阅读说明：本技术 剪刀式血管密封器 (Scissor type blood vessel sealer ) 是由 德里克·艾勒斯 于 2019-10-21 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明涉及一种电外科装置,所述电外科装置具有第一轴,所述第一轴具有沿着中间部分定位的柄脚,以提供偏离纵向轴线的枢轴点。第二轴使用接纳所述第一轴的所述柄脚的狭槽可枢转地联接到所述第一轴的所述柄脚。所述第二轴由三个部分形成,每个部分沿着不同的纵向轴线延伸,使得当所述第二轴邻接所述第一轴的止动件时,所述装置的所述钳口将闭合。(The present invention relates to an electrosurgical device having a first shaft with a tang positioned along an intermediate portion to provide a pivot point offset from a longitudinal axis. A second shaft is pivotably coupled to the tang of the first shaft using a slot that receives the tang of the first shaft. The second shaft is formed of three portions, each extending along a different longitudinal axis, such that when the second shaft abuts a stop of the first shaft, the jaws of the device will close.)

1. An electrosurgical device, the electrosurgical device comprising:

a first shaft extending along a longitudinal axis from a first end to a second end and having a jaw associated with the first end, wherein the first shaft includes a tang positioned along a middle portion thereof, the tang being offset from the longitudinal axis; and

a second shaft extending from a first end to a second end and having a second jaw associated with the first end, wherein the second shaft is pivotably coupled to the tang of the first shaft.

2. The electrosurgical device of claim 1, wherein the second shaft includes a slot having a predetermined length that receives the pivot of the first shaft.

3. The electrosurgical device of claim 2, wherein the second shaft includes a first portion extending from the second end to the slot along a first axis.

4. The electrosurgical device of claim 3, wherein the second shaft includes a second portion that extends the predetermined length of the slot along a second axis, wherein the second axis is oblique to the first axis.

5. The electrosurgical device of claim 4, wherein the second shaft includes a third portion extending from the slot to the first end along a third axis, wherein the third axis is oblique to the first and second axes.

6. The electrosurgical device of claim 5, wherein the second shaft includes a pair of side walls defining the slot.

7. The electrosurgical device of claim 6 further comprising a pivot pin extending through the pair of side walls of the second shaft and the tang of the first shaft.

8. The electrosurgical device of claim 7, further comprising a stop positioned along the second axis.

9. The electrosurgical device of claim 8, wherein the first, second, and third axes of the second shaft are oriented such that the first portion of the second shaft contacts the stop of the first shaft when the first and second jaws contact each other.

10. The electrosurgical device of claim 9 further comprising an electrosurgical controller mounted to the first shaft and supporting the stop.

11. The electrosurgical device of claim 10, wherein the second and third axes are oriented at about 28 degrees relative to each other.

1. Field of the invention

The present invention relates to electrosurgical vascular sealers, and more particularly to a vascular sealer having an offset pivot to improve ergonomics.

2. Description of the related Art

Electrosurgical vascular sealers are used to occlude blood vessels and stop bleeding during surgical procedures. The jaws of the vessel sealer are interconnected with an electrosurgical generator that can selectively supply Radio Frequency (RF) energy to the jaws to dry and seal a vessel that has been clamped between the jaws. Conventional vascular sealers have jaws that can articulate in response to user activation. For example, the jaws may be positioned on the ends of a shaft connected to a common hinge pin such that the jaws shear in response to user movement of a handle or finger grip located at the other end of the shaft. However, this arrangement is mechanically inefficient due to loss of energy and unbalanced forces resulting in ineffective clamping and user hand fatigue. Accordingly, there is a need for an improved hinge for a vascular seal that provides effective mechanical clamping while optimizing the user's ergonomics. For open surgery, it is also desirable to maximize the field of view of the jaw tip. Scissor-type devices can be bulky, reducing the surgeon's field of view in certain directions.

Most vascular sealing devices also use a blade to segment tissue, which the surgeon may manually deploy by manipulating a trigger. In the clamped position, the blade is moved down the center of both jaws by the knife rail as the jaws are deployed. In a device that pivots about an axis on the same plane as the clamping face (sealing surface), the blade passes through the center of the pivot. To provide clearance for the slot from which the blade extends and provide sufficient mechanical stability, the pivot is of a large diameter (6-7 mm) and requires a large portion around the pivot to accommodate it.

Background

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention is a vascular seal having effective clamping while providing an ergonomic design. The electrosurgical device includes a first shaft extending along a longitudinal axis from a first end to a second end and having a jaw associated with the first end. The first shaft includes a tang located along an intermediate portion thereof, the tang being offset from the longitudinal axis. The second shaft extends from a first end to a second end and has a second jaw associated with the first end. The second shaft is pivotally coupled to the tang of the first shaft. The second shaft includes a slot having a predetermined length that receives the pivot shaft of the first shaft. The second shaft includes a first portion extending from the second end to the slot along the first axis. The second shaft includes a second portion that extends a predetermined length of the slot along the second axis. The second shaft includes a third portion extending from the slot to the first end along a third axis. The second shaft includes a pair of sidewalls defining a slot. A pivot pin extends through a pair of side walls of the second shaft and the tang of the first shaft. The stop is positioned along the second axis. The first, second, and third axes of the second shaft are oriented such that the first portion of the second shaft contacts the stop of the first shaft when the first and second jaws contact each other. An electrosurgical controller is mounted on the first shaft and supports the stop.

Drawings

The invention will be more fully understood and appreciated from a reading of the following detailed description in conjunction with the drawings in which:

figure 1 is a side view of a vascular seal according to the present invention;

figure 2 is an opposite side view of a vascular sealer according to the present invention; and

figure 3 is a first perspective view of an offset pivot for a vascular sealer according to the present invention;

figure 4 is a second perspective view of an offset pivot for a vascular seal in accordance with the present invention; and

figure 5 is a side view of a shaft of a vascular seal according to the present invention.

Detailed Description

Referring to the drawings, wherein like reference numbers refer to like parts throughout, there is seen in fig. 1 and 2 a vascular seal 10 in accordance with the present invention. The vascular sealer 10 includes a pair of jaws 12 and 14, each mounted to one end of a respective shaft 16 and 18. The opposite ends of the shafts 16 and 18 form a user handle and, thus, may include finger holes 20 and 22 mounted to each of the shafts 16 and 18 to allow for easy grasping by a user. The shafts 16 and 18 are pivotably coupled to each other at intermediate portions thereof by a pivot shaft 24. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the vascular sealer 10 is operated by driving the finger holes 20 and 22 in a shearing motion to selectively open and close the jaws 12 and 14. An electrosurgical controller 24 can be mounted to shaft 18 to provide Radio Frequency (RF) energy to jaws 12 and 14 and to allow a user to selectively energize jaws 12 and 14 to perform electrosurgical procedures while jaws 12 and 14 are closed about tissue to be treated.

The pivot 24 includes a tang 30 extending transversely from the longitudinal axis a-a of the shaft 18. The tang 30 includes a pivot pin 34 that passes through the tang 30 and extends outwardly in both directions to engage the shaft 18. The shaft 16 is substantially linear such that the pivot 34 is offset from the longitudinal axis a-a of the shaft 16. The shaft 18 extends along a first longitudinal axis X-X from the finger hole 20 to a point proximate the pivot 24.

Referring to fig. 3 and 4, the shaft 16 includes a longitudinal slot 38 formed therethrough to define two opposing sidewalls 40 and 42. The slot 38 is sized to receive the tang 30 such that the side walls 40 and 42 flank the tang 30. The side walls 40 and 42 include respective pivot holes 42 and 44 for receiving the pivot pin 34 to pivot the coupling shaft 16 to the shaft 18. A pair of bushings 46 and 48 may be positioned in the slots 38 about the pivot pin 34 to engage and support the coupling of the shafts 16 and 18 to one another. The side walls 40 and 42 of the shaft 18 extend from the pivot holes 42 and 44 along a second longitudinal axis Y-Y that is oblique to the axis X-X. At a point proximate to jaws 12 and 14, side walls 40 and 42 join together to close slot 38 and extend along a third axis Z-Z that is oblique to both axes X-X and Y-Y. As shown in FIG. 2, axes X-X, Y-Y, and Z-Z are positioned relative to one another such that jaws 12 and 14 will fully engage one another at the point where shafts 16 and 18 have pivoted such that shaft 16 has just contacted stop 48 associated with shaft 18, as shown on one side of electrosurgical controller 24. As can be seen in FIG. 5, for a device having a particular size (in inches), the preferred angular relationship of axis Z-Z relative to axis Y-Y is shown in FIG. 5. More specifically, for a total jaw length of 44.3 millimeters, the angle between axis Z-Z and axis Y-Y is approximately 28 degrees, and the offset between the pivot axis and the jaw centerline is 6.5 millimeters.

The offset 34 pivot of the present invention reduces the bulk of the device 10, thereby increasing the surgeon's field of view in certain directions (as compared to a centered pivot). In addition, offsetting the pivot axis may allow a smaller diameter pin to be used to rotate the shaft about it (e.g., 2 mm), thereby reducing the bulk of the device and providing a location for the blade to travel when desired.