Safety shielded, reusable trocar

• US 20010029387A1
• Filed: 04/04/2001
• Published: 10/11/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/1993
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Philip L. Wolf, William T. Cox II
• Original Assignee: Philip L. Wolf, William T. Cox II
• Inventors: Cox, William T. II, Wolf, Philip L.
• Application Number:
  US09/825,804
• Publication Number:
  US 20010029387A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/184
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3496 Protecting sleeves or inner probes; Retractable tips for protecting body piercing guide needles A61M25/0612
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00473 Distal part, e.g. tip or head A61B2017/00464 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/0813 Accessories designed for easy sterilising, i.e. re-usable

Abstract

A safety shielded, reusable trocar consisting of a trocar cannula subassembly, a safety shield control mechanism, and a separate obturator subassembly. The trocar cannula subassembly includes an outer cannula attached to a main housing having a central bore in which a spring biased, inner cannula is slidably and removably inserted, and an upper housing, removably secured to the main housing, having a central bore which is aligned longitudinally with the bore of the main housing and in which sealing means is removably secured. The obturator subassembly includes an elongated obturator having a replaceable and rotatable knife, an elongated shaft, an arcuate shaped cap, and which extends through the upper housing, sealing means, main housing, inner cannula, and outer cannula. The safety shield control mechanism, located in the main housing and removably engaged with the inner cannula, allows for positive and easily verifiable engagement and disengagement of the inner cannula as a safety shield for the obturator knife. When the trocar cannula subassembly and safety shield control mechanism are coupled proper operation of the safety shield can be verified without the obturator subassembly being inserted in the inner cannula. In operation, the obturator subassembly, upper housing, and sealing means can be completely removed from the trocar assembly to allow unobstructed access through the inner cannula to the patient'"'"'s internal cavity for removal of specimens or insertion of equipment. After use, the entire trocar assembly can be easily disassembled for cleaning, sterilization, and reuse.

Claims

1. A safety shielded trocar assembly comprising:

a. a trocar cannula subassembly having an outer cannula attached to a main housing and an inner cannula removably interposed with said outer cannula and said main housing, said inner cannula being axially movable relative to said outer cannula between a normally extended position and a retracted position; and

b. biasing means acting on the rear end of said inner cannula, whereby said inner cannula is forced to said retracted position when said trocar assembly is being forced against a relatively immovable object and is biased by said biasing means to said extended position once the trocar assembly is removed from the relatively immovable object

whereby the proper operation of said inner cannula as a safety shield for an obturator can be verified without said obturator being interposed with said inner cannula.

2. A safety shielded trocar assembly comprising:

a. a trocar cannula subassembly having an outer cannula attached to a main housing and an inner cannula removably interposed with said outer cannula and said main housing, said inner cannula being axially movable relative to said outer cannula between a normally extended position and a retracted position;

b. biasing means acting on the rear end of said inner cannula to bias said inner cannula to said normally extended position; and

c. inner cannula control means located in said main housing, said inner cannula control means acting on said inner cannula, whereby said inner cannula is forced to said retracted position when said trocar assembly is being forced against a relatively immovable object and is biased by said biasing means to said extended position once the trocar assembly is removed from the relatively immovable object

whereby the proper operation of said inner cannula as a safety shield for an obturator can be verified without said obturator being interposed with said inner cannula.

3. A safety shielded trocar assembly for providing communication through an anatomical organ structure comprising:

a. an elongated obturator having a piercing tip at its front end, an elongated stem, and a base at its other end;

b. a trocar cannula subassembly in which said obturator is removably housed, said trocar cannula subassembly having an outer cannula attached to a main housing and an inner cannula removably interposed with said outer cannula and said main housing, said inner cannula being axially movable relative to said outer cannula between a normally extended position and a retracted position;

c. biasing means acting on the rear end of said inner cannula, whereby said inner cannula is forced to said retracted position to expose said piercing tip when said trocar assembly is being inserted through the wall of the anatomical organ structure and is biased by said biasing means to said extended position to shield said piercing tip once the trocar assembly has pierced the wall.

4. A safety shielded trocar assembly for providing communication to a body cavity during insufflatory surgical procedures wherein said operative body cavity is maintained under gas pressure during said surgical procedure comprising:

a. an elongated obturator having a piercing tip at its front end, an elongated stem, and a base at its other end;

b. a trocar cannula subassembly in which said obturator is removably housed, said trocar cannula subassembly having an outer cannula attached to a main housing and an inner cannula removably interposed with said outer cannula and said main housing, said inner cannula being axially movable relative to said outer cannula between a normally extended position and a retracted position, said inner cannula having a passage adapted for removably housing said obturator;

c. biasing means acting on the rear end of said inner cannula, whereby said inner cannula is forced to said retracted position to expose said piercing tip when said trocar assembly is being inserted through the wall of the body cavity and is biased by said biasing means to said extended position to shield said piercing tip once the trocar assembly has pierced the wall;

d. an upper housing removably secured to said main housing opposite said outer cannula having a passage adapted for receiving said obturator therethrough;

e. means for sealing said upper housing removably located in said upper housing, said sealing means having an upper seal coaxially disposed about said upper housing passage through which said obturator is adapted to extend and a flapper seal coaxially disposed about said upper housing passage to seal said upper housing passage when said obturator is removed

whereby during the surgical procedure the operative body cavity is maintained under gas pressure, and during the surgical procedure said obturator, said upper housing, and said sealing means may be removed to allow unobstructed access through said inner cannula to the body cavity.

5. In a trocar assembly comprising an elongated obturator having a piercing tip at its front end, an elongated trocar tube in which the obturator is housed, a tubular protective shield mounted concentrically around the obturator and being axially movable relative to the obturator between a normally extended position and a retracted position, and biasing means acting on the rear end of the protective shield, whereby the shield is forced to said retracted position to expose the piercing tip when the trocar is being inserted through the wall of a body cavity and is biased by said means to said extended position to shield the piercing tip once the trocar has pierced the wall, the improvement wherein said trocar tube has a removable chamber housing means for sealing said trocar tube whereby said chamber, said sealing means, said obturator, and said protective shield may be removed to allow unobstructed access through said trocar tube to the body cavity.