Granted Patent B2

US 12,465,384 · App. 18/111,127 · Granted Nov 11, 2025

Inventors: William A. Olson (Lebanon, OH); Jeffrey D. Messerly (Cincinnati, OH); Daniel W. Price (Loveland, OH); Kevin L Houser (Springboro, OH); Craig N. Faller (Batavia, OH); William D. Dannaher (Cincinnati, OH); Sora Rhee (Spring Mills, PA); Tylor C. Muhlenkamp (Cincinnati, OH)

Assignee: Cilag GmbH International

A61B17/295A61B17/22004A61B17/320068A61B17/320092A61B2017/003A61B2017/00327A61B2017/00331A61B2017/00336A61B2017/22014A61B2017/22015A61B17/2202A61B2017/2927A61B2017/320071A61B2017/320072A61B2017/320075A61B2017/320089A61B2017/320093A61B2017/320094

Abstract

Claims (34)

1 . An articulatable surgical instrument comprising:

a shaft extending along a longitudinal axis; and

an end effector comprising a curved ultrasonic blade positioned within the shaft and translatable relative to the shaft along the longitudinal axis;

wherein the curved ultrasonic blade comprises a proximal portion that is curved in a first direction away from the longitudinal axis, an intermediate portion that is curved in a second direction away from the longitudinal axis and opposite the first direction,

wherein the curvature of the proximal portion and the curvature of the intermediate portion both comprise at least one of a node or an anti-node that occurs at a point of tangency when the ultrasonic blade is driven at a resonant frequency.

2 . The articulatable surgical instrument of claim 1 , wherein the curved ultrasonic blade further comprises a distal portion that extends from the intermediate portion in the first direction.

3 . The articulatable surgical instrument of claim 2 , wherein the distal portion of the ultrasonic blade extends beyond the shaft in a lateral direction relative to the longitudinal axis, when in a first configuration when the ultrasonic blade protracts distally.

4 . The articulatable surgical instrument of claim 3 , wherein the distal portion of the ultrasonic blade is configured to fully retract within the shaft when in a second configuration when the ultrasonic blade retracts proximally.

5 . The articulable surgical instrument of claim 4 , wherein the distal portion of the ultrasonic blade contacts an inner portion of the shaft when in the second configuration.

6 . The articulatable surgical instrument of claim 4 , wherein the ultrasonic blade is resilient such that the distal portion increases upon extension distally from the shaft in the first configuration.

7 . The articulatable surgical instrument of claim 1 , wherein the ultrasonic blade is manufactured such that the curvature of the proximal portion and the curvature of the intermediate portion are balanced to both have a vibrational mode purely in the direction of the longitudinal axis.

8 . An end effector of a surgical instrument comprising:

a shaft extending along a longitudinal axis; and

a curved ultrasonic blade positioned within the shaft and translatable relative to the shaft along the longitudinal axis;

wherein the curved ultrasonic blade comprises a proximal portion that is curved in a first direction away from the longitudinal axis, an intermediate portion that is curved in a second direction away from the longitudinal axis and opposite the first direction,

wherein the curvature of the proximal portion and the curvature of the intermediate portion both comprise at least one of a node or an anti-node that occurs at a point of tangency when the ultrasonic blade is driven at a resonant frequency.

9 . The end effector of claim 8 , wherein the curved ultrasonic blade further comprises a distal portion that extends from the intermediate portion in the first direction.

10 . The end effector of claim 8 , wherein the ultrasonic blade is manufactured such that the curvature of the proximal portion and the curvature of the intermediate portion are balanced to both have a vibrational mode purely in the direction of the longitudinal axis.

11 . The end effector of claim 8 , wherein a distal portion of the ultrasonic blade extends beyond the shaft in a lateral direction relative to the longitudinal axis, when in a first configuration when the ultrasonic blade protracts distally.

12 . The end effector of claim 11 , wherein the distal portion of the ultrasonic blade is configured to fully retract within the shaft when in a second configuration when the ultrasonic blade retracts proximally.

13 . The end effector of claim 12 , wherein the distal portion of the ultrasonic blade contacts an inner portion of the shaft when in the second configuration.

14 . The end effector of claim 13 , wherein the ultrasonic blade is resilient such that the distal portion increases upon extension distally from the shaft in the first configuration.

15 . A system comprising:

a generator configured to delivery ultrasonic energy; and

a surgical instrument coupled to the generator, the surgical instrument comprising:

a shaft extending along a longitudinal axis; and

an end effector configured to treat tissue, the end effector comprising a curved ultrasonic blade positioned within the shaft and translatable relative to the shaft along the longitudinal axis,

wherein the curved ultrasonic blade comprises a proximal portion that is curved in a first direction away from the longitudinal axis and an intermediate portion that is curved in a second direction away from the longitudinal axis and opposite the first direction,

wherein the ultrasonic blade is manufactured such that the curvature of the proximal portion and the curvature of the intermediate portion are balanced to both have a vibrational mode purely in the direction of the longitudinal axis.

16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the curved ultrasonic blade further comprises a distal portion that extends from the intermediate portion in the first direction.

17 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the curvature of the proximal portion and the curvature of the intermediate portion both comprise at least one of a node or an anti-node that occurs at a point of tangency when the ultrasonic blade is driven at a resonant frequency.

18 . The system of claim 17 , wherein a distal portion of the ultrasonic blade extends beyond the shaft in a lateral direction relative to the longitudinal axis, when in a first configuration when the ultrasonic blade protracts distally.

19 . The system of claim 18 , wherein the distal portion of the ultrasonic blade is configured to fully retract within the shaft when in a second configuration when the ultrasonic blade retracts proximally.

20 . The system of claim 19 , wherein the distal portion of the ultrasonic blade contacts an inner portion of the shaft when in the second configuration.

Assignments (4)

Continuity (4)

References Cited (400)