Granted Patent B2

US 10,842,492 · App. 16/105,104 · Granted Nov 24, 2020

Inventors: Frederick E. Shelton, IV (Hillsboro, OH); Jason L. Harris (Lebanon, OH)

Assignee: Ethicon LLC

A61B17/07207A61B17/0682A61B17/29A61B34/30A61B2017/00039A61B2017/00398A61B2017/00407A61B2017/00473A61B2017/07257A61B2017/07271A61B2017/07278A61B2017/07285A61B2017/2927A61B2017/2933A61B2017/2944A61B2017/2946

Abstract

Claims (44)

1. A surgical instrument, comprising:

a surgical end effector;

an elongated shaft operably coupled to said surgical end effector, said elongated shaft comprising:

a first axially movable drive member configured to apply first actuation motions to said surgical end effector;

a second axially movable drive member configured to apply second actuation motions to said surgical end effector and wherein said surgical instrument further comprises:

a first drive system configured to apply first axial control motions to said first axially movable drive member;

a drive clutch assembly operably interfacing with said first axially movable drive member and said second axially movable drive member and configured to move between an engaged position wherein said drive clutch assembly links said second axially movable drive member to said first axially movable drive member and a second disengaged position wherein said first axially movable drive member is independently movable relative to said second axial movable drive member;

a lock assembly configured to move between a locked position wherein said lock assembly prevents axial movement of said second axially movable drive member and an unlocked position wherein said second axially movable drive member is free to move axially in response to actuation of said first drive system; and

an actuator assembly configured to move said drive clutch assembly between said engaged and disengaged positions and interfacing with said lock assembly to move said lock assembly to said locked position when said actuator assembly moves said drive clutch assembly to said disengaged position.

2. The surgical instrument of claim 1 , wherein said actuator assembly comprises a third axially movable drive member configured to apply third actuation motions to said surgical end effector.

3. The surgical instrument of claim 2 , wherein said surgical end effector comprises first and second jaws movably supported relative to each other and being selectively movable between closed and open positions and wherein said third axially movable drive member is configured to apply closing and opening motions to at least one of said first and second jaws to move said first and second jaws between said closed and open positions.

4. The surgical instrument of claim 1 , wherein said surgical end effector is operably coupled to said elongated shaft for selective articulation relative thereto and wherein said second axially movable drive member is configured to apply articulation motions to said surgical end effector.

5. The surgical instrument of claim 3 , wherein said elongated shaft defines a shaft axis and wherein said surgical end effector is operably coupled to said elongated shaft for selective articulation about an articulation axis that is transverse to said shaft axis and wherein said second axially movable drive member is configured to apply articulation motions to said surgical end effector.

6. The surgical instrument of claim 1 , further comprising means for selectively locking said drive clutch assembly in said disengaged position.

7. The surgical instrument of claim 1 , wherein said first drive system comprises a motor configured to apply rotary drive motions to an axially movable firing drive shaft operably interfacing with said first axially movable drive member to apply axial drive motions thereto.

8. The surgical instrument of claim 2 , wherein said actuator assembly further comprises a manually actuatable trigger operably interfacing with said third axially movable drive member such that movement of said manually actuatable trigger causes said third axially movable drive member to move said drive clutch assembly from said engaged position to said disengaged position and move said lock assembly to said locked position.

9. The surgical instrument of claim 1 , wherein said elongated shaft is operably coupled to a housing that operably supports at least a portion of said first drive system.

10. The surgical instrument of claim 9 , wherein said housing comprises a handle.

11. The surgical instrument of claim 3 , wherein said first jaw comprises a surgical staple cartridge and wherein said second jaw comprises an anvil.

12. The surgical instrument of claim 11 , wherein said first jaw is configured to removably support a replaceable surgical staple cartridge.

13. The surgical instrument of claim 11 , wherein said first axially movable drive member interfaces with a firing member supported by said surgical end effector and configured to drive surgical staples stored in said surgical staple cartridge into forming contact with said anvil and cut tissue clamped between said surgical staple cartridge and said anvil as said firing member is axially driven through said surgical end effector.

14. A surgical instrument, comprising:

a surgical end effector comprising first and second jaws movably supported relative to each other and being selectively movable between closed and open positions;

an elongated shaft operably coupled to said surgical end effector such that said surgical end effector is selectively articulatable relative thereto, said elongated shaft comprising:

a first axially movable drive member configured to apply first actuation motions to said surgical end effector;

an axially movable articulation drive member operably coupled to said surgical end effector and configured to apply articulation motions thereto and wherein said surgical instrument further comprises:

a first drive system configured to apply first axial control motions to said first axially movable articulation drive member;

a drive clutch assembly operably interfacing with said first axially movable drive member and said axially movable articulation drive member and configured to move between an engaged position wherein said drive clutch assembly links said first axially movable drive member to said axially movable articulation drive member and a second disengaged position wherein said first axially movable drive member is independently movable relative to said axially movable articulation drive member;

a lock assembly configured to move between a locked position wherein said lock assembly prevents axial movement of said axially movable articulation drive member and an unlocked position wherein said axially movable articulation drive member is free to move axially in response to actuation of said first drive system; and

an axially movable closure member assembly configured to apply closing and opening motions to at least one of said first and second jaws to move said first and second jaws between said closed and open positions, said axially movable closure member assembly operably interfacing with said drive clutch assembly to move said drive clutch assembly between said engaged and disengaged positions and interfacing with said lock assembly to move said lock assembly to said locked position when said axially movable closure member assembly moves said drive clutch assembly to said disengaged position.

15. The surgical instrument of claim 14 , wherein said elongated shaft is operably coupled to a housing that operably supports at least a portion of said first drive system.

16. The surgical instrument of claim 15 , wherein said housing comprises a handle.

17. The surgical instrument of claim 14 , wherein said first jaw comprises a surgical staple cartridge and wherein said second jaw comprises an anvil.

18. The surgical instrument of claim 16 , wherein said first drive system comprises a motor associated with said handle and configured to apply rotary drive motions to an axially movable firing drive shaft operably interfacing with said first axially movable drive member to apply axial drive motions thereto.

19. The surgical instrument of claim 18 , wherein said lock assembly further comprises a manually actuatable trigger supported by said handle and operably interfacing with said axially movable closure member assembly such that movement of said manually actuatable trigger causes said axially movable closure member assembly to move said drive clutch assembly from said engaged position to said disengaged position and move said lock assembly to said locked position.

20. A surgical instrument, comprising:

a surgical end effector comprising a first jaw and a second jaw, wherein said first jaw and said second jaw are movably supported relative to each other and are selectively movable between a closed position and an open position;

an elongated shaft assembly operably coupled to said surgical end effector such that said surgical end effector is selectively articulatable relative to said elongated shaft assembly, and wherein said elongated shaft assembly comprises:

an axially movable drive member configured to apply first actuation motions to said surgical end effector;

means for articulating said surgical end effector relative to said elongated shaft assembly, and wherein said surgical instrument further comprises:

means for applying axial control motions to said axially movable drive member;

means for engaging said axially movable drive member with said means for articulating in an engaged position, wherein when said axially movable drive member is engaged with said means for articulating, actuation of said means for applying axial control motions actuates said means for articulating, and wherein said means for engaging is further configured to disengage said means for articulating from said axially movable drive member into a disengaged position such that actuation of said means for applying axial control motions does not actuate said means for articulating;

means for locking said means for articulating in a locked position; and

means for applying closing and opening motions to at least one of said first jaw and said second jaw, and wherein said means for applying closing and opening motions is further configured to operably interface with said means for engaging such that, when said means for applying closing and opening motions is actuated to apply said closing motions to said at least one of said first jaw and said second jaw, said means for applying closing and opening motions moves said means for engaging to said disengaged position and said means for applying closing and opening motions moves said means for locking into said locked position.

Assignments (2)

Continuity (1)

Cited By (111)

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