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US 6,605,036 B1Granted
Surgical instrument assembly for use in endoscopic surgery
OwnerAndrew Michael Wildinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A surgical instrument assembly includes a surgical instrument having a proximal handle (16) for control by the surgeon, the handle being ergonomically configured and having surface depressions (17, 18, 19, 20) to accommodate thumb and finger tips. The handle extends no more than about 5 cm beyond the point of grip so that the surgeon can rotate his/her hand over the end of the handle in unrestricted movement while maintaining the grip between thumb and middle finger. Improvements in the support means for the endoscope telescope and instrument shaft, as well as in the lighting system of the assembly are also disclosed, together with improvements in the mechanisms for moving a distal end of the instrument in the operating zone within a patient.
Claims16
A surgical instrument assembly for use in endoscopic surgery, the assembly comprising:
- (a) a surgical instrument having a proximal control device for manually operating the instrument coupled to a distal operative device, the operative device and the control device being spaced mutually apart by a shaft, and a handle being provided in general proximity to the control device whereby a surgeon can hold the instrument;
- (b) optical means for viewing a distal end of the instrument in an operating zone within a patient;
- and
- (c) support means for retaining the instrument and optical viewing means in use so as to present the distal end of the instrument for viewing in the operating zone within the patient and to present the control device externally of the patient for manipulation by the surgeon;
- characterized in that:
- the handle is ergonomically configured as a generally elongate handle provided with opposed surface depressions arranged along the length of the handle, to accommodate at least a thumb tip and middle finger tip of the surgeon whereby the surgeon can grip fast the handle substantially directly between thumb and middle finger;
- the handle extends no more than about 5 cm beyond said surface depressions and the instrument is adapted to permit the surgeon to use the handle to rotate the instrument about the long axis of the shaft of the instrument while simultaneously rotating his/her hand around the handle in unrestricted movement with the palm of the hand passing around the end of the handle while maintaining the grip between thumb and middle finger, and
- the proximal control device is provided in general proximity to the handle, such that the surgeon can operate the surgical instrument using his/her index finger or fourth finger without releasing the grip between thumb and middle finger.
5 more elements
A surgical instrument assembly for use in endoscopic surgery, the assembly comprising:
- (a) a surgical instrument having a proximal control device for manually operating the instrument coupled to a distal operative device, the operative device and the control device being spaced mutually apart by a shaft, and a handle being provided in general proximity to the control device whereby a surgeon can hold the instrument;
- (b) optical means comprising an endoscope telescope and lighting system, for viewing a distal end of the instrument in an operating zone within a patient;
- and
- (c) support means for retaining the instrument and optical viewing means in use so as to present the distal end of the instrument for viewing in the operating zone within the patient and to present the control device externally of the patient for manipulation by the surgeon;
- characterized in that the lighting system is independent of the endoscope telescope and is of fixed location relative to the support means to illuminate a predetermined region of the operating zone relative to the support means;
- the instrument shaft is retained by the support means in an orientation generally parallel to, but offset from, the endoscope telescope;
- the endoscope telescope is movable in conjunction with the surgical instrument relative to the support means and lighting system;
- the handle is ergonomically configured as a generally elongate handle provided with opposed surface depressions arranged along the length of the handle, to accommodate at least a thumb tip and middle finger tip of the surgeon whereby the surgeon can grip fast the handle substantially directly between thumb and middle finger;
- the handle extends no more than about 5 cm beyond said surface depressions and the instrument is adapted to permit the surgeon to use the handle to rotate the instrument about the long axis of the shaft of the instrument while simultaneously rotating his/her hand around the handle in unrestricted movement with the palm of the hand passing around the end of the handle while maintaining the grip between thumb and middle finger;
- and the proximal control device is provided in general proximity to the handle, whereby the surgeon can operate the surgical instrument using his/her index finger or fourth finger without releasing the grip between thumb and middle finger.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.