1. A surgical instrument comprising:
a handle;
a spring housing assembly disposed at a distal end of and secured within the handle;
a distal assembly disposed against the spring housing assembly;
a ball ring assembly having a plurality of balls and positioned between the spring housing assembly and the distal assembly; and
an operative tool inserted through the distal assembly and connected to the spring housing assembly.
2. The surgical instrument according to claim 1, wherein the handle includes a plurality of secondary bearing surfaces positioned around a circumference of a distal end.
3. The surgical instrument according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of secondary bearing surfaces are semi-spherical concavities to receive the plurality of balls.
4. The surgical instrument according to claim 1, wherein the spring housing assembly includes a spring housing and a spring, the spring inserted through a proximal end of the spring housing.
5. The surgical instrument according to claim 4, wherein the spring housing is a cylindrical component having a plurality of primary bearing surfaces arranged along an integral flange positioned along and angled toward the distal end.
6. The surgical instrument according to claim 5, wherein the plurality of primary bearing surfaces are concavities for receiving and engaging with the plurality of balls.
7. The surgical instrument according to claim 5, further comprising a first opening and a second opening formed in a wall of the spring housing.
8. The surgical instrument according to claim 4, wherein the spring is a coil spring positioned inside and abutting an integral flange of the spring housing.
9. The surgical instrument according to claim 1, further comprising a distal bushing assembly having a set screw passing through a bushing wall.
10. The surgical instrument according to claim 9, wherein the distal bushing assembly includes a first tube receiving passageway extending from a distal end to a proximal end.
11. The surgical instrument according to claim 10, wherein the distal assembly extends into the first tube receiving passageway and secured by the set screw.
12. The surgical instrument according to claim 10, further comprising a proximal bushing assembly positioned in the spring housing assembly and having a set screw.
13. The surgical instrument according to claim 12, wherein the proximal bushing assembly includes a second tube receiving passageway extending from the distal end to the proximal end.
14. The surgical instrument according to claim 13, wherein the operative tool extends through the first and second tube receiving passageways and is secured by the set screw.
15. The surgical instrument according to claim 1, wherein the ball ring assembly includes a flexible ring extending through the plurality of balls.
16. The surgical instrument according to claim 15, wherein each ball of the plurality of balls is a spherical component having a cylindrical passageway formed therein for receiving the flexible ring.
17. The surgical instrument according to claim 16, wherein the ball ring assembly is assembled by threading the flexible ring through the cylindrical passageway of each ball and then joining respective ends of the flexible ring together.
18. The surgical instrument according to claim 1, wherein the distal assembly includes an inner tube, an outer tube, and a cap, the inner tube fits into the outer tube which extends into the cap.
19. The surgical instrument according to claim 18, wherein the cap is conical and having an opening passing for receiving the outer tube.
20. The surgical instrument according to claim 19, wherein the cap includes a plurality of distal bearing surfaces positioned across and similarly shaped to a plurality of primary bearing surfaces arranged along an integral flange disposed along the spring housing assembly and angled toward the distal end.
21. The surgical instrument according to claim 20, wherein the plurality of distal bearing surfaces and the plurality of primary bearing surfaces provide a plurality of rails for the plurality of balls to be positioned and engage there with.
22. The surgical instrument according to claim 21, further comprising a cap bushing that interference fits within an end of the outer tube.
23. The surgical instrument according to claim 22, wherein the inner tube fits tightly within the cap bushing to secure both the inner and outer tube together.
24. The surgical instrument according to claim 1, wherein the operative tool includes a rod having a tool integrally formed on a distal end of the operative tool.
25. The surgical instrument according to claim 24, wherein the tool is a set opposing jaws designed to open and close upon actuation.
26. The surgical instrument according to claim 25, wherein the rod slides within an inner tube of the distal assembly.
27. The surgical instrument according to claim 1, further comprising an optional handle extension.
28. The surgical instrument according to claim 27, wherein the handle includes a threaded opening that receives a distal end of the optional handle extension to form a snap fit between the handle and the optional handle extension.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A process of delivering power to a thermally adjustable multi-mode surgical tool comprising:
delivering a first oscillating signal to a conductor configured such that the first oscillating electrical signal forming an approximate standing wave with maximum current and minimum voltage substantially at a first load comprising a portion of the conductor coated by ferromagnetic material; and
delivering a second oscillating signal to a second electrical connection configured such that a second oscillating electrical signal will drive an ultrasonic transducer to thereby move a second load ultrasonically.
2. The process of delivering power to a thermally adjustable multi-mode surgical tool of claim 1, wherein the method comprises placing the first load adjacent tissue and wherein first oscillating electrical signal heats a thermal element to a temperature causing hemostasis in the tissue and the second oscillating electrical signal causes the second load to incise tissue.
3. The process of delivering power to a thermally adjustable multi-mode surgical tool of claim 1, further comprising applying suction adjacent the first load and second load to aspirate incised tissue.
4. The process of delivering power to a thermally adjustable multi-mode surgical tool of claim 1, further comprising multiplexing the first oscillating signal and the second oscillating signal in a communications channel to the first load and second load.
5. The process of claim 1, further comprising heating the ferromagnetic material to a sufficient temperature to self-clean the coating.
6. A method for incising and sealing tissue, the method comprising;
selecting a surgical tool having a conductor with a ferromagnetic coating disposed on a portion thereof and an transducer which drives a body;
disposing the body and ferromagnetic coating into contact with the tissue;
delivering an oscillating electrical signal to the transducer so as incise the tissue; and
delivering an oscillating electrical signal to the conductor so as to heat the ferromagnetic coating and apply heat to the tissue.
7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the ferromagnetic coating is heated to promote tissue hemostasis.
8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the transducer is an ultrasonic transducer.
9. A method for tissue ablation, the method comprising;
selecting a tip with ultrasonic and thermal modalities;
placing the tip in contact with the undesired tissue; and
activating one or more of the modalities within the undesired tissue.
10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the thermal modality further comprises a ferromagnetic coating.
11. The method according to claim 9, further comprising the step of aspirating residue from an area proximate to the undesired tissue.
12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising heating the ferromagnetic material to a sufficient temperature to self-clean the coating.