Surgical tissue retrieval instrument

• US 5,681,324 A
• Filed: 06/07/1995
• Issued: 10/28/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ethicon Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Ethicon Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Frederick, Royce, Howard, Barbara, Walker, Edd, Kammerer, Gene W.
• Primary Examiner(s): HINDENBURG, MAX F
• Application Number:
  US08/484,225
• Time in Patent Office: 874 Days
• Field of Search: 128/749, 600/37, 606/113, 606/114, 606/127
• US Class Current: 606/113
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/00234 for minimally invasive surgery A61B17/0218, A61B17/0469, A61B17/12013, A61B17/1285, A61B17/29, A61B17/320016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00287 Bags for minimally invasive surgery

Abstract

A surgical tissue retrieval instrument has a collapsible pouch at the distal end of an elongated support tube for retrieving internal body tissue through a trocar tube. The instrument includes a belt which is formed into a loop slidably attached about the open end of the pouch. The belt is slidably extendable through the support tube for expanding the open end of the pouch to receive the tissue and retractable into the support tube for drawing the open end of the pouch closed to enclose the tissue in the pouch. The belt has an oblong, e.g., rectangular, cross section oriented with its larger cross-sectional dimension perpendicular to the plane of the loop to provide stability at the open end of the pouch and to enable use of the pouch in a scoop-like manner to place the tissue therein. A portion of the belt is thermally set into a curved configuration to urge the loop into a normally expanded shape with the belt extended from the distal end of the support tube. A belt actuator mechanism includes a reciprocating finger grip and a ratchet mechanism which operates in a toggle-like manner to advance and retract the belt along the support tube to open and close the pouch. The pouch has an elongated tapered shape to align the tissue with the length or depth of the pouch to facilitate the withdrawal of the pouch and tissue through an incision at the trocar site.

Claims

1. A surgical instrument for retrieving tissue, comprising:

an elongated support shaft;

a collapsible pouch supported at the distal end of said support shaft and having an open end for receiving the tissue to be retrieved; and

a belt attached about said open end of said pouch and slidable longitudinally relative to said support shaft for expanding said open end of said pouch to receive the tissue and for drawing said open end closed to enclose the tissue in said pouch, wherein said belt has a ribbed configuration with alternating thick and thin regions extending transversely across the width of said belt.

2. The surgical instrument of claim 1, which includes actuator means for moving said belt relative to said shaft to open and close said pouch, and wherein said actuator means includes:

a reciprocating finger grip slidably mounted for longitudinal movement relative to said support shaft; and

a ratchet mechanism on said finger grip for selectively advancing and retracting said belt to expand and contract said loop.

3. A surgical instrument for retrieving internal body tissue, comprising:

an elongated support tube;

a collapsible pouch supported at the distal end of said support tube and having an open end for receiving the tissue to be retrieved;

a belt formed into a loop slidably attached about said open end of said pouch, said belt being slidably extendable through said support tube for expanding said open end of said pouch to receive the tissue and retractable into said support tube for drawing said open end closed to enclose the tissue in said pouch, wherein said belt has a ribbed configuration with alternating thick and thin regions extending transversely across the width of said belt; and

actuator means for moving said belt relative to said support tube to open and close said pouch, wherein said actual means includes;

a reciprocating finger grip slidably mounted for longitudinal movement relative to said support tube; and

,

a ratchet mechanism on said finger grip for selectively advancing and retracting said belt to expand and contract said loop, wherein said ratchet mechanism includes;

a trigger pivotally mounted on said finger grip and including first teeth for engaging and advancing said belt and second teeth for engaging and retracting said belt relative to said support tube; and

a switch for controlling the pivoting of said trigger to determine which teeth engage said belt when said finger grip is reciprocated.

4. A surgical instrument for retrieving tissue, comprising:

an elongated support shaft;

a collapsible pouch supported at the distal end of said support shaft and having an open end for receiving the tissue to be retrieved;

a belt formed into a loop slidably attached about said open end of said pouch, said belt being slidably longitudinally relative to said support shaft for expanding said open end of said pouch to receive the tissue and for drawing said open end closed to enclose the tissue in said pouch; and

ratchet means on said shaft for moving said belt relative to said shaft to open and close said pouch, wherein said ratchet means comprises;

a reciprocating finger grip slidably mounted for longitudinal movement relative to said shaft; and

a ratchet mechanism on said finger grip for selectively advancing and retracting said belt to expand and contract said open end of said pouch, wherein said ratchet mechanism includes;

a trigger pivotally mounted on said finger grip and including first teeth for engaging and advancing said belt and second teeth for engaging and retracting said belt relative to said support shaft; and

a switch for controlling the pivoting of said trigger to determine which teeth engage said belt when said finger grip is reciprocated; and

,

wherein said ratchet mechanism includes;

a finger actuated trigger pivotally mounted on said finger grip and including first teeth for engaging and advancing said belt when said trigger is pivoted to a first position and second teeth for engaging and retracting said belt when said trigger is pivoted to a second position, said trigger being normally located in a neutral position with both of said teeth disengaged from said belt; and

a switch mounted on said finger grip for controlling the pivoting of said trigger to control which teeth engage said belt when said finger grip is reciprocated, said switch having a neutral position in which said trigger is maintained in its neutral position, a first operative position in which said trigger is pivotable in a toggle-like manner between its neutral position and its first position when said finger grip is reciprocated to advance said belt and expand said loop, and a second operative position in which said trigger is pivotable in a toggle-like manner between its neutral position and its second position when said finger grip is reciprocated to retract said belt and contract said loop.

5. The surgical instrument of claim 4, wherein said ratchet means comprises:

a reciprocating finger grip slidably mounted for longitudinal movement relative to said shaft; and

a ratchet mechanism on said finger grip for selectively advancing and retracting said belt to expand and contract said open end of said pouch.

6. A surgical instrument for retrieving internal body tissue, comprising:

an elongated support tube;

a collapsible pouch supported at the distal end of said support tube and having an open end for receiving the tissue to be retrieved;

a belt formed into a loop slidably attached about said open end of said pouch, said belt being slidably extendable through said support tube for expanding said open end of said pouch to receive the tissue and retractable into said support tube for contracting said open end to enclose the tissue in said pouch; and

ratchet means on said support tube for moving said belt relative to said tube to open and close said pouch wherein said ratchet means comprises;

a reciprocating finger grip slidably mounted for longitudinal movement relative to said support tube; and

a ratchet mechanism on said finger grip for selectively advancing and retracting said belt to expand and contract said loop wherein said ratchet mechanism includes;

a trigger pivotally mounted on said finger grip and including first teeth for engaging and advancing said belt and second teeth for engaging and retracting said belt relative to said support tube; and

a switch for controlling and pivoting of said trigger to determine which teeth engage said belt when said finger grip is reciprocated; and

,

wherein said ratchet mechanism includes;

a finger actuated trigger pivotally mounted on said finger grip and including first teeth for engaging and advancing said belt when said trigger is pivoted to a first position and second teeth for engaging and retracting said belt when said trigger is pivoted to a second position, said trigger being normally located in a neutral position with both of said teeth disengaged from said belt; and

a switch mounted on said finger grip for controlling the pivoting of said trigger to control which teeth engage said belt when said finger grip is reciprocated, said switch having a neutral position in which said trigger is maintained in its neutral position, a first operative position in which said trigger is pivotable in a toggle-like manner between its neutral position and its first position when said finger grip is reciprocated to advance said belt and expand said loop, and a second operative position in which said trigger is pivotable in a toggle-like manner between its neutral position and its second position when said finger grip is reciprocated to retract said belt and contract said loop.