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EP0439263A1 Expired / Lapsed EP ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Instrumentation clamp

Assignee: Laserscope Inc
•
Filing: 1991-01-11
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2011-01-11
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Abstract

Abstract A clamp for clamping instrumentation uses a resilient tube (507) and a compression housing (600) operatively associated with the tube for providing a compressive force on the tube. The compressive force is distributed generally equally over the length of the tube so that instrumentation disposed through the tube is substantially secured within the housing with minimal deformation. The clamp is especially adaptable to fragile instrumentation, such as optical fibers, which typically are clamped for manipulation. In one embodiment, the clamp is permanently attached to one instrument, while clamping another instrument for simultaneous manipulation. In another embodiment, the instrumentation clamp can couple to one instrument temporarily, while clamping another instrument. This embodiment is designed to be self contained and readily adaptable for multiple uses.

Inventors

  • 👤 Alan L. Grantz
  • 👤 David A. Gollnick

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction EP
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-23 07:40
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B18/00; A61B18/18; A61B18/20; A61B18/22; A61B18/24; A61B17/00; A61B17/20; A61B17/22; A61B17/00234; A61B2017/00238; A61B2017/00261; A61B2017/0046; A61B2017/00469; A61B2018/2238

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 29
Claim 1
Independent Claim 48 words
A clamping device for clamping an instrument comprising: a resilient tube for grasping such an instrument; and means operatively associated with the resilient tube for providing that upon force being applied to the resilient tube, such an instrument is substantially secured without substantial deformation of such an instrument.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 36 words
A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the means operatively associated with the resilient tube comprises a clamp disposed around the resilient tube, the clamp being actuatable to selectively apply force to the resilient tube.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 24 words
A device as claimed in claim 2 wherein the means operatively associated with the resilient tube comprise a housing which encloses the resilient tube.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 56 words
A device as claimed in claim 3 wherein the clamp has a plurality of compression legs integrally connected to a clamp head at one end and being movable at an opposite end, wherein each leg has protrusion means for retaining the clamp in the housing, and wherein the plurality of compression legs surrounds the resilient tube.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 38 words
A device as claimed in claim 4 wherein the housing has receiving means for receiving the protrusion means when the clamp is inserted, the receiving means and the protrusion means cooperating to apply force to the resilient tube.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 37 words
A device as claimed in claim 5 wherein rotation of the housing with respect to the clamp in a first direction causes the cooperation between the receiving means and the protrusion means to secure such an instrument.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 39 words
A device as claimed in claim 5 wherein the rotation of the housing in a first direction causes the plurality of compression legs to move toward the resilient tube to compress the resilient tube to secure such an instrument.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 31 words
A device as claimed in claim 8 wherein receiving means comprises a retention slot and a curved recess on an inside radius of the housing for each of the compression legs.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 55 words
A device as claimed in claim 8 wherein the protrusion means comprises a substantially cylindrical boss and an engagement projection near the movable end of each of the compression legs, wherein the engagement projection and the cylindrical boss extend radially toward the housing, and wherein the engagement projection extends further than the cylindrical boss extends.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 44 words
A device as claimed in claim 9 wherein the curved recess receives both the cylindrical boss and the engagement projection while the clamp is being inserted into the housing, and the retention slot receives the engagement projection to retain the clamp in the housing.
Claim 11
Independent Claim 40 words
A device as claimed in any one of claims 6-10 wherein rotation of the housing with respect to the clamp in a second direction causes the cooperation between the receiving means and the protrusion means to release such an instrument.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 72 words
A clamping device for clamping an instrument comprising a first part permanently associated with an elongate tube for inserting such an instrument percutaneously, the first part having a first bore therethrough, and a second part for receiving such an instrument, the second part having a second bore therethrough, the second part being permanently affixed and adjacent to the first part, so that the first bore is generally aligned with the second bore.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 24 words
A device as claimed in claim 12 wherein the first part is made from a material which can be readily sterilized with minimal distortion.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 58 words
A clamping device as claimed in claim 12 wherein the second part comprises: a resilient tube for grasping such an instrument; a clamp surrounding the resilient tube for compressing the resilient tube; and a housing operatively associated with the clamp, the housing being rotatable with respect to the clamp to force the clamp to compress the resilient tube.
Claim 15
Independent Claim 31 words
A device as claimed in any one of claims 3-11 and 14 wherein the clamp and the housing are made from a material which can be readily sterilized with minimal distortion.
Claim 16
Independent Claim 20 words
A device as claimed in any preceding claim comprising an instrument, the instrument being an optical fiber or a stylet.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 64 words
An instrumentation clamping device comprising: a resilient tube having a central bore for holding a first instrument; a clamping portion having holding means for holding the resilient tube and having means for coupling to a second instrument; and a clamp housing operatively secured to the means for holding the resilient tube, the clamp housing selectively compressing the means for holding against the resilient tube.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 33 words
A device as claimed in claim 17 wherein the clamp housing is rotatable with respect to the clamping portion and rotation of the clamp housing in one direction selectively compresses the holding means.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 29 words
A device as claimed in claim 17 wherein the holding means is a plurality of compression legs having an inside radius for receiving a curvature of said resilient tube.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 26 words
A device as claimed in claim 19 wherein at least two of the compression legs have means for engaging the clamping portion with the clamp housing.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 53 words
A device as claimed in claim 20, wherein the clamp housing has a plurality of recesses in an interior surface thereof and a plurality of retention slots through clamp housing near a first end thereof, the recesses extending from a second end of the clamp housing and terminating adjacent a respective retention slot.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim 21 words
A device as claimed in claim 21 wherein the means for engaging are received in the recesses and the retention slots.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim 66 words
A device as claimed in claim 22 wherein the means for engaging comprises a first plurality of projections located on an end of the at least two compression legs, and a second plurality of projections located adjacent to the first plurality of projections, the first plurality of projections projecting further out from the compression legs away from the resilient tube than the second plurality of projections.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim 27 words
A device as claimed in claim 23 wherein the projections of the first plurality of projections are received through the slots of the plurality of retention slots.
Claim 25
Independent Claim 20 words
A device as claimed in any one of claims 17-24 wherein the means for coupling is a threaded locking mechanism.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim 35 words
A device as claimed in claim 25 wherein the threaded locking mechanism is a luer lock, and such a second instrument has one luer fitting and the instrumentation clamp device has the complementary luer fitting.
Claim 27
Independent Claim 29 words
A device as claimed in any one of claims 17-24 wherein the means for coupling provides a temporary connection between the instrumentation clamp device and such a second instrument.
Claim 28
Independent Claim 21 words
A device as claimed in any one of claims 17-27 comprising a first instrument, the first instrument being an optical fiber.
Claim 29
Independent Claim 23 words
A device as claimed in any one of claims 1-11 & 14-28 wherein the resilient tube is of silicone rubber or other elastomer.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

EP0069389A1 Cited
DE3603345A1 Cited
US4787884A Cited

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