A tool for laparoscopic surgery

Claim 2

An electrocautery tool comprising: a) a metallic tube member having a longitudinal axis; b) a hook member in electrical communication with said metallic tube at the distal end of said tube; c) a conductive metal bushing member in electrical communication with said tube member at said tube member's proximate end and adapted for receiving an electrical power source; d) an insulative material axially surrounding said tube member and siad metal bushing member; and e) an insulating bushing member having a receptacle therein located at the proximate end of said tube and adapted for receiving said metal bushing.

Claim 3

A combined laser and hook electrocautery tool, comprising: a) an insulated housing having a side port for the passage of a laser fiber optic bundle; b) an insulated metal tube having a distal and proximate end and a longitudinal axis and an internal passageway extending axially therethrough; c) a hook extending axially from said distal end of said insulated tube and in electrical communication with said metal tube; d) said housing further comprising an inlet port for the passage of irrigating fluid and an outlet port for the passage of evacuated fluid from a body cavity and where said fiber optic bundle extends beyond said proximate end of said insulated tube, said housing having a receptacle therein adapted for receipt of an external electrical power source for electrical communication with said metal tube, said inlet and outlet ports communicating with said internal passageway of said metal tube.

Claim 4

A combined laser and hook electrocautery tool, comprising: a) an insulated housing having a side port for the passage of a laser fiber optic bundle; b) an insulated metal tube having a distal and proximate end and a longitudinal axis and an internal passageway extending axially therethrough; c) a hook extending axially from said distal end of said insulated tube and in electrical communication with said metal tube; d) said housing further comprising an inlet port for the passage of irrigating fluid and an outlet port for the passage of evacuated fluid from a body cavity and where said fiber optic bundle extends beyond said proximate end of said insulated tube, said housing having a receptacle therein adapted for receipt of an external electrical power source for electrical communication with said metal tube, said inlet and outlet ports communicating with said internal passageway of said metal tube.

Claim 5

In combination: a) A handpiece having an inlet port and an outlet port and an inlet vacuum port and outlet vacuum port where said handpiece has an internal fluid conduit connecting said fluid ports and an internal vacuum conduit connecting said vacuum ports to permit the passage of irrigating fluid through said internal fluid conduit and to permit the passage of evacuated fluid through said internal vacuum conduit, said handpiece further comprising a valve means responsive to external force in a normally closed position to preclude the flow of irrigating or evacuating fluid for selectively permitting the passage of irrigating fluid through said internal fluid conduit or permitting the passage of evacuted fluid through said internal vacuum conduit; b) a shaft member having a distal end and a proximate end and a longitudinal axis removeably mounted to said handpiece where said shaft member has an axially extending channel therethrough which communicates with said outlet fluid port of said handpiece and said inlet vacuum port of said handpiece adjacent said proximate end, said channel having an opening at or adjacent said distal end of said shaft member to permit the passage of irrigating fluid into the operative region of a body cavity or to permit the passage of evacuted fluid and particulate matter from said body cavity into said channel.

Claim 6

In combination: a) A handpiece having an inlet port and an outlet port and an inlet vacuum port and outlet vacuum port where said handpiece has an internal fluid conduit connecting said fluid ports and an internal vacuum conduit connecting said vacuum ports to permit the passage of irrigating fluid through said internal fluid conduit and to permit the passage of evacuated fluid through said internal vacuum conduit, said handpiece further comprising a valve means responsive to external force in a normally closed position to preclude the flow of irrigating or evacuating fluid for selectively permitting the passage of irrigating fluid through said internal fluid conduit or permitting the passage of evacuted fluid through said internal vacuum conduit; b) a shaft member having a distal end and a proximate end and a longitudinal axis removeably mounted to said handpiece where said shaft member has an axially extending channel therethrough which communicates with said outlet fluid port of said handpiece and said inlet vacuum port of said handpiece adjacent said proximate end, said channel having an opening at or adjacent said distal end of said shaft member to permit the passage of irrigating fluid into the operative region of a body cavity or to permit the passage of evacuted fluid and particulate matter from said body cavity into said channel.

Claim 7

The combination according to Claim 3 where said shaft member has a conduit extending axially therethrough said conduit being in fixed space relationship to said channel and substantially parallel thereto.

Claim 8

The combination according to Claim 4 further comprising in combination an electrocautery member captively held in said conduit and having an electrocautery hook extending axially from said electrocautery member adjacent or near the distal end of said shaft member.

Claim 9

The combination according to Claim 5 where said valve means comprises a pair of push valves and a bias means bearing against said push valves for biasing said push valves in a normally closed position where said bias means is responsive to external forces for respectively opening said valves.

Claim 10

The combination according to Claim 6 where said push valves have an annular groove located on the periphery of said valves such that upon alignment of said annular groove respectively with said outlet fluid port or said inlet vacuum port said irrigating fluid or said evacuated fluid is permitted to flow through said internal fluid conduit or said internal vacuum conduit.

Claim 11

The combination according to Claim 4 where said shaft member is an electrocautery having an electrocautery hook extending axially from said distal end.

Claim 12

The combination according to Claim 8 where said valve means comprises a pair of push valves and a bais means bearing against said push valves for biasing said push valves in a normally closed position where said bias means is responsive to external forces for respectively opening said valves.

Claim 13

The combination according to Claim 9 where said push valves have an annular groove located on the periphery of said valves such that upon alignment of said annular groove respectively with said outlet fluid port or said inlet vacuum port said irrigating fluid or said evacuted fluid is permitted to flow through said internal fluid conduit or said internal vacuum conduit.

Claim 14

The combination according to Claim 8 where said shaft member has a side port adjacent said proximate end communicating with said conduit.

Claim 15

The combination according to Claim 11 further comprising in combination a laser fiberoptic bundle extending through said side port and captively held in said conduit.

Claim 16

The combination according to Claim 12 where said valve means comprises a pair of push valves and a bias means bearing against said push valves for biasing said push valves in a normally closed position where said bias means is responsive to external forces for respectively opening said valves.

Claim 17

The combination according to Claim 13 where said push valves have an annular groove located on the periphery of said valves such that upon alignment with said annular groove respectively with said outlet fluid port or said inlet vacuum port said irrigating fluid or said evacuted fluid is permitted to flow through said internal fluid conduit or said internal vacuum conduit.

Claim 18

An instrument for laparoscopic evacuation and collection of particulate matter from a body cavity, comprising: a) a housing having a outlet port for the passage of evacuated fluid and a first conduit communicating with said outlet port, said housing further having an inlet port for the passage of irrigating fluid and a second conduit communicating with said inlet port; b) a third conduit carried by said housing having a longitudinal axis and a proximate end and an distal end where said third conduit communicates with said first and second conduits and said distal end has an opening therein to permit the passage of irrigating fluid into said body cavity or to permit the passage of said evacuated fluid or said particulate matter suctioned from said body cavity into said third conduit; c) valve means carried by said housing responsive to external force in a normally closed position to preclude the flow of irrigating or evacuated fluid for selectively permitting the passage of irrigating fluid through said third conduit or for selectively permitting the passage of evacuated fluid or said particulate matter through said opening into said third conduit,

Claim 19

An instrument for laparoscopic evacuation and collection of particulate matter from a body cavity, comprising: a) a housing having a outlet port for the passage of evacuated fluid and a first conduit communicating with said outlet port, said housing further having an inlet port for the passage of irrigating fluid and a second conduit communicating with said inlet port; b) a third conduit carried by said housing having a longitudinal axis and a proximate end and an distal end where said third conduit communicates with said first and second conduits and said distal end has an opening therein to permit the passage of irrigating fluid into said body cavity or to permit the passage of said evacuated fluid or said particulate matter suctioned from said body cavity into said third conduit; c) valve means carried by said housing responsive to external force in a normally closed position to preclude the flow of irrigating or evacuated fluid for selectively permitting the passage of irrigating fluid through said third conduit or for selectively permitting the passage of evacuated fluid or said particulate matter through said opening into said third conduit,

Claim 20

The instrument recited in Claim 15 wherein said third conduit has a collection chamber for collecting particulate matter at said distal end and an axially extending inner conduit communicating with said collection chamber where said collecting chamber has a greater cross-sectional area than said inner conduit.

Claim 21

The instrument recited in Claim 16 wherein a lip member extends radially at said distal end of said third conduit forming a terminus of said collection chamber and an axial boundry of said opening.

Claim 22

The instrument recited in Claim 15 wherein said valve means comprises a pair of push valves and a bias means bearing against said push valves for biasing said push valves in a normally closed position where said bias means is responsive to external forces for respectively opening said valves.

Claim 23

The instrument recited in Claim 18 wherein said push valves have an annular groove located on the periphery of said valves such that upon alignment of said annular groove respectively with said outlet port or said inlet port said irrigating fluid or said evacuated fluid is permitted to flow through said first conduit or said second conduit.

Claim 24

The instrument recited in Claim 15 wherein said third conduit comprises an inner axially extending conduit and an outer axially extending conduit where said inner conduit has a proximate end and a distal end where said distal end has an orifice to permit passage of said evacuated fluid or said irrigating fluid therethrough and said outer conduit contains said distal end of said third conduit where said outer conduit surrounds said inner conduit at said distal end of said inner conduit so as to form a collection region intermediate said distal end of said third conduit and said distal end of said inner conduit where said outer conduit is slideably and telescopically mounted to said inner conduit to permit relative axial movement therewith such that the volume of said collection region may be varied.

Claim 25

The instrument recited in Claim 20 wherein a lip member extends radially at said distal end of said third conduit forming a terminus of said collection chamber and an axial boundry of said opening.

Claim 26

The instrument recited in Claim 21 wherein said valve means comprises a pair of push valves and a bias means bearing against said push valves for biasing said push valves in a normally closed position where said bias means is responsive to external forces for respectively opening said valves.

Claim 27

The instrument recited in Claim 22 wherein said push valves have annular groove located on the pheriphery of said valves such that upon alignment of said annular groove respectively with said outlet port or said inlet port said irrigating fluid or said evacuated fluid is permitted to flow through said first conduit or said second conduit.

Claim 28

The combination according to Claim 3 where a lip member extends radially at said distal end of said shaft member forming terminus of said channel and an axial boundry of said opening.

Claim 29

The combination according to Claim 24 where said shaft member has a collection chamber for collecting particulate matter at said distal end, said collection chamber communicating with said channel where said collection chamber has a greater cross-sectional area then said channel.

Claim 30

The combination according to Claim 3 where said valve means comprises a pair of push valves and a bias means bearing against said push valve for biasing said push valves in a normally closed position where said bias means is responsive to external forces for respectively opening said valves.

Claim 31

The combination according to Claim 26 where said push valves have an annular groove located on the periphery of said valves such that upon alignment of said annular groove respectively with said outlet fluid port or said inlet vacuum port said irrigating fluid or said evacuted fluid is permitted to flow through said internal fluid conduit or said internal vacuum conduit.

Claim 32

The combination according to Claim 4 where said valve means comprises a pair of push valves and a bias means bearing against said push valves for biasing said push valves in a normally closed position where said bias means is responsive to external forces for respectively opening said valves.

Claim 33

The combination according to Claim 28 where said push valves have an annular groove located on the pheriphery of said valve such that upon alignment of said annular groove respectively with said outlet fluid port or said inlet vacuum port said irrigating fluid or said evacuted fluid is permitted to flow through said internal fluid conduit or said internal vacuum conduit.