Trocar
First Claim
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1. A trocar comprising:
- a first housing;
a stylet secured to and extending from said first housing, said stylet having a sharp tip at a distal end;
a protective tube slidably mounted in said first housing between an extended position and a retracted position, said protective tube being disposed concentrically about said stylet;
a spring in said first housing biasing said protective tube into said extended position;
latch means disposed in said first housing, said latch means comprising a base and a leaf spring, said base and leaf spring being joined at a hinge and said leaf spring being adapted to move between a deflected and a non-deflected position relative to said hinge, said leaf spring engaging said protective tube for releasably locking said protective tube in said extended position when said leaf spring is in said non-deflected position;
means mounted in and projecting from said first housing for disengaging said leaf spring from said protective tube by moving said leaf spring into said deflected position in order to permit movement of said protective tube into said retracted position;
a second housing; and
a guide tube secured to and extending from said second housing configured and dimensioned to slidably receive said protective tube;
wherein said leaf spring automatically returns to said non-deflected position and re-engages said protective tube when said protective tube moves from said retracted position to said extended position.
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Abstract
The trocar is provided with a leaf spring in the housing which abuts a collar on a protective tube which surrounds the sharp tip of the stylet. A spring finger extending from the leaf spring is actuated by a slider when the two housings of the trocar components are squeezed together. The spring finger initially lifts the leaf spring from the collar to release the protective tube for sliding proximally while the collar subsequently lifts the spring finger from the shoulder of the slider to prevent a re-release of the leaf spring when the protective tube 16 is moved back into the extended position.
351 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A trocar comprising:
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a first housing; a stylet secured to and extending from said first housing, said stylet having a sharp tip at a distal end; a protective tube slidably mounted in said first housing between an extended position and a retracted position, said protective tube being disposed concentrically about said stylet; a spring in said first housing biasing said protective tube into said extended position; latch means disposed in said first housing, said latch means comprising a base and a leaf spring, said base and leaf spring being joined at a hinge and said leaf spring being adapted to move between a deflected and a non-deflected position relative to said hinge, said leaf spring engaging said protective tube for releasably locking said protective tube in said extended position when said leaf spring is in said non-deflected position; means mounted in and projecting from said first housing for disengaging said leaf spring from said protective tube by moving said leaf spring into said deflected position in order to permit movement of said protective tube into said retracted position; a second housing; and a guide tube secured to and extending from said second housing configured and dimensioned to slidably receive said protective tube; wherein said leaf spring automatically returns to said non-deflected position and re-engages said protective tube when said protective tube moves from said retracted position to said extended position. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. In a trocar, the combination comprising:
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a stylet with a sharp tip and a protective tube disposed concentrically about the stylet extending from a first housing, said protective tube being spring-biased into an extended position and movable into a retracted position; latch means disposed in said first housing, said latch means comprising a base and a leaf spring, said base and leaf spring being joined at a hinge and said leaf spring being adapted to move between a deflected and a non-deflected position relative to said hinge, said leaf spring engaging said protective tube in said extended position to releasably lock said protective tube in said extended position; means disposed in said first housing for disengaging said leaf spring from said protective tube by moving said leaf spring into said deflected position in order to permit movement of said protective tube into said retracted position; a second housing coaxial of said first housing to define a handgrip therewith; and a guide tube secured to and extending from said second housing with said protective tube slidably mounted therein; wherein said leaf spring automatically returns to said non-deflected position and re-engages said protective tube when said protective tube moves to said extended position. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23)
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24. A method of using a trocar comprising the steps of:
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i) providing a trocar having; a first housing; a stylet secured to and extending from said first housing, said stylet having a sharp tip at a distal end; a protective tube slidably mounted in said first housing between an extended position and a retracted position, said protective tube being disposed concentrically about said stylet; a spring in said first housing biasing said protective tube into said extended position; latch means disposed in said first housing, said latch means comprising a base and a leaf spring, said base and leaf spring being joined at a hinge and said leaf spring being adapted to move between a deflected and a non-deflected position relative to said hinge, said leaf spring releasably engaging said protective tube to lock said protective tube in said extended position; means disposed in said first housing for disengaging said leaf spring from said protective tube by moving said leaf spring into said deflected position in order to permit movement of said tube into said retracted position; and a second housing coaxial of said first housing having a guide tube secured to and extending from said second housing with said protective tube slidably received in said guide tube; ii) activating said means for disengaging said leaf spring; iii) urging said protective tube and said stylet against body tissue to be penetrated, whereby said protective tube is urged into said retracted position by the body to expose said stylet to penetrate the body tissue and said leaf spring is biased to automatically resume said non-deflected position upon return of said protective tube to said extended position. - View Dependent Claims (25)
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Specification