Retracting tip trocar assembly
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A retracting tip trocar assembly comprising:
- an elongated trocar obturator extending in an axial direction and having a proximal end and a piercing tip at a distal end thereof;
an elongated trocar tube in which the trocar obturator is housed, the piercing tip being movable in the axial direction from a cutting position at which the piercing tip is outside a distal end of the trocar tube to a shielded position at which the piercing tip is entirely within the trocar tube;
a trocar handle housing which receives the proximal end of the elongated trocar obturator and which includes a catch;
a first link pivotally attached to the trocar obturator and to a second link, the second link being pivotally attached to the trocar handle housing, the links being in a first configuration when the piercing tip is in a cutting position outside the distal end of the trocar tube and the links being in a second configuration when the piercing tip is in the shielded position; and
retracting means mounted within the trocar handle for retracting the piercing tip from the cutting position to the shielded position, the retracting means acting on at least one of the first and second links;
wherein the catch releasably maintains the links in the first configuration.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A retracting tip trocar assembly including a trocar tube and a shaft having a piercing tip at one end thereof. The device includes a retracting mechanism which allows the piercing tip to be held in a cutting position upon application of an insertion force such as when the piercing tip is pressed against a wall of a human body cavity. Upon release of the insertion force, such as when the piercing tip passes through the wall, the retracting mechanism causes the piercing tip to be retracted into the trocar tube.
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Citations
34 Claims
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1. A retracting tip trocar assembly comprising:
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an elongated trocar obturator extending in an axial direction and having a proximal end and a piercing tip at a distal end thereof; an elongated trocar tube in which the trocar obturator is housed, the piercing tip being movable in the axial direction from a cutting position at which the piercing tip is outside a distal end of the trocar tube to a shielded position at which the piercing tip is entirely within the trocar tube; a trocar handle housing which receives the proximal end of the elongated trocar obturator and which includes a catch; a first link pivotally attached to the trocar obturator and to a second link, the second link being pivotally attached to the trocar handle housing, the links being in a first configuration when the piercing tip is in a cutting position outside the distal end of the trocar tube and the links being in a second configuration when the piercing tip is in the shielded position; and retracting means mounted within the trocar handle for retracting the piercing tip from the cutting position to the shielded position, the retracting means acting on at least one of the first and second links; wherein the catch releasably maintains the links in the first configuration. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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5. A retracting tip trocar assembly comprising:
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an elongated trocar obturator extending in an axial direction and having a proximal end and a piercing tip at a distal end thereof; an elongated trocar tube in which the trocar obturator is housed, the piercing tip being movable in the axial direction from a cutting position at which the piercing tip is outside a distal end of the trocar tube to a shielded position at which the piercing tip is entirely within the trocar tube; a trocar handle housing which receives the proximal end the elongated trocar obturator and which includes a catch; a member movable from a first position at which the member prevents movement of the trocar obturator to a second position at which the member does not prevent movement of the trocar obturator, the member being held in the first position when the piercing tip is held against an object with an axial force above a threshold value, wherein the member comprises first and second links for holding the piercing tip in the cutting position while the insertion force load is placed on the piercing tip, the first link pivotally attached to the trocar obturator and to the second link, the second link being pivotally attached to the trocar handle housing, the links being in a first configuration when the piercing tip is in the cutting position and the links being in a second configuration when the piercing tip is in the shielded position; and at least one spring mounted within the trocar handle housing for retracting the piercing tip from the cutting position to the shielded position; wherein the catch releasably maintains the links in the first configuration and said at least one spring applies a bias force on at least one of said links such that when the insertion force is below the threshold value, upon release of the axial insertion force placed on the piercing tip while the piercing tip is in the cutting position, the links move from the first configuration to the second configuration and the piercing tip moves to the shielded position. - View Dependent Claims (6, 12, 19)
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11. A retracting tip trocar assembly comprising:
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an elongated trocar obturator extending in an axial direction and having a proximal end and a piercing tip at a distal end thereof; an elongated trocar tube in which the trocar obturator is housed, the piercing tip being movable in the axial direction from a cutting position at which the piercing tip is outside a distal end of the trocar tube to a shielded position at which the piercing tip is entirely within the trocar tube; a trocar handle housing which receives the proximal end of the elongated trocar obturator and which includes a catch; a member movable from a first position at which the member prevents movement of the trocar obturator to a second position at which the member does not prevent movement of the trocar obturator, the member being held in the first position when the piercing tip is held against an object with an axial force above a threshold value, wherein the member comprises a deformable link for holding the piercing tip in the cutting position while the insertion force is placed on the piercing tip, the deformable link having a first configuration when the piercing tip is in the cutting position and having a second configuration when the piercing tip is in the shielded position; and at least one spring for retracting the piercing tip from the cutting position to the shielded position; wherein the catch releasably maintains the deformable link in the first configuration and said at least one spring applies a bias force on said link such that when the insertion force is below the threshold value, upon release of the axial insertion force placed on the piercing tip while the piercing tip is in the cutting position, the link moves from the first configuration to the second configuration and the piercing tip moves to the shielded position.
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20. A method of puncturing a wall of a human body cavity, comprising the steps of:
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providing a retractable tip trocar assembly having an elongated trocar obturator extending in an axial direction and having a proximal end and a piercing tip at a distal end thereof, an elongated trocar tube in which the trocar obturator is housed such that the piercing tip is movable in the axial direction from a cutting position at which the piercing tip is outside the trocar tube to a shielded position at which the piercing tip is entirely within the trocar tube, a trocar handle housing which receives the proximal end of the elongated trocar obturator and which includes a catch, retracting means mounted within a trocar handle housing for retracting the piercing tip from the cutting position to the shielded position, a first link pivotally attached to the trocar obturator and to a second link, the second link being pivotally attached to the trocar handle housing, the links being in a first configuration when the piercing tip is in the cutting position and the links being in a second configuration when the piercing tip is in the shielded position, the retracting means acting on at least one of the first and second links; placing the links in the first configuration with the piercing tip in the cutting position; and piercing a wall of a human body cavity by manually pushing the piercing tip against the wall of the human body cavity until the piercing tip punctures the wall, thereby triggering the retracting means to move the links to the second configuration and withdraw the piercing tip entirely into the trocar tube. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23)
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24. A method of puncturing a wall of a human body cavity, comprising the steps of:
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providing a retractable tip trocar assembly having; an elongated trocar obturator extending in an axial direction and having a proximal end and a piercing tip at a distal end thereof, an elongated trocar tube in which the trocar obturator is housed such that the piercing tip is movable in the axial direction from a cutting position at which the piercing tip is outside the trocar tube to a shielded position at which the piercing tip is entirely within the trocar tube, retracting means mounted within a trocar handle housing for retracting the piercing tip from the cutting position to the shielded position, the trocar handle housing receiving the proximal end of the trocar obturator, a member, comprising links, movable from a first position at which the member prevents movement of the trocar obturator to a second position at which the member does not prevent movement of the trocar obturator, the member being held in the first position when the piercing tip is pressed against an object with an axial force above a threshold value, and biasing the member toward the second position by applying a bias force on the member such that when the insertion force is below the threshold value the member moves from the first position to the second position and the piercing tip moves to the shielded position; placing the links in a straight configuration with the piercing tip in the cutting position; piercing a wall of a human body cavity by manually pushing the piercing tip against the wall of the human body cavity until the piercing tip punctures the wall, thereby triggering movement of the links to a bent configuration and withdrawing the piercing tip entirely into the trocar tube; wherein the trocar assembly includes a trocar handle housing which receives the proximal end of the elongated trocar obturator, and the retracting means is mounted within the trocar handle housing and includes at least one spring for biasing the links toward the bent configuration, the links being extendible to a straight configuration, and the trocar assembly includes a latch arm mounted to at least one of the links and extending through a slot in the housing, the slot defining a catch; the step of placing the links in the straight configuration comprising moving the latch arm along the slot to extend the links to the straight configuration and engaging the latch arm with the catch to hold the piercing tip in the cutting position. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27)
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28. A method of puncturing a wall of a human body cavity, comprising the steps of:
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providing a retractable tip trocar assembly having; an elongated trocar obturator extending in an axial direction and having a proximal end and a piercing tip at a distal end thereof, an elongated trocar tube in which the trocar obturator is housed such that the piercing tip is movable in the axial direction from a cutting position at which the piercing tip is outside the trocar tube to a shielded position at which the piercing tip is entirely within the trocar tube, retracting means for retracting the piercing tip from the cutting position to the shielded position, a trocar handle housing which receives the proximal end of the elongated trocar obturator, the retracting means being mounted in the trocar handle housing, a member which includes a first link pivotally attached to the proximal end of the trocar obturator and to a second link, the second link being pivotally attached to the trocar handle housing, the links being in a first configuration when the piercing tip is in the cutting position and the links being in a second configuration when the piercing tip is in the shielded position, the retracting means acting on at least one of the links and the links being held in the first configuration when the piercing tip is pressed against an object with an axial force above a threshold value; biasing the links toward the second configuration, the biasing means applying a bias force on the links such that when the insertion force is below the threshold value, the links move from the first configuration to the second configuration and the retracting means moves the piercing tip to the shielded position; placing the links in the first configuration with the piercing tip in the cutting position and the links in the first configuration; piercing a wall of a human body cavity by manually pushing the piercing tip against the wall of the human body cavity with an axial force above the threshold value until the piercing tip punctures the wall and the axial force falls below the threshold value, whereupon the retracting means moves the links to the second configuration to withdraw the piercing tip entirely into the trocar tube. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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Specification