Forceps

• US 4,027,510 A
• Filed: 05/15/1974
• Issued: 06/07/1977
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Siegfried Hiltebrandt
• Original Assignee: Siegfried Hiltebrandt
• Inventors: Hiltebrandt, Siegfried
• Primary Examiner(s): Combs, E. M.
• Application Number:
  US05/470,176
• Time in Patent Office: 1,119 Days
• Field of Search: 72/37, 72/410, 128/4-8, 128/325, 128/326, 128/334, 128/346, 128/303 A, 227/19
• US Class Current: 72/37
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/303 for the vagina, i.e. vaginoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1285 for minimally invasive surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 6/204 Clamp applying devices

Abstract

This invention relates to forceps instruments, particularly those used for fitting tantalum clips for sealing off the Fallopian tubes in the human female. Such instruments ordinarily comprise a barrel with a handle at the proximal end thereof to open and close jaws of the forceps for the clips at the distal end of the barrel, the surgeon observing the operational area by means of an optical system that includes a viewing tube associated with the forceps instrument. In accordance with the invention, the viewing tube extends centrally through the barrel which is longitudinally movable to open and close the forceps jaws; the viewing tube terminates in a straight line so as to give the surgeon uninterrupted vision between the forceps jaws.

Claims

1. A forceps instrument comprising in combination,

a. an outer sleeve member,

b. a guiding viewing-tube support, tubular in shape, and mounted concentrically within said outer sleeve,

c. a tubular barrel mounted within said outer sleeve substantially concentrically around and axially slidable along said guiding viewing-tube support,

d. optical viewing means including a viewing tube immoveably mounted on and substantially concentrically within said guiding viewing-tube support and extending substantially centrally therethrough such that an uninterrupted line-of-sight is provided therethrough,

e. a pair of separately pivotally mounted opposing jaws mounted on a distal end of said guiding viewing-tube support and being pivotal apart from and toward one another on opposite sides of said uninterrupted line-of-sight, said jaws being adapted, in an open state, for receiving a tantalum clip therebetween, each of said opposing jaws being further provided with a longitudinally extending jaw limb which is releasably mounted in a correspondingly-shaped, longitudinally extending recess in the outer periphery of said guiding viewing-tube support at its distal end,

f. locking means for retaining said jaw limbs in said logitudinal recesses, said locking means comprising a locking ring mounted in an annular groove provided in the outer periphery of said guiding viewing-tube support in surrounding relationship to said jaw limbs, and

g. hand-operated jaw actuation means comprising a first lever element fixedly mounted on a proximal end of said outer sleeve, and a second lever element pivotally mounted on said first lever at an intermediate point thereon, said levers being further interconnected by spring means which biases them into an open position, said second lever being provided at one end with a U-shaped projection which extends through a cut-out in said proximal end of said outer sleeve and said projection is permanently attached to a proximal end of said tubular barrel so that, upon pivotal actuation of said second lever toward said first lever against the bias of said spring means, said tubular barrel is moved along said guiding viewing-tube support in a distal direction to close said jaws and thereby crimp said tantalum clip positioned therebetween, and upon release of said lever, said spring means biases and thereby moves said tubular barrel in a proximal direction along said guiding viewing-tube support and thereby opens said jaws, and the entire crimping operation of the jaws is viewed through said optical means.