Surgical instrument

• US 5,833,692 A
• Filed: 04/10/1996
• Issued: 11/10/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Smith & Nephew Incorporated (Smith & Nephew PLC)
• Original Assignee: Smith & Nephew Incorporated (Smith & Nephew PLC)
• Inventors: Cesarini, Peter M., Drucker, Karen, Fritschy, Michael A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tucker, Guy V.
• Application Number:
  US08/630,497
• Time in Patent Office: 944 Days
• Field of Search: 606/79, 606/80, 606/81, 606/82, 606/83, 606/84, 606/85, 606/150, 606/167, 606/170, 128/751, 128/749, 128/752, 128/753, 128/754, 128/755, 604/22
• US Class Current: 606/79
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/32002 with continuously rotating, oscillating or reciprocating cutting instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00309 Cut-outs or slits
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2904 curved, but rigid
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2905 flexible
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2927 the angular position of the head being adjustable with respect to the shaft
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0138 having flexible regions as a result of weakened outer material, e.g. slots, slits, cuts, joints or coils

Abstract

A surgical instrument comprises a first member extending distally from a proximal end and having an opening in a distal region for admitting tissue, and a second member disposed within the first member for moving a cutting implement and causing it to cut tissue that is exposed to the implement through the opening. A knob is attached to the proximal end of the first member and is mounted in rotatable engagement with a hub of the instrument to rotate the first member and selectively change a rotational orientation of the opening with respect to the hub. The knob is axially movable with respect to the hub to a locked position in which the knob nonrotatably engages the hub.

Claims

1. A surgical instrument comprising

a first member extending distally from a proximal end and having an opening in a distal region for admitting tissue,

a second member disposed within said first member for moving a cutting implement and causing it to cut tissue that is exposed to said implement through said opening,

a hub, and

a knob attached to said proximal end of said first member, said knob being mounted in rotatable engagement with said hub so that said knob can be selectively rotated to a plurality of discrete positions while remaining in interengagement with said hub to rotate said first member and selectively change a rotational orientation of said opening with respect to said hub, thereby to allow said opening to be selectively positioned to a corresponding plurality of discrete rotational orientations,

wherein said hub includes a plurality of flexible cantilevered fingers each of which corresponds to one of said discrete positions, said knob having a plurality of mating regions, each of said mating regions engaging one of said fingers during rotation of said knob to maintain said selective positioning of said opening in one of said discrete rotational orientations,

said knob being axially movable with respect to said hub to a locked position in which said knob nonrotatably engages said hub.

2. The instrument of claim 1 wherein said hub includes a ridge on an exterior surface thereof, said knob including a resilient member which engages said ridge when said knob is axially moved to said locked position.

3. The instrument of claim 2 wherein said knob comprises a plurality of said resilient members circumferentially spaced to define an opening in which a portion of said hub is disposed, said ridge being circumferentially arranged around said portion of said hub.

4. The instrument of claim 3 wherein each of said resilient members includes a radial projection which engages said ridge when said knob is axially moved to said locked position.

5. The instrument of claim 4 further comprising a second annular ridge arranged around said portion of said hub and axially spaced from the first mentioned ridge, said radial projections of said resilient members being axially disposed between said ridges when said knob is in rotatable engagement with said hub.

6. A surgical instrument disposed generally along an axis, said surgical instrument comprising

a first member extending distally from a proximal end and having a bend region that angularly offsets a distal end of said first member from an axis of said first member,

a second member having a proximal end mounted to a hub and extending coaxially with said first member to a distal end disposed distally of said bend region, said second member having an opening at said distal end for admitting tissue,

a cutting implement movable with respect to said second member and disposed to cut tissue exposed through said opening, and

a knob attached to said proximal end of said first member, said knob being mounted in rotatable engagement with said hub to rotate said first member and thereby selectively change a rotational orientation of said bend region with respect to said hub,

said knob being axially movable with respect to said hub to a locked position in which said knob nonrotatably engages said hub.

7. The instrument of claim 6 wherein said knob is axially movable in an opposite direction from said locked position to restore said rotatable engagement between said knob and said hub.

8. The instrument of claim 7 wherein said hub includes a plurality of said protrusions disposed to engage a plurality of said portions of said knob when said knob is axially moved to said locked position.

9. The instrument of claim 7 wherein said knob comprises a plurality of members circumferentially spaced to define an opening in which a portion of said hub is disposed, each of said members having a selected width, said hub including a pair of said protrusions spaced by said width so that one of said members is positioned between said pair of protrusions when said knob is axially moved to said locked position.

10. The instrument of claim 9 further comprising a second pair of said protrusions spaced from each other on said hub by said selected width.

11. The instrument of claim 9 wherein said one of said members includes a notch configured to receive a said protrusion when said knob is axially moved to said locked position.

12. The instrument of claim 6 wherein said hub includes a protrusion which is axially spaced from a portion of said knob when said knob is in rotatable engagement with said hub, said protrusion being disposed to engage said portion of said knob when said knob is axially moved to said locked position.

13. The instrument of claim 6 wherein said second member includes a flexible region in said bend region.

14. The instrument of claim 13 wherein said second member is disposed within said first member and extends through an open distal end of said first member.

15. The instrument of claim 13 wherein said first member is disposed within said second member.

16. The instrument of claim 6 further comprising a third ember disposed coaxially with said first member and said second member, said third member being operatively connected to said cutting implement to move said cutting implement and cause it to cut tissue that is exposed to said implement through said opening.

17. The instrument of claim 16 wherein said third member includes a flexible region in said bend region.