Systems and methods for attaching a surgical instrument tip
AssigneeNovartis AG
InventorsThomas Linsi, Guido Vezzu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A surgical instrument for treating a medical condition of a patient includes a protruding tool and a body assembly carrying the protruding tool. The body assembly includes a plurality of flexible claws and a locking ring moveable along the flexible claws between a locked position and an unlocked position. A main body forms a hand grip portion and includes an engagement interface portion configured to cooperate with the flexible claws to secure the body assembly to the main body when the locking ring is in the locked position.
Claims20
A surgical instrument for treating a medical condition of a patient, comprising:
- a protruding tool configured to interface with and treat patient tissue;
- a body assembly carrying the protruding tool, the body assembly comprising a plurality of flexible claws and a locking ring moveable along the flexible claws between a locked position and an unlocked position;
- and
- a main body forming a hand grip portion to be grasped by a user during a medical procedure, the main body including an engagement interface portion configured to cooperate with the flexible claws to secure the body assembly to the main body when the locking ring is in the locked position.
A surgical instrument for treating a medical condition, comprising:
- a protruding, actuatable tool configured to interface with and treat patient tissue;
- a body assembly having a distal end and a proximal end and a longitudinal axis extending therebetween, the tool projecting from the distal end along the longitudinal axis, the proximal end comprising a plurality of flexible claws symmetrically disposed about the longitudinal axis, and a locking element moveable axially between a locked position and an unlocked position;
- a main body forming a gripping portion to be grasped by a user during a medical procedure, the main body comprising an axially aligned engagement interface portion configured to be engaged by the plurality of symmetrically disposed flexible claws so that axial loading on the engagement portion is countered by the flexible claws in a symmetrical manner.
A method of assembling a surgical instrument for treating a medical condition, comprising:
- orienting a locking element on surgical tip relative to a plurality of flexible claws on the surgical tip so that the flexible claws are in an unlocked position;
- introducing an engagement interface portion of a main body in an axial direction until the engagement interface portion is adjacent opposing flexible claws of the plurality of flexible claws, the engagement interface portion including a transverse lock surface;
- and
- advancing the locking element, relative to the plurality of flexible claws and relative to the engagement interface portion, from an unlocked state to a locked state so that the flexible claws move from the unlocked position to a locked position where a portion of each flexible claw of the plurality of flexible claws is disposed axially in-line with the transverse locking surface to mechanically prevent removal of the engagement interface portion from the surgical tip.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.