US 11,701,136 B2
Unclamp lockout mechanism for a surgical tool
Robert Louis Koch, Jr., Cincinnati, OH (US); Mark D. Overmyer, Cincinnati, OH (US); Christopher A. Denzinger, Cincinnati, OH (US); and Kris Eren Kallenberger, Cincinnati, OH (US)
Assigned to Cilag GmbH International, Zug (CH)
Filed by Cilag GmbH International, Zug (CH)
Filed on Apr. 16, 2019, as Appl. No. 16/385,426.
Prior Publication US 2020/0330120 A1, Oct. 22, 2020
Int. Cl. A61B 17/32 (2006.01); A61B 17/28 (2006.01); A61B 34/37 (2016.01); A61B 90/00 (2016.01); A61B 17/068 (2006.01); A61B 17/3201 (2006.01); A61B 18/14 (2006.01); A61B 17/00 (2006.01); A61B 18/00 (2006.01); A61B 18/12 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 17/320016 (2013.01) [A61B 17/068 (2013.01); A61B 17/28 (2013.01); A61B 17/3201 (2013.01); A61B 18/1445 (2013.01); A61B 34/37 (2016.02); A61B 90/361 (2016.02); A61B 2017/00407 (2013.01); A61B 2018/0063 (2013.01); A61B 2018/00595 (2013.01); A61B 2018/126 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A surgical tool, comprising:
a drive housing;
a shaft that extends from the drive housing;
an end effector arranged at an end of the shaft and having opposing jaws and a cutting element; and
an unclamp lockout mechanism positioned within the drive housing and including:
a pawl rotatably mounted to the shaft and positioned proximal to a closure yoke operatively coupled to the shaft, wherein the pawl is pivotable between a stowed position, where the pawl is received within an aperture defined in the shaft, and a deployed position, where the pawl protrudes out of the aperture; and
a biasing device that biases the pawl into the aperture and toward the stowed position,
wherein, when the pawl is in the stowed position, the closure yoke is movable to a proximal position over at least a portion of the pawl to open the opposing jaws, and
wherein, when the pawl is in the deployed position, the closure yoke is prevented from moving to the proximal position.