FLAT BLADE SHIELDED OBTURATOR

• US 20070260275A1
• Filed: 05/03/2007
• Published: 11/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Medical Resources Corporation (Applied Medical Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Applied Medical Resources Corporation (Applied Medical Corporation)
• Inventors: Ahlberg, Russell E., Pesce, Luca, Ponisio, Martin
• Granted Patent: US 8,801,741 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/185
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/34 Trocars; Puncturing needles pointed biopsy instruments A61B10/0233; devices for piercing the ear-lobes A44C7/001; seals or hemostasis valves A61M39/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3417 Details of tips or shafts, e.g. grooves, expandable, bendable; Multiple coaxial sliding cannulas, e.g. for dilating syringe needles A61M5/32; dilators A61M29/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3496 Protecting sleeves or inner probes; Retractable tips for protecting body piercing guide needles A61M25/0612

Abstract

A shielded bladed obturator is provided with a shield lockout that prevents retraction of a shield to expose a blade for cutting. The shield lockout in one aspect has a rotational switch interacting with a longitudinal extending shield to lock and unlock the shield. A blade exposure and coverage system is also provided.

Claims

1. An obturator comprising:

a handle, the handle having a rotatable switch arranged to rotate about a rotational axis from a first position to a second position; and

a shaft connected to the handle and having a longitudinal axis parallel with the rotational axis, the shaft having a movable portion and a fixed portion with a blade connected to the fixed portion of the shaft;

the rotatable switch in the first position obstructing the movable portion of the shaft to prevent movement of the movable portion of the shaft along the longitudinal axis and in the second position freeing the movable portion of the shaft to allow movement of the movable portion of the shaft along the longitudinal axis.

2. The obturator of claim 1 wherein the switch is coupled to a spring, the switch in the first position being biased by the spring towards the first position and the switch in the second position being biased by the spring towards the second position

3. The obturator of claim 1 wherein the switch has a slot, the slot being aligned with the shaft when the switch is in the second position

4. The obturator of claim 3 wherein the slot has a cam surface engagable with the shaft converting translational motion of the shaft to rotational motion of the switch.

5. The obturator of claim 1 wherein the movable portion extends beyond the blade and the blade extends beyond the fixed portion with portions of the blade being exposed.

6. The obturator of claim 5 wherein the movable portion slides within the fixed portion.

7. The obturator of claim 6 wherein an inner shaft connects the movable portion of the shaft to the switch, the inner shaft having a flange engageable with the cam surface of the switch.

8. The obturator of claim 1 wherein the blade comprises a plurality of pivotable blades.

10. The obturator of claim 8 wherein each blade of the plurality of pivotable blades has a cam slot engagable with a pin extending from the movable portion of the shaft.

11. The obturator of claim 1 wherein the fixed portion of the shaft encompasses the movable portion of the shaft.

12. The obturator of claim 1 further comprising a pivot plate having one end connected to one end of the blade and a movable potion of the shaft and another end connected to the another portion of the blade, the pivot plate pivoting about a pivot pin connected to the fixed portion of the shaft.

13. The obturator of claim 1 wherein the blade is retractable into the fixed portion of the shaft and extendable out of the fixed portion of the shaft.

14. The obutrator of claim 1 wherein the movable portion of the shaft has a key surface extending radially from the movable portion of the shaft.

15. The obturator of claim 1 wherein the switch has radially extending keyway slot.

16. The obturator of claim 15 wherein the switch in the first position misaligns the keyway slot with the key surface of the movable portion of the shaft and the switch in the second position aligns the keyway slot with the key surface of the movable portion of the shaft.

17. The obturator of claim 16 wherein the key surface of the movable portion of the shaft has a cam surface engageable with the switch causing rotational movement of the switch.

9. The obturator of clam 8 each blade is pivotable to extend outside the fixed portion of the shaft and retract inside the fixed portion of the shaft.

18. An obturator comprising:

a handle having a manually engagable switch arranged to rotate about a rotational axis from a first position to a second position; and

a shaft connected to the handle and having a longitudinal axis parallel with the rotational axis, the shaft having a movable portion and a fixed portion with a blade connected to the fixed portion of the shaft;

the switch having means for aligning with the movable portion of the shaft to prevent movement of the movable portion of the shaft along the longitudinal axis and having means for misaligning with the shaft to allow movement of the movable portion of the shaft.

19. The obturator of claim 18 further comprising means for rotationally biasing the switch.

20. An obutrator comprising:

a handle having a manually engagable switch arranged to rotate about a rotational axis from a first position to a second position; and

a shaft connected to the handle and having a longitudinal axis parallel with the rotational axis, the shaft having a movable shield and a fixed shield with a blade connected to the fixed shield;

the switch having a planar surface and a slot, the planar surface of the switch being aligned with the shaft to prevent movement of the movable shield along the longitudinal axis and the slot of the switch being aligned with the shaft to allow movement of the movable shield