Uterine manipulator

• US 9,327,097 B2
• Filed: 01/24/2015
• Issued: 05/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Minimally Invasive Surgical Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Minimally Invasive Surgical Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Ahluwalia, Prabhat Kumar
• Primary Examiner(s): Tanner, Jocelin
• Assistant Examiner(s): TON, MARTIN TRUYEN
• Application Number:
  US14/604,692
• Publication Number:
  US 20150148812A1
• Time in Patent Office: 465 Days
• Field of Search: 606/119
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/4241 Instruments for manoeuvring or retracting the uterus, e.g. during laparoscopic surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00455 Orientation indicators, e.g. recess on the handle
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00557 inflatable A61B2017/22051 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00738 part of the tool being offset with respect to a main axis, e.g. for better view for the surgeon
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00862 elastic or resilient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/0801 Prevention of accidental cutting or pricking
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/0807 Indication means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/571 for clamping a support arm to a bed or other supports
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/50 Supports for surgical instruments, e.g. articulated arms
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0073 Tip designed for influencing the flow or the flow velocity of the fluid, e.g. inserts for twisted or vortex flow
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0068 Static characteristics of the catheter tip, e.g. shape, atraumatic tip, curved tip or tip structure

Abstract

An embodiment includes a uterine manipulator system comprising: a collar including a first shelf connected to the inner surface of the collar; a stabilizer including a stabilizer rim adapted to couple to the first shelf; and a shaft adapted to pass through the stabilizer and a hollow tunnel of the collar with a bulbous tip. Other embodiments are described herein.

Claims

1. A medical device comprising:

(1) a shaft configured to contain a first hollow inner channel coupling a distal end of the shaft to a proximal end of the shaft;

(2) a bulbous tip portion having a maximum bulbous diameter greater than a maximum diameter of the shaft including a longitudinal axis;

wherein the bulbous tip portion includes a first portion having a first fixed diameter, a second portion having a second fixed diameter, and a third portion having a third fixed diameter;

wherein the second portion is located between the first portion and the third portion;

wherein the first portion is configured for coupling to the distal end of the shaft;

wherein the second diameter is smaller than the first diameter and the third diameter; and

wherein a first bulbous tip portion aperture configured for passage of a fluid is located on a minimum diameter of the second portion of the bulbous tip portion, and the first bulbous tip portion aperture is in fluid communication with the first hollow inner channel of the shaft, wherein the bulbous tip portion includes a continuously convexly sloped perimeter extending from the third diameter and crossing the longitudinal axis to form a closed, rounded distal end of the bulbous tip portion.

2. The medical device of claim 1, wherein the first diameter is equal in diameter to the third diameter, and wherein the first diameter and third diameter are between 5mm and 10 mm.

3. The medical device of claim 1, wherein the shaft includes a middle portion between the proximal end of the shaft and the distal end of the shaft, and wherein the middle portion includes a middle portion longitudinal axis and the distal end includes a distal end longitudinal axis that intersects the middle portion longitudinal axis at an intersection angle between 0 to 90 degrees.

4. The medical device of claim 1, comprising a stabilizer including (i) a first stabilizer end comprised of a base portion with a stabilizer aperture, (ii) a second stabilizer end, opposite the first stabilizer end, the second stabilizer end having a stabilizer rim;

wherein a diameter of the first stabilizer end is less than a diameter of the second stabilizer end;

wherein the shaft is configured to pass through the stabilizer aperture;

wherein the first stabilizer end is proximal to the distal end of the shaft; and

wherein the first stabilizer end is proximal to the bulbous tip portion aperture.

5. The medical device of claim 4, further comprising:

a collar including (a)(i) a first end comprising a first opening, having a first collar diameter, surrounded by a first rim, (a)(ii) a second end, opposite the first end, having a second opening, having a second collar diameter that is larger than the first collar diameter, surrounded by a second rim, (a)(iii) an inner surface, coupling the first end to the second end, adapted to contact a cervix, (a)(iv) an outer surface adapted to contact a vaginal wall, (a)(v) a hollow tunnel, including the inner surface, the first opening, and the second opening wherein the hollow tunnel is adapted to receive the cervix; and

(a)(vi) a first shelf connected to the inner surface and located between the first and second ends;

wherein the first shelf includes a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, the first surface being between the second surface and the first end, and the second surface being between the second end and the first surface; and

wherein the stabilizer rim is adapted to couple to the first shelf or the second shelf.

6. The medical device of claim 4, wherein the stabilizer includes at least one window between the stabilizer rim and the base portion.

7. The medical device of claim 1, further comprising:

a fulcrum comprised of a collapsible and flexible material and containing a second hollow inner channel; and

wherein the fulcrum is configured to slide between the proximal end of the shaft and the distal end of the shaft.

8. The medical device of claim 7, further comprising:

(1) a hand-grippable body, wherein the proximal end of the shaft is configured to couple to the hand-grippable body;

(2) a sliding tube containing a third hollow inner channel to receive the shaft;

wherein the sliding tube includes a proximal tube end and a distal tube end;

wherein the sliding tube is configured to be slidable along the shaft;

wherein the sliding tube is in contact with the second hollow inner channel of the fulcrum; and

(3) a slidable lockable stop adjacent to the proximal tube end of the sliding tube;

wherein the lockable stop includes a fourth hollow inner channel to receive the shaft and is configured to slide along the shaft between the proximal end of the shaft and the proximal tube end; and

wherein the lockable stop includes a screw portion to affix a positioning of the lockable stop along the shaft via a screw.

9. The medical device of claim 1, further comprising:

a second bulbous tip portion aperture configured for passage of fluid, wherein the second bulbous tip portion aperture is located on the second portion of the bulbous tip portion.

10. The medical device of claim 9, wherein the second bulbous tip portion aperture is in fluid communication with the first hollow inner channel of the shaft.

11. The medical device of claim 10, wherein the first bulbous tip portion aperture and the second bulbous tip portion aperture form a second hollow channel.

12. The medical device of claim 11, wherein the second hollow channel extends through the second diameter of the second portion and is in fluid communication with the first hollow inner channel.

13. The medical device of claim 1, wherein the distal end of the shaft includes a distal shaft aperture in fluid communication with the hollow inner channel, and the proximal end of the shaft includes a proximal shaft aperture in fluid communication with the first hollow inner channel.

14. The medical device of claim 13, wherein the second bulbous tip portion aperture is in fluid communication with the first hollow inner channel of the shaft.

15. The medical device of claim 14, wherein the second hollow channel extends through the second diameter of the second portion and is in fluid communication with the first hollow inner channel.

16. A medical device comprising:

a shaft configured to contain a first hollow inner channel, the first hollow inner channel coupling a distal end of the shaft to a proximal end of the shaft;

wherein the distal end of the shaft includes a distal shaft aperture in fluid communication with the first hollow inner channel, and the proximal end of the shaft includes a proximal shaft aperture in fluid communication with the first hollow inner channel; and

a bulbous tip having an hourglass shape, comprised of a first portion having a first fixed diameter, a second portion having a second fixed diameter, and a third portion having a third fixed diameter, the bulbous tip including a continuously convexly sloped perimeter extending from the third diameter across a longitudinal axis to form a closed, rounded distal end of the bulbous tip;

wherein the second portion is located between the first portion and the third portion;

wherein the second diameter is smaller than the first diameter and the third diameter;

wherein a first bulbous tip aperture is located on a minimum diameter of the second portion of the bulbous tip;

wherein the bulbous tip is configured to couple to the shaft for delivery of a fluid; and

wherein in the first bulbous tip aperture is in fluid communication with the first hollow inner channel.

17. The medical device of claim 16, wherein the first bulbous tip aperture is located on the second portion, and wherein the first diameter is equal in diameter to the third diameter.

18. The medical device of claim 17, wherein the bulbous tip is configured for attachment to the distal end of a uterine manipulator device.

19. The medical device of claim 16, further comprising:

a second bulbous tip portion aperture configured for passage of fluid, wherein the second bulbous tip portion aperture is located on the second portion of the bulbous tip portion.

20. The medical device of claim 19, wherein the first bulbous tip portion aperture and the second bulbous tip portion aperture form a second hollow channel.