Laparoscopic instrument assembly
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A laparoscopic instrument assembly comprising:
- a rigid sleeve having an outer diameter smaller than an inner diameter of a laparoscopic cannula, whereby a distal end portion of the instrument assembly may be inserted into a patient'"'"'s abdomen through the laparoscopic cannula during a laparoscopic procedure;
a plurality of laparoscopic instrument shafts inserted inside said sleeve, at least one of said shafts being slidably mounted to said sleeve for sliding motion relative thereto;
locking means on said sleeve and said one of said shafts for alternately locking said one of said shafts in a retracted neutral position and an extended use position;
a plurality of surgical tips operatively connected to respective ones of said shafts at distal ends thereof; and
actuator means connected to at least a given one of said shafts at a proximal end of said sleeve for actuating a respective one of said surgical tips.
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Abstract
A laparoscopic instrument assembly includes a rigid sleeve and a plurality of laparoscopic instrument shafts inserted inside the sleeve. The sleeve has an outer diameter smaller than an inner diameter of a laparoscopic cannula, whereby a distal end portion of the instrument assembly may be inserted into a patient'"'"'s abdomen through the laparoscopic cannula during a laparoscopic procedure. A plurality of surgical tips are operatively connected to respective ones of the shafts at distal ends thereof, while an actuator component is connected to the shafts at a proximal end of the sleeve for independently actuating the operative tips.
305 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A laparoscopic instrument assembly comprising:
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a rigid sleeve having an outer diameter smaller than an inner diameter of a laparoscopic cannula, whereby a distal end portion of the instrument assembly may be inserted into a patient'"'"'s abdomen through the laparoscopic cannula during a laparoscopic procedure; a plurality of laparoscopic instrument shafts inserted inside said sleeve, at least one of said shafts being slidably mounted to said sleeve for sliding motion relative thereto; locking means on said sleeve and said one of said shafts for alternately locking said one of said shafts in a retracted neutral position and an extended use position; a plurality of surgical tips operatively connected to respective ones of said shafts at distal ends thereof; and actuator means connected to at least a given one of said shafts at a proximal end of said sleeve for actuating a respective one of said surgical tips. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A laparoscopic instrument assembly comprising:
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a rigid sleeve having an outer diameter smaller than an inner diameter of a laparoscopic cannula, whereby a distal end portion of the instrument assembly may be inserted into a patient'"'"'s abdomen through the laparoscopic cannula during a laparoscopic procedure; a plurality of laparoscopic instrument shafts inserted inside said sleeve, at least one of said shafts being flexible in a distal end region; locking means on said sleeve for releasably locking at least one of said shafts to said sleeve; a plurality of surgical tips operatively connected to respective ones of said shafts at distal ends thereof; manual actuator means connected to each of said shafts at a proximal end thereof for independently actuating respective ones of said surgical tips; and bend control means operatively connected to said one of said shafts at a proximal end for controlling the orientation of said one of said shafts in said distal end region. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10)
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11. A laparoscopic instrument assembly comprising:
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a rigid sleeve having an outer diameter smaller than an inner diameter of a laparoscopic cannula, whereby a distal end portion of the instrument assembly may be inserted into a patient'"'"'s abdomen through the laparoscopic cannula during a laparoscopic procedure; a plurality of laparoscopic instrument shafts slidably inserted inside said sleeve; a plurality of surgical tips operatively connected to respective ones of one said shafts at distal ends thereof; and actuator means connected to one said shafts at a proximal end of said sleeve for actuating a respective one of said surgical tips, said actuator means being removably connected to said one of said shafts, whereby said actuator means may be transfered to another one of said shafts to actuate a different one of said surgical tips. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
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14. A method for use in the performance of laparoscopic surgery, comprising the steps of:
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providing a laparoscopic instrument assembly including a rigid sleeve surrounding a plurality of laparoscopic instrument shafts each having a surgical tip at a distal end, a first one of said shafts being slidably mounted to said sleeve, said first one of said shafts being locked to said sleeve; disposing a laparoscopic cannula in a patient'"'"'s abdominal wall; upon such disposition of said cannula, inserting said instrument assembly through said cannula; unlocking said first one of said shafts from said sleeve; upon unlocking of said first one of said shafts from said sleeve, sliding said first one of said shafts relative to said sleeve; upon sliding of said first one of said shafts relative to said sleeve, locking said first one of said shafts to said sleeve; upon locking of said first one of said shafts to said sleeve, initially manipulating an actuator at a proximal end of said first one of said shafts to operate a surgical tip at a distal end of said first one of said shafts to perform a surgical operation; subsequently manipulating an actuator at a proximal end of a second one of said shafts to operate a surgical tip at a distal end of said second one of said shafts to perform another surgical operation; and maintaining said sleeve in a position longitudinally traversing said cannula during said steps of manipulating. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method for use in the performance of laparoscopic surgery, comprising the steps of:
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providing a laparoscopic instrument assembly including a rigid sleeve surrounding a plurality of laparoscopic instrument shafts each having a surgical tip at a distal end; disposing a laparoscopic cannula in a patient'"'"'s abdominal wall; upon such disposition of said cannula, inserting said instrument assembly through said cannula; initially manipulating an actuator at a proximal end of a first one of said shafts to operate a surgical tip at a distal end of said first one of said shafts to perform a surgical operation; subsequently manipulating an actuator at a proximal end of a second one of said shafts to operate a surgical tip at a distal end of said second one of said shafts to perform another surgical operation, the actuator at the proximal end of said first one of said shafts being the same as the actuator at the proximal end of said second one of said shafts; removing the actuator from the proximal end of said first one of said shafts upon completion of said step of initially manipulating and connecting the removed actuator to the proximal end of said second one of said shafts prior to said step of subsequently manipulating; and maintaining said sleeve in a position longitudinally traversing said cannula during said steps of manipulating. - View Dependent Claims (22)
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Specification