The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 04, 2018
Filed:
Jun. 25, 2014
Ethicon Endo-surgery, Inc., Cincinnati, OH (US);
Rebecca J. Gettinger, Loveland, OH (US);
David Bruns, Kettering, OH (US);
John C. Schuckmann, Cincinnati, OH (US);
Frederick E. Shelton, IV, Hillsboro, OH (US);
Ethicon LLC, Guaynabo, PR (US);
Abstract
A method for using a surgical instrument comprises translating a first translatable member to unlock an articulation joint, translating a second translatable member to articulate and end effector at the articulation joint, and translating the second translatable member again to lock the articulation joint. The first and second translatable members may be translatable independently of each other. The act of unlocking an articulation joint may include moving a locking feature along a plane that is parallel to both the longitudinal axis of a shaft assembly and an articulation axis of the articulation joint. The locking feature may move longitudinally along the articulation axis, perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the shaft assembly.