Cilag International Gmbh

Ethicon, Gmbh

Ethicon Endo-surgery, Inc.

Steven P Smolik

Jeffrey David Messerly

Foster B Stulen

Jacob Spencer Gee

William D Dannaher

Zhifan F Huang

Patrick A Weizman

Stephen J Balek

Sora Rhee

Carl J Draginoff, Jr

David Stefanchik

Omar J Vakharia

Charles J Scheib

Ryan M Asher

Benjamin D Dickerson

Kristen G Denzinger

David James Cagle

Tylor C Muhlenkamp

Frederick L Estera

Paul F Riestenberg

Barry Thomas Jamison

A surgical instrument includes a transducer assembly with a housing having a conduit section and a base portion. A fluid passageway is defined through the conduit and base portion, an ultrasonic transducer including a plurality of piezoelectric elements and a plurality of electrodes are arranged in a stack configuration, where an electrode is located between each pair of piezoelectric elements. A first borehole is defined through the ultrasonic transducer and an end mass having a second borehole defined therethrough. A surface of the end mass is positioned adjacent a first end of the ultrasonic transducer, the end mass is configured to engage with the housing, and the conduit section of the housing is configured to pass through the second borehole of the end mass. The end mass is configured to compress the ultrasonic transducer against a surface of the housing when the end mass is engaged with the housing.

Ultrasonic surgical instrument with piezoelectric central lumen transducer

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

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.

An ultrasonic instrument includes a body, a shaft assembly, and an end effector. The shaft assembly extends distally from the body. The shaft assembly includes an acoustic waveguide configured to acoustically couple with an ultrasonic transducer. The end effector includes an ultrasonic blade, a clamp arm and a clamp pad. The ultrasonic blade is in acoustic communication with the waveguide. The clamp arm is pivotally coupled with the shaft assembly. The clamp pad is configured to removably couple with the clamp arm while the clamp arm is pivotally coupled to the shaft assembly.

Ultrasonic surgical instrument with replaceable clamp pad

Various embodiments are directed to surgical instruments comprising an end effector, a shaft and a jaw assembly. The end effector may comprise an ultrasonic blade extending distally substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis. The shaft may extend proximally from the end effector along the longitudinal axis. The jaw assembly may comprise first and second jaw members. The jaw assembly may be pivotable about a first axis substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis from a first position where the first and second jaw members are substantially parallel to the ultrasonic blade to a second position. Additionally, the first and second jaw members may be pivotable about a second axis substantially perpendicular to the first axis.

Ultrasonic surgical instruments with distally positioned jaw assemblies

Surgical instruments including a shaft, a jaw assembly and an ultrasonic assembly are disclosed. The shaft may extend along a shaft axis. The jaw assembly may be coupled to a distal end of the shaft and may include a first jaw member and a second jaw member. The jaw assembly may be configured to pivot about a first axis between a first location and a second location. The first and second jaw members may be positioned substantially parallel to the shaft axis at the first location and the first and second jaw members may be positioned at an angle from the shaft axis at the second location. The ultrasonic assembly may comprise an ultrasonic blade, a waveguide, and a transducer. The ultrasonic assembly may be positioned substantially parallel to and offset from the shaft axis and may be axially translatable to at least partially retract the ultrasonic blade within the shaft.

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 medical instrument is disclosed having a flexible tube, an end effector, and an actuator. A control member, such as a control wire, can extend through the flexible tube. A mechanical coupling is disclosed for attaching the control member to the actuator. A method for mechanically coupling the control member to the actuator is also disclosed.

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West Chester, OH, United States of America

Steven P Smolik