Surgical instrument handpiece with resiliently biased coupling to modular shaft and end effector

US9375255B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Kevin L. Houser · Springboro, US
• Barry C. Worrell · Maineville, US
• Stephen J. Balek · Springboro, US
• Galen C. Robertson · Apex, US
• Frederick E. Shelton, IV · Hillsboro, US
• Richard W. Timm · Cincinnati, US
• Kyle P. Moore · Alpharetta, US
• Gregory W. Johnson · Milford, US
• John B. Schulte · Sharonville, US
• Daniel J. Mumaw · Milford, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Oct 12, 2011
• Grant date: Jun 28, 2016
• Expiry date: Dec 26, 2033

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10T29/53913
• WIPO field: Medical technology
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

An ultrasonic surgical instrument includes a reusable handle assembly and a removable and disposable transmission assembly. The handle assembly includes a trigger, a housing having a distal aperture formed in a distal end of the housing, a button disposed on a top surface of the housing, and a biasing member in communication with the button. The transmission assembly includes a proximal shaft, a rotator knob having a coupling feature, a distal shaft assembly extending distally from the proximal shaft, and an end effector at the distal end of the distal shaft assembly. The biasing member of the handle assembly is adjustably coupled to the coupling feature of the transmission assembly. Another version includes a movable yoke configured to engage an inner tube of the transmission assembly. Yet another version includes a waveguide of the transmission assembly non-threadably coupled to a transducer via a biasing force.