Aspirator sleeve and suction handle
First Claim
1. A sleeve and aspirator tip combination comprising:
- (a) a surgical aspirator tip comprising;
(i) an enlarged medial portion having an internal channel and an external medial portion surface, said medial portion including at least one longitudinal exterior groove formed on the external medial portion surface;
(ii) a hollow tubular neck member having an exterior surface, said hollow tubular neck member extending distally from the medial portion and with the hollow tubular neck member being diametrically no larger than the enlarged medial portion;
(iii) a tip end portion at the distal end of the hollow tubular neck member opposite the medial portion, said tip end portion defining at least one tip end opening that is in communication with the hollow tubular neck member;
(b) a surgical aspirator sleeve comprising;
(i) an elongate, tubular body composed of resilient deformable material, the body having an internal sleeve surface and an external sleeve surface;
(ii) said tubular body defining an internal channel having an open, proximal aspirator sleeve end portion and an enclosed, distal tip sleeve end portion, said tubular body defining plural, spaced orifices at a spaced distance from the distal tip sleeve end portion, said orifices providing communication between the external environment and internal channel of the tubular body to allow passage of gases, fluid, or materials to be aspirated into the internal channel defined by the tubular body;
(iii) said tubular body slidably receivable over the hollow tubular neck member of the surgical aspirator tip to assume the profile of the hollow tubular neck member of the aspirator tip;
(iv) wherein the size of the internal channel of said tubular body is sufficiently larger than the exterior of the hollow tubular neck member to enable the gases, fluid, or materials passing into the channel through the orifices to flow through the internal channel between the interior of the tubular body and the exterior of the hollow tubular neck member toward the distal tip end of the hollow tubular neck member; and
(c) at least one venting channel in communication with the interior of the sleeve and the external environment formed between the at least one longitudinal exterior groove of the enlarged medial portion and the internal surface of the proximal aspirator sleeve end, allowing airflow between the external environment and the interior of the sleeve;
(d) locking means to secure said tubular body to an aspirator tip and to resilient relative longitudinal and rotational movement of said tubular body with respect to the aspirator tip; and
(e) alignment means for guiding the sleeve onto the tip to properly mate the tubular body and aspirator tip, thereby ensuring the formation of at least one venting channel therebetween.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A sleeve and aspirator tip combination includes a surgical aspirator tip (103) couplable to a surgical aspirator sleeve (40). The surgical aspirator sleeve (40) includes spaced orifices (62) that provide communication between the external environment and the internal channel of the sleeve (40). The aspirator tip (13) includes at least one longitudinal exterior groove (74). At least one venting channel (80) is formed between the at least one longitudinal exterior groove (74) and the interior of the aspirator sleeve (40), allowing airflow between the external environment and the interior of the sleeve (40). Locking means secure the sleeve (40) to the aspirator tip (130) and prevent longitudinal and rotational movement of the sleeve (40). Alignment means guide the sleeve (40) onto the tip (130) to properly mate the sleeve (40) and aspirator tip (103), thereby ensuring formation of at least one venting channel (80) therebetween.
43 Citations
41 Claims
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1. A sleeve and aspirator tip combination comprising:
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(a) a surgical aspirator tip comprising;
(i) an enlarged medial portion having an internal channel and an external medial portion surface, said medial portion including at least one longitudinal exterior groove formed on the external medial portion surface;
(ii) a hollow tubular neck member having an exterior surface, said hollow tubular neck member extending distally from the medial portion and with the hollow tubular neck member being diametrically no larger than the enlarged medial portion;
(iii) a tip end portion at the distal end of the hollow tubular neck member opposite the medial portion, said tip end portion defining at least one tip end opening that is in communication with the hollow tubular neck member;
(b) a surgical aspirator sleeve comprising;
(i) an elongate, tubular body composed of resilient deformable material, the body having an internal sleeve surface and an external sleeve surface;
(ii) said tubular body defining an internal channel having an open, proximal aspirator sleeve end portion and an enclosed, distal tip sleeve end portion, said tubular body defining plural, spaced orifices at a spaced distance from the distal tip sleeve end portion, said orifices providing communication between the external environment and internal channel of the tubular body to allow passage of gases, fluid, or materials to be aspirated into the internal channel defined by the tubular body;
(iii) said tubular body slidably receivable over the hollow tubular neck member of the surgical aspirator tip to assume the profile of the hollow tubular neck member of the aspirator tip;
(iv) wherein the size of the internal channel of said tubular body is sufficiently larger than the exterior of the hollow tubular neck member to enable the gases, fluid, or materials passing into the channel through the orifices to flow through the internal channel between the interior of the tubular body and the exterior of the hollow tubular neck member toward the distal tip end of the hollow tubular neck member; and
(c) at least one venting channel in communication with the interior of the sleeve and the external environment formed between the at least one longitudinal exterior groove of the enlarged medial portion and the internal surface of the proximal aspirator sleeve end, allowing airflow between the external environment and the interior of the sleeve;
(d) locking means to secure said tubular body to an aspirator tip and to resilient relative longitudinal and rotational movement of said tubular body with respect to the aspirator tip; and
(e) alignment means for guiding the sleeve onto the tip to properly mate the tubular body and aspirator tip, thereby ensuring the formation of at least one venting channel therebetween. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A surgical aspirator sleeve and tip combination, where the sleeve has an interior surface and the tip has an exterior surface, the combination comprising:
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at least one groove formed on at least a portion of the exterior surface of the tip; and
at least one rib formed on the interior surface of the sleeve that is slidably engageable with the grooves for properly aligning the aspirator sleeve with the aspirator tip and restricting longitudinal and rotational movement of said aspirator sleeve relative to the aspirator tip
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20. A surgical aspirator sleeve and tip combination, comprising:
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a key formed on at least a portion of the surgical aspirator tip; and
a slot formed in at least a portion of the sleeve, wherein the slot slidably receives the key when the aspirator tip is received within the aspirator sleeve to prevent rotational movement of the sleeve with respect to the tip and maintain the alignment of the sleeve with respect to the tip. - View Dependent Claims (21)
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22. A surgical aspirator sleeve and tip combination, the aspirator tip having an aspirator tip end and an external surface, and the aspirator sleeve having an internal surface and a distal tip sleeve end portion, the combination comprising:
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at least one tip end projection formed on the external surface of the aspirator tip end, the at least one tip end projection extending generally laterally relative to the aspirator tip end; and
at least one sleeve tip end projection formed in the distal tip sleeve end portion, wherein said at least one projection may selectively engage the tip end projection to form a gap between the distal tip sleeve end portion and the aspirator tip end portion, such that liquid or passing through the sleeve can flow freely towards the aspirator tip end.
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23. A surgical aspirator sleeve and tip combination, the aspirator tip having an external surface and a tip end portion and the aspirator sleeve having an internal surface and a distal tip sleeve end portion, the combination comprising:
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at least one projection formed on the aspirator tip end portion, the projection extending generally laterally relative to the aspirator tip end portion;
at least one pair of converging longitudinal grooved ribs extending along at least a portion of the internal surface of the aspirator sleeve, said pair of longitudinal grooved ribs converging near the forward tip end of the aspirator sleeve, and selectively abutting the at least one projection to form a gap between the aspirator tip end portion and the distal tip sleeve end portion, such that gases, fluid, or materials passing through the sleeve can flow freely towards the aspirator tip end.
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24. A method of assembling a sleeve and aspirator tip combination, the method comprising:
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(a) providing a surgical aspirator tip, the aspirator tip comprising;
(i) an enlarged medial portion having an internal medial portion surface and an external medial portion surface, said medial portion including at least one longitudinal groove formed on the external medial portion surface;
(ii) a hollow tubular member having an exterior surface, said hollow tubular member extending distally from the medial portion and with the hollow tubular member being diametrically no larger than the enlarged medial portion;
(iii) a tip end portion of the distal end of the hollow tubular neck member opposite the medial portion, said tip end portion defining at least one tip end opening that is in communication with the hollow tubular neck member;
(b) providing a surgical aspirator sleeve, the sleeve comprising;
(i) an elongate, tubular body composed of resilient, deformable material, the body having an internal sleeve surface and an external sleeve surface;
(ii) said tubular body defining an internal channel having an open, proximal aspirator sleeve end portion and an enclosed, distal tip sleeve end portion, said tubular body defining plural, spaced orifices at a spaced distance from the tip end, said orifices providing communication between the external environment and internal channel of the tubular body to allow passage of gases, fluid, or materials to be aspirated into the internal channel defined by the tubular body;
(iii) said tubular body slidably receivable over the hollow tubular neck member of the surgical aspirator tip to assume the profile of the hollow tubular neck member of the aspirator tip;
(iv) wherein the size of the internal channel of said tubular body is sufficiently larger than the exterior of the hollow tubular neck member to enable the gases, fluid, or materials passing into the channel through the orifices to flow through the internal channel between the interior of the tubular body and the exterior of the hollow tubular neck member toward the distal tip end of the hollow tubular neck member;
(c) forming at least one venting channel in communication with the interior of the sleeve and the external environment between the at least one longitudinal exterior groove of the enlarged medial portion and the internal surface of the proximal aspirator sleeve end, allowing airflow between the external environment and the interior of the sleeve;
(d) providing locking means to help secure said tubular body to the aspirator tip and to restrict longitudinal and rotational movement of said tubular body relative to the aspirator tip; and
(e) providing alignment means for guiding the sleeve onto the tip to properly align the tubular body and aspirator tip, thereby helping to ensure the formation of at least one venting channel therebetween. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A surgical aspirator tip, comprising:
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(a) an enlarged medial portion having an internal channel;
(b) a hollow tubular neck member extending distally from the medial portion and with the hollow tubular neck member being diametrically no larger than the enlarged medial portion; and
(c) a tip end portion at the distal end of the hollow tubular neck member opposite the medial portion, said tip end portion (i) defining at least one tip end opening that is in communication with the hollow tubular neck member, and (ii) comprising at least two tip end projections formed on the tip end portion and extending generally laterally to the hollow tubular neck member, wherein the tip end projections form at least one tip end groove therebetween. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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Specification