IP Library Granted Patent US 8,418,349
Granted Patent B2
US 8,418,349 · App. 13/072,373 · Granted Apr 16, 2013

Method of assembling a cordless hand-held ultrasonic cautery cutting device

Inventors: Kevin W. Smith (Coral Gables, FL); Thomas O. Bales, Jr. (Coral Gables, FL); Matthew A. Palmer (Miami, FL); Derek Dee Deville (Coral Gables, FL)
Assignee: Covidien AG
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,418,349
App. No.
13/072,373
Granted
Apr 16, 2013
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for assembling an ultrasonic surgical device includes the steps of providing a proximal end of an ultrasonic waveguide at an ultrasonic surgical handle body, removably coupling an ultrasonic-movement-generator assembly having a ultrasonic-driving-wave-signal generating circuit to the ultrasonic surgical handle body, mechanically coupling an ultrasonic transducer rotationally freely and substantially longitudinally fixedly to the ultrasonic surgical handle body to place an ultrasonic-movement-producing distal end of the ultrasonic transducer opposite and adjacent the proximal end of the ultrasonic waveguide, and rotating the waveguide and the ultrasonic transducer with respect to one another to removably fixedly couple the waveguide to the ultrasonic-movement-producing distal end of the ultrasonic transducer and to electrically couple the ultrasonic-driving-wave-signal generating circuit to the ultrasonic surgical handle body.

Claims (51)

1. A method for assembling an ultrasonic surgical device, the method comprising:

providing a proximal end of an ultrasonic waveguide at an ultrasonic surgical handle body;

removably coupling to the ultrasonic surgical handle body a cordless ultrasonic-movement-generator assembly having a shell containing therein an ultrasonic-driving-wave-signal generating circuit;

mechanically coupling a cordless ultrasonic transducer rotationally freely and substantially longitudinally fixedly to the ultrasonic surgical handle body to place an ultrasonic-movement-producing distal end of the ultrasonic transducer opposite and adjacent the proximal end of the ultrasonic waveguide; and

rotating the waveguide and the ultrasonic transducer with respect to one another to removably fixedly couple the waveguide to the ultrasonic-movement-producing distal end of the ultrasonic transducer and to electrically couple the ultrasonic-driving-wave-signal generating circuit of the shell to the ultrasonic surgical handle body, wherein the ultrasonic transducer is operable to dynamically produce a resonant wave along the ultrasonic waveguide when the ultrasonic transducer is excited by the ultrasonic-driving-wave-signal generating circuit.

2. The method according to claim 1 , which further comprises carrying out the step of removably coupling the shell to the ultrasonic surgical handle body and the step of mechanically coupling the ultrasonic transducer rotationally freely and substantially longitudinally fixedly to the ultrasonic surgical handle body substantially simultaneously.

3. The method according to claim 1 , which further comprises carrying out the step of removably coupling the shell to the ultrasonic surgical handle body before carrying out the step of mechanically coupling the ultrasonic transducer rotationally freely and substantially longitudinally fixedly to the ultrasonic surgical handle body.

4. The method according to claim 1 , which further comprises removably coupling the shell to the ultrasonic surgical handle body after carrying out the step of mechanically coupling the ultrasonic transducer rotationally freely and substantially longitudinally fixedly to the ultrasonic surgical handle body.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein carrying out the waveguide rotation step automatically causes, at substantially the same time:

the shell to removably couple with the ultrasonic surgical handle body; and

the ultrasonic transducer to mechanically couple rotationally freely and substantially longitudinally fixedly to the ultrasonic surgical handle body.

6. The method according to claim 1 , which further comprises providing the ultrasonic transducer partially within the ultrasonic surgical handle body to expose a proximal end of the ultrasonic transducer to the environment for rotation by a user.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the waveguide has an ultrasonic end effector and which further comprises indirectly rotating the end effector by rotating the exposed proximal end of the ultrasonic transducer.

8. The method according to claim 6 , which further comprises uncoupling the waveguide from the ultrasonic-movement-producing distal end of the ultrasonic transducer by:

grasping the exposed proximal end of the ultrasonic transducer; and

rotating the ultrasonic waveguide with respect to the ultrasonic transducer.

9. The method according to claim 1 , which further comprises removably inserting a battery at a selectively accessible and aseptically sealable battery-holding compartment of the ultrasonic surgical handle body.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the battery-holding compartment is disposed one of:

at a grip portion of the handle body;

in a grip portion of the handle body; and

in the ultrasonic-movement-generator assembly.

11. The method according to claim 1 , which further comprises removably inserting an entirety of a battery at a selectively accessible and aseptically sealable battery-holding compartment of the ultrasonic surgical handle body.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the handle body defines the battery-holding compartment in an interior thereof and a door selectively closes off and seals the battery-holding compartment.

13. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the battery-holding compartment is disposed one of:

at a grip portion of the handle body;

in a grip portion of the handle body; and

in the ultrasonic-movement-generator assembly.

14. The method according to claim 1 , which further comprises:

replacing at least one of the ultrasonic transducer and the shell containing therein the ultrasonic-driving-wave-signal generating circuit from the ultrasonic surgical handle body by coupling at least one of:

a second ultrasonic transducer different from the ultrasonic transducer to the ultrasonic surgical handle body; and

a second shell containing therein a second ultrasonic-driving-wave-signal generating circuit different from the shell containing therein the ultrasonic-driving-wave-signal generating circuit to the ultrasonic surgical handle body.

15. The method according to claim 1 , which further comprises:

substantially simultaneously removing the ultrasonic transducer and the shell containing therein the ultrasonic-drive-wave-signal generating circuit from the ultrasonic surgical handle body; and

replacing the ultrasonic transducer and the ultrasonic-movement-generator assembly by substantially simultaneously coupling, to the ultrasonic surgical handle body, a second ultrasonic transducer different from the ultrasonic transducer and a second shell containing therein a second ultrasonic-driving-wave-signal generating circuit different from the shell containing therein the ultrasonic-driving-wave-signal generating circuit.

16. The method according to claim 1 , which further comprises uncoupling the ultrasonic waveguide from the ultrasonic-movement-producing distal end of the ultrasonic transducer by rotating one of the ultrasonic waveguide and the ultrasonic transducer with respect to the other.

17. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the resonant wave is a sine wave.

18. A method for assembling and using an ultrasonic surgical assembly, the method comprising:

providing a cordless ultrasonic-movement-generator assembly with:

a shell;

an ultrasonic-driving-wave-signal generating circuit housed within the shell; and

a cordless ultrasonic transducer having:

an ultrasonic-movement-producing distal end; and

a proximal end;

providing a proximal end of an ultrasonic waveguide at an ultrasonic surgical handle body;

providing a handle body with:

an ultrasonic-signal-generator assembly dock exposed to the environment and shaped to selectively removably couple the shell to the handle body; and

an ultrasonic transducer attachment dock exposed to the environment and shaped to selectively removably receive the ultrasonic transducer at the handle body;

mechanically coupling the ultrasonic transducer rotationally freely and substantially longitudinally fixedly to the ultrasonic surgical handle body at the ultrasonic transducer attachment dock to place the ultrasonic-movement-producing distal end of the ultrasonic transducer opposite and adjacent the proximal end of the ultrasonic waveguide;

removably coupling the shell of the ultrasonic-movement-generator assembly to the ultrasonic surgical handle body at the ultrasonic-signal-generator assembly dock; and

rotating the ultrasonic waveguide and the ultrasonic transducer with respect to one another to removably fixedly couple the waveguide to the ultrasonic-movement-producing distal end of the ultrasonic transducer and to electrically couple the ultrasonic-driving-wave-signal generating circuit to the ultrasonic surgical handle body, wherein the ultrasonic transducer is operable to dynamically produce a resonant wave along the ultrasonic waveguide when the ultrasonic transducer is excited by the ultrasonic-driving-wave-signal generating circuit.

19. The method according to claim 18 , wherein the resonant wave is a sine wave.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 29, 2011
From: SYNTHEON, LLC
To: COVIDIEN AG
Reel/Frame 026200/0366 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 6, 2011
From: SMITH, KEVIN W.; BALES, THOMAS O., JR.; PALMER, MATTHEW A.; DEVILLE, DEREK DEE
To: SYNTHEON, LLC
Reel/Frame 026080/0484 →
Continuity (25)
Continuation In Part 12266101 · Nov 6, 2008
Continuation In Part 12266146 · Nov 6, 2008
Continuation In Part 12266226 · Nov 6, 2008
Continuation In Part 12266252 · Nov 6, 2008
Continuation In Part 12266320 · Nov 6, 2008
Continuation In Part 12266664 · Nov 7, 2008
Continuation In Part 12269544 · Nov 12, 2008
Continuation In Part 12269629 · Nov 12, 2008
Continuation In Part 12270146 · Nov 13, 2008
Division 12547898 · Aug 26, 2009
Division 12547975 · Aug 26, 2009
Division 12547999 · Aug 26, 2009
Division 13072309 · Mar 25, 2011
Division 13072345 · Mar 25, 2011
Division 13072247 · Mar 25, 2011
Division 13072273 · Mar 25, 2011
Division 13072187 · Mar 25, 2011
Division 13072221 · Mar 25, 2011
Provisional Application 60991829 · Dec 3, 2007
Provisional Application 60992498 · Dec 5, 2007
Provisional Application 61019888 · Jan 9, 2008
Provisional Application 61045475 · Apr 16, 2008
Provisional Application 61048809 · Apr 29, 2008
Provisional Application 61081885 · Jul 18, 2008
Related Publication 20110167621A1 · Jul 14, 2011