SEPARABLE SURGICAL NEEDLE

• US 3,677,243 A
• Filed: 09/24/1971
• Issued: 07/18/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Joseph E. Nerz
• Original Assignee: Joseph E. Nerz
• Inventors: Nerz, Joseph E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Truluck, Dalton L.
• Application Number:
  US05/183,572
• Time in Patent Office: 298 Days
• Field of Search: 128/214.4,221,347,348
• US Class Current: 604/161
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0668 splittable, tear apart

Abstract

A hollow surgical needle the shaft portion of which may be split in half longitudinally and the two mating halves of which are secured together with heat shrinkable material which includes two parallel score lines located externally of the band to facilitate tearing the band apart into two separate pieces so that the two halves of the needle can be removed from around a flexible tubular catheter having an enlarged fitting on one end after the other end of the catheter has been threaded through the hollow needle and is properly positioned in the patient.

Claims

1. A surgical needle for performing medical operations having one end bevel sharpened for insertion in a patient and having at the other end an enlarged laterally protruding portion, an elongated hollow shaft portion therebetween comprising separate segments which mate together into an operable structure and also separate completely from each other in lateral fashion, at least one elongated band of flexible sterilizable plastic material laterally surrounding and extending axially along at least part of the shaft portion, the band being in tight engagement with the shaft portion and operating to secure the separate segments thereof together into an operable structure, and means including at least one weakened score line running lengthwise of the band to facilitate tearing it open for disengaging from the surgical needle to permit complete separation of the segments from each other in lateral fashion.

2. A surgical needle as in claim 1 wherein the band has two weakened score lines running lengthwise thereof to facilitate tearing it apart into two separate pieces.

3. A surgical needle as in claim 2 wherein the band is pre-separated along the score lines for a portion of its length to provide protruding portions to facilitate tearing it apart into separate pieces.

4. A surgical needle as in claim 3 wherein the end of the band nearest the sharpened end of the needle is bevelled, and the band is pre-separated along the score lines at its other end.

5. A surgical needle as in claim 1 wherein the band is of a heat shrinkable material.

6. A surgical needle as in claim 1 wherein the shaft portion is cylindrical and comprises two separate segments which mate together in a flat plane in which the longitudinal axis of the cylinder lies.

7. A surgical needle as in claim 6 wherein the enlarged laterally protruding portion comprises a single separate segment removable from the two separate segments of the hollow shaft portion, and the enlarged laterally protruding segment includes an internal cavity for receiving the ends of the two shaft portion segments.

8. A surgical needle as in claim 7 wherein the internal cavity is formed in an extension of the enlarged laterally protruding segment, and the band is in tight engagement with the extension to secure the two shaft portion segments with their ends in the internal cavity.

9. A surgical needle as in claim 8 wherein the band is pre-separated along score lines for a portion of its length adjacent the extension of the laterally protruding segment, the pre-separation providing protruding portions to facilitate tearing the band apart into separate pieces.

10. A surgical needle as in claim 9 wherein there are two score lines which are parallel and diametrically opposed to each other, and are located externally of the band of heat shrinkable material.