EP0769281A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Surgical apparatus and method for marking tissue location
Assignee: United States Surgical Corp
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Filing: 1996-10-18
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2016-10-18
Abstract
Abstract A surgical apparatus for marking a location within tissue which includes (i) a needle including a housing and an elongated tube having a sharp distal end, (ii) an elongated cable configured and dimensioned to pass through a longitudinal passageway formed through the needle, (iii) an elongated tissue marker attached adjacent a distal end of the elongated cable such that the elongated marker is movable between a retracted orientation and a deployed orientation, and (iv) an actuator assembly operatively associated with the elongated marker, wherein movement of the actuator assembly from a first position to a second position moves the elongated marker from the retracted position to the deployed position. A method of marking a particular location in body tissue is also provided, which includes the steps of (i) inserting an apparatus into a section of body tissue, (ii) deploying an elongated marker having an elongated cable attached thereto from the apparatus into the tissue, (iii) retaining the elongated cable relative the distal end of the apparatus, and (iv) moving the elongated marker into an orientation substantially perpendicular to the elongated cable.
Inventors
- 👤 Lisa W. Heaton
- 👤 Mitchell J. Palmer
- 👤 Keith L. Milliman
- 👤 Jonathan E. Wilson
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 10:41
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B90/00; A61B90/39; A61B17/00; A61B17/34; A61B2017/348; A61B2017/3482; A61B2017/3484; A61B2090/3904; A61B2090/3908; A61B2090/3987
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim
113 words
A surgical apparatus for marking a particular location in body tissue, which comprises: a needle including a housing and an elongated tube having a sharp distal end, the housing and elongated tube forming an longitudinal passageway therethrough; an elongated cable configured and dimensioned to pass through the longitudinal passageway; an elongated tissue marker attached adjacent a distal end of the elongated cable such that the elongated marker is movable between a retracted orientation and a deployed orientation; and an actuator assembly operatively associated with the elongated marker, wherein movement of the actuator assembly from a first position to a second position moves the elongated marker from the retracted position to the deployed position.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
43 words
A surgical apparatus for marking a particular location in body tissue according to claim 1, wherein when the elongated marker is in the retracted position a longitudinal axis of the elongated marker is substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the elongated cable.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
43 words
A surgical apparatus for marking a particular location in body tissue according to claim 1, wherein when the elongated marker is in the deployed position a longitudinal axis of the elongated clip is substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the elongated cable.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
71 words
A surgical apparatus for marking a particular location in body tissue according to claim 1, wherein the elongated marker is collapsible from the retracted position, wherein the elongated marker forms a substantially uniform transverse dimension with an outer surface of the elongated needle tube to the deployed position wherein the elongated marker has a transverse dimension which is substantially greater than that of the outer surface of the elongated needle tube.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
41 words
A surgical apparatus for marking a particular location in body tissue according to claim 1, wherein the actuator assembly includes a first deployment actuator operatively connected to the housing and a second deployment actuator operatively associated with the first deployment actuator.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
34 words
A surgical apparatus for marking a particular location in body tissue according to claim 5, wherein the actuator assembly further includes an advancing tube disposed between the first deployment actuator and the elongated marker.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
27 words
A surgical apparatus for marking a particular location in body tissue according to claim 5, wherein the first deployment actuator is slidable with respect to the housing.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
53 words
A surgical apparatus for marking a particular location in body tissue according to claim 5, wherein distal movement of the first deployment actuator moves the elongated marker from the retracted position to a longitudinally deployed position a predetermined distance away from a distal end of the sharp distal end of the elongated tube.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
42 words
A surgical apparatus for marking a particular location in body tissue according to claim 5, wherein movement of the second deployment actuator from a first position to a second position rotates the elongated marker from a first orientation to a second orientation.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
103 words
A surgical apparatus for marking a particular location in body tissue, which comprises: a needle defining a longitudinal passageway therethrough; an elongated cable configured and dimensioned to pass through the longitudinal passageway; an elongated marker attached adjacent a distal end of the elongated cable such that the elongated marker is movable between a retracted orientation and a deployed orientation; and a stabilizer member which is moved from a first position relative to the elongated cable and the elongated marker, to a second position in operative association with the elongated cable and the elongated clip to maintain the elongated marker in the deployed orientation.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
65 words
A surgical apparatus for marking a particular location in body tissue according to claim 10, which further comprises a stop member disposed on the elongated cable at a point proximal of the elongated marker, wherein the stabilizer member is disposed between the elongated marker and the stop member such that the elongated cable is held in tension between the stop member and the elongated marker.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
30 words
A surgical apparatus for marking a particular location in body tissue according to claim 11, wherein the stop member is a ferrule which is attached to the elongated cable member.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
39 words
A surgical apparatus for marking a particular location in body tissue according to claim 10, which further comprises a clamp operatively associated with the elongated cable to selectively prevent longitudinal movement of the elongated cable relative to the needle.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
56 words
A surgical apparatus for marking a particular location in body tissue according to claim 13, wherein the clamp includes a screw movable from a first position which permits longitudinal movement of the elongated cable relative to the apparatus housing, to a second position which prevents longitudinal movement of the elongated cable relative to the apparatus housing.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
94 words
A surgical apparatus for marking a particular location in body tissue, which comprises: a housing defining a longitudinal passageway therethrough; an elongated cable configured and dimensioned to pass through the longitudinal passageway; a tissue marker operatively connected to a distal end of the elongated cable, such that movement of the elongated cable from a first position to a second position moves the marker from a retracted orientation to a deployed orientation; and a clamp operatively associated with the elongated cable to selectively prevent longitudinal movement of the elongated cable relative to the apparatus housing.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
24 words
A surgical apparatus for marking a particular location in body tissue, according to claim 15, wherein the clamp is connected to the apparatus housing.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
72 words
A surgical apparatus for marking a particular location in body tissue, according to claim 16, wherein the clamp includes a body portion defining a passageway therethrough to receive the elongated cable and a bias member movable from a released position, wherein the elongated cable is permitted to move longitudinally relative to the body portion and a clamped position, wherein the elongated cable is prevented from moving longitudinally relative to the body portion.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
32 words
A surgical apparatus for marking a particular location in body tissue, according to claim 17, wherein the bias member is a screw threadably positioned in a bore formed in the body portion.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
140 words
A surgical apparatus for marking a particular location in body tissue, which comprises: a needle assembly including a housing and an elongated tube having a sharp distal end, the housing and elongated tube forming an longitudinal passageway therethrough; a marker assembly including an elongated cable configured and dimensioned to pass through the longitudinal passageway and an elongated tissue marker attached adjacent a distal end of the elongated cable such that the elongated marker is movable between a retracted orientation and a deployed orientation, wherein the elongated cable is sufficiently rigid to maintain the elongated tissue marker in each of said retracted and deployed orientations; and an actuator assembly operatively associated with the elongated marker, wherein movement of the actuator assembly from a first position to a second position moves the elongated marker from the retracted position to the deployed position.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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