End tools for surgical instruments and surgical instruments equipped therewith

Abstract

The present invention provides an end tool for surgical instruments and a surgical instrument equipped therewith. [Solution] The present invention relates to an end tool 100 for a surgical instrument, which is attached to a robotic arm for use in laparoscopic surgery or various other surgeries, or which is manually operable, and which is rotatable in two or more directions and operates in a manner that is intuitively consistent with the operation of the control unit, and to a surgical instrument equipped therewith.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an end tool for a surgical instrument and a surgical instrument provided with the same. Specifically, in a surgical instrument attached to a robotic arm for use in laparoscopic surgery or various surgeries, or manually operable, an end tool that can rotate in two or more directions and operates intuitively in accordance with the operation of the operation unit is provided. The present invention relates to an end tool for a surgical instrument and a surgical instrument provided with the same.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, laparoscopic surgery, which can reduce the postoperative recovery time and complications with a small incision, has been actively utilized. Laparoscopic surgery is widely used in general surgical procedures and the like as a method of making a number of small holes in the patient's abdomen and performing surgery while observing the inside of the abdominal cavity through these holes.

[0003] When performing such laparoscopic surgery, a suturing instrument inserted into the body to suture the surgical site in the abdominal cavity is used, and a surgical stapler that sutures the surgical site using medical staples with the above-described suturing instrument is utilized.

[0004] Generally, a surgical stapler is a medical device often used for cutting and anastomosis of organs in abdominal and thoracic organ surgeries. Such surgical staplers include open staplers used in an open-chest or open-abdomen state and end staplers used in thoracoscopy and laparoscopy.

[0005] Surgical staplers offer several advantages, including shorter operating times and more precise suturing of surgical sites, as they allow for simultaneous cutting and anastomosis of organs. Furthermore, surgical staplers result in faster recovery and less scarring compared to using surgical sutures for tissue cutting and suturing, making them widely used in modern surgery. In particular, surgical staplers are widely used in cancer surgery to cut cancerous tissue and suture the cut site.

[0006] The background technology described above is technical information that the inventor possessed for the purpose of deriving the present invention or acquired during the process of deriving the present invention, and is not necessarily publicly known technology that was disclosed to the general public before the filing of the present invention. [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] The present invention aims to provide a surgical instrument, which is mounted on a robotic arm and / or manually operated for use in laparoscopic surgery or various other surgeries, and which is equipped with an end tool that is rotatable in two or more directions and operates in a manner that is intuitively consistent with the operation of the control unit. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] One embodiment of the present invention provides a surgical instrument comprising an end tool including a staple drive assembly comprising a first jaw, a second jaw formed opposite to the first jaw, a first jaw pulley coupled to the first jaw and formed to be rotatable about a first axis, a second jaw pulley coupled to the second jaw and formed to be rotatable about an axis substantially identical to or parallel to the first axis and formed to be a certain distance away from the first jaw pulley, and one or more staple pulleys, at least a portion of which is formed between the first jaw pulley and the second jaw pulley; a reciprocating assembly connected to the staple drive assembly and moving linearly when the staple pulleys rotate; and a cartridge comprising a working member that contacts the reciprocating assembly and moves in one direction when the reciprocating assembly moves in one direction.

[0009] Other aspects, features, and advantages not described above will become apparent from the following drawings, claims, and detailed description of the invention. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] With this invention, since the operating direction of the control unit by the surgeon and the operating direction of the end tool are intuitively the same, the convenience for the surgeon is improved, and the accuracy, reliability, and speed of the surgery can be improved. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1A] This is a conceptual diagram of the pitch motion of a conventional surgical instrument. [Figure 1B] This is a conceptual diagram of the yaw motion of conventional surgical instruments. [Figure 1C] This is a conceptual diagram of the pitch operation of other conventional surgical instruments. [Figure 1D] This is a conceptual diagram of the yaw motion of other conventional surgical instruments. [Figure 1E] This is a conceptual diagram of the pitch operation of a surgical instrument according to the present invention. [Figure 1F] This is a conceptual diagram of the yaw motion of a surgical instrument according to the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view showing a surgical instrument according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] Figure 2 is a side view of the surgical instrument. [Figure 4] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the end tool of the surgical instrument. [Figure 5] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the end tool of the surgical instrument. [Figure 6] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the end tool hub of the end tool of the surgical instrument. [Figure 7] Figure 2 is a plan view showing the endotool of the surgical instrument. [Figure 8] Figure 2 is a plan view showing the endotool of the surgical instrument. [Figure 9] Figure 2 is a side view showing the endotool of the surgical instrument. [Figure 10] Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the end tool of the surgical instrument. [Figure 11] Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the end tool of the surgical instrument. [Figure 12] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the first jaw pulley of the surgical instrument. [Figure 13] Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the staple pulley and staple link of the surgical instrument. [Figure 14] Figure 2 is a plan view showing the first jaw of the surgical instrument. [Figure 15] Figure 2 is a plan view showing the second jaw of the surgical instrument. [Figure 16] Figure 2 is a plan view showing the opening and closing operation of the first jaw of the surgical instrument. [Figure 17] Figure 2 is a plan view showing the opening and closing operation of the second jaw of the surgical instrument. [Figure 18] It is a plan view showing the opening and closing operations of the first jaw and the second jaw of the surgical instrument in FIG. 2. [Figure 19] It is a perspective view showing the opening and closing operations of the end tool of the surgical instrument in FIG. 2. [Figure 20] It is a plan view showing the opening and closing operations of the end tool of the surgical instrument in FIG. 2. [Figure 21] It is a perspective view showing the first jaw of the surgical instrument in FIG. 2 and the cartridge. [Figure 22] It is an exploded perspective view showing the cartridge in FIG. 21. [Figure 23] It is an assembled perspective view showing the cartridge in FIG. 21. [Figure 24] It is a side view showing the cartridge in FIG. 21. [Figure 25] It is a perspective sectional view showing the cartridge in FIG. 21. [Figure 26] It is a side sectional view showing the cartridge in FIG. 21. [Figure 27] It is a perspective view showing the working member of the cartridge in FIG. 21. [Figure 28] It is a perspective view showing the working member of the cartridge in FIG. 21. [Figure 29] It is a side sectional view showing the structure related to stapling of the end tool of the surgical instrument in FIG. 2. [Figure 30] It is a perspective sectional view showing the stapling structure of the end tool of the surgical instrument in FIG. 2. [Figure 31] It is a perspective sectional view showing the stapling structure of the end tool of the surgical instrument in FIG. 2. [Figure 32] It is a perspective view showing the ratchet driving operation of the end tool in FIG. 30. [Figure 33] It is a perspective view showing the ratchet driving operation of the end tool in FIG. 30. [Figure 34] It is a perspective view showing the ratchet driving operation of the end tool in FIG. 30. [Figure 35]Figure 30 is a perspective view showing the ratchet drive operation of the end tool. [Figure 36] Figure 30 is a plan view showing the ratchet drive operation of the end tool. [Figure 37] Figure 30 is a plan view showing the ratchet drive operation of the end tool. [Figure 38] Figure 30 is a perspective view showing the overall ratchet drive operation of the end tool. [Figure 39] Figure 30 is a perspective view showing the overall stapling operation of the end tool. [Figure 40] Figure 30 is a perspective view showing the overall stapling operation of the end tool. [Figure 41] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the control panel of the surgical instrument. [Figure 42] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the control panel of the surgical instrument. [Figure 43] Figure 2 is a simplified diagram showing only the pulley and wire configuration that makes up the joint of the surgical instrument shown. [Figure 44] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the yaw motion of the surgical instrument. [Figure 45] Figure 2 shows the configuration of pulleys and wires related to the actuation and yaw motion of the surgical instrument, broken down for the first jaw and the second jaw, respectively. [Figure 46] Figure 2 shows the configuration of pulleys and wires related to the actuation and yaw motion of the surgical instrument, broken down for the first jaw and the second jaw, respectively. [Figure 47] Figure 2 shows the pulley and wire configuration for the stapling and cutting operations of the surgical instrument, broken down for the first jaw and the second jaw, respectively. [Figure 48] Figure 2 shows the pulley and wire configuration for the stapling and cutting operations of the surgical instrument, broken down for the first jaw and the second jaw, respectively. [Figure 49]Figure 2 shows the pulley and wire configuration for the stapling and cutting operations of the surgical instrument, broken down for the first jaw and the second jaw, respectively. [Figure 50] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the pitch motion of the surgical instrument. [Figure 51] Figure 2 shows the configuration of the pulleys and wires involved in the pitch motion of the surgical instrument, broken down for the first jaw and the second jaw, respectively. [Figure 52] Figure 2 shows the configuration of the pulleys and wires involved in the pitch motion of the surgical instrument, broken down for the first jaw and the second jaw, respectively. [Figure 53] Figure 2 shows the configuration of the pulleys and wires involved in the pitch motion of the surgical instrument, broken down for the first jaw and the second jaw, respectively. [Figure 54] Figure 2 is a plan view showing the actuation motion of the end tool of the surgical instrument, illustrating the process of actuation while the jaw is rotated by -90° yaw. [Figure 55] Figure 2 is a plan view showing the actuation motion of the end tool of the surgical instrument, illustrating the process of actuation while the jaw is rotated by -90° yaw. [Figure 56] Figure 2 is a plan view showing the actuation motion of the end tool of the surgical instrument, illustrating the process of actuation while the jaw is rotated by -90° yaw. [Figure 57] Figure 2 is a plan view showing the actuation motion of the end tool of the surgical instrument, illustrating the process of actuation while the jaw is rotated by -90° yaw. [Figure 58] Figure 2 is a plan view showing the actuation motion of the end tool of the surgical instrument, illustrating the process of actuation with the jaw rotated by +90° yaw. [Figure 59] Figure 2 is a plan view showing the actuation motion of the end tool of the surgical instrument, illustrating the process of actuation with the jaw rotated by +90° yaw. [Figure 60] Figure 2 is a plan view showing the actuation motion of the end tool of the surgical instrument, illustrating the process of actuation with the jaw rotated by +90° yaw. [Figure 61] Figure 2 is a plan view showing the actuation motion of the end tool of the surgical instrument, illustrating the process of actuation with the jaw rotated by +90° yaw. [Figure 62] Figure 2 is a plan view showing the stapling action of the end tool of the surgical instrument, illustrating the process of stapling while the jaws are rotated by +90° yaw. [Figure 63] Figure 2 is a plan view showing the stapling action of the end tool of the surgical instrument, illustrating the process of stapling while the jaws are rotated by -90°. [Figure 64] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the pitch motion of the surgical instrument. [Figure 65] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the pitch motion of the surgical instrument. [Figure 66] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the pitch motion of the surgical instrument. [Figure 67] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the pitch motion of the surgical instrument. [Figure 68] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the yaw motion of the surgical instrument. [Figure 69] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the yaw motion of the surgical instrument. [Figure 70] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the yaw motion of the surgical instrument. [Figure 71]Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the yaw motion of the surgical instrument. [Figure 72] Figure 2 is a plan view showing the end tool of the surgical instrument in a pitch and yaw rotation state. [Figure 73] Figure 2 is a plan view showing the end tool of the surgical instrument in a pitch and yaw rotation state. [Figure 74] Figure 2 is a plan view showing the end tool of the surgical instrument in a pitch and yaw rotation state. [Figure 75] Figure 2 is a plan view showing the end tool of the surgical instrument in a pitch and yaw rotation state. [Figure 76] This figure shows a surgical instrument cartridge according to a first modification of the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 77] This figure shows a surgical instrument cartridge according to a first modification of the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 78] This figure shows a surgical instrument cartridge according to a second modification of the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 79] This figure shows a surgical instrument cartridge according to a second modification of the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 80] This figure shows a surgical instrument cartridge according to a third modification of the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 81] This figure shows a surgical instrument cartridge according to a third modification of the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 82] This figure shows a surgical instrument cartridge according to a fourth modification of the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 83] This figure shows a surgical instrument cartridge according to a fourth modification of the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 84] This figure shows a surgical instrument cartridge according to a fifth modification of the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 85]This figure shows a surgical instrument cartridge according to a fifth modification of the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 86] This figure shows the operating status of the cartridge in Figure 84. [Figure 87] This is a perspective view showing an end tool of a surgical instrument according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 88] Figure 87 is a magnified view of the endotool of the surgical instrument. [Figure 89] Figure 87 is a magnified view of the endotool of the surgical instrument. [Figure 90] Figure 87 is a magnified view showing the endotool of the surgical instrument from a different angle. [Figure 91] Figure 87 is a magnified view showing the endotool of the surgical instrument from a different angle. [Figure 92] Figure 87 shows the jaws of the end tool of the surgical instrument rotated 90° counterclockwise. [Figure 93] Figure 87 shows the jaws of the end tool of the surgical instrument rotated 90° counterclockwise. [Figure 94] Figure 87 is an enlarged perspective view showing the end tool hub of the surgical instrument. [Figure 95] This is a perspective view showing an end tool of a surgical instrument according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 96] This is a perspective view showing an end tool of a surgical instrument according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 97] Figure 96 is a perspective view showing the end tool of the surgical instrument in the open position. [Figure 98] Figure 96 is a perspective view showing the end tool of the surgical instrument in the closed position. [Figure 99] Figure 96 is a side view showing the endotool of the surgical instrument. [Figure 100]Figure 96 is an exploded perspective view of the end tool of the surgical instrument. [Figure 101] Figure 96 is an exploded perspective view of the end tool of the surgical instrument. [Figure 102] Figure 96 is a plan view showing the first jaw of the surgical instrument's end tool in its fully open position. [Figure 103] Figure 96 is a plan view showing the opening and closing operation of the end tool of the surgical instrument. [Figure 104] Figure 96 is a plan view showing the opening and closing operation of the end tool of the surgical instrument. [Figure 105] This is a perspective view showing an end tool of a surgical instrument according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 106] This is a perspective view showing an end tool of a surgical instrument according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 107] Figure 105 is a perspective view of the end tool of the surgical instrument from a different angle. [Figure 108] Figure 105 is a perspective view of the end tool of the surgical instrument from a different angle. [Figure 109] Figure 105 is a side view showing the endotool of the surgical instrument. [Figure 110] Figure 105 is an exploded perspective view of the end tool of a surgical instrument. [Figure 111] Figure 105 is an exploded perspective view of the end tool of a surgical instrument. [Figure 112] Figure 105 is an exploded perspective view of the staple link assembly of a surgical instrument. [Figure 113] Figure 105 shows side and top views illustrating the various operating states of the staple link assembly. [Figure 114] Figure 105 shows side and top views illustrating the various operating states of the staple link assembly. [Figure 115] Figure 105 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the endotool of a surgical instrument. [Figure 116] Figure 115 is a perspective view showing the various operating states of the end tool. [Figure 117] Figure 115 is a perspective view showing the various operating states of the end tool. [Figure 118] Figure 115 is a perspective view showing the various operating states of the end tool. [Figure 119] Figure 115 is a perspective view showing the various operating states of the end tool. [Figure 120] Figure 115 is a perspective view showing the various operating states of the end tool. [Figure 121] Figure 115 is a perspective view showing the various operating states of the end tool. [Figure 122] This is a perspective view showing an end tool of a surgical instrument according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 123] Figure 122 is a magnified view of the endotool of the surgical instrument. [Figure 124] Figure 122 is a side view showing the endotool of the surgical instrument. [Figure 125] Figure 122 is an exploded perspective view of the end tool of the surgical instrument. [Figure 126] Figure 122 is an exploded perspective view of the end tool of the surgical instrument. [Figure 127] Figure 122 is an exploded perspective view of the staple pulley assembly of a surgical instrument. [Figure 128] Figure 122 is a plan view showing the operation of the staple pulley in the end tool. [Figure 129] Figure 122 is a perspective view showing the opening and closing operation of the end tool of the surgical instrument. [Figure 130] This is a plan view of Figure 129. [Figure 131] Figure 122 is a plan view showing the opening and closing operation of the end tool of the surgical instrument. [Figure 132] Figure 122 is a plan view showing the opening and closing operation of the end tool of the surgical instrument. [Figure 133]Figure 122 shows the process by which the endotool of the surgical instrument changes from an inactive state to an activated state. [Figure 134] Figure 122 shows the process by which the endotool of the surgical instrument changes from an inactive state to an activated state. [Figure 135] Figure 122 illustrates the process by which the end tool of the surgical instrument changes from an inactive state to an activated state and performs stapling and cutting operations. [Figure 136] Figure 122 illustrates the process by which the end tool of the surgical instrument changes from an inactive state to an activated state and performs stapling and cutting operations. [Figure 137] Figure 122 illustrates the process by which the end tool of the surgical instrument changes from an inactive state to an activated state and performs stapling and cutting operations. [Figure 138] Figure 122 illustrates the process by which the end tool of the surgical instrument changes from an inactive state to an activated state and performs stapling and cutting operations. [Figure 139] Figure 122 illustrates the process by which the end tool of the surgical instrument changes from an inactive state to an activated state and performs stapling and cutting operations. [Figure 140] This is a perspective view showing an end tool of a surgical instrument according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 141] Figure 140 is a magnified view of the endotool of the surgical instrument. [Figure 142] Figure 140 is a side view showing the endotool of the surgical instrument. [Figure 143] Figure 140 is an exploded perspective view of the end tool of a surgical instrument. [Figure 144] Figure 140 is an exploded perspective view of the end tool of a surgical instrument. [Figure 145] Figure 140 is an exploded perspective view of the staple pulley assembly of a surgical instrument. [Figure 146]Figure 140 is a side view showing the operation of the staple pulley in the end tool. [Figure 147] Figure 140 is a plan view showing the opening and closing operation of the end tool of the surgical instrument. [Figure 148] Figure 140 is a plan view showing the opening and closing operation of the end tool of the surgical instrument. [Figure 149] Figure 140 is a perspective view showing the process by which the end tool of a surgical instrument changes from an inactive state to an activated state. [Figure 150] This is a perspective view showing an end tool of a surgical instrument according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 151] This is a perspective view showing an end tool of a surgical instrument according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 152] This is a perspective view showing an end tool of a surgical instrument according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 153] This is a perspective view showing an end tool of a surgical instrument according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 154] Figure 150 is a side view showing the endotool of the surgical instrument. [Figure 155] Figure 150 is a side view showing the endotool of the surgical instrument. [Figure 156] Figure 150 is a plan view showing the endotool of the surgical instrument. [Figure 157] Figure 150 is a plan view showing the endotool of the surgical instrument. [Figure 158] Figure 150 is a plan view showing the stapling action of the end tool of the surgical instrument, illustrating the process of stapling while the jaws are rotated by +90° yaw. [Figure 159] Figure 150 is a plan view showing the stapling action of the end tool of the surgical instrument, illustrating the process of stapling while the jaws are rotated by +90° yaw. [Figure 160]Figure 150 is a plan view showing the stapling action of the end tool of the surgical instrument, illustrating the process of stapling while the jaws are rotated by +90° yaw. [Figure 161] Figure 150 is a plan view showing the stapling action of the end tool of the surgical instrument, illustrating the process of stapling while the jaws are rotated by -90°. [Figure 162] Figure 150 is a plan view showing the stapling action of the end tool of the surgical instrument, illustrating the process of stapling while the jaws are rotated by -90°. [Figure 163] Figure 150 is a plan view showing the stapling action of the end tool of the surgical instrument, illustrating the process of stapling while the jaws are rotated by -90°. [Figure 164] This is a perspective view showing an end tool of a surgical instrument according to the eighth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 165] This is a perspective view showing an end tool of a surgical instrument according to the eighth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 166] This is a perspective view showing an end tool of a surgical instrument according to the eighth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 167] Figure 164 is a perspective view showing the cartridge of a surgical instrument. [Figure 168] Figure 164 is a perspective view showing the cartridge of a surgical instrument. [Figure 169] Figure 167 is a bottom view of the cartridge. [Figure 170] Figure 164 is a perspective view showing the various operating states of the end tool. [Figure 171] Figure 164 is a perspective view showing the various operating states of the end tool. [Figure 172] This is a perspective view showing an end tool of a surgical instrument according to the ninth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 173]Figure 172 is a side cross-sectional view showing the cartridge of a surgical instrument. [Figure 174] Figure 172 is a perspective view showing the working components of a surgical instrument cartridge. [Figure 175] Figure 172 is an enlarged perspective view showing the cartridge of the surgical instrument. [Figure 176] This diagram shows the process of movement of a workpiece. [Figure 177] This diagram shows the process of movement of a workpiece. [Figure 178] This diagram shows the process of movement of a workpiece. [Figure 179] This diagram shows the process of movement of a workpiece. [Figure 180] This diagram shows the process by which the working member is joined to the second jaw. [Figure 181] This diagram shows the process by which the working member is joined to the second jaw. [Figure 182] This diagram shows the process by which the working member is joined to the second jaw. [Figure 183] This diagram shows the process by which the working member is separated from the second jaw. [Figure 184] This diagram shows the process by which the working member is separated from the second jaw. [Figure 185] This diagram shows the process by which the working member is separated from the second jaw. [Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention]

[0012] According to embodiments of the present invention, an end tool includes a staple drive assembly comprising a first jaw, a second jaw formed opposite to the first jaw, a first jaw pulley coupled to the first jaw and formed to be rotatable about a first axis, a second jaw pulley coupled to the second jaw and formed to be rotatable about an axis substantially identical to or parallel to the first axis and formed to be separated from the first jaw pulley to a certain extent, and one or more staple pulleys, at least a portion of which is formed between the first jaw pulley and the second jaw pulley; a reciprocating assembly connected to the staple drive assembly and moving linearly when the staple pulley rotates; and a cartridge comprising a working member that moves in one direction when it comes into contact with the reciprocating assembly and the reciprocating assembly moves in one direction.

[0013] In the present invention, when the staple pulley rotates, the reciprocating assembly connected to the staple drive assembly moves toward the distal or proximal side of the cartridge.

[0014] In the present invention, when the staple pulley rotates alternately in a clockwise and counterclockwise direction, the reciprocating assembly connected to the staple drive assembly moves alternately toward the distal and proximal ends of the cartridge.

[0015] In the present invention, when the reciprocating assembly moves toward the distal end of the cartridge, the working member is moved toward the distal end of the cartridge by the reciprocating assembly.

[0016] In the present invention, the staple drive assembly converts the bidirectional rotational motion of the staple pulley into the reciprocating linear motion of the reciprocating assembly connected to the staple drive assembly.

[0017] In the present invention, the working member moves in one direction while the wedge portion of the working member sequentially pushes up a plurality of staples in the cartridge to perform a stapling operation, and at the same time, a blade formed on one side of the wedge portion of the working member moves in one direction while performing a cutting operation.

[0018] In the present invention, the staple drive assembly includes a link member that connects the staple pulley and the reciprocating assembly.

[0019] In the present invention, the working member includes a ratchet member having a ratchet formed on at least one surface, wherein the ratchet of the ratchet member is formed to be in contact with the reciprocating assembly.

[0020] In the present invention, the working member is characterized in that it moves toward the distal side of the cartridge together with the reciprocating assembly only when the reciprocating assembly moves toward the distal side of the cartridge.

[0021] In the present invention, when the staple pulley rotates in a first direction among clockwise and counterclockwise, the link member connected to the staple pulley, the reciprocating assembly connected to the link member, and the working member in contact with the reciprocating assembly move toward the distal part of the cartridge.

[0022] In the present invention, when the staple pulley rotates in the clockwise and counterclockwise directions opposite to the first direction, the link member connected to the staple pulley and the reciprocating assembly connected to the link member move toward the proximal part of the end tool, and the working member is stopped in the aforementioned one direction.

[0023] In the present invention, the staple drive assembly includes a first link member connected to one region of the staple pulley and a second link member connected to another region of the staple pulley, and the reciprocating assembly includes a first reciprocating member coupled to the first link member and a second reciprocating member coupled to the second link member.

[0024] In the present invention, the working member includes a ratchet member on which a first ratchet and a second ratchet are formed, wherein the first ratchet is formed to be in contact with the first reciprocating member, and the second ratchet is formed to be in contact with the second reciprocating member.

[0025] In the present invention, when the staple pulley rotates in one direction, the first ratchet and the first reciprocating member come into contact, and when the staple pulley rotates in the other direction, the second ratchet and the second reciprocating member come into contact.

[0026] In the present invention, when the staple pulley rotates in a first direction among clockwise and counterclockwise directions, the first link member connected to the staple pulley, the first reciprocating member connected to the first link member, and the working member in contact with the first reciprocating member move toward the distal end of the cartridge.

[0027] In the present invention, when the staple pulley rotates in a direction opposite to the first direction among clockwise and counterclockwise directions, the second link member connected to the staple pulley, the second reciprocating member connected to the second link member, and the working member in contact with the second reciprocating member move toward the distal part of the cartridge.

[0028] The present invention further includes a staple wire that is coupled to the staple pulley and rotates the staple pulley.

[0029] The present invention is characterized in that there exists an inactive state in which the staple drive assembly and the reciprocating assembly are separated, and an activated state in which the staple drive assembly and the reciprocating assembly are fastened together.

[0030] In the present invention, the staple pulley rotates only when it is activated, which in turn causes the reciprocating assembly to move linearly.

[0031] The present invention further includes a pair of end tool first jaw pitch main pulleys formed on one side of the first jaw pulley and rotatable about a second axis that makes a predetermined angle with the first axis, and a pair of end tool second jaw pitch main pulleys formed on one side of the second jaw pulley and rotatable about an axis that is substantially the same as or parallel to the second axis.

[0032] In the present invention, the end tool is characterized in that it is formed to be able to rotate yaw about the first axis and to rotate pitch about the second axis.

[0033] The present invention is characterized in that the first jaw pulley, the staple pulley, and the second jaw pulley are sequentially laminated together.

[0034] According to embodiments of the present invention, an end tool for a surgical instrument includes a first jaw capable of housing a cartridge, a second jaw formed opposite to the first jaw, a first jaw pulley coupled to the first jaw and formed to be rotatable about a first axis, a second jaw pulley coupled to the second jaw and formed to be rotatable about an axis substantially identical to or parallel to the first axis and formed to be separated from the first jaw pulley to a certain extent, a staple drive assembly including one or more staple pulleys, at least a portion of which is formed between the first jaw pulley and the second jaw pulley, and a staple wire that at least a portion of which contacts the staple pulley to transmit the driving force necessary for the rotation of the staple pulley to the staple pulley, wherein the staple drive assembly is coupled to a reciprocating assembly of the cartridge, and the rotational motion of the staple pulley is converted into linear motion of the reciprocating assembly.

[0035] The present invention further includes an end tool hub comprising a first jaw-pulley coupling portion and a second jaw-pulley coupling portion formed to face each other, and a guide portion connecting the first jaw-pulley coupling portion and the second jaw-pulley coupling portion, wherein the first jaw-pulley is disposed adjacent to the first jaw-pulley coupling portion of the end tool hub, and the second jaw-pulley is disposed adjacent to the second jaw-pulley coupling portion of the end tool hub, and at least a portion of the staple drive assembly is formed between the first jaw-pulley and the second jaw-pulley.

[0036] In the present invention, the first shaft is characterized by being sequentially inserted through the first jaw pulley coupling, the first jaw pulley, the staple pulley, the second jaw pulley, and the second jaw pulley coupling.

[0037] The present invention is characterized in that the first jaw pulley, the staple pulley, and the second jaw pulley are sequentially stacked and formed within the end tool hub.

[0038] In the present invention, the first jaw pulley, the staple pulley, and the second jaw pulley are formed to be rotatable independently of each other.

[0039] The present invention further includes a staple auxiliary pulley disposed between the staple pulley and the guide portion.

[0040] In the present invention, the staple wire is located on the common internal tangent line between the staple pulley and the staple auxiliary pulley, and the rotation angle of the staple pulley is extended by the staple auxiliary pulley.

[0041] In the present invention, the guide portion is characterized in that the regions adjacent to the first jaw pulley, the staple pulley, and the second jaw pulley are formed with a curved cross-section having a predetermined curvature.

[0042] In the present invention, the staple wire is located on the common internal tangent line between the staple pulley and the guide portion, and the rotation angle of the staple pulley is extended by the guide portion.

[0043] In the present invention, the staple drive assembly includes a staple link assembly that connects the staple pulley and the reciprocating assembly.

[0044] In the present invention, the staple link assembly includes a first link coupled to the staple pulley and a second link coupled to the first link and the reciprocating assembly, respectively.

[0045] In the present invention, when the staple pulley rotates alternately in a clockwise and counterclockwise direction, the staple link assembly connected to the staple pulley alternately moves toward the distal and proximal ends of the end tool.

[0046] In the present invention, the staple link assembly converts the bidirectional rotational motion of the staple pulley into the reciprocating linear motion of the reciprocating assembly connected to the staple link assembly.

[0047] In the present invention, the first jaw has a guide groove formed along its longitudinal direction, and the staple link assembly moves along the guide groove.

[0048] The present invention further includes a jaw rotation axis that is inserted through the first jaw and the second jaw and serves as the rotation center of the first jaw and the second jaw, wherein the first axis is a jaw pulley rotation axis that is inserted through the first jaw pulley and the second jaw pulley and serves as the rotation center of the first jaw pulley and the second jaw pulley, and when the first jaw pulley and the second jaw pulley rotate around the jaw pulley rotation axis, the jaw rotation axis moves relative to the jaw pulley rotation axis.

[0049] In the present invention, when the first jaw and the second jaw are closed, the jaw rotation axis moves toward the distal end of the end tool, and when the first jaw and the second jaw are opened, the jaw rotation axis moves toward the proximal end of the end tool.

[0050] The present invention further includes a pair of end tool first jaw pitch main pulleys formed on one side of the first jaw pulley and rotatable about a second axis that makes a predetermined angle with the first axis, and a pair of end tool second jaw pitch main pulleys formed on one side of the second jaw pulley and rotatable about an axis that is substantially the same as or parallel to the second axis.

[0051] In the present invention, the end tool is characterized in that it is formed to be able to rotate yaw about the first axis and to rotate pitch about the second axis.

[0052] The present invention further includes a first jaw wire, of which at least a portion is wound around the first jaw pulley and the pair of end tool first jaw pitch main pulleys, and a second jaw wire, of which at least a portion is wound around the second jaw pulley and the pair of end tool second jaw pitch main pulleys.

[0053] According to embodiments of the present invention, an end tool for a surgical instrument includes a first jaw and a second jaw that are rotatable independently of each other, a first jaw pulley coupled to the first jaw and formed to be rotatable about a first axis, a second jaw pulley coupled to the second jaw and formed to be rotatable about an axis substantially identical to or parallel to the first axis, a staple pulley formed to be rotatable about an axis substantially identical to or parallel to the first axis and positioned adjacent to the first jaw pulley or the second jaw pulley, and a staple link assembly connected to the staple pulley and reciprocating in accordance with the bidirectional rotation of the staple pulley.

[0054] In the present invention, the staple link assembly is coupled to a reciprocating assembly of a cartridge housed in the first jaw, and the reciprocating assembly is reciprocated.

[0055] In the present invention, the staple link assembly moves toward the distal or proximal side of the end tool depending on the rotation direction of the staple pulley.

[0056] In the present invention, a protrusion is formed on one side of either the staple pulley or the staple link assembly, and a hole is formed on the other side, and the protrusion is axially coupled to the hole.

[0057] In the present invention, a protruding member is formed on the staple pulley, a slot is formed on the staple link assembly, and when the staple pulley rotates, the protruding member moves within the slot while in contact with the slot.

[0058] In the present invention, the staple link assembly is characterized by including a single link.

[0059] In the present invention, the staple link assembly is characterized by including a link member.

[0060] In the present invention, the link member includes a first link coupled to the staple pulley and a second link coupled to the first link.

[0061] In the present invention, the staple link assembly is characterized by including a first link member and a second link member.

[0062] In the present invention, the cartridge housed in the first jaw includes a first reciprocating member and a second reciprocating member, wherein the first link member is connected to the first reciprocating member and the second link member is connected to the second reciprocating member.

[0063] In the present invention, the first jaw has a guide groove formed along its longitudinal direction, and the staple link assembly moves along the guide groove.

[0064] The present invention includes a pair of end tool first jaw pitch main pulleys formed on one side of the first jaw pulley and rotatable about a second axis that makes a predetermined angle with the first axis, and a pair of end tool second jaw pitch main pulleys formed on one side of the second jaw pulley and rotatable about an axis that is substantially the same as or parallel to the second axis.

[0065] In the present invention, when the first jaw pulley and the second jaw pulley rotate in the same direction about the second axis, the staple pulley rotates together with the first jaw pulley and the second jaw pulley.

[0066] In the present invention, when the first jaw pulley and the second jaw pulley rotate in the same direction about the first axis, the staple pulley rotates together with the first jaw pulley and the second jaw pulley.

[0067] In the present invention, when the first jaw pulley and the second jaw pulley rotate in different directions around the first axis, the staple pulley rotates together with either the first jaw pulley or the second jaw pulley.

[0068] In the present invention, the first jaw pulley and the second jaw pulley do not need to rotate while the staple pulley rotates around the first axis by the staple wire.

[0069] In the present invention, the first jaw is formed with a cartridge housing portion capable of accommodating a cartridge, and the second jaw is formed with an anvil into which the staples of the cartridge can make contact.

[0070] The present invention further includes a first jaw wire, at least a portion of which is wound around the first jaw pulley; a second jaw wire, at least a portion of which is wound around the second jaw pulley; and a staple wire, at least a portion of which is wound around the staple pulley.

[0071] According to embodiments of the present invention, an end tool for a surgical instrument includes a first jaw and a second jaw that are rotatable independently of each other, a first jaw pulley coupled to the first jaw and formed to be rotatable about a first axis, a first jaw wire in which at least a portion is wound around the first jaw pulley, a second jaw pulley coupled to the second jaw and formed to be rotatable about a first axis, a second jaw wire in which at least a portion is wound around the second jaw pulley, a staple pulley formed to be rotatable about a first axis and positioned between the first jaw pulley and the second jaw pulley, a staple link assembly connected to the staple pulley and reciprocating in accordance with the bidirectional rotation of the staple pulley, and a staple wire in which at least a portion contacts the staple pulley and transmits to the staple pulley the driving force necessary for the rotation of the staple pulley.

[0072] The present invention is characterized in that the bidirectional rotational motion of the staple pulley is converted into the reciprocating linear motion of the staple link assembly.

[0073] In the present invention, the staple link assembly is coupled to a reciprocating assembly of a cartridge housed in the first jaw, and the rotational motion of the staple pulley is transmitted to the working member of the cartridge via the staple link assembly and the reciprocating assembly.

[0074] In the present invention, the staple link assembly converts the bidirectional rotational motion of the staple pulley into the reciprocating linear motion of the reciprocating assembly connected to the staple link assembly.

[0075] The present invention further includes a jaw rotation axis that is inserted through the first jaw and the second jaw and serves as the rotation center of the first jaw and the second jaw, wherein the first axis is a jaw pulley rotation axis that is inserted through the first jaw pulley and the second jaw pulley and serves as the rotation center of the first jaw pulley and the second jaw pulley, and when the first jaw pulley and the second jaw pulley rotate around the jaw pulley rotation axis, the jaw rotation axis moves relative to the jaw pulley rotation axis.

[0076] In the present invention, when the first jaw and the second jaw are closed, the jaw rotation axis moves toward the distal end of the end tool, and when the first jaw and the second jaw are opened, the jaw rotation axis moves toward the proximal end of the end tool.

[0077] In the present invention, a movable coupling hole is formed in the first jaw or the second jaw, and a shaft coupling portion is formed in the first jaw pulley or the second jaw pulley, and the shaft coupling portion is formed to move to a certain extent within the movable coupling hole when the shaft coupling portion is fitted into the movable coupling hole.

[0078] In the present invention, when the staple pulley rotates alternately in a clockwise and counterclockwise direction, the staple link assembly connected to the staple pulley alternately moves toward the distal and proximal ends of the end tool.

[0079] In the present invention, the first jaw has a guide groove formed along its longitudinal direction, and the staple link assembly moves along the guide groove.

[0080] In the present invention, the end tool further includes an end tool hub including a first jaw-pulley coupling portion and a second jaw-pulley coupling portion formed to face each other, and a guide portion connecting the first jaw-pulley coupling portion and the second jaw-pulley coupling portion, wherein the area of ​​the guide portion adjacent to the first jaw-pulley, the staple pulley, and the second jaw-pulley is formed to be curved such that its cross-section has a predetermined curvature.

[0081] In the present invention, the staple wire is located on the common internal tangent line between the staple pulley and the guide portion, and the rotation angle of the staple pulley is extended by the guide portion.

[0082] In the present invention, the first jaw, the first jaw pulley, the second jaw, and the second jaw pulley are formed to rotate around the same axis of rotation.

[0083] The present invention is characterized in that the first jaw pulley, the staple pulley, and the second jaw pulley are sequentially laminated together.

[0084] In the present invention, a guide groove is formed in the anvil of the second jaw along its longitudinal direction, and the clamp for the cartridge housed in the first jaw is formed to be movable along the guide groove.

[0085] In the present invention, coupling grooves are formed at both ends of the guide groove of the anvil, allowing the clamp to be retracted into or pulled out of the anvil.

[0086] The present invention further includes a pair of end tool first jaw pitch main pulleys formed on one side of the first jaw pulley and rotatable about a second axis that makes a predetermined angle with the first axis, and a pair of end tool second jaw pitch main pulleys formed on one side of the second jaw pulley and rotatable about an axis that is substantially the same as or parallel to the second axis.

[0087] In the present invention, the end tool is characterized in that it is formed to be capable of yaw rotation around the first axis and pitch rotation around the second axis.

[0088] The present invention further includes a first jaw wire, of which at least a portion is wound around the first jaw pulley and the pair of end tool first jaw pitch main pulleys, and a second jaw wire, of which at least a portion is wound around the second jaw pulley and the pair of end tool second jaw pitch main pulleys.

[0089] The present invention further includes a staple second auxiliary pulley positioned between the first jaw pulley and the end tool first jaw pitch main pulley, or between the second jaw pulley and the end tool second jaw pitch main pulley, and formed to be rotatable about an axis substantially identical to or parallel to the second axis, for guiding the path of the first jaw wire or the second jaw wire.

[0090] According to embodiments of the present invention, an end tool for a surgical instrument includes a first jaw capable of housing a cartridge, a second jaw formed opposite to the first jaw, a first jaw pulley coupled to the first jaw and formed to be rotatable about a first axis, a second jaw pulley coupled to the second jaw and formed to be rotatable about an axis substantially identical to or parallel to the first axis and formed to be separated from the first jaw pulley to a certain extent, one or more staple pulleys in which at least a portion is formed between the first jaw pulley and the second jaw pulley, a staple link assembly including a first link member coupled to one region of the staple pulley and a second link member coupled to another region of the staple pulley, and a staple wire in which at least a portion is wound around the staple pulley.

[0091] In the present invention, the first link member is coupled to a first reciprocating member of a cartridge housed in the first jaw, and the second link member is coupled to a second reciprocating member of a cartridge housed in the first jaw.

[0092] In the present invention, the staple pulley is characterized in that a first link coupling portion and a second link coupling portion are formed thereon, the first link member is coupled to the first link coupling portion, and the second link member is coupled to the second link coupling portion.

[0093] In the present invention, the first link coupling portion and the second link coupling portion are arranged on opposite sides of each other with respect to the central axis of the staple pulley.

[0094] In the present invention, when the staple pulley rotates in one direction, the first link member and the second link member move in opposite directions to each other.

[0095] In the present invention, when the staple pulley rotates in one direction, the first link member moves toward the distal end of the end tool, and the second link member moves toward the proximal end of the end tool.

[0096] In the present invention, the cartridge housed in the first jaw includes a reciprocating assembly comprising a first reciprocating member and a second reciprocating member formed to face each other, and a ratchet member formed to be movable along the reciprocating assembly and having a first ratchet and a second ratchet formed on it.

[0097] In the present invention, the first ratchet is formed to be in contact with the first reciprocating member, and the second ratchet is formed to be in contact with the second reciprocating member.

[0098] In the present invention, when the staple pulley rotates in one direction, the first ratchet and the first reciprocating member come into contact, and when the staple pulley rotates in the other direction, the second ratchet and the second reciprocating member come into contact.

[0099] In the present invention, when the staple pulley rotates in one direction, the first reciprocating member makes close contact with the first ratchet and pushes out the first ratchet, causing the ratchet member to move toward the distal end of the cartridge, and when the staple pulley rotates in the other direction, the second reciprocating member makes close contact with the second ratchet and pushes out the second ratchet, causing the ratchet member to move toward the distal end of the cartridge.

[0100] In the present invention, when the staple pulley rotates in one direction, the first link member connected to the staple pulley, the first reciprocating member connected to the first link member, and the ratchet member in contact with the first reciprocating member move toward the distal end of the cartridge, and when the staple pulley rotates in the other direction, the second link member connected to the staple pulley, the second reciprocating member connected to the second link member, and the ratchet member in contact with the second reciprocating member move toward the distal end of the cartridge.

[0101] In the present invention, the first link member includes a first link and a second link, and the second link member includes a third link and a fourth link.

[0102] In the present invention, the height of the fastening portion formed on the first link member and coupled to the first reciprocating member, and the height of the fastening portion formed on the second link member and coupled to the second reciprocating member, in relation to the first axis, are substantially the same.

[0103] In the present invention, the fourth link is characterized by being formed in the shape of a bar that has been bent one or more times.

[0104] The present invention is characterized in that the first ratchet is formed on one side surface of the ratchet member, and the second ratchet is formed on the other side surface of the ratchet member.

[0105] In the present invention, when the first reciprocating member moves in the direction of the proximal end of the end tool, the first reciprocating member pushes the first ratchet toward the second reciprocating member, and when the second reciprocating member moves in the direction of the proximal end of the end tool, the second reciprocating member pushes the second ratchet toward the first reciprocating member.

[0106] In the present invention, the ratchet member includes a first ratchet member having the first ratchet formed on one surface and a second ratchet member having the second ratchet formed on one surface.

[0107] In the present invention, when the first reciprocating member moves in the direction of the proximal end of the end tool, the first reciprocating member pushes the first ratchet toward the second reciprocating member, and when the second reciprocating member moves in the direction of the proximal end of the end tool, the second reciprocating member pushes the second ratchet toward the first reciprocating member.

[0108] The present invention includes a first elastic member interposed between the first ratchet member and the first reciprocating member, which applies an elastic force in a direction that causes the first ratchet member to come into close contact with the first reciprocating member, and a second elastic member interposed between the first ratchet member and the second reciprocating member, which applies an elastic force in a direction that causes the second ratchet member to come into close contact with the second reciprocating member.

[0109] The present invention further includes a pair of end tool first jaw pitch main pulleys formed on one side of the first jaw pulley and rotatable about a second axis that makes a predetermined angle with the first axis, and a pair of end tool second jaw pitch main pulleys formed on one side of the second jaw pulley and rotatable about an axis that is substantially the same as or parallel to the second axis.

[0110] In the present invention, the end tool is characterized in that it is formed to be capable of yaw rotation around the first axis and pitch rotation around the second axis.

[0111] The present invention further includes a first jaw wire, of which at least a portion is wound around the first jaw pulley and the pair of end tool first jaw pitch main pulleys, and a second jaw wire, of which at least a portion is wound around the second jaw pulley and the pair of end tool second jaw pitch main pulleys.

[0112] According to embodiments of the present invention, an end tool for a surgical instrument includes a first jaw capable of housing a cartridge, a second jaw formed opposite to the first jaw, a first jaw pulley coupled to the first jaw and formed to be rotatable about a first axis, a second jaw pulley coupled to the second jaw and formed to be rotatable about an axis substantially identical to or parallel to the first axis and formed to be a certain distance away from the first jaw pulley, a staple pulley disposed between the first jaw pulley and the second jaw pulley and having a protruding member formed in one region, a link having a slot formed in one region into which the protruding member of the staple pulley is inserted, and a staple wire in which at least a portion is wound around the staple pulley.

[0113] In the present invention, when the staple pulley rotates, the protruding member moves within the slot while contacting the slot, thereby moving the link.

[0114] In the present invention, the link is characterized by being formed from a single component.

[0115] In the present invention, when the staple pulley rotates, the link moves along one direction, characterized in that the link moves according to the width of the slot in that direction.

[0116] In the present invention, the protruding member is formed in the shape of a pin, and the protruding member rotates while applying pressure to the slot of the link, causing the link to move.

[0117] In the present invention, the slot is formed at an angle and is not concentric with the staple pulley, and the pin moves along the slot.

[0118] In the present invention, the protruding member is formed in the shape of a cam, and the protruding member rotates while applying pressure to the slot of the link, causing the link to move.

[0119] In the present invention, the center of the protruding member does not coincide with the center of the staple pulley, and the protruding member is formed to be eccentric to a certain extent with respect to the staple pulley.

[0120] In the present invention, the cartridge housed in the first jaw includes a reciprocating assembly and a working member, and is characterized in that there exists an inactive state in which the link and the reciprocating assembly are separated, and an activated state in which the link and the reciprocating assembly are fastened together.

[0121] In the present invention, the staple pulley rotates only when it is activated, which in turn causes the reciprocating assembly to move linearly.

[0122] In the present invention, when the first jaw and the second jaw are opened, the reciprocating assembly moves in the direction of the proximal end tool.

[0123] In the present invention, when the first jaw and the second jaw are closed, the reciprocating assembly and the link come into contact.

[0124] In the present invention, when the staple pulley rotates with the first jaw and the second jaw closed, it enters an activated state in which the link and the reciprocating assembly are fastened together.

[0125] In the present invention, the link converts the bidirectional rotational motion of the staple pulley into the reciprocating linear motion of the reciprocating assembly connected to the link.

[0126] The present invention is characterized in that the bidirectional rotational motion of the staple pulley is converted into the reciprocating linear motion of the link.

[0127] The present invention is characterized in that the first jaw pulley, the staple pulley, and the second jaw pulley are sequentially laminated together.

[0128] The present invention further includes a pair of end tool first jaw pitch main pulleys formed on one side of the first jaw pulley and rotatable about a second axis that makes a predetermined angle with the first axis, and a pair of end tool second jaw pitch main pulleys formed on one side of the second jaw pulley and rotatable about an axis that is substantially the same as or parallel to the second axis.

[0129] In the present invention, the end tool is characterized in that it is formed to be capable of yaw rotation around the first axis and pitch rotation around the second axis.

[0130] The present invention further includes a first jaw wire, of which at least a portion is wound around the first jaw pulley and the pair of end tool first jaw pitch main pulleys, and a second jaw wire, of which at least a portion is wound around the second jaw pulley and the pair of end tool second jaw pitch main pulleys.

[0131] According to embodiments of the present invention, a surgical instrument cartridge comprising an end tool rotatable in at least one direction includes a housing, a cover that covers one surface of the housing and has a slit formed along a first direction which is the longitudinal direction of the housing, a plurality of staples disposed inside the housing, a reciprocating assembly disposed inside the housing and formed to be movable relative to the housing along the first direction and having a plurality of protrusions and indentations formed on at least one surface, and a working member formed on one side of the reciprocating assembly and formed to be in contact with the reciprocating assembly and formed to be movable along the first direction by the reciprocating assembly.

[0132] In the present invention, the reciprocating assembly is connected to a staple drive assembly formed on the end tool, and when the staple pulley of the staple drive assembly rotates, the reciprocating assembly moves along the first direction.

[0133] In the present invention, when the staple pulley rotates alternately in a clockwise and counterclockwise direction, the reciprocating assembly connected to the staple drive assembly moves alternately toward the distal and proximal ends of the cartridge.

[0134] In the present invention, the reciprocating assembly moves toward the distal end of the cartridge while the working member in contact with the reciprocating assembly moves in the first direction.

[0135] In the present invention, the working member includes a main body, one or more wedges formed on one side of the main body and including an inclined surface formed such that the height of the proximal side is greater than the distal side of the cartridge, a blade formed on one side of the wedge and including a sharply formed edge, and a ratchet member formed on one side of the main body and having one or more ratchets formed thereon that can contact the uneven portion of the reciprocating assembly.

[0136] The present invention further includes an elastic member formed between the main body or the wedge and the ratchet member, which provides an elastic force that presses the ratchet toward the reciprocating assembly.

[0137] In the present invention, when the reciprocating assembly moves toward the distal end of the cartridge, the reciprocating assembly makes close contact with the ratchet and pushes out the ratchet, thereby causing the working member to move toward the distal end of the cartridge.

[0138] In the present invention, when the reciprocating assembly moves toward the proximal part of the cartridge, the working member is stopped in the aforementioned one direction.

[0139] In the present invention, when the reciprocating assembly moves toward the proximal part of the cartridge,

[0140] The inclined surface of the reciprocating assembly applies pressure to the inclined surface of the ratchet, and the ratchet member applies pressure in a direction away from the reciprocating assembly.

[0141] In the present invention, the reciprocating assembly includes a first reciprocating member and a second reciprocating member formed to face each other, and the ratchet member includes a first ratchet formed to be in contact with the first reciprocating member and a second ratchet formed to be in contact with the second reciprocating member.

[0142] In the present invention, when the first reciprocating member moves toward the distal end of the cartridge, the first reciprocating member makes close contact with the first ratchet and pushes out the first ratchet, thereby causing the working member to move toward the distal end of the cartridge, and when the second reciprocating member moves toward the distal end of the cartridge, the second reciprocating member makes close contact with the second ratchet and pushes out the second ratchet, thereby causing the working member to move toward the distal end of the cartridge.

[0143] In the present invention, the first reciprocating member and the second reciprocating member are characterized in that they alternately move toward the distal end of the cartridge.

[0144] In the present invention, the first reciprocating member is connected to a first link member connected to one region of the staple pulley of the end tool, and the second reciprocating member is connected to a second link member connected to another region of the staple pulley. When the staple pulley rotates in one direction, the first link member connected to the staple pulley, the first reciprocating member connected to the first link member, and the ratchet member in contact with the first reciprocating member move toward the distal end of the cartridge. When the staple pulley rotates in the other direction, the second link member connected to the staple pulley, the second reciprocating member connected to the second link member, and the ratchet member in contact with the second reciprocating member move toward the distal end of the cartridge.

[0145] The present invention is characterized in that the first ratchet is formed on one side surface of the ratchet member, and the second ratchet is formed on the other side surface of the ratchet member.

[0146] In the present invention, when the first reciprocating member moves in the direction of the proximal part of the cartridge, the first reciprocating member pushes the first ratchet toward the second reciprocating member, and when the second reciprocating member moves in the direction of the proximal part of the cartridge, the second reciprocating member pushes the second ratchet toward the first reciprocating member.

[0147] In the present invention, the ratchet member includes a first ratchet member having the first ratchet formed on one surface and a second ratchet member having the second ratchet formed on one surface.

[0148] In the present invention, when the first reciprocating member moves in the direction of the proximal part of the cartridge, the first reciprocating member pushes the first ratchet toward the second reciprocating member, and when the second reciprocating member moves in the direction of the proximal part of the cartridge, the second reciprocating member pushes the second ratchet toward the first reciprocating member.

[0149] The present invention further includes a first elastic member interposed between the first ratchet member and the first reciprocating member, which applies an elastic force in a direction that causes the first ratchet member to come into close contact with the first reciprocating member, and a second elastic member interposed between the first ratchet member and the second reciprocating member, which applies an elastic force in a direction that causes the second ratchet member to come into close contact with the second reciprocating member.

[0150] In the present invention, one or more protrusions are formed in a region on the inner surface of the housing that can come into contact with the working member, and the working member is characterized in that a snap is formed that can come into contact with the protrusions.

[0151] In the present invention, when the reciprocating assembly moves toward the proximal side of the cartridge, the snap and the protruding portion come into contact, preventing the working member from moving toward the proximal side of the cartridge.

[0152] In the present invention, one end of the snap is connected to the working member and is formed to allow for elastic deformation to a certain extent.

[0153] In the present invention, the one or more protrusions are characterized by including an inclined surface formed such that the height on the distal side of the cartridge is greater than the height on the proximal side.

[0154] In the present invention, a clamp is formed on one side of the blade of the working member, extending along the first direction.

[0155] In the present invention, a guide groove is formed in the anvil of the second jaw of the end tool along the first direction, and the clamp moves along the guide groove.

[0156] In the present invention, coupling grooves are formed at both ends of the anvil, allowing the clamp to be retracted into or pulled out of the anvil.

[0157] According to embodiments of the present invention, a method for driving a surgical instrument includes the steps of: (a) when the staple pulley of a staple drive assembly rotates in a first direction about a first axis, the staple link assembly connected to the staple pulley and the reciprocating assembly of a cartridge connected to the staple link assembly move distally to the cartridge along a second axis; (b) when the reciprocating assembly moves distally to the cartridge, a working member in contact with the reciprocating assembly moves distally to the cartridge together with the reciprocating assembly; (c) as the working member moves distally to the cartridge, the working member ejects staples from the cartridge to the outside of the cartridge, and at the same time, the blade of the working member moves distally to the cartridge; and (d) when the staple pulley rotates in a second direction opposite to the first direction about the first axis, the staple link assembly connected to the staple pulley and the reciprocating assembly of the cartridge connected to the staple link assembly move proximal to the cartridge.

[0158] In the present invention, when the staple pulley rotates in the first or second direction, the reciprocating assembly moves toward the distal or proximal part of the cartridge.

[0159] In the present invention, the bidirectional rotational motion of the staple pulley around the first axis is converted into reciprocating linear motion along the second axis of the reciprocating assembly connected to the staple pulley.

[0160] In the present invention, the working member is characterized in that it moves toward the distal end of the cartridge by the reciprocating linear motion of the reciprocating assembly.

[0161] In the present invention, a rack is formed on one surface of the reciprocating assembly, the working member includes a ratchet member on which a ratchet is formed, and the ratchet member moves toward the distal part of the cartridge by pushing out the ratchet member while the rack is in close contact with the ratchet member.

[0162] In the present invention, in step (d), the working member is stopped in the second axial direction.

[0163] In the present invention, the working member is characterized in that it moves toward the distal end of the cartridge together with the reciprocating assembly only when the reciprocating assembly moves toward the distal end of the cartridge.

[0164] In the present invention, the staple drive assembly includes a first link member connected to one region of the staple pulley and a second link member connected to the other region of the staple pulley; the reciprocating assembly includes a first reciprocating member coupled to the first link member and a second reciprocating member coupled to the second link member; and the working member includes a ratchet member on which a first ratchet and a second ratchet are formed.

[0165] In the present invention, in step (a), the first ratchet and the first reciprocating member come into contact, and in step (b), the second ratchet and the second reciprocating member come into contact.

[0166] In the present invention, in step (a), the first link member connected to the staple pulley, the first reciprocating member connected to the first link member, and the working member in contact with the first reciprocating member move toward the distal end of the cartridge, and the second link member connected to the staple pulley and the second reciprocating member connected to the second link member move toward the proximal end of the cartridge.

[0167] In the present invention, in the step (d), the first link member connected to the staple pulley and the first reciprocating member connected to the first link member move in the distal direction of the cartridge, and the second link member connected to the staple pulley, the second reciprocating member connected to the second link member, and the working member in contact with the second reciprocating member move in the distal direction of the cartridge.

[0168] In the present invention, in the step (d), the working member is characterized by moving in the distal direction of the cartridge.

[0169] The present invention further includes a staple wire that engages with the staple pulley to rotate the staple pulley, and the bidirectional rotation of the staple pulley by the staple wire is converted into the reciprocating linear motion of the reciprocating assembly.

[0170] In the present invention, while the working member moves in the distal direction of the cartridge, the wedge portion of the working member sequentially pushes up a plurality of staples in the cartridge to perform a stapling operation, and at the same time, a blade formed on one side of the wedge portion of the working member performs a cutting operation while moving in the distal direction of the cartridge.

[0171] In the present invention, the steps (a) to (d) are repeatedly performed.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0172] Since the present invention can be subjected to various transformations and has various embodiments, specific embodiments are shown in the drawings and described in detail. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to specific embodiments, but should be understood to include all transformations, equivalents, or substitutes that fall within the spirit and technical scope of the present invention. In describing the present invention, if a specific description of the relevant prior art is deemed to obscure the gist of the invention, such detailed description will be omitted.

[0173] Terms such as "first," "second," etc., can be used to describe various components, but the components should not be limited by such terms. These terms are used solely for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another.

[0174] The terms used in this application are used solely to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the invention. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In this application, terms such as “includes” or “having” are intended to specify the existence of features, figures, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof described herein, and should be understood not to preemptively exclude the existence or possibility of one or more other features, figures, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0175] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. In the description with reference to the attached drawings, identical or corresponding components will be assigned the same drawing number, and redundant descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0176] Furthermore, in describing the various embodiments of the present invention, it should be understood that each embodiment should not be interpreted or implemented independently, but rather that the technical ideas described in each embodiment can be interpreted or implemented in combination with other embodiments described individually.

[0177] The surgical instrument according to the present invention is characterized in that, for at least one of the pitch, yaw, and actuation movements, when the operating part is rotated in one direction, the end tool rotates in the same direction as the operating part.

[0178] Figure 1A is a conceptual diagram of the pitch motion of a conventional surgical instrument, and Figure 1B is a conceptual diagram of the yaw motion.

[0179] Referring to Figure 1A, in the pitch motion of a conventional surgical instrument, the end tool 120a is formed in front of the end tool's rotation center 121a, and the operating part 110a is formed behind the operating part's rotation center 111a. When the operating part 110a is rotated clockwise, the end tool 120a also rotates clockwise, and when the operating part 110a is rotated counterclockwise, the end tool 120a also rotates counterclockwise. On the other hand, referring to Figure 1B, in the yaw motion of a conventional surgical instrument, the end tool 120a is formed in front of the end tool's rotation center 121a, and the operating part 110a is formed behind the operating part's rotation center 111a. When the operating part 110a is rotated clockwise, the end tool 120a also rotates clockwise, and when the operating part 110a is rotated counterclockwise, the end tool 120a also rotates counterclockwise. In this case, from the user's left-right perspective, when the user moves the operating unit 110a to the left, the end tool 120a moves to the right, and when the user moves the operating unit 110a to the right, the end tool 120a moves to the left. As a result, the direction of the user's operation and the direction of the end tool's movement are reversed, which can cause user error and makes operation difficult for the user.

[0180] Figure 1C is a conceptual diagram of the pitch motion of other conventional surgical instruments, and Figure 1D is a conceptual diagram of the yaw motion.

[0181] Referring to Figure 1C, some conventional surgical instruments are formed in a mirror-symmetrical configuration. When performing a pitch motion, the end tool 120b is formed in front of the end tool's rotation center 121b, and the operating part 110b is formed behind the operating part's rotation center 111b. When the operating part 110b is rotated clockwise, the end tool 120b rotates counterclockwise, and when the operating part 110b is rotated counterclockwise, the end tool 120b rotates clockwise. In this case, from the perspective of the rotation direction of the operating part and the end tool, the direction in which the user rotates the operating part 110b and the corresponding rotation direction of the end tool 120b are opposite to each other. As a result, this can cause confusion for the user regarding the direction of operation, and the joint movement may not be intuitive, potentially leading to errors. Furthermore, referring to Figure 1D, when performing a yaw motion, the end tool 120b is formed in front of the end tool's rotation center 121b, and the operating part 110b is formed behind the operating part's rotation center 111b. When the operating part 110b is rotated clockwise, the end tool 120b rotates counterclockwise, and when the operating part 110b is rotated counterclockwise, the end tool 120b rotates clockwise. In this case, from the perspective of the rotation direction of the operating part and the end tool, the rotation direction in which the user rotates the operating part 110b and the corresponding rotation direction of the end tool 120b are opposite to each other. As a result, this can cause confusion for the user regarding the direction of operation, and the joint movement may not be intuitive, potentially leading to errors. Thus, in the pitch or yaw operation of conventional surgical instruments, the user's direction of operation and the direction of movement of the end tool do not coincide from the perspective of either the rotation direction or the left-right direction. This is because, in the joint configuration of conventional surgical instruments, the configuration of the end tool and the operating part are different from each other. Specifically, the end tool is formed in front of the end tool's center of rotation, while the operating part is formed behind the operating part's center of rotation.To solve these problems, the surgical instrument according to one embodiment of the present invention shown in Figures 1E and 1F is characterized in that the end tool 120c is formed forward of the rotation center 121c of the end tool, and the operating part 110c is also formed forward of the rotation center 111c of the operating part, so that the operation of the operating part 110c and the end tool 120c are intuitively consistent. To express this characteristic in other words, unlike existing examples in which the operating part moves closer to the user relative to its joint (i.e., away from the end tool), as shown in Figures 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D, the surgical instrument according to one embodiment of the present invention shown in Figures 1E and 1F is formed so that for a moment or more during the operation, at least a part of the operating part moves closer to the end tool relative to its joint (more than its own joint).

[0182] To explain this further, in the case of conventional surgical instruments as shown in Figures 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D, the end tool is located in front of its center of rotation, while the operating part is formed behind its center of rotation. As a result, the operation of the operating part, which moves the rear while the front is fixed, moves the end tool, which moves the front while the rear is fixed. Therefore, the structure is not intuitively consistent. This can lead to inconsistencies in the operation of the operating part and the operation of the end tool in terms of left-right or rotational direction, potentially confusing the user, making it difficult to operate the operating part intuitively and quickly, and potentially causing errors. In contrast, in the surgical instrument according to one embodiment of the present invention, both the end tool and the operating part move relative to a center of rotation formed at the rear, so it can be said that their operations are structurally intuitively consistent. To explain this further, just as the moving part of the end tool moves relative to a center of rotation formed at the rear, the moving part of the operating part also moves relative to the same center of rotation formed at the rear, so it can be said that their operations are structurally intuitively consistent. This allows users to intuitively and quickly control the end tool direction, significantly reducing the likelihood of errors. The specific mechanisms that enable this functionality are described below.

[0183] <First Embodiment of a Surgical Instrument>

[0184] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing a surgical instrument according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 3 is a side view of the surgical instrument of Figure 2. Figures 4 and 5 are perspective views showing the end tool of the surgical instrument of Figure 2. Figure 6 is a perspective view showing the end tool hub of the surgical instrument of Figure 2. Figures 7 and 8 are plan views showing the end tool of the surgical instrument of Figure 2. Figure 9 is a side view showing the end tool of the surgical instrument of Figure 2. Figures 10 and 11 are exploded perspective views of the end tool of the surgical instrument of Figure 2. Figure 12 is a perspective view showing the first jaw pulley of the surgical instrument of Figure 2. Figure 13 is an exploded perspective view showing the staple pulley and staple link of the surgical instrument of Figure 2. Figure 14 is a plan view showing the first jaw of the surgical instrument of Figure 2, and Figure 15 is a plan view showing the second jaw of the surgical instrument of Figure 2. Figure 16 is a plan view showing the opening and closing operation of the first jaw of the surgical instrument in Figure 2, Figure 17 is a plan view showing the opening and closing operation of the second jaw of the surgical instrument in Figure 2, and Figure 18 is a plan view showing the opening and closing operation of the first and second jaws of the surgical instrument in Figure 2. Figure 19 is a perspective view showing the opening and closing operation of the end tool of the surgical instrument in Figure 2, and Figure 20 is a plan view showing the opening and closing operation of the end tool of the surgical instrument in Figure 2.

[0185] First, referring to Figures 2 and 3, the surgical instrument 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes an end tool 100, an operating section 200, a power transmission section 300, and a connecting section 400.

[0186] Here, the connecting portion 400 is formed in the shape of a hollow shaft, and one or more wires and electric conductors may be housed inside. An operating portion 200 is connected to one end of the connecting portion 400, and an end tool 100 is connected to the other end, so that the connecting portion 400 can serve to connect the operating portion 200 and the end tool 100. Here, the connecting portion 400 of the surgical instrument 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention comprises a straight portion 401 and a bent portion 402, wherein the straight portion 401 is formed on the side that connects to the end tool 100, and the bent portion 402 is formed on the side that connects to the operating portion 200. By forming the operating portion 200 side end of the connecting portion 400 in this way, the pitch operating portion 201, the yaw operating portion 202, and the actuation operating portion 203 are formed on or adjacent to the extension line of the end tool 100. To express this from another perspective, it can be explained that at least a portion of the pitch control section 201 and the yaw control section 202 are housed within the recess formed by the bent section 402. This shape of the bent section 402 allows the shape and operation of the control section 200 and the end tool 100 to be more intuitively consistent.

[0187] On the other hand, the plane on which the bent portion 402 is formed can be substantially the same as the pitch plane, i.e., the XZ plane in Figure 2. By forming the bent portion 402 on substantially the same plane as the XZ plane in this way, interference between the operating parts can be reduced. Of course, for the intuitive operation of the end tool and the operating parts, configurations other than the XZ plane are also possible.

[0188] On the other hand, a connector 410 may be formed on the bent portion 402. The connector 410 can be connected to an external power source (not shown), or the connector 410 can be connected to the end tool 100 via an electric wire, and electrical energy supplied from an external power source (not shown) can be transmitted to the end tool 100. The electrical energy transmitted to the end tool 100 in this manner can provide a driving force to rotate the staple pulley (see 161 in Figure 5), which will be described later, in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction.

[0189] The operation unit 200 is formed at one end of the connection unit 400 and is provided with an interface that can be directly manipulated by a doctor, such as a forceps shape, a stick shape, a lever shape, etc. If the doctor manipulates this, the end tool 100 connected to the interface and inserted into the body of the surgical patient will perform a predetermined operation, and thus the surgery will be performed. Here, in FIG. 2, the operation unit 200 is shown to be formed in the shape of a handle that can be rotated with fingers inserted, but the idea of the present invention is not limited to this, and it can be said that various forms of operation units that are connected to the end tool 100 and can operate the end tool 100 are possible.

[0190] The end tool 100 is formed at the other end of the continuous unit 400, is inserted into the surgical site, and performs operations necessary for the surgery. As an example of such an end tool 100, as shown in FIG. 2, a pair of jaws 103 for performing a grip operation can be used. However, the idea of the present invention is not limited to this, and various devices for surgery may be used as the end tool 100. For example, a configuration such as a single-arm cautery may also be used as the end tool. Such an end tool 100 is connected to the operation unit 200 by the power transmission unit 300, and by transmitting the driving force of the operation unit 200 through the power transmission unit 300, it will perform operations necessary for surgery such as grip, cutting, and suturing operations.

[0191] Here, the end tool 100 of the surgical instrument 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention is formed to be rotatable in at least one or more directions. For example, the end tool 100 may be formed to perform a pitch movement around the Y-axis in FIG. 2, and at the same time, perform a yaw movement and an actuation movement around the Z-axis in FIG. 2.

[0192] Herein, the pitch, yaw, and actuation movements used in this invention are defined as follows:

[0193] First, the pitch motion refers to the movement of the end tool 100 rotating vertically with respect to the direction in which the connecting portion 400 extends (the X-axis direction in Figure 2), that is, the movement of rotation around the Y-axis in Figure 2. In other words, it refers to the movement of the end tool 100, which extends from the connecting portion 400 in the direction in which the connecting portion 400 extends (the X-axis direction in Figure 2), rotating vertically around the Y-axis with respect to the connecting portion 400.

[0194] Next, yaw motion refers to the movement of the end tool 100 rotating left and right with respect to the direction in which the connecting portion 400 extends (the X-axis direction in Figure 2), that is, rotation around the Z-axis in Figure 2. In other words, it refers to the movement of the end tool 100, which extends from the connecting portion 400 in the direction in which the connecting portion 400 extends (the X-axis direction in Figure 2), rotating left and right around the Z-axis relative to the connecting portion 400. That is, it refers to the movement of the two jaws 103 formed on the end tool 100 rotating in the same direction relative to each other around the Z-axis.

[0195] On the other hand, actuation motion refers to the movement in which the end tool 100 rotates around the same axis of rotation as yaw motion, but the two jaws 103 rotate in opposite directions from each other, causing the jaws to open and close. In other words, it refers to the movement in which the two jaws 103 formed on the end tool 100 rotate in opposite directions from each other around the Z axis.

[0196] The power transmission unit 300 connects the operating unit 200 and the end tool 100, and transmits the driving force of the operating unit 200 to the end tool 100. It may include multiple wires, pulleys, links, joints, gears, etc.

[0197] The end tool 100, operating section 200, power transmission section 300, etc. of the surgical instrument 10 shown in Figure 2 will be described in detail below.

[0198] (Intuitive drive)

[0199] The following describes the intuitive operation of the surgical instrument 10 of the present invention.

[0200] First, the user can perform a pitch motion by rotating the first handle 204 around the Y-axis (i.e., the rotation axis 246 in Figure 25) while gripping the first handle 204 in the palm of their hand, and a yaw motion by rotating the first handle 204 around the Z-axis (i.e., the rotation axis 243 in Figure 43). In addition, the user can perform actuation motions by operating the actuation operation unit 203 with their thumb and index finger inserted into the finger-hole ring-shaped first actuation extension 252 and / or second actuation extension 257 formed at one end of the actuation operation unit 203.

[0201] Here, the surgical instrument 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that when the operating part 200 is rotated in one direction relative to the connecting part 400, the end tool 100 rotates in the same direction as the operating direction of the operating part 200. In other words, when the first handle 204 of the operating part 200 is rotated in one direction, the end tool 100 also rotates in the same direction as the aforementioned direction to perform a pitch motion or yaw motion. Here, "intuitively the same direction" may be added to mean that the direction of movement of the user's fingers gripping the operating part 200 and the direction of movement of the tip of the end tool 100 are substantially the same direction. Of course, "the same direction" here does not have to mean a direction that perfectly coincides on a three-dimensional coordinate system. For example, it may be understood as an identity such that when the user's fingers move to the left, the tip of the end tool 100 also moves to the left, and when the user's fingers move downward, the tip of the end tool 100 also moves downward.

[0202] For this reason, the surgical instrument 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the operating section 200 and the end tool 100 are formed in the same direction with respect to a plane perpendicular to the extension axis (X-axis) of the connecting section 400. That is, when viewed with respect to the YZ plane in Figure 2, the operating section 200 is formed extending in the +X-axis direction, and at the same time, the end tool 100 is also formed extending in the +X-axis direction. In other words, the direction in which the end tool 100 is formed at one end of the connecting section 400 and the direction in which the operating section 200 is formed at the other end of the connecting section 400 are in the same direction with respect to the YZ plane. In other words, the operating section 200 is formed in the direction away from the body of the user who grasps it, that is, in the direction in which the end tool 100 is formed. In other words, the first handle 204, the first actuation operating section 251, and the second actuation operating section 256, etc., which the user grips and moves for actuation, yaw, and pitch movements, are formed such that the moving parts for each movement extend in the +X direction beyond the rotation center of each joint for that movement. This allows the operating section 200 to be configured in the same way as the moving parts of the end tool 100, which are formed to extend in the +X direction beyond the rotation center of each joint for that movement. As explained with reference to Figure 1, the user's operating direction and the end tool's operating direction coincide in both the rotational and left-right directions, resulting in intuitive operation.

[0203] Specifically, with conventional surgical instruments, the direction in which the user operates the control unit and the actual direction of movement of the end tool are different and do not intuitively match. This makes intuitive operation difficult for the surgeon, requiring a long time to become proficient in moving the end tool in the desired direction, and potentially leading to malfunctions that could injure the patient.

[0204] To solve these problems, the surgical instrument 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention is configured such that the operating direction of the operating section 200 and the operating direction of the end tool 100 are intuitively the same, and for this purpose the operating section 200 is characterized in that, like the end tool 100, the part that actually moves for actuation, yaw, and pitch movements extends in the +X axis direction from the rotation center of the corresponding joint for each movement.

[0205] Below, we will describe in more detail the end tool 100, operating section 200, power transmission section 300, etc., of the surgical instrument 10 shown in Figure 2.

[0206] (Power transmission section)

[0207] The power transmission section 300 of the surgical instrument 10 shown in Figure 2 will be described in more detail below.

[0208] Referring to Figures 2 to 20 and Figure 43, the power transmission section 300 of the surgical instrument 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention may include wires 301, 302, 303, 304, 305, 306, 307, and 308.

[0209] Here, wire 301 and wire 305 form a pair and can function as a first jaw wire. Wire 302 and wire 306 form a pair and can function as a second jaw wire. Here, the component encompassing the first jaw wires, wire 301 and wire 305, and the second jaw wires, wire 302 and wire 306, can be called a jaw wire. Furthermore, wire 303 and wire 304 form a pair and can function as a pitch wire. And wire 307 and wire 308 form a pair and can function as a staple wire.

[0210] Furthermore, the power transmission section 300 of the surgical instrument 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention may include fastening members (see 321 in Figure 7), fastening members 323, 324, 326, 327, and fastening members (see 329 in Figure 62) that are connected to each end of each wire to connect the wire and the pulley. Here, each fastening member may take various forms as needed, such as ball-shaped or tube-shaped.

[0211] Here, on the end tool 100 side, the fastening member (see 321 in Figure 7) can act as a pitch wire-end tool fastening member, the fastening member 323 can act as a first jaw wire-end tool fastening member, the fastening member 326 can act as a second jaw wire-end tool fastening member, and the fastening member (see 329 in Figure 62) can act as a staple wire-end tool fastening member.

[0212] Furthermore, on the operating section 200 side, fastening member 324 can function as a first jaw wire-operating section fastening member, and fastening member 327 can function as a second jaw wire-operating section fastening member. Although not shown in the drawings, pitch wire-operating section fastening members and staple wire-operating section fastening members may also be formed on the operating section 200 side.

[0213] The detailed relationship between the wire, the fastening member, and each pulley is as follows:

[0214] First, the first jaw wires, wire 301 and wire 305, can be a single wire. A fastening member 323, which is a first jaw wire-end tool fastening member, is fitted into the midpoint of the single first jaw wire, and after the fastening member 323 is crimped and fixed, the two strands of the first jaw wire can be called wire 301 and wire 305, respectively, with the fastening member 323 at the center.

[0215] Furthermore, the first jaw wires, wire 301 and wire 305, may be formed from separate wires and connected by a fastening member 323.

[0216] Then, by connecting this fastening member 323 to the pulley 111, wires 301 and 305 can be fixedly connected to the pulley 111. As a result, wires 301 and 305 are pulled and unwound, allowing the pulley 111 to rotate.

[0217] On the other hand, a first jaw wire-operating part fastening member (see 324 in Figure 43) may be connected to the end of wire 301 and wire 305 opposite to the location where the fastening member 323 is fastened.

[0218] Then, by connecting the first jaw wire-operating fastening member (see 324 in Figure 43) to the pulley 210 in this manner, wires 301 and 305 can be fixedly connected to the pulley 210. As a result, when the pulley 210 is rotated by a motor or by hand, wires 301 and 305 are pulled and unwound, allowing the pulley 111 of the end tool 100 to rotate.

[0219] Similarly, the second jaw wires, wire 302 and wire 306, are connected to the second jaw wire-end tool fastening members, the fastening member (see 326 in Figure 43) and the second jaw wire-operating part fastening member (see 327 in Figure 43), respectively. The fastening member (see 326 in Figure 43) is connected to the pulley 121, and the second jaw wire-operating part fastening member (see 327 in Figure 43) is connected to the pulley 220. As a result, when the pulley 220 is rotated by a motor or by hand, wires 302 and 306 are pulled and unwound, allowing the pulley 121 of the end tool 100 to rotate.

[0220] Similarly, the pitch wires, wire 303 and wire 304, are connected to a fastening member (see 321 in Figure 7), which is a pitch wire-end tool fastening member, and a pitch wire-operating part fastening member (not shown), respectively. The fastening member (see 321 in Figure 7) is connected to pulley 131, and the pitch wire-operating part fastening member (not shown) is connected to pulley 231. As a result, when pulley 231 is rotated by a motor or by hand, wires 303 and 304 are pulled and unwound, allowing pulley 131 of the end tool 100 to rotate.

[0221] Similarly, the staple wires 307 and 308 are connected to a fastening member (see 329 in Figure 62), which is a staple wire-end tool fastening member, and a staple wire-operating part fastening member (not shown), respectively. The fastening member (see 329 in Figure 62) is connected to the staple pulley 161, and the staple wire-operating part fastening member (not shown) is connected to the pulley (see 269 in Figure 47). As a result, when the pulley 269 is rotated by a motor or by hand, the wires 307 and 308 are pulled and rewound, allowing the staple pulley 161 of the end tool 100 to rotate.

[0222] (End Tool)

[0223] The end tool 100 of the surgical instrument 10 shown in Figure 2 will be described in more detail below.

[0224] Figures 4 and 5 are perspective views showing the end tool of the surgical instrument shown in Figure 2, Figure 6 is a perspective view showing the end tool hub of the surgical instrument shown in Figure 2, and Figures 7 and 8 are plan views showing the end tool of the surgical instrument shown in Figure 2.

[0225] Here, Figure 4 shows the end tool hub 180 and pitch hub 107 connected, and Figure 5 shows the end tool hub 180 removed. On the other hand, Figure 7 is a diagram centered on the wire, and Figure 8 is a diagram centered on the pulley.

[0226] Referring to Figures 4 to 8, the end tool 100 of the first embodiment of the present invention comprises a pair of jaws for performing a gripping action, namely a first jaw 101 and a second jaw 102. Here, each of the first jaw 101 and the second jaw 102, or the component encompassing the first jaw 101 and the second jaw 102, can be called a jaw 103.

[0227] Furthermore, the end tool 100 may include pulleys 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, and 116 related to the rotational motion of the first jaw 101. It may also include pulleys 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, and 126 related to the rotational motion of the second jaw 102.

[0228] Here, the figure shows opposing pulleys formed parallel to each other, but the concept of the present invention is not limited to this, and each pulley may be formed in various positions and sizes that are suitable for the configuration of the end tool.

[0229] Furthermore, the end tool 100 of the first embodiment of the present invention may include an end tool hub 180 and a pitch hub 107.

[0230] The end tool hub 180 has rotating shafts 141 and 142, which will be described later, inserted through it, and can also accommodate at least a portion of pulleys 111 and 121 that are axially coupled to rotating shaft 141. In addition, the end tool hub 180 can accommodate at least a portion of pulleys 112 and 122 that are axially coupled to rotating shaft 142.

[0231] Specifically, referring to Figure 6, the end tool hub 180 includes a first jaw pulley coupling portion 181, a second jaw pulley coupling portion 182, a guide portion 183, and a pitch pulley coupling portion 185.

[0232] Specifically, the first jaw-pulley coupling portion 181 and the second jaw-pulley coupling portion 182 are formed to face each other, and the pulleys 111, 121, and 161 staple pulley are housed inside them. Through holes are formed in both the first jaw-pulley coupling portion 181 and the second jaw-pulley coupling portion 182, and the rotating shaft 141 passes through the first jaw-pulley coupling portion 181, the pulley 111, the staple pulley 161, the pulley 121, and the second jaw-pulley coupling portion 182, connecting them axially.

[0233] The first jaw-pulley coupling portion 181 and the second jaw-pulley coupling portion 182 are connected by a guide portion 183. That is, the first jaw-pulley coupling portion 181 and the second jaw-pulley coupling portion 182, which are parallel to each other, are connected by a guide portion 183 that is formed in a direction substantially perpendicular to them, so that the first jaw-pulley coupling portion 181, the second jaw-pulley coupling portion 182 and the guide portion 183 form a substantially "U" shape, and the pulleys 111, 121 and 161 are housed inside.

[0234] Here, the pulley 111, which is the first jaw pulley, is positioned adjacent to the first jaw pulley coupling portion 181 of the end tool hub 180, and the pulley 121, which is the second jaw pulley, is positioned adjacent to the second jaw pulley coupling portion 182 of the end tool hub 180, and a staple assembly housing portion may be formed between the first jaw pulley coupling portion 181 and the second jaw pulley coupling portion 182. At least a portion of the staple pulley assembly (see 160 in Figure 13) and the staple link assembly (see 170 in Figure 13), which will be described later, may be formed within the staple assembly housing portion. In other words, at least a portion of the staple pulley 161 and the link member 171 may be positioned between the first jaw pulley coupling portion 181 and the second jaw pulley coupling portion 182. Thus, by positioning at least a portion of the staple pulley assembly (see 160 in Figure 13) and the staple link assembly (see 170 in Figure 13) between the first jaw pulley, pulley 111, and the second jaw pulley, pulley 121, it becomes possible to perform stapling and cutting operations using the staple pulley 161, along with the pitch and yaw movements of the end tool 100. This is a feature of the present invention. This will be explained in more detail later.

[0235] On the other hand, a pulley 131 that serves as an end tool pitch pulley may be formed at one end of the end tool hub 180. As shown in Figure 6, the pulley 131 may be formed as a one-body unit with the end tool hub 180. That is, a disc-shaped pulley may be formed at one end of the end tool hub 180, and a groove may be formed on its outer circumference to which a wire can be wound. Alternatively, the pulley 131 may be formed from a separate component from the end tool hub 180 and coupled to the end tool hub 180. The wires 303 and 304 described above are coupled to the pulley 131 that serves as an end tool pitch pulley, and this pulley 131 rotates around the rotation axis 143 while performing a pitch operation.

[0236] The pitch hub 107 has rotating shafts 143 and 144, which will be described later, inserted through it, and the pitch hub 107 and the end tool hub 180 (and pulley 131) can be axially coupled by the rotating shaft 143. Therefore, the end tool hub 180 and pulley 131 may be formed to be rotatable relative to the pitch hub 107 around the rotating shaft 143.

[0237] Furthermore, the pitch hub 107 can accommodate at least a portion of the pulleys 113, 114, 123, and 124 that are axially coupled to the rotating shaft 143. Also, the pitch hub 107 can accommodate at least a portion of the pulleys 115, 116, 125, and 126 that are axially coupled to the rotating shaft 144.

[0238] Furthermore, the end tool 100 of the first embodiment of the present invention may include a rotating shaft 141, a rotating shaft 142, a rotating shaft 143, and a rotating shaft 144. As described above, the rotating shafts 141 and 142 may be inserted through the end tool hub 180, and the rotating shafts 143 and 144 may be inserted through the pitch hub 107.

[0239] The rotating shafts 141, 142, 143, and 144 may be arranged sequentially from the distal end 104 to the proximal end 105 of the end tool 100. In this way, the rotating shaft 141 may be called the 1st pin, the rotating shaft 142 the 2nd pin, the rotating shaft 143 the 3rd pin, and the rotating shaft 144 the 4th pin, starting from the distal end 104.

[0240] Here, the rotating shaft 141 may function as the end tool jaw pulley rotating shaft, the rotating shaft 142 may function as the end tool jaw auxiliary pulley rotating shaft, the rotating shaft 143 may function as the end tool pitch rotating shaft, and the rotating shaft 144 may function as the end tool pitch auxiliary rotating shaft of the end tool 100.

[0241] Each of these rotating shafts 141, 142, 143, and 144 may be fitted with one or more pulleys, which will be explained in detail below.

[0242] On the other hand, a further rotating shaft 145 may be formed on one side of the rotating shaft 141, more specifically on the distal end 104 side of the rotating shaft 141. The rotating shaft 145 may be inserted through the first jaw 101 and the second jaw 102 and function as a jaw rotating shaft. This will be explained in detail below.

[0243] Pulley 111 functions as the end tool first jaw pulley, and pulley 121 functions as the end tool second jaw pulley. Pulley 111 may also be called the first jaw pulley, and pulley 121 may be called the second jaw pulley, and these two components may be collectively referred to as the end tool jaw pulley or simply jaw pulley.

[0244] The end tool jaw pulleys, pulleys 111 and 121, are formed to face each other and to rotate independently of each other around the rotation axis 141, which is the rotation axis of the end tool jaw pulley. At this time, pulleys 111 and 121 are formed to be separated by a certain distance, and a staple assembly housing may be formed between them. At least a portion of the staple pulley assembly 160 and staple link assembly 170, which will be described later, may be placed in this staple assembly housing.

[0245] Here, the figure shows pulleys 111 and 121 formed to rotate around a single axis of rotation 141, but it goes without saying that each end tool jaw pulley may be formed to rotate around separate axes. Here, the first jaw 101 is fixedly coupled to pulley 111 and rotates with pulley 111, and the second jaw 102 is fixedly coupled to pulley 121 and can rotate with pulley 121. Yaw motion and actuation motion of the end tool 100 are performed in accordance with the rotation of pulleys 111 and 121. That is, when pulleys 111 and 121 rotate in the same direction around the axis of rotation 141, yaw motion is performed, and when pulleys 111 and 121 rotate in opposite directions around the axis of rotation 141, actuation motion is performed.

[0246] Here, the first jaw 101 and the pulley 111 may be formed from separate components and joined together, or the first jaw 101 and the pulley 111 may be formed as a single unit (one-body). Similarly, the second jaw 102 and the pulley 121 may be formed from separate components and joined together, or the second jaw 102 and the pulley 121 may be formed as a single unit (one-body).

[0247] Pulley 112 functions as an end tool first jaw auxiliary pulley, and pulley 122 functions as an end tool second jaw auxiliary pulley. These two components may be collectively referred to as end tool jaw auxiliary pulleys or simply auxiliary pulleys.

[0248] Specifically, the end tool jaw auxiliary pulleys, pulleys 112 and 122, may be further provided on one side of pulleys 111 and 121. In other words, the auxiliary pulley 112 may be positioned between pulley 111 and pulleys 113 / 114. Similarly, the auxiliary pulley 122 may be positioned between pulley 121 and pulleys 123 / 124. Pulleys 112 and 122 may be formed to rotate independently of each other around the rotation axis 142. Here, the figure shows pulleys 112 and 122 formed to rotate around a single rotation axis 142, but it goes without saying that each of pulleys 112 and 122 may be formed to rotate around separate axes. Such auxiliary pulleys will be described in more detail later.

[0249] Pulleys 113 and 114 function as the end tool first jaw pitch main pulleys, and pulleys 123 and 124 function as the end tool second jaw pitch main pulleys. These two components may be collectively referred to as the end tool jaw pitch main pulleys.

[0250] Pulleys 115 and 116 function as end tool first jaw pitch sub-pulleys, and pulleys 125 and 126 function as end tool second jaw pitch sub-pulleys. These two components may be collectively referred to as end tool jaw pitch sub-pulleys.

[0251] The following describes the components related to the rotation of the pulley 111.

[0252] Pulleys 113 and 114 function as the main pitch pulleys for the end tool's first jaw. That is, they function as the main rotational pulleys for the pitch motion of the first jaw 101. Here, the wire 301, which is the first jaw wire, is wound around pulley 113, and the wire 305, which is the first jaw wire, is wound around pulley 114.

[0253] Pulleys 115 and 116 function as end tool first jaw pitch sub-pulleys. That is, they function as sub-rotation pulleys for the pitch motion of the first jaw 101. Here, the wire 301, which is the first jaw wire, is wound around pulley 115, and the wire 305, which is the first jaw wire, is wound around pulley 116.

[0254] Here, pulleys 113 and 114 are arranged on one side of pulleys 111 and 112 so as to face each other. Here, pulleys 113 and 114 are formed to be rotatable independently of each other around a rotation axis 143, which is the end tool pitch rotation axis. Also, pulleys 115 and 116 are arranged on one side of each of pulleys 113 and 114 so as to face each other. Here, pulleys 115 and 116 are formed to be rotatable independently of each other around a rotation axis 144, which is the end tool pitch auxiliary rotation axis. Here, the figure shows that pulleys 113, 115, 114 and 116 are all formed to be rotatable around the Y-axis direction, but the concept of the present invention is not limited to this, and the rotation axis of each pulley may be formed in various directions to suit its configuration.

[0255] The first jaw wire, wire 301, is wound sequentially around pulleys 115, 113, and 111 so that at least a portion of it is in contact with them. Then, wire 305, which is connected to wire 301 by fastening member 323, is wound sequentially around pulleys 111, 112, 114, and 116 so that at least a portion of it is in contact with them.

[0256] To explain this from another perspective, the first jaw wires, wire 301 and wire 305, are sequentially wound around pulleys 115, 113, 111, 112, 114, and 116 so that at least a portion of them are in contact with them, and wires 301 and 305 are formed so that they can move along the pulleys while the pulleys are rotating.

[0257] Therefore, when wire 301 is pulled in the direction of arrow 301 in Figure 13, the fastening member 323 to which wire 301 is connected and the pulley 111 connected thereto will rotate in the direction of arrow L in Figure 13. Conversely, when wire 305 is pulled in the direction of arrow 305 in Figure 6, the fastening member 323 to which wire 305 is connected and the pulley 111 connected thereto will rotate in the direction of arrow R in Figure 6.

[0258] Below, we will describe in more detail the pulleys 112 and 122, which serve as auxiliary pulleys.

[0259] Pulleys 112 and 122 can increase the rotation angles of the first jaw 101 and the second jaw 102 by contacting the first jaw wire, wire 305, and the second jaw wire, wire 302, and changing the arrangement paths of wires 305 and 302 to a certain extent.

[0260] In other words, without auxiliary pulleys, the first and second jaws could only rotate up to a right angle. However, in one embodiment of the present invention, by further providing auxiliary pulleys, pulleys 112 and 122, the maximum rotation angle can be increased by θ, as shown in Figure 8. This enables the operation in which both jaws of the end tool 100 must open for actuation when both jaws have yaw-rotated together by 90° in the L direction. This is because the second jaw 102 can rotate by an additional angle θ, as shown in Figure 8. Similarly, actuation is possible even when both jaws have yaw-rotated in the L direction. In other words, the range of yaw rotation in which actuation is possible can be expanded via pulleys 112 and 122.

[0261] This can be explained in more detail as follows:

[0262] If no auxiliary pulleys are present, the first jaw wire is fixedly connected to the end tool's first jaw pulley, and the second jaw wire is fixedly connected to the end tool's second jaw pulley. Therefore, each of the end tool's first jaw pulley and the end tool's second jaw pulley can only rotate up to 90°. In this case, when an actuation operation is performed with the first and second jaws positioned at the 90° line, the first jaw can open, but the second jaw cannot rotate beyond 90°. Consequently, there was a problem in that the actuation operation could not be performed smoothly when the first and second jaws were performing a yaw motion beyond a certain angle.

[0263] To solve these problems, in the surgical instrument 10 of the present invention, auxiliary pulleys, pulleys 112 and 122, are further arranged on one side of pulleys 111 and 121. By arranging pulleys 112 and 122 in this way and changing the arrangement paths of the first jaw wire, wire 305, and the second jaw wire, wire 302 to a certain extent, the tangential direction of wires 305 and 302 is changed, and therefore the fastening member 323 connecting wire 301 and pulley 111 can rotate up to line N in Figure 8. That is, the fastening member 323, which is the connection part between wire 301 and pulley 111, can rotate until it is positioned on the common inner tangent of pulleys 111 and 112. Similarly, the fastening member 326, which is the connection part between wire 302 and pulley 121, can rotate until it is positioned on the common inner tangent of pulleys 121 and 122, and the range of rotation in the L direction can be expanded.

[0264] In other words, pulley 112 positions wires 301 and 305, which are the two strands of the first jaw wire wrapped around pulley 111, to one side with respect to a plane perpendicular to the Y-axis and passing through the X-axis. At the same time, pulley 122 positions wires 302 and 306, which are the two strands of the second jaw wire wrapped around pulley 121, to the other side with respect to a plane perpendicular to the Y-axis and passing through the X-axis.

[0265] In other words, pulleys 113 and 114 are positioned on one side with respect to a plane perpendicular to the Y-axis and passing through the X-axis, while pulleys 123 and 124 are positioned on the other side with respect to the same plane perpendicular to the Y-axis and passing through the X-axis.

[0266] In other words, wire 305 lies on the internal tangent line between pulley 111 and pulley 112, and pulley 112 extends the rotation angle of pulley 111. Similarly, wire 302 lies on the internal tangent line between pulley 121 and pulley 122, and pulley 122 extends the rotation angle of pulley 121.

[0267] This invention provides the effect of widening the yaw range in which normal opening and closing actuation can be performed, by increasing the rotation radius of jaws 101 and 102.

[0268] Next, we will describe the components related to the rotation of the pulley 121.

[0269] Pulleys 123 and 124 function as the main pitch pulleys for the end tool's second jaw. That is, they function as the main rotational pulleys for the pitch motion of the second jaw 102. Here, the wire 306, which is the second jaw wire, is wound around pulley 123, and the wire 302, which is the second jaw wire, is wound around pulley 124.

[0270] Pulleys 125 and 126 function as end tool second jaw pitch sub-pulleys. That is, they function as sub-rotation pulleys for the pitch motion of the second jaw 102. Here, the wire 306, which is the second jaw wire, is wound around pulley 125, and the wire 302, which is the second jaw wire, is wound around pulley 126.

[0271] On one side of pulley 121, pulleys 123 and 124 are arranged facing each other. Here, pulleys 123 and 124 are formed to rotate independently of each other around a rotation axis 143, which is the end tool pitch rotation axis. Also, on one side of each of pulleys 123 and 124, pulleys 125 and 126 are arranged facing each other. Here, pulleys 125 and 126 are formed to rotate independently of each other around a rotation axis 144, which is the end tool pitch auxiliary rotation axis. Here, the figure shows that pulleys 123, 125, 124 and 126 are all formed to rotate around the Y-axis direction, but the concept of the present invention is not limited to this, and the rotation axis of each pulley may be formed in various directions to suit its configuration.

[0272] The second jaw wire, wire 306, is wound sequentially around pulleys 125, 123, and 121 so that at least a portion of it is in contact with them. Then, wire 302, which is connected to wire 306 by fastening member 326, is wound sequentially around pulleys 121, 122, 124, and 126 so that at least a portion of it is in contact with them.

[0273] To explain this from another perspective, the second jaw wires, wire 306 and wire 302, are sequentially wound around pulleys 125, 123, 121, 122, 124, and 126 so that at least a portion of them are in contact with them, and wire 306 and wire 302 are formed so that they can move along the pulleys while the pulleys are rotating.

[0274] Therefore, when wire 306 is pulled in the direction of arrow 306 in Figure 13, the fastening member 322 to which wire 306 is connected and the pulley 121 connected to it will rotate in the direction of arrow R in Figure 13. Conversely, when wire 302 is pulled in the direction of arrow 302 in Figure 13, the fastening member 326 to which wire 302 is connected and the pulley 121 connected to it will rotate in the direction of arrow L in Figure 13.

[0275] The pitch motion of the present invention will be described in more detail below.

[0276] On the other hand, when wire 301 is pulled in the direction of arrow 301 in Figure 7, and wire 305 is pulled in the direction of arrow 305 in Figure 7 (i.e., when both strands of the first jaw wire are pulled), as shown in Figure 43, wires 301 and 305 are wound below pulleys 113 and 114 which are rotatable around the rotation axis 143, which is the end tool pitch rotation axis. Therefore, pulley 111 to which wires 301 and 305 are fixedly connected, and the end tool hub 180 to which pulley 111 is connected, rotate together counterclockwise around the rotation axis 143. As a result, the end tool 100 rotates downward while performing a pitch motion. At this time, the second jaw 102 and wires 302 and 306 fixedly connected to it are wound above pulleys 123 and 124 which are rotatable around the rotation axis 143. Therefore, wires 302 and 306 are unwound in the opposite direction to 302 and 306, respectively.

[0277] Conversely, when wire 302 is pulled in the direction of arrow 302 in Figure 7, and wire 306 is pulled in the direction of arrow 306 in Figure 7, as shown in Figure 43, wires 302 and 306 are wound above pulleys 123 and 124 which are rotatable around the rotation axis 143, which is the end tool pitch rotation axis. Therefore, pulley 121 to which wires 302 and 306 are fixedly connected, and the end tool hub 180 to which pulley 121 is connected, rotate together clockwise around the rotation axis 143. As a result, the end tool 100 rotates upward while performing a pitch motion. At this time, the first jaw 101 and wires 301 and 305 fixedly connected to it are wound below pulleys 113 and 114 which are rotatable around the rotation axis 143. Therefore, wires 302 and 306 move in the opposite direction to 301 and 305, respectively.

[0278] On the other hand, the end tool 100 of the surgical instrument 10 of the present invention may further comprise a pulley 131 which is an end tool pitch pulley, the operating section 200 may further comprise pulleys 231 and 232 which are operating section pitch pulleys, and the power transmission section 300 may further comprise wires 303 and 304 which are pitch wires. Specifically, the pulley 131 of the end tool 100 is rotatable about a rotation axis 143 which is an end tool pitch rotation axis, and may be formed integrally with the end tool hub 180 (or fixedly coupled to the end tool hub 180). In addition, wires 303 and 304 can serve to connect the pulley 131 of the end tool 100 with the pulleys 231 and 232 of the operating section 200.

[0279] Therefore, when the pulleys 231 and 232 of the operating unit 200 rotate, the rotation of the pulleys 231 and 232 is transmitted to the pulley 131 of the end tool 100 via wires 303 and 304, causing the pulley 131 to rotate as well. As a result, the end tool 100 rotates while performing a pitching motion.

[0280] In other words, the surgical instrument 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a pulley 131 on the end tool 100, pulleys 231 and 232 on the operating section 200, and wires 303 and 304 on the power transmission section 300 for power transmission for pitching motion, thereby improving operational reliability by more completely transmitting the driving force of the pitching motion of the operating section 200 to the end tool 100.

[0281] Here, the diameters of the end tool jaw pitch main pulleys, pulleys 113, 114, 123, and 124, and the diameter of the end tool pitch pulley, pulley 131, may be equal to or different from each other. In this case, the ratio of the diameter of the end tool jaw pitch main pulley to the diameter of the end tool pitch pulley may be the same as the ratio of the diameter of the operating section pitch pulley to the diameter of the operating section pitch main pulley of the operating section 200, which will be described later. This will be explained in detail later.

[0282] (Components related to staple pulleys)

[0283] Below, we will describe in more detail the staple pulley 161 of the end tool 100 of the surgical instrument 10 shown in Figure 2.

[0284] Figure 9 is a side view showing the end tool of the surgical instrument of Figure 2, and Figures 10 and 11 are perspective views showing the first jaw of the surgical instrument of Figure 2. Figure 12 is a perspective view showing the first jaw pulley of the surgical instrument of Figure 2, and Figure 13 is an exploded perspective view showing the staple pulley and staple link of the surgical instrument of Figure 2.

[0285] Referring to Figures 4 to 13, the end tool 100 of the first embodiment of the present invention may include staple pulleys 161, staple auxiliary pulleys 162, pulleys 163, 164, 165, and 166 related to the linear / rotational motion of each pulley and link for stapling and cutting.

[0286] The staple pulley 161 is formed to face each other with the end tool jaw pulleys, pulleys 111 and 121, and is formed to rotate independently of each other around the rotation axis 141, which is the rotation axis of the end tool jaw pulleys. Here, the figure shows the staple pulley 161 positioned between pulleys 111 and 121, but the concept of the present invention is not limited to this, and the staple pulley 161 may be positioned at various positions adjacent to pulley 111 or pulley 121.

[0287] Herein, the present invention is characterized in that the staple pulleys 161, 111, and 121 are formed to rotate substantially around the same axis. By forming the staple pulleys 161, 111, and 121 to rotate around the same axis in this way, pitch motion / yaw motion / actuation motion can be performed, as well as stapling and cutting motions. This will be explained in more detail later. However, although the figure here shows the staple pulleys 161, 111, and 121 formed to rotate around a single axis of rotation 141, it goes without saying that each jaw pulley may be formed to rotate around separate axes that are concentric with each other.

[0288] To explain this from another perspective, it can be described as a structure in which the first jaw pulley (pulley 111), the staple pulley (pulley 161), and the second jaw pulley (pulley 121) are sequentially stacked along the rotation axis (axis 141). Alternatively, it can be described as a structure in which the staple pulley (pulley 161) is positioned between the opposing pulleys (pulley 111) and (pulley 121). Here, the first jaw pulley (pulley 111), the staple pulley (pulley 161), and the second jaw pulley (pulley 121) may be formed to be rotatable independently of each other.

[0289] A staple auxiliary pulley 162 may be provided on one side of the staple pulley 161. In other words, the staple auxiliary pulley 162 may be positioned between the staple pulley 161 and the pulleys 163 / 164. The staple auxiliary pulley 162 may be formed to rotate independently of the pulleys 112 and 122 around the rotation axis 142. Here, the figure shows the staple auxiliary pulley 162, pulleys 112 and 122 formed to rotate around one rotation axis 142, but it goes without saying that each of the staple auxiliary pulleys 162, 112 and 122 may be formed to rotate around a separate axis. Such staple auxiliary pulleys will be described in more detail later.

[0290] Pulleys 163 and 164 may function as staple pitch main pulleys, and pulleys 165 and 166 may function as staple pitch sub-pulleys.

[0291] The following describes the components related to the rotation of the staple pulley 161.

[0292] Pulleys 163 and 164 function as staple pitch main pulleys. Here, wire 307, which is a staple wire, is wound around pulley 163, and wire 308, which is a staple wire, is wound around pulley 164.

[0293] Pulleys 165 and 166 function as staple pitch sub-pulleys. Here, wire 307, which is a staple wire, is wound around pulley 165, and wire 308, which is a staple wire, is wound around pulley 166.

[0294] Here, pulleys 163 and 164 are arranged on one side of the staple pulley 161 and staple auxiliary pulley 162 so as to face each other. Here, pulleys 163 and 164 are formed to rotate independently of each other around the rotation axis 143, which is the end tool pitch rotation axis. Also, pulleys 165 and 166 are arranged on one side of each of pulleys 163 and 164 so as to face each other. Here, pulleys 165 and 166 are formed to rotate independently of each other around the rotation axis 144, which is the end tool pitch auxiliary rotation axis. Here, the figure shows that pulleys 163, 165, 164 and 166 are all formed to rotate around the Y-axis direction, but the concept of the present invention is not limited to this, and the rotation axis of each pulley may be formed in various directions to suit its configuration.

[0295] As described above, the rotating shafts 141, 142, 143, and 144 may be arranged sequentially from the distal end 104 to the proximal end 105 of the end tool 100. This allows the staple pulley 161, staple auxiliary pulley 162, pulley 163 / pulley 164, and pulley 165 / pulley 166 to be arranged sequentially from the distal end 104 to the proximal end 105 of the end tool 100.

[0296] The staple wire 307 is wound sequentially around pulleys 165, 163, 162, and 161 so that at least a portion of it is in contact with them. Then, the wire 308, which is connected to the wire 307 by a fastening member (see 329 in Figure 62), is wound sequentially around pulleys 161, 162, 164, and 166 so that at least a portion of it is in contact with them.

[0297] To explain this from another perspective, the staple wires, wire 307 and wire 308, are sequentially wound around pulleys 165, 163, 162, 161, 162, 164, and 166, so that at least a portion of them are in contact with them, and wires 307 and 308 are formed so that they can move along the pulleys while the pulleys are rotating.

[0298] Therefore, when wire 307 is pulled, the fastening member to which wire 307 is connected (see 329 in Figure 62) and the staple pulley 161 connected thereto will rotate in one direction. Conversely, when wire 308 is pulled, the fastening member to which wire 308 is connected (see 329 in Figure 62) and the staple pulley 161 connected thereto will rotate in the opposite direction.

[0299] The staple auxiliary pulley 162 will be described in more detail below.

[0300] The staple auxiliary pulley 162 can increase the rotation angle of the staple pulley 161 by contacting the staple wires 307 and 308 and changing the arrangement path of the wires 307 and 308 to a certain extent.

[0301] In other words, if a staple auxiliary pulley is not provided, the staple pulley can only rotate up to a right angle. However, in one embodiment of the present invention, by further providing a staple auxiliary pulley 162, which is an auxiliary pulley, the effect of increasing the maximum rotation angle by θ in both directions can be obtained. This enables the staple pulley 161 to rotate for stapling and cutting operations while both jaws of the end tool 100 are yaw-rotated together by 90°, thereby causing the working member 540, which will be described later, to move in a linear motion. In other words, it has the characteristic of being able to expand the range of yaw rotation in which stapling and cutting operations are possible via the staple auxiliary pulley 162.

[0302] This can be explained in more detail as follows:

[0303] In the surgical instrument 10 of the present invention, a staple auxiliary pulley 162 is further arranged on one side of the staple pulley 161. By arranging the staple auxiliary pulley 162 in this way and changing the arrangement paths of the staple wires, wires 307 and 308, to a certain extent, the tangential direction of wires 307 and 308 is changed, and therefore the rotation angle of the fastening member (see 329 in Figure 62) that connects wires 307 and 308 to the staple pulley 161 is increased. That is, the fastening member (see 329 in Figure 62), which is the connection part between wires 307 and 308 to the staple pulley 161, becomes rotatable until it is positioned on the common inner tangent between the staple pulley 161 and the staple auxiliary pulley 162.

[0304] In other words, wires 307 and 308 are located on the internal tangent line between the staple pulley 161 and the staple auxiliary pulley 162, and the rotation angle of the staple pulley 161 is extended by the staple auxiliary pulley 162.

[0305] This invention provides the effect of widening the yaw range in which normal stapling and cutting operations can be performed, by increasing the rotation radius of the staple pulley 161.

[0306] (Staple drive assembly)

[0307] The staple drive assembly 150 will be described in more detail below.

[0308] Referring to Figure 13, etc., the staple drive assembly 150 may include a staple pulley assembly 160 and a staple link assembly 170. Here, the staple drive assembly 150 is connected to a reciprocating assembly 550 of the cartridge 500, which will be described later, and is characterized by converting the rotational motion of the staple pulley 161 into the linear motion of the reciprocating assembly 550. In other embodiments of the present invention, which will be described later, the staple drive assembly can also be understood as a concept that includes a staple pulley assembly and a staple link assembly.

[0309] The staple pulley assembly 160 may include one or more staple pulleys 161. The staple pulley assembly 160 may be formed between pulley 111 and pulley 121, adjacent to pulleys 111 and 121. In this embodiment, we assume that the staple pulley assembly 160 includes one staple pulley 161.

[0310] The staple pulley 161 may have a shaft through-hole 161a. The shaft through-hole 161a is formed in the shape of a hole, and the rotating shaft 141, which is the rotating shaft of the end tool jaw pulley, may be inserted through the shaft through-hole 161a. The staple pulley 161 may also have a link coupling portion 161b. The staple link assembly 170, which will be described later, may be coupled to the link coupling portion 161b. This will be explained in more detail later.

[0311] On the other hand, the end tool 100 of the first embodiment of the present invention may further include a staple link assembly 170 connected to the staple pulley assembly 160. The staple link assembly 170 may include one or more link members 171. The staple link assembly 170 can serve to connect the staple pulley assembly 160 to the reciprocating assembly 550 of the cartridge 500, which will be described later. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the staple link assembly 170 includes one link member 171, and that the link member 171 includes a first link 172 and a second link 173.

[0312] The first link 172 is formed in the shape of an elongated bar, and through holes may be formed at both ends. The link coupling portion 161b of the staple pulley 161 may be inserted through the through hole at one end of the first link 172. The second link 173 may be inserted through the through hole at the other end of the first link 172.

[0313] The second link 173 may be formed in the shape of an elongated bar and connected to the first link 172. The second link 173 may include a first projection 173a, a second projection 173b, and a fastening portion 173c.

[0314] Specifically, a first projection 173a may be formed at one end of the second link 173. By fitting this first projection 173a into the through hole of the first link 172 and axially connecting them, the second link 173 can be connected to the first link 172. Alternatively, the first projection 173a may be fitted into the guide groove 101b of the first jaw 101, which will be described later.

[0315] On the other hand, a second projection 173b may be formed in a region of the central part of the second link 173. The second projection 173b may be fitted into the guide groove 101b of the first jaw 101, which will be described later.

[0316] In this way, with the first projection 173a and the second projection 173b of the second link 173, which are formed in a protruding shape, fitted into the groove-shaped guide groove 101b, the staple link assembly 170 moves relative to the first jaw 101 (and the cartridge 500 inside it) as the first projection 173a and the second projection 173b move along the guide groove 101b. This will be explained in more detail later.

[0317] On the other hand, a fastening portion 173c may be formed at the other end of the second link 173. This fastening portion 173c may be connected to a fastening portion 551a of the reciprocating assembly 550 of the cartridge 500, which will be described later.

[0318] In the same state as in Figure 13, when the staple pulley 161 rotates clockwise, the link member 171 connected to the staple pulley 161 can move as a whole toward the distal part of the first jaw 101 (see 101f in Figure 14). Conversely, when the staple pulley 161 rotates counterclockwise, the link member 171 connected to the staple pulley 161 can move as a whole toward the proximal part of the first jaw 101 (see 101g in Figure 14).

[0319] Therefore, the bidirectional rotational motion of the staple pulley assembly 160 can cause the reciprocating linear motion of the reciprocating assembly 550 of the cartridge 500 via the staple link assembly 170. This will be explained in more detail later.

[0320] (First jaw, second jaw, and actuation action)

[0321] The following describes in more detail the connection structure between the first jaw 101 and the second jaw 102 of the end tool 100 of the surgical instrument 10 shown in Figure 2.

[0322] Figure 14 is a plan view showing the first jaw of the surgical instrument in Figure 2, and Figure 15 is a plan view showing the second jaw of the surgical instrument in Figure 2. Figure 16 is a plan view showing the opening and closing operation of the first jaw of the surgical instrument in Figure 2, Figure 17 is a plan view showing the opening and closing operation of the second jaw of the surgical instrument in Figure 2, and Figure 18 is a plan view showing the opening and closing operation of the first and second jaws of the surgical instrument in Figure 2. Figure 19 is a perspective view showing the opening and closing operation of the end tool of the surgical instrument in Figure 2, and Figure 20 is a plan view showing the opening and closing operation of the end tool of the surgical instrument in Figure 2.

[0323] Referring to Figures 9 to 20, the first jaw 101 includes a cartridge housing portion 101a, a guide groove 101b, a movable coupling hole 101c, a jaw pulley coupling hole 101d, and a shaft penetration portion 101e.

[0324] The first jaw 101 is formed in an overall elongated rod shape, with a cartridge 500 housed at the distal end 101f and a pulley 111 connected to the proximal end 101g, and is formed to be rotatable around a rotation axis 141. In other words, the first jaw 101 is formed in a form in which one side (the top surface) has been removed from an overall hollow box, and a cartridge housing portion 101a capable of housing the cartridge 500 may be formed inside the first jaw 101. That is, the cross-section of the first jaw 101 may be formed in a roughly "U" shape.

[0325] In the first jaw 101, a guide groove 101b may be formed on one side of the cartridge housing 101a, for example, the proximal portion 101g side, to guide the movement of the staple link assembly 170, which will be described later. The guide groove 101b may be formed in the shape of a groove along the movement path of the staple link assembly 170. With the first projection 173a and the second projection 173b of the second link 173, which are formed in the shape of a projection, fitted into the groove-shaped guide groove 101b, the staple link assembly 170 moves relative to the first jaw 101 (and the cartridge 500 inside it) as the first projection 173a and the second projection 173b move along the guide groove 101b. In other words, the staple link assembly 170 can move along the guide groove 101b of the first jaw 101.

[0326] On the other hand, a movable coupling hole 101c, a jaw pulley coupling hole 101d, and a shaft penetration portion 101e may be formed on the proximal end side of the first jaw 101.

[0327] Here, the movable coupling hole 101c is formed to have a predetermined curvature and may be formed in a substantially elliptical shape. The shaft coupling portion 111a of the pulley 111, which will be described later, may be fitted into this movable coupling hole 101c. Here, the minor radius of the movable coupling hole 101c may be formed to be substantially the same as or slightly larger than the radius of the shaft coupling portion 111a. On the other hand, the major radius of the movable coupling hole 101c may be formed to be larger than the radius of the shaft coupling portion 111a. Therefore, when the shaft coupling portion 111a of the pulley 111 is fitted into the movable coupling hole 101c of the first jaw 101, the shaft coupling portion 111a is formed to move to a certain extent within the movable coupling hole 101c. This will be explained in more detail later.

[0328] On the other hand, the jaw-pulley coupling hole 101d is formed in a cylindrical shape, and the jaw coupling portion 111b of the pulley 111, which will be described later, may be fitted into this jaw-pulley coupling hole 101d. Here, the radius of the jaw-pulley coupling hole 101d may be formed to be substantially the same as or slightly larger than the radius of the jaw coupling portion 111b. Therefore, the jaw coupling portion 111b of the pulley 111 may be formed to be rotatably coupled to the jaw-pulley coupling hole 101d of the first jaw 101. This will be explained in more detail later.

[0329] The shaft penetration portion 101e may be formed relatively closer to the distal portion 101f of the first jaw 101 compared to the movable coupling hole 101c and the jaw pulley coupling hole 101d. The shaft penetration portion 101e may be formed in the shape of a hole, and the rotating shaft 145, which is the jaw rotation shaft, may be inserted through the shaft penetration portion 101e.

[0330] The second jaw 102 includes an anvil 102a, a movable coupling hole 102c, a jaw pulley coupling hole 102d, and a shaft penetration portion 102e.

[0331] The second jaw 102 is formed in an overall elongated rod shape, with an anvil 102a formed on the distal end 102f side and a pulley 112 connected to the proximal end 102g, and is formed to be rotatable around the rotation axis 141.

[0332] Specifically, the anvil 102a is formed in a flat, planar shape, and a shape corresponding to the shape of the staple 530, which will be described later, may be formed on one of its surfaces. Such an anvil 102a can act as a base that supports the opposite side of the working member 540 when the working member 540 pushes up the staple 530 during stapling, thereby allowing the staple 530 to be bent.

[0333] On the other hand, a movable coupling hole 102c, a jaw pulley coupling hole 102d, and a shaft penetration portion 102e may be formed on the proximal end side of the second jaw 102.

[0334] Here, the movable coupling hole 102c is formed to have a predetermined curvature and may be formed in a substantially elliptical shape. The shaft coupling portion 121a of the pulley 121, which will be described later, may be fitted into this movable coupling hole 102c. Here, the minor radius of the movable coupling hole 102c may be formed to be substantially the same as or slightly larger than the radius of the shaft coupling portion 121a. On the other hand, the major radius of the movable coupling hole 102c may be formed to be larger than the radius of the shaft coupling portion 121a. Therefore, when the shaft coupling portion 121a of the pulley 121 is fitted into the movable coupling hole 102c of the second jaw 102, the shaft coupling portion 121a is formed to be able to move to a certain extent within the movable coupling hole 102c. This will be explained in more detail later.

[0335] On the other hand, the jaw-pulley coupling hole 102d is formed in a cylindrical shape, and the jaw coupling portion 121b of the pulley 121, which will be described later, may be fitted into this jaw-pulley coupling hole 102d. Here, the radius of the jaw-pulley coupling hole 102d may be formed to be substantially the same as or slightly larger than the radius of the jaw coupling portion 121b. Therefore, the jaw coupling portion 121b of the pulley 121 may be formed to be rotatably coupled to the jaw-pulley coupling hole 102d of the second jaw 102. This will be explained in more detail later.

[0336] On the other hand, the shaft penetration portion 102e may be formed relatively closer to the distal portion 102g of the second jaw 102 compared to the movable coupling hole 102c and the jaw pulley coupling hole 102d. The shaft penetration portion 102e may be formed in the shape of a hole, and the rotating shaft 145, which is the jaw rotation shaft, may be inserted through the shaft penetration portion 102e.

[0337] The pulley 111, which is the first jaw pulley, may include a shaft coupling portion 111a and a jaw coupling portion 111b. The pulley 111 is formed in a generally rotatable disc shape, and the shaft coupling portion 111a and the jaw coupling portion 111b may be formed to protrude to a certain extent from one surface thereof. As described above, the shaft coupling portion 111a of the pulley 111 may be fitted into the movable coupling hole 101c of the first jaw 101, and the jaw coupling portion 111b of the pulley 111 may be fitted into the jaw pulley coupling hole 101d of the first jaw 101. The pulley 111 may be formed to be rotatable about a rotation axis 141, which is the end tool jaw pulley rotation axis.

[0338] On the other hand, the pulley 121, which is the second jaw pulley, may also include a shaft coupling portion 121a and a jaw coupling portion 121b. The pulley 121 is formed in a generally rotatable disc shape, and the shaft coupling portion 121a and the jaw coupling portion 121b may be formed to protrude to a certain extent from one surface thereof. As described above, the shaft coupling portion 112a of the pulley 112 may be fitted into the movable coupling hole 102c of the second jaw 102, and the jaw coupling portion 112b of the pulley 112 may be fitted into the jaw pulley coupling hole 102d of the second jaw 102. The pulley 121 may be formed to be rotatable around a rotation axis 141, which is the rotation axis of the end tool jaw pulley.

[0339] The relationships between the above constituent elements are as follows:

[0340] The rotating shaft 141, which is the rotating shaft of the end tool jaw pulley, is sequentially inserted through the shaft coupling portion 111a of the pulley 111, the movable coupling hole 101c of the first jaw 101, the shaft penetration portion 161a of the staple pulley 161, the movable coupling hole 102c of the second jaw 102, and the shaft coupling portion 121a of the pulley 121.

[0341] The rotating shaft 145, which is the jaw rotation axis, is sequentially inserted through the shaft penetration portion 101e of the first jaw 101 and the shaft penetration portion 102e of the second jaw 102.

[0342] The shaft coupling portion 111a of the pulley 111 fits into the movable coupling hole 101c of the first jaw 101, and the jaw coupling portion 111b of the pulley 111 fits into the jaw-pulley coupling hole 101d of the first jaw 101.

[0343] At this time, the jaw-pulley coupling hole 101d of the first jaw 101 and the jaw coupling portion 111b of the pulley 111 are rotatably coupled, and the movable coupling hole 101c of the first jaw 101 and the axial coupling portion 111a of the pulley 111 are movably coupled.

[0344] The shaft coupling portion 121a of the pulley 121 fits into the movable coupling hole 102c of the second jaw 102, and the jaw coupling portion 121b of the pulley 121 fits into the jaw-pulley coupling hole 102d of the second jaw 102.

[0345] At this time, the jaw-pulley coupling hole 102d of the second jaw 101 and the jaw coupling portion 121b of the pulley 121 are rotatably coupled, and the movable coupling hole 102c of the second jaw 102 and the axial coupling portion 121a of the pulley 121 are movably coupled.

[0346] Here, pulleys 111 and 121 rotate around axis 141, which is the rotation axis of the end tool jaw pulley. The first jaw 101 and the second jaw 102 rotate around axis 145, which is the rotation axis of the jaw. In other words, pulleys 111 and 101 have different axes of rotation. Similarly, pulleys 121 and 2 jaw 102 have different axes of rotation.

[0347] In other words, the first jaw 101 rotates around the rotation axis 145, which is the jaw rotation axis, although its rotation angle is limited to a certain extent by the movable coupling hole 101c. Similarly, the second jaw 102 rotates around the rotation axis 145, which is the jaw rotation axis, although its rotation angle is limited to a certain extent by the movable coupling hole 102c.

[0348] The amplification of grip force due to the coupling relationships between the above-mentioned components will now be explained.

[0349] A surgical instrument 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the coupling structure between the first jaw 101 and the second jaw 102 forms an X-shape, and when the first jaw 101 and the second jaw 102 rotate in a direction that brings them closer together (i.e., when the first jaw 101 and the second jaw 102 are closed), the grip force in the direction that closes the first jaw 101 and the second jaw 102 becomes even greater. This will be explained in more detail as follows.

[0350] As described above, in the opening and closing operation of the first jaw 101 and the second jaw 102, there are two axes that serve as the center of rotation. That is, the first jaw 101 and the second jaw 102 open and close around two axes, rotation axis 141 and rotation axis 145. At this time, the center of rotation of the first jaw 101 and the second jaw 102 is rotation axis 145, and the center of rotation of the pulley 111 and the pulley 121 is rotation axis 141. At this time, rotation axis 141 is an axis whose position is relatively fixed, and rotation axis 145 is an axis whose position moves linearly relative to it. In other words, with the position of rotation axis 141 fixed, when the pulley 111 and the pulley 121 rotate, the rotation axis 145, which is the axis of rotation of the first jaw 101 and the second jaw 102, moves back and forth, causing the first jaw 101 and the second jaw 102 to open and close. This can be explained in more detail as follows:

[0351] In Figure 17, r1 is the distance from the jaw joint 121b to the shaft joint 121a of the pulley 121, and its length is constant. Therefore, the distance from the rotating shaft 141 inserted into the shaft joint 121a to the jaw joint 121b is also constant at r1.

[0352] On the other hand, r2 in Figure 17 is the distance from the jaw-pulley coupling hole 102d of the second jaw 102 to the shaft penetration portion 102e, and its length is constant. Therefore, the distance from the jaw coupling portion 121b of the pulley 121 inserted into the jaw-pulley coupling hole 102d to the rotating shaft 145 inserted into the shaft penetration portion 102e is also constant at r2.

[0353] In other words, the lengths of r1 and r2 are kept constant. Therefore, when pulleys 111 and 121 rotate around the rotation axis 141 in the directions of arrows A1 in Figure 16 and A2 in Figure 17, respectively, to perform a closing operation, the angle between r1 and r2 changes while the lengths of r1 and r2 remain constant, and the first jaw 101 and the second jaw 102 rotate around the rotation axis 145. At this time, the rotation axis 145 itself also moves linearly (i.e., forward / backward) by the distance of arrows B1 in Figure 16 and B2 in Figure 17.

[0354] In other words, assuming that the position of the rotation axis 141, which is the rotation axis of the end tool jaw pulley, is fixed, when the first jaw 101 and the second jaw 102 are closed, the rotation axis 145, which is the jaw rotation axis, receives a force in the direction of forward movement (i.e., distal direction), and therefore the grip force in the direction in which the first jaw 101 and the second jaw 102 are closed becomes even larger.

[0355] To express this from another perspective, as the second jaw 102 rotates around the jaw rotation axis 145, the lengths of r1 and r2 are kept constant. Therefore, when the pulley 121 rotates around the rotation axis 141, the angle between r1 and r2 changes while the lengths of r1 and r2 remain constant. In other words, the angle between r1 and r2, θ2, when the second jaw 102 is closed, as shown in Figure 17(b), is larger than the angle between r1 and r2, θ1, when the second jaw 102 is open, as shown in Figure 17(a).

[0356] Therefore, when the second jaw 102 rotates from the open position to the closed position, the rotation axis 145 is subjected to a force that moves it forward while the angle between r1 and r2 changes.

[0357] At this time, since the rotation axis 141 is an axis whose position is relatively fixed, the jaw rotation axis 145 moves forward in the direction of arrow B1 in Figure 16 and arrow B2 in Figure 17, and the grip force increases further in the direction in which the second jaw 102 is closed.

[0358] To express this from another perspective, when pulleys 111 and 121 rotate around the rotation axis 141, which is an axis with a fixed relative position, the distance between r1 and r2 remains constant, while the angle θ between r1 and r2 changes. As the angle θ changes in this way, the first jaw 101 and the second jaw 102 push or pull the rotation axis 145, causing the rotation axis 145 to move forward or backward. When the first jaw 101 and the second jaw 102 rotate in a direction that closes, the rotation axis 145 moves forward in the direction of arrow B1 in Figure 16 and arrow B2 in Figure 17, and the grip force increases further. Conversely, when the first jaw 101 and the second jaw 102 rotate in an direction that opens, the rotation axis 145 moves backward in the opposite direction to arrow B1 in Figure 16 and arrow B2 in Figure 17.

[0359] With this configuration, when the first jaw 101 and the second jaw 102 are closed, the grip force becomes even stronger, allowing the surgeon to perform a stronger actuation motion with less force.

[0360] (cartridge)

[0361] Below, we will describe in more detail the cartridge 500 of the surgical instrument 10 shown in Figure 2.

[0362] Figure 21 is a perspective view showing the first jaw and cartridge of the surgical instrument of Figure 2. Figure 22 is an exploded perspective view showing the cartridge of Figure 21, Figure 23 is a coupled perspective view showing the cartridge of Figure 21, Figure 24 is a side view showing the cartridge of Figure 21, Figure 25 is a perspective cross-sectional view showing the cartridge of Figure 21, and Figure 26 is a side cross-sectional view showing the cartridge of Figure 21. Figures 27 and 28 are perspective views showing the working members of the cartridge of Figure 21. Figure 29 is a side cross-sectional view showing the structure related to the stapling of the end tool of the surgical instrument of Figure 2, and Figures 30 and 31 are perspective cross-sectional views showing the structure of the stapling of the end tool of the surgical instrument of Figure 2. Figures 32 to 35 are perspective views showing the ratchet drive operation of the end tool of Figure 30, and Figures 36 and 37 are plan views showing the ratchet drive operation of the end tool of Figure 30. Figure 38 is a perspective view showing the overall ratchet drive operation of the end tool in Figure 30. Figures 39 and 40 are perspective views showing the overall stapling operation of the end tool in Figure 30.

[0363] Referring to Figures 21 to 40, etc., the cartridge 500 is formed to be attachable to and detachable from the first jaw 101 and contains a plurality of staples 530 and a blade 542 for suturing and cutting tissue. Here, the cartridge 500 may also include a cover 510, a housing 520, staples 530, a pull-out member 535, a working member 540, and a reciprocating assembly 550.

[0364] The housing 520 forms the outer shape of the cartridge 500 and is formed in a form in which one side (the top surface) is removed from an overall hollow box, and may be formed to house the reciprocating assembly 550, the working member 540, and the staples 530 inside. Here, the housing 520 may be formed in a roughly "U" shape in cross-section.

[0365] The cover 510 is formed to cover the top of the housing 520. The cover 510 may have staple holes 511 formed therein, through which multiple staples 530 can be ejected to the outside. Before stapling is driven, the staples 530 are housed inside the housing 520, but during the stapling operation, they are pushed up by the working member 540, passed through the staple holes 511 of the cover 510, and pulled out to the outside of the cartridge 500 to perform stapling.

[0366] On the other hand, a slit 512 may be formed in the cover 510 along its longitudinal direction. The blade 542 of the working member 540 may protrude to the outside of the cartridge 500 through the slit 512. The blade 542 of the working member 540 can cut the stapled tissue as it passes along the slit 512.

[0367] Multiple staples 530 may be placed inside the housing 520. As the working member 540, described later, moves linearly in one direction, the multiple staples 530 are sequentially pushed up from the inside to the outside of the housing 520, thereby performing suture, or stapling. Here, the material of the staples 530 may include titanium, stainless steel, or the like.

[0368] Alternatively, a pull-out member 535 may be further positioned between the housing 520 and the staple 530. In other words, the staple 530 may be positioned on top of the pull-out member 535. In this case, the working member 540 pushes up the pull-out member 535 while moving linearly in one direction, and this pull-out member 535 can push up the staple 530.

[0369] Thus, the working member 540 can be described as pushing up the staple 530, including both cases where the working member 540 directly pushes up the staple 530 and cases where the working member 540 pushes up the pull-out member 535, causing the pull-out member 535 to push up the staple 530 (i.e., cases where the working member 540 indirectly pushes up the staple 530).

[0370] A reciprocating assembly 550 may be located at the bottom of the housing 520. The reciprocating assembly 550 may include one or more reciprocating members 551. In this embodiment, one reciprocating member 551 is shown, but in embodiments described later, multiple reciprocating members 551 may be included.

[0371] In this embodiment, the reciprocating member 551 may be a rack. The reciprocating member 551 may include a recessed portion 551b and a fastening portion 551a. Specifically, the reciprocating member 551 may be formed in the shape of a long bar, or a plurality of sawtooth-shaped recessed portions 551b may be formed on one surface. These recessed portions 551b may be formed to be in contact with the working member 540, which will be described later, in particular the ratchet member 543 of the working member 540. In other words, the reciprocating member 551 may include a plurality of recessed portions 551b that are shaped to engage with the ratchet 543a of the ratchet member 543.

[0372] On the other hand, although not shown in the figure, the reciprocating member 551 may be provided with various shapes other than a rack shape, such as members that are directly or indirectly connected to the staple pulley 161 and capable of linear reciprocating motion in response to the rotational motion of the staple pulley 161. For example, the reciprocating member 551 may be in the form of a clutch without any protrusions or indentations.

[0373] Here, the reciprocating member 551 may not be fixedly coupled to other components of the cartridge 500, but may be formed to be movable relative to other components of the cartridge 500. That is, the reciprocating member 551 can perform reciprocating linear motion with respect to the housing 520 and the cover 510 coupled to the housing 520.

[0374] On the other hand, a fastening portion 551a may be formed on the proximal end 501 side of the reciprocating member 551 adjacent to the pulley 111, and this fastening portion 551a may be fastened and connected to the staple link assembly 170 of the end tool 100. Therefore, when the staple link assembly 170 reciprocates linearly along the direction in which the connecting portion 400 extends (i.e., the Y-axis direction), the reciprocating member 551 fastened to it can also reciprocate linearly along the direction in which the connecting portion 400 extends (i.e., the Y-axis direction). This will be explained in more detail later.

[0375] A working member 540 may be placed inside the housing 520. The working member 540 may be formed to be in contact with the reciprocating member 551 and to move linearly in one direction in response to the reciprocating linear motion of the reciprocating member 551. In other words, the working member 540 interacts with the reciprocating member 551 and performs stapling and cutting while moving along the extending direction of the connecting portion 400.

[0376] The working member 540 may include a wedge 541, a blade 542, a ratchet member 543, an elastic member 544, and a main body 545.

[0377] The main body 545 may be formed in a rectangular columnar shape and form the base of the work member 540.

[0378] The wedge 541 is formed on at least one side of the main body 545 and may be formed to have a predetermined inclined surface. That is, the wedge 541 may be formed to be inclined to a certain extent in the direction in which the connecting portion 400 extends. In other words, the wedge 541 may be formed to be higher on the proximal portion 501 side than on the distal portion 502 side of the cartridge 500. The figure shows that two wedges 541 are formed on each side of the main body 545, but the concept of the present invention is not limited thereto, and various numbers and shapes may be formed depending on the shape of the staple 530 or pull-out member 535 that contacts the wedge 541.

[0379] Such a wedge 541 is formed to be able to sequentially contact the pull-out member 535 or a plurality of staples 530, and can play a role in sequentially pushing up the staples 530. As shown in Figure 40 and other figures described later, the working member 540 can move toward the distal part 502, sequentially pushing up the staples 530 and pulling them out of the cartridge 500.

[0380] A blade 542 may be formed on one side of the wedge 541, more specifically on the proximal 501 side of the wedge 541. A sharp edge 542a is formed in one region of the blade 542 to cut tissue. At least a portion of this edge 542a is extended outside the first jaw 101 and cartridge 500 so that tissue located between the first jaw 101 and the second jaw 102 can be cut. The edge 542a of the blade 542 may always be extended outside the first jaw 101. Alternatively, the edge 542a of the blade 542 may normally be housed inside the first jaw 101 or inside the cartridge 500 and only extended outside the first jaw 101 when the working member 540 moves along the longitudinal direction.

[0381] The ratchet member 543 is formed on one side of the wedge 541, more specifically on the lower part of the wedge 541, and may be formed to face the reciprocating member 551, which will be described later. The ratchet member 543 may be formed in a bar shape and may include a plurality of ratchets 543a on one surface. The ratchet member 543 causes the working member 540 to move in only one direction (i.e., distal direction) relative to the reciprocating member 551. The ratchets 543a of the ratchet member 543 may be formed to be in contact with the uneven portion 551b of the reciprocating member 551 described above.

[0382] The elastic member 544 is formed on either the main body 545 or the wedge 541 and serves to apply a predetermined elastic force to the ratchet member 543. For example, one region of the elastic member 544 may be connected to the wedge 541 or the main body 545, and the other region of the elastic member 544 may be connected to the ratchet member 543, so that the elastic member 544 connects the wedge 541 or the main body 545 to the ratchet member 543. Here, the elastic member 544 can apply an elastic force in the direction that causes the ratchet member 543 to make close contact with the reciprocating member 551. For this reason, the elastic member 544 may be formed in the form of a leaf spring, or it may be provided in various other forms that can provide a predetermined elastic force to the ratchet member 543, such as a coil spring or a disc spring.

[0383] Here, the ratchet 543a of the ratchet member 543 is formed such that the first surface 543a1 (specifically, the distal side of the 502) has a predetermined angle and a gentle slope, and the second surface 543a2 (specifically, the proximal side of the 501) may be formed to be vertical or nearly vertical.

[0384] Furthermore, in order to engage with the ratchet 543a of the ratchet member 543, the protruding portion 551b of the reciprocating moving member 551 is also formed such that the first surface 551b1 (in particular, the proximal side of the 501) has a predetermined angle and a gentle slope, and the second surface 551b2 (in particular, the distal side of the 502) may be formed to be vertical or nearly vertical.

[0385] With the reciprocating member 551 and the ratchet member 543 fastened to each other (or engaged, or in close contact), the first surface 543a1 inclined by the ratchet 543a and the first surface 551b1 inclined by the uneven portion 551b may be arranged to face each other (i.e., in contact). Alternatively, the second surface 543a2 perpendicular to the ratchet 543a and the second surface 551b2 perpendicular to the uneven portion 551b may be arranged to face each other (i.e., in contact).

[0386] With this configuration, the ratchet 543a and the protrusions 551b are fastened (or interlocked) with each other, acting as a type of ratchet, allowing movement in only one direction.

[0387] As an example, assuming that the reciprocating member 551 is fixed, the working member 540 can move in the direction that the vertically formed second surface 543a2 and second surface 551b2 move away from each other, but it cannot move in the direction that brings the second surface 543a2 and second surface 551b2 closer together while they are in contact.

[0388] To express this from another perspective, when the reciprocating member 551 and the ratchet member 543 are fastened together (or interlocked or in close contact), and the reciprocating member 551 moves toward the distal part 502, the ratchet member 543 moves toward the distal part 502 along with the reciprocating member 551. In other words, the vertical second surface 551b2 of the reciprocating member 551 pushes the vertical second surface 543a2 of the working member 540, causing the ratchet member 543 to move toward the distal part 502 along with the reciprocating member 551.

[0389] Conversely, when the reciprocating member 551 and the ratchet member 543 are fastened together (or engaged or in close contact) and the reciprocating member 551 moves in the direction of the proximal part 501, the ratchet member 543 remains fixed and only the reciprocating member 551 moves independently in the direction of the proximal part 501. That is, with the working member 540 fixed, the inclined first surface 551b1 of the reciprocating member 551 moves along the inclined first surface 543a1 of the working member 540, and only the reciprocating member 551 moves independently in the direction of the proximal part 501.

[0390] Referring to Figures 34 to 37, in the same state as in Figures 34 and 36, when the reciprocating member 551 moves in the direction of the proximal part 501 (in the direction of arrow K1 in Figures 35 and 37), the inclined first surface 551b1 of the reciprocating member 551 moves along the inclined first surface 543a1 of the working member 540, and the ratchet member 543 as a whole is pressed and pushed in the direction of arrow K2 in Figure 35. At this time, the elastic member 544 also undergoes some elastic deformation.

[0391] In this state, as the reciprocating member 551 moves further in the direction of the proximal part 501, and the inclined first surface 551b1 of the reciprocating member 551 passes the tip of the inclined first surface 543a1 of the working member 540, the uneven portion 551b of the reciprocating member 551 will meet the next ratchet 543a of the ratchet member 543. At this time, the elastic member 544 is applying an elastic force in the direction that causes the ratchet member 543 to come into close contact with the reciprocating member 551, so the reciprocating member 551 and the ratchet member 543 are once again in close contact at their front surfaces.

[0392] As a result, the cartridge 500 is housed in the cartridge housing 101a of the first jaw 101, at which point the reciprocating member 551 of the cartridge 500 and the staple link assembly 170 of the end tool 100 are connected. Therefore, the rotational motion of the staple pulley 161 of the end tool 100 is converted into linear motion of the reciprocating member 551 via the staple link assembly 170.

[0393] At this time, the fastening portion 551a of the reciprocating member 551 is connected to the staple pulley 161 via the staple link assembly 170, and as the staple pulley 161 rotates alternately clockwise and counterclockwise, the reciprocating member 551 can repeatedly move forward and backward. When the reciprocating member 551 moves forward, the working member 540 moves forward together with the reciprocating member 551, and when the reciprocating member 551 moves backward, only the reciprocating member 551 moves backward, allowing the working member 540 to stop in place. As this process is repeated, the working member 540 moves forward, the staples 530 are stapled by the wedge 541, and at the same time, the blade 542 can cut the stapled tissue.

[0394] A more detailed explanation of this is as follows:

[0395] (Staple fastening and cutting operations)

[0396] Referring to Figure 38, the method for driving a surgical instrument according to one embodiment of the present invention is as follows:

[0397] First, when the staple pulley 161 rotates in one of two directions, clockwise or counterclockwise, the staple link assembly 170 connected to the staple pulley 161 and the reciprocating assembly 550 of the cartridge 500 connected to the staple link assembly 170 move toward the distal part 502 of the cartridge 500.

[0398] Then, as the reciprocating assembly 550 moves toward the distal part 502 of the cartridge 500, the working member 540 that is in contact with the reciprocating assembly 550 moves together with the reciprocating assembly 550 toward the distal part 502 of the cartridge 500.

[0399] Then, as the working member 540 moves toward the distal part 502 of the cartridge 500, the working member 540 discharges the staples 530 to the outside of the cartridge 500, and at the same time, the blade 542 of the working member 540 moves toward the distal part 502 of the cartridge 500.

[0400] On the other hand, when the staple pulley 161 rotates in one of two directions, clockwise or counterclockwise, the staple link assembly 170 connected to the staple pulley 161 and the reciprocating assembly 550 of the cartridge 500 connected to the staple link assembly 170 move towards the proximal part 501 of the cartridge 500, and at this time the working member 540 is stopped.

[0401] These steps are then repeated, with the stapling operation by the wedge 541 and the cutting operation by the blade 542 being performed simultaneously.

[0402] A more detailed explanation of this is as follows:

[0403] First, in the state shown in Figure 38(a), when the staple pulley 161 rotates in the direction of arrow A1 (i.e., clockwise) as shown in Figure 38(b), the staple link assembly 170 connected to it and the reciprocating member 551 fastened to the staple link assembly 170 move in the direction of arrow B1 (i.e., distal direction). In this state, the reciprocating member 551 and the working member 540 are in close contact due to the elastic member (see 544 in Figure 37), so when the reciprocating member 551 moves in the direction of arrow B1, the working member 540 also moves in the direction of arrow B1 along with the reciprocating member 551.

[0404] Next, as shown in Figure 38(c), when the staple pulley 161 rotates further in the direction of arrow A2, the staple link assembly 170, the reciprocating member 551, and the working member 540 connected to it will move further in the direction of arrow B2.

[0405] In this state, when the staple pulley 161 stops rotating, the staple link assembly 170, the reciprocating member 551, and the working member 540 also stop, as shown in Figure 38(d).

[0406] In this state, as shown in Figure 38(e), when the staple pulley 161 begins to rotate in the direction of arrow A3 (i.e., counterclockwise), the staple link assembly 170 connected to it and the reciprocating member 551 fastened to the staple link assembly 170 move in the direction of arrow B3 (i.e., proximal direction). In this state, due to the fastening structure between the ratchet member 543 and the reciprocating member 551, even if the reciprocating member 551 moves in the B3 direction, the overall position of the working member 540 is maintained, and the elastic member 544 repeatedly undergoes elastic deformation and recovery, while only the ratchet member 543 repeatedly separates from and contacts the reciprocating member 551 to a certain extent (see Figures 35 and 37). In other words, even if the reciprocating member 551 moves in the direction of arrow B3, the working member 540 remains stationary when viewed from the X-axis direction.

[0407] As shown in Figure 38(f), when the staple pulley 161 rotates further in the direction of arrow A4, only the staple link assembly 170 and the reciprocating member 551 connected to it will move further in the direction of arrow B4.

[0408] In this state, when the staple pulley 161 stops rotating, the staple link assembly 170, the reciprocating member 551, and the working member 540 also stop, as shown in Figure 38(a).

[0409] As this process is repeated, the staple pulley 161 rotates alternately clockwise and counterclockwise, causing the reciprocating member 551 to repeatedly move forward and backward, and the working member 540 to repeatedly move forward and stop, resulting in the working member 540 moving toward the distal end 502. As the working member 540 moves toward the distal end 502, the stapling operation by the wedge 541 and the cutting operation by the blade 542 are performed simultaneously.

[0410] The following describes the stapling operation of a surgical instrument according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0411] Figure 39 is a perspective view showing the stapling operation of the end tool in Figure 30, broken down by section, while Figure 40 is a perspective view showing the stapling operation of the end tool in Figure 30 as a whole.

[0412] Referring to Figures 39 and 40, in the state shown in Figure 39(a), as the working member 540 moves in the direction of arrow A1 in Figure 39(b), the wedge 541 of the working member 540 pushes up the pull-out member 535, and the pull-out member 535 pushes up one lower side of the staple 530. As a result, the staple 530 is ejected to the outside of the first jaw 101 and the cartridge 500.

[0413] In this state, as the working member 540 moves further in the direction of arrow A2 in Figure 39(c), the discharged staple 530 continues to be pushed up by the working member 540 while in contact with the anvil 102a of the second jaw 102, causing both ends of the staple 530 to be bent as stapling is performed.

[0414] As this operation is performed continuously, stapling is carried out sequentially from the staple 530 on the proximal end 501 side to the staple 530 on the distal end 502 side, as shown in Figure 40.

[0415] (Operation unit)

[0416] Figures 41 and 42 are perspective views showing the operating section of the surgical instrument shown in Figure 2. Figure 43 is a simplified diagram showing only the pulley and wire configuration that constitutes the joint of the surgical instrument shown in Figure 2.

[0417] Referring to Figures 2 to 42, the operating section 200 of the surgical instrument 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a first handle 204 that can be grasped by the user, an actuation operating section 203 that controls the actuation motion of the end tool 100, a yaw operating section 202 that controls the yaw motion of the end tool 100, and a pitch operating section 201 that controls the pitch motion of the end tool 100. Here, it can be understood that only the components related to the pitch / yaw / actuation motion of the surgical instrument 10 are shown in Figures 41 and 42.

[0418] Furthermore, the operating section 200 of the surgical instrument 10 may further include a staple operating section 260 that controls the movement of the staple pulley assembly 160 of the end tool 100 to perform stapling and cutting.

[0419] The operating section 200 may include pulleys 210, 211, 212, 213, 214, 215, 216, 217, and 218 related to the rotational motion of the first jaw 101. It may also include pulleys 220, 221, 222, 223, 224, 225, 226, 227, and 228 related to the rotational motion of the second jaw 102. The operating section 200 may also include pulleys 231, 232, 233, and 234 related to the pitch motion. It may also include a pulley 235 which is an intermediate pulley positioned in the middle of the bent portion 402 of the connecting section 400.

[0420] Here, the figure shows opposing pulleys formed parallel to each other, but the concept of the present invention is not limited to this, and each pulley may be formed in various positions and sizes that are suitable for the configuration of the operating part.

[0421] Furthermore, the operating section 200 of the first embodiment of the present invention may include a rotating shaft 241, a rotating shaft 242, a rotating shaft 243, a rotating shaft 244, a rotating shaft 245, and a rotating shaft 246. Here, the rotating shaft 241 may function as the first jaw actuation rotating shaft of the operating section, and the rotating shaft 242 may function as the second jaw actuation rotating shaft of the operating section. The rotating shaft 243 may function as the yaw main rotating shaft of the operating section, and the rotating shaft 244 may function as the yaw sub-rotating shaft of the operating section. The rotating shaft 245 may function as the pitch sub-rotating shaft of the operating section, and the rotating shaft 246 may function as the pitch main rotating shaft of the operating section.

[0422] The rotating shafts 241 / 242, 243, 244, 245, and 246 may be arranged sequentially from the distal end 205 to the proximal end 206 of the operating section 200.

[0423] Each of these rotating shafts 241, 242, 243, 244, 245, and 246 may be fitted with one or more pulleys, which will be explained in detail later.

[0424] Pulley 210 functions as the first jaw actuation pulley for the operating section, and pulley 220 functions as the second jaw actuation pulley for the operating section. These components may be collectively referred to as the operating section actuation pulleys.

[0425] Pulleys 211 and 212 function as the first jaw yaw main pulleys of the operating section, and pulleys 221 and 222 function as the second jaw yaw main pulleys of the operating section. These components may be collectively referred to as the operating section yaw main pulleys.

[0426] Pulleys 213 and 214 function as the first jaw yaw sub-pulleys of the operating section, and pulleys 223 and 224 function as the second jaw yaw sub-pulleys of the operating section. These components may be collectively referred to as the operating section yaw sub-pulleys.

[0427] Pulleys 215 and 216 function as the first jaw pitch sub-pulleys of the operating section, and pulleys 225 and 226 function as the second jaw pitch sub-pulleys of the operating section. These components may be collectively referred to as the operating section pitch sub-pulleys.

[0428] Pulleys 217 and 218 function as the first jaw pitch main pulleys of the operating section, and pulleys 227 and 228 function as the second jaw pitch main pulleys of the operating section. These components may be collectively referred to as the operating section pitch main pulleys.

[0429] Pulleys 231 and 232 function as the main pulleys for the pitch wire of the operating section, while pulleys 233 and 234 function as sub-pulleys for the pitch wire of the operating section.

[0430] The above components can be classified as follows from the perspective of the control unit for each motion (pitch / yaw / actuation):

[0431] The pitch control unit 201, which controls the pitch motion of the end tool 100, may include pulleys 215, 216, 217, 218, 225, 226, 227, 228, 231, 232, and 234. The pitch control unit 201 may also include rotating shafts 245 and 246. Furthermore, the pitch control unit 201 may further include a pitch frame 208.

[0432] The yaw control unit 202, which controls the yaw motion of the end tool 100, may include pulleys 211, 212, 213, 214, 221, 222, 223, and 224. The yaw control unit 202 may also include rotating shafts 243 and 244. Furthermore, the yaw control unit 202 may further include a yaw frame 207.

[0433] The actuation operation unit 203, which controls the actuation motion of the end tool 100, may include pulleys 210 and 220, a rotating shaft 241, and a rotating shaft 242. The actuation operation unit 203 may further include a first actuation operation unit 251 and a second actuation operation unit 256.

[0434] The following sections will describe each component of the operating unit 200 in more detail.

[0435] The first handle 204 is formed so that a user can grasp it by hand, and may be formed in particular so that a user can grasp the first handle 204 by wrapping their palm around it. An actuation control section 203 and a yaw control section 202 are formed on the first handle 204, and a pitch control section 201 is formed on one side of the yaw control section 202. The other end of the pitch control section 201 is connected to the bent section 402 of the connecting section 400.

[0436] The actuation operation section 203 includes a first actuation operation section 251 and a second actuation operation section 256. The first actuation operation section 251 includes a rotating shaft 241, a pulley 210, a first actuation extension 252, and a first actuation gear 253. The second actuation operation section 256 includes a rotating shaft 242, a pulley 220, a second actuation extension 257, and a second actuation gear 258. Here, the ends of the first actuation extension 252 and the second actuation extension 257 are formed in the shape of finger-hole rings and can operate as a second handle.

[0437] Here, the actuation rotation axes 241 and 242 may be formed to make a predetermined angle with the XY plane on which the connecting portion 400 is formed. For example, the rotation axes 241 and 242 may be formed in a direction parallel to the Z axis, and in this state, when the pitch control portion 201 or the yaw control portion 202 rotates, the coordinate system of the actuation control portion 203 may change relatively. Of course, the concept of the present invention is not limited thereto, and the rotation axes 241 and 242 may be formed in various directions to suit the hand structure of the user gripping the actuation control portion 203 through ergonomic design.

[0438] On the other hand, the pulley 210, the first actuation extension 252, and the first actuation gear 253 may be fixedly coupled to each other and formed to rotate together around the rotation axis 241. Here, the pulley 210 may consist of one pulley, or it may consist of two pulleys fixedly coupled to each other.

[0439] Similarly, the pulley 220, the second actuation extension 257, and the second actuation gear 258 may be fixedly coupled to each other and formed to rotate together around the rotation axis 242. Here, the pulley 220 may consist of one pulley or two pulleys fixedly coupled to each other.

[0440] Here, the first actuation gear 253 and the second actuation gear 258 may be formed to mesh with each other, and when either side rotates, they may rotate together in opposite directions.

[0441] The yaw control unit 202 may include a rotating shaft 243, pulleys 211 and 212 which are the first jaw yaw main pulleys of the control unit, pulleys 221 and 222 which are the second jaw yaw main pulleys of the control unit, and a yaw frame 207. The yaw control unit 202 may further include pulleys 213 and 214 which are the first jaw yaw sub-pulleys of the control unit formed on one side of pulleys 211 and 212, and pulleys 223 and 224 which are the second jaw yaw sub-pulleys of the control unit formed on one side of pulleys 221 and 222. Here, pulleys 213 and 214 and pulleys 223 and 224 may be coupled to a pitch frame 208, which will be described later.

[0442] Here, the figure shows that the yaw control unit 202 includes pulleys 211 and 212 and pulleys 221 and 222, with pulleys 211 and 212 and pulleys 221 and 222 each being formed to face each other and comprising two independently rotatable pulleys. However, the concept of the present invention is not limited to this. That is, one or more pulleys with the same or different diameters may be provided according to the configuration of the yaw control unit 202.

[0443] Specifically, on the first handle 204, a rotation axis 243, which is the yaw main rotation axis of the actuation operating section 203, is formed on one side of the actuation operating section 203. At this time, the first handle 204 is formed to be rotatable about the rotation axis 243.

[0444] Here, the rotation axis 243 may be formed to make a predetermined angle with the XY plane on which the connecting portion 400 is formed. For example, the rotation axis 243 may be formed in a direction parallel to the Z axis, and in this state, when the pitch operating portion 201 rotates, the coordinate system of the rotation axis 243 may change relatively as described above. Of course, the concept of the present invention is not limited thereto, and the rotation axis 243 may be formed in various directions to suit the hand structure of the user gripping the operating portion 200 through ergonomic design.

[0445] On the other hand, pulleys 211 and 212 and pulleys 221 and 222 are rotatably coupled to the rotation axis 243. Then, a first jaw wire, wire 301 or wire 305, may be wound around pulleys 211 and 212, and a second jaw wire, wire 302 or wire 306, may be wound around pulleys 221 and 222. In this case, pulleys 211 and 212 and pulleys 221 and 222 may each be formed to face each other and consist of two independently rotatable pulleys. Therefore, the wires being wound and the wires being unwound can be wound around separate pulleys, respectively, and can operate without interfering with each other.

[0446] The yaw frame 207 rigidly connects the first handle 204, the rotation axis 241, the rotation axis 242, and the rotation axis 243, enabling the first handle 204, the yaw control unit 202, and the actuation control unit 203 to rotate together as a single unit around the rotation axis 243.

[0447] The pitch operating section 201 may include a rotating shaft 246, pulleys 217 and 218 which are the operating section's first jaw pitch main pulleys, pulleys 227 and 228 which are the operating section's second jaw pitch main pulleys, and a pitch frame 208. The pitch operating section 201 may further include a rotating shaft 245, pulleys 215 and 216 which are the operating section's first jaw pitch sub-pulleys formed on one side of pulleys 217 and 218, and pulleys 225 and 226 which are the operating section's second jaw pitch sub-pulleys formed on one side of pulleys 227 and 228. The pitch operating section 201 may be connected to the bent portion 402 of the connecting portion 400 via the rotating shaft 246.

[0448] Specifically, the pitch frame 208 serves as the base frame for the pitch control unit 201, and a rotation axis 243 is rotatably coupled to one end of it. That is, the yaw frame 207 is formed to be rotatable around the rotation axis 243 relative to the pitch frame 208.

[0449] As described above, the yaw frame 207 connects the first handle 204, the rotation axis 243, the rotation axis 241, and the rotation axis 242, and the yaw frame 207 is axially coupled to the pitch frame 208. Therefore, when the pitch frame 208 rotates by pitch around the rotation axis 246, the yaw frame 207, the first handle 204, the rotation axis 241, the rotation axis 242, and the rotation axis 243, which are connected to the pitch frame 208, also rotate by pitch. In other words, when the pitch control unit 201 rotates around the rotation axis 246, the actuation control unit 203 and the yaw control unit 202 rotate together with the pitch control unit 201. To put it another way, when the user rotates the first handle 204 by pitch around the rotation axis 246, the actuation control unit 203, the yaw control unit 202, and the pitch control unit 201 all move together.

[0450] Pulleys 217 and 218, and pulleys 227 and 228 are rotatably coupled to the rotation axis 246 of the pitch frame 208.

[0451] Here, pulleys 217 and 218 may be formed to face each other and to be rotatable independently. Thus, the wire being wound and the wire being unwound can be wound around the separate pulleys, respectively, and can operate without interfering with each other. Similarly, pulleys 227 and 228 may also be formed to face each other and to be rotatable independently. Thus, the wire being wound and the wire being unwound can be wound around the separate pulleys, respectively, and can operate without interfering with each other.

[0452] Next, the operation of the pitch wires, wire 303 and wire 304, is as follows.

[0453] The end tool 100 is formed by fixing a pulley 131, which is an end tool pitch pulley, to the end tool hub 180, and the operating section 200 is formed by fixing a pulley 231 and a pulley 232, which are operating section pitch pulleys, to the pitch frame 208. These pulleys are connected to each other by a pitch wire, wire 303 and wire 304, which are pitch wires, making it easier to perform the pitch operation of the end tool 100 in response to the pitch operation of the operating section 200. Here, wire 303 is fixedly connected to the pitch frame 208 via pulleys 231 and 233, and wire 304 is fixedly connected to the pitch frame 208 via pulleys 232 and 234. In other words, the pitch rotation of the operating unit 200 causes the pitch frame 208 and the pulleys 231 and 232 to rotate together around the rotation axis 246, resulting in the movement of wires 303 and 304 as well. This allows for the transmission of additional pitch rotation power, separate from the pitch movement of the end tool by the jaw wires 301, 302, 305, and 306.

[0454] The connections between the first handle 204 and the pitch control unit 201, yaw control unit 202, and actuation control unit 203 can be summarized as follows. Rotating shafts 241 and 242, and rotating shafts 243, 244, 245, and 246 may be formed on the first handle 204. In this case, since rotating shafts 241 and 242 are formed directly on the first handle 204, the first handle 204 and the actuation control unit 203 may be directly connected. On the other hand, since rotating shaft 243 is formed directly on the first handle 204, the first handle 204 and the yaw control unit 202 may be directly connected. On the other hand, since the pitch control unit 201 is formed to be connected to the yaw control unit 202 on one side of the yaw control unit 202, the pitch control unit 201 is not directly connected to the first handle 204, and the pitch control unit 201 and the first handle 204 may be formed to be indirectly connected via the yaw control unit 202.

[0455] Referring to the figure, in the surgical instrument 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, the pitch operating section 201 and the end tool 100 may be formed on the same or parallel axis (X axis). That is, the rotation axis 246 of the pitch operating section 201 is formed at one end of the bent section 402 of the connecting section 400, and the end tool 100 is formed at the other end of the connecting section 400.

[0456] Furthermore, one or more intermediate pulleys 235 may be placed in the middle of the connecting portion 400, particularly in the bent portion 402, to change or guide the wire's path. The wire may be positioned along the bent shape of the bent portion 402 by being formed such that at least a portion of the wire is wound around such intermediate pulleys 235 to guide the wire's path.

[0457] Here, the figure shows that the connecting portion 400 is formed by being curved to have a predetermined curvature, with a bent portion 402. However, the concept of the present invention is not limited to this, and the connecting portion 400 may be formed in a straight line as needed, or by being bent one or more times. Even in such cases, the pitch operating portion 201 and the end tool 100 can be said to be formed on substantially the same or parallel axes. Furthermore, Figure 3 shows that the pitch operating portion 201 and the end tool 100 are formed on axes parallel to the X-axis, but the concept of the present invention is not limited to this, and the pitch operating portion 201 and the end tool 100 may be formed on different axes.

[0458] The staple operating section 260 is connected to the staple pulley 161 of the end tool 100 by staple wires 307 and 308, and can rotate the staple pulley 161 alternately in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction.

[0459] Therefore, although not shown in the figure, the staple operating section 260 may include a motor (not shown). That is, while the user presses the button-shaped staple operating section 260, the motor (not shown) is driven, causing the operating section staple pulley (see 269 in Figure 47) to rotate alternately clockwise or counterclockwise. This allows the staple pulley 161 of the end tool 100 to rotate alternately clockwise or counterclockwise.

[0460] (Actuation motion, yaw motion, pitch motion)

[0461] The actuation, yaw, and pitch movements in this embodiment will be described as follows.

[0462] First, the actuation process is as follows:

[0463] When a user places their index finger in the finger ring formed on the first actuation extension 252 and their thumb in the finger ring formed on the second actuation extension 257, and rotates the actuation extensions 252 and 257 using one or both fingers, the pulley 210 and first actuation gear 253, which are fixedly connected to the first actuation extension 252, rotate around the rotation axis 241, and the pulley 220 and second actuation gear 258, which are fixedly connected to the second actuation extension 257, rotate around the rotation axis 242. At this time, the pulleys 210 and 220 rotate in opposite directions to each other, and therefore the wires 301 and 305, which have one end fixedly connected to and wound around the pulley 210, and the wires 302 and 306, which have one end fixedly connected to and wound around the pulley 220, also move in opposite directions to each other. This rotational force is then transmitted to the end tool 100 via the power transmission unit 300, causing the two jaws 103 of the end tool 100 to perform actuation.

[0464] Here, actuation refers to the action of opening and closing the two jaws 101 and 102 as they rotate in opposite directions, as described above. That is, when the actuation extensions 252 and 257 of the actuation operation unit 203 are rotated toward each other, the first jaw 101 rotates counterclockwise and the second jaw 102 rotates clockwise, closing the end tool 100. Conversely, when the actuation extensions 252 and 257 of the actuation operation unit 203 are rotated toward each other, the first jaw 121 rotates clockwise and the second jaw 122 rotates counterclockwise, opening the end tool 100.

[0465] In this embodiment, a second handle is configured with a first actuation extension 252 and a second actuation extension 257 for the actuation operation described above, allowing it to be operated by gripping it with two fingers. However, the configuration of the actuation operating unit 203 for the actuation operation of opening and closing the two jaws of the end tool 100 can be modified in ways other than described above, such as a configuration in which two actuation pulleys (pulley 210, pulley 220) operate in opposite directions with one actuation rotating unit.

[0466] Next, the yaw motion is as follows:

[0467] When the user holds the first handle 204 and rotates the first handle 204 around the rotation axis 243, the actuation control unit 203 and the yaw control unit 202 will rotate in a yaw motion around the rotation axis 243. That is, when the pulley 210 of the first actuation control unit 251, to which wires 301 and 305 are fixedly connected, rotates around the rotation axis 243, wires 301 and 305, which are wound around pulleys 211 and 212, will move. Similarly, when the pulley 220 of the second actuation control unit 256, to which wires 302 and 306 are fixedly connected, rotates around the rotation axis 243, wires 302 and 306, which are wound around pulleys 221 and 222, will move. At this time, wires 301 and 305 connected to the first jaw 101, and wires 302 and 306 connected to the second jaw 102 are wrapped around pulleys 211 and 212 and pulleys 221 and 222 so that the first jaw 101 and the second jaw 102 rotate in the same direction during yaw rotation. This rotational force is then transmitted to the end tool 100 via the power transmission unit 300, causing the two jaws 103 of the end tool 100 to rotate in the same direction during yaw motion.

[0468] At this time, the yaw frame 207 connects the first handle 204, the rotation axis 241, the rotation axis 242, and the rotation axis 243, so the first handle 204, the yaw control unit 202, and the actuation control unit 203 rotate together around the rotation axis 243.

[0469] Next, the pitch movement is as follows:

[0470] When the user holds the first handle 204 and rotates the first handle 204 around the rotation axis 246, the actuation control unit 203, the yaw control unit 202, and the pitch control unit 201 will rotate in pitch around the rotation axis 246. That is, when the pulley 210 of the first actuation control unit 251, to which wires 301 and 305 are fixedly connected, rotates around the rotation axis 246, wires 301 and 305, which are wound around pulleys 217 and 218, will move. Similarly, when the pulley 220 of the second actuation control unit 256, to which wires 302 and 306 are fixedly connected, rotates around the rotation axis 246, wires 302 and 306, which are wound around pulleys 227 and 228, will move. At this time, as explained with reference to Figure 5, the first jaw wires, wire 301 and wire 305, move in the same direction to each other, and the second jaw wires, wire 302 and wire 306, move in the same direction to each other, so that the first jaw 101 and the second jaw 102 can perform pitch rotation, the jaw wires 301, 305, 302, and 306 are wrapped around the operating unit pitch main pulleys, pulleys 217, 218, 227, and 228, respectively. This rotational force is then transmitted to the end tool 100 via the power transmission unit 300, causing the two jaws 103 of the end tool 100 to perform pitch motion.

[0471] In this configuration, the pitch frame 208 is connected to the yaw frame 207, and the yaw frame 207 is connected to the first handle 204, the rotation axis 241, the rotation axis 242, and the rotation axis 243. Therefore, when the pitch frame 208 rotates around the rotation axis 246, the yaw frame 207, the first handle 204, the rotation axis 241, the rotation axis 242, and the rotation axis 243, which are connected to the pitch frame 208, rotate together. In other words, when the pitch control unit 201 rotates around the rotation axis 246, the actuation control unit 203 and the yaw control unit 202 rotate together with the pitch control unit 201.

[0472] In summary, a surgical instrument 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that pulleys are formed at each joint point (actuation joint, yaw joint, pitch joint), and wires (first jaw wire or second jaw wire) are wound around these pulleys, and rotational operation of the operating part (actuation rotation, yaw rotation, pitch rotation) causes movement of each wire, thereby inducing the desired movement of the end tool 100. Furthermore, auxiliary pulleys may be formed on one side of each pulley, and these auxiliary pulleys prevent the wire from being wound around a single pulley multiple times.

[0473] Figure 43 is a simplified diagram showing only the pulley and wire configuration that constitutes the joint of the surgical instrument 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention shown in Figure 2. In Figure 43, the intercoluminal pulley, which changes the wire path regardless of joint movement, is omitted.

[0474] Referring to Figure 43, the operating section 200 may include pulleys 210, 211, 212, 213, 214, 215, 216, 217, and 218 related to the rotational motion of the first jaw 101.

[0475] Furthermore, the operating section 200 may include pulleys 220, 221, 222, 223, 224, 225, 226, 227, and 228 related to the rotational motion of the second jaw 122. (Since the arrangement and configuration of each pulley in the operating section 200 are in principle the same as the arrangement and configuration of each pulley in the end tool 100, the specific notation of the reference numerals in the drawings is partially omitted.)

[0476] Pulleys 211 and 212 and pulleys 221 and 222 may be formed to rotate independently of each other around the same axis, the rotation axis 243. In this case, pulleys 211 and 212 and pulleys 221 and 222 may be formed as two pulleys that face each other and are formed to rotate independently.

[0477] Pulleys 213 and 214 and pulleys 223 and 224 may be formed to rotate independently of each other around the same axis, the rotation axis 244. In this case, pulleys 213 and 214 may be formed as two pulleys that face each other and are formed to rotate independently, and the two pulleys may be formed to have different diameters. Similarly, pulleys 223 and 224 may be formed as two pulleys that face each other and are formed to rotate independently, and the two pulleys may be formed to have different diameters.

[0478] Pulleys 215 and 216 and pulleys 225 and 226 may be formed to rotate independently of each other around the same axis, the rotation axis 245. In this case, pulleys 215 and 216 may be formed to have different diameters from each other. Similarly, pulleys 225 and 226 may be formed to have different diameters from each other.

[0479] Pulleys 217 and 218, and pulleys 227 and 228 may be formed to rotate independently of each other around the same axis, the rotation axis 246.

[0480] Wire 301 passes sequentially through pulleys 217, 215, 213, and 211 of the operating section 200, is wound around pulley 210, and is then connected to pulley 210 by fastening member 324. Meanwhile, wire 305 passes sequentially through pulleys 218, 216, 214, and 212 of the operating section 200, and is then connected to pulley 210 by fastening member 324. Therefore, when pulley 210 rotates, wires 301 and 305 are wound around or unwound from pulley 210 accordingly, causing the first jaw 101 to rotate.

[0481] Wire 306 passes sequentially through pulleys 227, 225, 223, and 221 of the operating section 200 and is wound around pulley 220 before being connected to pulley 220 by fastening member 327. Meanwhile, wire 302 passes sequentially through pulleys 228, 226, 224, and 222 of the operating section 200 and is connected to pulley 220 by fastening member 327. Therefore, when pulley 220 rotates, wires 302 and 306 are wound around and unwound from pulley 220 accordingly, causing the second jaw 102 to rotate.

[0482] (Conceptual diagram of pulley and wire)

[0483] Figures 45 and 46 show the pulley and wire configurations related to the actuation and yaw movements of the surgical instrument 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention shown in Figure 2, broken down for the first jaw and the second jaw, respectively. Figure 45 shows only the pulley and wire related to the second jaw, and Figure 46 shows only the pulley and wire related to the first jaw. Figure 44 is a perspective view showing the yaw movement of the surgical instrument of Figure 2. In Figure 44, the components related to stapling and cutting operations are omitted.

[0484] First, let's explain the wire operation of actuation.

[0485] Referring to Figure 46, when the first actuation extension 252 rotates in the direction of arrow OPA1 around the rotation axis 241, the pulley 210 connected to the first actuation extension 252 rotates, and the wires 301 and 305 wrapped around the pulley 210 move in the directions W1a and W1b, respectively. As a result, the first jaw 101 of the end tool 100 rotates in the direction of arrow EPA1.

[0486] Referring to Figure 45, when the second actuation extension 257 rotates in the direction of arrow OPA2 around the rotation axis 242, the pulley 220 connected to the second actuation extension 257 rotates, and both wires 302 and 306 wrapped around the pulley 220 move in the directions W2a and W2b, respectively. As a result, the second jaw 102 of the end tool 100 rotates in the direction of arrow EPA2. Therefore, when the user operates the first actuation extension 252 and the second actuation extension 257 in a direction that brings them closer together, the first jaw 101 and the second jaw 102 of the end tool move closer together.

[0487] Next, we will explain the wire operation for yaw motion.

[0488] First, since the rotation axis 243, rotation axes 241, and rotation axes 242 are connected by a yaw frame (see 207 in Figure 30), the rotation axis 243, rotation axes 241, and rotation axes 242 rotate together as a single unit.

[0489] Referring to Figure 46, when the first handle 204 is rotated around the rotation axis 243 in the direction of arrow OPY1, the pulleys 210, 211, and 212, and the wires 301 and 305 wrapped around them, rotate as a whole around the rotation axis 243. As a result, the wires 301 and 305 wrapped around pulleys 211 and 212 move in the directions W1a and W1b, respectively, and consequently, the first jaw 101 of the end tool 100 rotates in the direction of arrow EPY1.

[0490] Referring to Figure 45, when the first handle 204 is rotated in the direction of arrow OPY2 around the rotation axis 243, the pulleys 220, 221, and 222, and the wires 302 and 306 wound around them, rotate as a whole around the rotation axis 243. As a result, the wires 302 and 306 wound around pulleys 221 and 222 move to the opposite side of W1a and W1b, respectively, and consequently the first jaw 101 of the end tool 100 rotates in the direction of arrow EPY2.

[0491] Figures 47, 48, and 49 show the pulley and wire configurations related to the stapling and cutting operations of the surgical instrument 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention shown in Figure 2, broken down for the first jaw and the second jaw, respectively. Here, Figures 47 to 49 mainly show the pulley and wire related to the second jaw.

[0492] Here, Figures 47 and 48 show the actuation process of closing the two jaws, and Figures 48 and 49 show the process of stapling and cutting the tissue interposed between the two jaws.

[0493] First, let's explain the wire operation of actuation.

[0494] Referring to Figures 47 and 48, when the first actuation extension 252 of the first actuation operating section 251 rotates in the direction of arrow OPA1 around the rotation axis 241, the pulley 210 connected to the first actuation extension 252 rotates, causing the wires (see 301 in Figure 43) and (see 305 in Figure 43) wrapped around the pulley 210 to move, and as a result, the first jaw 101 of the end tool 100 rotates in the direction of arrow EPA1.

[0495] At this time, the staple pulley 269 of the staple operating section 260 is formed to be rotatable about the rotation axis 241 together with the first actuation operating section 251. Therefore, when the first actuation extension 252 rotates about the rotation axis 241, the staple operating section 260 also rotates about the rotation axis 241 together with the first actuation operating section 251.

[0496] As a result, during actuation, when the pulley 111 rotates on the end tool 100, the staple pulley 161 also rotates together with the pulley 111.

[0497] Next, we will describe the wire operation during stapling and cutting.

[0498] Referring to Figures 48 and 49, when the staple operating unit 260 is rotated in the direction of arrow OPC1 around the rotation axis 247, which is the cutting rotation axis of the operating unit, the operating unit staple pulley 269 and the staple wires 307 and 308 wound around it rotate around the rotation axis 247. As a result, the wires 307 and 308 wound around the operating unit staple pulley 269 move, and consequently, the staple pulley 161 of the end tool 100 rotates in the direction of arrow EPC1.

[0499] On the other hand, when the staple operating section 260 rotates, the operating section staple pulley 269 rotates around the rotation axis 247, and at this time the rotation of the staple operating section 260 does not affect the first actuation operating section 251.

[0500] As a result, when the operating staple pulley 269 rotates, the staple pulley 161 of the end tool 100 rotates independently of the first jaw 101. When the staple pulley 161 rotates alternately clockwise and counterclockwise, the staple link assembly 170 connected to the staple pulley 161 and the reciprocating assembly 550 of the cartridge 500 connected thereto perform reciprocating linear motion. This causes the working member 540 of the cartridge 500 to move toward the distal end 502, while stapling and cutting operations are performed.

[0501] Here, the figure shows the staple operating section 260 as being formed in a bar shape and rotated manually by the user, but the concept of the present invention is not limited to this. That is, as described above, the staple operating section 260 may include a motor (not shown), and while the user presses the button-shaped staple operating section 260, the motor (not shown) is driven, causing the operating section staple pulley 269 to rotate alternately clockwise or counterclockwise. This allows the staple pulley 161 of the end tool 100 to rotate alternately clockwise or counterclockwise.

[0502] Figures 51, 52, and 53 show the pulley and wire configurations related to the pitching motion of the surgical instrument 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention shown in Figure 2, broken down for the first jaw and the second jaw, respectively. Figure 51 shows only the pulley and wire related to the second jaw, and Figure 52 shows only the pulley and wire related to the first jaw. Figure 53 shows only the pulley and wire related to the staple pulley. As shown in Figure 9, there are two pulleys each related to the pitching motion, and both ends of each wire are wound along the same path, which is shown as a single line in Figures 51 and 53. Figure 50 is a perspective view showing the pitching motion of the surgical instrument of Figure 2. Here, the components related to stapling and cutting are omitted in Figure 50.

[0503] Referring to Figure 51, when the first handle 204 is rotated around the rotation axis 246 in the direction of arrow OPP1, the pulleys 210, 215, and 217, etc., and the wires 301 wound around them, etc., all rotate around the rotation axis 246. At this time, as shown in Figure 51, the first jaw wires, wires 301 and 305, are wound above the pulleys 217 and 218, so they move towards arrow W1. As a result, as explained with reference to Figure 5, the first jaw 101 of the end tool 100 rotates in the direction of arrow EPP1.

[0504] Referring to Figure 52, when the first handle 204 is rotated around the rotation axis 246 in the direction of arrow OPP2, the pulleys 220, 225, and 227, etc., and the wires 302 wound around them, etc., rotate as a whole around the rotation axis 246. At this time, as shown in Figure 52, the second jaw wires, wires 302 and 306, are wound below the pulleys 227 and 228, so they move towards arrow W2. As a result, as explained with reference to Figure 5, the second jaw 102 of the end tool 100 rotates in the direction of arrow EPP2.

[0505] Referring to Figure 53, when the first handle 204 is rotated around the rotation axis 246 in the direction of arrow OPC1, the operating staple pulleys 269, 265, and 267, and the wires 307 and 308 wound around them, rotate as a whole around the rotation axis 246. At this time, the staple wires 307 and 308, which are wound below the pulleys 267 and 268, move toward the direction of arrow W3. As a result, as explained with reference to Figure 5, the staple pulley 161 of the end tool 100 rotates in the direction of arrow EPC1.

[0506] As a result, during pitching, when the pulley 111 rotates around the rotation axis 143 with the end tool 100, the staple pulley 161 also rotates around the rotation axis 143 together with the pulley 111.

[0507] Therefore, actuation, yaw, and pitch operations can be controlled independently of each other.

[0508] As explained with reference to Figure 1, the actuation control unit 203, the yaw control unit 202, and the pitch control unit 201 are configured similarly to the joint configuration of an end tool, with their respective axes of rotation located behind each unit, allowing the user to perform intuitive and consistent operations.

[0509] In particular, a surgical instrument 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that pulleys are formed at each joint point (actuation joint, yaw joint, pitch joint), and wires (first jaw wire or second jaw wire) are wound around these pulleys, and rotational operation of the operating part (actuation rotation, yaw rotation, pitch rotation) causes movement of each wire, thereby inducing the desired operation of the end tool 100. Furthermore, auxiliary pulleys may be formed on one side of each pulley, and these auxiliary pulleys prevent the wire from being wound around a single pulley multiple times, the wires wound around the pulleys do not come into contact with each other, a safe path is formed between the wire wound around the pulley and the wire unwound, and the safety and efficiency of wire power transmission can be improved.

[0510] On the other hand, as described above, the yaw control unit 202 and the actuation control unit 203 are directly formed on the first handle 204. Therefore, when the first handle 204 rotates around the rotation axis 246, the yaw control unit 202 and the actuation control unit 203 also rotate together with the first handle 204. As a result, the coordinate system of the yaw control unit 202 and the actuation control unit 203 is not fixed, but continues to change relative to each other as the first handle 204 rotates. That is, in Figure 2, etc., the yaw control unit 202 and the actuation control unit 203 are shown to be parallel to the Z axis. However, when the first handle 204 rotates, the yaw control unit 202 and the actuation control unit 203 are no longer parallel to the Z axis. In other words, the coordinate system of the yaw control unit 202 and the actuation control unit 203 has changed in accordance with the rotation of the first handle 204. However, for the sake of clarity, unless otherwise specified, the coordinate system of the yaw control unit 202 and the actuation control unit 203 is described based on the state in which the first handle 204 is positioned perpendicular to the connecting unit 400, as shown in Figure 2.

[0511] (Correlation between stapling and cutting operations and other operations)

[0512] The following section describes the correlation between stapling and cutting operations and other operations (pitch, yaw, and actuation operations).

[0513] First, when the end tool 100 is pitched, the staple pulley 161 also pitches. That is, when pulleys 111 and 121 perform a pitching motion, rotating in the same direction around the rotation axis 143, the staple pulley 161 must also rotate in the same direction along with pulleys 111 and 121. If the staple pulley 161 does not rotate along with pulleys 111 and 121 when they rotate around the rotation axis 143, there is a risk that the cartridge 500 connected to the staple pulley 161 will move relative to the first jaw 101 and become separated from the first jaw 101. Furthermore, rotation of the staple pulley 161 that is not synchronized with pulley 111 may cause the reciprocating member 551 to move forward unintentionally, which may result in unintended stapling.

[0514] Next, when the end tool 100 performs a yaw motion, the staple pulley 161 also performs a yaw motion. That is, when pulleys 111 and 121 perform a yaw motion rotating in the same direction around the rotation axis 141, the staple pulley 161 must also rotate in the same direction along with pulleys 111 and 121. If the staple pulley 161 does not rotate along with pulleys 111 and 121 when they rotate around the rotation axis 141, there is a risk that the cartridge 500 connected to the staple pulley 161 will move relative to the first jaw 101 and become separated from the first jaw 101. Furthermore, rotation of the staple pulley 161 that is not synchronized with pulley 111 may cause the reciprocating member 551 to move forward unintentionally, which may result in unintended stapling.

[0515] Next, during the actuation of the end tool 100, the staple pulley 161 rotates together with the pulley 111. That is, when pulleys 111 and 121 perform actuation motions in opposite directions around the rotation axis 141, the staple pulley 161 must rotate together with the pulley 111 in the same direction. If the staple pulley 161 does not rotate together with the pulley 111 when the pulley 111 rotates around the rotation axis 143, there is a risk that the cartridge 500 connected to the staple pulley 161 will move relative to the first jaw 101 and become separated from the first jaw 101. Furthermore, rotation of the staple pulley 161 that is not synchronized with the pulley 111 may cause unintended forward movement of the reciprocating member 551, which may result in unintended stapling.

[0516] On the other hand, pulleys 111 and 121 do not rotate during the stapling and cutting operations of the end tool 100. That is, when the staple pulley 161 rotates around the rotation axis 141 and the reciprocating member 551 of the link member 171 and the cartridge 500 connected thereto move in a linear reciprocating motion, pulleys 111 and 121 must not rotate. Otherwise, the first jaw 101 or the second jaw 102 would rotate during the stapling and cutting operations, preventing the stapling and cutting operations from being performed normally.

[0517] As a result, when the first jaw pulley, pulley 111, rotates, the staple pulley 161 housed inside the first jaw 101 must also rotate with pulley 111. On the other hand, when the staple pulley 161 rotates for stapling and cutting, pulleys 111 and 121 must be formed to maintain their positions without rotating. The correlation between such stapling and cutting operations and other operations (yaw and actuation operations) is as described above.

[0518] Expressed from another perspective, pulleys 111 and 121 can be described as independent of the rotation of the staple pulley 161. That is, even if the staple pulley 161 rotates due to the staple wire, pulleys 111 and 121 do not necessarily have to rotate. Conversely, the staple pulley 161 can be described as dependent on the rotation of pulley 111. That is, if pulley 111 rotates due to the jaw wire, the staple pulley 161 may be designed to rotate together with pulley 111.

[0519] Figures 54 and 56 show the jaw rotated by -90° yaw, and Figures 55 and 57 show the process of actuation in the jaw rotated by -90° yaw. Here, Figures 54 and 55 show the pulley 111, while Figures 56 and 57 show the pulley 111 omitted.

[0520] Figures 58 and 60 show the jaw rotated by +90° yaw, and Figures 59 and 61 show the process of actuation in the jaw rotated by +90° yaw. Here, Figures 58 and 59 show the pulley 111, while Figures 60 and 61 show the pulley 111 omitted.

[0521] As shown in Figures 54 to 61, the end tool of the surgical instrument according to the first embodiment of the present invention is formed so that it can perform normal actuation even when the jaw is yaw-rotated by +90° or -90°.

[0522] Figure 62 is a plan view showing the stapling and cutting operations of the end tool of the surgical instrument shown in Figure 2, illustrating the process of performing stapling and cutting operations with the jaw rotated by +90° yaw. As shown in Figure 62, the end tool of the surgical instrument according to the first embodiment of the present invention is formed so that it can perform stapling and cutting operations normally even when the jaw is rotated by +90° yaw.

[0523] Specifically, with pulleys 111, 121, and 161 of the staple pulley rotated +90 degrees around the rotation axis 141, when the staple pulley 161 rotates alternately clockwise and counterclockwise, the link member 171 and the reciprocating member 551 connected to it repeatedly move forward and backward. When the reciprocating member 551 moves forward, the working member 540 moves forward together with the reciprocating member 551, and when the reciprocating member 551 moves backward, only the reciprocating member 551 moves backward, and the working member 540 stops in place. As this process is repeated, the working member 540 moves toward the distal end 502, and stapling and cutting operations are performed.

[0524] Figure 63 is a plan view showing the stapling and cutting operations of the end tool of the surgical instrument shown in Figure 2, illustrating the process of performing stapling and cutting operations with the jaw rotated by -90° yaw. As shown in Figure 63, the end tool of the surgical instrument according to the first embodiment of the present invention is formed so that it can perform stapling and cutting operations normally even when the jaw is rotated by -90° yaw.

[0525] Specifically, with pulleys 111, 121, and 161 of the staple pulley rotated -90 degrees around the rotation axis 141, when the staple pulley 161 rotates alternately clockwise and counterclockwise, the link member 171 and the reciprocating member 551 connected to it repeatedly move forward and backward. When the reciprocating member 551 moves forward, the working member 540 moves forward together with the reciprocating member 551, and when the reciprocating member 551 moves backward, only the reciprocating member 551 moves backward, and the working member 540 stops in place. As this process is repeated, the working member 540 moves toward the distal part 502, and stapling and cutting operations are performed.

[0526] Figure 64 shows the jaw rotated by -90°, and Figure 65 shows the process of actuation with the jaw rotated by -90°. Figure 66 shows the jaw rotated by +90°, and Figure 67 shows the process of actuation with the jaw rotated by +90°.

[0527] Referring to Figures 64 to 67, it can be seen that the operation of the operating unit 200 and the end tool 100 intuitively coincides when performing pitch operation. That is, when the operating unit 200 rotates in the + direction with respect to the pitch rotation axis (Y axis), the end tool 100 also rotates in the + direction with respect to the pitch rotation axis (Y axis). Also, when the operating unit 200 rotates in the - direction with respect to the pitch rotation axis (Y axis), the end tool 100 also rotates in the - direction with respect to the pitch rotation axis (Y axis). Here, the rotation angles of the operating unit 200 and the end tool 100 may be set in various ways depending on the pulley ratio.

[0528] Figure 68 shows the jaw rotated by +90° yaw, and Figure 69 shows the process of actuation when the jaw is rotated by +90° yaw. Figure 70 shows the jaw rotated by -90° yaw, and Figure 71 shows the process of actuation when the jaw is rotated by -90° yaw.

[0529] Referring to Figures 68 to 71, it can be seen that the operation of the operating unit 200 and the end tool 100 intuitively coincides when performing a yaw motion. That is, when the operating unit 200 rotates in the positive direction with respect to the yaw rotation axis (Z axis), the end tool 100 also rotates in the positive direction with respect to the yaw rotation axis (Z axis). Also, when the operating unit 200 rotates in the negative direction with respect to the yaw rotation axis (Z axis), the end tool 100 also rotates in the negative direction with respect to the yaw rotation axis (Z axis). Here, the rotation angles of the operating unit 200 and the end tool 100 may be set in various ways depending on the pulley ratio.

[0530] Figure 72 shows the jaw rotating by -90° in pitch and +90° in yaw simultaneously. Figure 73 shows the process of actuation when the jaw is rotating by -90° in pitch and +90° in yaw simultaneously. Figure 74 shows the jaw rotating by +90° in pitch and -90° in yaw simultaneously. Figure 75 shows the process of actuation when the jaw is rotating by +90° in pitch and -90° in yaw simultaneously.

[0531] Referring to Figures 72 to 75, it can be seen that even when performing pitch and yaw movements simultaneously, the operation of the control unit 200 and the end tool 100 intuitively coincides.

[0532] <Second Embodiment - Ingrave>

[0533] The following describes the end tool 700 of a surgical instrument according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Here, the end tool 700 of the surgical instrument according to the second embodiment of the present invention differs from the end tool of the surgical instrument according to the first embodiment of the present invention (see 100 in Figure 2, etc.) in the configuration of the end tool hub 780, which acts as an auxiliary pulley. This difference in configuration compared to the first embodiment will be described in detail later.

[0534] Figure 87 is a perspective view showing the end tool of a surgical instrument according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and Figures 88 and 89 are enlarged views of the end tool of the surgical instrument of Figure 87. Figures 90 and 91 are enlarged views showing the end tool of the surgical instrument of Figure 87 from a different angle. Figures 92 and 93 show the jaw of the end tool of the surgical instrument of Figure 87 rotated yaw 90° counterclockwise. Figure 94 is an enlarged perspective view showing the end tool hub of the surgical instrument of Figure 87.

[0535] Here, Figures 89 and 91 show the wire removed, and Figure 93 shows the jaw-pulley coupling and jaw-pulley of the end tool hub removed.

[0536] Referring to Figures 87 to 94, the end tool 700 of the second embodiment of the present invention includes a pair of jaws for performing a gripping action, namely a first jaw 701 and a second jaw 702, where each of the first jaw 701 and the second jaw 702, or the component encompassing the first jaw 701 and the second jaw 702, can be called a jaw 703.

[0537] On the other hand, the end tool 700 includes a plurality of pulleys, including pulleys 711, 713, and 714, which are involved in the rotational motion of the first jaw 701. In this embodiment, the pulleys involved in the rotational motion of the first jaw 701 are substantially the same as pulleys 113, 114, 115, and 116 described in Figure 8 of the first embodiment, so a detailed description thereof is omitted here.

[0538] On the other hand, the end tool 700 includes a plurality of pulleys, including a pulley 721 related to the rotational motion of the second jaw 702. In this embodiment, the pulleys related to the rotational motion of the second jaw 702 are substantially the same as pulleys 123, 124, 125, and 126 described in Figure 8 of the first embodiment, so a detailed description thereof is omitted here.

[0539] Furthermore, the end tool 700 of the second embodiment of the present invention may include a rotating shaft 741, a rotating shaft 743, and a rotating shaft 744. Here, the rotating shaft 741 may be inserted through the end tool hub 780, and the rotating shafts 743 and 744 may be inserted through the pitch hub 707. The rotating shafts 741, 743, and 744 may be arranged sequentially from the distal end 704 to the proximal end 705 of the end tool 700.

[0540] Furthermore, the end tool 700 of the second embodiment of the present invention may include an end tool hub 780 and a pitch hub 707.

[0541] A rotating shaft 741, described later, is inserted through the end tool hub 780, and at least a portion of pulleys 711 and 721, which are axially coupled to the rotating shaft 741, and the first jaws 701 and second jaws 702 coupled thereto, may be housed inside the end tool hub 780. Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that a guide portion 783 that serves as an auxiliary pulley is formed in the end tool hub 780. That is, a guide portion 783 that guides the paths of wires 305 and 302 may be formed in the end tool hub 780.Such a guide portion 783 of the end tool hub 780 can serve as an auxiliary pulley in the first embodiment (see 112, 122, and 162 in Figure 9) to change the wire path, and the guide portion 783 of the end tool hub 780 that serves as an auxiliary pulley in this way will be described in more detail later.

[0542] On the other hand, a pulley 731 that serves as an end tool pitch pulley may be formed at one end of the end tool hub 780. The pulley 731 may be formed from a separate component from the end tool hub 780 and coupled to the end tool hub 780. Alternatively, the pulley 731 may be formed as a one-body unit with the end tool hub 780. Then, the wire (see 303 in Figure 5) and the wire (see 304 in Figure 5) are coupled to the pulley 731 that serves as an end tool pitch pulley, and this pulley 731 rotates around the rotation axis 743 to perform a pitch motion.

[0543] Rotating shafts 743 and 744 are inserted through the pitch hub 707, and the rotating shaft 743 allows the pitch hub 707 to be axially coupled to the end tool hub 780 and the pulley 731. Therefore, the end tool hub 780 and the pulley 731 may be formed to be pitch-rotatable with respect to the pitch hub 707 around the rotating shaft 743.

[0544] On the other hand, the end tool 700 of the second embodiment of the present invention may further include components such as a staple drive assembly (see 150 in Figure 13) including a staple pulley assembly (see 160 in Figure 13) and a staple link assembly (see 170 in Figure 13) for performing stapling and cutting operations.

[0545] The staple pulley assembly (see 160 in Figure 13) may be formed between pulley 711 and pulley 721, adjacent to pulleys 711 and 721. In this embodiment, we assume that the staple pulley assembly (see 160 in Figure 13) includes one staple pulley 761.

[0546] The staple link assembly (see 170 in Figure 13) may include one or more link members 771. The staple link assembly (see 170 in Figure 13) can serve to connect the staple pulley assembly 760 and the reciprocating assembly (see 550 in Figure 22) of the cartridge (see 500 in Figure 22). In this embodiment, we assume that the staple link assembly (see 170 in Figure 13) includes one link member 771, and that the link member 771 includes a first link 772 and a second link 773.

[0547] On the other hand, the second embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that, by arranging a staple pulley assembly (see 160 in Figure 13) and a staple link assembly (see 170 in Figure 13) between the first jaw pulley, pulley 711, and the second jaw pulley, pulley 721, it becomes possible to perform stapling and cutting operations using a cartridge (see 500 in Figure 22) along with the pitch and yaw movements of the end tool 700. In this embodiment, the components for performing the stapling and cutting operations are substantially the same as those described in the first embodiment, so a detailed explanation is omitted here.

[0548] The surgical instrument according to the second embodiment of the present invention may include wires 301, 302, 303, 304, 305, 306, 307, and 308, similar to the first embodiment of the present invention shown in Figure 7, etc.

[0549] Furthermore, the surgical instrument according to this second embodiment may include fastening members 321, 323, 324, 326, 327, and 329 that are connected to each end of each wire in order to connect the wire and the pulley, similar to the first embodiment of the present invention shown in Figure 7, etc.

[0550] The following describes in more detail the end tool hub 780 of the second embodiment of the present invention, with particular emphasis on the guide portion 783 of the end tool hub 780, which serves as an auxiliary pulley.

[0551] The end tool hub 780 includes a first jaw pulley coupling portion 781, a second jaw pulley coupling portion 782, a guide portion 783, a guide groove 784, and a pitch pulley coupling portion 785.

[0552] Specifically, the first jaw-pulley coupling portion 781 and the second jaw-pulley coupling portion 782 are formed to face each other, and the pulleys 711, 721, and staple pulley 761 are housed inside them. Furthermore, through holes are formed in each of the jaw-pulley coupling portions 781 and 782, and the rotating shaft 741 passes through the jaw-pulley coupling portions 781 and 782 and the pulleys 711, 721, and staple pulley 761, connecting them axially.

[0553] The first jaw-pulley coupling portion 781 and the second jaw-pulley coupling portion 782 are connected by a guide portion 783. That is, the first jaw-pulley coupling portion 781 and the second jaw-pulley coupling portion 782, which are parallel to each other, are connected by a guide portion 783 that is formed in a direction substantially perpendicular to them, so that the first jaw-pulley coupling portion 781, the second jaw-pulley coupling portion 782 and the guide portion 783 form a roughly "U" shape, and the pulley 711, the pulley 721 and the staple pulley 761 are housed inside.

[0554] To explain this from another perspective, it can be said that the first jaw-pulley coupling portion 781 and the second jaw-pulley coupling portion 782 are formed extending in the X-axis direction from both ends of the guide portion 783, which is formed to be long in the Z-axis direction.

[0555] Here, the guide portion 783 may be formed in the shape of a cylindrical column with a substantially semicircular cross-section. The semicircular portion may be positioned to protrude toward the pulley 711, the pulley 721, and the staple pulley 761. In other words, the guide portion 783 may be described as being formed to protrude toward the space formed by the first jaw pulley coupling portion 781, the second jaw pulley coupling portion 782, and the guide portion 783. In other words, the region of the guide portion 783 adjacent to the jaw pulley coupling portions 781 and 782 may be described as being formed with a curved cross-section having a predetermined curvature.

[0556] Alternatively, from another perspective, the guide portion 783 can be said to function as a kind of pulley member, with wires 305, 302, 307, and 308 wrapped around its outer surface, guiding the paths of wires 305, 302, 307, and 308. However, the guide portion 783 is not a member that rotates around a predetermined axis like a pulley in the true sense, but is formed to be fixed as part of the end tool hub 780, although it can be said to perform a function somewhat similar to a pulley by having wires wrapped around it.

[0557] Here, the figure shows that the guide portion 783 is formed in the shape of a cylindrical body with a substantially semicircular cross-section. That is, at least a portion of the cross-section of the guide portion 783 on the XY plane is in the shape of a predetermined arc. However, the concept of the present invention is not limited to this, and it can be said that the guide portion may be formed in various shapes and sizes suitable for guiding the paths of wires 305, 302, 307, and 308, such as being formed with a predetermined curvature such as an ellipse or a parabola, or being formed with the corners of a polygonal prism rounded to a certain extent.

[0558] Here, guide grooves 784 may be further formed in the portion of the guide portion 783 that contacts the wires 305, 302, 307, and 308 to better guide the paths of the wires 305, 302, 307, and 308. The guide grooves 784 may be formed in the shape of grooves that are recessed to a certain extent from the protruding surface of the guide portion 783.

[0559] Here, the figure shows that the guide groove 784 is formed on the entire arcuate surface of the guide portion 783. However, the concept of the present invention is not limited to this, and it can be said that the guide groove 784 can be formed only on a part of the arcuate surface of the guide portion 783 as needed.

[0560] By further forming guide grooves 784 in the guide portion 783 in this way, the durability of the wire can be improved.

[0561] In the guide portion 783, a pitch pulley coupling portion 785 may be further formed in the direction opposite to the direction in which the jaw pulley coupling portions 781 and 782 are formed. The pitch pulley coupling portion 785 may be formed in a direction parallel to the pulley 731, which is the pitch pulley, i.e., on the XZ plane. The pitch pulley coupling portion 785 may have a through hole through which a rotating shaft 743 can be inserted, and this rotating shaft 743 can pass through the pitch pulley coupling portion 785 and the pulley 731, thereby coupling the two members. Here, the pitch pulley coupling portion 785 may be formed to a certain extent to one side from the center when viewed from the XY plane, so as to balance the overall structure when the pulley 731 is coupled.

[0562] The role and function of the guide section 783 will be explained in more detail below.

[0563] The guide section 783 can increase the rotation radius of the first jaw 701 and the second jaw 702 by contacting the wires 305 and 302 and changing their arrangement paths to a certain extent.

[0564] Furthermore, the guide portion 783 can increase the rotation radius of the staple pulley 761 by contacting the blade wires 307 and 308 and changing the arrangement path of the wires 307 and 308 to a certain extent.

[0565] In other words, if no auxiliary pulleys are provided, the first jaw pulley (pulley 711), the second jaw pulley (pulley 721), and the staple pulley (pulley 761) can only rotate up to a right angle. However, in the second embodiment of the present invention, by further providing the end tool hub 780 with a guide portion 783, the effect of increasing the maximum rotation angle of each pulley can be obtained.

[0566] This allows the end tool 700 to perform an actuation operation where both jaws must open when both jaws have yaw-rotated by 90°. In other words, the configuration of the guide section 783 of the end tool hub 780 has the characteristic of expanding the range of yaw rotation in which actuation is possible. In other words, the configuration of the guide section 783 of the end tool hub 780 has the characteristic of expanding the range of yaw rotation in which actuation is possible.

[0567] Furthermore, the guide portion 783 of the end tool hub 780, which acts as an auxiliary pulley, allows the staple pulley 761 to rotate further for cutting when both jaws have yaw-rotated by 90°. In other words, the configuration of the guide portion 783 of the end tool hub 780 has the characteristic of expanding the range of yaw rotation in which cutting is possible.

[0568] Furthermore, by forming a guide section 783 on the existing end tool hub 780 without adding a separate structure such as an auxiliary pulley, it is possible to expand the rotation range without adding any parts or manufacturing processes.

[0569] In this way, it becomes unnecessary to add a separate structure for extending the rotation angle, reducing the number of parts, simplifying the manufacturing process, shortening the length of the end tool by the size of the auxiliary pulley, and thus shortening the length of the end tool when performing pitching movements, which in turn makes it easier to perform surgical operations in confined spaces.

[0570] This can be explained in more detail as follows:

[0571] In the end tool 700 of the surgical instrument according to the second embodiment of the present invention, a guide portion 783 that can change the wire path is formed on the inner wall of the end tool hub 780, thereby changing the wire arrangement path without the need for a separate structure. By forming the guide portion 783 on the end tool hub 780 in this way and changing the arrangement paths of wires 305, 302, 307, and 308 to a certain extent, the tangential direction of wires 305, 302, 307, and 308 is changed, and therefore the rotation angle of fastening members 323, 326, and 329 that connect each wire to the pulley is expanded.

[0572] In other words, the fastening member 326 connecting wire 302 and pulley 721 can rotate until it is positioned on the common internal tangent line between pulley 721 and guide portion 783. Similarly, the fastening member connecting wire 305 and pulley 711 (see 323 in Figure 8) can rotate until it is positioned on the common internal tangent line between pulley 711 and guide portion 783, and the rotation angle of the fastening member (see 323 in Figure 8) can be extended. Similarly, the fastening member 329 connecting wires 307 and 308 and pulley 761 can rotate until it is positioned on the common internal tangent line between pulley 761 and guide portion 783, and the rotation angle of the fastening member 329 can be extended.

[0573] To explain this from a different perspective, the wires 301 and 305, which are wrapped around the pulley 711 by the guide section 783, are positioned on one side with respect to a plane perpendicular to the Y-axis and passing through the X-axis. At the same time, the wires 302 and 306, which are wrapped around the pulley 721 by the guide section 783, are positioned on the other side with respect to a plane perpendicular to the Y-axis and passing through the X-axis.

[0574] In other words, pulleys 713 and 714 are positioned on one side with respect to a plane perpendicular to the Y-axis and passing through the X-axis, while pulleys 723 and 724 are positioned on the other side with respect to a plane perpendicular to the Y-axis and passing through the X-axis.

[0575] In other words, wire 305 is located on the inner tangent line between pulley 711 and guide portion 783, and the rotation angle of pulley 711 is extended by guide portion 783. Similarly, wire 302 is located on the inner tangent line between pulley 721 and guide portion 783, and the rotation angle of pulley 721 is extended by guide portion 783.

[0576] Compared to the surgical instrument of the first embodiment, which has a separate auxiliary pulley, this modified surgical instrument, which does not have an auxiliary pulley and has a guide portion 783 formed on the inner wall of the end tool hub 780 that can change the wire path, can shorten the length of the end tool. By shortening the length of the end tool in this way, it becomes easier for the surgeon to operate when performing surgery in the narrow surgical space inside the human body, and the side effects of surgery can be reduced.

[0577] With this invention, the rotational radius of the first jaw pulley (pulley 711), the second jaw pulley (pulley 721), and the staple pulley (pulley 761) is increased, thereby providing the effect of widening the yaw range in which normal opening / closing actuation and cutting operations can be performed.

[0578] <Third Embodiment - Direct Connection Type>

[0579] The following describes the end tool 800 of a surgical instrument according to a third embodiment of the present invention. Here, the end tool 800 of the surgical instrument according to the third embodiment of the present invention differs from the end tool of the surgical instrument according to the first embodiment of the present invention (see 100 in Figure 2, etc.) in the configuration and coupling relationship of the first jaw 801 and the second jaw 802. The following describes in detail the configuration that differs from the first embodiment.

[0580] Figures 95 and 96 are perspective views showing the end tool of a surgical instrument according to a third embodiment of the present invention. Here, Figure 96 shows the end tool hub removed. Figure 97 is a perspective view showing the end tool of the surgical instrument of Figure 96 in an open state, and Figure 98 is a perspective view showing the end tool of the surgical instrument of Figure 96 in a closed state. Figure 99 is a side view showing the end tool of the surgical instrument of Figure 96. Figures 100 and 101 are exploded perspective views of the end tool of the surgical instrument of Figure 96. Figure 102 is a plan view showing the first jaw of the end tool of the surgical instrument of Figure 96 in a fully open state. Figures 103 and 104 are plan views showing the opening and closing operation of the end tool of the surgical instrument of Figure 96.

[0581] Referring to Figures 95 to 104, the end tool 800 of the third embodiment of the present invention includes a pair of jaws 803 for performing a gripping action, namely a first jaw 801 and a second jaw 802. Here, each of the first jaw 801 and the second jaw 802, or the component encompassing the first jaw 801 and the second jaw 802, can be referred to as jaw 803.

[0582] On the other hand, the end tool 800 includes a plurality of pulleys, including pulleys 811 and 812 related to the rotational motion of the first jaw 801. In this embodiment, the pulleys related to the rotational motion of the first jaw 801 are substantially the same as pulleys 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, and 116 described in Figure 8 of the first embodiment, so a detailed explanation is omitted here.

[0583] On the other hand, the end tool 800 includes a plurality of pulleys, including pulleys 821 and 822 related to the rotational motion of the second jaw 802. In this embodiment, the pulleys related to the rotational motion of the second jaw 802 are substantially the same as pulleys 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, and 126 described in Figure 8 of the first embodiment, so a detailed description thereof is omitted here.

[0584] Furthermore, the end tool 800 of the third embodiment of the present invention may include rotating shafts 841, 842, 843, and 844. Here, rotating shafts 841 and 842 may be inserted through the end tool hub 880, and rotating shafts 843 and 844 may be inserted through the pitch hub 807. The rotating shafts 841, 842, 843, and 844 may be arranged sequentially from the distal end 804 to the proximal end 805 of the end tool 800.

[0585] Furthermore, the end tool 800 of the third embodiment of the present invention may include an end tool hub 880 and a pitch hub 807.

[0586] The end tool hub 880 has rotating shafts 841 and 842, which will be described later, inserted through it, and pulleys 811 and 821, which are axially coupled to the rotating shaft 841, and at least a portion of the first jaws 801 and second jaws 802, which are coupled to them, may be housed inside the end tool hub 880.

[0587] Rotating shafts 843 and 844 are inserted through the pitch hub 807, and the pitch hub 807 can be axially coupled to the end tool hub 880 by the rotating shaft 843. Therefore, the end tool hub 880 may be formed to be pitch-rotatable with respect to the pitch hub 807 around the rotating shaft 843.

[0588] On the other hand, the end tool 800 of the third embodiment of the present invention may further include components such as a staple pulley assembly (see 160 in Figure 13) for performing stapling and cutting operations.

[0589] The staple pulley assembly (see 160 in Figure 13) may be formed between pulley 811 and pulley 821, adjacent to pulleys 811 and 821. In this embodiment, we assume that the staple pulley assembly (see 160 in Figure 13) includes one staple pulley 861.

[0590] On the other hand, the third embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that, by arranging a staple pulley assembly (see 160 in Figure 13) between the first jaw pulley, pulley 811, and the second jaw pulley, pulley 821, it becomes possible to perform stapling and cutting operations using a cartridge (see 500 in Figure 22) along with the pitch and yaw movements of the end tool 800. In this embodiment, the components for performing the stapling and cutting operations are substantially the same as those described in the first embodiment, so a detailed explanation is omitted here.

[0591] The first jaws 801 and 802 of the end tool 800 of the surgical instrument according to the third embodiment of the present invention will be described in more detail below.

[0592] The end tool 800 of the surgical instrument according to the third embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that, instead of having a separate jaw pulley rotation axis and jaw rotation axis, one rotation axis 841 simultaneously performs the roles of both the jaw pulley rotation axis and the jaw rotation axis. In other words, in this embodiment, when connecting the first jaw 801 and the second jaw 802, a direct connection structure is adopted instead of the X-shaped structure in the first embodiment.

[0593] In other words, in the first embodiment of the present invention, a rotating shaft that serves as the jaw pulley rotation shaft (see 141 in Figure 17) and a rotating shaft that serves as the jaw rotation shaft (see 145 in Figure 17) are provided separately to increase the gripping force when the jaw is closed. In contrast, in the third embodiment of the present invention, the rotating shaft 841 serves both the role of the jaw rotation shaft and the jaw pulley rotation shaft, so that each jaw and jaw pulley rotate together as a single unit.

[0594] Specifically, the first jaw 801 includes a cartridge housing (see 101a in Figure 14) and a guide groove 801b. The first jaw 801 is formed in an overall elongated rod shape, with the cartridge 500 housed at the distal end 801f and a pulley 811 connected to the proximal end 801g, and is rotatable around the rotation axis 841.

[0595] Here, the figure shows that the first jaw 801 and the pulley 811 are formed as a single unit, but it can also be said that a configuration in which the first jaw 801 and the pulley 811 are formed from separate components and then joined together is also possible.

[0596] The second jaw 802 includes an anvil 802a. The second jaw 802 is formed in an overall elongated rod shape, with an anvil 802a formed on the distal end 802f side and a pulley 812 connected to the proximal end 802g, and is formed to be rotatable around the rotation axis 841.

[0597] Here, the figure shows that the second jaw 802 and the pulley 821 are formed as a single unit, but it can be said that a configuration in which the second jaw 802 and the pulley 821 are formed from separate components and then joined together is also possible.

[0598] The rotating shaft 841, which is the end tool jaw pulley rotation axis, is sequentially inserted through the pulley 811, which is coupled to (or formed integrally with) the first jaw 801, the staple pulley 861, and the pulley 821, which is coupled to (or formed integrally with) the second jaw 802.

[0599] Therefore, the pulley 811, staple pulley 861, and pulley 821, which are coupled to (or formed integrally with) the first jaw 801, all rotate around the rotation axis 841.

[0600] Furthermore, a third embodiment of the present invention includes an auxiliary pulley 812. The auxiliary pulley 812 can increase the rotational radius of the first jaw 801 and the second jaw 802 by contacting the wires 305 and 302 and changing the arrangement paths of the wires 305 and 302 to a certain extent.

[0601] As a result, unlike the first embodiment, this embodiment is characterized in that there is no separate jaw rotation axis that restrains the first jaw 801 and the second jaw 802, so the rotation angle between the first jaw 801 and the second jaw 802 is extended to about 120 degrees. Furthermore, since the first jaw 801 and the second jaw 802 are connected by a single axis without a separate connecting structure for the X-shaped connection between the first jaw 801 and the second jaw 802, the number of parts is reduced and manufacturing becomes easier.

[0602] <Fourth Embodiment - Dual Rack>

[0603] The following describes the end tool 900 of a surgical instrument according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. Here, the end tool 900 of the surgical instrument according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention differs from the end tool of the surgical instrument according to the first embodiment of the present invention (see 100 in Figure 2, etc.) in that the staple link assembly 970 and the reciprocating assembly 950 of the cartridge 910 are characteristically different. The following describes in detail the configuration that differs from the first embodiment.

[0604] Figures 105 and 106 are perspective views showing the end tool of a surgical instrument according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. Here, Figure 106 shows the end tool hub removed. Figures 107 and 108 are perspective views of the end tool of the surgical instrument of Figure 105 from a different angle. Here, Figure 108 shows the end tool hub removed. Figure 109 is a side view showing the end tool of the surgical instrument of Figure 105. Figures 110 and 111 are exploded perspective views of the end tool of the surgical instrument of Figure 105. Figure 112 is an exploded perspective view of the staple link assembly of the surgical instrument of Figure 105. Figures 113 and 114 are side and top views showing the various operating states of the staple link assembly of Figure 105. Figure 115 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the end tool of the surgical instrument of Figure 105. Figures 116 and 117 are perspective views showing the different operating states of the end tool in Figure 115. Figures 118 and 119 are perspective views showing the different operating states of the end tool in Figure 115. Here, Figures 118 and 119 mainly show the operation of the reciprocating assembly and the staple link assembly. Figures 120 and 121 are perspective views showing the different operating states of the end tool in Figure 115. Here, Figures 120 and 121 mainly show the operation of the reciprocating assembly and the working member.

[0605] Referring to Figures 105 to 121, the end tool 900 of the fourth embodiment of the present invention includes a pair of jaws 903 for performing a gripping action, namely a first jaw 901 and a second jaw 902. Here, the first jaw 901 and the second jaw 902, or the component encompassing the first jaw 901 and the second jaw 902, can be referred to as jaw 903.

[0606] On the other hand, the end tool 900 includes a plurality of pulleys, including pulleys 911 and 912 related to the rotational motion of the first jaw 901. In this embodiment, the pulleys related to the rotational motion of the first jaw 901 are substantially the same as pulleys 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, and 116 described in Figure 8 of the first embodiment, so a detailed explanation is omitted here.

[0607] On the other hand, the end tool 900 includes a plurality of pulleys, including pulleys 921 and 922 related to the rotational motion of the second jaw 902. In this embodiment, the pulleys related to the rotational motion of the second jaw 902 are substantially the same as pulleys 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, and 126 described in Figure 8 of the first embodiment, so a detailed explanation is omitted here.

[0608] Furthermore, the end tool 900 of the fourth embodiment of the present invention may include a rotating shaft 941, a rotating shaft 942, a rotating shaft 933, and a rotating shaft 944. Here, the rotating shafts 941 and 942 may be inserted through the end tool hub 980, and the rotating shafts 933 and 944 may be inserted through the pitch hub 907. The rotating shafts 941, 942, 933, and 944 may be arranged sequentially from the distal end 904 to the proximal end 905 of the end tool 900.

[0609] Furthermore, the end tool 900 of the fourth embodiment of the present invention may include an end tool hub 980 and a pitch hub 907.

[0610] Rotating shafts 941 and 942 are inserted through the end tool hub 980, and pulleys 911 and 921, which are axially coupled to the rotating shaft 941, and at least a portion of the first jaws 901 and second jaws 902 coupled to them may be housed inside the end tool hub 980.

[0611] Rotating shafts 933 and 944 are inserted through the pitch hub 907, and the pitch hub 907 can be axially coupled to the end tool hub 980 by the rotating shaft 933. Therefore, the end tool hub 980 may be formed to be pitch-rotatable with respect to the pitch hub 907 around the rotating shaft 933.

[0612] On the other hand, the end tool 900 of the fourth embodiment of the present invention may further include components such as a staple drive assembly (see 150 in Figure 13) including a staple pulley assembly 960 and a staple link assembly 970 for performing stapling and cutting operations.

[0613] The staple pulley assembly 960 may be formed between pulley 911 and pulley 921, adjacent to pulley 911 and pulley 921. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the staple pulley assembly 960 includes one staple pulley 961.

[0614] A fourth embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that, by arranging a staple pulley assembly 960 between a first jaw pulley, pulley 911, and a second jaw pulley, pulley 921, it becomes possible to perform stapling and cutting operations using a cartridge 910, along with the pitch and yaw movements of the end tool 900.

[0615] The following describes in more detail the staple pulley assembly 960, staple link assembly 970, and reciprocating assembly 950 of the end tool 900 and cartridge 910 of the surgical instrument according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

[0616] An end tool 900 of a surgical instrument according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the staple link assembly 970 includes a first link member 971 and a second link member 976, and the reciprocating assembly 950 of the cartridge 910 includes a first reciprocating member 951 and a second reciprocating member 952, thereby forming a kind of dual rack structure.

[0617] Referring to Figures 105 to 121, the staple pulley assembly 960 may include one or more staple pulleys 961.

[0618] The staple pulley 961 may have a shaft through-hole 961a. The shaft through-hole 961a may be formed in the shape of a hole, and the rotating shaft 941, which is the rotating shaft of the end tool jaw pulley, may be inserted through the shaft through-hole 961a.

[0619] Furthermore, the staple pulley 961 may have a first link coupling portion 961b and a second link coupling portion 961c formed thereon. The first link coupling portion 961b may be coupled to the first link member 971 of the staple link assembly 970, and the second link coupling portion 961c may be coupled to the second link member 976 of the staple link assembly 970. Here, the first link coupling portion 961b and the second link coupling portion 961c may be arranged on opposite sides of each other with respect to the central axis of the staple pulley 961.

[0620] On the other hand, the end tool 900 of the fourth embodiment of the present invention may further include a staple link assembly 970 connected to a staple pulley assembly 960. Here, the staple link assembly 970 can serve to connect the staple pulley assembly 960 to the reciprocating assembly 950 of the cartridge 910, which will be described later. The end tool 900 of the fourth embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the staple link assembly 970 includes two pairs of link members, a first link member 971 and a second link member 976.

[0621] The first link member 971 may include a first link 972 and a second link 973.

[0622] The first link 972 is formed in the shape of an elongated bar, and through holes may be formed at both ends. The first link coupling portion 961b of the staple pulley 961 may be inserted through the through hole at one end of the first link 972. The second link 973 may be inserted through the through hole at the other end of the first link 972.

[0623] The second link 973 may be formed in the shape of an elongated bar and connected to the first link 972. The second link 973 may include a first projection 973a, a second projection 973b, and a fastening portion 973c.

[0624] Specifically, a first projection 973a may be formed at one end of the second link 973. By fitting this first projection 973a into the through hole of the first link 972 and axially connecting them, the second link 973 can be connected to the first link 972. Alternatively, the first projection 973a may be fitted into the first guide groove 901b of the first jaw 901, which will be described later.

[0625] On the other hand, a second projection 973b may be formed in a region of the central part of the second link 973. The second projection 973b may be fitted into the first guide groove 901b of the first jaw 901, which will be described later.

[0626] In this way, with the first protrusions 973a and 973b of the second link 973, which are formed in a protruding shape, fitted into the groove-shaped first guide groove 901b, the first link member 971 moves relative to the first jaw 901 (and the cartridge 910 inside it) as the first protrusions 973a and 973b move along the first guide groove 901b. This will be explained in more detail later.

[0627] On the other hand, a fastening portion 973c may be formed at the other end of the second link 973. This fastening portion 973c may be connected to a fastening portion 951a of the first reciprocating member 951 of the cartridge 910, which will be described later.

[0628] In the state shown in Figure 113, when the staple pulley 961 rotates in the direction of arrow A1 in Figure 114 (i.e., clockwise), the first link member 971 connected to the staple pulley 961 can move in the direction of arrow B1 in Figure 114, in other words, in the direction of the distal part 901f of the first jaw 901. Conversely, when the staple pulley 961 rotates counterclockwise, the first link member 971 connected to the staple pulley 961 can move in the direction of arrow C1 in Figure 114, in other words, in the direction of the proximal part 901g of the first jaw 901.

[0629] Therefore, the bidirectional rotational motion of the staple pulley assembly 960 can cause the reciprocating linear motion of the first reciprocating member 951 of the cartridge 910 via the first link member 971 of the staple link assembly 970. This will be explained in more detail later.

[0630] The second link member 976 may include a third link 977 and a fourth link 978.

[0631] The third link 977 is formed in an elongated bar shape, and through holes may be formed at both ends. The second link coupling portion 961c of the staple pulley 961 may be inserted through the through hole at one end of the third link 977. The fourth link 978 may be inserted through the through hole at the other end of the third link 977.

[0632] The fourth link 978 may be formed in the shape of a bar that has been bent once or more and may be connected to the third link 977. The fourth link 978 may include a first projection 978a, a second projection 978b, and a fastening portion 978c.

[0633] Specifically, a first projection 978a may be formed at one end of the fourth link 978. This first projection 978a can be fitted into the through hole of the third link 977 and axially coupled, thereby connecting the fourth link 978 to the third link 977. Alternatively, the first projection 978a may be fitted into the second guide groove 901c of the first jaw 901, which will be described later.

[0634] On the other hand, a second projection 978b may be formed in a region of the central part of the fourth link 978. The second projection 978b may be fitted into the second guide groove 901c of the first jaw 901, which will be described later.

[0635] In this way, with the first projection 978a and the second projection 978b of the fourth link 978, which are formed in a protruding shape, fitted into the groove-shaped second guide groove 901c, the second link member 976 moves relative to the first jaw 901 (and the cartridge 910 inside it) as the first projection 978a and the second projection 978b move along the second guide groove 901c. This will be explained in more detail later.

[0636] On the other hand, a fastening portion 978c may be formed at the other end of the fourth link 978. This fastening portion 978c may be connected to a fastening portion 952a of the second reciprocating member 952 of the cartridge 910, which will be described later.

[0637] Here, the fourth link 978 may include two horizontal regions and one vertical region connecting them.

[0638] Specifically, since the first link coupling portion 961b and the second link coupling portion 961c are positioned on opposite sides of each other with respect to the central axis of the staple pulley 961, there is a height difference (with respect to the Z-axis direction) between the first link 972, which is coupled to the first link coupling portion 961b, and the third link 977, which is coupled to the second link coupling portion 961c.

[0639] In contrast, it is structurally easy for the first reciprocating member 951 and the second reciprocating member 952 of the reciprocating assembly 950, which will be described later, to be positioned at the same height relative to each other (with respect to the Z-axis direction).

[0640] Therefore, in order to connect the third link 977 and the second reciprocating member 952, the fourth link 978 may be formed in the shape of a bar that has been bent one or more times.

[0641] Here, a first protrusion 978a and a second protrusion 978b may be formed in the first horizontal region, and a fastening portion 978c may be formed in the second horizontal region.

[0642] In the state shown in Figure 113, when the staple pulley 961 rotates in the direction of arrow A1 in Figure 114 (i.e., clockwise), the second link member 976 connected to the staple pulley 961 can move in the direction of arrow C1 in Figure 114, in other words, in the direction of the proximal part 901g of the first jaw 901. Conversely, when the staple pulley 961 rotates counterclockwise, the second link member 976 connected to the staple pulley 961 can move in the direction of arrow B1 in Figure 114, in other words, in the direction of the distal part 901f of the first jaw 901.

[0643] Therefore, the bidirectional rotational motion of the staple pulley assembly 960 can cause the reciprocating linear motion of the second reciprocating member 952 of the cartridge 910 via the second link member 976 of the staple link assembly 970. This will be explained in more detail later.

[0644] As described above, the first link coupling portion 961b and the second link coupling portion 961c may be arranged on opposite sides of each other with respect to the central axis of the staple pulley 961. The first link member 971 is coupled to the first link coupling portion 961b, and the second link member 976 is coupled to the second link coupling portion 961c.

[0645] Therefore, when the staple pulley 961 rotates in one direction (for example, clockwise), the first link member 971 moves forward and the second link member 976 moves backward. On the other hand, when the staple pulley 961 rotates in another direction (for example, counterclockwise), the first link member 971 moves backward and the second link member 976 moves forward.

[0646] With this configuration, when the staple pulley 961 rotates alternately clockwise and counterclockwise, the first link member 971 and the second link member 976 perform linear reciprocating motion, and at this time, the first link member 971 and the second link member 976 move in opposite directions. That is, when the first link member 971 moves forward (i.e., moves toward the distal end), the second link member 976 moves backward (i.e., moves toward the proximal end). Conversely, when the first link member 971 moves backward (i.e., moves toward the proximal end), the second link member 976 moves forward (i.e., moves toward the distal end).

[0647] (cartridge)

[0648] The cartridge 910 of the end tool 900 of the surgical instrument according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described in more detail below.

[0649] A cartridge 910 of an end tool 900 for a surgical instrument according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the reciprocating assembly 950 includes a first reciprocating member 951 and a second reciprocating member 952.

[0650] Specifically, referring to Figures 115 to 117, the cartridge 910 is formed to be attachable to and detachable from the first jaw 101 and contains a plurality of staples (see 530 in Figure 22) and a working member 940 for suturing and cutting tissue.

[0651] Here, the cartridge 910 may include a cover (see 510 in Figure 22), a housing 920, staples (see 530 in Figure 22), a working member 940, and a reciprocating assembly 950.

[0652] The housing 920 forms the outer shape of the cartridge 910 and is formed in a form in which one side (the top surface) is removed from an overall hollow box, and may be formed to house the reciprocating assembly 950, the working member 940, and the staples (see 530 in Figure 22) inside. Here, the housing 920 may be formed with a cross-section that is roughly "U" shaped.

[0653] Multiple staples (see 530 in Figure 22) may be placed inside the housing 920. As the working member 940, described later, moves linearly in one direction, the multiple staples (see 530 in Figure 22) are sequentially pushed up from the inside to the outside of the housing 920, thereby performing suture, or stapling.

[0654] A reciprocating assembly 950 may be located at the bottom of the housing 920. In this embodiment, the reciprocating assembly 950 includes a first reciprocating member 951 and a second reciprocating member 952.

[0655] In this embodiment, the first reciprocating member 951 and the second reciprocating member 952 may be racks. The first reciprocating member 951 may include a recessed portion 951b and a fastening portion 951a.

[0656] Specifically, the first reciprocating member 951 may be formed in the shape of an elongated bar, and a plurality of sawtooth-shaped protrusions 951b may be formed on one surface. These protrusions 951b may be formed to be in contact with the working member 940, which will be described later, in particular the ratchet member 943 of the working member 940. In other words, the first reciprocating member 951 may include a plurality of protrusions 951b that are shaped to engage with the first ratchet 943a of the ratchet member 943.

[0657] Similarly, the second reciprocating member 952 may include a protruding portion 952b and a fastening portion 952a. That is, the second reciprocating member 952 may include a plurality of protruding portions 952b that are shaped to engage with the second ratchet 943b of the ratchet member 943.

[0658] Here, the first reciprocating member 951 and the second reciprocating member 952 may not be fixedly coupled to other components of the cartridge 910, but may be formed to be movable relative to other components of the cartridge 910. That is, the first reciprocating member 951 and the second reciprocating member 952 can perform reciprocating linear motion with respect to the housing 920 and the cover 510 coupled to the housing 920.

[0659] On the other hand, a fastening portion 951a may be formed on the proximal end side of the first reciprocating member 951 adjacent to the pulley 911, and this fastening portion 951a may be fastened and connected to the first link member 971 of the staple link assembly 970 of the end tool 900. Therefore, when the first link member 971 performs reciprocating linear motion along the direction in which the connecting portion 400 extends (i.e., the Y-axis direction), the first reciprocating member 951 fastened to it can also perform reciprocating linear motion along the direction in which the connecting portion 400 extends (i.e., the Y-axis direction).

[0660] Similarly, a fastening portion 952a may be formed on the proximal end side of the second reciprocating member 952 adjacent to the pulley 911, and this fastening portion 952a may be fastened and connected to the second link member 976 of the staple link assembly 970 of the end tool 900. Therefore, when the second link member 976 performs reciprocating linear motion along the direction in which the connecting portion 400 extends (i.e., the Y-axis direction), the second reciprocating member 952 fastened to it can also perform reciprocating linear motion along the direction in which the connecting portion 400 extends (i.e., the Y-axis direction).

[0661] A working member 940 may be positioned inside the housing 920. The working member 940 may be formed to be in contact with the first reciprocating member 951 and the second reciprocating member 952, and to move linearly in one direction in response to the reciprocating linear motion of the first reciprocating member 951 and the second reciprocating member 952. In other words, the working member 940 interacts with the first reciprocating member 951 and the second reciprocating member 952, performing stapling and cutting while moving along the extending direction of the connecting portion 400.

[0662] The working member 940 may include a wedge (see 541 in Figure 22), a blade (see 542 in Figure 22), a ratchet member 943, and an elastic member (see 544 in Figure 22). Here, the figure shows the working member 940 with the ratchet member 943 excluded, i.e., the remaining components, i.e., the wedge, blade, etc., omitted, but it goes without saying that such components may also be included in the working member 940.

[0663] The ratchet member 943 may include a first ratchet 943a and a second ratchet 943b. Here, the first ratchet 943a may be formed to engage with the first reciprocating member 951, and the second ratchet 943b may be formed to engage with the second reciprocating member 952. That is, the first ratchet 943a engages (or makes close contact with) the first reciprocating member 951, causing the working member 940 to move forward by the first reciprocating member 951, and the second ratchet 943b engages (or makes close contact with) the second reciprocating member 952, causing the working member 940 to move forward by the second reciprocating member 952, and these operations are performed alternately.

[0664] Here, due to the structural shape of the ratchet member 943 itself, the ratchet member 943 can alternately make close contact with the first reciprocating member 951 and the second reciprocating member 952, even without the provision of a separate elastic member. This will be explained in more detail below.

[0665] (Operation of reciprocating assembly and working member)

[0666] The operation of the reciprocating assembly 950 and the working member 940 will be described in more detail below.

[0667] Figures 120 and 121 show the various operating states of the reciprocating assembly 950 and the working member 940. Here, Figure 120(a) shows the state in which the first ratchet 943a of the ratchet member 943 and the first reciprocating member 951 are in close contact, Figure 120(e) shows the state in which the second ratchet 943b of the ratchet member 943 and the second reciprocating member 952 are in close contact, and Figure 120(i) shows the state in which the first ratchet 943a of the ratchet member 943 and the first reciprocating member 951 are again in close contact.

[0668] Figures 120(a) to 120(e) show the operating state while the staple pulley 961 rotates counterclockwise (opposite direction to arrow A1 in Figure 114) and the second reciprocating member 952 moves forward. Figures 120(e) to 120(i) show the operating state while the staple pulley 961 rotates clockwise (in the direction of arrow A1 in Figure 114) and the first reciprocating member 951 moves forward.

[0669] First, let's explain the operations shown in Figures 120(a) through 120(e).

[0670] Figure 120(a) shows the state in which the first ratchet 943a of the ratchet member 943 and the first reciprocating member 951 are in close contact.

[0671] In this state, when the staple pulley 961 rotates counterclockwise (opposite to arrow A1 in Figure 114), the first reciprocating member 951 moves in the direction of arrow b1 (i.e., backward) as shown in Figure 120(b), and the second reciprocating member 952 moves in the direction of arrow b2 (i.e., forward). As a result, the protrusions 951b of the first reciprocating member 951 push the first ratchet 943a of the ratchet member 943 toward the second reciprocating member 952, causing the ratchet member 943 to rotate as a whole in the direction of arrow b3. When the ratchet member 943 rotates in the direction of arrow b3, the first ratchet 943a of the ratchet member 943 begins to separate from the protrusions 951b of the first reciprocating member 951, and the second ratchet 943b of the ratchet member 943 begins to contact the protrusions 952b of the second reciprocating member 952.

[0672] In this state, if the staple pulley 961 rotates further counterclockwise (opposite to arrow A1 in Figure 114), the first reciprocating member 951 moves further in the direction of arrow c1 (i.e., backward), as shown in Figure 120(c), and the second reciprocating member 952 moves further in the direction of arrow c2 (i.e., forward). As a result, the protrusions 951b of the first reciprocating member 951 push the first ratchet 943a of the ratchet member 943 further toward the second reciprocating member 952, causing the ratchet member 943 to rotate further in the direction of arrow c3. As the ratchet member 943 rotates in the direction of arrow c3, the first ratchet 943a of the ratchet member 943 moves further away from the uneven portion 951b of the first reciprocating member 951, and the second ratchet 943b of the ratchet member 943 comes into further contact with the uneven portion 952b of the second reciprocating member 952.

[0673] In this state, if the staple pulley 961 rotates further counterclockwise (opposite to arrow A1 in Figure 114), the first reciprocating member 951 moves further in the direction of arrow d1 (i.e., backward), as shown in Figure 120(d), and the second reciprocating member 952 moves further in the direction of arrow d2 (i.e., forward). As a result, the protrusions 951b of the first reciprocating member 951 push the first ratchet 943a of the ratchet member 943 further toward the second reciprocating member 952, causing the ratchet member 943 to rotate further in the direction of arrow d3. Then, as the ratchet member 943 rotates in the direction of arrow d3, the first ratchet 943a of the ratchet member 943 completely separates from the uneven portion 951b of the first reciprocating member 951, and the second ratchet 943b of the ratchet member 943 comes into close contact with the uneven portion 952b of the second reciprocating member 952.

[0674] In this state, if the staple pulley 961 rotates further counterclockwise (opposite to arrow A1 in Figure 114), the first reciprocating member 951 moves further in the direction of arrow e1 (i.e., backward), as shown in Figure 120(e), and the second reciprocating member 952 moves further in the direction of arrow e2 (i.e., forward). Then, since the second ratchet 943b of the ratchet member 943 is in close contact with the uneven portion 952b of the second reciprocating member 952, the ratchet member 943 moves linearly in the direction of arrow e4 by the second reciprocating member 952.

[0675] Next, we will explain the operations from Figure 120(e) to Figure 120(i).

[0676] Figure 120(e) shows the state in which the second ratchet 943b of the ratchet member 943 and the second reciprocating member 952 are in close contact.

[0677] In this state, when the staple pulley 961 rotates clockwise (in the direction of arrow A1 in Figure 114), as shown in Figure 120(f), the first reciprocating member 951 moves in the direction of arrow f1 (i.e., forward), and the second reciprocating member 952 moves in the direction of arrow f2 (i.e., backward). As a result, the protrusions 952b of the second reciprocating member 952 push the second ratchet 943b of the ratchet member 943 toward the first reciprocating member 951, causing the ratchet member 943 to rotate as a whole in the direction of arrow f3. When the ratchet member 943 rotates in the direction of arrow f3, the second ratchet 943b of the ratchet member 943 begins to separate from the protrusions 952b of the second reciprocating member 952, and the first ratchet 943a of the ratchet member 943 begins to contact the protrusions 951b of the first reciprocating member 951.

[0678] In this state, if the staple pulley 961 rotates further clockwise (in the direction of arrow A1 in Figure 114), the first reciprocating member 951 moves further in the direction of arrow g1 (i.e., forward), and the second reciprocating member 952 moves further in the direction of arrow g2 (i.e., backward), as shown in Figure 120(g). As a result, the protrusions 952b of the second reciprocating member 952 push the second ratchet 943b of the ratchet member 943 further toward the first reciprocating member 951, causing the ratchet member 943 to rotate further in the direction of arrow g3. Then, as the ratchet member 943 rotates in the direction of arrow g3, the second ratchet 943b of the ratchet member 943 moves further away from the uneven portion 952b of the second reciprocating member 952, and the first ratchet 943a of the ratchet member 943 comes into further contact with the uneven portion 951b of the first reciprocating member 951.

[0679] In this state, if the staple pulley 961 rotates further clockwise (in the direction of arrow A1 in Figure 114), the first reciprocating member 951 moves further in the direction of arrow h1 (i.e., forward), and the second reciprocating member 952 moves further in the direction of arrow h2 (i.e., backward), as shown in Figure 120(h). As a result, the protrusions 952b of the second reciprocating member 952 push the second ratchet 943b of the ratchet member 943 further toward the first reciprocating member 951, causing the ratchet member 943 to rotate further in the direction of arrow h3. Then, as the ratchet member 943 rotates in the direction of arrow h3, the second ratchet 943b of the ratchet member 943 completely separates from the uneven portion 952b of the second reciprocating member 952, and the first ratchet 943a of the ratchet member 943 comes into close contact with the uneven portion 951b of the first reciprocating member 951.

[0680] In this state, if the staple pulley 961 rotates further clockwise (in the direction of arrow A1 in Figure 114), as shown in Figure 120(i), the first reciprocating member 951 moves further in the direction of arrow i1 (i.e., forward), and the second reciprocating member 952 moves further in the direction of arrow i2 (i.e., backward). Then, since the first ratchet 943a of the ratchet member 943 is in close contact with the uneven portion 951b of the first reciprocating member 951, the ratchet member 943 moves linearly in the direction of arrow i4 by the first reciprocating member 951.

[0681] Figure 121 is an excerpt of some of the operations shown in Figure 120, and primarily illustrates the forward movement of the work member 940.

[0682] Figure 121(a) shows the state in which the first ratchet 943a of the ratchet member 943 and the first reciprocating member 951 are in close contact, Figure 121(e) shows the state in which the second ratchet 943b of the ratchet member 943 and the second reciprocating member 952 are in close contact, and Figure 121(i) shows the state in which the first ratchet 943a of the ratchet member 943 and the first reciprocating member 951 are again in close contact.

[0683] In the state shown in Figure 121(a), when the staple pulley 961 rotates counterclockwise (opposite to arrow A1 in Figure 114), the first reciprocating member 951 moves in the direction of arrow e1 (i.e., retracts), and the second reciprocating member 952 moves in the direction of arrow e2 (i.e., moves forward), as shown in Figure 121(e).

[0684] As a result, the uneven surface 951b of the first reciprocating member 951 pushes the first ratchet 943a of the ratchet member 943 toward the second reciprocating member 952. This causes the ratchet member 943 to rotate as a whole in the direction of arrow e3, the first ratchet 943a of the ratchet member 943 to separate from the uneven surface 951b of the first reciprocating member 951, and the second ratchet 943b of the ratchet member 943 to come into close contact with the uneven surface 952b of the second reciprocating member 952.

[0685] In this state, if the staple pulley 961 rotates further counterclockwise (opposite to arrow A1 in Figure 114), the second ratchet 943b of the ratchet member 943 will be in close contact with the uneven portion 952b of the second reciprocating member 952, causing the ratchet member 943 to move linearly in the direction of arrow e4 by the second reciprocating member 952.

[0686] On the other hand, in the state shown in Figure 121(e), when the staple pulley 961 rotates clockwise (in the direction of arrow A1 in Figure 114), the first reciprocating member 951 moves in the direction of arrow i1 (i.e., moves forward), and the second reciprocating member 952 moves in the direction of arrow i2 (i.e., moves backward), as shown in Figure 121(i).

[0687] As a result, the uneven surface 952b of the second reciprocating member 952 pushes the second ratchet 943b of the ratchet member 943 toward the first reciprocating member 951, causing the ratchet member 943 to rotate as a whole in the direction of arrow i3, the second ratchet 943b of the ratchet member 943 to separate from the uneven surface 952b of the second reciprocating member 952, and the first ratchet 943a of the ratchet member 943 to come into close contact with the uneven surface 951b of the first reciprocating member 951.

[0688] In this state, if the staple pulley 961 rotates further clockwise (in the direction of arrow A1 in Figure 114), the first ratchet 943a of the ratchet member 943 will be in close contact with the uneven portion 951b of the first reciprocating member 951, causing the ratchet member 943 to move linearly in the direction of arrow i4 by the first reciprocating member 951.

[0689] The overall operation of this embodiment will be described below.

[0690] Figures 118 and 119 are perspective views showing the different operating states of the end tool in Figure 115. Here, Figure 118 shows the staple pulley rotating clockwise, and Figure 119 shows the staple pulley rotating counterclockwise.

[0691] Figure 118(a) shows the state in which the first ratchet 943a of the ratchet member 943 and the first reciprocating member 951 are in close contact. In this state, when the staple pulley 961 rotates continuously in the direction of b1 in Figure 118(b) and c1 in Figure 118(c), the first reciprocating member 951 moves in the direction of b2 in Figure 118(b) and c2 in Figure 118(c) by the first link member 971 connected to the staple pulley 961. At the same time, the second reciprocating member 952 moves in the direction of b3 in Figure 118(b) and c3 in Figure 118(c) by the second link member 976 connected to the staple pulley 961. Furthermore, since the first ratchet 943a of the ratchet member 943 is in close contact with the uneven portion 951b of the first reciprocating member 951, the ratchet member 943 is moved linearly by the first reciprocating member 951 in the direction of b4 in Figure 118(b) and c4 in Figure 118(c).

[0692] Figure 119(a) shows the state in which the second ratchet 943b of the ratchet member 943 and the second reciprocating member 952 are in close contact. In this state, when the staple pulley 961 rotates continuously in the direction of b1 in Figure 119(b) and c1 in Figure 119(c), the first reciprocating member 951 moves in the direction of b2 in Figure 119(b) and c2 in Figure 119(c) by the first link member 971 connected to the staple pulley 961. At the same time, the second reciprocating member 952 moves in the direction of b3 in Figure 119(b) and c3 in Figure 119(c) by the second link member 976 connected to the staple pulley 961. Furthermore, since the second ratchet 943b of the ratchet member 943 is in close contact with the uneven portion 952b of the second reciprocating member 952, the ratchet member 943 is moved linearly by the second reciprocating member 952 in the direction of b4 in Figure 119(b) and c4 in Figure 119(c).

[0693] In conclusion, when the staple pulley 961 rotates in one direction, the first reciprocating member 951 moves forward and the second reciprocating member 952 moves backward. As the second reciprocating member 952 moves backward, it pushes the working member 940 toward the first reciprocating member 951, causing the working member 940 to be in close contact with the first reciprocating member 951. The first reciprocating member 951 then moves the working member 940 forward.

[0694] On the other hand, when the staple pulley 961 rotates in the other direction, the second reciprocating member 952 moves forward and the first reciprocating member 951 moves backward. At this time, the moving first reciprocating member 951 pushes the working member 940 toward the second reciprocating member 952, causing the working member 940 to be in close contact with the second reciprocating member 952, and the moving second reciprocating member 952 moves the working member 940 forward.

[0695] As a result, when the staple pulley 961 rotates in one direction, the first reciprocating member 951 advances the working member 940, and when the staple pulley 961 rotates in the opposite direction, the second reciprocating member 952 advances the working member 940. Compared to the first embodiment, the forward speed of the working member 940 is approximately doubled, resulting in the effect of shortening the stapling and cutting time.

[0696] <Fifth Embodiment - Pin / Slot Type>

[0697] The following describes the end tool 1000 of a surgical instrument according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. Here, the end tool 1000 of the surgical instrument according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention differs in the configuration of the staple pulley assembly 1060 and the staple link assembly 1070 compared to the end tool of the surgical instrument according to the first embodiment of the present invention (see 100 in Figure 2, etc.). The following describes in detail the configuration that differs from the first embodiment.

[0698] Figure 122 is a perspective view showing the end tool of a surgical instrument according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention, and Fi...

Claims

1. A first jaw and a second jaw that can rotate independently of each other, A first jaw pulley is coupled to the first jaw and formed to be rotatable about the first axis, A second jaw pulley is coupled to the second jaw and is formed to be rotatable about an axis that is the same as or parallel to the first axis. A staple pulley is formed to be rotatable about an axis identical to or parallel to the first axis and is positioned adjacent to the first jaw pulley or the second jaw pulley, and An end tool for a surgical instrument, including a staple link assembly connected to the staple pulley and reciprocating in accordance with the bidirectional rotation of the staple pulley.

2. The end tool of a surgical instrument according to claim 1, characterized in that the staple link assembly is coupled to a reciprocating assembly of a cartridge housed in the first jaw, causing the reciprocating assembly to reciprocate.

3. The end tool of a surgical instrument according to claim 1, characterized in that the staple link assembly moves distally or proximal to the end tool depending on the rotation direction of the staple pulley.

4. The end tool for a surgical instrument according to claim 1, characterized in that a protrusion is formed on one side of the staple pulley and the staple link assembly, and a hole is formed on the other side, and the protrusion is axially coupled to the hole.

5. A protruding member is formed on the staple pulley, and a slot is formed on the staple link assembly. The end tool of a surgical instrument according to claim 1, characterized in that when the staple pulley rotates, the protruding member moves within the slot while in contact with the slot.

6. The end tool of a surgical instrument according to claim 5, characterized in that the staple link assembly includes a single link.

7. The end tool of a surgical instrument according to claim 1, characterized in that the staple link assembly includes a link member.

8. The aforementioned link member is The first link connected to the staple pulley and An end tool of a surgical instrument according to claim 7, comprising a second link coupled to the first link.

9. The end tool of a surgical instrument according to claim 1, characterized in that the staple link assembly includes a first link member and a second link member.

10. The cartridge housed within the first jaw includes a first reciprocating member and a second reciprocating member, The end tool of a surgical instrument according to claim 9, characterized in that the first link member is connected to the first reciprocating member, and the second link member is connected to the second reciprocating member.

11. The first jaw has a guide groove formed along its longitudinal direction. The end tool of a surgical instrument according to claim 1, characterized in that the staple link assembly moves along the guide groove.

12. A pair of end tool first jaw pitch main pulleys formed on one side of the first jaw pulley and rotatable about a second axis that makes a predetermined angle with the first axis, and An end tool for a surgical instrument according to claim 1, comprising a pair of end tool second jaw pitch main pulleys formed on one side of the second jaw pulley and rotatably formed about an axis identical to or parallel to the second axis.

13. The end tool of a surgical instrument according to claim 12, characterized in that when the first jaw pulley and the second jaw pulley rotate in the same direction about the second axis, the staple pulley rotates together with the first jaw pulley and the second jaw pulley.

14. The end tool of a surgical instrument according to claim 1, characterized in that when the first jaw pulley and the second jaw pulley rotate in the same direction about the first axis, the staple pulley rotates together with the first jaw pulley and the second jaw pulley.

15. The end tool of a surgical instrument according to claim 1, characterized in that when the first jaw pulley and the second jaw pulley rotate in different directions around the first axis, the staple pulley rotates together with either the first jaw pulley or the second jaw pulley.

16. The end tool of a surgical instrument according to claim 1, characterized in that the first jaw pulley and the second jaw pulley do not need to rotate while the staple pulley rotates around the first axis by the staple wire.

17. The first jaw has a cartridge housing section that can accommodate a cartridge. The end tool of a surgical instrument according to claim 1, characterized in that the second jaw has an anvil formed thereon that can be contacted by the staples of the cartridge.

18. A first jaw wire, at least a portion of which is wrapped around the first jaw pulley, A second jaw wire, at least a portion of which is wrapped around the second jaw pulley, and The end tool of a surgical instrument according to claim 1, further comprising a staple wire, at least in part, wrapped around the staple pulley.

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