Surgical instruments capable of being selectively disassembled to facilitate replacement of disposable components and/or sterilization of reusable components

Abstract

A forceps includes a first portion and a second portion. The first portion includes a shaft, an end effector assembly disposed at a distal end of the shaft, and a drive assembly including a drive bar. The end effector assembly includes jaw members movable between spaced-apart and approximated positions. The drive bar is slidably disposed within the shaft and coupled to the end effector assembly such that translation of the drive bar relative to the shaft moves the jaw members between the spaced-apart and approximated positions. The second portion includes a housing (or portion thereof) and a handle assembly including a movable handle that is coupled to the housing and movable relative thereto between first and second positions. The first and second portions are releasably couplable with one another to operably couple the movable handle with the drive bar such that moving the movable handle actuates the jaw members.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A system, comprising:
 a surgical instrument, including:
 a first portion having an end effector assembly and a drive assembly coupled to the end effector assembly, the drive assembly configured to selectively actuate the end effector assembly; and 
 a second portion having at least a portion of a housing and a first actuator operably coupled to the housing, 
 wherein the first and second portions of the surgical instrument are releasably couplable with one another, and wherein coupling of the first and second portions of the surgical instrument with one another operably couples the first actuator with the drive assembly such that actuation of the first actuator actuates the end effector assembly; and 
   a tool including at least one support, the at least one support configured to releasably engage the first portion of the surgical instrument to facilitate releasable coupling of the first and second portions of the surgical instrument with one another.   
     
     
         22 . The system according to  claim 21 , wherein the tool further includes an actuation assembly having a tool actuator and a foot coupled to the tool actuator, and wherein the tool actuator is selectively actuatable to urge the foot to disengage the at least one support from the first portion of the surgical instrument, thereby disengaging the tool from the first portion of the surgical instrument. 
     
     
         23 . The system according to  claim 21 , wherein the at least one support includes a pair of fingers interconnected by a living hinge and defining a recess therebetween, the at least one support configured to receive the first portion of the surgical instrument within the recess to releasably engage the first portion of the surgical instrument with the tool. 
     
     
         24 . The system according to  claim 21 , wherein the tool further includes a handle configured to facilitate grasping and manipulating the tool. 
     
     
         25 . The system according to  claim 21 , wherein the first actuator is a manually movable handle. 
     
     
         26 . The system according to  claim 21 , wherein the end effector assembly includes opposing tissue-grasping structures and wherein actuation of the drive assembly moves at least one of the tissue-grasping structures relative to the other between spaced-apart and approximated positions for grasping tissue therebetween. 
     
     
         27 . The system according to  claim 26 , wherein at least one of the tissue-grasping structures is adapted to connect to a source of energy for supplying energy to tissue grasped between the first and second tissue-grasping structures. 
     
     
         28 . The system according to  claim 27 , wherein the first and second portions of the surgical instrument include electrical contacts and wherein, when the first and second portions of the surgical instrument are releasably coupled with one another, the electrical contacts cooperate to enable the supply of energy to the at least one of the tissue-grasping structures. 
     
     
         29 . The system according to  claim 21 , wherein the first portion of the surgical instrument further includes a shaft, the end effector assembly disposed at a distal end of the shaft and the drive assembly including a drive bar slidably disposed within the shaft and coupled to the end effector assembly at a distal end of the drive bar such that translation of the drive bar relative to the shaft actuates the end effector assembly. 
     
     
         30 . The system according to  claim 21 , wherein the first portion of the surgical instrument further includes a deployable component, wherein the second portion of the surgical instrument further includes a second actuator operably coupled to the housing, and wherein coupling of the first and second portions of the surgical instrument with one another operably couples the second actuator with the deployable component such that actuation of the second actuator moves the deployable component relative to the end effector assembly. 
     
     
         31 . A system, comprising:
 a surgical instrument including first and second portions configured to releasably engage one another, the first portion having an end effector assembly and at least one drive assembly configured to actuate at least one component relative to the end effector assembly, the second portion having at least one actuator configured to releasably engage the at least one drive assembly such that actuation of the at least one actuator actuates the at least one component relative to the end effector assembly; and   a tool including a plurality of supports configured to releasably engage the first portion of the surgical instrument to facilitate releasable coupling of the first and second portions of the surgical instrument with one another.   
     
     
         32 . The system according to  claim 31 , wherein the tool further includes an actuation assembly having a tool actuator and a foot coupled to the tool actuator, and wherein the tool actuator is selectively actuatable to urge the foot to disengage the first portion of the surgical instrument from the tool. 
     
     
         33 . The system according to  claim 31 , wherein a support of the plurality of supports includes a pair of fingers defining a recess therebetween, the support configured to receive the first portion of the surgical instrument within the recess to releasably engage the first portion of the surgical instrument with the tool. 
     
     
         34 . The system according to  claim 31 , wherein the tool further includes a handle configured to facilitate grasping and manipulating the tool. 
     
     
         35 . The system according to  claim 31 , wherein the tool is configured to facilitate positioning the first portion of the surgical instrument at least partially within a housing of the second portion of the surgical instrument. 
     
     
         36 . A system, comprising:
 a surgical instrument, including:
 a first portion having an end effector assembly and at least one drive assembly configured to actuate at least one component relative to the end effector assembly; and 
 a second portion having a housing and at least one actuator operably coupled to the housing and configured to releasably engage the at least one drive assembly such that actuation of the at least one actuator actuates the at least one component relative to the end effector assembly; and 
   a tool including at least one support configured to releasably engage the first portion of the surgical instrument to facilitate insertion of the first portion of the surgical instrument at least partially within the housing of the second portion of the surgical instrument such that the at least one actuator is operably coupled to the at least one drive assembly.   
     
     
         37 . The system according to  claim 36 , wherein the tool further includes an actuation assembly having a tool actuator and a foot coupled to the tool actuator, and wherein the tool actuator is selectively actuatable to urge the foot to disengage the first portion of the surgical instrument from the tool once the first portion of the surgical instrument is at least partially within the housing of the second portion of the surgical instrument. 
     
     
         38 . The system according to  claim 36 , wherein a support of the at least one support includes a pair of fingers defining a recess therebetween, the support configured to receive the first portion of the surgical instrument within the recess to releasably engage the first portion of the surgical instrument with the tool. 
     
     
         39 . The system according to  claim 36 , wherein the tool further includes a handle configured to facilitate grasping and manipulating the tool.