Surgical instrument with stowing knife blade

摘要

A surgical instrument with a stowing knife blade includes an elongated shaft, an end effector coupled to the shaft and including two opposed jaws, a housing included in one of the jaws, a first member mounted in the housing and movable distally, a knife pivotally coupled with the first member, and a second member. The knife is configured to cut when advanced distally. The first and second members are moved distally at the same rate during a cutting motion of the knife and the second member blocks a rotation of the knife relative to the first member during the cutting motion of the knife. After moving through the first distance, relative movement between the first and second members occurs so as to permit or induce the previously blocked rotation of the knife so that the knife can be stowed.

主权项

1. A surgical instrument comprising:
an elongated shaft having a shaft distal end and a shaft proximal end; an end effector coupled to the shaft distal end and including two opposed jaws; a housing included in one of the jaws; the housing including a housing proximal end, a housing distal end, an upper surface extending between the housing proximal and distal ends, a central cavity extending between the housing proximal and distal ends, and a longitudinal slot extending through the upper surface; a first member mounted in the housing and movable toward the housing distal end; a second member configured to move with the first member toward the housing distal end at the same rate through a first distance, relative movement between the first and second members occurring after the first and second members move through the first distance, the second member blocking a rotation of the knife relative to the first member while moving with the first member at the same rate toward the housing distal end and at least one of permitting rotation of the knife after a relative movement between the first and second members or inducing rotation of the knife during a relative movement between the first and second members; and a knife pivotally coupled with the first member, the knife extending through the longitudinal slot, the knife having a cutting edge configured to cut when the first member is moved toward the housing distal end, the cutting edge extending above the housing upper surface for at least a portion of the distal movement of the first member.