Trocar with rotating safety shield
First Claim
1. A trocar, used to provide an opening through a tissue layer, comprising:
- a trocar body having a hollow interior; and
an obturator assembly having proximal and distal ends, the distal end of the obturator assembly sized to pass through the hollow interior of the trocar body, the obturator assembly including;
a cutting element at the distal end, the cutting element having a tip;
a safety shield pivotally mounted to the distal end and adjacent the cutting element, the safety shield being pivotal between a cutting position, with the cutting element exposed to the tissue layer, and a safe position, with the safety shield shielding the cutting element; and
means for automatically rotating the safety shield from the cutting position to the safe position upon passage of at least the tip of the cutting element through the tissue layer.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A trocar (2) includes a hollow body (4) defining a path between its proximal and distal ends with an obturator assembly (6) positioned along the path. The distal and (22) of the obturator rod (14) has a cutting element or blade (24). A safety shield (46) is rotably mounted to the blade for automatic movement from a cutting position, with the blade exposed, and a safe position, with the blade shielded, when the blade is at least partially through the tissue layer being pierced. A gas sealing assembly (114) seals the path along the trocar body and includes at least three interleavened elastomeric sealing elements (124) which seal the path when an object, such as an obturator barrel ( 14) , is not positioned along the path.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. A trocar, used to provide an opening through a tissue layer, comprising:
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a trocar body having a hollow interior; and an obturator assembly having proximal and distal ends, the distal end of the obturator assembly sized to pass through the hollow interior of the trocar body, the obturator assembly including; a cutting element at the distal end, the cutting element having a tip; a safety shield pivotally mounted to the distal end and adjacent the cutting element, the safety shield being pivotal between a cutting position, with the cutting element exposed to the tissue layer, and a safe position, with the safety shield shielding the cutting element; and means for automatically rotating the safety shield from the cutting position to the safe position upon passage of at least the tip of the cutting element through the tissue layer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. An improved obturator assembly of the type, used to provide an opening through a tissue layer, having proximal and distal ends and a cutting element at the distal end, the improvement comprising:
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a safety shield pivotally mounted to the distal end and adjacent the cutting element, the safety shield being pivotal between a cutting position, with the cutting element exposed to the tissue layer, and a safe position, with the safety shield shielding the cutting element; and means for automatically rotating the safety shield from the cutting position to the safe position upon passage of at least a portion of the safety shield through the tissue layer.
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20. A trocar, used to provide an opening through a tissue layer, comprising:
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a trocar body having a hollow interior; and an obturator assembly having proximal and distal ends and defining an obturator axis therebetween, the distal end of the obturator assembly sized to pass through the hollow interior of the trocar body, the obturator assembly including; a flat bladed cutting element fixed to a the distal end; a safety shield pivotally mounted to the distal end and adjacent the cutting element, the safety shield being pivotal about a shield axis perpendicular to the obturator axis between a cutting position, with the cutting element exposed to the tissue layer, and a safe position, with the safety shield shielding the tissue layer from cutting element; the safety shield being configured so that when the safety shield is in the cutting position at least 2/3 of the safety shield is proximal of the shield axis; means for automatically rotating the safety shield from the cutting position to the safe position upon passage of at least a portion of the cutting element through the tissue layer; the safety shield rotating means including a shield driver biasing the safety shield in a rotary direction from the cutting position to the safe position, the safety shield including a pulley and the shield driver including a drive spring and a tension cable, the tension cable coupling the drive spring and the pulley; and the safety shield rotating means including a safety shield release button at the distal end of the obturator assembly positioned to be engaged by the tissue layer after the cutting element has at least partially cut the tissue layer, the safety shield release button being movable between a safety shield engaged condition, at which the safety shield is maintainable in the cutting position against the shield driver, and a safety shield released position, at which the safety shield is released to be rotatable by the shield driver from the cutting position to the safe position, the safety shield release button being movable to the safety shield released position when said safety shield release button has been depressed by said tissue. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23)
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Specification