Modular surgical instrument with reciprocable implement
First Claim
1. A surgical instrument having a proximal end and a distal end, the surgical instrument comprising:
- a handle at the proximal end, the handle including a grip portion;
a hollow elongate support member extending distally from the handle and having a distal end at the distal end of the surgical instrument;
a slide member having a proximal end, a distal end, a drive surface and a through-slot at the drive surface between the two ends, the through-slot extending in a proximal-distal direction and being spaced from distal end of the hollow elongate support member;
a lever connected to the handle at a pivotal connection, the lever including a lever grip portion on one side of the pivotal connection and an integral drive portion on the other side of the pivotal connection, at least part of the drive portion comprising an integral cam received in the through-slot in the slide member adjacent to the drive surface;
a surgical implement having a proximal end connected to the distal end of the slide member, an elongate portion extending through the hollow elongate support, and a distal end;
a spring to urge the slide member toward the proximal end of the surgical instrument;
wherein the slide member and elongate portion of the surgical implement are capable of being moved in a linear distal direction by pivoting the lever so that the integral cam of the lever pushes against the drive surface of the slide member;
wherein the surgical instrument is free of any mechanical connection between the lever and the slide member;
the surgical instrument further comprising a housing around at least a portion of the slide member, wherein the elongate support member and surgical implement extend outward from the housing, and wherein the housing, slide member, elongate support member and surgical implement comprise a cartridge removable from the handle and lever.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Surgical instruments for use in minimally invasive surgery are described. The instruments have parts that are easily separable and easily assembled. A reciprocal slide member is operable by a cam portion of a lever received in a slot in the slide member. There is no mechanical connection between the lever and the slide member. The slide member is connected to elongate surgical implement components that extend through an elongate support member. The elongate surgical implement components are capable of reciprocal movement in the proximal-distal direction. In some embodiments, the elongate surgical implements can be used for measuring distances arthroscopically; these surgical implements can have beveled ends for more precise measurement of distances. The surgical instrument can be modular, with separate tool and actuator modules. The surgical instrument can be used with any implement that can be operated by reciprocal motion.
68 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A surgical instrument having a proximal end and a distal end, the surgical instrument comprising:
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a handle at the proximal end, the handle including a grip portion; a hollow elongate support member extending distally from the handle and having a distal end at the distal end of the surgical instrument; a slide member having a proximal end, a distal end, a drive surface and a through-slot at the drive surface between the two ends, the through-slot extending in a proximal-distal direction and being spaced from distal end of the hollow elongate support member; a lever connected to the handle at a pivotal connection, the lever including a lever grip portion on one side of the pivotal connection and an integral drive portion on the other side of the pivotal connection, at least part of the drive portion comprising an integral cam received in the through-slot in the slide member adjacent to the drive surface; a surgical implement having a proximal end connected to the distal end of the slide member, an elongate portion extending through the hollow elongate support, and a distal end; a spring to urge the slide member toward the proximal end of the surgical instrument; wherein the slide member and elongate portion of the surgical implement are capable of being moved in a linear distal direction by pivoting the lever so that the integral cam of the lever pushes against the drive surface of the slide member; wherein the surgical instrument is free of any mechanical connection between the lever and the slide member; the surgical instrument further comprising a housing around at least a portion of the slide member, wherein the elongate support member and surgical implement extend outward from the housing, and wherein the housing, slide member, elongate support member and surgical implement comprise a cartridge removable from the handle and lever. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. A modular surgical instrument comprising an actuator module and a discrete tool module,
the actuator module comprising: -
a handle comprising a grip portion and an integral support portion, the support portion having proximal and distal ends and a support surface between the proximal and distal ends, the handle being substantially open above the support surface; and a lever pivotally connected to the support portion of the handle, the lever including a trigger portion and a drive portion, the trigger portion being longer than the drive portion, the drive portion extending through an opening in the support surface of the handle; and the tool module comprising an assembly of a hollow housing, a discrete hollow elongate support member, a discrete surgical implement and a discrete slide member; the hollow housing having proximal and distal ends and being sized and shaped to fit between the proximal and distal ends of the support portion of the handle; the hollow elongate support member being fixed to the distal end of the housing, the hollow elongate support member having a proximal end within the housing and extending outwardly from the housing to a free distal end, the free distal end having an opening; the hollow housing and hollow elongate support member defining an open passageway between them; the surgical implement being capable of reciprocal motion in the proximal-distal direction relative to the hollow elongate support member, at least part of the surgical implement extending through the hollow elongate support member and out through the opening at the free distal end of the elongate support member, the surgical implement having a proximal part extending past the proximal end of the hollow elongate support member into the housing; and the slide member being operably connected to at least part of the surgical implement and being capable of reciprocal motion in the proximal-distal direction relative to the housing, the slide member having a drive surface within the housing; wherein the actuator module and tool module are capable of being assembled and disassembled so that at least one of the modules can be reused independent of the other module, and wherein when the actuator module and tool module are assembled the drive portion of the lever engages the drive surface of the slide member so that the slide member and surgical implement can be moved in the distal direction by squeezing the trigger portion of the lever. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A disposable surgical tool module for use with a separate actuator module, the surgical tool module comprising:
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a hollow housing having proximal and distal ends and a channel extending between the ends; a discrete hollow elongate support member at the distal end of the housing, the hollow elongate support member having a proximal end received within the housing, the hollow elongate support member extending outwardly from the housing to a free distal end, the free distal end having an opening, the hollow elongate support member having an axial length between the proximal and distal ends, a majority of the axial length of the hollow elongate support member being exposed outside of the housing; a surgical implement having a proximal end within the housing, at least part of the surgical implement extending through the hollow elongate support member and out through the opening at the free distal end of the hollow elongate support member, the hollow elongate support member being sized and shaped to allow linear movement of the surgical implement in the proximal and distal direction; and a slide member held within the housing and operably connected to the proximal end of the surgical implement between the proximal end of the housing and the proximal end of the hollow elongate support member, the channel of the housing being sized and shaped to allow linear movement of the slide member in the proximal and distal directions in the channel, the slide member having a slot within the housing, the slot having an axial dimension and a transverse dimension, the axial dimension being greater than the transverse dimension; the housing having an opening aligned with the slot of the slide member, the opening in the housing having an axial dimension greater than the axial dimension of the slot; the tool module being free from any structure for moving the slide member in the distal direction. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification