US 5,893,873 AGranted

Surgical instrument having a handle with a removable, rotatable tip

AssigneeThe Johns Hopkins University

InventorsR. Scott Rader, Alexander C. Walsh, Carl C. Awh, Eugene deJuan, Jr.

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Abstract

A surgical instrument includes a handle having a pair of actuating wings and a removable instrument tip. The instrument tip is constructed to perform a surgical operation. The handle includes an axially movable slider actuated by the actuating wings which operate the instrument tip. A shaft extends through the handle and is coupled to the instrument tip so that rotation of the shaft rotates the tip without interfering with the axial movement of the slider. The gripping surface of the actuating wings have a rounded surface to allow limited rotational movement of the instrument in the user's hand. The gripping surfaces are inclined toward the instrument tip to resist the handle slipping from the user's hand during use in the near vertical orientation.

Claims28

Dependent claims

A surgical instrument comprising:

a hollow instrument handle having a longitudinal axis and first and second longitudinal ends;
an instrument tip having a first end removably coupled to said second end of said handle, and a second end having a surgical tool for performing a surgical operation;
an actuation slider mounted in said instrument handle for axial movement therein, said actuation slider having an axial bore extending therethrough;
at least one manually operated actuation member operatively coupled to said actuation slider for producing said axial movement to said actuation slider;
a follower member coupled to said instrument tip and mounted in said handle and contacting said actuation slider for axial movement therewith;
rotation shaft means extending axially through said handle from said first end to said second end and through said actuation slider, said shaft means having a first end at said first end of said handle and a second end coupled to said instrument tip, wherein rotation of said shaft means within said handle causes rotation of said instrument tip.

3 more elements

A surgical instrument comprising:

a handle having a longitudinal axis, first and second axial ends, and an axial bore extending therethrough;
an actuation slider mounted in said axial bore of said handle for limited axial movement therein, said actuation slider having an axial bore extending therethrough, and an axial face oriented toward said second end of said handle;
at least one manually operated actuation wing coupled to said actuation slider for causing said actuation slider to reciprocate axially in said handle;
a rotatable shaft having a first end at said first end of said handle and a second end extending through said axial bore of said actuation slider, said shaft being fixed axially with respect to said handle,
a core member having a first axial end coupled to said shaft for rotation therewith,
follower means coupled to said core member for limited axial movement with respect to said core member, said follower means abutting said axial face of said actuation slider whereby axial movement of said actuation slider imparts axial movement to said follower means;
an instrument tip removably coupled to said core member and including an instrument actuating means acted upon by said follower means wherein axial movement of said follower means and actuating means actuates said instrument tip, wherein said shaft, core member and instrument tip are rotatable with respect to said handle.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.