IP Library Granted Patent US 12697187
Granted Patent B2
US 12697187 · App. 18/499,164 · Granted Aug 4, 2026

Devices and systems for ultrasound guided endoscopic surgical procedures

Inventors: Chad A. Pickering (Woburn, MA); Arvind Rajagopalan Mohan (Dracut, MA)
Assignee: Covidien LP
A61B90/08A61B1/303A61B8/12A61B8/4209
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12697187
App. No.
18/499,164
Granted
Aug 4, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A surgical system includes a protective cover, an ultrasound device, and a surgical device. The protective cover includes a body configured to receive at least a portion of an ultrasound device through an open proximal end and into the interior volume of the body. A coupling assembly includes an inner coupler disposed within the interior volume of the body on an interior surface of the body and an outer coupler disposed on an exterior surface of the body. The inner coupler is configured to couple to the ultrasound device and the outer coupler is configured to couple to the surgical device to thereby constrain the ultrasound device and the surgical device in at least one degree of freedom while permitting movement of the surgical device relative to the ultrasound device in at least one other degree of freedom.

Claims (23)

1 . A surgical system, comprising:

a protective cover including a body, an inner coupler disposed within an interior volume of the body and fixed to an interior surface of the body, and an outer coupler disposed on and fixed to an exterior surface of the body, the inner and outer couplers fixedly engaged with one another;

an ultrasound device including a proximal housing, a shaft extending distally from the proximal housing, and an ultrasound sensor assembly disposed at a distal end portion of the shaft, at least the ultrasound sensor assembly and a portion of the shaft configured for insertion into the interior volume of the body of the protective cover, the shaft of the ultrasound device configured to couple to the inner coupler within the interior volume of the body of the protective cover; and

a surgical device configured to couple to the outer coupler exteriorly of the protective cover,

wherein, with the shaft of the ultrasound device coupled to the inner coupler within the body of the protective cover and the surgical device coupled to the outer coupler exteriorly of the body, the ultrasound device and the surgical device are spaced-apart relative to one another and constrained in at least one degree of freedom while movement of the surgical device relative to the ultrasound device is permitted in at least one other degree of freedom.

2 . The surgical system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one constrained degree of freedom includes at least one of transverse motion or tilt.

3 . The surgical system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one permitted degree of freedom includes at least one of rotation or longitudinal translation.

4 . The surgical system according to claim 1 , wherein the surgical device is a hysteroscope.

5 . The surgical system according to claim 1 , wherein the shaft of the ultrasound device is configured to couple to the inner coupler via an ultrasound device guide disposed on the shaft of the ultrasound device.

6 . The surgical system according to claim 1 , wherein the surgical device is configured to couple to the outer coupler via a surgical device guide disposed on the surgical device.

7 . The surgical system according to claim 6 , wherein the surgical device is configured to move in at least one degree of freedom relative to the surgical device guide when the surgical device is coupled to the surgical device guide.

8 . The surgical system according to claim 7 , wherein the surgical device guide is fixed relative to the inner and outer couplers and the ultrasound device such that the movement of the surgical device relative to the surgical device guide provides the permitted movement of the surgical device relative to the ultrasound device.

9 . A surgical system, comprising:

a protective cover including a body, an inner coupler disposed within an interior volume of the body and fixed to an interior surface of the body, and an outer coupler disposed on and fixed to an exterior surface of the body, the inner and outer couplers fixedly engaged with one another;

an ultrasound device including a proximal housing, a shaft extending distally from the proximal housing, and an ultrasound sensor assembly disposed at a distal end portion of the shaft, at least the ultrasound sensor assembly and a portion of the shaft configured for insertion into the interior volume of the body of the protective cover, the shaft of the ultrasound device including a first guide configured to couple to the inner coupler within the interior volume of the body of the protective cover; and

a surgical device including a second guide configured to couple to the outer coupler exteriorly of the protective cover,

wherein, with the first guide coupled to the inner coupler within the body of the protective cover and the second guide coupled to the outer coupler exteriorly of the protective cover, the ultrasound device and the surgical device are spaced-apart relative to one another and constrained in at least one degree of freedom while movement of the surgical device relative to the ultrasound device is permitted in at least one other degree of freedom.

10 . The surgical system according to claim 9 , wherein the at least one constrained degree of freedom includes at least one of transverse motion or tilt.

11 . The surgical system according to claim 9 , wherein the at least one permitted degree of freedom includes at least one of rotation or longitudinal translation.

12 . The surgical system according to claim 9 , wherein the surgical device is a hysteroscope.

13 . The surgical system according to claim 9 , wherein the surgical device is configured to move in at least one degree of freedom relative to the second guide.

14 . The surgical system according to claim 9 , wherein the inner coupler includes a first engagement interface configured to releasably engage an engagement interface of the first guide and wherein the outer coupler includes a second engagement interface configured to releasably engage an engagement interface of the second guide.

15 . The surgical system according to claim 9 , wherein at least one of: the first guide is removable from the ultrasound device, or the second guide is removable from the surgical device.