Surgery – Instruments – Cutting – puncturing or piercing
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-21
2001-04-10
Recla, Henry J. (Department: 3731)
Surgery
Instruments
Cutting, puncturing or piercing
C604S022000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06214023
ABSTRACT:
This application is related to the following patent applications; application Ser. No. 08/949,050 filed Oct. 10, 1997, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,980,510; application Ser. No. 08/770,550 filed Dec. 23, 1996, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,051,010; and application Ser. No. 08/949,049 filed Oct. 10, 1997, which are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to ultrasonic surgical instruments that include a mechanism for clamping tissue against an ultrasonic blade, and more particularly to an ultrasonic surgical instrument including an arrangement for detachably mounting a clamp arm to the ultrasonic surgical instrument
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Ultrasonic instruments, including both hollow core and solid core instruments, are used for the safe and effective treatment of many medical conditions. Ultrasonic instruments, and particularly solid core ultrasonic 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 instruments utilizing solid core technology are particularly advantageous because of the amount of ultrasonic energy which 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.
Solid core ultrasonic instruments adapted for use in surgery and, more particularly, for use in minimally invasive surgery, are well known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,322,055, and International publication number WO 98/14126 illustrate clamp coagulator surgical instruments which utilize solid core ultrasonic technology. Clamp coagulators such as those illustrated utilize clamp arms to apply pressure to tissue, forcing contact between tissue and the distal end of the ultrasonic waveguide which is generally referred to as the blade.
The clamp arm of clamp coagulator instruments such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,322,055 generally include a pad, often made from a polymer, to limit contact between the active ultrasonic waveguide and the clamp arm. In such instruments, the clamp pad may become worn or contaminated during use in surgical procedures, requiring the entire instrument to be discarded. Thus, it would be advantageous to provide a simple and cost effective way to replace worn or contaminated clamp pads. It would also be advantageous to provide a means for attaching sterile clamp pads during surgical procedures. It would further be advantageous to provide ultrasonic clamp coagulating instruments with removeable and replaceable clamp arms and clamp arm/pad combinations. It would also be advantageous to provide ultrasonic clamp coagulators particularly adapted to allow simple removal and replacement of clamp arms.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Described is an ultrasonic surgical device comprising a transducer adapted to convert electrical energy into mechanical motion, attachable to an ultrasonic surgical instrument including a handle assembly adapted to receive the transducer. The ultrasonic surgical instrument comprises a waveguide adapted to be acoustically coupled to the transducer, and to transmit ultrasonic energy to an end-effector located at the distal end of the waveguide. A support tube extends from the handle assembly and surrounds at least a portion of the waveguide, terminating proximal to the end-effector. A clamp arm is detachably mounted to the distal end of the support tube. An actuation element is operatively coupled to the clamp arm.
The ultrasonic surgical instrument may include the capability for the clamp arm, actuation element, support tube and waveguide to rotate within the handle assembly. The ultrasonic surgical instrument may also include a clamp arm release. The actuation element comprises a first range of motion and a second range of motion, whereby moving the clamp arm release from a second position to a first position increases allowable motion of the actuation element from the second range of motion to the first range of motion, thereby facilitating release of the clamp arm from the support tube.
In another embodiment of the present invention, an ultrasonic surgical instrument comprising a handle assembly, a waveguide, an end-effector located at the distal end of the waveguide, and a support tube extending from the handle assembly and surrounding at least a portion of the waveguide, with the support tube separable into at least two portions. The clamp arm may be mounted to a distal portion of the separable support tube, and an actuation element, also separable into at least two portions, is operatively coupled to the clamp arm.
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patent: 5676678 (1997-10-01), Schad
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patent: 6036667 (2000-03-01), Manna et al.
patent: 19534618 A1 (1997-03-01), None
patent: WO 98/14126 (1998-04-01), None
patent: WO98/34543 (1998-08-01), None
Japan Appln. No. 7-81469, dated 6 Apr. 199f; Applicant Olympus Optical Co., Ltd.
Japan Publication No. HEI 8-275949, dated Oct. 22, 1996; Applicant Olympus Optical Co., Ltd.
Japan Appln. No. 1-145053, dated Jun. 7, 19891; Applicant Olympus Optical Co., Ltd.
Japan Publication No. HEI 8-275952, dated Oct. 22, 1996; Applicant Olympus Optical Co., Ltd.
Hunt David L.
Schwemberger Richard F.
Whipple Gary
Ethicon Endo-Surgery Inc.
Kreger, Jr. Verne E.
Ngo Lien
Recla Henry J.
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