US 11,678,928 B2
Surgical clamp
Salvatore Privitera, Mason, OH (US); Kenneth Lance Miller, Hamilton, OH (US); Melissa Deitzer, Cincinnati, OH (US); Douglas J. Seith, Tampa, FL (US); Akiva Kirschner, Cincinnati, OH (US); Sydney Gaynor, Cincinnati, OH (US); and Kurtis Klingenberg, Cincinnati, OH (US)
Assigned to AtriCure, Inc., Mason, OH (US)
Filed by AtriCure, Inc., Mason, OH (US)
Filed on Jan. 7, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/736,694.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/947,573, filed on Dec. 13, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/874,150, filed on Jul. 15, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/796,998, filed on Jan. 25, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/790,938, filed on Jan. 10, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2020/0222110 A1, Jul. 16, 2020
Int. Cl. A61B 18/14 (2006.01); A61B 18/00 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 18/1445 (2013.01) [A61B 2018/00351 (2013.01); A61B 2018/00577 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An end effector for a surgical device, the end effector comprising:
a first jaw;
a second jaw; and
an articulating mechanism operable to move the first jaw between an open position in which the first jaw and the second jaw are separated and substantially non-parallel, an intermediate position in which the first jaw and the second jaw are separated and substantially parallel, and a closed position in which the first jaw and the second jaw are substantially adjacent and substantially parallel;
wherein the articulating mechanism comprises
a first jaw mount coupled to the first jaw, the first jaw mount being movable along a path, wherein movement of the first jaw mount along the path causes rotation and translation of the first jaw mount and the first jaw, thereby moving the first jaw between the open position, the intermediate position, and the closed position,
a pivotably mounted crank comprising a first arm and a second arm, the second arm of the crank slidably and pivotably coupled to the first jaw mount, the crank operably coupling an actuator linkage to the first jaw mount so that moving the actuator linkage rotates the crank, wherein rotation of the crank moves the first jaw mount along the path, and
a connecting linkage having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end of the connecting linkage being pivotably coupled to a distal end of the actuator linkage and the distal end of the connecting linkage being pivotably coupled to the first arm of the crank, the proximal end of the connecting linkage comprising a guide slidably disposed in a guide slot, the guide slot being generally linear and oriented generally in-line with the actuator linkage.