Surgery: kinesitherapy – Kinesitherapy – Ultrasonic
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-25
2001-03-27
Lateef, Marvin M. (Department: 3737)
Surgery: kinesitherapy
Kinesitherapy
Ultrasonic
C600S121000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06206844
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates, in general, to ultrasonic surgical instruments including removable outer sheaths and, more particularly, to a reusable ultrasonic surgical instruments with an improved removable outer sheath.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Ultrasonic surgical instruments, including both hollow core and solid core instruments, are used for the safe and effective treatment of many medical conditions. Ultrasonic surgical instruments, and particularly solid core ultrasonic surgical instruments, are advantageous because they may be used to cut and/or coagulate organic tissue using energy in the form of mechanical vibrations transmitted to a surgical end-effector at ultrasonic frequencies. Ultrasonic vibrations, when transmitted to organic tissue at suitable energy levels and using a suitable end-effector, may be used to cut, dissect, or cauterize tissue. Ultrasonic surgical instruments utilizing solid core technology are particularly advantageous because of the amount of ultrasonic energy that may be transmitted from the ultrasonic transducer through the waveguide to the surgical end-effector. Such instruments are particularly suited for use in minimally invasive procedures, such as endoscopic or laparoscopic procedures, wherein the end-effector is passed through a trocar to reach the surgical site.
Ultrasonic vibration is induced in the surgical end-effector by, for example, electrically exciting a transducer mounted at the proximal end of the ultrasonic instrument. The transducer may be constructed of one or more piezoelectric or magnetostrictive elements which are mounted in the instrument handpiece. Vibrations generated by the transducer are transmitted to the surgical end-effector via an ultrasonic waveguide extending from the transducer section to the surgical end-effector.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,810,859 illustrates an ultrasonic surgical instrument for surgical applications wherein the ultrasonic waveguide is fixed within an outer sheath by a pin through a hub. However, the device described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,810,359 is not designed to be disassembled, cleaned, or re-sterilized.
Reusable ultrasonic surgical instruments incorporating removable outer sheaths cleaning and sterilization have been used, for example, Ethicon Endo-Surgery's HARMONIC SCALPEL. The HARMONIC SCALPEL line includes a 10-millimeter diameter reusable ultrasonic surgical instrument which incorporates a removable outer sheath which attaches to the instrument handpiece.
Therefore, it would be advantageous to provide an ultrasonic surgical instrument that may be easily disassembled for cleaning and then reassembled for multiple uses. It would further be advantageous to provide a reusable ultrasonic surgical instrument, which may be assembled before sterilization to reduce instrument assembly time during a surgical procedure. It would further be advantageous to provide an easily assembled reusable ultrasonic surgical instrument sized small enough to fit within an 8-millimeter or smaller trocar. It would further be advantageous to provide an ultrasonic surgical instrument including a removable outer sheath wherein the outer sheath removably and rotateably engages the waveguide to facilitate connection and removal of the waveguide and outer sheath from the handpiece.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to an ultrasonic surgical instrument including an improved outer sheath having a first opening at a distal end of the outer sheath, a second opening at a proximal end of the outer sheath, first and second sheath pinholes through the outer sheath proximal to the first opening. An improved sheath according to the present invention further includes a first sheath pin slot extending from the proximal end of the sheath to the first sheath pinhole and a second sheath pin slot extending from the proximal end of the sheath to the second sheath pinhole. An ultrasonic instrument according to the present invention includes an ultrasonic waveguide positioned within the outer sheath wherein the ultrasonic waveguide includes an end-effector extending from the opening of the outer sheath, a waveguide pinhole through the ultrasonic waveguide proximal to the end-effector. An ultrasonic surgical instrument according to the present invention further includes a connector pin, the connector pin extending through the first sheath pinhole, the waveguide pinhole and the second sheath pinhole and an attachment hub surrounding the outer sheath, wherein the attachment hub is slideable over the outer sheath. An ultrasonic surgical instrument according to the present invention may further include a first pin slot on an inner surface of the attachment hub, wherein the connector pin engages the first pin slot when the attachment hub is in its proximal most position.
An alternate embodiment of the present invention is directed to an ultrasonic surgical instrument including an improved outer sheath having a first opening at a distal end of the outer sheath, a second opening at a proximal end of the outer sheath, first and second sheath pinholes through the outer sheath proximal to the first opening. An ultrasonic instrument according to the present invention includes an ultrasonic waveguide positioned within the outer sheath wherein the ultrasonic waveguide includes an end-effector extending from the opening of the outer sheath, a waveguide pinhole through the ultrasonic waveguide proximal to the end-effector. An ultrasonic surgical instrument according to the present invention further includes a connector pin, the connector pin extending through the first sheath pinhole, the waveguide pinhole and the second sheath pinhole and an attachment hub surrounding the outer sheath, wherein the attachment hub is slideable over the outer sheath. An ultrasonic surgical instrument according to the present invention may further include a first pin slot on an inner surface of the attachment hub, wherein the connector pin engages the first pin slot when the attachment hub is in its proximal most position. In a further embodiment of the present invention, the pin slot in the attachment hub is L-shaped with a locking slot at its distal end.
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The Harmonic Scalpel® 10 mm Assembly Instructions, UltraCision Incorporated.
Beaupre Jean M.
Reichel Lee E.
Ethicon Endo-Surgery Inc.
Lateef Marvin M.
Mantis Mercader Eleni
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