Selectively Bendable Remote Gripping Tool

• US 20150230811A1
• Filed: 04/10/2015
• Published: 08/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Carter J. Kovarik, Joseph E. Kovarik
• Original Assignee: Carter J. Kovarik, Joseph E. Kovarik
• Inventors: Kovarik, Carter J., Kovarik, Joseph E.
• Granted Patent: US 9,592,066 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 3/025 having elongated or extended handles
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 77/00 Landing-nets for fishing; Landing-spoons for fishing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/045 Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0655 Control therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/24 for the mouth, i.e. stomatoscopes, e.g. with tongue depressors tongue depressors per se A61B13/00; Instruments for opening or keeping open the mouth combined with saliva removers A61C17/00; mouth openers for animals A61D15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/22031 Gripping instruments, e.g. forceps, for removing or smashing calculi A61B17/221 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/221 Gripping devices in the form of loops or baskets for gripping calculi or similar types of obstructions surgical snare instruments A61B17/32056
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3201 Scissors for biopsy A61B10/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00367 Details of actuation of instruments, e.g. relations between pushing buttons, or the like, and activation of the tool, working tip, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00991 Telescopic means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22034 for gripping the obstruction or the tissue part from inside
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22035 for retrieving or repositioning foreign objects
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2212 having a closed distal end, e.g. a loop
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2215 having an open distal end
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2905 flexible
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 1/088 Illuminating devices or attachments for examination of the mouth A61B1/24 and A61B1/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 1/185 Drives or transmissions
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 3/02 Tooth drilling or cutting instruments; Instruments acting like a sandblast machine
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 3/14 Dentists' forceps or the like for extracting teeth
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 1/02 articulated or flexible
• CPC Class Codes: B26B 17/02 : with jaws operated indirectly by the handles, e.g. through cams or toggle levers
• CPC Class Codes: E01H 1/1206 : for picking up excrements manure or urine pouches for animal husbandry A01K23/00
• CPC Class Codes: E01H 2001/1293 : Walking cane or the like, i.e. implements allowing handling while in an upright position

Abstract

A hand-held gripping device that allows one of a surgeon, a dentist, and an orthodontist to reach interior portions of a person'"'"'s anatomy, includes a gripping portion having a pair of jaws movable relative to each other between fully clamped and fully opened positions thereof, a handle portion spaced apart from the jaw portion by a bendable central portion that has a hollow, bendable corrugated with at least one cord extending therethrough.

Claims

1. A hand-held gripping device that allows one of a surgeon, a dentist, and an orthodontist to reach interior portions of a person'"'"'s anatomy, comprising:

a gripping portion movable between a fully clamped position and a fully opened position;

a handle portion spaced apart from the gripping portion by a central portion, the central portion comprising at least two separate portions comprising a hollow, corrugated member having alternating ridges and grooves, the central portion being deformable along its length for bending and orienting to a non-permanent position, wherein the handle portion comprises a first manually-actuatable trigger operatively connected to the gripping portion by a pull member at least substantially disposed within the central portion, whereby actuation of the trigger is operative to move the pull member to thereby selectively position the gripping portion between the fully clamped position and the fully opened position;

said pull member comprising at least one cord operatively connecting the handle portion to the gripping portion, said at least one cord extending through said central portion, wherein the at least two separate portions of the central portion comprise a plurality of interconnected connectors which together define a passageway through which said pull member passes through; and

wherein the central portion remains bendable during the actuation of the trigger and the positioning of the gripping portion between the fully clamped position and the fully opened position.

2. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said at least two separate portions comprise a plurality of connector bodies that interconnect with each other.

3. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein at least 2/3 rds of the central portion comprises said corrugated member and said device includes a lamp or LED positioned near said gripping portion.

4. The device as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a locking member associated with said central portion to fix two adjacent members of said central portion in an engaged position.

5. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of interconnected connectors is in engagement with another of said interconnected connectors, thereby permitting pivoting movement with respect to said interconnected connectors.

6. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said pull member is interconnected to the trigger, said trigger being operable by a person'"'"'s fingers, and said trigger further moves at least one sharpened cutting jaw to perform a severing operation.

7. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein one of a sharp cutting implement, a suction cup, a lighting element, a magnifying viewing device, and a camera are affixed to the gripping portion of the device.

8. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein at least one sharp cutting implement is associated with the gripping portion such that a severing operation can be performed.

9. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said gripping portion includes a magnet.

10. A hand-held gripping device for one of surgeons, dentists and orthodontists to reach interior portions of a person'"'"'s anatomy, comprising:

a gripping portion movable between a fully clamped position and a fully opened position;

a handle portion spaced apart from the gripping portion by a central portion, the central portion comprising at least two separate portions comprising a hollow, corrugated member having alternating ridges and grooves, wherein the handle portion comprises a first manually-actuatable trigger operatively connected to the gripping portion by a pull member at least substantially disposed within the central portion, whereby actuation of the trigger is operative to move the pull member to thereby selectively position the gripping portion between the fully clamped position and the fully opened position;

said pull member comprising at least one cord operatively connecting the handle portion to the gripping portion, said at least one cord extending through said central portion, wherein the at least two separate portions of the central portion comprise a plurality of interconnected connectors which together define a passageway through which said pull member passes through, said at least two separate portions comprise a plurality of connector bodies that interconnect with each other;

wherein the central portion remains bendable during the actuation of the trigger and the positioning of the gripping portion between the fully clamped position and the fully opened position; and

wherein at least two thirds of the central portion comprises said corrugated member.

11. The device as set forth in claim 10, wherein at least one of a sharp cutting implement, a lighting element, a magnifying viewing device, and a camera are affixed to the gripping portion of the device.

12. The device as set forth in claim 10, wherein at least one sharp cutting implement is associated with the gripping portion such that a severing operation can be performed.

13. The device as set forth in claim 10, wherein said pull member comprises a cord mechanism attached to a spring, and wherein said gripping portion comprises at least one of opposing nets and opposing cutting jaws.

14. The device as set forth in claim 10, wherein said pull member is interconnected to the trigger, being operable by a person'"'"'s fingers, and said trigger further moves at least one sharpened cutting jaw to perform a severing operation.

15. The device as set forth in claim 10, wherein said gripping portion comprises a pair of net assemblies.

16. A hand-held gripping device that allows one of a surgeon, a dentist, and an orthodontist to reach interior portions of a person'"'"'s anatomy, comprising:

a gripping portion movable between a fully clamped position and a fully opened position;

a handle portion spaced apart from the gripping portion by a central portion, the central portion comprising at least two separate portions comprising a hollow, corrugated member having alternating ridges and grooves, the central portion being deformable along its length for bending and orienting to a non-permanent position, wherein the handle portion comprises a first manually-actuatable trigger operatively connected to the gripping portion by a pull member at least substantially disposed within the central portion, whereby actuation of the trigger is operative to move the pull member to thereby selectively position the gripping portion between the fully clamped position and the fully opened position;

said pull member comprising at least one cord operatively connecting the handle portion to the gripping portion, said at least one cord extending through said central portion, wherein the at least two separate portions of the central portion comprise a plurality of interconnected connectors which together define a passageway through which said pull member passes through; and

wherein the central portion remains bendable during the actuation of the trigger and the positioning of the gripping portion between the fully clamped position and the fully opened position, and wherein a locking member is associated with said central portion to fix two adjacent member of said central portion in an engaged position.

17. The device as set forth in claim 16, wherein said gripping portion comprises a pair of netting assemblies that are reversibly dissociable to accommodate a user'"'"'s selection of nets having one of different types of designs, sizes, mesh patterns and geometries.

18. The device as set forth in claim 16, wherein said gripping portion is in telescoping relationship with an adjacent portion of said central portion.

19. The device as set forth in claim 16, wherein said gripping portions comprise a netting assembly and wherein at least one sharp cutting implement is associated with the gripping portion such that a severing operation can be performed.

20. The device as set forth in claim 16, wherein at least one of a sharp cutting implement, a lighting element and a camera are affixed to the gripping portion of the device.