Surgical instrument with adjustable jaws
A surgical instrument, such as a tissue sealing instrument, is provided with an end effector having first and second movable jaws that define a gap therebetween in the closed position for clamping, sealing and/or stapling tissue. The jaws are movable relative to each other in the closed position to reduce a thickness of least one portion of this gap. This configuration allows the jaws to be moved closer together to reduce the overall size of the instrument when, for example, the instrument is introduced and retracted through an opening in the patient, or maneuvered within a body cavity. The surgical instrument may also have multiple settings for use with different staple cartridges, while still maintaining a fixed dimension between the two jaws for clamping, stapling and/or sealing tissue, providing a more adaptable surgical instrument that allows the surgeon to use different staple cartridges without having to change surgical instruments.
1 . A surgical instrument comprising:
a drive member having first and second projections; and
an end effector comprising a first jaw and a second jaw, at least one of the first jaw and the second jaw being configured to move relative to the other of the first and second jaws to move the end effector from an open position to a closed position, wherein the first jaw defines first and second longitudinal slots each configured to accommodate the first projection of the drive member, wherein the first longitudinal slot is positioned a first distance relative to the second jaw and wherein the second longitudinal slot is positioned at a second distance relative to the second jaw, the first distance being different than the second distance, wherein the second jaw defines a third longitudinal slot configured to accommodate the second projection of the drive member;
wherein during a first operational mode, the first projection travels within the first longitudinal slot of the first jaw; and
wherein during a second operational mode, the first projection travels within the second longitudinal slot of the first jaw.
2 . The surgical instrument of claim 1 , further comprising an actuator configured to switch between the first operational mode and the second operational mode.
3 . The surgical instrument of claim 2 , wherein the actuator comprises a camming surface configured to cooperate with the first projection of the drive member such that distal translation of the drive member moves the first projection from the first longitudinal slot to the second longitudinal slot.
4 . The surgical instrument of claim 2 , wherein the actuator comprises:
a cam mover plate having an opening defining an inclined camming surface; and
an actuating mechanism coupled to the cam mover move plate and configured to move the first projection of the drive member between the first and second longitudinal slots.
5 . The surgical instrument system of claim 2 , wherein the jaws are in a first position when the first projection is translated through the first longitudinal slot and the jaws are in a second position when the first projection is translated through the second longitudinal slot.
6 . The surgical instrument of claim 5 , wherein the first and second jaws define a gap therebetween in the closed position, the gap extending substantially along a longitudinal axis of the end effector, and wherein the gap has a first thickness between the first and second jaws in the first position and the gap has a second thickness between the first and second jaws in the second position, the first thickness being greater than the second thickness.
7 . The surgical instrument of claim 6 , wherein the jaws are substantially parallel to each other in the first and second positions.
8 . The surgical instrument of claim 6 , further comprising a staple cartridge coupled to one of the first and second jaws and housing a plurality of staples.
9 . The surgical instrument of claim 8 , wherein the staple cartridge comprises a first staple cartridge removably couplable to the second jaw of the end effector, the instrument further comprising a second staple cartridge removably couplable to the second jaw of the end effector and comprising a plurality of staples, the first staple cartridge having a first height in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis, the second staple cartridge having a second height in said direction, wherein the second height is less than the first height.
10 . The surgical instrument of claim 9 , wherein the first jaw has a lower surface and each of the staple cartridges has an upper surface, the first and second jaws defining a gap having a thickness between said upper and lower surfaces when one of the first and second staple cartridges is coupled to the second jaw and the jaws are in the closed position, wherein the end effector is configured such that the thickness of the gap is substantially equal when the first or the second staple cartridges are coupled to the second jaw.
11 . The surgical instrument of claim 2 , wherein the actuator comprises:
a cam pin extending from the first jaw; and
a plate having a camming surface, wherein the plate is configured for translation in a longitudinal direction and the cam pin engages with the camming surface to cooperate with the first projection of the drive member such that distal translation of the drive member moves the first projection within the first longitudinal slot in the first operational mode and moves the first projection within the second longitudinal slot in the second operational mode.
12 . The surgical instrument of claim 2 , wherein the actuator further comprises a linkage coupling the first jaw with the drive member and comprising first and second coupling elements pivotable about a hinge to cooperate with the first projection of the drive member such that distal translation of the drive member moves the first projection within the first longitudinal slot in the first operational mode and moves the first projection within the second longitudinal slot in the second operational.
13 . The surgical instrument of claim 2 , wherein the actuator further comprises a rotatable drive member coupled to one of the first jaw or second jaw and configured such that rotation of the rotatable drive member moves the first projection of the first jaw between the first and second longitudinal slots.
14 . A surgical instrument comprising:
a drive member having first and second projections; and
an end effector comprising a first jaw and a second jaw, the end effector being configured to move between an open position and a closed position, wherein the first jaw defines first and second longitudinal slots each configured to accommodate the first projection of the drive member, wherein the second jaw defines a third longitudinal slot configured to accommodate the second projection of the drive member;
wherein during a first operational mode, the first projection travels within the first longitudinal slot of the first jaw;
wherein during a second operational mode, the first projection travels within the second longitudinal slot of the first jaw; and
wherein the jaws are in a first position when the first projection is translated through the first longitudinal slot and the jaws are in a second position when the first projection is translated through the second longitudinal slot, and wherein the first and second jaws define a gap therebetween in the closed position, the gap extending substantially along a longitudinal axis of the end effector, and wherein the gap has a first thickness between the first and second jaws in the first position and the gap has a second thickness between the first and second jaws in the second position, the first thickness being greater than the second thickness.
15 . The surgical instrument of claim 14 , further comprising:
a first staple cartridge removably couplable to the second jaw of the end effector and comprising a first staple; and
a second staple cartridge removably couplable to the second jaw of the end effector and comprising a second staple, the first staple cartridge having a first height in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis, the second staple cartridge having a second height in said direction, wherein the second height is less than the first height.
16 . The surgical instrument of claim 15 , wherein the first jaw has a lower surface and each of the first and second staple cartridges has an upper surface, the first and second jaws defining a gap having a thickness between the upper surface of each of the first and second staple cartridges and the lower surface of the first jaw when one of the first and second staple cartridges is coupled to the second jaw and the jaws are in the closed position, wherein the end effector is configured such that the thickness of the gap is substantially equal when the first or the second staple cartridges are coupled to the second jaw.
17 . A surgical instrument comprising:
a drive member having first and second projections; and
an end effector comprising a first jaw and a second jaw, the end effector being configured to move between an open position and a closed position, wherein the first jaw defines first and second longitudinal slots each configured to accommodate the first projection of the drive member, wherein the second jaw defines a third longitudinal slot configured to accommodate the second projection of the drive member;
wherein during a first operational mode, the first projection travels within the first longitudinal slot of the first jaw;
wherein during a second operational mode, the first projection travels within the second longitudinal slot of the first jaw; and
an actuator configured to switch between the first operational mode and the second operational mode, wherein the actuator comprises a camming surface configured to cooperate with the first projection of the drive member such that distal translation of the drive member moves the first projection from the first longitudinal slot to the second longitudinal slot.
18 . The surgical instrument of claim 17 , further comprising:
a first staple cartridge removably couplable to the second jaw of the end effector and comprising a first staple; and
a second staple cartridge removably couplable to the second jaw of the end effector and comprising a second staple, the first staple cartridge having a first height in a direction transverse to a longitudinal axis of the end effector, the second staple cartridge having a second height in said direction, wherein the second height is less than the first height.
19 . The surgical instrument of claim 18 , wherein the first jaw has a lower surface and each of the first and second staple cartridges has an upper surface, the first and second jaws defining a gap having a thickness between the upper surface of each of the first and second staple cartridges and the lower surface of the first jaw when one of the first and second staple cartridges is coupled to the second jaw and the jaws are in the closed position, wherein the end effector is configured such that the thickness of the gap is substantially equal when the first or the second staple cartridges are coupled to the second jaw.