Bendable, reusable medical instruments with improved fatigue life
AssigneeGeneral Surgical Innovations, Inc.
InventorJames E. Jervis
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A needle device which is manufactured from shape memory or pseudo-elastic materials, such as Nickel Titanium alloys, is provided which may be formed and used repeatedly without adverse effects, such as permanent deformation or fatigue failure. The device in accordance with the present disclosure may be provided having an initial shape which a doctor may bend to a desired shape. The device may be easily returned to its initial shape after use by heating the device above a predetermined sterilization temperature. This cycle may be repeated during subsequent uses, substantially extending the life of the instrument, due to the reduced work hardening and enhanced fatigue properties of the Nickel Titanium device.
Claims24
A needle device comprising:
- a shaft;
- and
- a needle extending from one end of the shaft and defining an irrigation lumen and a vacuum lumen, the irrigation lumen being adapted to communicate with a source of irrigation fluid and the vacuum lumen being adapted to communicate with a source of vacuum;
- wherein at least a portion of the needle defining the irrigation lumen and the vacuum lumen is formed of a shape memory alloy which is in a martensitic phase at temperatures below about 37° C. and reverts to an austenitic phase at temperatures greater than a predetermined higher sterilization temperature, the needle being capable of retaining a desired bent shape during use after the needle is manually bent in the martensitic phase and reverting to an initial shape when heated to the austenitic phase after use.
A coaxial needle device adapted to be inserted through an incision in a patient's eye comprising:
- a shaft defining a handle;
- and
- a needle extending from one end of the shaft, the needle defining an irrigation lumen adapted to communicate with a source of irrigation fluid, and a vacuum lumen adapted to be connected to a source of vacuum, the vacuum lumen being positioned within and being concentric with the irrigation lumen;
- wherein at least a portion of the needle defining the irrigation lumen and the vacuum lumen is formed of a nickel titanium alloy which is in a martensitic phase at temperatures below about 37° and reverts to an austenitic phase at temperatures greater than a predetermined higher sterilization temperature, the needle being capable of retaining a desired bent shape during use after the needle is manually bent in the martensitic phase and reverting to an initial shape when heated to the austenitic phase after use.
A needle device comprising:
- a shaft;
- and
- a needle extending from one end of the shaft and defining an irrigation lumen and a vacuum lumen, the irrigation lumen being adapted to communicate with a source of irrigation fluid and the vacuum lumen being adapted to communicate with a source of vacuum;
- wherein the needle is manually bendable from an initial configuration to at least one subsequent configuration, at least a portion of the needle defining the irrigation lumen and the vacuum lumen being at least partially formed from an elastic material maintaining the at least one subsequent configuration during use of the needle and reverting to the initial configuration upon achieving a predetermined temperature after use of the needle, the elastic material being resistant to work hardening to facilitate repeated repositioning of the needle between the initial configuration and the at least one subsequent configuration.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.