Apparatus, system, and method for performing an electrosurgical procedure

A bipolar forceps includes a housing having a shaft extending therefrom including an end effector assembly at a distal end thereof. The end effector assembly has a wheel assembly opposing a jaw member and having a pair of opposing wheels configured to facilitate movement of the wheel assembly relative to the jaw member. A drive rod is operably coupled at a proximal end to a movable handle and at a distal end to the wheel assembly. The movable handle is movable relative to a stationary handle to move the wheel assembly relative to the jaw member. At least one electrically conductive tissue sealing plate is disposed on each of the wheel assembly and the jaw member and is adapted to connect to an electrosurgical energy source configured to deliver electrosurgical energy to tissue held between the wheel assembly and the jaw member to effect a tissue seal.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to an apparatus, system, and method for performing an electrosurgical procedure. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to an apparatus, system, and method for performing an electrosurgical procedure that employs an electrosurgical apparatus that includes an end effector assembly configured for use with various size access ports.

2. Description of Related Art

Electrosurgical apparatuses (e.g., electrosurgical forceps) are well known in the medical arts and typically include a handle, a shaft and an end effector assembly operatively coupled to a distal end of the shaft that is configured to manipulate tissue (e.g., grasp and seal tissue). Electrosurgical forceps utilize both mechanical clamping action and electrical energy to effect hemostasis by heating the tissue and blood vessels to coagulate, cauterize, seal, cut, desiccate, and/or fulgurate tissue

As an alternative to open electrosurgical forceps for use with open surgical procedures, many modern surgeons use endoscopes and endoscopic electrosurgical apparatus (e.g., endoscopic forceps) or laparoscopic forceps for remotely accessing organs through smaller, puncture-like incisions. As a direct result thereof, patients tend to benefit from less scarring and reduced healing time. Typically, the forceps are inserted into the patient through one or more various types of cannulas or access ports (typically having an opening that ranges from about five millimeters to about twelve millimeters) that has been made with a trocar; as can be appreciated, smaller cannulas are usually preferred.

Forceps that are configured for use with small cannulas (e.g., cannulas less than five millimeters) may present design challenges for a manufacturer of electrosurgical instruments.

SUMMARY

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a bipolar forceps includes a housing having a shaft extending therefrom including an end effector assembly at a distal end thereof. The end effector assembly has a wheel assembly opposing a jaw member and having a pair of opposing wheels configured to facilitate movement of the wheel assembly relative to the jaw member. A drive rod is operably coupled at a proximal end to a movable handle and at a distal end to the wheel assembly. The movable handle is movable relative to a stationary handle to move the wheel assembly relative to the jaw member. At least one electrically conductive tissue sealing plate is disposed on each of the wheel assembly and the jaw member and is adapted to connect to an electrosurgical energy source configured to deliver electrosurgical energy to tissue held between the wheel assembly and the jaw member to effect a tissue seal.

According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, a bipolar forceps includes a housing having a shaft that extends therefrom including an end effector assembly at a distal end thereof. The end effector assembly has a wheel assembly opposing a jaw member. The wheel assembly has a pair of opposing wheels configured to facilitate movement of the wheel assembly relative to the jaw member. A drive rod is operably coupled at a proximal end to a movable handle disposed within a housing and at a distal end to a mechanical interface disposed between the pair of wheels. The movable handle is movable relative to a stationary handle disposed within the housing to cause proximal and distal movement of the drive rod. The pair of wheels is configured to rotate about the mechanical interface such that proximal movement of the drive rod causes rotation of the pair of wheels in a first direction to move the wheel assembly proximally relative to the jaw member, and distal movement of the drive rod causes rotation of the pair of wheels in a second direction to move the wheel assembly distally relative to the jaw member. At least one electrically conductive tissue sealing plate is disposed on each of the wheel assembly and the jaw member. The at least one electrically conductive tissue sealing plate is adapted to connect to an electrosurgical energy source configured to deliver electrosurgical energy to tissue held between the wheel assembly and the jaw member via the at least one electrically conductive tissue sealing plate to effect a tissue seal.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As noted above, it may prove useful in the arts to provide an electrosurgical apparatus that is suitable for use with various access ports, including but not limited to those that are greater than and/or less than five millimeters. With this purpose in mind, the present disclosure includes an electrosurgical forceps that includes a drive rod operably coupled to a wheel assembly. The wheel assembly is associated with a jaw member such that the wheel assembly and jaw member are configured to move relative to each other to selectively form a closed loop electrical circuit such that a desired tissue effect (e.g., tissue seal) may be achieved.

Turning now toFIGS. 1 and 2, an embodiment of an laparoscopic bipolar forceps10is shown for use with various surgical procedures and generally includes a housing20, a handle assembly30, a rotating assembly80, a trigger assembly70, a shaft12, a drive rod150(shown in phantom), and an end effector assembly100. The end effector assembly100includes a wheel assembly110having opposing wheels110aand110bconfigured to engage a jaw member120such that wheels110a,110brotate to facilitate movement of wheel assembly110and jaw member120relative to each other to mutually cooperate to grasp, seal, and divide large tubular vessels and large vascular tissues. As best shown inFIG. 2, wheels110aand110binclude electrically conductive seal plates112aand112bcircumferentially disposed thereon, respectively, for purposes of sealing tissue. Each of wheels110aand110balso includes an aperture101aand101b, respectively, defined therethrough that secures a rotation pin103therebetween. As will be discussed in further detail below, wheels110aand110brotate about rotation pin103to facilitate movement of wheel assembly110relative to jaw member120. Although the majority of the figure drawings depict a bipolar forceps10for use in connection with laparoscopic surgical procedures, the present disclosure may be used for more traditional open surgical procedures or endoscopic procedures. For the purposes herein, the forceps10is described in terms of an laparoscopic instrument; however, it is contemplated that an open version or endoscopic version of the forceps may also include the same or similar operating components and features as described below.

Handle assembly30includes a fixed handle50and a movable handle40. Fixed handle50is integrally associated with housing20and handle40is movable relative to fixed handle50as explained in more detail below with respect to the operation of the forceps10. Rotating assembly80is operatively connected to the housing20and is rotatable approximately 180 degrees in either direction about a longitudinal axis “A” (SeeFIG. 1).

Shaft12has a distal end14configured to mechanically engage the end effector assembly100and a proximal end16which mechanically engages the housing20. In the drawings and in the descriptions that follow, the term “proximal”, as is traditional, will refer to the end of the forceps10that is closer to the user, while the term “distal” will refer to the end that is further from the user.

Drive rod150is slidably disposed in shaft12. A proximal end of drive rod150is operatively coupled to handle assembly30and a distal end of drive rod150is operatively coupled to end effector assembly100. More specifically, wheel assembly110is anchored to a distal end of drive rod150via the rotation pin103, as best shown inFIGS. 4A and 4B. Actuation of movable handle40relative to stationary handle50imparts proximal and distal movement of drive rod150, which, in turn, urges wheel assembly110proximally and distally, respectively, relative to jaw member120, to grasp tissue therebetween. End effector assembly100is configured to grasp tissue between wheel assembly110and jaw member120when wheel assembly110is in a substantially distal position relative to jaw member120(seeFIG. 4B), in a substantially proximal position relative to jaw member120(seeFIG. 4A), and/or in any position disposed therebetween relative to jaw member120.

More specifically, and with reference toFIGS. 4A and 4B, wheel assembly110is operable by the drive rod150such that drive rod150urges wheel assembly110in the proximal and distal directions, as indicated by directional arrows P and D′, respectively. More specifically, distal movement of drive rod150causes wheels110a,110bto rotate clock-wise to facilitate distal movement of wheel assembly110relative to jaw member120. Conversely, proximal movement of drive rod150causes wheels110a,110bto rotate counter-clock-wise to facilitate proximal movement of wheel assembly110relative to jaw member120.

In some embodiments, actuation of handle assembly30is configured to translate proximal and distal movement of jaw member120to facilitate functionality substantially as described above with respect to proximal and distal movement of wheel assembly100. More specifically, proximal and distal movement of jaw member120relative to wheel assembly110may be imparted via actuation of moveable handle40relative to stationary handle50. With this purpose in mind, forceps10may include any number of electrical connections, configurations, and/or components (e.g., resistors, capacitors, inductors, rheostats, etc.), mechanical connections, configurations, and/or components (e.g., gears, links, springs, rods, etc.), and/or electro-mechanical connections, configurations, and/or components such that forceps10may function as intended.

More specifically, and with continued reference toFIGS. 4A and 4B, proximal and distal movement of jaw member120relative to wheel assembly110may be imparted via actuation of moveable handle40relative to stationary handle50, as indicated by directional arrows P′ and D, respectively. More specifically, distal movement of jaw member120causes wheels110a,110bto rotate counter clock-wise to facilitate proximal movement of wheel assembly110relative to jaw member120. Conversely, proximal movement of jaw member120causes wheels110a,110bto rotate clock-wise to facilitate distal movement of wheel assembly110relative to jaw member120.

Forceps10includes an electrosurgical cable310that connects the forceps10to a source of electrosurgical energy, e.g., a generator (not shown). One such source of electrosurgical energy is described in commonly-owned U.S. Pat. No. 6,033,399 entitled “ELECTROSURGICAL GENERATOR WITH ADAPTIVE POWER CONTROL”. Cable310is internally divided into cable leads310a,310b, and310c, which are designed to transmit electrical potentials through their respective feed paths through the forceps10to the end effector assembly100. More specifically, the source of electrosurgical energy transmits electrosurgical energy, which may be in the form of a wave or signal/pulse, via one or more cables (e.g., cable310) to the end effector assembly100.

For a more detailed description of handle assembly30, movable handle40, rotating assembly80, and electrosurgical cable310(including line-feed configurations and/or connections) reference is made to commonly owned Patent Publication No., 2003-0229344, filed on Feb. 20, 2003, entitled VESSEL SEALER AND DIVIDER AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME.

Jaw member120includes an insulative jaw housing124and an electrically conductive seal plate118. Insulator124is configured to securely engage the electrically conductive seal plate118. Seal plates112a,112bof wheels110a,110band seal plate118may be manufactured from stamped steel. The may be accomplished by stamping, by overmolding, by overmolding a stamped electrically conductive seal plate and/or by overmolding a metal injection molded seal plate. All of these manufacturing techniques produce an electrode having a seal plate118that is substantially surrounded by the insulating substrate.

The insulator124, seal plates112a,112b,118, and the wheels110a,110bmay be configured to limit and/or reduce many of the known undesirable effects related to tissue sealing, e.g., flashover, thermal spread and stray current dissipation. In other embodiments, wheels110a,110band jaw member120may be manufactured from a ceramic-like material and the electrically conductive surface112a,112b, and118are coated onto the ceramic-like wheels110a,110band jaw member120, respectively.

To prevent short-circuiting from occurring between the seal plates112a,112b, and118and either or both of the rotation pin103and the drive rod150, the rotation pin103and/or drive rod150may be provided with an insulative material (not explicitly shown) applied thereto and/or may be formed of a non-conductive material.

FIG. 5shows the forceps10grasping tissue. In one embodiment, and as noted hereinabove, actuation of moveable handle40causes distal and proximal movement of drive rod150, which, in turn, causes corresponding distal and proximal movement of wheel assembly110relative to jaw member120to grasp and seal tissue disposed therebetween, as shown inFIG. 5. In another embodiment and as noted hereinabove, actuation of moveable handle causes distal and proximal movement of jaw member120relative to wheel assembly110, via any suitable configuration discussed hereinabove with respect to jaw member120, to grasp and seal tissue therebetween.

The wheel assembly110configuration of end effector assembly100allows the wheels110a,110bto be rotated to manipulate tissue until sealing is desired. This enables the user to position and re-position the forceps10prior to activation and sealing. Once tissue is fully compressed between wheels110a,110band jaw member120, or more specifically between sealing surfaces112a,112b, and118, the forceps10are now ready for selective application of electrosurgical energy and subsequent separation of the tissue. More specifically, the source of electrosurgical energy, discussed hereinabove, transmits electrosurgical energy, which may be in the form of a wave or signal/pulse, via one or more cables (e.g., cable310) to one or both of seal plates112a,112band118. For example, a first electrical potential (e.g., “+”) may be transmitted to sealing surfaces112a,112band a second electrical potential (e.g., “−”) may be transmitted to sealing surface118. Electrosurgical energy may be transmitted to each of the seal plates simultaneously or consecutively.

As best shown inFIG. 3, a knife channel115runs through the center of jaw member120such that a blade122may cut tissue grasped between wheel assembly110and jaw member120. More specifically, the blade122advances through knife channel115when activated (e.g., via the trigger assembly70) to progressively and selectively divide tissue along an ideal tissue plane in a precise manner to effectively and reliably divide the tissue. In embodiments, forceps10may be configured such that blade122may only be advanced through knife channel115to cut tissue when wheel assembly110is positioned at certain locations along jaw member120(e.g., in a grasping position, a distal most position, a proximal most position, etc.) thus preventing accidental or premature activation of the blade122through tissue.