Powered surgical device with linear position sensor

Inventors: David A. Nicholas (Trumbull, CT); Anthony D. Calderoni (Bristol, CT); John M. Pantazis (Stratford, CT)

Assignee: Covidien LP

A61B17/07207 A61B90/03 A61B2017/00398 A61B2090/034

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 12702413
App. No.: 19/123,469
Granted: Aug 11, 2026
Kind: B2

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Abstract

A powered surgical device includes a handle assembly that includes a linear position sensor in the form of a linear potentiometer for identifying a position of a rack within the handle assembly. The linear potentiometer provides a signal indicative of the position of the rack to a controller to control operation of a motor or motors positioned within the handle assembly to control various functions of the surgical device. The linear potentiometer supports a lever assembly that is coupled to a slide of the linear potentiometer to selectively couple and decouple the slide from the rack. The lever assembly facilitates the use of a linear potentiometer having a shorter length.

Claims (38)

1 . A powered handle assembly comprising:

a housing defining a cam slot;

a rack positioned within the housing, the rack movable between a rack retracted position and a rack advanced position;

a drive assembly engaged with the rack and operable to move the rack between the rack retracted position and the rack advanced position;

a lever assembly supported on the rack and including a lever, the lever including a cam member that is received in the cam slot of the housing, the lever being movable between a raised position and a lowered position; and

2 . The powered handle assembly of claim 1 , wherein the rack defines an elongate slot, and the lever is received within the elongate slot.

3 . The powered handle assembly of claim 2 , wherein the lever assembly includes a pivot member that pivotably couples the lever to the rack.

4 . The powered handle assembly of claim 3 , wherein the drive assembly includes a motor/gear assembly that includes a gear that is engaged with the rack, the motor gear assembly operable to move the rack between the rack retracted position and the rack advanced position.

5 . The powered handle assembly of claim 4 , wherein the handle assembly includes a printed circuit board that is coupled to the potentiometer.

6 . The powered handle assembly of claim 5 , wherein the rack is movable from the rack retracted position to a rack clamped position and from the rack clamped position to the rack advanced position, and the cam slot is configured to move the lever to the lowered position as the rack moves between the rack clamped position and the rack advanced position.

7 . The powered handle assembly of claim 6 , wherein the rack includes a proximal abutment, the proximal abutment positioned to engage the slide as the rack nears the rack advanced position to move the slide to the slide advanced position.

8 . The powered handle assembly of claim 6 , wherein the rack includes a distal abutment member that is positioned to engage the slide as the rack moves from the rack advanced position to the rack retracted position to move the slide back to the slide retracted position.

9 . A surgical device comprising:

a handle assembly including:

a housing defining a cam slot;

a rack positioned within the housing, the rack movable between a rack retracted position and a rack advanced position;

a drive assembly engaged with the rack and operable to move the rack between the rack retracted position and the rack advanced position;

an elongate body extending distally from the from the handle assembly, the elongate body including a proximal portion, a distal portion, a control rod, and a firing actuator, the firing actuator including a flexible beam and a working member secured to a distal portion of the flexible beam, the control rod having a proximal portion coupled to the rack and a distal portion coupled to the firing actuator; and

a tool assembly supported on the distal portion of the elongate body.

10 . The surgical device of claim 9 , wherein the tool assembly includes an anvil and a cartridge assembly, the working member movable through the tool assembly to move the tool assembly between unclamped and clamped positions and eject staples from the cartridge assembly.

11 . The surgical device of claim 9 , wherein the rack of the handle assembly defines an elongate slot, and the lever is received within the elongate slot.

12 . The surgical device of claim 11 , wherein the lever assembly includes a pivot member that pivotably couples the lever to the rack.

13 . The surgical device of claim 12 , wherein the drive assembly includes a motor/gear assembly that includes a gear that is engaged with the rack, the motor gear assembly operable to move the rack between the rack retracted position and the rack advanced position.

14 . The surgical device of claim 13 , wherein the handle assembly includes a printed circuit board that is coupled to the potentiometer.

15 . The surgical device of claim 14 , wherein the rack is movable from the rack retracted position to a rack clamped position and from the rack clamped position to the rack advanced position, and the cam slot is configured to move the lever to the lowered position as the rack moves between the rack clamped position and the rack advanced position.

16 . The surgical device of claim 15 , wherein the rack includes a proximal abutment, the proximal abutment positioned to engage the slide as the rack nears the advanced position to move the slide to a slide advanced position.

17 . The surgical device of claim 15 , wherein the rack includes a distal abutment member that is positioned to engage the slide as the rack moves from the advanced position to the retracted position.

18 . A powered handle assembly comprising:

a housing defining a cam slot;

a rack positioned within the housing, the rack defining an elongate slot and being movable between a rack retracted position and a rack advanced position;

a drive assembly engaged with the rack and operable to move the rack between the rack retracted position and the rack advanced position;

a lever assembly supported on the rack within the elongate slot, the lever assembly including a lever having a cam member that is received in the cam slot of the housing, the lever movable between a raised position and a lowered position; and

a potentiometer including a body and a slide, the slide movable between a slide retracted position and a slide advanced position, the slide positioned to be engaged by the lever when the lever is in the raised position such that movement of the rack causes movement of the slide, wherein the rack is movable from the rack retracted position to a rack clamped position and from the rack clamped position to the rack advanced position, and the cam slot is configured to move the lever to the lowered position as the rack moves between the rack clamped position and the rack advanced position.

19 . The powered handle assembly of claim 18 , wherein the lever assembly includes a pivot member that pivotably couples the lever to the rack.

20 . The powered handle assembly of claim 19 , wherein the rack includes a proximal abutment that is positioned to engage the slide as the rack nears the advanced position to move the slide to a slide advanced position, and the rack includes a distal abutment member that is positioned to engage the slide as the rack moves from the advanced position to the retracted position to move the slide towards the slide retracted position.