Surgical instruments

• US 7,223,229 B2
• Filed: 05/01/2006
• Issued: 05/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ASTORA Women's Health, LLC (Endo International PLC)
• Original Assignee: Ams Research Corporation (Endo International PLC)
• Inventors: Neisz, Johann J., Watschke, Brian P., Westrum, John W. Jr., Gaston, Johannes N., Lund, Robert E., VanOrnum, Douglas J., Inman, Mona J., Vandersloot, Vicki R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gilbert; Samuel G.
• Application Number:
  US11/414,484
• Publication Number:
  US 20060199994A1
• Time in Patent Office: 393 Days
• Field of Search: 600/29, 600/30, 600/31, 606/1, 606/139, 606/190, 128/897, 128/898
• US Class Current: 600/30
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0401 Suture anchors, buttons or pledgets, i.e. means for attaching sutures to bone, cartilage or soft tissue; Instruments for applying or removing suture anchors A61B17/0642 takes precedence; fixation devices for tendons or ligaments A61F2/0811
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0469 Suturing instruments for use in minimally invasive surgery, e.g. endoscopic surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0482 Needle or suture guides guides for drills, pins or wire A61B17/17; for puncturing needles A61B17/3403
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0487 Suture clamps, clips or locks, e.g. for replacing suture knots; Instruments for applying or removing suture clamps, clips or locks suture anchors A61B17/0401; wound clamps or clips A61B17/08; ligaturing clamps or clips A61B17/122
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/06004 Means for attaching suture to needle tipping A61B17/06195; connecting wire to other metallic objects B21F15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/06066 Needles, e.g. needle tip configurations making needles B21G1/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/06109 Big needles, either gripped by hand or connectable to a handle
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/42 Gynaecological or obstetrical instruments or methods ligaturing clamps or clips for the umbilical cord A61B17/122; curettage A61B17/320708; dilators A61M29/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00424 ergonomic, e.g. fitting in fist
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0046 with a releasable handle; with handle and operating part separable
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00464 for use with different instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00805 Treatment of female stress urinary incontinence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/06009 having additional means for releasably clamping the suture to the needle, e.g. actuating rod slideable within the needle
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/06014 spring-loaded
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/06042 located close to needle tip
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/06085 having a blunt tip
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320044 Blunt dissectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 50/30 Containers specially adapted for packaging, protecting, dispensing, collecting or disposing of surgical or diagnostic appliances or instruments for wound clamps A61B17/10; for ligaturing clips A61B17/122; packages or dispensers for surgical gloves or finger-stalls A61B42/40
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/02 Devices for expanding tissue, e.g. skin tissue implements for holding wounds open, surgical tractors A61B17/02; implantable mammary prosthesis A61F2/12; dilators A61M29/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/0045 Support slings

Abstract

A novel surgical instrument is shown and described. The surgical instrument is useful in pelvic floor repair procedures such as sling procedures for treating incontinence. Also, a novel, ornamental design for a handle for a surgical instrument is shown and described.

Claims

1. A surgical instrument for addressing pelvic disorders comprising:

a handle having a width, height and depth, and said handle further having a proximal and distal end, and a longitudinal axis along its height, and

an elongate, slender, metal, curved rod emerging from the distal end of the handle, the rod having a proximal end portion permanently fixed to the handle, a curved axis, and a distal end portion having a distal tip, the elongate curved rod having at least a portion with a radius and a length along the curved axis between the distal tip of the rod and a point on the rod axis where the rod emerges from the handle, the length being between about 6 inches and about 12 inches;

the handle having a major anterior surface having a width and height, the major anterior surface being situated to face a surgeon with the rod extending generally toward the surgeon, a major posterior surface having a width and height, at least two minor side surfaces having a depth and height, the width of the handle being in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the axis of the rod, the handle having a height more than forty percent of the length of the rod and less than eighty percent of the length of the rod, and the depth of the handle being less than the height of the handle,

said major anterior surface of the handle including an elongate channel extending across the width of the handle with an axis that extends substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the handle, and

said major anterior surface further including a plurality of tactile surfaces distal to the elongate channel, said plurality of tactile surfaces extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the handle.

2. A surgical instrument according to claim 1 wherein the rod is curved along a substantial portion of its axis with a radius of curvature that is between 4.5 and 5.5 inches, and the distal tip is substantially blunt.

3. A surgical instrument according to claim 1 wherein the length of the channel along the longitudinal axis of the handle is more than 0.5 inches and less than 1 inch.

4. A surgical instrument according to claim 1 wherein the rod comprises stainless steel and at least one material comprising the handle is a polymer with a density less than the stainless steel density.

5. A surgical instrument according to claim 1, wherein the height to width ratio is greater than 3:

1.

6. A surgical instrument according to claim 1 wherein the handle includes a flare at a proximal end portion, the posterior surface including a concave surface and the anterior surface including a convex surface.

7. A surgical instrument according to claim 1 wherein at least two thirds of the exterior surface of the elongate rod includes a surface treatment for enhancing grasping of the rod.

8. A surgical instrument according to claim 1 wherein the posterior surface has a plurality of tactile surfaces extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the handle.

9. A surgical instrument according to claim 1 wherein the handle includes polycarbonate.

10. A surgical instrument according to claim 1 wherein the tactile surfaces comprise protrusions.

11. A surgical instrument according to claim 1 wherein the anterior surface includes at least four tactile surfaces.

12. A surgical instrument according to claim 11 wherein the tactile surfaces comprise grooves.

13. A surgical instrument according to claim 1 wherein depth to width ratio of the handle is less than 1:

2.