Patent ID: 6719776
Filing Date: 2004-04-13
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
An ultrasonic surgical instrument which is ergonomically designed to be comfortable and reduce fatigue in a surgeon operator's hand and arm, comprising:a. a housing body shroud for the ultrasonic surgical instrument which defines a handle which is held in the palm of a surgeon user to balance the weight of the instrument during usage; b. a thumb pad actuator translationally mounted on the upper surface of the body shroud for distal and proximal movements along substantially the same arc that the thumb naturally follows when bending proximally and distally at the first knuckle, thereby providing an actuating movement by the thumb along a familiar and natural arc which facilitates a coordinated easy actuation with very little major muscle movement; c. an ultrasonic waveguide for transferring ultrasonic vibrations to the distal end of the surgical instrument to perform a useful surgical procedure thereat; d. wherein a clamp arm is rotationally mounted relative to a blade which is stationarily supported at the distal end of the ultrasonic surgical instrument, and when the thumb pad actuator is pushed forward in a distal direction, the rotational clamp arm is opened relative to the stationary blade, and when the thumb pad actuator is pulled rearward in a proximal direction, the clamp arm is closed relative to the stationary blade.