New patent application published for: SURGICAL DEVICE WITH THREE POSITION SAFETY TRIGGER ASSEMBLY

SURGICAL DEVICE WITH THREE POSITION SAFETY TRIGGER ASSEMBLY

Claims

1-20. (canceled)
21. A powered handle assembly for a surgical device comprising: an outer housing defining a cavity; an actuation button supported on the outer housing; a rack supported within the outer housing, the rack having teeth and movable from a rack retracted position to a rack clamp position and subsequently to a rack advanced position; a motor assembly associated with the rack, the motor assembly operable to move the rack from the rack retracted position to the rack clamp position and subsequently to the rack advanced position; a switch supported within the outer housing, the switch movable between a first state, in which power to the motor assembly is disrupted, and a second state, in which the actuation button, is operable to supply power to the motor assembly; and a bias arm pivotably supported about a pivot axis adjacent the switch, the bias arm including a cam member on a first side of the pivot axis and an abutment member on a second side of the pivot axis, the bias arm movable between a first position in which the abutment member engages the switch to position the switch in the second state and a second position in which the abutment member is disengaged from the switch to position the switch in the first state, wherein the rack is configured to engage the cam member of the bias arm as the rack moves from the rack retracted position to the rack clamp position to pivot the bias arm about the pivot axis from the first position to the second position, thereby disrupting power to the motor assembly to stop advancement of the rack at the rack clamp position.
22. The powered handle assembly of claim 21, wherein a first distance from the pivot axis to the cam member is less than a second distance from the pivot axis to the abutment member.
23. The powered handle assembly of claim 22, further comprising an inner housing assembly defining a window and a channel that receives and supports the rack, wherein the cam member of the bias arm extends through the window into the channel and into a path of the rack.
24. The powered handle assembly of claim 21, further comprising a biasing member positioned to urge the bias arm toward the first position.
25. The powered handle assembly of claim 21, wherein the rack defines a shoulder and the cam member defines a cam surface, the shoulder of the rack engaging the cam surface of the cam member as the rack moves from the rack retracted position to the rack clamp position to pivot the bias arm from the first position to the second position.
26. The powered handle assembly of claim 21, further comprising a safety trigger assembly including at least one safety button extending through a slot in the outer housing, the safety trigger assembly movable from a safe position, through an intermediate position, to a fire-ready position, the safety trigger assembly configured to engage the switch when the safety trigger assembly is in the fire-ready position to position the switch in the second state.
27. The powered handle assembly of claim 21, wherein the switch is a first switch, the powered handle assembly further comprising: a second switch supported within the outer housing, the second switch movable between the first state and the second state; and a safety trigger assembly including at least one safety button extending through a slot in the outer housing, the safety trigger assembly movable from a safe position, through an intermediate position, to a fire-ready position, the safety trigger assembly configured to engage the second switch when the safety trigger assembly is in the fire-ready position to position the second switch in the second state, wherein the bias arm is configured to engage the safety trigger assembly as the bias arm moves from the first position to the second position to move the safety trigger assembly from the safe position to the intermediate position.
28. The powered handle assembly of claim 21, wherein the switch is a micro-switch including a hinge lever, and the abutment member engages the hinge lever when the bias arm is in the first position.
29. A powered handle assembly for a surgical device comprising: an outer housing defining a cavity; an actuation button supported on the outer housing; a rack supported within the outer housing, the rack having teeth and movable from a rack retracted position to a rack clamp position and subsequently to a rack advanced position; a motor assembly associated with the rack, the motor assembly operable to move the rack; a switch movable between a first state in which power to the motor assembly is disrupted and a second state in which the actuation button is operable to supply power to the motor assembly; a bias arm pivotably supported adjacent the switch, the bias arm movable between a first position in which the bias arm engages the switch to position the switch in the second state and a second position in which the switch is in the first state, wherein the rack is configured to engage the bias arm as the rack moves from the rack retracted position to the rack clamp position to move the bias arm from the first position to the second position; and a safety trigger assembly including at least one safety button extending through a slot in the outer housing, the safety trigger assembly movable from a safe position, through an intermediate position, to a fire-ready position, the safety trigger assembly configured to engage the switch when the safety trigger assembly is in the fire-ready position to position the switch in the second state, wherein the bias arm and the safety trigger assembly each independently engage the switch to selectively position the switch between the first state and the second state.
30. The powered handle assembly of claim 29, wherein the bias arm is pivotably supported about a pivot axis, the bias arm including a cam member on a first side of the pivot axis and an abutment member on a second side of the pivot axis, the abutment member engaging the switch when the bias arm is in the first position.
31. The powered handle assembly of claim 30, wherein a first distance from the pivot axis to the cam member is less than a second distance from the pivot axis to the abutment member.
32. The powered handle assembly of claim 29, wherein the rack is configured to engage the safety trigger assembly as the rack moves from the rack retracted position to the rack clamp position to move the safety trigger assembly from the safe position to the intermediate position.
33. The powered handle assembly of claim 29, further comprising a latch positioned to engage the safety trigger assembly to retain the safety trigger assembly in the fire-ready position.
34. The powered handle assembly of claim 33, wherein the safety trigger assembly includes a retainer member configured to engage the latch when the safety trigger assembly is in the fire-ready position to retain the safety trigger assembly in the fire-ready position.
35. The powered handle assembly of claim 29, wherein the outer housing includes a safety button shield positioned adjacent one end of the slot, the safety button shield extending partially about the at least one safety button when the safety trigger assembly is in the safe position to limit access to the at least one safety button.
36. A method of operating a powered handle assembly of a surgical device, the method comprising: with a bias arm in a first position engaging a switch to position the switch in a second state, supplying power via an actuation button to a motor assembly to advance a rack from a rack retracted position toward a rack clamp position; engaging a cam member of the bias arm with the rack as the rack reaches the rack clamp position to pivot the bias arm from the first position to a second position, the pivoting of the bias arm moving an abutment member of the bias arm away from the switch to transition the switch to a first state and disrupt power to the motor assembly, thereby stopping advancement of the rack at the rack clamp position; moving a safety trigger assembly from a safe position to an intermediate position; and moving the safety trigger assembly from the intermediate position to a fire-ready position to engage the switch and position the switch in the second state, thereby enabling firing of the surgical device via the actuation button.
37. The method of claim 36, wherein the cam member is disposed on a first side of a pivot axis of the bias arm and the abutment member is disposed on a second side of the pivot axis opposite the first side.
38. The method of claim 36, wherein moving the safety trigger assembly from the safe position to the intermediate position comprises the rack engaging the safety trigger assembly as the rack advances toward the rack clamp position to pivot the safety trigger assembly from the safe position to the intermediate position.
39. The method of claim 36, further comprising latching the safety trigger assembly in the fire-ready position with a latch.
40. The method of claim 36, wherein the switch is a micro-switch.