Trocar having movable blade

• US 5,690,664 A
• Filed: 09/18/1996
• Issued: 11/25/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tyco Healthcare Group LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: United States Surgical Corporation (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Sauer, Jude S., Kobilansky, Alexander I., Urban, Carl T., Theroux, Marc J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Buiz, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): RASCHE, PATRICK WILLIAM
• Application Number:
  US08/715,305
• Time in Patent Office: 433 Days
• Field of Search: 604/164, 604/264, 604/172, 604/272, 606/167, 606/181, 606/182, 606/183, 606/184, 606/185
• US Class Current: 606/185
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3417 Details of tips or shafts, e.g. grooves, expandable, bendable; Multiple coaxial sliding cannulas, e.g. for dilating syringe needles A61M5/32; dilators A61M29/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3496 Protecting sleeves or inner probes; Retractable tips for protecting body piercing guide needles A61M25/0612
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/306 using optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/30 Devices for illuminating a surgical field, the devices having an interrelation with other surgical devices or with a surgical procedure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/361 Image-producing devices, e.g. surgical cameras

Abstract

A surgical apparatus is provided for penetrating body tissue. The apparatus includes a cannula and an obturator configured for insertion into the cannula. The obturator has a body tissue cutting member mounted to a distal portion which is movable between deployed and non-deployed positions. An actuating mechanism is operatively associated with the tissue cutting member and is selectively controllable by a user so as to move the tissue cutting member between the deployed and non-deployed positions independent of the position of the obturator.

Claims

1. A surgical apparatus comprising:

a cannula;

an obturator configured for insertion into the cannula, the obturator having a proximal portion and a distal portion;

a tissue cutting member mounted to the distal portion of the obturator and movable between deployed and non-deployed positions; and

an actuating mechanism operatively associated with the tissue cutting member, the actuating mechanism being selectively controllable for moving the tissue cutting member between the deployed and non-deployed positions independent of the position of the obturator;

wherein movement of the actuating mechanism to a cutting member deployment position causes the cutting member to move to the deployed position, the actuating mechanism at the cutting member deployment position also automatically retracts the cutting member to the non-deployed position, wherein the actuating mechanism cannot maintain the cutting member in the deployed position as each deployment of the cutting member causes automatic retraction of the cutting member.

2. The surgical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the actuating mechanism includes a trigger operatively associated with the cutting member.

3. The surgical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the actuating mechanism comprises:

at least one pusher member having a proximal portion and a distal portion connected to the tissue cutting member, the at least one pusher member being operatively associated with the obturator and longitudinally movable relative thereto;

a drive mechanism connected to the proximal portion of the at least one pusher member; and

a trigger operatively connected to the drive mechanism for longitudinally moving the at least one pusher member.

4. The surgical apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the trigger is movable between first and second positions such that movement of the trigger to the first position causes the at least one pusher member to move the tissue cutting member to the deployed position, and causes the at least one pusher member to move the tissue cutting member to the non-deployed position.

5. The surgical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in the non-deployed position, the tissue cutting member is positioned within a recess in the obturator.

6. The surgical apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a housing positioned at the distal portion of the obturator and configured to receive the tissue cutting member when in the non-deployed position.

7. The surgical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the tissue cutting member comprises a blade having an apex.

8. The surgical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the tissue cutting member comprises an arcuate shaped blade.

9. The surgical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cutting member comprises a cutting blade.

10. The surgical apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the actuating mechanism includes a trigger operatively associated with the cutting member.

11. The surgical apparatus according to claim 10, wherein movement of the trigger in a first direction moves the blade to the deployed position and then moves the blade to the non-deployed position.

12. The surgical apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a first spring for moving a drive hammer in a distal direction to move the cutting member to the deployed position and a second spring for causing movement of the cutting member to the non-deployed position.

13. The surgical apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising a bushing engagable by the drive hammer to move the cutting member to the deployed position, and wherein the second spring moves the bushing proximally to move the cutting member to the non-deployed position.

14. A surgical apparatus comprising:

a cannula;

an obturator configured for insertion into the cannula, the obturator having a proximal portion and a distal portion and defining a longitudinal axis;

a blade mounted adjacent the distal potion of the obturator and extending at an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the obturator;

an actuating mechanism having a proximal portion associated with the proximal portion of the obturator and a distal portion operatively connected to the blade, the actuating mechanism configured to move the blade between a retracted position within the distal portion of the obturator and an extended position extending from the obturator

wherein movement of the actuating mechanism to a blade deployment position causes the blade to move to the extended position, the actuating mechanism at the blade deployment position also automatically retracts the blade to the retracted position, wherein the actuating mechanism cannot maintain the cutting member in the extended position as each deployment of the cutting member causes automatic retraction of the cutting member.

15. The surgical apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the actuating mechanism is actuable independent of the position of the obturator.

16. The surgical apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the actuating mechanism includes a trigger movable in a first direction to move the blade to the extended position and includes release structure to automatically return the blade to the retracted position.

17. The surgical apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the obturator includes a transverse recess to receive the blade in the retracted position.

18. The surgical apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the blade has two angled edges terminating at an apex.

19. The surgical apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the blade is arcuate in configuration.

20. The surgical apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising first and second longitudinally extending pusher arms operatively connected to the blade and the trigger for moving the blade between the extended and retracted positions.

21. The surgical apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising a first spring for moving a drive hammer in a distal direction to move the blade to the extended position and a second spring for causing movement of the blade to the retracted position.

22. The surgical apparatus according to claim 21, further comprising a bushing engagable by the drive hammer to move the blade to the extended position, and wherein the second spring moves the blade to the retracted position.