SURGICAL CUTTING INSTRUMENT

• US 3,651,811 A
• Filed: 10/10/1969
• Issued: 03/28/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fritz Hilzinger, Hans G. Hildebrandt
• Original Assignee: Fritz Hilzinger, Hans G. Hildebrandt
• Inventors: Hildebrandt, Hans G., Hilzinger, Fritz
• Primary Examiner(s): Trapp, L. W.
• Application Number:
  US04/865,442
• Time in Patent Office: 900 Days
• Field of Search: 128/303.1,303.13,303.14,303.15,303.16,303.17,318,305
• US Class Current: 606/51
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3201 Scissors for biopsy A61B10/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1402 Probes for open surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1442 Probes having pivoting end effectors, e.g. forceps

Abstract

A surgical cutting instrument that incorporates electrodes capable of coagulating or cauterizing a severed blood vessel at the same time that it is cut.

Claims

1. A combination cutting and coagulating surgical instrument for use in microsurgery which comprises:

a. a pair of cutting members movable with respect to one another adapted to perform a cutting function;

b. insulating means to electrically insulate each of said pair of cutting members from one another;

c. a pair of connecting means one being provided for each of said pair of cutting members, each of saiD connecting means being adapted to be connected to the respective pole of an electric current source and thereby form a pair of coagulation electrodes at said cutting members for bipolar coagulation when each of said connecting means is connected to the respective poles of an electric current source.

2. A surgical instrument according to claim 1 wherein each of said pair of cutting members is pivotally mounted with respect to one another and include handle means extending therefrom, said handle means being in the form of a leaf spring which cooperate with one another.

3. A surgical instrument in accordance with claim 2 which further includes a lateral projection on one of said handle means and wherein a cooperating recess is provided in the other of said handle means to receive said projection when said handle means are brought toward engagement with one another.

4. A surgical instrument in accordance with claim 1 wherein said pair of cutting members are in the form of cooperating cutting blades pivotally mounted with respect to one another so as to operate in a scissor-like manner, and wherein said insulating means comprises an insulating plate interposed at the pivot point between said pair of cutting blades.

5. A surgical instrument in accordance with claim 4 which further includes a screw means for pivotally mounting said pair of cutting blades, said screw means including a head, a bearing surface adjacent said head, and a threaded portion at the lower end thereof, said screw being threadedly fastened to the cutting blade engaged with the lower end thereof while the other cutting blade is pivotally supported about said bearing surface, and an insulating means interposed between the screw head and said other cutting blade so as to provide additional insulating means between said pair of cutting blades.

6. A surgical instrument in accordance with claim 4 wherein one of said cutting blades include a recess therein adapted to accept said insulating means.

7. A surgical instrument in accordance with claim 2 wherein said cutting members are in the form of cutting blades which contact one another only at their edges upon closing.

8. A surgical instrument in accordance with claim 7 wherein the edges of said cutting blades are shaped such that they will upon cutting contact one another first at their free ends.

9. A surgical instrument in accordance with claim 8 wherein the free end of at least one of said cutting blades includes a projection thereon adapted to clamp the tissue to be coagulated upon closing prior to said cutting blades contacting one another.

10. A surgical instrument in accordance with claim 1 wherein said cutting members are pivotally mounted with respect to one another so as to form scissor like cutting legs having handle portions extending therefrom, said handle portions being divergently disposed with respect to one another after the pivotal connecting point, spring members at the free end of said handle portions converging toward one another so as to meet upon closing thereof, and an insulating head interposed between said mating spring members upon closing thereof.

11. A surgical instrument in accordance with claim 10 wherein said insulating head is in the form of a plug.

12. A surgical instrument in accordance with claim 10 wherein said pair of scissor-like cutting legs are interconnected so as to be axially displacable with respect to one another, and which further includes slidable insulating elements adapted to electrically insulate each of said scissor-like cutting legs from one another.