SURGICAL TOOLS AND SYSTEM FOR SAFELY ACCESSING BODY CAVITIES AND METHODS OF USING THE SAME
First Claim
1. A medical instrument kit, comprising:
- a. a flexible hollow sheath with a proximal end, a distal end, and an interior diameter; and
b. a safety needle assembly fitting closely within said hollow sheath and havingi. an outer hollow needle having a proximal end, a sharp distal end, and an exterior diameter that is substantially equal to said interior diameter of said flexible sheath, wherein said outer hollow needle can be snuggly inserted into said flexible sheath, andii. an inner stylet having a proximal end and a blunt distal end, said inner stylet extending through said outer hollow needle, wherein said needle assembly includes a biasing structure for biasing said stylet to a position where said blunt distal end of said stylet extends beyond said sharp distal end of said outer hollow needle.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The application discloses a set of surgical instruments that may be used to access a human or animal body cavity for medical purposes without causing damage to internal tissues or organs therein, and methods of using the same. The instruments include a safety needle and flexible sheath that may be coupled together and used to establish a minimally invasive method to access a targeted body cavity while preventing or reducing damage to organs or tissues within the targeted cavity. Additional instruments are included within the invention that may be used to establish an access port in the wall of the targeted cavity. That port may be used to introduce catheters or other instruments into the body cavity. It may also be used as a drainage tube for draining or injecting gases and/or fluids from or into the targeted cavity.
25 Citations
35 Claims
-
1. A medical instrument kit, comprising:
-
a. a flexible hollow sheath with a proximal end, a distal end, and an interior diameter; and b. a safety needle assembly fitting closely within said hollow sheath and having i. an outer hollow needle having a proximal end, a sharp distal end, and an exterior diameter that is substantially equal to said interior diameter of said flexible sheath, wherein said outer hollow needle can be snuggly inserted into said flexible sheath, and ii. an inner stylet having a proximal end and a blunt distal end, said inner stylet extending through said outer hollow needle, wherein said needle assembly includes a biasing structure for biasing said stylet to a position where said blunt distal end of said stylet extends beyond said sharp distal end of said outer hollow needle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
-
-
13. A medical instrument kit for establishing an access port in a targeted body cavity without damaging the organs or tissues therein, comprising:
-
a. a safety needle assembly having an outer cannula having an exterior diameter and a distal cutting end, and an inner stylet having a blunt distal end, wherein the stylet is spring biased to extend from a distal cutting end with sufficient pressure to protrude from said distal cutting end when said distal cutting end penetrates into an interior space of said targeted body cavity; b. a flexible hollow sheath for coupling with said safety needle, wherein said flexible sheath is positioned over said outer cannula and said flexible sheath has an inner diameter that is substantially equal to said outer diameter of said outer cannula and fits snuggly over said outer cannula; c. a drainage tube; and d. a drainage tube introducer including a distal head for engaging a distal end of said drainage tube and dilating an access incision to allow said drainage tube to pass into said targeted body cavity. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
-
-
22. A method of establishing exterior access to a targeted body cavity of a human or animal for medical purposes, comprising:
-
a. piercing an outer layer of tissue with a safety needle and flexible sheath assembly to insert said safety needle and flexible sheath assembly into said targeted body cavity, said safety needle and flexible sheath assembly including; i. a flexible hollow sheath with a proximal end, a distal end, and an interior diameter; and ii. a safety needle fitting closely within said hollow cannula and having 1. an outer hollow needle having a proximal end, a sharp distal end, and an exterior diameter that is substantially equal to said interior diameter of said flexible hollow cannula, wherein said outer hollow needle can be snuggly inserted into said cannula, and 2. an inner stylet having a proximal end and a blunt distal end, said inner stylet extending through said outer hollow needle, wherein said safety needle includes a biasing structure for biasing said stylet to extend said inner stylet from said sharp distal end with sufficient pressure to protrude from said distal cutting end when said sharp distal end penetrates into an interior space of said targeted body cavity; and b. removing said needle from said flexible hollow sheath to establish access to said targeted body cavity through said flexible hollow sheath. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
-
Specification