Forceps designed to facilitate insertion of a laminaria tent into the uterine cervix

Claim 2

A forceps for the insertion of a Laminaria tent into the uterine cervix comprising: a first member; a second member, said first and second members being pivotally connected together forming a scissors assembly, said first and second members being substantially of the same length, each said member having a fore end and an aft end, manual grasping means formed on the said aft end of said members, said fore end of said members including first means for clamping onto a Laminaria tent, said first means comprising: said fore end of said first member being recessed into a first recess assembly; said fore end of said second member being recessed into a second recess assembly, said first and second recess assemblies cooperating to clamp onto a Laminaria tent, the cross-sectional configuration of said first recess assembly being a mirror image of said second recess assembly, each said recess assembly including a plurality of side-by-side elongated grooves separated by elongated upstanding walls, the longitudinal dimensions of each said groove being substantially along the longitudinal dimension of its respective said first or second member, whereby the forceps may be universally used to clamp onto different diameters of Laminaria tents and thereby facilitate insertion of the Laminaria tent into the desired position within the uterine cervix; and each said recess assembly including a single enlarged elongated groove centered in accordance with the width dimension of its respective said fore end, each said recess assembly further including a single elongated side groove located on each side of said enlarged groove, said enlarged groove being of a larger size than said side grooves, said upstanding side walls of said enlarged elongated groove to be in physical contact with the smaller diametered Laminaria tent.

Claim 3

A forceps for the insertion of a Laminaria tent into the uterine cervix comprising: a first member; a second member, said first and second members being pivotally connected together forming a scissors assembly, said first and second members being substantially of the same length, each said member having a fore end and an aft end, manual grasping means formed on the said aft end of said members, said fore end of said members including first means for clamping onto a Laminaria tent, said first means comprising: said fore end of said first member being recessed into a first recess assembly; said fore end of said second member being recessed into a second recess assembly, said first and second recess assemblies cooperating to clamp onto a Laminaria tent, the cross-sectional configuration of said first recess assembly being a mirror image of said second recess assembly, each said recess assembly including a plurality of elongated grooves separated by elongated upstanding walls, whereby the forceps may be universally used to clamp onto different diameters of Laminaria tents and thereby facilitate insertion of the Laminaria tent into the desired position within the uterine cervix; each said recess assembly being longitudinally lineally tapered with respect to its respective said first and second members so that the portion of said cooperating recess assemblies nearest said aft end forms a larger opening than the outer end of said cooperating recess assemblies; and each of said recess assembly including a single enlarged elongated groove centered in accordance with the width dimension of its respective said fore end, each said recess assembly further including a single elongated side groove located on each side of said enlarged groove, said enlarged groove being of a larger size than said side grooves, said upstanding side walls of said enlarged elongated groove to be in physical contact with the smaller diameter Laminaria tent.

Claim 4

A forceps for the insertion of a Laminaria tent into the uterine cervix comprising: a first member; a second member, said first and second members being pivotally connected together forming a scissors assembly, said first and second members being substantially of the same length, each said member having a fore end and an aft end, manual grasping means formed on the said aft end of said members, said fore end of said members including first means for clamping onto a Laminaria tent, said first means comprising: said fore end of said first member being recessed into a first recess assembly; said fore end of said second member being recessed into a second recess assembly, said first and second recess assemblies cooperating to clamp onto a Laminaria tent, the cross-sectional configuration of said first recess assembly being a mirror image of said second recess assembly, each said recess assembly including a plurality of elongated grooves separated by elongated upstanding walls, whereby the forceps may be universally used to clamp onto different diameters of Laminaria tents and thereby facilitate insertion of the Laminaria tent into the desired position within the uterine cervix; each said recess assembly being longitudinally lineally tapered with respect to its respective said first and second members so that the portion of said cooperating recess assemblies nearest said aft end forms a larger opening than the outer end of said cooperating recess assemblies; and each of said recess assembly including a single enlarged elongated groove centered in accordance with the width dimension of its respective said fore end, each said recess assembly further including a single elongated side groove located on each side of said enlarged groove, said enlarged groove being of a larger size than said side grooves, said upstanding side walls of said enlarged elongated groove to be in physical contact with the smaller diameter Laminaria tent.