Surgical Instrument

Abstract

A surgical instrument for piercing into a human or animal body. The instrument includes an inner portion which is movably arranged within an needle-like outer portion. The outer portion connects to the inner portion through a spring so as to provide with the outer portion during use a load on the inner portion. The outer portion includes a proximal sleeve that provides a finger grip to a person, likely a surgeon. The sleeve is releasably connectable to the outer portion and the instrument includes a release mechanism for releasing the sleeve from the outer portion, which release mechanism is actuable by motion of the inner portion.

Claims

1. A surgical instrument for piercing into a human or animal body, the instrument comprising: an inner portion which is movably arranged within a needle-like outer portion, wherein the outer portion connects to the inner portion through a spring so as to provide with the outer portion during use a load on the inner portion, wherein the outer portion is provided with a proximal sleeve that provides a finger grip to a person, wherein the sleeve is releasably connectable to the outer portion; and a release mechanism for releasing the sleeve from the outer portion, which release mechanism is actuable by motion of the inner portion, wherein the outer portion is provided with a proximal ring or edge; and the sleeve comprises a displaceable hook for hooking behind the ring or edge to provide a connection between the outer portion and the sleeve, wherein the release mechanism can be operable on the hook to remove it from its position behind the ring or edge.

2. The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein the release mechanism is mounted proximal on the inner portion and is arranged to operate on the hook of the sleeve when the inner portion moves towards the sleeve so as to release the sleeve from the outer portion.

3. The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein the release mechanism comprises a slanting first contact surface that is tailored to a correspondingly slanting second contact surface disposed on the hook.

4. The surgical instrument of claim 3, wherein the hook is resiliently mounted on the sleeve so as to provide that the hook is displaced from its position behind the ring or edge of the outer portion at the time that the slanting first contact surface of the release mechanism impacts the second contact surface that is provided on the hook.

5. The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein the release mechanism comprises a lever arm which is mounted proximal on the inner portion.

6. The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein the proximal sleeve comprises an extension comprising one of a breathing tube or trocar tube.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated into and form a part of the specification, illustrate one or more embodiments of the present invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. The drawings are only for the purpose of illustrating one or more embodiments of the invention and are not to be construed as limiting the invention. In the drawings:

[0024] FIG. 1 is an illustration showing a perspective view and partial cross-sectional view of a Veress needle according to the prior art;

[0025] FIG. 2 is an illustration showing a perspective view of a Veress needle according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] FIG. 3 is an illustration showing a detailed side cross-sectional view of the proximal portion of the Veress needle shown in FIG. 2 according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

[0027] FIGS. 4 and 5 are illustrations showing a perspective view of a surgical instrument in an application for intubating the trachea or intubating the abdominal wall with a trocar, respectively, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0028] Whenever in the figures the same reference numerals are applied, these numerals refer to the same or similar parts.

[0029] A Veress needle as shown in the figures is used for piercing into a human or animal body. As shown in FIG. 1 and in FIG. 2, instrument 1, 10 comprises inner portion 2, 11 which is movably arranged within needle-like outer portion 3, 12, wherein outer portion 3, 12 connects to inner portion 2, 11 through a spring. In the prior art instrument 1, the spring is depicted with reference 4. The detail A of the proximal portion of the instrument 10 of the invention which is shown in FIG. 3, shows the spring as being depicted with reference 13.

[0030] Both in the prior art instrument 1 and in instrument 10 of the invention, the spring serves to apply with outer portion 3, 12 during use a load on inner portion 2, 11. In connection therewith outer portion 3, 12 is provided with proximal sleeve 5, 14 that provides a finger grip for a surgeon. So far, prior art instrument 1 and instrument 10 of the invention have corresponding features, albeit that the construction of proximal sleeve 5 of instrument 1 differs from proximal sleeve 14 of instrument 10.

[0031] Instrument 10 of the invention differentiates from the prior art in that sleeve 14 is releasably connectable to outer portion 12 and that instrument 10 is provided with a release mechanism for releasing sleeve 14 from outer portion 12, which release mechanism is actuable by motion of inner portion 11. The manner in which this can be preferably embodied is further explained with reference to the detail of the instrument of the invention as depicted in FIG. 3.

[0032] In FIG. 3 it is shown that outer portion 12 is provided with proximal ring or edge 15, and that sleeve 14 is provided with displaceable hook 16 for hooking behind ring or edge 15 and thus provide a connection between outer portion 12 and sleeve 14. Release mechanism 17, which comprises a lever arm mounted proximal on inner portion 11 can then be operable on hook 16 to remove it from its position behind ring or edge 15 according to the following elucidation.

[0033] Release mechanism 17 is mounted proximal on inner portion 11 and is arranged to operate on hook 16 of sleeve 14 when inner portion 11 moves towards sleeve 14 so as to release sleeve 14 from outer portion 12. To that end it is preferable that release mechanism 17 comprises a slanting first contact surface 18 that is tailored to a correspondingly slanting second contact surface 19 that is provided on hook 16. Hook 16 is resiliently mounted on sleeve 14 by means of the resilient support 20 so as to provide that hook 16 can be displaced from its position behind ring or edge 15 of outer portion 12 at the time that slanting first contact surface 18 of release mechanism 17 impacts second contact surface 19 that is provided on hook 16.

[0034] Turning now to FIG. 4, the surgical instrument of the invention is shown wherein proximal sleeve 14 is provided with an extension in the form of breathing tube 18′. This construction is used for intubating the trachea. After piercing, all parts of instrument 10 except for sleeve 14 with breathing tube 18′ shoot backwards and can be removed from the surgical site. Then proximal sleeve 14 is removed from breathing tube 18 that remains in place for breathing.

[0035] FIG. 5 shows another application which is used for piercing the abdominal wall with a trocar. After piercing, all parts of instrument 10 except for sleeve 14 with an extension embodied as trocar tube 18′ shoot backwards and can be removed from the surgical site. Then proximal sleeve 14 is removed from trocar tube 18″ that remains in place for instrument guidance towards the abdominal cavity.

[0036] Although the invention has been discussed in the foregoing with reference to an exemplary embodiment of the surgical instrument of the invention, the invention is not restricted to this particular embodiment which can be varied in many ways without departing from the invention. The discussed exemplary embodiment shall therefore not be used to construe the appended claims strictly in accordance therewith. On the contrary the embodiment is merely intended to explain the wording of the appended claims without intent to limit the claims to this exemplary embodiment. The scope of protection of the invention shall therefore be construed in accordance with the appended claims only, wherein a possible ambiguity in the wording of the claims shall be resolved using this exemplary embodiment.

[0037] Embodiments of the present invention can include every combination of features that are disclosed herein independently from each other. Although the invention has been described in detail with particular reference to the disclosed embodiments, other embodiments can achieve the same results. Variations and modifications of the present invention will be obvious to those skilled in the art and it is intended to cover in the appended claims all such modifications and equivalents. The entire disclosures of all references, applications, patents, and publications cited above are hereby incorporated by reference. Unless specifically stated as being “essential” above, none of the various components or the interrelationship thereof are essential to the operation of the invention. Rather, desirable results can be achieved by substituting various components and/or reconfiguration of their relationships with one another. The terms, “a”, “an”, “the”, and “said” mean “one or more” unless context explicitly dictates otherwise.