Laparoscopic surgical instrument - Patent Review 5480409

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A surgical instrument comprising:

a handle including a body and a trigger ann, said body including a body detent which is movable relative to said body between a first body detent position and a second body detent position, said trigger arm being movable relative to said body and including a trigger arm detent which is movable relative to said trigger arm between a first trigger arm detent position and a second trigger arm detent position; and

a tool portion actuable in response to movement of said trigger arm relative to said body, said tool portion including a first shaft and a second shaft, said first shaft being engaged by said body detent when said body detent is in said first body detent position to releasably connect said first shaft to said body, said second shaft being engaged by said trigger arm detent when said trigger arm detent is in said first trigger arm detent position to releasably connect said second shaft to said trigger arm, movement of said trigger arm relative to said body causing relative movement of said first and second shafts to cause actuation of said tool portion.

2. The surgical instrument defined in claim 1 wherein said trigger arm detent includes a receiver portion having a pear-shaped opening therethrough.

3. The surgical instrument defined in claim 2 wherein said trigger arm includes a pair of yoke arms pivotally connected to said body, said yoke arms being disposed on opposite sides of said body.

4. The surgical instrument defined in claim 3 wherein said body defines a slot and further including a trunnion mounted on said trigger arm so as to extend through said slot in said body and fixed to each of said yoke arms, said trunnion defining a bore therein, said trigger arm detent being reciprocally disposed within said bore.

5. The surgical instrument defined in claim 4 wherein said yoke arms form a first end of said trigger arm, said trigger arm further including a grip portion formed on a second end of said trigger arm, said trunnion engaging said trigger arm between said first and second ends of said trigger arm.

6. The surgical instrument defined in claim 4 wherein said trigger arm detent has a pear-shaped opening defined therethrough, said second shaft extending through said pear-shaped opening in said trigger arm detent.

7. The surgical instrument defined in claim 1 further including an operating member rotatably mounted on said body and operatively coupled to said first shaft to rotate said first shaft relative to said body when said operating member is rotated relative to said body

8. The surgical instrument defined in claim 7 wherein said body detent is mounted on said operating member for rotation therewith.

9. The surgical instrument defined in claim 7 further including a conical adapter-bushing fixed to said first shaft, said adapter bushing defining a groove which is selectively engaged by said second detent member to fix said tool portion to said body.

10. The surgical instrument defined in claim 9 further including a spring loaded ball plunger mounted on said operating member for rotation therewith and a recess defined in an outer surface of said adapter bushing, said ball plunger bearing on said outer surface of said adapter bushing, said ball plunger engaging said recess when aligned therewith to resist relative rotation between said tool portion and said body.

11. The surgical instrument defined in claim 1 wherein said body includes a ratchet farmed thereon, said surgical instrument further including a trigger arm pawl mounted on said trigger arm and selectively engagable with said ratchet to prevent relative movement between said trigger arm and said body.

12. The surgical instrument defined in claim 11 further including a toggle joint mechanism, said toggle joint mechanism having a first member and a second member pivotally connected together to form a toggle joint, said first member being pivotally connected to said trigger arm, said toggle joint mechanism being selectively movable relative to said trigger arm between a first toggle joint mechanism position, wherein said toggle joint mechanism urges said pawl into engagement with said ratchet to prevent relative movement between said trigger arm and said body, and a second toggle joint mechanism position, wherein said toggle joint mechanism disengages said pawl from said ratchet.

13. The surgical instrument defined in claim 1 wherein said tool portion is rotatably mounted on said body, said surgical instrument further including a motor operatively coupled to one of said tool portion, a selectively operable control switch, and a programmable control circuit operatively connected to said motor and to said control switch and having programmed instructions stored in a memory thereof, said control circuit being responsive to a plurality of distinct patterns of actuations of said control switch to cause said motor to operate according to respective ones of said programmed instructions to rotate said tool portion relative to said body.

14. A handle for a surgical instrument for use with a detachable tool with first and second attachment portions, comprising:

a body including a body detent which is movable relative to said body between a first body detent position to attach a first attachment portion of a detachable tool to said body and a second body detent position to release a first attachment portion of a detachable tool from said body; and

a trigger arm being movable relative to said body and including a trigger arm detent, said trigger arm detent being movable relative to said trigger arm between a first trigger arm detent position for attaching a second attachment portion of a detachable tool to said trigger arm and a second trigger arm detent position to release a second attachment portion of a detachable tool from said trigger arm.

15. The handle defined in claim 14 wherein said trigger arm detent includes a receiver portion having a pear-shaped opening therethrough which is adapted to receive the second attachment portion of a detachable tool therein.

16. The handle defined in claim 14 wherein said body detent has a pear-shaped opening therethrough which is adapted to receive the first attachment portion of a detachable tool therein.

17. The handle defined in claim 14 wherein said trigger arm includes a pair of yoke arms pivotally connected to said body, said yoke arms being disposed on opposite sides of said body.

18. The handle defined in claim 17 wherein said body defines a slot and further including a trunnion mounted on said trigger arm so as to extend through said slot in said body and fixed to each of said yoke arms, said trunnion defining a bore therein, said trigger arm detent being reciprocally disposed within said bore.

19. The handle defined in claim 14 wherein said trigger arm is pivotally attached to said body at a first end of said trigger arm, said trigger arm further including a grip portion formed on a second end of said trigger arm, said trigger arm detent being mounted on said trigger arm between said first and second ends of said trigger arm.

20. The handle defined in claim 14 further including an operating member rotatably mounted on said body and adapted to be operatively coupled to a detachable tool to rotate the tool relative to said body when said operating member is rotated relative to said body.

21. The handle defined in claim 20 wherein said body detent is mounted on said operating member for rotation therewith.

22. The handle defined in claim 20 further including a spring loaded ball plunger mounted on said operating member for rotation therewith and adapted to engage a recess defined in an outer surface of a detachable tool to releasably couple the detachable tool and said operating member for selective rotation relative to said body.

23. The handle defined in claim 14 wherein said body includes a ratchet formed thereon, said handle further including a trigger arm pawl mounted on said trigger arm and selectively engagable with said ratchet to prevent relative movement between said trigger arm and said body.

24. The handle defined in claim 23 further including a trigger arm pawl and a bellcrank lever forming a toggle joint mechanism mounted on said trigger arm, said bellcrank lever being pivotally connected to said trigger arm, said toggle joint mechanism being selectively movable relative to said trigger arm between a first toggle joint mechanism position, wherein said pawl is moved into engagement with said ratchet to prevent relative movement between said trigger arm and said body, and a second toggle joint mechanism position, wherein said pawl is disengaged from said ratchet.

25. The handle defined in claim 24 wherein said toggle joint mechanism includes a first member pivotally connected to said pawl at a first end and pivotally connected to said bellcrank lever at a second end to form a toggle joint.

26. The handle defined in claim 14 further including a motor adapted to be operatively coupled to a detachable tool, a selectively operable control switch, and a programmable control circuit operatively connected to said motor and to said control switch and having programmed instructions stored in a memory thereof, said control circuit being responsive to a plurality of distinct patterns of actuations of said control switch to cause said motor to operate according to respective ones of said programmed instructions to rotate the detachable tool relative to said body.

27. The handle defined in claim 26 wherein, following a momentary operation and release of said control switch by a user, said control circuit causes said motor to continue to rotate relative to said body for a predetermined amount of rotation.

28. The handle defined in claim 26 wherein said motor and said control circuit are disposed in a moisture-proof compartment within said handle.

29. The handle defined in claim 26 wherein said motor and said control circuit are shielded from external electromagnetic fields by an electrically conductive lining surrounding said motor and said control circuit.

30. The handle defined in claim 14 further including a detachable tool having a first attachment portion adapted to be releasably attached to said body, a second attachment portion adapted to be releasably attached to said trigger arm, and a tubular tool body having axially extending, diametrically opposed first and second yoke arms formed thereon, said first yoke arm and said second yoke arm each having a respective pivot hole formed therethrough;

a first jaw operatively coupled to said first attachment portion and having a flange portion formed at one end thereof, said flange portion having first and second opposed faces, a recess being formed in said first face of said flange portion of said first jaw, a first pivot pin extending perpendicularly from said second face of said flange portion of said first jaw through said pivot hole in said first yoke arm to pivotally mount said first jaw on said tool body; and

a second jaw operatively coupled to said second attachment portion and having a flange portion formed at one end thereof, said flange portion having first and second opposed faces, a connector pin extending perpendicularly from said first face of said flange portion of said second jaw, said connector pin extending into said recess formed in said first face of said flange portion of said first jaw to pivotally couple said first and second jaws, a second pivot pin extending perpendicularly from said second face of said flange portion of said second jaw through said pivot hole in said second yoke arm to pivotally mount said second jaw on said body.

31. The handle defined in claim 30 wherein said connector pin is received in said recess formed in said first face of said flange portion of said first jaw with a snap fit.

32. The handle defined in claim 30 wherein each of said jaws is formed of a plastic material and includes a respective metallic contact member fixed thereto.

33. The handle defined in claim 30 wherein said first attachment portion is a tubular shaft releasably fixed to said body detent and said second attachment portion is a second shaft slidingly mounted partially within and coaxial with said tubular shaft and which is releasably fixed to said trigger arm detent.

34. The handle defined in claim 30 further including a connector body fixed to said second shaft and a pair of arms extending from said connector body, one arm of said pair of arms pivotally engaging said flange portion of said first jaw and the other arm of said pair of arms pivotally engaging said flange portion of said second jaw, said tubular tool body being fixed to said tubular shaft.

35. The handle defined in claim 14 further including a contact assembly including a canted coil spring disposed to contact a second attachment portion of a detachable tool attached to said trigger arm and adapted to be connect to a source of electrical power.

36. The handle defined in claim 35 further including a socket reciprocally supported by said body, said socket having an inner surface defining a bore therethrough adapted to receive a second attachment portion of a detachable tool therein, said inner surface further defining a circumferential groove about said bore, said canted coil spring being supported partially within said groove in said socket.

37. The handle defined in claim 35 further including a detachable tool having a first attachment portion adapted to be releasably attached to said body, a second attachment portion adapted to be releasably attached to said trigger arm, a first jaw operatively coupled to said first attachment portion, a second jaw operatively coupled to said second attachment portion, one of said first and second jaws having an electrically conductive grip portion which is electrically connected to said canted coil spring.