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EP0003668A2 Expired / Lapsed EP ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Improved microsurgical instruments

Assignee: University of Melbourne
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Filing: 1979-02-05
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Granted: —
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Expires: 1999-02-05
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Abstract

Abstract Microsurgical instruments having a handle (10) adapted to be grasped by a surgeon and operating means (16) on the handle and an instrument body (20) extending outwardly from the handle and having on its outer end the operative portion (31, 33) of the instrument which may be, for example, scissors or forceps, the arrangement being such that the instrument body can be freely rotated about the axis of the handle to align the instrument in the required position and which body is located frictionally in position when the operating means is actuated.

Inventors

  • 👤 Geoffrey Sutherland

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction EP
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-22 19:26
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B17/00; A61B17/32; A61B17/3201; A61B17/320016; A61F; A61F9/00; A61F9/007; A61B17/28; A61B17/29; A61B17/2909; A61B17/30; A61B2017/2912; A61B2017/2919; A61B2017/292; A61B2017/2926; A61B2017/2932; A61B2017/2944; A61F9/00736; A61F9/00754

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim 130 words
I. A finger operated microsurgical instrument having a handle member (10) adapted to be held in a surgeon's hand, a member (15) pivotally connected to the handle member and having a rearwardly directed arm (16) which normally lies at an angle to the handle member and is adapted to be operated by a surgeon, another part (17) of which member extends through a slot (18) in the handle member and contacts a plunger (19) which, on depression of the rearwardly directed arm, moves forwardly and contacts an operable portion (41) of the instrument connected to the handle, which portion is rotatable about the axis of the handle and, wherein, on operation of the rearwardly directed arm, frictional contact retains the - instrument in a fixed angular relationship with the handle.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 136 words
A microsurgical instrument as claimed in claim I comprising a pair of microsurgical scissors, one blade (31) of which is formed by or is associated with the outer end of a tubular member (30) and the other blade (33) of which is formed by or is associated with the outer end of a rod (32) within a tubular member, an hel ical member (36') connected, either directly or indirectly, to the inner end of the rod, the helical member passing through a slot formed in a member (39) within the instrument body (20) which body itself is connected to the handle (10), which slotted member (39) is movable within the instrument body on contact by the plunger (19) and on movement causes rotation of the helical (36') member and thus relative rotation of the blades (31,33).
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 57 words
A microsurgical instrument as claimed in claim 2 wherein the helical member (36') has a compression spring (40) located thereabout so that when pressure on the member (15) pivotally connected to the handle member is released the member (39) within the instrument body is returned to its initial condition thus causing an opposite rotation of the blades.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 100 words
A microsurgical instrument as claimed in claim 2 wherein the hel ical member (36') has, at its forward end a slug (34) having a bore into which the rod (32) can pass, a tapped aperture in the slug and passing through the bore and a grub screw (35) in the tapped aperture and passing through a slot (36) in the instrument body, the grub screw (35) being adapted to lock the rod (32) so that the blades (31,33) are in contact and also to ensure that rotation of the rod (32) with respect to the tubular member (30) is axial.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 22 words
A microsurgical instrument as claimed in claim 2 wherein the member (15) pivotally connected to the handle is a bell crank member.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 129 words
A microsurgical instrument as claimed in claim I wherein the instrument comprises forceps (56,58) which are at an angle to the axis of the handle (10), the instrument having an outer tubular member (55) which is formed at its outer end to provide one jaw (56) of the forceps and which has an inner rod (57) which is formed at its outer end to provide the other jaw (58) of the forceps, the arrangement being such that on depression of the rearwardly directed arm (16) the inner member (57) is moved outwardly relative to the tubular member (55) and thus open the forceps and there can be provided means (63) whereby when the arm is released the inner member is driven towards the outer member and the forceps close.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 43 words
A microsurgical instrument as claimed in claim 6 wherein the inner rod (57) is held by a chuck (59) located in a longitudinally moveable member (60) located in the body portion of the instrument and which co-operates therewith to close the chuck (69).
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 43 words
A microsurgical instrument as claimed in claim 7.wherein the chuck (59) is closed by a screw (64) in a threaded bore (65) of the longitudinally moveable member, in which bore (65) the chuck (59) is located acts against the rear of the chuck.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 25 words
A microsurgical instrument as claimed in claim 8 wherein bias means (63) are provided to locate the inner member at one end of its travel.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 110 words
A microsurgical instrument as claimed in claim I wherein the instrument comprises forceps (70) which comprise an inner member (71) within a tubular member (72) which is associated with the instrument body and which can be connected to the handle member, the inner member (71) being split and formed at its outer end so that it can move, on operation of the rearwardly directed, arm, from a position within the outer member to provide a pair of open jaws which close as they are retracted into the outer member on release of the rearwardly directed arm, these jaws may be formed either with a flat end or with sharp points.

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