US 5,665,105 AGranted

Radially adjustable surgical instrument for heart surgery

AssigneeSnowden Pencer/Genzyme Corporation

InventorsGregory R. Furnish, W. Michael Hipps

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Abstract

A hand-held surgical instrument with an improved handle, the instrument being of the type generally comprised of a handle and a tool with a body member having at least one articulated member thereon, is provided. The handle has an elongated base, an elongated lever with a downwardly projecting actuator arm and a member for connecting the lever and base at a rearward pivot point, which mimics the natural pivot point of the surgeon's hand. A member for actuating the surgical tool by moving an actuator rod distally by closing the handle lever, and a member for biasing the lever in an open position longitudinally positioned around the actuator rod within the base, are provided. The instrument includes a member for securing the handle at selected points throughout a range of motion or, alternatively, allowing motion that is not locked at any position. Also provided is a collar for allowing rotation of the tool to a desired radial orientation and adjustably securing the tool in that orientation.

Claims12

Dependent claims

A hand-held surgical instrument comprising a handle adapted to be attached to a tool having at least one articulated member thereon, the handle comprising:

a) an elongated base having a body portion, a top surface, an opposite bottom surface, a first side, an opposite second side, a proximal end, and a distal end;
b) an elongated lever having a first surface, an opposite second surface, a front end, a rear end and an actuator arm adjacent the rear end adapted to be projected into the body portion of said base at a predetermined point;
c) means for connecting said actuator arm to said base at the predetermined point to allow said lever to pivot about a transverse axis at the predetermined point between a normally open position and a closed position;
d) means for actuating the articulated member of said tool when said lever is moved to the closed position;
e) means for biasing said lever in the normally open position;
and
f) a tool positioning means for rotating said tool to a desired radial orientation with respect to said base and adjustably securing said tool at the desired radial orientation.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.