CN111419344A

CN111419344A - Ultrasonic transducer core and gun type ultrasonic surgical instrument comprising same

Info

Publication number: CN111419344A
Application number: CN202010356040.5A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 胡负稷; 冯耿超; 魏翔宇
Original assignee: Shenzhen Surgscience Medical Technology Co ltd
Current assignee: Shenzhen Surgscience Medical Technology Co ltd
Priority date: 2020-04-29
Filing date: 2020-04-29
Publication date: 2020-07-17

Abstract

The invention discloses an ultrasonic transducer core, which comprises a front metal block, two or more piezoelectric stacks, a middle metal block and a rear metal block, wherein the front metal block, the two or more piezoelectric stacks, the middle metal block and the rear metal block are arranged along the longitudinal axis of the ultrasonic transducer core, every two adjacent piezoelectric stacks are connected together, two ends of the middle metal block are respectively provided with a flange, the flanges are connected with the piezoelectric stacks adjacent to the front and the rear of the middle metal block, and the middle metal block is also provided with a flange which is positioned between the two flanges and is separated from the two flanges through annular grooves on two sides of the flange. The invention also discloses a gun type ultrasonic surgical instrument which comprises the ultrasonic transducer core. The invention overcomes the problems of large power loss of the gun type ultrasonic surgical instrument, large and heavy transducer, high cost of the vibration coupler, inflexible use of the instrument and the like when the ultrasonic energy of the gun type ultrasonic surgical instrument is transmitted from the rear end of the instrument to the front end of the instrument.

Description

Ultrasonic transducer core and gun type ultrasonic surgical instrument comprising same

Technical Field

The invention relates to the technical field of minimally invasive medical treatment, in particular to a gun type ultrasonic surgical instrument.

Background

Ultrasonic instruments are used in a variety of surgical procedures, such as endoscopic or laparoscopic procedures, to dissect, cut, ligate, effect coagulation, and/or effect hemostasis in tissue. In general, a gun-style ultrasonic surgical instrument (e.g., an ultrasonic soft tissue cutting hemostat) includes a handle assembly for grasping the instrument, a transducer attached to a rear end of the handle assembly, and a vibration coupler extending from the ultrasonic transducer through a body of the instrument to an end effector of the instrument. The transducer generates vibrations in the ultrasonic frequency range that are transmitted from the handle assembly of the instrument to the end effector through the vibration coupler. This configuration has several disadvantages, such as attenuation of the power of the instrument as ultrasonic energy is transmitted from the back end of the instrument to the front end of the instrument. Furthermore, power losses are increased at the coupling and sealing of the instrument. Therefore, large and heavy transducers are required to drive known surgical instruments. The bulky transducer is placed closest to the end effector, thus requiring an elongated vibration coupler that is elongated and often relatively inflexible, making it difficult or impossible to engage the end effector with the blade, which limits the usability of existing ultrasonic instruments in endoscopic and laparoscopic surgical procedures.

In addition, the vibration coupler is high in cost, the material cost of the vibration coupler is generally titanium alloy, the material cost is higher than that of the common metal material, the titanium alloy is difficult to process, and the cost of the vibration coupler is further increased.

Disclosure of Invention

In order to overcome the problems of the prior art, such as large instrument power loss, large and heavy transducers, and high cost of vibration couplers when the ultrasonic energy of a gun-type ultrasonic surgical instrument is transmitted from the rear end of the instrument to the front end of the instrument, the present invention provides an ultrasonic transducer core having a longitudinal axis and generating vibration at a predetermined frequency along the longitudinal axis, the ultrasonic transducer core comprising: a front metal block, two or more piezoelectric stacks, a middle metal block connecting each two adjacent piezoelectric stacks together, and a rear metal block disposed along the longitudinal axis; the middle metal block is provided at each of its two ends with a flange and is connected to the piezo-electric stacks adjacent to the middle metal block in front of and behind it, and with a flange located between the two flanges and spaced from them by annular grooves on both sides of the flange.

Preferably, the middle metal block and the flange arranged on the middle metal block, the two flanges and the annular grooves on two sides of the flange are integrally formed.

Preferably, the ultrasound transducer core comprises two or more piezoelectric stacks, each piezoelectric stack comprising one or more piezoelectric elements, when the number of the piezoelectric elements included in one piezoelectric stack is two or more, the positive electrodes of the piezoelectric elements included in the piezoelectric stack are connected in series through a plurality of electrode plates between the piezoelectric elements or at the end parts of the piezoelectric elements and/or the negative electrodes of the piezoelectric elements are connected in series through a plurality of electrode plates between the piezoelectric elements or at the end parts of the piezoelectric elements, a connecting part integrally formed with the two adjacent electrode plates is arranged between every two adjacent electrode plates of the series positive electrodes, and/or a connecting part which is integrally formed with the two adjacent electrode plates is arranged between every two adjacent electrode plates of the serial negative electrode, the plurality of electrode plates of the serial positive electrode and the plurality of electrode plates of the serial negative electrode are alternately and alternately arranged, and the connecting part of the serial positive electrode is not contacted with the connecting part of the serial negative electrode.

Preferably, when the ultrasonic transducer core includes two piezoelectric stacks, the piezoelectric elements of each piezoelectric stack are six, the number of the connection portions of the series negative electrode tabs is two when the number of the connection portions of the series positive electrode tabs is three, or the number of the connection portions of the series negative electrode tabs is three when the number of the connection portions of the series positive electrode tabs is two.

Preferably, each connecting portion of the series positive electrode tab and/or each connecting portion of the series negative electrode tab is provided on both surfaces thereof with an insulating substance, which is any one of plastic, resin, rubber, paint, or plating film.

The present invention also provides a gun-type ultrasonic surgical instrument comprising an ultrasonic transducer core as described in any of the above, the gun-type ultrasonic surgical instrument further comprising: a handle assembly; an extension assembly coupled to the handle assembly, the extension assembly comprising: an elongate housing extending from the handle assembly toward a front end, the ultrasonic transducer core being disposed at a front portion of the elongate housing and disposed inside the elongate housing; an end effector disposed along a longitudinal axis of the ultrasonic transducer core and connected with the ultrasonic transducer core; a first sleeve disposed on the elongate housing; a second sleeve disposed on the first sleeve; a clamping member pivotably coupled to the first and second sleeves and movable relative to the end effector between an open position and a clamped position; and the knob is arranged between the handle assembly and the extension assembly and can drive the extension assembly to rotate together when the knob rotates.

Preferably, the ultrasonic transducer cores are fixed together through connection between the flange and the elongated housing, wherein an insulating ring is mounted on the flange, and the flange and the elongated housing are fixed together through an insulating pin, an insulating screw or pouring sealant.

Preferably, one or more recesses are formed in a flange of the core of the ultrasonic transducer for accommodating insulating pins or insulating screws, one or more through holes are formed in the elongated housing at positions corresponding to the recesses, and the through holes are used for allowing the insulating pins or insulating screws to pass through the through holes and enter the recesses so that the elongated housing and the flange are connected at fixed positions, wherein the insulating pins or insulating screws, the through holes and the recesses are in interference fit; or the insulating pin or the insulating screw, the through hole and the recess are further sealed by insulating glue.

Preferably, after the flange of the ultrasonic transducer core is placed in the elongated housing and fixed in position, a liquid epoxy glue, a silicone glue or a polyurethane glue is directly poured in and around the fixed position so that the flange is fastened at the fixed position in the elongated housing.

Preferably, the front portion of the elongated housing has a curved portion curved toward the longitudinal axis to accommodate the ultrasonic transducer core in the elongated housing, a contact portion between a front end of the curved portion of the elongated housing and the end effector is provided with a silicone ring, the silicone ring is fixed to the front end of the curved portion of the elongated housing or to the end effector, and the silicone ring is also provided between a rear end of the curved portion of the elongated housing and the first sleeve.

Preferably, the elongate assembly and the knob are integrally disposable or replaceable from the handle assembly.

Preferably, the gun-type ultrasonic surgical instrument further comprises two wires leading from the rear of the ultrasonic transducer core and extending rearwardly inside the elongate housing until connected to a conductive assembly in the handle assembly; the rear ends of the two wires are provided with corresponding elastic electrodes, the elastic electrodes are welded on an insulating chuck arranged at the rear end of the extension shell, the extension shell is fixed with the insulating chuck, the insulating chuck can rotate and detach with the extension shell, and the conductive assembly is in electrical contact with the elastic electrodes.

Preferably, the conducting assembly comprises an insulating seat and two conducting rings arranged on the insulating seat in a radial direction and parallel at intervals, the two conducting rings are separated by two insulating rings on the insulating seat, the elastic electrodes on the insulating chuck are correspondingly in pressing contact with the end faces of the two conducting rings and form electric connection, and the two conducting rings are integrally molded with the insulating seat and the two insulating rings on the insulating chuck in an encapsulation mode.

Preferably, the two conductive rings are respectively provided with two annular grooves on the end faces facing the elastic electrodes, so that the elastic electrodes are correspondingly inserted into the annular grooves on the end faces of the two conductive rings and are still pressed against the bottoms of the annular grooves of the two conductive rings and are kept in electrical contact when the elastic electrodes rotate along with the elongated shell.

Preferably, the end effector is removably coupled to the ultrasonic transducer core, and the end effector is disposable or replaceable.

Preferably, the end effector is connected with the ultrasonic transducer core through threads, and a structure for applying external force is arranged on the end effector so as to fasten the end effector to the ultrasonic transducer core.

Preferably, the end effector and the ultrasonic transducer core are non-detachably connected, and the end effector and the front metal block of the ultrasonic transducer core are integrally made of the same material.

Preferably, the end effector and the ultrasonic transducer core are non-detachably connected, and the end effector and the ultrasonic transducer core are connected by any one of welding, bonding and riveting.

Preferably, a counterbalance is provided inside the housing at the rear of the handle assembly.

Preferably, the length of the ultrasonic transducer core is greater than or equal to 1/4 and less than or equal to 1/2 of one wavelength.

Preferably, the length of the ultrasonic transducer core and the end effector is a multiple of 1/2 of one wavelength.

The invention has the beneficial effects that:

(1) the front end of the ultrasonic transducer core is directly connected with the end effector, so that a vibration coupler structure which is difficult to process is omitted, and the requirement of a slender vibration coupler formed by titanium is avoided, thereby obviously reducing the cost of the gun type ultrasonic surgical instrument;

(2) the length of the body portion of the device may be varied, e.g. shortened or lengthened, with little corresponding change in device performance;

(3) ultrasonic energy can be more efficiently delivered to the patient, thereby reducing energy requirements;

(4) the disposable portion of the instrument can be readily changed, such as the elongated housing, the end effector, or any degree of disposability therebetween;

(5) because the handle assembly does not support the transducer, the handle assembly may be more ergonomically configured;

(6) the use of a small transducer on, within or near the front end of the device, instead of a large transducer at the back end of the device, greatly reduces the weight of the device, making it easy to manage, particularly during delicate surgical procedures;

(7) the piezoelectric element of the transducer is far smaller than the size of the transducer of a gun type ultrasonic surgical instrument product in the market, so that the radial size of the transducer can meet the requirement of passing through a puncture outfit opening, and the longitudinal size of the transducer can be effectively compressed;

(8) the transducer is designed into a small-size structure, so that the transducer can go deep into the body of a patient, the rear end of the transducer is connected with a doctor handle through a common metal rod, and the front end of the transducer can realize the function of ultrasonic soft tissue cutting hemostasis only by assembling a short end actuator;

the above discussion is intended to be merely illustrative of each and every aspect of the present related art in the technical field of the present invention, and should not be construed as negating the scope of the claims.

Drawings

The invention is further illustrated with reference to the following figures and examples.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a prior art gun-type ultrasonic surgical instrument;

FIG. 2 is a combination diagram of one embodiment of an ultrasonic transducer core of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the ultrasonic transducer core of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the intermediate metal block of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a graph of a simulation of the performance of an ultrasonic transducer core of the present invention including intermediate metal blocks of different diameters;

FIG. 6 is an assembled perspective view of a piezoelectric stack included in an ultrasonic transducer core of the present invention;

fig. 7 is a perspective view of electrode pads and electrode pad connection parts constituting the piezoelectric stack of fig. 6;

fig. 8 is a schematic view of the electrode sheet and its connection portion of fig. 7 immediately after the completion of machining;

fig. 9 is a morphological view of the electrode sheet and its connection portion before assembly;

FIG. 10 is a schematic view of one embodiment of a gun-type ultrasonic surgical instrument of the present invention;

FIG. 11 is an enlarged schematic view of the front portion of the gun-type ultrasonic surgical instrument of FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of the electrical connection of the flexible electrode mounted on the rear end of the elongate housing to the conductive member in the handle assembly;

FIG. 13 is an exploded view of the conductive assembly;

FIG. 14 is an assembled perspective view of the conductive assembly of FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is an enlarged schematic view of a forward portion of another embodiment of the ultrasonic gun-type surgical instrument of the present invention;

FIG. 16 is an enlarged, schematic view of a forward portion of yet another embodiment of the ultrasonic gun-type surgical instrument of the present invention;

FIG. 17 is a comparison of the length designs of a prior art ultrasonic transducer core and a transducer core of the present invention.

Detailed Description

The following description of certain embodiments of the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the accompanying drawings and description. The illustrated embodiments of the invention are capable of being practiced or being incorporated in other embodiments, variations and modifications, and may be practiced or carried out in various ways. Furthermore, unless otherwise indicated, the terms and expressions employed herein have been chosen for the purpose of describing the illustrative embodiments of the present invention for the convenience of the reader and are not for the purpose of limiting the invention.

It should be understood that the terms "forward" and "rearward" as used herein refer to a direction toward the patient and a direction away from the patient when the handle of the gun-type ultrasonic surgical instrument blade is in operation. Gun-type ultrasonic surgical instruments may be used in a variety of orientations and positions, and these terms are not intended to be limiting and are not absolute. The term "end" is understood to mean a longitudinal boundary, or a surface representing such a boundary.

The terms "first", "second" and "first" are used for descriptive purposes only and are not to be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of the present invention, "a plurality" means at least two, e.g., two, three, etc., unless specifically limited otherwise.

In addition, it is to be understood that any one or more of the following-described embodiments, expressions of embodiments, examples, etc. can be combined with any one or more of the other following-described embodiments, expressions of embodiments, examples, etc.

FIG. 1 shows a prior art gun-type ultrasonic surgical instrument with a large and heavy ultrasonic transducer disposed at the rear end of the gun-type ultrasonic surgical instrument.

Fig. 2 and 3 illustrate an embodiment of the ultrasonic transducer core of the present invention, which is generally cylindrical in shape, has a longitudinal axis and generates vibrations at a predetermined frequency along the longitudinal axis, the ultrasonic transducer core 2 including: a front metal block 2-1, two or more piezoelectric stacks 9, a middle metal block 10 connecting each adjacent two piezoelectric stacks 9 together, and a rear metal block 2-3 arranged along the longitudinal axis. Preferably, the ultrasound transducer core 2 comprises a number of piezo-electric stacks of two, three, four, five or six etc. When the number of the piezoelectric stacks included in the ultrasonic transducer core 2 is two, the number of the intermediate metal blocks 10 is 1; when the number of the piezoelectric stacks included in the ultrasonic transducer core 2 is three, the number of the intermediate metal blocks 10 is 2; when the number of the piezoelectric stacks included in the ultrasonic transducer core 2 is four, the number of the intermediate metal blocks 10 is 3; and so on. The piezoelectric stack 9 may include one or more piezoelectric elements 9-1, the number and thickness of the piezoelectric elements 9-1 may be adjusted as practical, and the piezoelectric elements may be made of any suitable material, such as lead zirconate titanate, lead meta-niobate, lead titanate, barium titanate, PMNT material (single crystal material), or other piezoelectric element materials. The piezoelectric elements 9-1 may each have a hole through the center. Each piezo stack is provided with a corresponding connecting rod 2-2 for threading together one or more piezo elements 9-1, the connecting rod 2-2 being a double-ended threaded rod. Preferably, an insulating sleeve is lined between the connecting rod 2-2 and the one or more piezoelectric elements 9-1 so that there is no electrical contact between the connecting rod and the piezoelectric elements. Since the output power of the ultrasonic transducer is mainly determined by the volume of the piezoelectric element, when the radial size of the piezoelectric element is reduced, the thickness or the number of the piezoelectric elements is inevitably increased to ensure the output power, namely, the volume of the piezoelectric element is not changed.

The front metal block 2-1 is a bell-shaped metal block, the rear metal block 2-3 is a cylindrical metal block, and the lengths of the front metal block 2-1 and the rear metal block 2-3 are determined by variables such as the thickness of the transduction portion, the density and elastic modulus of the materials used for the front metal block 2-1 and the rear metal block 2-3, and the resonant frequency of the ultrasonic transducer. The front metal block 2-1 is tapered inward from its rear end to its front end to amplify the ultrasonic amplitude, or may have no amplification. The front metal block 2-1 and the rear metal block 2-3 are each provided with a structure for applying a pre-tightening force, such as a rectangular structure (a, c) formed by machining the cylindrical surfaces of the front metal block and the rear metal block as shown in fig. 3, that is, a structure for applying a pre-tightening force. A suitable vibration frequency range may be about 20Hz to 120kHz, a particularly suitable vibration frequency range may be about 30Hz to 100kHz, and one example of an operating vibration frequency may be, for example, about 55.5 kHz.

Every two adjacent piezoelectric stacks 9 are connected by an intermediate metal block 10 arranged along the longitudinal axis. The intermediate metal block 10 is also substantially cylindrical. As shown in fig. 4, the intermediate metal block 10 is provided at each of its two ends with a flange 10-1,10-2 and these flanges are connected to the piezoelectric stacks 9 adjacent to the intermediate metal block 10 in front of and behind, the diameter of these flanges being preferably the same size as the diameter of the piezoelectric element 9-1, and the thickness of these flanges may be greater than, less than or equal to the thickness of the piezoelectric element 9-1, preferably less than or equal to the thickness of the piezoelectric element.

The intermediate metal block 10 is also provided with a flange 10-3 which is located between the two flanges 10-1,10-2 and is spaced apart from these flanges by annular grooves 10-4, 10-5 on both sides. The annular groove 10-4 or 10-5 can also be provided with a structure for applying a pre-tensioning force. As shown in fig. 3 and 4, the preload structure b is provided on the annular groove 10-4, and the annular groove 10-4 is longer than the annular groove 10-5. The flange is usually located at a node point (i.e., a minimum or zero intersection point) of a vibratory motion standing wave generated by the ultrasonic transducer, where the connection structure of the ultrasonic transducer core and the housing is arranged, and the vibration of the transducer itself is not greatly influenced; meanwhile, the grooves on the two sides of the flange can also reduce the static electrical impedance of the transducer, and the circuit design of the transducer is facilitated. The flange can be provided with a wire passing hole which is convenient for electric conduction to pass through.

The front end of the threaded connecting rod which is used for connection in the piezoelectric stack 9 is connected with the front metal block 2-1 through a threaded structure, the rear end of the threaded connecting rod is connected with one flange of the middle metal block through a threaded structure, the other threaded connecting rod is also connected with the other flange of the middle metal block 10 and the rear metal block 2-3 through a threaded structure, and of course, the threaded structures which are matched and combined with the threads of the threaded rod are designed in the front metal block, the two flanges of the middle metal block and the rear metal block.

In a preferred embodiment, the entire transducer is provided with only one flange, the thickness of which is at least 3 mm.

In a preferred embodiment, as shown in fig. 4, the middle metal block 10 and two flanges 10-1,10-2 provided thereon, the flange 10-3 and the annular grooves 10-4, 10-5 on both sides of the flange, and the rectangular structure b to which the pre-load force is applied are integrally formed by machining. Two annular grooves are formed in the two sides of the flange of the middle metal block 10, the diameter of the middle metal block where the annular grooves are located is changed, and the diameter change mainly has the function of adjusting the resonance frequency of the transducer. As shown in fig. 5, as the diameter of the middle metal block becomes larger, the resonance frequency also increases, which indicates that changing the diameter of the annular groove of the middle metal block can adjust the resonance frequency of the transducer.

In a preferred embodiment, each of two or more piezoelectric stacks 9 included in the ultrasonic transducer core 2 includes one or more piezoelectric elements 9-1, when the number of the piezoelectric elements 9-1 included in one piezoelectric stack 9 is two or more, the positive electrodes of the piezoelectric elements 9-1 included in the piezoelectric stack 9 are connected in series by a plurality of electrode pieces 9-2 interposed between the piezoelectric elements or at the ends thereof and/or the negative electrodes of the piezoelectric elements 9-1 are connected in series by a plurality of electrode pieces interposed between the piezoelectric elements or at the ends thereof, the piezoelectric elements 9-1 are sandwiched between a plurality of electrode pieces 9-2, the electrode pieces abut against the piezoelectric elements, a connecting portion 9-3 integrally formed with the adjacent two electrode pieces is provided between each adjacent two electrode pieces of the series-connected positive electrodes, and/or a connecting part which is integrally formed with the two adjacent electrode plates is arranged between every two adjacent electrode plates of the serial negative electrode, the plurality of electrode plates of the serial positive electrode and the plurality of electrode plates of the serial negative electrode are alternately and alternately arranged, and the connecting part of the serial positive electrode is not contacted with the connecting part of the serial negative electrode. Each of the electrode pads may have a hole passing through the center, and as with the piezoelectric element, these electrode pads are also passed through by a connecting rod with the piezoelectric element, wherein the connecting rod is provided with an insulating sleeve to avoid direct contact of the electrode pads with the connecting rod. The serially connected positive and negative electrodes are respectively and correspondingly electrically connected with the

leads

7 and 8. The electrode pads at the end of the piezo-electric stack may have a lead-out pin for connection to a wire.

In one embodiment, the ultrasonic transducer includes two piezoelectric stacks 9, each piezoelectric element 9-1 of each piezoelectric stack 9 is four, the number of the connection portions of the series negative electrode tabs is one when the number of the connection portions of the series positive electrode tabs is two, or the number of the connection portions of the series negative electrode tabs is two when the number of the connection portions of the series positive electrode tabs is one.

In a preferred embodiment, the ultrasonic transducer includes two piezoelectric stacks 9, each piezoelectric element 9-1 of each piezoelectric stack 9 is six, and as shown in fig. 6 and 7, the number of the connection portions of the series negative electrode tabs is two when the number of the connection portions of the series positive electrode tabs is three, or the number of the connection portions of the series negative electrode tabs is three when the number of the connection portions of the series positive electrode tabs is two.

In one embodiment, the ultrasonic transducer includes two piezoelectric stacks 9, each piezoelectric element 9-1 of each piezoelectric stack 9 is eight, the number of the connection portions of the series negative electrode tabs is three when the number of the connection portions of the series positive electrode tabs is four, or the number of the connection portions of the series negative electrode tabs is four when the number of the connection portions of the series positive electrode tabs is three.

Fig. 6 and 7 show the way in which the electrode tabs and the connection portions of the series positive/negative electrodes are alternately placed with each other in one piezoelectric stack including six piezoelectric elements. As shown in fig. 8, the integrally formed electrode ring having three connecting portions and the integrally formed electrode ring having two connecting portions are shown, which are also the states of the electrode ring and its connecting portions at the time of completion of manufacture, like the shape of the copper wires connected in series in the diameter direction, which can increase the efficiency of manufacture. The length of the connecting part is larger than the thickness of two adjacent piezoelectric elements spanned by the connecting part, and preferably the length of the connecting part is larger than the thickness of two adjacent piezoelectric elements spanned by the connecting part by about 1mm, so that the connecting part of the electrode plate and the connecting part can be directly pressed into a bent shape by hands in the process of assembling the piezoelectric stack together with the piezoelectric elements, and the time for connecting each single electrode plate together is saved. These electrode sheets are made of metal. Preferably, the electrode pads are made of copper and are plated with a layer of gold to increase electrical conductivity.

In a preferred embodiment, each connecting portion of the serial positive electrode tab and/or each connecting portion of the serial negative electrode tab is provided on both surfaces thereof with an insulating substance, which is any one of plastic, resin, rubber, paint, and plating film. The two surfaces refer to one surface of the connecting portion facing the piezoelectric element and one surface facing away from the piezoelectric element. The insulating material is arranged on the two surfaces of each connecting part in advance, so that the additional requirement of arranging the insulating material on the electrode plates in the process of forming the piezoelectric stack can be avoided, and the assembly efficiency is reduced. Fig. 9 shows that the connecting portion of the electrode sheet of the present invention is provided with an insulating plastic sheet in advance to prevent short circuit.

The present invention also provides a gun-type ultrasonic surgical instrument, as shown in fig. 10, including an ultrasonic transducer core according to any of the preceding claims, the gun-type ultrasonic surgical instrument further including:

a handle assembly 15, in the form of a gun, to facilitate the grasping of surgical instruments in endoscopic and laparoscopic procedures;

an extension assembly connected to the handle assembly, the extension assembly comprising:

an elongated housing 1, the elongated housing 1 extending from the handle assembly 15 to a front end, the ultrasonic transducer core 2 being disposed at a front portion of the elongated housing 1 and inside thereof; the ultrasound transducer core 2 is arranged at the front of the elongated housing 1 and at least partially inside the elongated housing 1; preferably, the ultrasound transducer core is arranged entirely in the front and inside of the elongated housing 1. In a preferred embodiment, the front of the elongated housing has a bend towards the longitudinal axis to accommodate the ultrasound transducer core 2 in the elongated housing and isolated from the outside. The front-mounted ultrasonic transducer is used for relieving a series of problems brought by the rear-mounted ultrasonic transducer, such as large weight and volume, loss of vibration power when mechanical vibration is transmitted from the rear end to the front end and the like, the elongated shell is made of metal, preferably stainless steel, and the manufacturing cost can be saved as the elongated shell is not used for transmitting vibration and is made of stainless steel;

an end effector 3, the end effector 3 being disposed along a longitudinal axis of the ultrasonic transducer core 2 and coupled to the ultrasonic transducer core 2, ultrasonic energy generated by the ultrasonic transducer core being transferred to the end effector 3, the end effector acting directly on soft tissue, the end effector being a blade of an ultrasonic blade, the end effector 3 being shaped to have a tapered tip, a triangular tip, a cylindrical tip, a substantially planar tip, a rectangular body, and/or any other shape that would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art in light of the teachings herein; the front end of the end-effector 3 is typically located at the antinode of the vibratory motion standing wave generated by the ultrasonic transducer (i.e., the maximum point of the vibratory motion standing wave), to which the end-effector is connected and which oscillates at ultrasonic frequencies, which simultaneously severs soft tissue and denatures proteins in adjacent tissue cells;

a first sleeve 4, the first sleeve 4 being arranged on the elongated housing 1;

a second sleeve 5, the second sleeve 5 being arranged on the first sleeve 4, the elongated housing forming a tubular guiding structure with the first and second sleeves, the first and second sleeves preferably also being made of stainless steel;

a clamping member 6 pivotably coupled to the first and

second sleeves

4, 5 and movable relative to the end effector 3 between an open position and a clamped position, the clamping member and the end effector directly contacting soft tissue and cooperating to effect dissection, cutting, ligation, coagulation, and/or hemostasis, etc., of the soft group; in addition, the mechanism of the handle assembly 15 that enables the opening and clamping of the clamping member, which is of the available prior art, is not described in detail herein; and the number of the first and second groups,

a knob 17, the knob 17 being disposed between the handle assembly and the elongate assembly and being capable of driving the elongate assembly to rotate together when the knob is rotated.

In a preferred embodiment, the ultrasonic transducer core 2 is fixed together by the connection between the flange 10-3 and the elongated housing 1, and an insulating ring is mounted on the flange 10-3, the insulating ring completely covering the surface of the flange in contact with the elongated housing 1 to insulate the flange from the elongated housing, and the flange and the elongated housing are fixed together by insulating pins, insulating screws, or potting adhesive. One or more recesses are formed in a flange 10-3 of the core of the ultrasonic transducer for accommodating insulating pins or insulating screws, one or more through holes are formed in the position, corresponding to the recess, of the elongated shell, and the through holes are used for enabling the insulating pins or the insulating screws to penetrate through the through holes and enter the recesses, so that the elongated shell and the flange are connected at a fixed position, wherein the insulating pins or the insulating screws, the through holes and the recesses are in interference fit; or the insulation pin or the insulation screw and the through hole and the recess may be sealed by insulation glue. Or the flange 10-3 and the elongated housing 1 are fixed together by pouring sealant to fix the flange 10-3 and the elongated housing 1. After the flange 10-3 of the core of the ultrasonic transducer is placed in the elongated shell and is determined to be fixed, liquid epoxy resin glue, organic silica gel or polyurethane glue is directly filled and sealed in the fixed position and the periphery of the fixed position, so that the flange is fixed at the fixed position in the elongated shell. The encapsulation is to mechanically or manually fill the liquid polyurethane compound into a device with electronic components and circuits, and cure the liquid polyurethane compound into a thermosetting polymer insulating material with excellent performance under normal temperature or heating conditions. The epoxy resin pouring sealant, the organic silicon resin pouring sealant and the polyurethane pouring sealant used in the process are the pouring sealants. The connection between the flange 10-3 and the elongated housing 1 is a sealed connection, avoiding the ingress of moisture, tissue fluid or the like.

In a preferred embodiment, the front part of the elongated housing 1 has a bend bent towards the longitudinal axis to accommodate the ultrasound transducer core in the elongated housing, the contact of the front end of the bend of the elongated housing with the end-effector 3 or the ultrasound transducer core 2 being sealed by silicone, for example by a silicone ring being provided at this location, which is fixed to the front end of the bend of the elongated housing or to the end-effector 3. The space between the rear end of the bent portion of the elongated housing 1 and the first sleeve 4 is also sealed by silicone, and a silicone ring is similarly provided, for example. The silicone ring dampens unwanted vibrations and isolates the ultrasonic energy from the elongate housing 1 to ensure that the longitudinal ultrasonic energy reaches the distal end of the ultrasonic end-effector with maximum efficiency.

In addition, the gun type ultrasonic surgical instrument is also provided with a knob 17 between the handle and the extension member, and the extension assembly can be driven to rotate by rotating the knob 17, namely, the extension shell 1, the ultrasonic transducer core 2, the end effector 3, the first sleeve 4, the second sleeve 5 and the clamping member 6 are driven to rotate together. The knob is in direct contact with the outer surface of the second sleeve 5. The elongate housing 1, ultrasound transducer core 2, end effector 3, first sleeve 4, second sleeve 5 and clamping member 6 may be entirely disposable or replaceable from the handle assembly 15, and the knob 17 may be disposable or replaceable with the elongate assembly. Such a detachable connection facilitates the surgeon to change the extension members of different lengths and/or thicknesses as required and as the particular needs of the procedure dictate.

In a preferred embodiment, the gun-type ultrasonic surgical instrument further includes two

wires

7,8 which extend from the rear of the ultrasonic transducer core 2 and rearwardly within the elongate housing 1 until they are connected to an electrically conductive assembly in the handle assembly 15 which is connected by a cable to an ultrasonic generator which outputs electrical signals of a specified frequency, voltage, current to the transducer. The conductive element is in electrical contact with the resilient electrode.

As shown in fig. 12, the rear ends of the two

wires

7,8 are provided with corresponding elastic electrodes 7-1,8-1, and the elastic electrodes 7-1,8-1 are welded to an insulating chuck 11 provided at the rear end of the elongated housing 1, the insulating chuck 11 is fixed to the rear end of the elongated housing 1 by a connecting mechanism (e.g., an adhesive, a snap, etc.), so that when the elongated housing 1 rotates during a surgeon's operation, the insulating chuck 11 rotates along with the elongated housing 1 without the wire being wound or otherwise affecting the operation of the surgical instrument, and the rotation tracks of the elastic electrodes fixed to the insulating chuck are fixed. In addition, the insulating chuck is rotatable and removable with the elongated housing.

The handle assembly comprises a conductive assembly, as shown in figures 13 and 14, which comprises an insulating base 12 and two

conductive rings

13,14 radially spaced apart in parallel on the base, the rings being made of a metal, such as gold, silver, copper or the like. Preferably, the two conductive rings are machined and a layer of gold is plated on the surface of the two conductive rings to increase the conductive effect of the copper ring. The two conductive rings are separated by two insulating rings on the insulating base 12. These elastic electrodes 7-1,8-1, which are located on the insulating chuck 11, are in pressing contact with the end faces of the two conducting

rings

13,14 and form an electrical connection. The two

conductive rings

13,14 are integrally encapsulated with the insulating base 14 and the two insulating rings thereon. The insulating base has a central through hole, and arranged in order from inside to outside in the radial direction are a conductive ring 14, an annular insulating portion, a conductive ring 13, and an annular insulating portion. The insulating seat and the insulating ring are made of an insulating material, such as rubber, plastic, etc. Polycarbonate (PC) is preferably used as the insulating material. The polycarbonate has the characteristics of high transparency, light weight, impact resistance, sound insulation, heat insulation, flame resistance, aging resistance and the like.

This conductive assembly is fixed in the handle assembly 15 and insulated from the handle assembly 15, and the rear end of the conductive assembly is connected to the ultrasonic generator through a cable. The rear end of the elongate housing 1 is not in direct contact with the conductive assembly, but only through the resilient electrode mounted on the insulating chuck at the rear end of the elongate housing 1.

In a preferred embodiment, the two conductive rings are each provided with two annular grooves 13-1,14-1 (as shown in fig. 12-14) on the end faces facing the elastic electrodes 7-1,8-1, so that the elastic electrodes are inserted into the annular grooves on the end faces of the two conductive rings, respectively, thereby defining the movement locus of the elastic electrodes 7-1,8-1 in the annular grooves 13-1,14-1, which are manufactured by machining. The elastic electrodes 7-1,8-1 are still pressed against and in electrical contact with the bottom of the annular grooves 13-1,14-1 of the two conductive rings, respectively, when they rotate with the elongated housing.

In a preferred embodiment, the end effector 3 is removably connected to the ultrasonic transducer core 2, and the end effector is disposable or replaceable. The end effector 3 is screwed to the ultrasonic transducer core 2, and a structure for applying an external force is provided on the end effector to fasten the end effector 3 to the ultrasonic transducer core 2. The structure provided on the end effector 3 for applying an external force may be a hole a penetrating the diameter of the end effector as shown in fig. 11, by inserting a rod into the hole a, the rod is rotated to fix the end effector 3 to the ultrasonic transducer core 2. The structure provided on the end effector 3 for applying external forces may also be a grip-facilitating structure, such as a symmetrical flat structure about the longitudinal axis of the end effector or other asymmetrical grip-facilitating structure, preferably a pair of symmetrical flat structures B, as shown in fig. 15. At the outer surface of the end effector 3 near the elongated housing 1 is provided a structure that enables the end effector 3 to be fixed to the ultrasound transducer core 2 by applying external force to the structure that facilitates clamping using a clamping tool (e.g., a wrench or pliers). The remainder of the gun-type ultrasonic instrument can then be reused, recycled, and/or re-sterilized and a new end effector 3 attached to the ultrasonic transducer core 2 for use in another procedure. In other cases the entire elongate assembly may be replaced if the clamping mechanism is worn, jammed and/or inoperable and/or if the ultrasonic transducer is damaged or inoperable.

When the end effector 3 and the ultrasonic transducer core 2 are non-detachably connected, the end effector 3 and the front metal block 2-1 of the ultrasonic transducer core may be integrally made of the same material (for example, waveguide material), as shown in fig. 16; or a portion of the end effector 3 is made as a housing of the ultrasonic transducer core 2. The end effector is preferably made of a titanium alloy. End effectors include materials other than titanium alloys, including aluminum, steel, iron, alloys, and the like.

When the end effector 3 is not detachably attached to the ultrasonic transducer core 2, the end effector 3 is attached to the ultrasonic transducer core 2 by any suitable means such as welding, bonding, riveting, and the like.

In a preferred embodiment, a weight 16 is provided within the housing at the rear of the handle assembly. As shown in FIG. 10, the center of gravity of the weight is preferably located on an extension of the centerline of the elongated housing to avoid a heavy front-to-light back condition of the entire gun-type ultrasonic surgical instrument after the transducer is forward.

In a preferred embodiment, the length of the ultrasonic transducer core 2 is greater than or equal to 1/4 and less than or equal to 1/2 of one wavelength. In the prior art, the length of an ultrasonic transducer core is designed to be one wavelength long. In a preferred embodiment, the length of the ultrasonic transducer core is 1/2 of one wavelength, and the front end of the ultrasonic transducer core is at the antinode (usually referred to as the maximum absolute value or peak, e.g., the location where motion is usually maximal) of the oscillating motion standing wave. The length of three transducer cores is shown in fig. 17, the upper graph showing the length of a prior art ultrasonic transducer core comprising one piezoelectric stack designed for one wavelength, the middle graph showing the length of a prior art ultrasonic transducer core comprising two piezoelectric stacks designed for one wavelength, and the lower graph showing the length of an ultrasonic transducer core of the present invention comprising two piezoelectric stacks designed for 1/2 wavelengths. In a preferred embodiment, the length of the ultrasonic transducer core and the end effector is a multiple of 1/2 of a wavelength. Preferably, the length of the ultrasonic transducer core and the end effector is an integral multiple of 1/2 of a wavelength.

The gun type ultrasonic surgical instrument designed by the invention has the advantages that the ultrasonic transducer is arranged in front and miniaturized, the radial and longitudinal dimensions are much smaller than those of a common double-excitation type transducer, more structural type choices can be provided for the gun type ultrasonic surgical instrument under the condition of ensuring the output power, and the gun type ultrasonic surgical instrument can be directly connected with an end effector, so that the structure of a vibration coupler (also called a wave guide rod) is omitted, the problem that the vibration coupler is difficult to process is avoided, and meanwhile, the raw material and the processing cost are reduced.

In the description herein, references to the description of the term "one embodiment," "as illustrated in FIG. …," "for example," etc., mean that a particular feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the invention. In this specification, the schematic representations of the terms used above are not necessarily intended to refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples. Furthermore, various embodiments or examples described in this specification can be combined and combined by those skilled in the art.

Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it is understood that the embodiments are illustrative and not restrictive, and that all equivalent modifications or changes that may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as disclosed herein are intended to be covered by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic transducer core having a longitudinal axis and generating vibrations along said longitudinal axis at a predetermined frequency, said ultrasonic transducer core comprising: a front metal block, two or more piezoelectric stacks, a middle metal block connecting each two adjacent piezoelectric stacks together, and a rear metal block disposed along the longitudinal axis;

it is characterized in that the preparation method is characterized in that,

the middle metal block is provided at each of its two ends with a flange and is connected to the piezo-electric stacks adjacent to the middle metal block in front of and behind it, and with a flange located between the two flanges and spaced from them by annular grooves on both sides of the flange.

2. An ultrasonic transducer core according to claim 1, wherein said intermediate metal block and the flange provided thereon, the two flanges, and the annular grooves on both sides of the flange are integrally formed.

3. The ultrasonic transducer core according to claim 2, wherein each of the two or more piezoelectric stacks included in the ultrasonic transducer core includes one or more piezoelectric elements, when one of the piezoelectric stacks includes two or more piezoelectric elements, the positive electrodes of the piezoelectric elements included in the piezoelectric stack are connected in series by a plurality of electrode pieces interposed between the piezoelectric elements or at the ends thereof and/or the negative electrodes of the piezoelectric elements are connected in series by a plurality of electrode pieces interposed between the piezoelectric elements or at the ends thereof, a connecting portion integrally formed with the adjacent two electrode pieces is provided between each adjacent two electrode pieces of the series positive electrode, and/or a connecting portion integrally formed with the adjacent two electrode pieces is provided between each adjacent two electrode pieces of the series negative electrode, the plurality of electrode pieces of the series positive electrode are interleaved with the plurality of electrode pieces of the series negative electrode, and the connecting portion of the series positive electrode and the connecting portion of the series negative electrode are alternately disposed and the connecting portion of the series negative electrode is interposed therebetween The connecting portions do not contact each other.

4. The ultrasonic transducer core according to claim 3, wherein when the ultrasonic transducer core includes two piezoelectric stacks, the piezoelectric elements of each piezoelectric stack are six, the number of the connection portions of the series negative electrode tabs is two when the number of the connection portions of the series positive electrode tabs is three, or the number of the connection portions of the series negative electrode tabs is three when the number of the connection portions of the series positive electrode tabs is two.

5. An ultrasonic transducer core according to claim 3, wherein each connecting portion of the series positive electrode tab and/or each connecting portion of the series negative electrode tab is provided on both surfaces with an insulating substance which is any one of plastic, resin, rubber, paint, or plating film.

6. A gun-type ultrasonic surgical instrument comprising an ultrasonic transducer core as described in any of the above, the gun-type ultrasonic surgical instrument further comprising:

a handle assembly;

an extension assembly coupled to the handle assembly, the extension assembly comprising:

an elongate housing extending from the handle assembly toward a front end, the ultrasonic transducer core being disposed at a front portion of the elongate housing and disposed inside the elongate housing;

an end effector disposed along a longitudinal axis of the ultrasonic transducer core and connected with the ultrasonic transducer core;

a first sleeve disposed on the elongate housing;

a second sleeve disposed on the first sleeve;

a clamping member pivotably coupled to the first and second sleeves and movable relative to the end effector between an open position and a clamped position; and

a knob disposed between the handle assembly and the extension assembly and capable of driving the extension assembly to rotate together when the knob is rotated.

7. The gun-type ultrasonic surgical instrument according to claim 6, wherein the ultrasonic transducer core is fixed together by a connection between the flange and the elongated housing, wherein an insulating ring is mounted on the flange so as to be insulated from the elongated assembly, and the flange and the elongated housing are fixed together by an insulating pin, an insulating screw, or a potting adhesive.

8. The gun-type ultrasonic surgical instrument according to claim 7, wherein one or more recesses are formed on the flange of the ultrasonic transducer core for accommodating insulating pins or insulating screws, and one or more through holes are formed in the elongated housing at positions corresponding to the recesses for allowing the insulating pins or insulating screws to pass therethrough into the recesses so as to connect the elongated housing and the flange in a fixed position, wherein the insulating pins or insulating screws and the through holes and the recesses are in interference fit; or the insulating pin or the insulating screw, the through hole and the recess are further sealed by insulating glue.

9. The gun-type ultrasonic surgical instrument according to claim 7, wherein the flange of the ultrasonic transducer core is positioned within the elongated housing and, once a fixed position is established, a liquid epoxy glue, silicone glue or polyurethane glue is potted directly in and around the fixed position such that the flange is secured in the elongated housing at the fixed position.

10. The ultrasonic gun-type surgical instrument according to any one of claims 8 or 9, wherein the front portion of the elongated housing has a curved portion that curves toward the longitudinal axis to accommodate the ultrasonic transducer core within the elongated housing, and a silicone ring is provided at a contact portion of a front end of the curved portion of the elongated housing with the end effector, the silicone ring being fixed to the front end of the curved portion of the elongated housing or to the end effector, and a silicone ring is also provided between a rear end of the curved portion of the elongated housing and the first sleeve.

11. The ultrasonic gun-type surgical instrument of claim 10, wherein the extension assembly and the knob are integrally disposable or replaceable from the handle assembly.

12. The gun-type ultrasonic surgical instrument of claim 11, further comprising two wires that exit the back of the ultrasonic transducer core and extend back inside the elongated housing until connected to a conductive assembly in the handle assembly;

the rear ends of the two wires are provided with corresponding elastic electrodes, the elastic electrodes are welded on an insulating chuck arranged at the rear end of the extension shell, the extension shell is fixed with the insulating chuck, the insulating chuck can rotate and detach along with the extension shell, and the conductive assembly is in electrical contact with the elastic electrodes.

13. The ultrasonic gun-type surgical instrument according to claim 12, wherein the conductive assembly comprises an insulating base and two conductive rings radially spaced apart in parallel on the insulating base, the two conductive rings being spaced apart by two insulating rings on the insulating base, the resilient electrodes on the insulating chuck being in pressing contact with and making electrical connection with respective end faces of the two conductive rings, the two conductive rings being integrally overmolded with the insulating base and the two insulating rings thereon.

14. The ultrasonic gun-type surgical instrument according to claim 13, wherein the two conductive rings are each provided with two corresponding annular grooves on the end surfaces facing the elastic electrodes, so that the elastic electrodes are inserted into the corresponding annular grooves on the end surfaces of the two conductive rings and still press against and maintain electrical contact with the bottom of the annular grooves of the two conductive rings when the elastic electrodes rotate with the elongated housing.

15. The gun-type ultrasonic surgical instrument of claim 14, wherein the end effector is removably coupled to the ultrasonic transducer core, and wherein the end effector is disposable or replaceable.

16. The gun-type ultrasonic surgical instrument according to claim 15, wherein the end effector is threadably coupled to the ultrasonic transducer core, and wherein structure is provided on the end effector for applying an external force to secure the end effector to the ultrasonic transducer core.

17. The gun-type ultrasonic surgical instrument according to claim 14, wherein the end effector and the ultrasonic transducer core are non-detachably connected, and the end effector and the front metal block of the ultrasonic transducer core are integrally formed of the same material.

18. The ultrasonic gun-type surgical instrument according to claim 14, wherein the end effector and the ultrasonic transducer core are non-detachably connected, and the end effector and the ultrasonic transducer core are connected by any one of welding, bonding, and riveting.

19. The ultrasonic gun-type surgical instrument of claim 14, wherein a counterbalance mass is disposed within the housing at the rear of the handle assembly.

20. The gun-type ultrasonic surgical instrument of claim 14, wherein the length of the ultrasonic transducer core is greater than or equal to 1/4 and less than or equal to 1/2 of one wavelength.

21. The gun-type ultrasonic surgical instrument of claim 20, wherein the ultrasonic transducer core and the end effector have lengths that are multiples of 1/2 of one wavelength.