ultrasonic blade to pivot about the first pivot point in a first direction.

A surgical instrument includes a handle assembly having a trigger operable to fire a staple driver to staple tissue. The instrument includes a pointed rod to which an anvil may be coupled. An anvil detection feature is included to determine when the anvil is coupled to the rod. In some versions, the anvil detection feature comprises a translatable rod that inhibits a lockout feature from disengaging. In other versions, an anvil sensing tube is disposed about the pointed rod and interferes with actuation of the trigger in a first position. A recess in the tube permits trigger to actuate when the anvil sensing tube is in the second position. Alternatively, a resilient tab is coupled to the pointed rod and resists actuation of the staple driver. A trigger lockout assembly may include a spring-loaded button that 'pops' out when a push rod is actuated, thereby freeing a pivotable lockout feature.

Tissue stapler anvil feature to prevent premature jaw opening

A disposable loading unit for use with a surgical stapling instrument is disclosed. The disposable loading unit comprises a cutting member, an anvil, and a first replaceable stapling jaw assembly. The first replaceable stapling jaw assembly comprises a first cartridge body and first staples. The disposable loading unit further comprises a second replaceable stapling jaw assembly comprising a second cartridge body and second staples. The disposable loading unit further comprises a lockout that prevents the first replaceable stapling jaw assembly from being fired after the first replaceable stapling jaw assembly has been at least partially fired. The surgical stapling instrument and the disposable loading unit are configured to deploy the second staples from the second replaceable stapling jaw assembly with which the first replaceable stapling jaw assembly is replaced.

Disposable loading unit for use with a surgical instrument

Growing community of inventors

Liberty Township, OH, United States of America

Patrick A Weizman