Surgical instrument for deploying fasteners by way of rotational motion
View Patent ↗A surgical instrument comprising a housing, a drive system configured to generate rotary motion, an elongate shaft, and an end effector is disclosed. The end effector comprises a first jaw, a second jaw, and a fastener cartridge. The fastener cartridge comprises fasteners, a drive screw configured to rotate about a drive axis, and a firing member configured to move through a firing stroke. The firing member comprises a first cam surface configured to engage the first jaw and a second cam surface configured to engage the second jaw. The fastener cartridge further comprises a sled translatable within the fastener cartridge by the firing member during the firing stroke and a plurality of fastener drivers configured to rotate about an axis orthogonal to the drive axis in response to the translation of the sled. The plurality of fastener drivers deploy the fasteners by way of a rotational motion.
1. A surgical instrument, comprising:
a housing;
a drive system configured to generate rotary motion;
an elongate shaft extending distally from said housing; and
an end effector extending distally from said elongate shaft, wherein said end effector comprises:
a first jaw;
a second jaw;
a removable fastener cartridge, comprising:
a plurality of fasteners removably stored therein;
a drive screw configured to rotate about a drive axis in response to said rotary motion;
a sled threadably engaged with said drive screw, wherein said sled is translatable within said fastener cartridge in response to the rotation of said drive screw; and
a fastener driver configured to rotate about an axis orthogonal to said drive axis in response to the translation of said sled within said fastener cartridge, wherein said fastener driver deploys said plurality of fasteners by way of a rotational motion;
a first cam surface configured to engage said first jaw; and
a second cam surface configured to engage said second jaw, wherein said first cam surface and said second cam surface are configured to affect the distance between said first jaw and said second jaw as said sled translates within said fastener cartridge.
2. The surgical instrument of claim 1 , further comprising an articulation joint operably connecting said end effector to said elongate shaft, wherein said articulation joint is configured to articulate said end effector about more than one axis.
3. The surgical instrument of claim 2 , wherein said sled is located distal to said articulation joint.
4. A surgical instrument, comprising:
a housing;
a drive system configured to generate rotary motion;
an elongate shaft extending distally from said housing; and
an end effector extending distally from said elongate shaft, wherein said end effector comprises:
a first jaw;
a second jaw; and
a removable fastener cartridge, comprising:
a plurality of fasteners removably stored therein;
a drive screw configured to rotate about a drive axis in response to said rotary motion;
a firing member, comprising:
a sled threadably engaged with said drive screw, wherein said sled is translatable within said fastener cartridge in response to the rotation of said drive screw;
a first cam surface configured to engage said first jaw; and
a second cam surface configured to engage said second jaw, wherein said first cam surface and said second cam surface are configured to affect the distance between said first jaw and said second jaw as said sled translates within said fastener cartridge; and
a plurality of fastener drivers configured to rotate about an axis orthogonal to said drive axis in response to the translation of said sled within said fastener cartridge, wherein said plurality of fastener drivers deploy said fasteners by way of a rotational motion.
5. A surgical instrument, comprising:
a housing;
a drive system configured to generate rotary motion;
an elongate shaft extending distally from said housing; and
an end effector extending distally from said elongate shaft, wherein said end effector comprises:
a first jaw;
a second jaw; and
a removable fastener cartridge, comprising:
a plurality of fasteners removably stored therein;
a drive screw configured to rotate about a drive axis in response to said rotary motion;
a firing member threadably engaged with said drive screw, wherein said firing member moves through a firing stroke within said fastener cartridge in response to the rotation of said drive screw, and wherein said firing member comprises:
a first cam surface configured to engage said first jaw; and
a second cam surface configured to engage said second jaw, wherein said first cam surface and said second cam surface are configured to affect the distance between said first jaw and said second jaw during said firing stroke;
a sled translatable within said fastener cartridge by said firing member during said firing stroke; and
a plurality of fastener drivers configured to rotate about an axis orthogonal to said drive axis in response to the translation of said sled within said fastener cartridge, wherein said plurality of fastener drivers deploy said fasteners by way of a rotational motion.