Surgical instrument
DCFirst Claim
1. A surgical instrument comprising:
- an instrument shaft having proximal and distal ends;
a tool disposed from the distal end of the instrument shaft;
a control handle coupled from the proximal end of the instrument shaft;
a distal bendable member for coupling the distal end of said instrument shaft to said tool;
a proximal bendable member for coupling the proximal end of said instrument shaft to said control handle;
actuation means extending between said distal and proximal bendable members for coupling motion of said proximal bendable member to said distal bendable member for controlling the positioning of said tool;
and a locking mechanism for fixing the position of the tool at a selected position;
said locking mechanism including a ball and socket arrangement disposed about said proximal bendable member and a locking member for locking said ball and socket arrangement and having locked and unlocked states;
said control handle having a proximal end and a distal end;
said ball and socket arrangement including an annular member integral with the distal end of the control handle, having an outer surface for support of the locking member thereabout and having an inner surface defining a spherical shaped socket;
said ball and socket arrangement further including a hollow ball member having an internal hollow chamber and an outer spherical shaped surface that mates with the spherical shaped socket;
said hollow ball member supported within said socket and constructed and arranged to contact the proximal bendable member with at least a portion of the proximal bendable member disposed in the internal hollow chamber of the hollow ball member.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A surgical instrument that includes an instrument shaft having proximal and distal ends, a tool disposed from the distal end of the instrument shaft, a control handle disposed from the proximal end of the instrument shaft, a distal motion member for coupling the distal end of the instrument shaft to the tool, a proximal motion member for coupling the proximal end of the instrument shaft to the handle, actuation means extending between the distal and proximal motion members for coupling motion of the proximal motion member to the distal motion member for controlling the positioning of the tool and a locking mechanism for fixing the position of the tool at a selected position and having locked and unlocked states.
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Citations
32 Claims
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1. A surgical instrument comprising:
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an instrument shaft having proximal and distal ends; a tool disposed from the distal end of the instrument shaft; a control handle coupled from the proximal end of the instrument shaft; a distal bendable member for coupling the distal end of said instrument shaft to said tool; a proximal bendable member for coupling the proximal end of said instrument shaft to said control handle; actuation means extending between said distal and proximal bendable members for coupling motion of said proximal bendable member to said distal bendable member for controlling the positioning of said tool; and a locking mechanism for fixing the position of the tool at a selected position; said locking mechanism including a ball and socket arrangement disposed about said proximal bendable member and a locking member for locking said ball and socket arrangement and having locked and unlocked states; said control handle having a proximal end and a distal end; said ball and socket arrangement including an annular member integral with the distal end of the control handle, having an outer surface for support of the locking member thereabout and having an inner surface defining a spherical shaped socket; said ball and socket arrangement further including a hollow ball member having an internal hollow chamber and an outer spherical shaped surface that mates with the spherical shaped socket; said hollow ball member supported within said socket and constructed and arranged to contact the proximal bendable member with at least a portion of the proximal bendable member disposed in the internal hollow chamber of the hollow ball member. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. In a medical instrument having a proximal control handle and a distal tool that are intercoupled by an elongated instrument shaft that is meant to pass internally of an anatomic body, proximal and distal bendable members that respectively intercouple said proximal control handle and said distal tool with said instrument shaft, cable actuation means disposed between said bendable members, for controlling the positioning of said distal tool from said control handle, and a locking mechanism for fixing the position of the tool at a selected position;
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said locking mechanism comprising a ball and socket structure coupled between the control handle and proximal bendable member and a locking member for locking said ball and socket structure and having locked and unlocked states; said handle having means defining a partially spherical shaped socket of the ball and socket structure; a hollow ball member of the ball and socket structure having an internal hollow chamber and an outer partially spherical shaped surface that mates with the partially spherical shaped socket; said hollow ball member supported within said partially spherical shaped socket and constructed and arranged to contact the proximal bendable member with at least a portion of the proximal bendable member disposed in the internal hollow chamber of the hollow ball member; said locking member in the locked state compressing the socket relative to the ball member so as to fix the position of the proximal bendable member and, in turn, the distal bendable member and tool. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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Specification