SYSTEMS AND METHODS FACILITATING REPROCESSING OF SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS
A method of sharpening a cutting edge of a knife of a surgical instrument includes manipulating an end effector assembly of a surgical instrument such that first and second jaw members of the end effector assembly are disposed in a spaced-apart position, retaining the first and second jaw members in the spaced-apart position, advancing a knife of the surgical instrument to an extended position wherein the knife extends between the first and second jaw members, retaining the knife in the extended position, and sharpening a cutting edge of the knife.
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/960,849, filed on Apr. 24, 2018, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND Technical FieldThe present disclosure relates to surgical instruments and, more particularly, to systems and methods facilitating reprocessing of surgical instruments.
Background of Related ArtMulti-function surgical instruments are beneficial in that they allow multiple surgical tasks to be performed with a single instrument, obviating the need to alternatingly remove and insert different instruments for performing different surgical tasks. However, in order to provide additional functionality, additional components are added that must fit within the spatial and functional constraints of the instrument. As a result, multi-function surgical instruments tend to be relatively complex in their design and manufacture.
Surgical instrument can generally be categorized as reusable instruments (e.g., instruments that are cleaned and/or sterilized), disposable instruments (e.g., instruments that are entirely discarded after a single use), and reposable instruments (e.g., instruments wherein portions are disposable and other portions are reusable after cleaning and/or sterilization). A new class of so called reprocessed instruments has recently been introduced by manufacturers. Typically, these reprocessed instruments are disposable instruments (or reposable instruments) that are collected after a surgical use and returned to a manufacturer where the instruments are disassembled, cleaned/disinfected, refurbished, re-assembled, sterilized and sold as reprocessed instruments. In many cases, most of the original parts of an instrument are re-used to provide the necessary parts for reassembly of the same instrument. Parts that wear during use, are broken during disassembly, and/or are otherwise unable to be reprocessed as-is may be refurbished, modified, and/or alternatively replaced with replacement components.
With respect to reprocessing of certain surgical instruments, such as multi-function surgical instruments, efficient and effective disassembly, cleaning/disinfection, component replacement, component refurbishment, reassembly, and sterilization can be challenging. There is therefore a need for systems and methods facilitating reprocessing of surgical instruments.
SUMMARYAs used herein, the term “distal” refers to the portion that is being described that is further from a user, while the term “proximal” refers to the portion that is being described that is closer to a user. Further, to the extent consistent, any of the aspects described herein may be used in conjunction with any of the other aspects described herein.
Provided in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure is a method of sharpening a cutting edge of a knife of a surgical instrument including manipulating an end effector assembly of a surgical instrument such that first and second jaw members of the end effector assembly are disposed in a spaced-apart position, maintaining the first and second jaw members in the spaced-apart position, advancing a knife of the surgical instrument to an extended position wherein the knife extends between the first and second jaw members, retaining the knife in the extended position, and sharpening a cutting edge of the knife.
In an aspect of the present disclosure, the method further includes positioning the end effector assembly in a fixture prior to manipulating the end effector assembly.
In another aspect of the present disclosure, manipulating the end effector assembly includes operably positioning a jack between the first and second jaw members and actuating the jack to move the first and second jaw members to the spaced-apart position. The jack may further be configured to maintain the first and second jaw members in the spaced-apart position.
In still another aspect of the present disclosure, manipulating the end effector assembly includes moving the first and second jaw members to the spaced-apart position. In such aspects maintaining the first and second jaw members in the spaced-apart position includes positioning a jack between the first and second jaw members to maintain the first and second jaw members in the spaced-apart position.
In yet another aspect of the present disclosure, advancing the knife includes actuating the knife from a proximal end portion of a knife assembly including the knife. Alternatively, advancing the knife includes pulling the knife distally.
In still yet another aspect of the present disclosure, retaining the knife in the extended position includes attaching a clamp to the knife.
In another aspect of the present disclosure, the method further includes, prior to manipulating the end effector assembly, disassembling the surgical instrument such that a front end assembly including the end effector assembly and the knife is removed from a remainder of the surgical instrument.
In another aspect of the present disclosure, the method further includes, before or after sharpening the cutting edge of the knife, flushing the front end assembly, e.g., with a cleaning solution, and/or reassembling the front end assembly with the remainder of the surgical instrument.
Another method of sharpening a cutting edge of a knife of a surgical instrument provided in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure includes disassembling a surgical instrument to remove a front end assembly therefrom. The front end assembly includes an elongated shaft assembly, an end effector assembly disposed at a distal end of the elongated shaft assembly, and a knife operably disposed within the elongated shaft assembly. The method further includes manipulating the end effector assembly such that first and second jaw members of the end effector assembly are disposed in a spaced-apart position, maintaining the first and second jaw members in the spaced-apart position, advancing the knife to an extended position wherein the knife extends between the first and second jaw members, retaining the knife in the extended position, and sharpening a cutting edge of the knife.
In an aspect of the present disclosure, the method further includes positioning the end effector assembly in a fixture prior to manipulating the end effector assembly.
In another aspect of the present disclosure, manipulating the end effector assembly includes operably positioning a jack between the first and second jaw members and actuating the jack to move the first and second jaw members to the spaced-apart position.
In yet another aspect of the present disclosure, manipulating the end effector assembly includes manually moving the first and second jaw members to the spaced-apart position.
In still another aspect of the present disclosure, maintaining the first and second jaw members in the spaced-apart position includes positioning a jack between the first and second jaw members.
In still yet another aspect of the present disclosure, advancing the knife includes actuating the knife from a proximal end portion of a knife assembly including the knife. Alternatively, advancing the knife includes pulling the knife distally.
In another aspect of the present disclosure, the method further includes, before or after sharpening the cutting edge of the knife, flushing the front end assembly, e.g., with a cleaning solution, and/or reassembling the front end assembly with the surgical instrument.
Various aspects of the present disclosure are described herein with reference to the drawings wherein like reference numerals identify similar or identical elements:
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With reference to
Instrument 10 also includes an electrosurgical cable (not shown) that connects instrument 10 to a generator (not shown) or other suitable power source. The electrosurgical cable includes wires (not shown) extending therethrough that have sufficient length to extend through housing 20 and/or elongated shaft assembly 80 in order to provide energy to at least one of the electrically-conductive surfaces 112, 122 of jaw members 110, 120, respectively, of end effector assembly 100, e.g., upon activation of bipolar activation switch 172 of bipolar activation assembly 170 in the bipolar mode of operation. Similarly, one or more of the wires of the electrosurgical cable extends through housing 20 and/or elongated shaft assembly 80 in order to provide energy to monopolar assembly 200, e.g., upon activation of either of the monopolar activation switches 182 of monopolar activation assembly 180 in the monopolar mode of operation.
Elongated shaft assembly 80 extends distally from housing 20 and supports end effector assembly 100 at a distal end thereof. End effector assembly 100 includes opposing jaw members 110, 120 pivotably coupled to one another. Each of the jaw members 110, 120 includes an electrically-conductive surface 112, 122 adapted to connect to the source of energy and defines a bipolar configuration in use wherein surface 112 is charged to a first electrical potential and surface 122 is charged to a second, different electrical potential such that an electrical potential gradient is created for conducting energy between surfaces 112, 122 and through tissue grasped therebetween for treating tissue. Bipolar activation switch 172 of bipolar activation assembly 170 (
Handle assembly 30 includes a movable handle 40 and a fixed handle 50. Movable handle 40 is movable relative to fixed handle 50 between an initial position, wherein movable handle 40 is spaced-apart from fixed handle 50, and a compressed position, wherein movable handle 40 is compressed towards fixed handle 50. Drive assembly 140 is operably coupled between handle assembly 30 and end effector assembly 100 such that movement of movable handle 40 between the initial position and the compressed position pivots jaw member 110 relative to jaw member 120 between the spaced-apart position and the approximated position, to a threshold force, at which point movable handle 40 is decoupled from jaw member 110 such that jaw member 110 is maintained in position despite further movement of movable handle 40 towards the compressed position. More specifically, when the threshold force is reached, a compression spring 142 (
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Rotation of rotation wheel 72 of rotation assembly 70 relative to housing 20 effects corresponding rotation of at least a portion of elongated shaft assembly 80, end effector assembly 100, drive assembly 140, the knife assembly 160, and monopolar assembly 200 relative to housing 20.
Monopolar assembly 200 includes an insulative sheath 210 and an energizable member 220. Insulative sheath 210 is movable relative to end effector assembly 100 between a storage position, wherein insulative sheath 210 is disposed proximally of end effector assembly 100, and a use position, wherein insulative sheath 210 is substantially disposed about end effector assembly 100. Energizable member 220 is coupled to the source of energy (not shown) and monopolar activation assembly 180 (
Deployment and retraction mechanism 300 is configured for selectively transitioning monopolar assembly 200 between its storage condition and its use condition. Deployment and retraction mechanism 300 generally includes a gear box 310 mounted within housing 20, a gear assembly 320 operably disposed within gear box 310, a pair of input shafts 330 operably coupled to gear assembly 320 and extending transversely from either side of gear box 310 and outwardly from housing 20 through apertures defined through housing 20, a pair of deployment paddles 340 operably coupled to the input shafts 330, and a slider 360 disposed within housing 20 and operably coupling an output of gear assembly 330 with energizable member 220 of monopolar assembly 200 (which, in turn, is engaged with insulative sleeve 210) such that deployment and retraction mechanism 300 is configured to enable both deployment and retraction of monopolar assembly 200 in a push-push manner, e.g., wherein monopolar assembly 200 is both deployed and retracted by pushing either of paddles 340 in the same direction.
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In order to reprocess instrument 10, in embodiments, paddles 340 of deployment and retraction mechanism 300 (
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Next, trigger 62 is actuated (which is permitted, despite jaw members 110, 120 being in the spaced-apart position, since the knife lockout has been cleared, as detailed above), to advance knife 162 to the extended position. Knife 162 may be maintained in the extended position via manually holding trigger 62 in the actuated position, latching (with a separate latching device), otherwise retaining trigger 62, or by holding knife 162, similarly as detailed above. Thereafter, cutting edge 164 of knife 162 may be sharpened similarly as detailed above.
From the foregoing and with reference to the various drawing figures, those skilled in the art will appreciate that certain modifications can also be made to the present disclosure without departing from the scope of the same. While several embodiments of the disclosure have been shown in the drawings, it is not intended that the disclosure be limited thereto, as it is intended that the disclosure be as broad in scope as the art will allow and that the specification be read likewise. Therefore, the above description should not be construed as limiting, but merely as exemplifications of particular embodiments. Those skilled in the art will envision other modifications within the scope and spirit of the claims appended hereto.
Claims
1. A system for sharpening a cutting edge of a knife of a surgical instrument, the system comprising:
- a jack configured to retain first and second jaw members of an end effector assembly of a surgical instrument in a spaced-apart position relative to one another;
- a clamp configured to retain a knife of the surgical instrument in an extended position wherein the knife extends between the first and second jaw members in the spaced-apart position thereof; and
- a sharpener configured to sharpen a cutting edge of the knife while the jack retains the first and second jaw members in the spaced-apart position and the clamp retains the knife in the extended position.
2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a fixture configured to receive and retain at least a portion of the end effector assembly therein.
3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the fixture is configured to receive and retain one of the first or second jaw members in fixed position therein.
4. The system according to claim 2, wherein the clamp is configured to engage the fixture to retain the clamp in position.
5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the jack includes a base, a shaft, and a support, the support configured to engage one of the first or second jaw members to retain the first and second jaw members in the spaced-apart position.
6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the support is slidable along the shaft and relative to base to move the one of the first or second jaw members to thereby move the first and second jaw members to the spaced-apart position.
7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the clamp is configured to engage the knife at a position spaced-apart from the cutting edge of the knife.
8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the position is proximally spaced-apart from the cutting edge of the knife.
9. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a grasping device configured to grasp the knife to enable pulling of the knife to the extended position.
10. The system according to claim 9, further comprising a pull-wise connected to the grasping device, wherein the pull wire is actuatable to pull the knife to the extended position.
11. The system according to claim 1, wherein the sharpener is manually operated.
12. The system according to claim 1, wherein the sharpener is powered.
13. The system according to claim 1, wherein the sharpener is one of: a jig-assisted sharpener, a sharpening stone-based sharpener, a push-through sharpener, a grinder sharpener, or a belt sharpener.
14. The system according to claim 1, wherein the sharpener is movable from a first position, wherein the sharpener is spaced-apart from the knife, to a second position, wherein the sharpener is adjacent the cutting edge of the knife to enable sharpening thereof.
15. The system according to claim 1, wherein the clamp is configured to engage the jack to retain the clamp in position.
Type: Application
Filed: Sep 21, 2020
Publication Date: Jan 7, 2021
Inventors: John R. Twomey (Longmont, CO), James D. Allen, IV (Broomfield, CO)
Application Number: 17/026,363