Separating tissue from an intestine
AssigneeVan Hessen B.V.
InventorArie Baauw
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
For separating an intestine from a cluster of organs harvested from an animal, in particular a pig, cow or sheep, wherein the intestine is connected to the remainder of the cluster through tissue, a device and method are provided. The intestine separating device includes a guiding device having at least one guiding surface configured to contact the intestine. The guiding device includes first and second guiding members together defining a gap for accommodating the tissue. The first and second guiding members are movable towards and away from each other to vary a gap width. A gap width control structure includes an actuator to controllably decrease and increase the gap width. A tissue separating device is operative in the gap to provide a separation in the tissue close to the intestine.
Claims30
A device for separating an intestine from a cluster of organs harvested from an animal, the intestine being connected to the remainder of the cluster through tissue, the device comprising:
- a guiding device having at least one guiding surface configured to contact the intestine, the guiding device defining a gap being configured to accommodate said tissue;
- and
- a tissue separating device configured to be operative in the gap to provide a separation in the tissue close to the intestine,
- wherein the guiding device comprises a first guiding member and a second guiding member together defining the gap between the first guiding member and the second guiding member, the first guiding member and the second guiding member being movable towards and away from each other to vary a gap width,
- wherein the device further comprises:
- a gap width control structure comprising an actuator to controllably decrease the gap width, and to controllably increase the gap width.
A method of separating an intestine from a cluster of organs harvested from an animal, the intestine being connected to the remainder of the cluster through tissue, the method comprising:
- moving the intestine in its longitudinal direction relative to a guiding device;
- guiding the tissue into a gap of the guiding device, at least one guiding surface of the guiding device contacting the intestine;
- providing, in the gap, a separation in the tissue close to the intestine,
- wherein the guiding device comprises a first guiding member and a second guiding member being movable towards and away from each other to vary a gap width,
- wherein the method further comprises:
- before starting the guiding of the tissue into the gap, positioning the first guiding member and the second guiding member away from each other to set a width of the gap;
- after starting the guiding of a first part of the tissue into the gap, moving the first guiding member and the second guiding member towards each other to decrease the width of the gap to exert a friction force on the tissue;
- and
- maintaining a decreased width of the gap during a guiding of the remaining part of the tissue in the gap.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.