US-20260123931-A1 - SURGICAL STAPLER KNIFE MOTION CONTROLS

US20260123931A1US 20260123931 A1US20260123931 A1US 20260123931A1US-20260123931-A1

Abstract

A surgical instrument includes an end effector, a firing member movable distally to effect a firing motion at the end effector, wherein the firing member comprises a cam slot, and a lockout pawl. The lockout pawl has a cam feature receivable in the cam slot, wherein the cam slot is configured to guide the cam feature to cause a rotation of the lockout pawl between a first position where the lockout pawl permits the distal movement of the firing member, and a second position where the lockout pawl prevents the distal movement of the firing member.

Inventors

Austin E. Wise
Morgan R. Hunter

Assignees

CILAG GMBH INTERNATIONAL

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20251229

Claims (20)

1 . A method, comprising: activating a motor of a surgical instrument to implement a firing motion that causes a firing beam to move within an end effector of the surgical instrument away from a first position towards a second position; activating the motor of the surgical instrument to implement a retraction motion that causes the firing beam to move within the end effector of the surgical instrument away from the second position towards the first position; receiving a signal from a sensor of the surgical instrument indicating that the firing beam is in the first position during the retraction motion; and deactivating the motor based on receiving the signal.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the signal received from the sensor indicates a force of the firing beam against a hard stop blocking the firing beam from moving past the first position during the retraction motion.
3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the signal received from the sensor is a load cell signal.
4 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising comparing the force indicated by the signal to a predetermined threshold to determine that the firing beam is in the first position.
5 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising using a motor driver to activate and deactivate the motor.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first position is a proximal position in the end effector, and wherein the second position is a distal position in the end effector.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the end effector is configured to receive a staple cartridge, the method further comprising ejecting staples from the staple cartridge during the firing motion.
8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising preventing a second firing motion by locking the firing beam in the first position after the retraction motion with a lockout pawl.
9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the firing beam comprises a cam slot, a protrusion, and a retaining pocket, wherein the lockout pawl comprises a cam receivable in the cam slot during the retraction motion, the method further comprising guiding, using the cam slot, the cam and moving the lockout pawl toward locking the firing beam in the first position, and receiving the cam by the retaining pocket such that the lockout pawl locks the firing beam in the first position.
10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the end effector is configured to receive a staple cartridge comprising a sled, wherein the firing beam is to push the sled from an unfired position to a fired position during the firing motion, the method further comprising preventing, via the sled being in the unfired position, the lockout pawl from locking the firing beam in the first position.
11 . A method, comprising: activating a motor of a surgical instrument to implement a retraction motion, subsequent to a firing motion which caused a firing beam to move within an end effector of the surgical instrument away from a first position towards a second position, that causes the firing beam to move within the end effector of the surgical instrument away from the second position towards the first position; receiving a signal from a sensor of the surgical instrument indicating that the firing beam is in the first position during the retraction motion; and deactivating the motor based on receiving the signal.
12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising impeding, by an impediment, movement of the firing beam past the first position during the retraction motion, wherein the signal received from the sensor indicates a force imparted on the firing beam resulting therefrom.
13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the signal received from the sensor is a load cell signal generated by a load cell comprised by the impediment.
14 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising comparing the force indicated by the signal to a predetermined threshold to determine that the firing beam has reached the first position.
15 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising using a motor driver to activate and deactivate the motor.
16 . A system, comprising: means for, in a surgical instrument, moving a firing beam within an end effector of the surgical instrument, during a firing motion, away from a first position towards a second position; means for, in the surgical instrument, moving the firing beam within the end effector of the surgical instrument, during a retraction motion, away from the second position towards the first position; means for sensing that the firing beam is in the first position during the retraction motion and generating a signal indicative thereof; and means for ceasing the movement of the firing beam based on receiving the signal.
17 . The system of claim 16 , further comprising means for impeding movement of the firing beam past the first position during the retraction motion.
18 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the means for sensing comprises a means for sensing a force on the firing beam imparted by the means for impeding during the retraction motion.
19 . The system of claim 18 , further comprising means for ceasing movement of the firing beam when the sensed force on the firing beam exceeds a predetermined threshold.
20 . The system of claim 16 , further comprising means for preventing a second firing motion by the firing beam when in the first position after the retraction motion.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION The present application is a divisional application claiming priority under 35 U.S.C. § 120 to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/821,936, entitled SURGICAL STAPLER KNIFE MOTION CONTROLS, filed Aug. 30, 2024, now U.S. Patent Application Publication No. ______, which claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 120 to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/458,967, entitled SURGICAL STAPLER KNIFE MOTION CONTROLS, filed Aug. 27, 2021, now U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2022/0117602, which claims priority to 35 U.S.C. § 120 to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/797,200, entitled SURGICAL STAPLER KNIFE MOTION CONTROLS, filed Oct. 30, 2017, which issued on Oct. 5, 2021, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,134,944, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein. BACKGROUND The present invention relates to surgical instruments and, in various arrangements, to surgical stapling and cutting instruments and staple cartridges for use therewith that are designed to staple and cut tissue. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Various features of the embodiments described herein, together with advantages thereof, may be understood in accordance with the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings as follows: FIG. 1 illustrates perspective view of a surgical instrument in accordance with at least one aspect of the present disclosure; FIG. 2 illustrates is a partial perspective view of an interchangeable shaft assembly and a perspective view of a handle of the surgical instrument of FIG. 1 in an unassembled configuration; FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of an end effector of the surgical instrument of FIG. 1; FIG. 4 illustrates a partial perspective view of the surgical instrument of FIG. 1; FIG. 5 illustrates perspective views of a sled, a firing member, and a lockout pawl of the surgical instrument of FIG. 1; FIGS. 6-8 are partial cross-sectional views of the surgical instrument of FIG. 1 illustrating advancement of a firing member from a home position in the absence of an unfired staple cartridge; FIGS. 9-11 are partial cross-sectional views of the surgical instrument of FIG. 1 illustrating advancement of a firing member from a home position in the presence of an unfired staple cartridge; FIGS. 12-14 are partial cross-sectional views of the surgical instrument of FIG. 1 illustrating the return of a firing member to a home position; FIG. 15 illustrate four consecutive positions of a firing member of the surgical instrument of FIG. 1 relative to a lockout pawl; and FIG. 16 is a logic diagram of a control circuit of the surgical instrument of FIG. 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION Numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the overall structure, function, manufacture, and use of the embodiments as described in the specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Well-known operations, components, and elements have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the embodiments described in the specification. The reader will understand that the embodiments described and illustrated herein are non-limiting examples, and thus it can be appreciated that the specific structural and functional details disclosed herein may be representative and illustrative. Variations and changes thereto may be made without departing from the scope of the claims. The terms “comprise” (and any form of comprise, such as “comprises” and “comprising”), “have” (and any form of have, such as “has” and “having”), “include” (and any form of include, such as “includes” and “including”) and “contain” (and any form of contain, such as “contains” and “containing”) are open-ended linking verbs. As a result, a surgical system, device, or apparatus that “comprises,” “has,” “includes” or “contains” one or more elements possesses those one or more elements, but is not limited to possessing only those one or more elements. Likewise, an element of a system, device, or apparatus that “comprises,” “has,” “includes” or “contains” one or more features possesses those one or more features, but is not limited to possessing only those one or more features. The terms “proximal” and “distal” are used herein with reference to a clinician manipulating the handle portion of the surgical instrument. The term “proximal” refers to the portion closest to the clinician and the term “distal” refers to the portion located away from the clinician. It will be further appreciated that, for convenience and clarity, spatial terms such as “vertical”, “horizontal”, “up”, and “down” may be used herein with respect to the drawings. However, surgical instruments are used in many orientations and positions, and these terms are not intended to be limiting and/or absolute. Various exemplary devices and methods are provided for performing laparoscopic and minimally invasive surgical procedures. However, the reader will readily appreciate that the various methods and devices discl