Patent · US Active

Rotary drive shaft assemblies for surgical instruments with articulatable end effectors

US8747238B2 · kind B2 · utility

1,948Cited by

1,510References

6Claims

0Family size

Assignee

Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. · US

Inventors

Frederick E. Shelton, IV · Hillsboro, US
Jeffrey S. Swayze · Hamilton, US
Jerome R. Morgan · Cincinnati, US
John L. Stammen · Cincinnati, US
Chester O. Baxter, III · Loveland, US

Key dates

Filing date	Jun 28, 2012
Grant date	Jun 10, 2014
Priority date	—
Expiry date	Jun 28, 2032

Classification

Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
CPC primaryY10T29/49826
WIPO fieldMedical technology
WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

Drive shaft assemblies for a surgical instrument. Various forms include a plurality of movably interlocking joint segments that are interconnected to form a flexible hollow tube. A flexible secondary constraining member is configured in flexible constraining engagement with the plurality of movably interlocking joint segments to retain the interlocking joint segments in movable interlocking engagement while facilitating flexing of the drive shaft assembly.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.