Locking insufflation needle

Claim 2

A safety pneumoneedle according to claim 1 further including release means (50) for releasing the latching means when the cannula (20) and protector (31) are locked in the protecting position to afford relative movement between the cannula (20) and protector (31).

Claim 3

A safety pneumoneedle according to claims 1 or 2 wherein the latching means comprises a locking pawl spring (42) that locks the cannula (20) and protector (31) in the protecting position after the cannula (20) has pierced the tissue of a patient; wherein the pneumoneedle comprises biasing means (60) for biasing the protector (31) toward the protecting position, and wherein the protector (31) is adapted to deflect toward the retracted position against the bias of the biasing means (60) due to the resistance of the tissue.

Claim 4

A safety pneumoneedle according to claims 2 or 3 wherein the release means (50) comprises a button member (51) that is movable relative to the housing (12).

Claim 5

A safety pneumoneedle according to any one of claims 1 or 2 further comprising biasing means (60) for biasing the protector (31) toward the protecting position, and wherein the protector (31) is adapted to deflect toward the retracted position against the bias of the biasing means (60) due to the resistance of the tissue.

Claim 6

A safety pneumoneedle according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the cannula (20) comprises a non-removable cannula that is sealingly and fixedly attached to a rear end (15) of the housing (14).

Claim 7

A safety pneumoneedle according to any one of the preceding claims wherein: the housing (14) has a longitudinal axis (A), and a fluid conduit (8) in fluid communication with the fluid passageway portion (18), wherein the fluid conduit (8) has an axis (A') disposed at an angle relative to the longitudinal axis (A) of the housing (14), and wherein the pneumoneedle (10) further includes a stopcock valve (70) in fluid communication with the fluid conduit (8).

Claim 8

A safety pneumoneedle according to claim 3 wherein the protector comprises proximal (35) and distal (36) fluid apertures extending between inner and outer surfaces of the protector (31), a carrier (37) fixedly attached to the proximal end of the protector (31) and disposed within the housing (12), said carrier (37) including a latching member (39) having a first abutment end surface (40) and a camming surface (41), the locking pawl spring (42) having a distal end (43), wherein the locking pawl spring (42) is mounted for movement between a locking position with the distal end (43) of the pawl spring (42) engaged with the first abutment end surface (40) of the carrier (37) to prevent axial movement of the protector (31) relative to the cannula (20) and to lock the protector (31) in the protecting position, and a release position with the distal end (43) of the locking pawl spring (42) spaced from the first abutment end surface (40) of the carrier (37) to afford relative axial movement between the protector (31) and the cannula (20) to afforce piercing of tissue by the sharp end (22) of the cannula (20).

Claim 9

A safety pneumoneedle according to claim 8 wherein the locking pawl spring (42) is biased toward the locking position.

Claim 10

A safety pneumoneedle according to claim 8 further including release means (50) for releasing the latching means when the cannula (20) and protector (31) are locked in the protecting position to afford relative movement between the cannula (20) and protector (31), wherein the release means comprises a release button (51) having a lock release camming surface (52) and a lock release shoulder surface (53), wherein the lock release shoulder surface (53) retains the locking pawl spring (42) in the release position until the cannula (20) pierces tissue.

Claim 11

A safety pneumoneedle according to claim 10 wherein the reset button (51) has an exposed end and is mounted for movement between a latched position with the exposed end spaced from the housing (12) and a reset position with the exposed end spaced closer to the housing (12) than in the latched position, where when said reset button (51) is in said latched position and said protector is in said protecting position, manual movement of said reset button (51) toward said reset position will cause said lock release camming surface (52) of said reset button (51) to move said locking pawl spring (42) from said locking position toward said release position and will then allow said locking pawl spring (42) to engage said lock release shoulder surface (53) to afford movement of the protector relative to the cannula, and then when said protector (31) is pressed against tissue, the resistance of the tissue will cause said protector (31) to move axially toward said retracted position to afford piercing of tissue, and will cause said camming surfaces (41) on said carrier (37) to move said locking pawl spring (42) away from engagement with said lock release shoulder surface (53) to thereby afford movement of said locking pawl spring (42) from said release position toward said locking position when said biasing means causes said protector (31) to move to said protecting position after resistance from the tissue is released upon movement of the cannula into an abdominal cavity of a patient.

Claim 12

A safety pneumoneedle according to claim 11 wherein said carrier (37) comprises a carriage portion, a sealing flange (38) and said latching member (39); said sealing flange (38) has a surface opposite a sealing surface (9) of the housing (12), said latching member (39) comprises a pair of spaced guide members defining a groove therebetween; and said reset button (51) comprises a body portion having an inner end opposite said exposed end, a pair of slots (56) for receiving said guide members, and a reinforcing rib (57) adapted to be received in the groove between said guide members.

Claim 13

A safety pneumoneedle according to claim 12 wherein said body portion of said reset button (51) has a notch surface generally adjacent said inner end and an opposite shoulder surface axially spaced from said notch surface and disposed closer to said inner end than said lock release shoulder surface, said biasing means comprises a coil spring situated about said housing axis and having first and second ends with the first end fixed to said notch surface of said reset button (51) and with said second end fixed to said surface of said sealing flange of said carrier opposite its sealing flange surface, wherein after said camming surface of said protector assembly moves said locking pawl spring from engagement with lock release shoulder surface, but before said locking pawl spring engages said first abutment end surface of said protector assembly, said distal end of said locking pawl spring engages said opposite shoulder surface of said reset button until said protector assembly moves to said protecting position.

Claim 14

A safety pneumoneedle through which the abdomen can be inflated with fluid such as insufflating gas, said pneumoneedle comprising: a housing (12) having front and rear ends, exterior surfaces adapted to be manually grasped, inner surfaces defining an elongate cavity having a fluid passageway portion, a non-removable cannula (20) having a proximal end sealingly and fixedly attached to said housing, and a sharpened distal end (22) adapted to pierce tissue; a protector assembly (30) having a closed blunt distal end (32), a first abutment end surface, and including a camming surface; said protector assembly (30) being movable relative to said cannula between a protecting position with the blunt distal end of the protector assembly extending beyond the sharp distal end of the cannula to restrict engagement between tissue and said sharp distal end of the cannula, and a retracted position with portions of said sharp distal end of said cannula extending beyond said blunt distal end of said protector assembly to afford puncture of tissue; and latching and release means for positively locking said protector assembly in said protecting position and for releasing the protector assembly after it has been locked in the protecting position.

Claim 15

A pneumoneedle according to claim 14 wherein said latching and release means comprise a locking pawl spring (42) fixedly attached at a proximal end to said housing (12) and having a distal end, said locking pawl spring being mounted for movement between a locking position with the distal end of the pawl spring engaged with the first abutment end surface of the protector assembly to prevent axial movement of the protector assembly (30) relative to said cannula (20) and to lock the protector assembly in the protecting position, and a release position with the distal end of the locking pawl spring spaced from the first abutment end surface of the protector assembly (30) to afford relative axial movement between the protector assembly and the cannula to afford piercing of tissue by the sharp end of the cannula, said locking pawl spring being biased toward said locking position; a reset button member (50) having an exposed end adapted to be manually pressed, a lock release camming surface, and a lock release shoulder surface, portions of said reset button being axially slidable within said cavity for movement between a latched position with the exposed end of the reset button spaced from the front end of the housing and a reset position with the exposed end of the reset button closer to the front end of the housing than in the latched position; biasing means (60) for biasing said protector assembly toward said protecting position and for biasing said reset button toward said latched position; and wherein when said reset button is in said latched position and said protector assembly is in said protecting position, manual movement of said reset button toward said reset position will cause said lock release camming surface of said reset button to move said locking pawl spring from said locking position toward said release position and will then allow said locking pawl spring to engage said lock release shoulder surface to afford movement of the protector assembly relative to the cannula, and then when said blunt end (32) of said protector assembly (30) is pressed against tissue, the resistance of the tissue will cause said protector assembly (30) to move axially toward said retracted position to afford the piercing of tissue by said sharpened end of said cannula, and will cause said camming surfaces on said protector assembly to move said locking pawl spring away from engagement with said lock release shoulder surface to thereby afford movement of said locking pawl spring from said release position toward said locking position when said biasing means causes said protector assembly to move to said protecting position after resistance from the tissue is released upon movement of the cannula into the abdominal cavity.

Claim 16

A pneumoneedle according to claim 14 wherein said cavity includes a fluid conduit (8) disposed at an angle relative to the longitudinal axis (A) of said housing (12).

Claim 17

A pneumoneedle according to claim 16 wherein said protector assembly (30) comprises a carrier (37) including a carriage portion, a sealing flange and a pair of latching members; said sealing flange has a sealing surface; said latching members comprise a pair of spaced guide members defining a groove therebetween; and said reset button comprises a body portion having an inner end opposite said exposed end, a pair of slots (56) for receiving said guide members, and a reinforcing rib (57) adapted to be received in the groove between said guide members.

Claim 18

A safety pneumoneedle according to claim 17 wherein said body portion of said reset button has a notch surface generally adjacent said inner end and an opposite shoulder surface axially spaced from said notch surface and disposed closer to said inner end than said lock release shoulder surface, said biasing means (60) comprises a coil spring having first and second ends with the first end fixed to said notch surface of said reset button and with said second end fixed to said sealing flange, wherein after said camming surface of said protector assembly (30) moves said locking pawl spring (60) from engagement with said lock release shoulder surface, but before said locking pawl spring engages said first abutment end surface of said protector assembly, said distal end of said locking pawl spring engages said opposite shoulder surface of said reset button until said protector assembly (30) moves to said protecting position.