Accordion style cable stand-off

• US 8,579,886 B2
• Filed: 05/01/2007
• Issued: 11/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Gadsby, Peter, Johnson, Dirk I.
• Primary Examiner(s): PEFFLEY, MICHAEL F
• Application Number:
  US11/799,374
• Publication Number:
  US 20080275438A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,387 Days
• Field of Search: 606 32- 50, 606/1, 174154-166, 242/129, 242/398, 242400-407, 604170-174, 248/68.1
• US Class Current: 606/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1477 Needle-like probes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/50 Supports for surgical instruments, e.g. articulated arms

Abstract

A cable stand-off for use with an electrosurgical system includes an accordion body portion having a plurality of panels, and a plurality of hinges. Each panel has at least one hole formed therethrough. The holes of the plurality of panels are axially aligned with one another. The plurality of hinges couples adjacent panels to one another. In one embodiment, the hinges couple adjacent panels in a tip-to-tail fashion. The accordion body portion may be made of a flexible material. Each panels may further include at least one slot extending from a hole to an edge of the panel.

Claims

1. A cable stand-off, comprising:

an accordion body portion including;

a plurality of panels each having at least two holes formed therethrough, wherein the holes of the plurality of panels are axially aligned with one another, each panel defining a plane;

a plurality of hinges coupling adjacent panels to one another, each hinge defining a hinge axis of rotation; and

wherein the at least two holes of each panel are aligned along a central axis of the panel that is oriented orthogonal to the hinge axis of rotation of one of the plurality of hinges.

2. The cable stand-off according to claim 1, wherein the hinges couple adjacent panels in a tip-to-tail fashion.

3. The cable stand-off according to claim 1, wherein the accordion body portion is made of a flexible material.

4. The cable stand-off according to claim 1, wherein the each panel has at least one of a square shape, rectangular shape, trapezoidal shape, hexagonal shape and octagonal shape.

5. The cable stand-off according to claim 1, further comprising at least one slot in each panel extending from at least one of the at least two holes to a side edge of the panel.

6. The cable stand-off according to claim 1, wherein each hole of each panel has a slot extending therefrom.

7. The cable stand-off according to claim 6, wherein each slot extends from a respective hole to a common side edge of the panel.

8. The cable stand-off according to claim 6, wherein a first one of the slots extends from a first one of the at least two holes to a side edge of the panel and a second one of slots extends from a second one of the at least two holes to an opposite side edge of the panel.

9. The cable stand-off according to claim 1, wherein the hinge axes of rotation of the plurality of hinges are substantially parallel to one another.

10. In an improved electrosurgical system having a handle portion, an energy delivery probe extending from the handle, an energy transmitting cable extending from the handle and connected to the probe, wherein the improvement comprises:

a cable stand-off including;

an accordion body portion including;

a plurality of panels each having at least two holes formed therethrough, wherein the holes of the plurality of panels are axially aligned with one another, each panel defining a plane;

a plurality of hinges coupling adjacent panels to one another, each hinge defining a hinge axis of rotation; and

wherein the at least two holes of each panel are aligned along a central axis of the panel that is oriented orthogonal to the hinge axis of rotation of one of the plurality of hinges.

11. The electrosurgical system according to claim 10, wherein the hinges couple adjacent panels in a tip-to-tail fashion.

12. The electrosurgical system according to claim 10, wherein the accordion body portion is made of a flexible material.

13. The electrosurgical system according to claim 10, wherein the each panel has at least one of a square shape, rectangular shape, trapezoidal shape, hexagonal shape and octagonal shape.

14. The electrosurgical system according to claim 10, further comprising at least one slot in each panel extending from at least one of the at least two holes to a side edge of the panel.

15. The electrosurgical system according to claim 10, wherein each hole of each panel has a slot extending therefrom.

16. The electrosurgical system according to claim 15, wherein each slot extends from a respective hole to a common side edge of the panel.

17. The electrosurgical system according to claim 15, wherein a first one of the slots extends from a first one of the at least two holes to a side edge of the panel and a second one of slots extends from a second one of the at least two holes to an opposite side edge of the panel.

18. The cable stand-off according to claim 10, wherein the hinge axes of rotation of the plurality of hinges are substantially parallel to one another.

19. The method of managing cables of an electrosurgical system, comprising the steps of:

providing a cable stand-off including;

an accordion body portion having;

a plurality of panels each having at least two holes formed therethrough, wherein the holes of the plurality of panels are axially aligned with one another, each panel defining a plane;

a plurality of hinges coupling adjacent panels to one another, each hinge defining a hinge axis of rotation; and

wherein the at least two holes of each panel are aligned along a central axis of the panel that is oriented orthogonal to the hinge axis of rotation of one of the plurality of hinges; and

inserting a first cable of the electrosurgical system into the holes of the stand-off such that the accordion body portion extends over at least a portion of the length of the first cable.

20. The method of managing cables of an electrosurgical system according to claim 19, further comprising the step of inserting a second cable of the electrosurgical system into the holes of the cable stand-off such that the accordion body portion extends over at least a portion of the length of the second cable.

21. The method of managing cables of an electrosurgical system according to claim 19, further comprising the steps of collapsing the cable stand-off prior to inserting the first cable and expanding the cable stand-off after inserting the first cable.

22. The method of managing cables of an electrosurgical system according to claim 19, wherein the step of inserting the first cable of the electrosurgical system into the holes of cable stand-off, includes:

introducing the first cable of the electrosurgical system in the holes of the cable stand-off through slots.