Surgical devices and systems with rotating end effector assemblies having an ultrasonic blade

1. A surgical device, comprising:

a housing;

an instrument shaft extending from the housing, the instrument shaft including an outer sleeve having an articulable region and a non-articulable region, the instrument shaft further including,

a waveguide that is acoustically coupled to an ultrasonic transducer, wherein a portion of the articulable region is aligned with a flexible portion of the waveguide, and

a rotation assembly having an inner sleeve; and

an end effector assembly at a distal end of the outer sleeve, the end effector assembly having a clamping element and an ultrasonic blade that is in acoustic communication with the waveguide,

wherein the inner sleeve is coupled to the clamping element, the inner sleeve having a sliding mechanism that is configured to selectively rotate the clamping element relative to the ultrasonic blade, the sliding mechanism having a predetermined pattern of projections that project radially outward from the inner sleeve to form channels therebetween and one or more pins that are configured to selectively slide within the channels upon a force applied to an input operatively coupled to the one or more pins to thereby cause rotation of the clamping element.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the instrument shaft includes two spring arms that are each configured to engage a plurality of teeth that extend circumferentially around a proximal end of the inner sleeve, and wherein the first spring arm is configured to engage a first plurality of teeth to prevent rotation of the inner sleeve relative to the outer sleeve in a first direction and the second spring arm is configured to engage a second plurality of teeth to prevent rotation of the inner sleeve relative to the outer sleeve in a second direction.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the instrument shaft includes a clamping assembly coupled to the end effector assembly, the clamping assembly being configured to drive movement of the clamping element relative to the instrument shaft such that the clamping element selectively moves towards and away from the ultrasonic blade.

4. The device of claim 3 , wherein the clamping assembly comprises a clamp pull that is coupled to the clamping element, the clamp pull being configured to axially translate relative to the outer sleeve to cause the clamping element to move towards and away from the ultrasonic blade.

5. The device of claim 1 , further comprising an articulation assembly that is configured to selectively deflect the end effector assembly from a position aligned with a longitudinal axis, wherein the longitudinal axis extends along the non-articulable region of the outer sleeve.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the housing is attached to a robotic surgical system.

7. A robotic surgical system, comprising:

an electromechanical arm having a motor disposed therein;

an instrument housing mounted to the electromechanical arm;

an instrument shaft extending from the housing, the instrument shaft including an outer sleeve and further including,

an articulable ultrasonic waveguide acoustically coupled to an ultrasonic transducer and extending through the instrument shaft,

an actuation assembly having a first actuator rod that is operably coupled to the motor, and

a rotation assembly having an inner sleeve that includes a predetermined pattern of projections that project radially outward from the inner sleeve to form channels therebetween and one or more pins coupled to a distal end of the first actuator rod; and

an end effector assembly formed at a distal end of the outer sleeve, the end effector assembly having a jaw and an ultrasonic blade that is acoustically coupled to the articulable ultrasonic waveguide,

wherein the actuation assembly is operatively coupled to the jaw, and wherein the first actuator rod is configured to axially translate relative to the outer sleeve to slide the one or more pins within the channels to selectively rotate the jaw while the ultrasonic blade remains stationary.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the actuation assembly includes a second actuator rod that is operable coupled to the motor, and wherein the second actuator rod is configured to axially translate relative to the outer sleeve to selectively move the jaw towards and away from the ultrasonic blade.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the instrument shaft includes a locking mechanism that is configured to selectively promote unidirectional rotation of the jaw.

10. The system of claim 7 , wherein the instrument shaft includes a clamping assembly having a jaw pull that is configured to axially translate relative to the outer sleeve to thereby cause the jaw to open and close so as to clamp tissue between the jaw and the ultrasonic blade.

11. The system of claim 7 , further comprising an articulation assembly that is configured to deflect the end effector assembly from a position aligned with a longitudinal axis, wherein the longitudinal axis extends along a non-articulable section of the outer sleeve.

12. The system of claim 7 , wherein the instrument shaft includes two spring arms that are each configured to engage a plurality of teeth that extend circumferentially around a proximal end of the inner sleeve, and wherein the first spring arm is configured to engage a first plurality of teeth to prevent rotation of the inner sleeve relative to the outer sleeve in a first direction and the second spring arm is configured to engage a second plurality of projections to prevent rotation of the inner sleeve relative to the outer sleeve in a second direction.

13. A method, comprising:

directing a surgical device having an end effector assembly to a surgical site, the end effector assembly operably coupled to an instrument shaft that contains an ultrasonic waveguide and a rotation assembly, the end effector assembly having an ultrasonic blade and a clamping element, the rotation assembly having an inner sleeve that is operatively coupled to the clamping element and includes a predetermined pattern of projections that project radially outward from the inner sleeve to form channels therebetween and one or more pins;

selectively rotating the clamping element relative to the ultrasonic blade;

selectively actuating a clamping assembly to cause the clamping element to move towards the ultrasonic blade to and thereby apply a clamping force to tissue disposed between the clamping element and the ultrasonic blade; and

transmitting ultrasonic energy to the ultrasonic blade to treat the tissue clamped between the clamping element and the ultrasonic blade.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising selectively articulating the instrument shaft such that the end effector assembly is angularly oriented with respect to a longitudinal axis of a proximal portion of the instrument shaft extending from a housing.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the clamping element is able to rotate when the clamping element is in an articulated condition.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the clamping element is able to rotate in the range of about 1 degree to about 360 degrees.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the instrument shaft is attached to a robotic surgical system.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein selectively rotating the clamping element comprises sliding the one or more pins within the channels of the inner sleeve to cause the inner sleeve to rotate and thereby rotate the clamping element.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the instrument shaft includes an outer sleeve and an actuator rod operably coupled to the one or more pins, and wherein selectively rotating the clamping element comprises axially translating the actuator rod relative to the outer sleeve to cause the one or more pins to slide within the channels of the inner sleeve to rotate the inner sleeve.