Surgical device with malleable shaft

#This invention relates generally to surgical devices and more specifically to a surgical device with a malleable shaft for use in grasping, securing, and occluding body tissue and conduits.

#Surgical devices generally include, but are not limited to, clamps, scissors, forceps, dissectors, and retractors. Typically, such surgical devices consist of three elements: a handle, tissue engaging means, and a member extending between the handle and the tissue engaging means. The handle opens and closes the jaws of the tissue engaging means and often has a locking mechanism to hold the jaws closed. The jaws of the tissue engaging means vary extensively in configuration, length, angle, and delicacy depending upon the function of the device and the tissue being engaged. There are many variations of the member provided between the handle and the tissue engaging means. Such members have been provided in a large number of lengths, bends, and angles in order to allow the surgeon to place the jaws in a large number of locations in a wide variety of human body shapes and sizes.

#Traditionally, surgeries have been quite invasive to the patient's body, often involving large open incisions. Such surgeries result in great trauma to the patients and require long periods of recovery time. Because these surgeries often involve large incisions, there has not been a strong need for providing surgical devices of a size and detail appropriate for a limited work area. In addition, in order to provide surgeons with a number of choices, surgical devices of various shapes have been provided.

#FIG. 1 is a side view of a preferred embodiment made in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

#FIG. 2 is a side view of an alternate embodiment of the handle and ratchet assembly of the present invention.

#FIG. 2a is a side view of the ratcheting means shown in the assembly of FIG. 2.

#Referring first to FIG. 1, a surgical device 10 made in accordance with the principles of the present invention is shown. The surgical device 10 generally includes a handle portion 12, a shaft member 14, and tissue engaging means 16. Although the figures depict a clamping device, it should be understood that the principles of the present invention are not limited to clamping devices and can be applied to other surgical devices such as, for example, scissors, forceps, dissectors, and retractors.

#The handle portion 12 functions to move the tissue engaging means 16 between open and closed positions. The handle portion 12 comprises a ratchet handle assembly 19 having an angled handle. It should be understood that alternate handle assemblies having different orientations or ratchet designs could also be employed. The handle assembly 19 of the present invention includes a pair of elongate legs 21, 23 which terminate at distal ends with finger grips and which are pivotably connected together at an intermediate location along the lengths thereof at a pivot element 26. A shaft support element 28 for the shaft member 14 is mounted to the proximal end of leg 21. While leg 21 remains stationary with respect to the shaft support element 28, leg 23 moves with respect to leg 21 about the pivot element 26. Additionally, the proximal end of leg 23 is operatively connected to an actuating means 31 which extends axially through the shaft member 14 and is operatively coupled to the tissue engaging means 16. In the preferred embodiment, the actuating means 31 comprises a cable. However, other alternate equivalent actuating means could also be employed.

#The handle assembly 19 is further provided with a ratcheting mechanism 35 which is mounted on one of the legs and which interacts with the other leg to hold the tissue engaging means in the closed position. To move the tissue engaging means to the open position, lever 36 is depressed to release leg 23 and the tissue engaging means from the closed position. To move the tissue engaging means from the open position to the closed position, leg 23 is pushed toward leg 21, the proximal end of leg 23 pulling back on the actuating means 31 and thereby actuating the tissue engaging means. Actuation of the tissue engaging means will be discussed in more detail below.