Curved mandrel for assisting vessel eversion
AssigneeEthicon, Inc.
InventorDale R. Schulze
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An instrument is provided for everting an end of a vessel, preferably over an end of a tubular workpiece. The instrument has a curved mandrel having a proximal end and a distal end. The distal end of the curved mandrel is insertable to a predetermined depth into the lumen of the vessel contained in the bore of the workpiece. The curved mandrel holds the vessel against the bore surface of the workpiece at three spaced-apart contact regions when it is inserted into the bore of the workpiece and the vessel lumen to the predetermined depth. The curved mandrel is mounted to a handle.
Claims7
An instrument for everting an end of a vessel over an end of a tubular workpiece, comprising:
- a handle member;
- a curved mandrel member having a proximal end, a distal end, an outer surface and a longitudinal axis, said proximal end mounted to the handle member, said distal end of said curved mandrel member insertable to a predetermined depth into a lumen of a vessel contained in a bore of a workpiece, wherein said workpiece comprises a bore and an inner surface surrounding said bore and an outer surface, said outer surface of said curved mandrel member engaging the vessel against the inner surface of the workpiece at three spaced-apart contact regions when said curved mandrel member is inserted into the bore to said predetermined depth.
A method for everting a vessel over an end of a tubular workpiece comprising the steps:
- providing a tubular workpiece comprising a tubular member having a proximal end, a distal end, an inner bore, and an inner surface surrounding the inner bore, and an outer surface;
- providing a vessel having at least a first end and a lumen;
- placing at least a section of the vessel in the bore of the tubular member;
- providing an eversion instrument comprising, a handle member;
- and,
- a curved mandrel member having a proximal end, a distal end, an outer surface and a longitudinal axis, said proximal end mounted to the handle member, said distal end of said curved mandrel member insertable to a predetermined depth into the lumen of the vessel contained in the bore of the tubular member, the outer surface of said curved mandrel member engaging the vessel against the inner surface of the tubular member at three spaced-apart contact regions when said curved mandrel member is inserted into the bore to said predetermined depth;
- inserting at least a distal section of the mandrel member into the lumen of the vessel;
- engaging the vessel against the inner surface of the tubular member with the outer surface of the mandrel member at three spaced-apart contact regions;
- invaginating the end of said vessel over the distal end of said tubular member and onto the outer surface of distal end of the tubular member;
- and
- removing said curved mandrel member of said eversion instrument from the lumen of the vessel, thereby providing an everted end of the vessel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.