Laparoscopic surgical instrument

Abstract

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved laparoscopic, surgical instrument, particularly though not exclusively for gynaecology and in particular for Laparoscopic Colposuspension. According to the invention there is provided a laparoscopic, surgical instrument having an elongate shank, a ball head on one end and an eye in the other end. The instrument is such that the ball head is of a larger diameter than that of the elongate shank.

Claims

1. A laparoscopic, surgical instrument having: a substantially straight, rigid elongate shank made of stainless steel having a first end with a ball head and a second integrally rounded end with an eye orifice therein; wherein the ball head is of a larger diameter than that of the elongate shank, and wherein the end portion comprising the eye is formed as a tongue and the tongue has a length between 4 mm to 20 mm, 6 mm to 15 mm, 8 mm to 10 mm or 3 mm to 6 mm.

2. An instrument according to claim 1, wherein the ball head is substantially spherical.

3. An instrument according to claim 1, wherein the elongate shank is at least 5 mm in diameter.

4. An instrument according to claim 1, wherein the ball head is between 4 mm and 15 mm in diameter.

5. An instrument according to claim 1, wherein the ball head is between 6 mm and 13 mm in diameter.

6. An instrument according to claim 1, wherein the ball head is between 6.5 mm and 10 mm in diameter.

7. An instrument according to claim 1, wherein the ball head is between 5 mm and 8 mm in diameter.

8. An instrument according to claim 7, wherein the ball head is 8 mm in diameter.

9. An instrument according to claim 1, wherein the ball head is continuously curved.

10. An instrument according to claim 1, wherein the ball head comprises an inflexion close to the junction of the ball with the shank.

Description

(1) To help understanding of the invention, a specific embodiment thereof together with a variant will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a side view of a laparoscopic, surgical instrument according to the invention;

(3) FIG. 2 is a partially sectioned plan view of the laparoscopic, surgical instrument of FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 1 of a variant instrument; and

(5) FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 2 of the varied instrument.

(6) Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawing, a first a laparoscopic, surgical instrument 1 of the invention is of stainless steel has a 400 mm long shank 2 of 5 mm round rod. At one first end it has a threaded end 3 carrying an 8 mm spherical ball 4. The major diameter of the thread is that of the rod, whereby the joint between the ball and the thread is step-less or shouldered.

(7) The other second end 11 of the rod is rounded 12 and has a 2 mm diameter eye 14, whose orifices are polished smooth to allow a suture to slide through the eye without chaffing or catching which would impede tying the knot and may damage the suture material causing it to break.

(8) Shown in FIG. 3 is a varied instrument, whose end portion 21 is ground away on both sides to leave a 2.5 mm tongue 22 through which the eye passes. Its orifices are again polished for smooth passage of the suture.

(9) The invention is not intended to be restricted to the details of the above described embodiment. For instance the ball can have a plain bore and be soldered or welded onto the shank. Again it can be formed integrally with the shank by upsetting or forging. In any of these cases, it would be polished to provide smooth contours between the ball and the shank.