Interchangeable tools for surgical instruments

Abstract

A surgical tool system. Various embodiments of the surgical tool system may comprise surgical instrument that has a handle assembly that operably supports a drive system therein for generating drive motions upon actuation of a movable handle portion operably coupled to the handle assembly. An elongated body protrudes from the handle assembly and operably supports a control rod therein that interfaces with the drive system. The surgical tool system further includes at least two surgical tools selected from the group of surgical tools consisting of: manipulators, nippers, scissors, endocutters, tissue thickness measurement devices, staple appliers, clip appliers, syringes for applying glue, sealant, drugs or medicaments and cauterization devices wherein each of the surgical tool within the group of surgical tools at least has a housing that is removably couplable to the elongated body and a drive assembly that is removably couplable to the control rod for receiving the drive motions therefrom.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A surgical tool for use with a surgical instrument having a handle assembly that operably supports a drive system therein for generating drive motions upon actuation of a movable handle portion thereof and an elongated body operably supporting a control rod therein for transferring the drive motions, said surgical tool comprising:
 a housing removably couplable to said elongated body;   a drive assembly operably supported in said housing and removably couplable to said control rod; and   a pair of non-staple forming jaws operably coupled to said drive assembly such that upon application of a said drive motion to said drive assembly in a first direction causes said pair of non-staple forming jaws to each simultaneously move in a closing direction toward each other and upon application of another said drive motion in a second direction, said non-staple forming jaws each simultaneously move in an opening direction away from each other.   
     
     
         2 . The surgical tool of  claim 1  wherein said drive assembly comprises:
 a proximal drive beam segment removably couplable to the control rod; and 
 a distal drive beam segment pivotally coupled to said proximal drive beam segment and said pair of non-staple forming jaws. 
 
     
     
         3 . The surgical tool of  claim 2  wherein said distal drive beam segment is pivotally coupled to said proximal drive beam segment by a reversing linkage operably supported within said housing and wherein said distal drive beam segment is pivotally coupled to said pair of non-staple forming jaws by a pair of pivot links. 
     
     
         4 . The surgical tool of  claim 1  wherein said non-staple forming jaws each comprise tissue nipping jaws. 
     
     
         5 . The surgical tool of  claim 4  wherein at least one said tissue nipping jaw has a cavity portion formed therein for receiving cut tissue therein. 
     
     
         6 . The surgical tool of  claim 1  wherein said non-staple forming jaws each comprise scissor jaws. 
     
     
         7 . The surgical tool of  claim 1  wherein said housing has a passive articulation joint therein. 
     
     
         8 . A surgical tool for use with a surgical instrument having a handle assembly that operably supports a drive system therein for generating drive motions upon actuation of a movable handle portion thereof and an elongated body operably supporting a control rod therein for transferring the drive motions, said surgical tool comprising:
 a carrier;   a housing coupled to said carrier and removably couplable to said elongated body;   a drive assembly operably supported in said housing and carrier and removably couplable to said control rod;   a non-staple forming anvil movably supported on said carrier and operably interacting with said drive assembly to selectively move said non-staple forming anvil toward and away from said carrier; and   a tissue thickness measuring cartridge supported in said carrier and having an indicator member interacting with said housing to provide an indication of a thickness range of tissue clamped between said non-staple forming anvil and said tissue thickness measuring cartridge.   
     
     
         9 . The surgical tool of  claim 8  wherein said tissue indicator member is configured to distinguish between a plurality of different ranges of tissue thicknesses. 
     
     
         10 . The surgical tool of  claim 8  wherein said housing has a passive articulation joint therein. 
     
     
         11 . A surgical tool for use with a surgical instrument having a handle assembly that operably supports a drive system therein for generating drive motions upon actuation of a movable handle portion thereof and an elongated body operably supporting a control rod therein for transferring the drive motions, said surgical tool comprising:
 a housing directly couplable to said elongated body;   a drive assembly operably supported in said housing and carrier and removably couplable to said control rod;   a staple-forming anvil non-movably supported by said housing; and   a plurality of staples supported in a distal end of said housing and oriented to be sequentially driven into said staple-forming anvil upon application of a said drive motion to said drive assembly.   
     
     
         12 . The surgical tool of  claim 11  wherein said housing has a passive articulation joint therein. 
     
     
         13 . A surgical tool for use with a surgical instrument having a handle assembly that operably supports a drive system therein for generating drive motions upon actuation of a movable handle portion thereof and an elongated body operably supporting a control rod therein for transferring the drive motions, said surgical tool comprising:
 a housing directly couplable to said elongated body;   a shaft extending from said housing and having a plurality of surgical clips therein;   a pair of opposed, moveable jaws attached to and extending from said shaft, said jaws for receiving each of said surgical clips serially therein when said jaws are in an open position, and for forming each of said surgical clips received serially therein when said jaws are moved to a closed position;   a moveable forming mechanism removably couplable to the control rod when said housing is coupled to the elongated body, said forming mechanism moving said jaws from the open position to the closed position upon application of a first drive motion from the control rod so as to form each of said surgical clips received serially therein, and from the closed position to the open position upon application of a second drive motion to said forming mechanism by the control rod; and   a feeding mechanism operatively interacting with said movable forming mechanism, said feeding mechanism having a feed plate movable in response to movement of said forming mechanism and being releasably coupled to a clip pusher of said feed mechanism, wherein said clip pusher is stationary and uncoupled from said feed plate upon application of said first drive motion to said forming mechanism, and said clip pusher is moveable and operatively coupled to said feed plate upon application of said second drive motion to said movable forming mechanism so as to move each of said surgical clips serially from said shaft into said jaws.   
     
     
         14 . The surgical tool of  claim 13  wherein said movable forming mechanism comprises a movable forming plate removably couplable to the control rod and wherein said feed plate is movably linked to said movable forming plate by a gear assembly such that upon application of said first driving motion to said movable forming plate causes said movable forming plate to move in a first direction and said feed plate is caused to simultaneously move in a second direction that is opposite to said first direction. 
     
     
         15 . A surgical tool for use with a surgical instrument having a handle assembly that operably supports a drive system therein for generating drive motions upon actuation of a movable handle portion thereof and an elongated body operably supporting a control rod therein for transferring the drive motions, said surgical tool comprising:
 a carrier;   a housing coupled to said carrier and removably couplable to said elongated body;   a drive assembly operably supported in said housing and carrier and removably couplable to the control rod;   a staple forming anvil movably supported on said carrier and operably interacting with said drive assembly to selectively move said staple forming anvil toward and away from said carrier; and   a staple-supporting cartridge having an radius of curvature and being supported in said carrier and having a curved slot therethrough defining a curved passage for receiving a distal end of said drive assembly therethrough upon application of a drive motion thereto.   
     
     
         16 . The surgical tool of  claim 15  wherein said housing has a passive articulation joint therein. 
     
     
         17 . A surgical tool for use with a surgical instrument having a handle assembly that operably supports a drive system therein for generating drive motions upon actuation of a movable handle portion thereof and an elongated body operably supporting a control rod therein for transferring the drive motions, said surgical tool comprising:
 a housing removably couplable to said elongated body;   a syringe body coupled to said housing and having a hollow needle protruding therefrom;   a drive assembly operably supported in said housing and removably couplable to the control rod; and   a syringe plunger movably supported in said syringe body and coupled to said drive assembly for selective movement therewith.   
     
     
         18 . The surgical tool of  claim 17  wherein said housing has a passive articulation joint therein. 
     
     
         19 . A surgical tool for use with a surgical instrument having a handle assembly that operably supports a drive system therein for generating drive motions upon actuation of a movable handle portion thereof and an elongated body operably supporting a control rod therein for transferring the drive motions, said surgical tool comprising:
 a housing removably couplable to said elongated body;   a non-staple applying end effector operably protruding from a distal end of said housing, said non-staple applying end effector supporting at least one electrically powered member;   a battery movably supported within said housing and electrically communicating with said at least one electrically powered member, said battery removably couplable to the control rod such that upon application of a first said drive motion thereto, said battery applies power to said electrical powered member and, upon application of a second said drive motion thereto, said battery discontinues said application of power to said electrically powered member.   
     
     
         20 . The surgical tool of  claim 19  wherein said housing has a passive articulation joint therein. 
     
     
         21 . A surgical tool system comprising:
 a surgical instrument comprising:
 a handle assembly; 
 a drive system operably supported in said handle assembly for generating drive motions upon actuation of a movable handle portion operably coupled to said handle assembly; 
 an elongated body protruding from said handle assembly; 
 a control rod operably supported in said elongated body and interfacing with said drive system for receiving said drive motions therefrom; and 
   at least two surgical tools selected from the group of surgical tools consisting of: manipulators, nippers, scissors, endocutters, tissue thickness measurement devices, staple appliers, clip appliers, syringes for applying glue, sealant, drugs or medicaments and cauterization devices wherein each of said surgical tool within said group of surgical tools at least has a housing that is removably couplable to said elongated body and a drive assembly that is removably couplable to said control rod for receiving said drive motions therefrom.   
     
     
         22 . The surgical tool system of  claim 21  further comprising a specimen retrieval tool comprising:
 a housing removably couplable to said elongated body; 
 a specimen retrieval pouch on a distal end of said housing.