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US 5,464,300 AGranted
Medical instrument and coupling apparatus for same
OwnerLawrence Crainichinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A medical instrument includes a handle for manipulating the instrument, a tool head, and a tube element for joining the handle and the tool head, the tube element having a first end and a second end, a first coupling for releasably coupling the first end of the tube element and the handle, and a second coupling for releasably coupling the second end of the tube element and the tool head, whereby the tool head, tube element and handle are all readily separable from each other.
Claims20
A medical instrument, comprising:
- handle means for manipulating the instrument;
- a tool head;
- a tube element for joining the handle means and the tool head, the tube element having a first end and a second end;
- first coupling means for releasably coupling the first end of the tube element and the handle means in a coupled position wherein the tube element is rotatable relative to the handle means after could, and wherein the first coupling means comprises:
- an insertion member;
- a receiving member sized to receive the insertion member, each of the tube element and handle means being connected to one of the insertion member and the receiving member;
- engaging means disposed on the insertion member and the receiving member for rotatably coupling the insertion member with the receiving member, the engaging means being rotatable between an engaged position wherein the insertion member and the receiving member engaged against longitudinal separation, and a disengaged position wherein the receiving member and the insertion member can be longitudinally separated;
- locking means for rotatably locking the engaging means, the locking means being positionable between a locked position wherein the engaging means is engaged throughout an entire rotation of the insertion member relative to the receiving member, and an unlocked position wherein the insertion member can be rotated relative to the receiving member to the disengaged position;
- and
- second coupling means for releasably coupling the second end of the tube element and the tool head in a coupled position wherein the tool head is not rotatable relative to the tube element after coupling, whereby the tool head, tube element and handle means are all readily separable from each other.
7 more elements
A coupling apparatus for rotatably coupling two elements of a medical device, the coupling apparatus comprising:
- an insertion member;
- a receiving member sized to receive the insertion member;
- engaging means disposed on the insertion member and the receiving member for rotatably coupling the insertion member with the receiving member, the engaging means being rotatable between an engaged position wherein the insertion member and the receiving member are engaged against longitudinal separation, and a disengaged position wherein the receiving member and the insertion member can be longitudinally separated;
- and
- locking means for rotatably locking the engaging means, the locking means being positionable between a locked position wherein the engaging means is engaged throughout an entire rotation of the insertion member relative to the receiving member, and an unlocked position wherein the insertion member can be rotated relative to the receiving member to the disengaged position.
2 more elements
A medical instrument, comprising:
- handle means for manipulating the instrument;
- a tool head;
- a tube element for joining the handle means and the tool head, the tube element having a first end and a second end;
- first coupling means for releasably coupling the first end of the tube element and the handle means in a coupled position wherein the tube element is rotatable and longitudinally fixed during rotation relative to the handle means after coupling, and
- second coupling means for releasably coupling the second end of the tube element and the tool head in a coupled position wherein the tool head is not rotatable relative to the tube element after coupling, whereby the tool head, tube element and handle means are all readily separable from each other.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.