Trocar assembly with rotatable tip

• US 5,534,009 A
• Filed: 01/25/1993
• Issued: 07/09/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: United States Surgical Corporation (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: United States Surgical Corporation (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Lander, Jack R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Thaler, Michael H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lewis, William W.
• Application Number:
  US08/008,419
• Time in Patent Office: 1,261 Days
• Field of Search: 606/184, 606/185, 606/191, 604/44, 604/108, 604/109, 604/158, 604/164, 604/165, 604/169, 604/272-274, 30/151, 30/152, 30/366-368, 433/102, 433/141, 433/143
• US Class Current: 606/185
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/34 Trocars; Puncturing needles pointed biopsy instruments A61B10/0233; devices for piercing the ear-lobes A44C7/001; seals or hemostasis valves A61M39/06

Abstract

A trocar assembly includes a hand grip and a trocar obturator. The trocar obturator includes a front end on which is mounted a piercing tip, and an opposite rear end. The trocar obturator is mounted on the hand grip at its rear end, and is adapted to rotate independently of the hand grip. A retaining head is mounted on the rear end of the obturator, and is rotatably but securely received by a socket formed in the hand grip.

Claims

1. A trocar assembly for piercing a body cavity which comprises:

hand gripping means dimensioned and configured to be held firmly between the palm and fingers of the user;

a trocar obturator having a front end portion and a rear end portion;

means for mounting said rear end portion of said trocar obturator on said hand gripping means;

a body piercing tip mounted on the front end portion of said trocar obturator and adapted for piercing a wall portion of the body cavity upon application of a predetermined force;

means to permit said body piercing tip to rotate independently of said hand gripping means such that when said hand gripping means is held firmly between the palm and the fingers of the user and said piercing tip is positioned against a body portion, and said piercing tip is thrust through the wall of the body cavity, said piercing tip is held in fixed position by the wall of the body cavity while said hand gripping means is permitted to rotate independent of said piercing tip;

an enlongated trocar tube dimensioned and configured for reception of said trocar obturator;

said obturator mounting means includes a retaining head mounted on the rear end of the obturator, the retaining head being rotably and securely mounted in a socket formed in the hand grip portion;

said retaining head is disposed co-axially to the obturator and includes a frusto-conically shaped end portion, the socket of the hand grip portion having a shape conforming to that of the retaining head end portion to closely receive and retain the end portion;

said frusto-conically shaped end portion has a cross-section which widens in a direction rearwardly from the rear end of the obturator.

2. A trocar assembly which comprises:

a) an elongated trocar obturator having a body piercing tip at a distal end thereof;

b) a cannula assembly including a cannula housing and an elongated trocar tube fixedly mounted to said cannula housing, said body piercing tip being configured and dimensioned to pass into and through said elongated trocar tube;

c) a hand grip mounted on the rear end of said obturator dimensioned and configured to mate with the cannula housing and to be grasped by a user; and

d) means to permit said body piercing tip to rotate independently of said hand grip and said elongated trocar tube such that when said hand grip is grasped by a user and said piercing tip is positioned against a body wall, and said piercing tip is thrust through the body wall, said piercing tip is held in fixed position by the body wall at least until said piercing tip passes through the body wall, while said hand grip and said elongated trocar tube are permitted to rotate independent of said piercing tip.

3. A trocar assembly as defined by claim 2 wherein said body piercing tip includes a retaining head mounted on the front end of the obturator and disposed coaxially therewith.

4. A trocar assembly as defined by claim 3 wherein said retaining head has a frusto-conically shaped configuration.

5. A trocar assembly as defined by claim 4 wherein said frusto-conically shaped retaining head widens in a direction forwardly of the obturator.

6. A trocar assembly as defined by claim 5 wherein said body piercing tip defines a corresponding frusto-conically shaped socket dimensioned and configured to receive and retain said retaining head of said obturator while permitting rotation of said piercing tip relative to said obturator. PG,14

7. A trocar assembly which comprises:

a) an elongated trocar obturator having a body piercing tip at a distal end thereof, said piercing tip being rotatably mounted to said obturator;

b) a cannula assembly including a cannula housing and an elongated trocar tube fixedly mounted to said cannula housing, said body piercing tip being configured and dimensioned to pass into and through said elongated trocar tube;

c) a hand grip mounted on the rear end of said obturator and dimensioned and configured to mate with the cannula housing and to be grasped by a user, said body piercing tip rotating independently of said hand grip and said elongated trocar tube such that when said hand grip is grasped by a user and said piercing tip is thrust through a body wall, said piercing tip is held in a fixed position by the body wall at least until said piercing tip passes entirely through the body wall, while said hand grip and said elongated trocar tube are permitted to rotate independent of said piercing tip.

8. In combination:

a) a trocar assembly including a hand grip dimensioned and configured to be grasped by the user and an obturator rotatably mounted and extending from the said hand grip, said obturator having a body piercing tip at a distal end thereof; and

b) a cannula assembly including a cannula housing and an elongated trocar tube fixedly mounted to and extending from said cannula housing, said piercing tip dimensioned to pass into and through said elongated trocar tube so as to extend beyond a distal end of said elongated trocar tube said piercing tip rotating independently of said hand grip and said elongated trocar tube.

9. The combination of claim 8 wherein said body piercing tip includes a retaining head extending from the distal end of the obturator and disposed coaxially therewith.

10. The combination of claim 9 wherein said retaining head has a frusto-conically shaped configuration.

11. The combination of claim 10 wherein said frusto-conically shaped retaining head widens in a direction forwardly of the obturator.

12. The combination of claim 11 wherein said body piercing tip defines a corresponding frusto-conically shaped socket dimensioned and configured to receive and retain said retaining head of said obturator while permitting rotation of said piercing tip relative to said obturator.

13. A method of puncturing a body wall comprising:

(i) providing a trocar assembly including;

a) an elongated obturator having a body piercing tip at its front end, said body piercing tip being rotatably mounted to said obturator;

b) a cannula assembly including a cannula housing and an elongated trocar tube fixedly mounted to said cannula housing;

c) a hand grip mounted to the rear end of said obturator and dimensioned and configured to mate with said cannula housing and to be grasped by a user;

(ii) grasping at least said hand grip;

(iii) positioning said piercing tip against a body wall;

(iv) applying pressure to said hand grip to force said piercing tip through the body wall, said piercing tip being held in a fixed position by the body wall at least until said piercing tip passes entirely through the body wall, said hand grip and said elongated trocar tube being permitted to rotate independent of said piercing tip as pressure is applied.