Safety trocar

• US 5,224,952 A
• Filed: 10/20/1992
• Issued: 07/06/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ethicon Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Ethicon Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Deniega, Jose C., Failla, Stephen J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rosenbaum, C. Fred
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEWIS, WILLIAM W
• Application Number:
  US07/963,970
• Time in Patent Office: 259 Days
• Field of Search: 604/160-161, 604/164, 604/165, 604/168, 604/169, 604/185, 604/188, 604/246, 604/247, 604/248, 604/272, 604/274, 604/264, 604/283, 604/110, 606/184, 606/185, 128/751, 128/752, 128/753, 128/754, 30/151, 30/152, 30/162, 30/366, 30/367, 30/368, 251/149.2
• US Class Current: 606/184
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3496 Protecting sleeves or inner probes; Retractable tips for protecting body piercing guide needles A61M25/0612
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/08021 of the patient or his organs

Abstract

A safety trocar is provided which includes a spring-loaded shield that shields the cutting tip of the obturator after the obturator penetrates tissue. The distal end of the shield is hemispheric in profile and contains a slot which conforms to the geometry of the cutting tip. The rounded distal end enables the shield to spring forward to shield the cutting tip as soon as the tip perforates the tissue. A valve is located at the proximal end of the trocar tube to seal the end of the tube. The valve is oriented at an acute angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the trocar tube. The valve is controllable by an external lever which will hold the valve open or permit it to spring shut. An incremental advancement mechanism cooperates with the obturator to permit only incremental advance of the obturator. Instead of using a discrete shield component the shielding function may be provided by spring-loading the trocar tube itself to spring forward and shield the obturator tip after the tip penetrates tissue.

Claims

1. A trocar comprising:

a first or obturator handle containing an obturator with a sharpened tip;

a second or cannula handle having a proximal end and a distal end comprising;

a hollow cannula with a longitudinal path defining a longitudinal axis at said handle distal end, and a tubular chamber aligned with said longitudinal axis located at said handle proximal end, said chamber having a proximal end and a distal end oriented at an angle to said longitudinal axis, and said obturator insertable into said second handle through said chamber, such that said obturator may be guided into said cannula, said chamber having a first sealing member located at its distal end, and said cannula handle further comprising a valve located at the distal end of said chamber, said valve including an annular member, said cannula member oriented in a plane which is angularly displaced from said longitudinal axis, and said annular member attached to spring means, said spring means urging said annular member in sealing engagement with said first sealing member.

2. The trocar of claim 1, wherein said annular member is a flap hingedly mounted to said chamber.

3. The trocar of claim 1 containing a second sealing member comprising a gasket located on the proximal end of said tubular chamber.

4. The trocar of claim 1, further comprising a lever located outside said chamber and connected to said annular member, said lever having a first position for maintaining said valve in a open condition, and a second position for allowing said valve to close.

5. The trocar of claim 1 wherein said angle is acute.

6. The trocar of claim 1 wherein said second handle further comprises an open area between said cannula and said tubular chamber.

7. The trocar of claim 3 wherein said annular member further comprises a sealing pad capable of being placed in mating relationship with said first sealing member.