Forceps-type surgical instrument

A surgical instrument comprising:

• an elongate body;
• first and second cooperating jaws on the elongate body movable relative to each other selectively between open and closed positions therefor;
• an operating rod;
• means for connecting the operating rod to the body for movement relative to the elongate body to selectively place the jaws in the open and closed positions therefor;
• means for selectively moving the operating rod relative to the elongate body,
• said moving means comprising first and second grips;
• and
• means, on the first and second grips, elongate body, and operating rod, for causing the first grip to move in a first direction relative to the body without said second grip moving relative to the body as an incident of the first and second grips being squeezed towards each other until a first predetermined force is applied to at least one of the jaws to urge the jaws toward said closed position with a first predetermined force, whereupon additional squeezing of said grips causes the second grip to move in a second direction opposite to said first direction relative to the body without said first grip moving relative to the body to develop a second predetermined force on at least one of the jaws to urge the jaws toward said closed position.

A surgical instrument comprising:

• a body;
• first and second cooperating jaws mounted on the body and movable relative to each other selectively between open and closed positions;
• first means on the body for normally urging said jaws from said open position toward said closed position with a first predetermined force;
• second means on the body for urging said jaws toward the closed position therefor with a second predetermined force that is greater than said first predetermined force,
• wherein said body is elongate and the instrument includes a sleeve slidable relative to said body and against at least one of the first and second jaws to urge the jaws toward said closed position,
• wherein said second means comprises first and second links pivoted to each other and movable to an overcenter position in which the first and second links exert a force between the body and the sleeve.

A surgical instrument comprising:

• a body;
• first and second cooperating jaws mounted on the body and movable relative to each other selectively between open and closed positions therefor;
• first means on the body for normally urging said jaws from said open position toward said closed position therefor with a first predetermined force;
• second means on the body for urging said jaws toward the closed position therefor with a second predetermined force that is greater than said first predetermined force,
• wherein said instrument includes an elongate body and an operating rod that connects to at least one of the jaws, there being cooperating means on the operating rod and jaws for moving the jaws towards an open position as the rod moves in a first direction relative to the body and moving the jaws towards a closed position as the rod moves in a second direction opposite to the first direction relative to the body,
• wherein said first means includes a spring for urging the rod in the first direction and a second spring for urging the rod in the second direction, said rod in an equilibrium position urging the jaws towards the closed position therefor with said first predetermined force.

A surgical instrument comprising:

• a body;
• first and second cooperating jaws on the body movable relative to each other selectively between open and closed positions;
• means for normally urging said jaws from said closed position toward said open position;
• first means on said body for urging said jaws into said closed position with a first predetermined force;
• and
• second means on said body for urging said jaws into the closed position with a second predetermined force that is greater than said first predetermined force,
• said first means being operable other than by relatively rotating any two threadably connected parts of said surgical instrument to produce said first predetermined force,
• said second means being operable other than be relatively rotating any two threadably connected parts of said surgical instrument to produce said second predetermined force.

A surgical instrument comprising:

• a body;
• first and second cooperating jaws mounted on the body and movable relative to each other selectively between open and closed positions therefor;
• first means on the body for normally urging said jaws from said open position toward said closed position therefor with a first predetermined force;
• second means on the body for urging said jaws toward the closed position therefor with a second predetermined force that is greater than said first predetermined force,
• wherein said body is elongate and the instrument includes a sleeve slidable relative to said body and against at least one of the first and second jaws to urge the jaws toward said closed position,
• wherein the first means comprises a coil spring on the body that biases the sleeve against the one of the first and second jaws to produce said first predetermined force.

A surgical instrument comprising:

• a body;
• first and second cooperating jaws mounted on the body and movable relative to each other selectively between open and closed positions;
• first means on the body for normally urging said jaws from said open position toward said closed position with a first predetermined force;
• second means on the body for urging said jaws toward the closed position therefor with a second predetermined force that is greater than said first predetermined force,
• wherein said body is elongate and the instrument includes a sleeve slidable relative to said body and against at least one of the first and second jaws to urge the jaws toward said closed position,
• wherein said second means comprises a luer lock to force the sleeve against the jaws to urge the jaws toward the closed position with said second predetermined force.

A surgical instrument comprising:

• a body;
• first and second cooperating jaws mounted on the body and movable relative to each other selectively between open and closed positions;
• first means on the body for normally urging said jaws from said open position toward said closed position with a first predetermined force;
• second means on the body for urging said jaws toward the closed position therefor with a second predetermined force that is greater than said first predetermined force,
• wherein said body is elongate and the instrument includes a sleeve slidable relative to said body and against at least one of the first and second jaws to urge the jaws toward said closed position,
• wherein there is a slider on the body and a guide block on the body both movable lengthwise relative to the body, a spring exerts a force between the guide block and the sleeve, and the second means exerts a force between the slider and the guide block.

A surgical instrument comprising:

• a body;
• first and second cooperating jaws mounted on the body and movable relative to each other selectively between open and closed positions;
• first means on the body for normally urging said jaws from said open position toward said closed position therefor with a first predetermined force;
• second means on the body for urging said jaws toward the closed position therefor with a second predetermined force that is greater than said first predetermined force,
• wherein said body is elongate and the instrument includes a sleeve slidable relative to said body and against at least one of the first and second jaws to urge the jaws toward said closed position,
• there further being means for opening the jaws against the first predetermined closing force, said opening means including a finger grip that is attached to said sleeve,
• wherein there is a rounded end cap on the body to be placed in the palm of a user and wherein with the end cap in a user's palm, the finger grip can be grasped by adjacent fingers on the same hand in which the end cap is placed and drawn by the adjacent fingers toward the end cap to move the jaws towards the open position therefor.

A surgical instrument comprising:

• an elongate body;
• first and second cooperating jaws mounted on the elongate body and movable relative to each other selectively between open and closed positions;
• an operating rod;
• means for connecting the operating rod to the body and to at least one of the jaws for movement relative to the elongate body to selectively place the jaws in the open and closed positions;
• means for selectively moving the operating rod relative to the elongate body,
• said moving means comprising first and second grips;
• and
• cooperating means on the first and second grips, elongate body, and operating rod for causing the first grip to move in a first direction relative to the body without said second grip moving relative to the body as an incident of the first and second grips being squeezed towards each other until a first predetermined force is applied to at least one of the jaws to urge the jaws toward said closed position with a first predetermined force, whereupon additional squeezing of said grips causes the second grip to move in a second direction opposite to said first direction relative to the body without said first grip moving relative to the body to develop a second predetermined force on at least one of the jaws to urge the jaws toward said closed position,
• wherein the operating rod is fixedly connected to the first grip,
• wherein the body is cylindrical and there is a sleeve that is concentric with the body and the operating rod, said sleeve residing radially between the body and the operating rod and fixedly connected to the second grip.

A surgical instrument comprising:

• first and second cooperating jaws movable relative to each other selectively between open and closed positions;
• means for normally urging said jaws from said closed position toward said open position;
• first means for urging said jaws into said closed position with a first predetermined force;
• and
• second means for urging said jaws into the closed position with a second predetermined force that is greater than said first predetermined force,
• wherein there are means for selectively maintaining a predetermined closing force on said jaws only upon operation of said second means.