Surgical Instrument

Abstract

A surgical instrument has at least two individual components that are movable relative to one another, each comprising a sliding surface region, and jointly forming a sliding surface pair. The sliding surface regions abut one another in sliding surface region sections and slide on one another. Only one of the sliding surface regions of each sliding surface pair comprises a hard material surface layer which is materially bonded to the individual component in the respective sliding surface region. The sliding surfaces of the sliding surface region sections of each sliding surface pair have a distance of less than 0.05 mm and 0.025 mm from each other. In a sliding surface pair, the relative movement of the two individual components the sliding surface regions of which form this sliding surface pair takes place in mutually parallel planes of movement.

Claims

1.-14. (canceled)

15. A surgical instrument (1) for carrying out a surgical intervention, having at least two individual components (2) which are arranged such that they can be moved relative to one another, wherein the individual components (2) each comprise at least one sliding surface region (15, 16), wherein one sliding surface region (15, 16) forms a sliding surface pair (14) with at least one sliding surface region (15, 16) of a further individual component (2), wherein the sliding surface regions (15, 16), when the surgical instrument (1) is used as intended, bear against one another and slide on one another at least in sliding surface region sections (23) of the sliding surface regions (15, 16), wherein the individual components (2), at least in sections which are assigned to the sliding surface regions (15, 16), are made of a metallic or metal-containing material, wherein only one of the sliding surface regions (15, 16) of each sliding surface pair (14) comprises a hard material surface layer (17), which is materially bonded to the individual component (2) in the respective sliding surface region (15, 16), wherein sliding surfaces (24) of the sliding surface region sections (23) of each sliding surface pair (14) have a distance of less than 0.05 mm from one another, and wherein in the case of at least one sliding surface pair (14), a relative movement of the two individual components (2) the sliding surface regions (15, 16) of which form the said sliding surface pair (14) takes place in parallel planes of movement.

16. The surgical instrument (1) according to claim 15, wherein the sliding surfaces (24) of the sliding surface region sections (23) of each sliding surface pair (14) have a straightness and a flatness in the range of 0.4 mm and 0.2 mm.

17. The surgical instrument (1) according to claim 15, wherein the sliding surfaces (24) of the sliding surface region sections (23) of each sliding surface pair (14) have a parallelism in the range of 0.4 mm and 0.2 mm.

18. The surgical instrument (1) according to claim 15, wherein the sliding surfaces (24) of the sliding surface region sections (23) of each sliding surface pair (14) have axial run-out tolerances in the range of 0.3 mm and 0.2 mm.

19. The surgical instrument (1) according to claim 15, wherein only one sliding surface region section (23) of a single component (2) of the sliding surface pair (14) comprises the hard material surface layer (17).

20. The surgical instrument (1) according to claim 15, wherein at least two individual components (2) are main components (11), wherein the main components (11) are used directly for carrying out the surgical intervention and are involved in the intervention, wherein the remaining individual components (2) are secondary components (13), wherein the secondary components (13) are used for performing a secondary function.

21. The surgical instrument (1) according to claim 20, wherein the main components (11) are movable relative to each other only in parallel planes of movement.

22. The surgical instrument (1) according to claim 20, wherein only one of the sliding surface regions (15,16) of each sliding surface pair (14) formed between main components (11) comprises a hard material surface layer (17) which is materially bonded to the single component (2) in the respective sliding surface region (15,16).

23. The surgical instrument (1) according to claim 15, wherein at least the individual components (2) that comprise a sliding surface region (15, 16) are made entirely of the metallic or metal-containing material.

24. The surgical instrument (1) according to claim 15, wherein at least one of the individual components (2) comprises a hard material surface layer (17) completely covering a component surface of the individual component (2), wherein at least one of the other individual components (2) does not comprise a hard material surface layer (17).

25. The surgical instrument (1) according to claim 15, wherein the surgical instrument (1) comprises a housing (25), wherein the housing (25) is formed such that it at least partially surrounds the sliding surface region comprising the hard material surface layer (17).

26. The surgical instrument (1) according to claim 25, wherein the housing (25) is formed by the individual component (2).

27. The surgical instrument (1) according to claim 15, wherein the sliding surface regions (15,16) are permanently in full contact with each other at all times during operation of the surgical instrument (1), so that the sliding surface region sections (23) correspond to the sliding surface regions (15,16).

28. The surgical instrument (1) according to claim 15, wherein the sliding surface region section (23) comprising the hard material surface layer (17) is in abutment with the sliding surface region (15,16) of the further individual component (2) during operation of the surgical instrument (1).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a surgical instrument according to the invention in the form of a rongeur,

[0026] FIG. 2 a schematic, perspective exploded view of the surgical instrument according to the invention configured as a rongeur,

[0027] FIG. 3 a schematic sectional view of the sliding surface regions of a sliding surface pair,

[0028] FIG. 4 a further schematic sectional view of the sliding surface regions of a sliding surface pair, and

[0029] FIG. 5 a schematic perspective view of the lower jaw of the surgical instrument shown in FIG. 1 and in FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a surgical instrument 1 according to the invention configured as a rongeur. The surgical instrument 1 comprises a plurality of individual components 2 and comprises a pair of handles 3 with an upper handle 4 and a lower handle 5, a pair of jaw parts 6 comprising an upper jaw part 7 and a lower jaw part 8, a connecting screw 9 and a leaf spring 10. The aforementioned individual components 2 represent the main components 11 of the surgical instrument 1. The upper handle 4, the lower handle 5, the upper jaw part 7 and the lower jaw part 8 are directly and movably pivotally connected to each other by means of one of the connecting screws 9, respectively, at four connecting regions 12 of the surgical instrument 1. In each of the connecting regions 12, the upper handle 4 is pivotally connected to the lower handle 5, the upper handle 4 is pivotally connected to the upper jaw part 7, the lower handle 5 is pivotally connected to the lower jaw part 8, and the upper jaw part 7 is pivotally connected to the lower jaw part 8 by means of the one of the connecting screws 9. The illustrated surgical instrument 1 is shown in an unactuated state in which the individual components 2 are transferred to an open position. The upper handle 4 and the lower handle 5 are held in the illustrated opening position by the leaf spring 10. Due to the mechanical coupling of the individual components 2 formed in the surgical instrument 1 according to the invention shown, the upper jaw 7 and the lower jaw 8 are also held in the opening position by the leaf spring 5. The leaf spring 10 represents a secondary component 13 of the surgical instrument 1.

[0031] When the surgical instrument 1 is operated, by displacing the upper handle 4 and the lower handle 5 against a spring force exerted by the leaf spring 10, the upper jaw 7 and the lower jaw 8 are displaced toward each other until both are brought into contact with each other.

[0032] FIG. 2 shows a schematic and enlarged exploded view of the surgical instrument 1 shown in FIG. 1. Here, connecting screws 9 connecting the pair of j aws 6 are shown next to the upper jaw part 7 and the lower jaw part 8. The upper jaw part 7 and the lower jaw part 8 are pivotably connected to each other in the connecting region 12 by means of the connecting screw 9.

[0033] Several pairs of sliding surfaces 14 (not designated in FIG. 2) are formed in the connecting region 12, each of which is formed by the first sliding surface region 15 and a second sliding surface region 16 shown in FIG. 5. Regions of the individual components 2 associated with the sliding surface regions 15,16 are made of a metallic or metal-containing material. Only one of the sliding surface regions 15,16 of each sliding surface pair 14 comprises a hard material surface layer 17 which is materially bonded to the individual component 2 in the respective sliding surface region 15,16.

[0034] When the individual components 2 are displaced relative to each other, the sliding surface regions 15,16 of the sliding surface pairs 14 slide against each other. First sliding surface regions 15 are formed on a hinge element 11 of the lower jaw 8. Second sliding surface regions 16 are formed on opposing inner surfaces 19 (only one inner surface shown and designated in FIG. 5) of a hinge mount 20 of the upper jaw 7, and on a shaft portion 21 of the connecting screw 9. The connecting screw 9 represents a secondary component 13 of the surgical instrument 1. The hinge member 18 is disposed within the hinge receptacle 20, with the connecting screw 9 passing through a screw recess 22 of the hinge member 18 so that the first sliding surface regions 15 and the second sliding surface regions 16 shown in FIG. 5 are brought into abutment with each other. As a result of the fact that in FIG. 5 the connecting screw 9 is inserted within the screw recess 22 of the hinge element 18, the housing 25 protecting the sliding surface regions 15, 16 is formed by the lower jaw part 8.

[0035] FIG. 3 shows a schematic sectional view of the sliding surface regions 15,16 of a sliding surface pair 14. Here, a main component 11 of the surgical instrument 1 comprises a first sliding surface region 15 that forms a sliding surface pair 14 with the second sliding surface region 16 of the other main component 11. The first sliding surface region 15 also comprises a hard material surface layer 17. The sliding surface regions 15,16 each have at least one sliding surface region section 23. The main components 11 of the surgical instrument 1 are spaced apart from each other such that a distance A in the range of 0.05 mm and 0.025 mm is set between sliding surfaces 24 of the sliding surface region sections 23.

[0036] FIG. 4 shows another schematic sectional view of the sliding surface regions 15,16 of a sliding surface pair 14. Here, the surgical instrument 1 is configured such that the sliding surface regions 15,16 of the main components 11 are permanently in full contact with each other at all times during operation of the surgical instrument 1 so that the sliding surface region sections 23 correspond to the sliding surface regions 15,16.