Articulating ultrasonic surgical instruments and systems
An ultrasonic end effector includes a substantially cylindrical blade and a jaw including a structural body and a jaw liner. The jaw is movable from an open to a clamping position, wherein the blade-facing surface of the jaw liner opposes the blade with the first and second blade-facing surfaces of the structural body disposed on either side of the jaw liner and the blade. The blade defines a first longitudinal axis and a first radius, the first and second blade-facing surfaces of the structural body cooperate to define a second radius centered on a second longitudinal axis, and the blade-facing surface of the jaw liner defines a third radius centered on a third longitudinal axis. The first radius and the second radius of curvature are different from one another.
1 . An end effector of an ultrasonic surgical instrument, comprising:
an ultrasonic blade having a substantially cylindrical configuration; and
a jaw including a structural body and a jaw liner engaged with the structural body and positioned such that a blade-facing surface of the jaw liner is disposed between first and second blade-facing surfaces of the structural body, the first and second blade-facing surfaces of the structural body being tissue-contacting surfaces, the jaw movable relative to the ultrasonic blade from an open position to a clamping position, wherein, in the clamping position, the blade-facing surface of the jaw liner opposes the ultrasonic blade with the first and second blade-facing surfaces of the structural body disposed on either side of the blade-facing surface of the jaw liner and the ultrasonic blade,
wherein the ultrasonic blade defines a first longitudinal axis and a first radius, the first and second blade-facing surfaces of the structural body cooperate to define a second radius centered on a second longitudinal axis, and the blade-facing surface of the jaw liner defines a third radius centered on a third longitudinal axis, and
wherein the first radius and the second radius are different from one another and the blade-facing surface of the jaw liner protrudes towards the ultrasonic blade beyond at least a portion of the first blade-facing surface of the structural body and the second blade-facing surface of the structural body.
2 . The end effector according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second longitudinal axes are substantially parallel and offset relative to one another in the clamping position of the jaw.
3 . The end effector according to claim 2 , wherein the first longitudinal axis is vertically offset farther towards the jaw as compared to the second longitudinal axis in the clamping position of the jaw.
4 . The end effector according to claim 1 , wherein the first radius and the third radius are substantially equal and wherein the first and third longitudinal axes are substantially coaxial with one another.
5 . The end effector according to claim 1 , wherein, in the clamping position of the jaw, at least a portion of each of the first and second blade-facing surfaces of the structural body protrudes beyond the blade-facing surface of the jaw liner.
6 . The end effector according to claim 1 , wherein the jaw is rotatable about the ultrasonic blade to a plurality of different orientations, and wherein the jaw is movable to the clamped position in each of the plurality of different orientations to oppose the blade-facing surface of the jaw liner with a plurality of different surface portions of the ultrasonic blade.
7 . The end effector according to claim 1 , further comprising a distal housing, wherein the structural body of the jaw is pivotably coupled to the distal housing and wherein the ultrasonic blade extends distally from the distal housing.
8 . The end effector according to claim 7 , further comprising a plug disposed within the distal housing and surrounding the ultrasonic blade, the plug configured to inhibit passage of material proximally into the distal housing.
9 . The end effector according to claim 7 , further comprising an ultrasonic transducer disposed within the distal housing and operably coupled to the ultrasonic blade.