Access cannula assembly with a stylet that includes a flexible lock arm
AssigneeStryker Corporation
InventorsChristopher Scott Brockman, Kevin Kuiper
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A cannula assembly including a cannula and a stylet that is removably fitted in the cannula. A lock selectively holds the stylet to the cannula so the stylet rotates in unison with the cannula. The lock is configured so that the force applied to release the lock results in the subsequent rotation of the stylet relative to the cannula. Methods of disengaging a lock assembly releasably coupling a stylet handle secured to a stylet and a cannula handle secured to a cannula are also provided.
Claims20
A needle assembly comprising:
- a cannula comprising a tube with a bore, the tube having opposed proximal and distal ends, and a handle attached to the proximal end of the tube and comprising a locking feature;
- a stylet comprising a shaft dimensioned to be removably received in the bore of the tube to define a longitudinal axis of the cannula, the shaft having opposed proximal and distal ends, a handle attached to the proximal end of the shaft, and an arm coupled to the stylet handle and comprising a locking feature with the arm configured to receive a digit force;
- and
- a lock assembly for releasably connecting the stylet handle to the cannula handle, said lock assembly comprising the complementary locking features on the cannula handle and the arm so that, when engaged, the stylet handle and the cannula handle are configured to be rotated in unison about the longitudinal axis,
- wherein said arm is flexibly attached to the stylet handle so as to be moved from a first position in which the complementary locking features are engaged and a second position in which the locking feature of the arm moves towards the stylet handle with flexure of the arm to space apart the complementary locking features from each other so as to allow the rotation of the stylet handle relative to the cannula handle and removal of the shaft of the stylet from the bore of the tube.
A method of disengaging a stylet removably received within a bore of a cannula of a needle assembly with the bore defining a longitudinal axis of the cannula, wherein each of the stylet and the cannula include a locking unit feature for releasably coupling a stylet handle secured to the stylet and a cannula handle secured to the cannula, said method comprising:
- applying a force to an arm flexibly attached to and extending outwardly from a head of the stylet handle so as to cause flexure of the arm to move the arm from a first position in which (i) the complementary locking unit features are engaged to prevent rotation of the stylet handle relative to the cannula handle about a longitudinal axis of the cannula handle to a second position in which the locking feature on the arm of the stylet handle moves towards the head of the stylet handle with the flexure of the arm to space apart the complementary locking unit features from each other;
- and
- rotating the stylet handle relative to the cannula handle with the arm in the second position.
A needle assembly comprising:
- a cannula comprising a tube with a bore, the tube having opposed proximal and distal ends defining a longitudinal axis, a handle attached to the proximal end of the tube;
- a stylet comprising a shaft dimensioned to be removably received in the bore of the tube, the shaft having opposed proximal and distal ends, a handle attached to the proximal end of the shaft so that when the stylet shaft is in the bore of the tube when the stylet handle is positioned adjacent the cannula handle, and an arm comprising an intermediate section extending from the handle, and an outer section extending from the intermediate section and defining an outer end of the arm;
- and
- a lock assembly for releasably connecting the stylet handle to the cannula handle so that the stylet handle selectively rotates in unison with the cannula handle about the longitudinal axis, the lock assembly comprising complementary locking features on the cannula handle and the stylet handle so that, when engaged, the stylet handle relative to the cannula handle are configured to be rotated in unison about the longitudinal axis, wherein the locking feature of the stylet handle extends outwardly from the intermediate section of the arm,
- wherein the outer section of the arm is arranged to receive a digit force to flex at least the intermediate section and the outer section inward towards the handle such that the complementary locking features disengage so as to allow rotation of the stylet handle relative to the cannula handle and removal of the shaft of the stylet from the bore of the cannula.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.