Uterine clamp

A uterine clamp for stemming or stopping bleeding of a hemorrhagic uterus, comprising:

• a pair of rigid shells each comprising a proximal concavely hemi-cupped base and a horizontal interiorly concave distal portion extending from said base along a length of the shell from the base to an extremity, the distal portions of the shells having lateral margins and being shaped and sized to circumferentially fit around the anterior and posterior of a uterus on placement of the shells in mirrored spaced opposition to one another immediately in front of and behind the broad ligament supporting the uterus, said shells each having a releasable interlock comprising at least one latch only on said proximal base of one shell and at least one latch catch only in said proximal base of the other shell for releasably interlocking the opposed shells in front of and behind the broad ligament against the uterus, each said proximal base comprising a body sufficient relative to the distal portion of the shell to provide a platform rigidly cantilevering said distal portion when the proximal bases of the shells are interlocked, and
• a pair of inflatable bladders each shaped for nesting in the shells, each bladder having an inflation conduit accessible exteriorly of the shells, for inflation of the bladders to compress the uterus anteriorly and posteriorly between said cantilevered distal portions,
• each shell and bladder having lateral recesses vertical relative to the horizontal length of said distal portion of the shell and adjacent only the base such that when the two shells and the bladders nesting in the shells are placed in mirrored spaced opposition to one another immediately in front and behind the broad ligament adjacent the uterus, the recesses form unclosed lateral surrounds around the uterine horns and anatomy included therein.

A uterine clamp for stemming or stopping bleeding of a hemorrhagic uterus, comprising:

• a pair of rigid shells comprising a proximal concavely hemi-cupped base and a horizontal interiorly concave distal portion extending along a length of the shell from the base to an extremity, each said distal portion being cantilevered from each said proximal base, the bases having a body sufficient relative to the distal portions to rigidly cantilever the distal portions, the distal portions of the shells being sized to fit the anterior and posterior of a uterus on placement of the shells in mirrored spaced opposition to one another in front of and behind the broad ligament supporting the uterus,
• a pair of inflatable bladders shaped for nesting in the shells, each bladder having an inflation conduit accessible exteriorly of the shells,
• each shell and bladder having lateral recesses adjacent the base such that when the two shells and the bladders nesting in the shells are placed in mirrored spaced opposition to one another in front and behind the broad ligament adjacent the uterus, the recesses form unclosed lateral surrounds around the uterine horns and anatomy included therein, and
• a releasable interlock for releasably interlocking the opposed shells in front of and behind the broad ligament anteriorly and posteriorly against the uterus for inflation of the bladders to compress the uterus anteriorly and posteriorly between said cantilevered distal portions, said interlock comprising a mating male latch in the base of one shell and a mating female latch catch in the base of the other, said female latch catch being shell spring biased to a latched state, said male latch comprising a plurality of shanks vertically projecting from the base of one shell and terminating in heads having a chin and including a ramp having a surface sloping from a crown top to a chin base, and said female latch catch comprising one or more vertical hollows in the base of the other shell, said hollow(s) being aligned and sized to receive said heads of said shanks, and a horizontally translatable slide having an edge in contact with a horizontally deformable spring, said slide translating in the direction of the length of the shell transversely to said hollow(s) on deformation or on elastic return of the spring, said slide being shaped to admit the male heads and shanks into the hollow(s) when the slide is in an unlatching position and to capture the heads when the slide is translated to a latching position, said ramp surfaces adapted to contact an edge of the slide opposite said edge of the slide in contact with the spring to push the slide against the spring, allowing the heads to ramp past the slide into the hollow(s), such that when the ramp passes below the slide, the spring translates the slide in a direction opposite the direction in which said distal portions extend, capturing the shanks and interlocking the shells, said female latch catch further comprising a slide cover covering said slide, said slide cover having holes aligned and shaped to pass said heads, a plurality of fasteners fastening said slide cover to the latch catch base wherein the fasteners are posts retaining the latch slide within said latch catch base.