Granted Patent B2

US 10,178,992 · App. 14/742,876 · Granted Jan 15, 2019

Abstract

Claims (55)

1. A surgical instrument comprising:

an elongate shaft assembly defining a shaft axis;

a surgical end effector pivotally coupled to said elongate shaft assembly for selective articulation relative to said elongate shaft assembly about an articulation axis that is transverse to said shaft axis; and

an articulation system, comprising:

a rotary articulation member supported for rotational travel about a rotary axis that is transverse to said shaft axis;

a first distal articulation driver assembly supported for selective longitudinal travel in a distal direction and a proximal direction in response to corresponding articulation motions applied thereto by said rotary articulation member, said first distal articulation driver assembly comprising:

a first articulation link movably interfacing with said rotary articulation member; and

a first articulation connector pivotally coupled to said first articulation link, said first articulation connector operably interfacing with said surgical end effector and wherein said articulation system further comprises:

a second distal articulation driver assembly supported for longitudinal travel in said distal and proximal directions, said second distal articulation driver assembly comprising:

a second articulation link movably interfacing with said rotary articulation member; and

a second articulation member pivotally coupled to said second articulation link and operably interfacing with said surgical end effector and wherein said articulation system further comprises:

means for selectively rotating said rotary articulation member in first and second rotary directions about said rotary axis such that when said rotary articulation member is rotated in said first rotary direction by said means for selectively rotating, said first distal articulation driver assembly is longitudinally driven in said distal direction and said second distal articulation driver assembly is simultaneously moved in said proximal direction to articulate said surgical end effector about said articulation axis in a first articulation direction and when said rotary articulation member is rotated in said second rotary direction by said means for selectively rotating, said first distal articulation driver assembly is longitudinally driven in said proximal direction and said second distal articulation driver assembly is simultaneously moved in said distal direction to articulate said surgical end effector about said articulation axis in a second articulation direction about said articulation axis that is opposite to said first articulation direction.

2. The surgical instrument of claim 1 , wherein said rotary articulation member comprises a rotary articulation disc and wherein said first distal articulation driver assembly comprises a first articulation driver portion movably supported within a first articulation slot in said rotary articulation disc and wherein said second distal articulation driver assembly comprises a second articulation driver portion movably supported within a second articulation slot in said rotary articulation disc.

3. The surgical instrument of claim 2 , further comprising:

a first biasing member interacting with said first articulation driver portion to bias said first distal articulation driver assembly into a first neutral articulation position when said means for selectively rotating is unactuated; and

a second biasing member interacting with said second articulation driver portion to bias said second distal articulation driver assembly into a second neutral articulation position when said means for selectively rotating is unactuated.

4. The surgical instrument of claim 1 , wherein said first distal articulation driver assembly further comprises an articulation lock assembly operably interfacing with said first articulation connector and said surgical end effector and configured to selectively lock said surgical end effector in a plurality of articulated positions relative to said elongate shaft assembly.

5. The surgical instrument of claim 4 , further comprising a first articulation member operably interfacing with said articulation lock assembly and said surgical end effector.

6. The surgical instrument of claim 5 , wherein said first articulation member is coupled to said surgical end effector by a first movable coupler and said second articulation member is coupled to said surgical end effector by a second movable coupler.

7. The surgical instrument of claim 6 , wherein said first articulation member is coupled to said first movable coupler by a first ball joint and wherein said second articulation member is coupled to said second movable coupler by a second ball joint.

8. The surgical instrument of claim 1 , wherein said means for selectively rotating comprises a motor in meshing engagement with said rotary articulation member.

9. The surgical instrument of claim 1 , further comprising a longitudinally movable firing member and wherein said means for selectively rotating comprises:

a motor configured to generate rotary output motions; and

a switching arrangement operably interfacing with said motor and said longitudinally movable firing member and an articulation drive link that is in operable engagement with said rotary articulation member, said switching arrangement configured to move between a first position wherein actuation of said motor results in applications of axial articulation motions to said articulation drive link to thereby cause said rotary articulation member to rotate about said rotary axis and a second position wherein actuation of said motor results in applications of axial firing motions to said longitudinally movable firing member.

10. A surgical instrument comprising:

an elongate shaft assembly defining a shaft axis;

a longitudinally movable firing member;

a surgical end effector pivotally coupled to said elongate shaft assembly for selective articulation relative to said elongate shaft assembly about an articulation axis that is transverse to said shaft axis; and

an articulation system, comprising:

a rotary driver member supported for rotation travel about a rotary axis that is transverse to said shaft axis;

a rotary driven member supported for rotational travel relative to said rotary driver member about said rotary axis, said rotary driven member operably interfacing with said rotary driver member such that application of articulation control motions to said rotary driver member causes said rotary driven member to rotate about said rotary axis;

a first distal articulation driver assembly operably interfacing with at least said rotary driven member and supported for selective longitudinal travel in a distal direction and a proximal direction in response to rotation of at least said rotary driven member said first distal articulation driver assembly operably interfacing with said surgical end effector;

a second distal articulation driver assembly operably interfacing with at least said rotary driven member and supported for longitudinal travel in said distal and proximal directions, said second distal articulation driver assembly operably interfacing with said surgical end effector; and

means for selectively applying said articulation control motions to said rotary driver member to cause said rotary driver member to rotate about said rotary axis and to thereby cause said rotary driven member to rotate about said rotary axis such that when said rotary driven member rotates in a first rotary direction, said first distal articulation driver assembly is longitudinally driven in said distal direction and said second distal articulation driver assembly is simultaneously moved in said proximal direction to articulate said surgical end effector about said articulation axis in a first articulation direction and when said rotary driven member is rotated in a second rotary direction, said first distal articulation driver assembly is longitudinally driven in said proximal direction and said second distal articulation driver assembly is simultaneously moved in said distal direction to articulate said surgical end effector about said articulation axis in a second articulation direction about said articulation axis that is opposite to said first articulation direction, said means for selectively applying comprising:

a motor configured to generate rotary output motions; and

a switching arrangement operably interfacing with said motor and said longitudinally movable firing member and an articulation drive link that is in operable engagement with said rotary driver member, said switching arrangement configured to move between a first position wherein actuation of said motor results in applications of axial articulation motions to said articulation drive link to thereby cause said rotary driver member to rotate about said rotary axis and a second position wherein actuation of said motor results in applications of axial firing motions to said longitudinally movable firing member.

11. A surgical instrument comprising:

an elongate shaft assembly defining a shaft axis;

a surgical end effector pivotally coupled to said elongate shaft assembly for selective articulation relative to said elongate shaft assembly about an articulation axis that is transverse to said shaft axis;

a longitudinally movable firing member; and

an articulation system, comprising:

a rotary articulation member supported for rotational travel about a rotary axis that is transverse to said shaft axis;

a first distal articulation driver assembly operably interfacing with said rotary articulation member and supported for selective longitudinal travel in a distal direction and a proximal direction in response to corresponding articulation motions applied thereto by said rotary articulation member, said first distal articulation driver assembly operably interfacing with said surgical end effector;

a second distal articulation driver assembly operably interfacing with said rotary articulation member and supported for longitudinal travel in said distal and proximal directions, said second distal articulation driver assembly operably interfacing with said surgical end effector; and

means for selectively rotating said rotary articulation member in first and second rotary directions about said rotary axis such that when said rotary articulation member is rotated in said first rotary direction by said means for selectively rotating, said first distal articulation driver assembly is longitudinally driven in said distal direction and said second distal articulation driver assembly is simultaneously moved in said proximal direction to articulate said surgical end effector about said articulation axis in a first articulation direction and when said rotary articulation member is rotated in said second rotary direction by said means for selectively rotating, said first distal articulation driver assembly is longitudinally driven in said proximal direction and said second distal articulation driver assembly is simultaneously moved in said distal direction to articulate said surgical end effector about said articulation axis in a second articulation direction about said articulation axis that is opposite to said first articulation direction, said means for selectively rotating comprising:

a motor configured to generate rotary output motions; and

a switching arrangement operably interfacing with said motor and said longitudinally movable firing member and an articulation drive link that is in operable engagement with said rotary articulation member, said switching arrangement configured to move between a first position wherein actuation of said motor results in applications of axial articulation motions to said articulation drive link to thereby cause said rotary articulation member to rotate about said rotary axis and a second position wherein actuation of said motor results in applications of axial firing motions to said longitudinally movable firing member.

12. The surgical instrument of claim 11 , wherein said rotary articulation member comprises a rotary articulation disc and wherein said first distal articulation driver assembly comprises a first articulation driver portion movably supported within a first articulation slot in said rotary articulation disc and wherein said second distal articulation driver assembly comprises a second articulation driver portion movably supported within a second articulation slot in said rotary articulation disc.

13. The surgical instrument of claim 12 , further comprising:

a first biasing member interacting with said first articulation driver portion to bias said first distal articulation driver assembly into a first neutral articulation position when said means for selectively rotating is unactuated; and

a second biasing member interacting with said second articulation driver portion to bias said second distal articulation driver assembly into a second neutral articulation position when said means for selectively rotating is unactuated.

14. The surgical instrument of claim 11 , wherein said first distal articulation driver assembly further comprises an articulation lock assembly operably interfacing with a first articulation connector and said surgical end effector and configured to selectively lock said surgical end effector in a plurality of articulated positions relative to said elongate shaft assembly.

15. The surgical instrument of claim 14 , further comprising a first articulation member operably interfacing with said articulation lock assembly and said surgical end effector.

16. The surgical instrument of claim 15 , wherein said first articulation member is coupled to said surgical end effector by a first movable coupler and a second articulation member is coupled to said surgical end effector by a second movable coupler.

17. The surgical instrument of claim 16 , wherein said first articulation member is coupled to said first movable coupler by a first ball joint and wherein said second articulation member is coupled to said second movable coupler by a second ball joint.

Assignments (3)

Cited By (68)

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