Surgical instruments
DCFirst Claim
1. An endoscopic surgical instrument including an elongate portion comprising a plurality of segments, said elongate portion being arranged, in use, to be inserted through a restricted opening in a body when in a first position, said segments being pivotally movable relative to each other with adjacent segments being movable about a pivot located towards a first side of the instrument from said first position to a second, substantially rigid predetermined position upon pulling of a control means extending within the elongate portion, said control means being located towards a second side of the instrument opposite to said first side whereby, when movement of the segments occurs from said first position to said second position the relative direction in which a part of the elongate portion extends, when compared to another part of the elongate portion, is altered and in which, when said segments are held in said second predetermined position, further movement of said segments away from said first position is arranged to be inhibited by one segment being pulled against an abutment associated with an adjacent segment by the control means.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A surgical instrument includes a plurality of segments which can be moved relative to each other from a first position in which the segments extend in a straight direction and can be inserted through an opening in a body to a second position in which segments are brought tight against each other to cause the instrument to go round a bend. The segments are brought tight against each other by pulling a flexible element extending through the segments from a part of the instrument located outside of the body. Scissors or gripping means may be located at the free end of the instrument within the body, and these scissors or gripping means may be operated from outside of the body.
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Citations
19 Claims
- 1. An endoscopic surgical instrument including an elongate portion comprising a plurality of segments, said elongate portion being arranged, in use, to be inserted through a restricted opening in a body when in a first position, said segments being pivotally movable relative to each other with adjacent segments being movable about a pivot located towards a first side of the instrument from said first position to a second, substantially rigid predetermined position upon pulling of a control means extending within the elongate portion, said control means being located towards a second side of the instrument opposite to said first side whereby, when movement of the segments occurs from said first position to said second position the relative direction in which a part of the elongate portion extends, when compared to another part of the elongate portion, is altered and in which, when said segments are held in said second predetermined position, further movement of said segments away from said first position is arranged to be inhibited by one segment being pulled against an abutment associated with an adjacent segment by the control means.
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15. A method of using a surgical instrument in endoscopic surgery comprising an elongate portion which includes a plurality of segments said method comprising the steps of:
- inserting said elongate portion of said instrument through a restricted opening in a body when in a first position and moving a plurality of said segments of the elongate portion from said first position to a predetermined second position by pulling a control means extending within the elongate portion and located towards one side of the instrument to cause the relative direction in which a part of said elongate portion extends to be altered by adjacent segments pivoting relative to each other towards the other side of the instrument, holding the segments substantially rigid in the second position and contacting an abutment by pulling at least one segment against the abutment by the control means to inhibit further movement of the segments away from the first position and to hold the segments substantially rigid.
- View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
Specification