Electrosurgical sealing and transecting devices and methods with improved application of compressive force
View Patent ↗Devices and methods for sealing and cutting tissue are provided. In one exemplary embodiment, a surgical device includes a pair of opposed, pivoting jaws, a cutting blade assembly slidably coupled to the jaws, and a biasing member disposed in a portion of the cutting blade assembly and configured to be received by a track formed between proximal ends of the jaws. The cutting blade assembly can be operative to open and close the jaws, and the biasing member can be configured to be disposed at a location in the track that applies a spring bias to a proximal end of at least one of the jaws. The spring bias in turn increases a compressive force applied by distal ends of the jaws, which in turn can maintain or increase a force applied to tissue disposed between the jaws. Other devices and methods for sealing and cutting tissue are also provided.
1. A surgical device, comprising:
a jaw assembly having a first jaw and a second jaw pivotally coupled thereto, the first and second jaws being configured to engage tissue therebetween;
a cutting blade assembly slidably coupled to the first and second jaws and configured such that distal advancement of the cutting blade assembly along the first and second jaws moves the second jaw toward the first jaw into a closed position, and proximal retraction of the cutting blade assembly along the first and second jaws allows the second jaw to pivot away from the first jaw into an open position; and
a biasing member coupled to the cutting blade assembly, the biasing member being configured to advance distally along a track to apply a compressive force to the second jaw during initial distal advancement of the cutting blade assembly along a proximal portion of the first and second jaws, and the biasing member further being configured to apply no compressive force to the second jaw during further distal advancement of the cutting blade assembly along a distal portion of the first and second jaws,
wherein a size of the track is configured to change as the first and second jaws move towards the closed position, and
wherein a width of the pin path is smaller at a point at which the biasing member applies the compressive force to the second jaw than a width of the pin path at a point at which the biasing member applies no compressive force to the second jaw when the jaws are in the closed position.
2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the biasing member is configured to travel along a first path during distal advancement of the cutting blade assembly, and is configured to travel along a second alternate path during proximal retraction of the cutting blade assembly.
3. The device of claim 2 , further comprising a leaf spring coupled to the first jaw and configured to bias the biasing member into the second alternate path during proximal retraction of the cutting blade assembly.
4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the second jaw is pivotally coupled to the first jaw at a pivot point that is located distal of the proximal portion of the first and second jaws along which the compressive force is applied.
5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the biasing member comprises a pin configured to abut a proximal end of the second jaw to bias the second jaw toward the closed position during initial distal advancement of the cutting blade assembly.
6. The device of claim 5 , further comprising a leaf spring coupled to the first jaw and configured to bias the pin away from the proximal end of the second jaw during further distal advancement of the cutting blade assembly along a distal portion of the first and second jaws.
7. The device of claim 5 , wherein the cutting blade assembly includes a pusher shaft having a slot formed therein, and wherein the pin is slidably disposed within the slot.
8. The device of claim 7 , wherein the slot includes a first portion extending in a proximal-distal direction, and a second portion extending substantially perpendicular to the first portion.
9. The device of claim 1 , further comprising an electrode coupled to at least one of the first and second jaws and configured to apply energy to tissue disposed between the first and second jaws.
10. The device of claim 1 , wherein the track is defined by a proximal portion of an uppermost surface of the first jaw and a proximal portion of a lowermost surface of the second jaw.
11. A surgical device, comprising:
an elongate shaft having an end effector with opposed jaws on a distal end thereof; and
an actuation assembly coupled to the opposed jaws and configured to advance distally along the opposed jaws to close the jaws, and to retract proximally along the jaws to allow the jaws to open, the actuation assembly having a pin coupled thereto and configured to travel along a first pin path during distal advancement of the actuation assembly, and to travel along a second alternative pin path during proximal retraction of the actuation assembly, wherein the first pin path is configured such that the pin applies an increased compressive force to the opposed jaws during at least a portion of travel along the first pin path, and wherein the first pin path is further configured such that the pin applies no compressive force to the opposed jaws during travel along the second alternative pin path,
wherein a surface along which the pin is configured to travel when traveling along the first pin path during distal advancement of the actuation assembly is a different surface then a surface along which the pin is configured to travel when traveling along the second alternative pin path during proximal retraction of the actuation assembly, and
wherein the first pin path includes a total distance that the pin travels during distal advancement of the actuation assembly.
12. The device of claim 11 , further comprising a spring configured to bias the pin into the second alternative pin path during proximal retraction of the actuation assembly.
13. The device of claim 11 , wherein the actuation assembly includes a cutting blade configured to cut tissue engaged between the opposed jaws.
14. The device of claim 11 , wherein the opposed jaws comprises a cartridge assembly and an anvil pivotally coupled to one another at a pivot point.
15. The device of claim 14 , wherein the first pin path is configured such that the pin applies the increased compressive force to the opposed jaws during a portion of travel along the first pin path located proximal to the pivot point.
16. The device of claim 11 , wherein the first pin path has a width that is larger at a distal end of the first pin path than at an intermediate portion of the first pin path, the intermediate portion being located at a location at which the first pin path is configured such that the pin applies the increased compressive force to the opposed jaws.
17. The device of claim 11 , wherein the first pin path is configured such that the pin applies a force to a first wall and a second wall of the first pin path simultaneously during at least a portion of travel along the first pin path.
18. The device of claim 11 , wherein the actuation assembly is configured such that the pin advances distally to apply a compressive force to a jaw of the opposed jaws during the first distal advancement step.
19. The device of claim 11 ,
wherein the first pin path is defined by a proximal portion of an uppermost surface of a first jaw of the opposed jaws and a proximal portion of a lowermost surface of a second jaw of the opposed jaws.
20. The device of claim 19 , wherein the second alternative pin path is disposed in one of the opposed jaws.
21. The device of claim 11 , wherein the surface along which the pin is configured to travel when traveling along the first pin path during distal advancement of the actuation assembly is disposed above the surface along which the pin is configured to travel when traveling along the second alternative pin path.
22. The device of claim 11 ,
wherein the first pin path has first and second terminal ends,
wherein the second alternative pin path has first and second terminal ends, and
wherein the first terminal end of the first pin path is neither the first nor second terminal end of the second alternative pin path.
23. A method for sealing tissue, comprising:
distally advancing a cutting assembly of a surgical access device to apply a first compressive force to at least one of a first jaw and a second jaw of the device to move the jaws into a closed position in which tissue is clamped by the jaws, the device having a biasing element coupled to the cutting assembly that travels along a pin path to apply a second compressive force to the second jaw when the jaws are in the closed position; and
further distally advancing the cutting assembly along the first and second jaws such that the biasing element no longer applies the second compressive force to the second jaw,
wherein a size of the pin path changes as the first and second jaws move towards the closed position, and
wherein a width of the pin path is smaller at a point at which the biasing element applies the second compressive force to the second jaw than a width of the pin path at a point at which the biasing element no longer applies the second compressive force to the second jaw when the jaws are in the closed position.
24. The method of claim 23 , further comprising delivering energy to the tissue through at least one of the first and second jaws prior to the step of further distally advancing the cutting assembly along the first and second jaws such that the biasing element no longer applies the second compressive force to the second jaw.
25. The method of claim 23 , wherein the biasing element travels along the pin path, which is formed between the first and second jaws, and the biasing element applies the second compressive force to a proximal end of the second jaw.
26. The method of claim 25 , further comprising:
proximally retracting the cutting assembly, the biasing element traveling along an alternate path during proximal movement of the cutting assembly such that the biasing element applies no compressive force to the second jaw,
wherein a surface along which the biasing element travels when traveling along the pin path during distal advancement of the cutting assembly is a different surface then a surface along which the biasing element travels along the alternate pin path during proximal movement of the cutting assembly, and
wherein the pin path includes a total distance that the biasing element travels during distal advancement of the cutting assembly.
27. The method of claim 26 , wherein the alternate path is disposed in one of the first and second jaws.
28. The method of claim 25 , wherein the pin path is defined by a proximal portion of an uppermost surface of the first jaw and a proximal portion of a lowermost surface of the second jaw.
29. The method of claim 23 , wherein further distally advancing the cutting assembly along the first and second jaws includes transecting the tissue disposed between the jaws.
30. A surgical device, comprising:
a jaw assembly having a first jaw and a second jaw pivotally coupled thereto, the first and second jaws being configured to engage tissue therebetween;
a cutting blade assembly slidably coupled to the first and second jaws and configured such that distal advancement of the cutting blade assembly along the first and second jaws moves the second jaw toward the first jaw into a closed position, and proximal retraction of the cutting blade assembly along the first and second jaws allows the second jaw to pivot away from the first jaw into an open position; and
a biasing member coupled to the cutting blade assembly, the biasing member being configured to advance distally along a track to apply a compressive force to the second jaw during initial distal advancement of the cutting blade assembly along a proximal portion of the first and second jaws, and the biasing member further being configured to apply no compressive force to the second jaw during further distal advancement of the cutting blade assembly along a distal portion of the first and second jaws,
wherein the track is defined by a proximal portion of an uppermost surface of the first jaw and a proximal portion of a lowermost surface of the second jaw, and
wherein a size of the track is configured to change as the first and second jaws move towards the closed position.
31. The surgical device of claim 30 , wherein the biasing member is configured to travel along a first path during distal advancement of the cutting blade assembly, and is configured to travel along a second alternate path during proximal retraction of the cutting blade assembly.
32. The surgical device of claim 31 , further comprising a leaf spring coupled to the first jaw and configured to bias the biasing member into the second alternate path during proximal retraction of the cutting blade assembly.
33. The surgical device of claim 30 , wherein the second jaw is pivotally coupled to the first jaw at a pivot point that is located distal of the proximal portion of the first and second jaws along which the compressive force is applied.
34. The surgical device of claim 30 , wherein the biasing member comprises a pin configured to abut a proximal end of the second jaw to bias the second jaw toward the closed position during initial distal advancement of the cutting blade assembly.
35. The surgical device of claim 30 , further comprising an electrode coupled to at least one of the first and second jaws and configured to apply energy to tissue disposed between the first and second jaws.
36. A method for sealing tissue, comprising:
distally advancing a cutting assembly of a surgical access device to apply a first compressive force to at least one of a first jaw and a second jaw of the device to move the jaws into a closed position in which tissue is clamped by the jaws, the device having a biasing element coupled to the cutting assembly that travels along a pin path to apply a second compressive force to the second jaw when the jaws are in the closed position;
further distally advancing the cutting assembly along the first and second jaws such that the biasing element no longer applies the second compressive force to the second jaw; and
proximally retracting the cutting assembly, the biasing element traveling along an alternate path during proximal movement of the cutting assembly such that the biasing element applies no compressive force to the second jaw,
wherein a size of the pin path changes as the first and second jaws move towards the closed position,
wherein the biasing element travels along the pin path, which is formed between the first and second jaws, and the biasing element applies the second compressive force to a proximal end of the second jaw,
wherein a surface along which the biasing element travels when traveling along the pin path during distal advancement of the cutting assembly is a different surface then a surface along which the biasing element travels along the alternate pin path during proximal movement of the cutting assembly, and
wherein the pin path includes a total distance that the biasing element travels during distal advancement of the cutting assembly.
37. The method of claim 36 , further comprising delivering energy to the tissue through at least one of the first and second jaws prior to the step of further distally advancing the cutting assembly along the first and second jaws such that the biasing element no longer applies the second compressive force to the second jaw.
38. The method of claim 36 , wherein further distally advancing the cutting assembly along the first and second jaws includes transecting the tissue disposed between the jaws.
39. The method of claim 36 , wherein the pin path is defined by a proximal portion of an uppermost surface of the first jaw and a proximal portion of a lowermost surface of the second jaw.