Surgical instrument including an adapter assembly and an articulated surgical loading unit

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a surgical instrument including an adapter assembly and an articulated surgical loading unit. The adapter assembly includes an articulation nut, an articulation link, and a drive belt operably coupled to a distal portion of the articulation link. The articulation link has a proximal portion operably coupled to the articulation nut such that rotation of the articulation nut results in translation of the articulation link. The drive belt has a distal portion configured to be operably coupled to a proximal portion of the surgical loading unit such that movement of the drive belt causes the surgical loading unit to articulate relative to the adapter assembly.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 829,801, filed on April 5, 2019, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates generally to surgical instruments for endoscopic use and, more particularly, to surgical instruments including an adapter assembly of an articulated attached surgical loading unit. Background Art

[0004] Various types of surgical instruments for endoscopic manipulation of tissue are known in the art and are commonly used, for example, for closing tissue or organs during transection, resection, anastomosis, for occluding organs during thoracic and abdominal procedures, and for fusing or sealing tissue using electrosurgery.

[0005] An example of such a surgical instrument is a surgical stapling instrument. Typically, the surgical stapling instrument includes an end effector having an anvil assembly and a cartridge assembly for supporting an array of surgical staples; an approach mechanism for approaching the cartridge assembly and the anvil assembly; and a firing mechanism for ejecting the surgical staples from the cartridge assembly.

[0006] During a laparoscopic or endoscopic surgical procedure, access to the surgical site is achieved through a small incision or through a narrow cannula inserted through a small entry wound in the patient. Because the area accessible to the surgical site is limited, many endoscopic surgical instruments include a mechanism for articulating the instrument with respect to a main body portion of the instrument to improve access to the tissue to be treated. In addition, some end effectors have a blade shaft that translates therethrough to the tissue grasped by the jaws of the end effector. During articulation of the end effector, the blade shaft is subjected to bending moments and / or shear forces that may degrade the blade shaft during continued articulation of the end effector.

[0007] Therefore, it would be beneficial to provide an improved surgical instrument including an improved mechanism for articulating an end effector relative to a main body portion without damaging a knife shaft passing through the end effector. Summary of the invention

[0008] In one aspect of the present disclosure, an adapter assembly is provided, the adapter assembly comprising an articulation nut, an articulation link, and a drive belt operably coupled to a distal portion of the articulation link. The articulation link has a proximal portion operably coupled to the articulation nut such that rotation of the articulation nut results in translation of the articulation link. The drive belt has a distal portion configured to be operably coupled to a proximal portion of a surgical loading unit such that movement of the drive belt causes the surgical loading unit to articulate relative to the adapter assembly.

[0009] In various aspects, the adapter assembly may further include a pulley operably coupled to the proximal end portion of the drive belt.The drive belt may be wrapped around the pulley.

[0010] In some aspects, the adapter assembly may further include: a proximal housing in which the pulley is rotatably supported; a distal housing whose distal end portion is configured to be pivotally coupled to a proximal end portion of a surgical loading unit; and a tensioning screw disposed between the proximal and distal housings. The tensioning screw may be configured to adjust the distance the proximal housing is spaced apart from the distal housing, and thereby adjust the tension in the drive belt.

[0011] In other aspects, the distal portion of the articulated link is operably coupled to the linear portion of the drive belt.

[0012] In other aspects, the distal portion of the articulated link may have teeth, and the drive belt may have teeth on its inner surface that intersect with the teeth of the articulated link.

[0013] In various aspects, the articulation link may include a fin extending from a distal portion thereof. The teeth of the articulation link may be disposed on an outwardly facing surface of the fin.

[0014] In some aspects, the fins of the articulated link may be surrounded by a drive belt.

[0015] In further aspects, a proximal portion of the articulation link may be received in the articulation nut.

[0016] In other aspects, the proximal portion of the articulation link can have a threaded outer surface that interfaces with the threaded inner surface of the articulation nut.

[0017] In various aspects, the adapter assembly may further include an articulation input shaft. The articulation nut may have teeth on its outer surface that engage with teeth on the articulation input shaft.

[0018] In some aspects, the adapter assembly may further include: a housing in which the articulation nut is rotatably supported; and an outer tube extending distally from the housing. The outer tube may have the articulation link axially supported therein.

[0019] In a further aspect, the adapter assembly may further include a rotation gear disposed around the hinge nut and within the housing. The rotation gear may be non-rotatably fixed to the outer tube such that the outer tube is configured to rotate about its longitudinal axis in response to rotation of the rotation gear.

[0020] In another aspect of the present disclosure, a surgical instrument is provided that includes an adapter assembly and a surgical loading unit. The loading unit has a first pulley non-rotatably fixed in a proximal portion thereof. A drive belt of the adapter assembly has a distal portion operably coupled to the first pulley such that movement of the drive belt rotates the first pulley to articulate the surgical loading unit relative to the adapter assembly.

[0021] In various aspects, the adapter assembly may further include a second pulley operably coupled to the proximal end portion of the drive belt.The drive belt may be wrapped around the first and second pulleys.

[0022] In some aspects, the adapter assembly may further include: a proximal housing having the second pulley rotatably supported therein; a distal housing having the first pulley rotatably supported therein; and a tensioning screw disposed between the proximal and distal housings and configured to adjust the distance separating the proximal housing from the distal housing, thereby adjusting the tension in the drive belt.

[0023] In further aspects, the proximal portion of the articulation link can be received in the articulation nut and can have a threaded outer surface that interfaces with the threaded inner surface of the articulation nut.

[0024] In other aspects, a surgical loading unit may include an anvil, a staple cartridge assembly pivotably coupled to the anvil, a lead screw disposed within the staple cartridge assembly, and a knife operably coupled to the lead screw. The knife may be configured to move through the staple cartridge assembly in response to rotation of the lead screw to pivot the staple cartridge assembly toward the anvil.

[0025] In various aspects, the adapter assembly can further include a rotatable drive shaft having a distal portion coupled to the proximal portion of the lead screw via a universal joint. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] Surgical instruments including embodiments of the adapter assembly and surgical loading assembly of the present disclosure are disclosed herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0027] Figure 1A is a perspective view of a surgical instrument including an adapter assembly and a surgical loading unit, wherein a staple cartridge body of the surgical loading unit is shown removed from a base of the surgical loading unit;

[0028] Figure 1B yes Figure 1AA perspective view of a surgical instrument showing a staple cartridge body of a surgical loading unit installed in a base;

[0029] Figure 2 yes Figure 1A an exploded view of a proximal portion of an adapter assembly;

[0030] Figure 3 is a side cross-sectional view of a proximal portion of the adapter assembly;

[0031] Figure 4 is an exploded view of an adapter assembly and an articulation assembly of a surgical loading unit;

[0032] Figure 5 is a side cross-sectional view of an adapter assembly and a distal portion of a surgical loading unit;

[0033] Figure 6 is a top view of an adapter assembly and a distal portion of a surgical loading unit with an outer tube of the adapter assembly removed;

[0034] Fig. 7A is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a drive belt of a hinge assembly;

[0035] Figure 7B is a perspective view of yet another embodiment of a drive belt of a hinge assembly;

[0036] Figure 8 is a side perspective view of a surgical loading unit articulated relative to an adapter assembly via another embodiment of an articulation assembly;

[0037] Fig. 9 yes Figure 8 An exploded view of the articulation assembly and surgical loading unit;

[0038] Fig.10 yes Figure 8 A side perspective view of the adapter assembly showing Figure 8 A side cross-sectional view of a surgical loading unit; and

[0039] Fig.11 yes Figure 8 A top cross-sectional view of the articulation assembly showing the surgical loading unit articulated relative to the adapter assembly. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the adapter assembly and surgical loading unit specifically described herein and illustrated in the accompanying drawings are non-limiting exemplary embodiments. It is conceivable that the elements and features described or illustrated in conjunction with one exemplary embodiment may be combined with the elements and features of another embodiment without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Similarly, those skilled in the art will understand the additional features and advantages of the present disclosure based on the described embodiments. Therefore, except as indicated by the appended claims, the present disclosure is not limited by what has been specifically shown and described.

[0041] As used herein, the term "distal side" refers to the part of the surgical instrument farthest from the clinician, and the term "proximal side" refers to the part of the surgical instrument closest to the clinician. In addition, as used herein, the term clinician refers to medical personnel, including doctors, nurses and support personnel.

[0042] The present disclosure relates to a surgical instrument, which includes an adapter assembly configured to be actuated by a handheld actuator or a surgical robot system, and an articulated surgical loading unit connected to the adapter assembly. The adapter assembly includes an articulation mechanism that drives the articulation of the surgical loading unit relative to the adapter assembly. The articulation mechanism includes an articulation nut, an articulation link that translates in response to the rotation of the articulation nut, and a belt drive pulley system that operably connects the articulation link to the surgical loading unit. The translation of the articulation link causes the belt of the belt drive pulley system to rotate a pulley fixed on the surgical loading unit, thereby causing the surgical loading unit to articulate relative to the adapter assembly. The adapter assembly may further include a rotating gear that is arranged around the articulation nut and configured to rotate the surgical loading unit. The surgical loading unit may include a lead screw for driving the knife to translate through the surgical loading unit. The lead screw may be operably connected to the drive shaft of the adapter assembly by a universal joint. Other advantages of the currently disclosed surgical instrument and its components are described below.

[0043] Figure 1A and 1B A surgical instrument 10 is shown, which includes a handle assembly 12, an adapter assembly 20 configured to be coupled to the handle assembly 12, and a surgical loading unit 30 pivotably coupled to the adapter assembly 20. Although the surgical instrument 10 depicted may be configured to fire staples, it is contemplated that the surgical instrument 10 may be adapted to fire any other suitable fasteners, such as clips and two-piece fasteners. In addition, although the accompanying drawings depict a linear surgical stapling instrument 10, it is foreseeable that certain components described herein may be adapted for use in: other types of endoscopic surgical instruments, including non-linear surgical stapler loading units, endoscopic forceps, graspers, dissectors; other types of surgical stapling instruments; powered vascular sealing; and / or cutting devices, etc.

[0044] In general, the adapter assembly 20 of the surgical instrument 10 includes an outer housing 21 and an outer tube 24 extending distally from the outer housing 21. The outer housing 21 includes a knob housing 22 and a coupling mechanism or a proximal housing 25 extending proximally from the knob housing 22 and configured to be operably coupled to the handle assembly 12 or a surgical robot system (not shown) responsible for actuating the surgical instrument 10. The outer tube 24 has a proximal portion fixed within a distal portion of the knob housing 22. In other embodiments, the outer tube 24 can rotate relative to the knob housing 22 and within the knob housing 22. The surgical loading unit 30 is adapted to be attached to the distal portion 24b of the outer tube 24 of the adapter assembly 20, and can be configured for single use, or can be configured for multiple use.

[0045] The surgical loading unit 30 includes a collar 32 pivotally coupled to the distal end portion 24b of the outer tube 24 and an end effector 34 supported on the collar 32. The end effector 34 includes an anvil plate 36 non-rotatably coupled to the collar 32, and a staple cartridge assembly 37 disposed opposite the anvil plate 36. The staple cartridge assembly 37 has a base 38 pivotally coupled to the collar 32 and a staple cartridge body 40 configured to be removably received in a channel 42 of the base 38. Figure 4 As shown, the anvil 26 may have an elongated strain gauge 39 disposed on an underside thereof, which may be electrically connected to the handle assembly 12 to obtain a direct and accurate measurement of tissue strain.

[0046] For a detailed description of the handle assembly 12 , reference may be made to U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015 / 0157320 filed on November 21, 2014 and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016 / 0310134 filed on April 12, 2016 , the entire contents of each of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0047] refer to Figure 2-6 , the articulation mechanism of the adapter assembly 20 will now be described, which is generally referred to as the articulation mechanism 81. The adapter assembly 20 includes an articulation input shaft 50, a firing input shaft 52, and a rotation input shaft 54, each of which is rotatably supported in the coupling mechanism 25 of the housing 21 ( Figure 1A The articulation input shaft 50 has a proximal portion 50a configured to be drivingly coupled to a corresponding drive member 13a of the handle assembly 12 to effect rotation of the articulation input shaft 50. The articulation input shaft 50 has a distal portion 50b having a gear 56 (e.g., a spur gear) fixed thereto.

[0048] The adapter assembly 20 includes an articulation nut 58 operably coupled to the articulation input shaft 50 and operably coupled to the articulation link 60. The articulation nut 58 may have a ring gear 62 at its proximal end and a tubular shaft 64 extending distally from the ring gear 62. The ring gear 62 of the articulation nut 58 has gear teeth that interface with the gear 56 of the articulation input shaft 50. The tubular shaft 64 of the articulation nut 58 has a threaded inner surface 66 that is coupled to the proximal end portion 60a of the articulation link 60.

[0049] The proximal portion 60a of the articulation link 60 is received in a channel 68 defined by the tubular shaft 64 of the articulation nut 58. The proximal portion 60a of the articulation link 60 has an arcuate threaded outer surface 70 that is threadedly engaged with the threaded inner surface 66 of the tubular shaft 64 of the articulation link 60. In this way, the articulation link 60 translates along the longitudinal axis "X" in response to the rotation of the articulation nut 58. The articulation link 60 can have a generally elongated rectangular configuration. However, other shapes of articulation links 60, such as tubular ones, are contemplated. The articulation link 60 defines a longitudinally extending channel 72 in which the firing shaft 52 is slidably supported.

[0050] refer to Figure 4-6 , the hinge link 60 has a distal portion 60b having a fin 74 extending upwardly therefrom. The fin 74 may be a flat, elongated structure. Other shapes of the fin 74 are contemplated herein. The fin 74 has an outwardly facing surface 76 having teeth 78 ( Figure 6 ). The fin 74 of the articulated link 60 is received in a central cavity 84 defined by the drive belt 82 of the articulated mechanism 81, and the teeth 78 of the fin 74 engage with the teeth 80 provided on the linear portion 82c of the drive belt 82. In this way, the proximal or distal translation of the articulated link 60 drives the drive belt 82 to move along a path (e.g., an elliptical path) in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction.

[0051] The articulation mechanism 81 further includes a proximal pulley 86 rotatably supported in the distal portion 24b of the outer tube 24 of the adapter assembly 20. The proximal pulley 86 has a curved proximal portion 82a of the drive belt 82 wound thereon. The collar 32 of the surgical loading unit 30 can serve as a distal pulley and is rotatably fixed in the proximal portion of the surgical loading unit 30. The collar or distal pulley 32 has a curved distal portion 82b of the drive belt 82 wound thereon. The proximal pulley 86 and the distal pulley 32 can each have gear teeth that engage with the gear teeth 80 of the drive belt 82 so that movement of the drive belt 82 causes the pulleys 86, 32 to rotate. It is contemplated that the proximal pulley 86 serves as an idler pulley to maintain tension in the drive belt 82.

[0052] The distal pulley 32 may include an upper component 32a housed in the anvil 36 of the surgical loading unit 30 and a lower component 32b housed in the base 38 of the staple cartridge assembly 37 of the surgical loading unit 30. Each of the upper and lower components 32a, 32b of the distal pulley 32 has a body 88a, 90a and a gear 88b, 90b, such as a pinion extending proximally from each body 88a, 90a. The body 88a of the upper component 32a is fixed to the anvil 36 of the surgical loading unit 30, and the body 90a of the lower component 32b is fixed to the base 38 of the staple cartridge assembly 37 of the surgical loading unit 30. The gears 88b, 90b of the upper component 32a and the lower component 32b are respectively housed in the curved distal end portion 82b of the drive belt 82. The upper and lower components 32a, 32b of the distal pulley 32 jointly define a channel 92 ( Figure 5 ), the curved distal end portion 82b of the drive belt 82 extends through the channel.

[0053] The articulation mechanism 81 also includes a proximal housing 100 and a distal housing 102, respectively disposed in the distal end portion 24b of the outer tube 24 of the adapter assembly 20. The proximal housing 100 rotatably supports the proximal pulley 86 therein. The proximal housing 100 is slidable within the outer tube 24, while the distal housing 102 is axially constrained within the outer tube 24. The distal housing 102 defines a hole 104 in which the gears 88b, 90b of the distal pulley 32 are rotatably supported. A pivot pin 106 extends through the distal housing 102 and each gear 88b, 90b of the distal pulley 32 to pivotally couple the distal pulley 32, and thus the surgical loading unit 30 as a whole, to the adapter assembly 20.

[0054] The proximal housing 100 and the distal housing 102 are axially spaced apart from each other by a tensioning screw 108. The tensioning screw 108 has a proximal portion 108a that is rotationally supported and axially constrained in the proximal housing 100 and a distal portion 108b that is disposed within an elongated channel 110 defined through the distal housing 102. The distal portion 108b of the tensioning screw 108 is threadedly engaged to the distal housing 102. Thus, rotation of the tensioning screw 108 adjusts the axial spacing of the proximal housing 100 from the distal housing 102 by sliding the proximal housing 100 within the outer tube 24 and relative to the distal housing 102 in a proximal or distal direction. Adjusting the axial spacing between the proximal and distal housings 100, 102 can adjust the axial spacing between the proximal and distal pulleys 86, 32, thereby adjusting the tension in the drive belt 82.

[0055] refer to Fig. 7A, shows an alternative embodiment of a drive belt 182 that can be used in place of the drive belt 82. The drive belt 182 is a single or multiple laminated belt wrapped around the pulleys 86, 32, and instead of having gear teeth, the drive belt 182 has a plurality of pins 186 extending radially inwardly from a distal portion 182b of the drive belt 182. The plurality of pins 186 are respectively received in corresponding valleys between adjacent gear teeth of the gear 88b or gears 88b, 90b defined on the distal pulley 32, so that the distal pulley 32 rotates in response to the movement of the drive belt 182. The proximal portion 182a of the drive belt 182 can be frictionally engaged to the proximal pulley 86. The drive belt 182 has a plurality of teeth 184 extending radially inwardly from a middle portion 182c thereof to fixedly couple the drive belt 182 to the distal portion 60b ( Figure 4 ).

[0056] refer to Figure 7B , shows an alternative embodiment of a drive belt 282 that can be used in place of the drive belt 82. The drive belt 282 is a single or multiple cables or wires that are wound around the proximal and distal pulleys 86, 32. The middle portion 282c of the drive gear 282 has a first pin 284a, instead of gear teeth, that fixedly couples the drive belt 282 to the distal portion 60b ( Figure 4 ), and the distal end portion 282b of the drive belt 282 has a second pin 284b, which fixedly couples the drive belt 282 to the distal pulley 32 ( Figure 4 ) of the gear 88b or the circumferential edge of the plurality of gears 88b, 90b. Other fastening engagements are also contemplated, such as friction engagement, adhesives, etc. The proximal end portion 282a of the drive belt 282 may be frictionally engaged to the proximal pulley 86 ( Figure 4 ).

[0057] In operation, refer to Figure 3-6 To articulate the surgical loading unit 30 relative to the adapter assembly 20, the articulation input shaft 50 is rotated by actuation of the handle assembly 12. The articulation input shaft 50 transmits the rotational motion from the gear 56 fixed thereto to the ring gear 62 of the articulation nut 58. Since the articulation nut 58 is threadedly connected to the proximal end portion 60a of the articulation link 60, the clockwise rotation of the articulation nut 58 drives the articulation link 60 along the axis of rotation. Figure 6 The fin 74 of the distal end portion 60b of the articulated link 60b translates proximally in the direction indicated by the arrow "A" in FIG. The proximal translation of the fin 74 of the distal end portion 60b of the articulated link 60b causes the drive belt 82 of the articulated mechanism to move along the Figure 6 The clockwise direction indicated by the middle arrow “B” moves along an elliptical path defined by the shape of the drive belt 82 .

[0058] Due to the engagement between the distal end portion 82b of the drive belt 82 and the gears 88b, 90b of the distal pulley 32, the movement of the drive belt 82 causes the distal pulley 32 to rotate about the pivot pin 106. Assuming that the distal pulley 32 is fixed to both the anvil 36 and the surgical staple cartridge assembly 37 of the surgical loading unit 30, the rotation of the distal pulley 32 about the pivot pin 106 causes the entire surgical loading unit 30 to pivot relative to the adapter assembly 20. Figure 6 Similarly, it can be understood that the hinge link 60 is hinged in the direction indicated by the arrow "B" in FIG. Figure 6 The distal movement in the direction indicated by the arrow "C" in the figure eventually causes the surgical loading unit 30 to move along Figure 6 The hinge is hinged in the direction shown by the arrow "D".

[0059] refer to Figure 2-5 , the firing and clamping mechanism of the adapter assembly 20 will now be described. The firing input shaft 52 of the adapter assembly 20 is configured to implement the clamping and stapling functions of the surgical loading unit 30. The firing input shaft 52 has a proximal end portion 52a extending through the passage 72 of the hinge nut 58 and the hinge link 60, and is configured to be drivingly coupled to the drive member 13b ( Figure 1A The firing input shaft 52 has a distal end portion 52 b that is pivotably and non-rotatably coupled to the proximal end portion 112 a of the lead screw 112 of the surgical loading unit 30 .

[0060] The lead screw 112 of the surgical loading unit 30 is rotatably supported in the base 38 of the staple cartridge assembly 37. The proximal portion 112a of the lead screw 112 is operably coupled to the distal portion 52b of the firing input shaft 52 via a universal joint 114. In an embodiment, the lead screw 112 and the firing input shaft 52 may be coupled via any suitable joint that allows rotational motion to be transmitted from the firing input shaft 52 to the lead screw 112.

[0061] like Figure 4 As best shown, surgical loading unit 30 also includes an I-beam 116 configured to sever tissue during distal advancement of I-beam 116 and pivot cartridge assembly 37 toward anvil plate 36. I-beam 116 has a sharp distally facing surface 118 (forming a knife) configured to sever tissue, an upper leg 120 disposed within an angled channel 121 defined by anvil plate 36, and a lower leg 122 threadably engaged with lead screw 112.

[0062] In operation, to fire and clamp the surgical loading unit 30, the firing input shaft 52 is rotated by actuating the handle assembly 12 attached to the coupling mechanism 25 of the adapter assembly 20. The firing input shaft 52 transmits its rotational motion to the lead screw 112 of the surgical loading unit 30 via the universal joint 114. The rotation of the lead screw 112 causes the I-beam 116 to pass distally through the anvil plate 36 and the base 38, thereby causing the base 38 to pivot toward the anvil plate 36 due to the upper leg 120 of the I-beam 116 traversing the angled channel 121 of the anvil 36. As the I-beam 116 is advanced distally through the anvil plate 36 and the base 38, any tissue located therebetween is severed by its sharp distally facing surface 118.

[0063] refer to Figure 2 and 3 , the rotation mechanism of the adapter assembly 20 will now be described. The rotation input shaft 54 ​​of the adapter assembly 20 has a rotation input shaft 54 ​​configured to be coupled to the drive member 13c ( Figure 1A ) drivingly coupled to drive the rotation of the proximal end portion 54a of the rotation input shaft 54. The rotation input shaft 54 ​​has a gear 126 fixed around its distal end portion 54b. The gear 126 of the rotation input shaft 54 ​​is operably coupled to the teeth 128 of the rotation gear 130 of the rotation mechanism.

[0064] The rotating gear 130 is disposed about the tubular shaft 64 of the hinge nut 58 and is located within the knob housing 22. A thrust plate 132 and a pair of wave springs 134a, 134b may be located between the rotating gear 130 and the hinge nut 58. The rotating gear 130 is fixed to the outer tube 24 by a fastener 136 and keyed to the hinge link 60, so that the outer tube 24 and the hinge link 60 can rotate with the rotating gear 130. In an embodiment, any suitable means for fastening the rotating gear 130 to the outer tube 24 may be provided, such as a threaded engagement, a friction engagement, a lock and key engagement, a latch, a button, a bayonet connection, a weld, an adhesive, and / or other mechanisms.

[0065] In operation, to rotate the surgical loading unit 30, the rotation input shaft 54 ​​is rotated by actuating the handle assembly 12 attached to the coupling mechanism 25 of the adapter assembly 20. The rotational movement of the rotation input shaft 54 ​​is transmitted to the rotation gear 130. Since the rotation gear 130 is locked to the outer tube 24 and the articulated link 60, the rotation of the rotation gear 130 causes the outer tube 24 to rotate relative to the coupling mechanism 25, which in turn causes the surgical loading unit 30 to rotate about the longitudinal axis of the adapter assembly 20.

[0066] refer to Figure 8-11, shows another embodiment of the articulation mechanism for the above surgical instrument 10. Due to the similarity between the articulation mechanism of this embodiment and the above articulation mechanism, only those elements of the articulation mechanism of this embodiment that are considered necessary to clarify the differences from the above articulation mechanism will be described in detail.

[0067] The articulation mechanism includes an articulation rod 140 having a proximal end portion (not explicitly shown) configured to be operably coupled to a corresponding drive member 13a ( Figure 1A ). The proximal end portion of the articulated rod 140 is configured to translate along the central longitudinal axis “X” of the outer tube 24 of the adapter assembly 20 in response to actuation of the drive member 13a of the handle assembly 12 .

[0068] The articulation rod 140 has a distal portion 140b having a linear first portion 142a, a linear second portion 142b extending at an obtuse angle from the first portion 142a, and a third portion 142c extending distally from the second portion 142b, whereby the first and third portions 142a, 142c are parallel to each other. In an embodiment, the first, second, and third portions 142a-c may be disposed at any suitable angle relative to each other. The first portion 142a of the distal portion 140b of the articulation rod 140 has a collar or E-clip 144 disposed thereabout. A biasing member 146 (e.g., a coil spring) is disposed between the collar 144 of the articulation rod 140 and a proximal pivot housing 148 of the adapter assembly 20 to resiliently bias the articulation rod 140 in a proximal direction to prevent joint rebound.

[0069] The proximal pivot housing 148 of the adapter assembly 20 has a proximal portion 148a disposed in the distal portion 24b of the outer tube 24 and a distal portion 148b extending distally from the distal portion 24b of the outer tube 24. The third portion 142c of the distal portion 140b of the articulation rod 140 extends through a longitudinally extending passage 150 defined through the proximal pivot housing 148 and is laterally offset from a central longitudinal axis “X” defined by the outer tube 24. The distal portion 148b of the proximal pivot housing 148 is pivotally connected to a distal pivot housing 152 that is fixed to the proximal portion of the surgical loading unit 30.

[0070] The distal pivot housing 152 of the surgical loading unit 30 has a body 154 fixed within the anvil 36 and the base 38, and a platform 156 extending proximally from the body 154. The body 154 and the platform 156 together define a slot 158 ​​for receiving a hinge link 160. The hinge link 160 has a proximal portion 160a pivotably coupled to the third portion 142c of the distal portion 140b of the hinge rod 140, and a distal portion 160b extending through the slot 158 ​​of the distal pivot housing 152 and pivotably coupled to the body 154 of the distal pivot housing 152. The hinge link 160 may define a recess 162 in a side thereof to pass a pivot pin 164 that pivotally couples the proximal housing 148 and the distal housing 152.

[0071] In operation, to articulate surgical loading unit 30 relative to adapter assembly 20, articulation rod 140 is translated ( Figure 1A ). Because the third portion 142c of the distal portion 140b of the articulation rod 140 is pivotally coupled to the proximal portion 160a of the articulation link 160, and the distal portion 160b of the articulation link 160 is pivotally coupled to the distal pivot housing 152 of the surgical loading unit 30, distal advancement of the articulation rod 140 causes the articulation link 160 to rotate about the pivot pin 164, whereby the surgical loading unit 30 articulates about the pivot pin 164 and relative to the adapter assembly 20. Similarly, it will be appreciated that proximal retraction of the articulation rod 140 drives articulation of the surgical loading unit 30 in the opposite direction.

[0072] It is contemplated that the articulation mechanisms, stapling and clamping mechanisms, and rotation mechanisms described herein may be incorporated into surgical instruments other than surgical instrument 10 .

[0073] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the adapter assemblies and methods specifically described herein and illustrated in the accompanying drawings are non-limiting exemplary embodiments. It is contemplated that the elements and features illustrated or described in conjunction with one exemplary embodiment may be combined with the elements and features of another embodiment without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Likewise, those skilled in the art will appreciate other features and advantages of the present invention based on the above-described embodiments. Therefore, the present disclosure is not limited by what has been specifically shown and described, except as indicated by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An adapter assembly, comprising: hinge nut; and an articulation link having a proximal portion operably coupled to the articulation nut such that rotation of the articulation nut results in translation of the articulation link; a drive belt operably coupled to a distal portion of the articulation link, wherein the drive belt has a distal portion configured to be operably coupled to a first pulley non-rotatably secured in a proximal portion of a surgical loading unit such that movement of the drive belt rotates the first pulley to articulate the surgical loading unit relative to the adapter assembly; The adapter assembly also includes a second pulley operably coupled to a proximal portion of the drive belt, the drive belt being wrapped around the first pulley and the second pulley; The adapter assembly further comprises: a proximal housing in which the second pulley is rotatably supported; a distal housing having a distal end portion configured to be pivotally coupled to a proximal end portion of the surgical loading unit, the first pulley being rotatably supported in the distal housing; and A tensioning screw is disposed between the proximal housing and the distal housing and is configured to adjust the distance the proximal housing is spaced apart from the distal housing, thereby adjusting the tension in the drive belt.

2. The adapter assembly of claim 1, wherein the distal portion of the articulated link is operably coupled to the linear portion of the drive belt.

3. The adapter assembly of claim 1, wherein a distal end portion of the hinge link has teeth, and the drive belt has teeth on an inner surface thereof that engage with the teeth of the hinge link.

4. The adapter assembly of claim 3, wherein the hinge link includes a fin extending from a distal portion thereof, the teeth of the hinge link being disposed on an outwardly facing surface of the fin.

5. The adapter assembly of claim 4, wherein the fins of the articulated link are surrounded by the drive belt.

6. The adapter assembly of claim 1, wherein a proximal portion of the articulation link is received in the articulation nut.

7. The adapter assembly of claim 6, wherein the proximal end portion of the articulation link has a threaded outer surface that interfaces with the threaded inner surface of the articulation nut.

8. The adapter assembly of claim 1, further comprising an articulation input shaft, wherein the articulation nut has teeth on its outer surface that engage with teeth on the articulation input shaft.

9. The adapter assembly of claim 1, further comprising: an outer housing in which the hinge nut is rotatably supported; and An outer tube extends distally from the outer housing and has the articulated link axially supported therein.

10. The adapter assembly of claim 9, further comprising: A rotation gear is disposed about the articulation nut and within the outer housing, wherein the rotation gear is non-rotationally fixed to the outer tube such that the outer tube is configured to rotate about its longitudinal axis in response to rotation of the rotation gear.

11. A surgical instrument, comprising: An adapter component, the adapter component comprising: hinge nut; an articulation link having a proximal portion operably coupled to the articulation nut such that rotation of the articulation nut results in translation of the articulation link; and a drive belt operably coupled to a distal portion of the articulated link; and a surgical loading unit having a first pulley non-rotatably secured in a proximal portion thereof, wherein the drive belt has a distal portion operably coupled to the first pulley such that movement of the drive belt rotates the first pulley to articulate the surgical loading unit relative to the adapter assembly; wherein the adapter assembly further comprises a second pulley operably coupled to a proximal portion of the drive belt, the drive belt being wrapped around the first pulley and the second pulley; The adapter assembly further comprises: a proximal housing in which the second pulley is rotatably supported; a distal housing in which the first pulley is rotatably supported; and A tensioning screw is disposed between the proximal housing and the distal housing and is configured to adjust the distance the proximal housing is spaced apart from the distal housing, thereby adjusting the tension in the drive belt.

12. The surgical instrument according to claim 11, wherein a distal end portion of the articulated link has teeth, and the drive belt has teeth on an inner surface thereof that engage with the teeth of the articulated link.

13. The surgical instrument of claim 12, wherein the articulation link includes a fin extending from a distal portion thereof, the teeth of the articulation link being disposed on an outwardly facing surface of the fin.

14. The surgical instrument according to claim 11, wherein a proximal end portion of the articulation link is received in the articulation nut and has a threaded outer surface that interfaces with a threaded inner surface of the articulation nut.

15. The surgical instrument of claim 11, wherein the surgical loading unit comprises: Anvil; a staple cartridge assembly pivotably coupled to the anvil; a lead screw disposed within the staple cartridge assembly; and A knife is operably coupled to the lead screw, the knife being configured to move through the cartridge assembly in response to rotation of the lead screw to pivot the cartridge assembly toward the anvil.

16. The surgical instrument of claim 15, wherein the adapter assembly further comprises a rotatable drive shaft having a distal portion coupled to the proximal portion of the lead screw by a universal joint.

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