COAGULATING INSTRUMENT

• US 3,643,663 A
• Filed: 10/15/1969
• Issued: 02/22/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/1968
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fischer MET GmbH
• Original Assignee: Hermann Sutter
• Inventors: Sutter, Hermann
• Primary Examiner(s): Trapp, L. W.
• Application Number:
  US04/866,477
• Time in Patent Office: 860 Days
• Field of Search: 128/303.1,303.13,303.14,303.15,303.17,318
• US Class Current: 606/51
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/30 Surgical pincettes without pivotal connectionsfor holding suture needles or materials A61B17/0483; wound clamps A61B17/08 ; hand-held gripping tools without pivotal connections in general B25B9/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1402 Probes for open surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1442 Probes having pivoting end effectors, e.g. forceps
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00738 part of the tool being offset with respect to a main axis, e.g. for better view for the surgeon
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1462 Tweezers

Abstract

A forceps-type coagulating instrument provided with means for electrically connecting the relatively insulated blades of a forceps to a generator supplying a high-frequency voltage, for the purpose of coagulating a part held between the points of the blades of the forceps, wherein said connecting means are constituted by a push-on and pulloff connector.

Claims

1. A coagulating instrument of the forceps type comprising, in combination, a pair of mating blades, of electrically conductive metal, having pointed forward ends to define a forceps;

means, including a layer of dielectric material interposed between the facing inner surfaces of said blades at their rear ends, uniting said blades at their rear ends, whereby the rear ends of the blades constitute electrically isolated relatively elongated electrical contacts of a first electrical connector element; and

a second electrical connector element engageable with said first element and having a pair of electrically isolated contacts each engageable with a respective one of said first-mentioned electrical contacts, said second electrical connector element being arranged for connection to a source of high-frequency electrical potential;

one connector element forming a plug and the other a socket, and said connector elements being engaged and electrically interconnected by plugging one connector element into the other.

2. An instrument as set forth in claim 1, wherein the rear end of the instrument is insertable into a socket of said second connector.

3. An instrument as set forth in claim 2, wherein said socket of the connector contains spring contacts which serve to grip said rear end of the instrument and to retain it inside said socket.

4. An instrument as set forth in claim 3, wherein the rear ends of the two forceps blades are relatively insulated by an interposed layer of dielectric material formed with coned plug-shaped bosses which pass through apertures in the ends of the blades.

5. An instrument as set forth in claim 4, wherein the instrument is made of bright metal and the inside of one of said forceps blades is provided with a spacing projection of insulating material to prevent said two forceps blades from touching except at their pointed, free forward ends.

6. An instrument as set forth in claim 2, adapted, when not in use, to be retained in a holder including a tiltable retaining socket member corresponding to said second connector;

said socket member having, on its underside, an elongated supporting arm extending in the direction of an instrument inserted into said socket member;

said elongated supporting arm being formed, at its free end, with an upwardly bent projection defining a U-shaped recess for reception of said forceps blades of said instrument when in a closed position.

7. An instrument as set forth in claim 6, wherein said holder comprises a plurality of said socket members for simultaneously receiving a plurality of forceps-type instruments having blades resiliently biased apart.

8. An instrument as set forth in claim 6, wherein said socket member has instrument clamping springs in the form of leaf springs resembling contact springs of said second connector;

the rear end of said instrument being free of external projections to permit insertion of the rear end of said instrument into said socket member;

the leading ends of said leaf springs, facing in a direction opposite to the direction of insertion of an instrument into said socket member, having free end portions bent outwardly away from each other.