Ultrasonic surgical apparatus with silicon waveguide

Abstract

Ultrasound surgical apparatus are disclosed, including: medical ultrasound handpieces with proximally mounted ultrasound radiators configured to create a distally-focused beam of ultrasound energy, in combination with distal guide members for control of focal point depth; medical ultrasound handpieces with proximally mounted ultrasound radiators configured to create a distally-focused beam of ultrasound energy, in combination with distal rolling members for manipulability and control of focal point depth; medical ultrasound handpiece assemblies with coupled end effectors providing a probe with a probe dilation region configured to have an average outside diameter that is equal to or greater than the average outside diameter of a probe tip and neck; as well as junctions to an ultrasonically inactive probe sheath; medical ultrasound handpiece assemblies with coupled end effectors having positionable, ultrasonically inactive probe sheath ends slidably operable to both cover and expose at least a probe tip; and ultrasound transducer cores including a transducer structure affixed to a longitudinally elongated, generally planar, single crystal or polycrystalline material waveguide.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of manufacturing an ultrasonic core for an ultrasonic surgical instrument, the method comprising the steps of:
 selecting a single crystal piezoelectric material and cutting the material to form a plate having major faces coincident with the <011> crystallographic plane;   adding at least one planar electrode member to a major face of the plate;   bonding the opposite major face of the plate to a side of a longitudinally elongated, generally planar waveguide; and   after the bonding step, applying a poling current across the at least one planar electrode member and the plate to pole the single crystal piezoelectric material in the <011> crystallographic direction.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the single crystal piezoelectric material is cut in with a zxt +0° cut direction, with a ratio of longitudinal extent to lateral extent between edge of greater than 5 to 1, and with a ratio of longitudinal extent to thickness of greater than 5 to 1. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the single crystal piezoelectric material is cut in with a zxt +45° cut direction, with a ratio of longitudinal extent to lateral extent between edges of greater than 3.5 to 1, and with a ratio of longitudinal extent to thickness of greater than 3.5 to 1. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of adding the at least one planar electrode member includes adding a second planar electrode member to the opposite major face of the plate. 
     
     
         5 . A method of manufacturing an ultrasonic core for an ultrasonic surgical instrument, the method comprising the steps of:
 obtaining both a transducer having a first longitudinal extent and a carrier having a second, shorter longitudinal extent;   bonding the transducer to a side of the carrier to form a subassembly in which the ends of the transducer project longitudinally beyond the ends of the carrier;   applying a pair of poling electrodes to the ends of the transducer in the subassembly and applying a poling current longitudinally through the transducer via the pair of poling electrodes; and   bonding the opposite side of the carrier of the subassembly to a side of a longitudinally elongated, generally planar waveguide.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the step of bonding the transducer includes applying a discontinuous pattern of balls or edge-to-edge oriented strips of bonding material to the mutually opposing sides of the transducer and the carrier. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , further including the step of underfilling transducer of the subassembly with a second, conductive bonding material after the applying step. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the carrier includes a plurality of through-holes, and the second, conductive bonding material is introduced to the space between the mutually opposing sides of the transducer and the carrier through the plurality of through-holes.