Radial jaw biopsy forceps
AssigneeSymbiosis Corporation
InventorsThomas O. Bales, Charles R. Slater, Kevin W. Smith
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A biological forceps device for the taking of tissue samples from a body, comprising a flexible main coil attached at its distal end to a pair of homologous cast jaws. The jaws have radially arranged teeth on their distalmost end. The jaws are opened and closed by attachment to a pair of pull wires which extend through the main coil, into a handle at its proximal end. The handle has a spool which slides about a central shaft attached to the main coil. The spool is attached to the pull wires, so that movement of the spool with respect to the central shaft, effectuates a force on the proximal ends of the levered jaws, to open and close them, appropriately.
Claims21
A biopsy forceps device for the taking of biological tissue samples from a body, comprising:
- a) a flexible main coil having distal and proximal ends;
- b) articulable opposed first and second jaws hingedly disposed on said distal end of said main coil;
- and
- c) actuation means having a distal end coupled to said first and second jaws, said actuation means for effecting articulation of at least one of said first and second opposed jaws, wherein
- each said opposed first and second jaws is substantially hollow to permit the taking of biological tissue samples, and each said opposed first and second jaws has a distal portion having a substantially semicircular rim, said substantially semicircular rim having a radial array of substantially triangular teeth extending and repeating regularly therefrom, wherein said radial array of substantially triangular teeth of said opposed first jaw extend toward said radial array of substantially triangular teeth of said opposed second jaw and said substantially triangular teeth of said opposed first jaw closely mesh with said triangular teeth of said opposed second jaw when said opposed first and second jaws are in a closed position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.