US5215526A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Safety trocar
Assignee: Ethicon Inc
•
Filing: 1991-05-15
•
Granted: 1993-06-01
•
Expires: 2011-05-15
Abstract
Abstract A safety trocar is provided which includes a spring-loaded shield that shields the cutting tip of the obturator after the obturator penetrates tissue. The distal end of the shield is hemispheric in profile and contains a slot which conforms to the geometry of the cutting tip. The rounded distal end enables the shield to spring forward to shield the cutting tip as soon as the tip perforates the tissue. A valve is located at the proximal end of the trocar tube to seal the end of the tube. The valve is oriented at an acute angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the trocar tube. The valve is controllable by an external lever which will hold the valve open or permit it to spring shut. An incremental advancement mechanism cooperates with the obturator to permit only incremental advance of the obturator. Instead of using a discrete shield component the shielding function may be provided by spring-loading the trocar tube itself to spring forward and shield the obturator tip after the tip penetrates tissue.
Inventors
- 👤 Jose C. Deniega
- 👤 Stephen J. Failla
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 18:56
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B17/00; A61B17/34; A61B17/3494; A61B17/3496; A61B90/00; A61B90/08; A61B2090/0801; A61B2090/08021
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim
208 words
A trocar including: (i) trocar tube having a proximal end and a distal end into which may be placed an obturator inserted into a safety shield, (ii) an obturator having a cylindrical shaft attached to a perforating tip and extendable through said tube to perforate tissue at the distal end of the tube, said perforating tip having three cutting edges separated by three substantially flat surfaces, each of said substantially flat surfaces forming a face comprising a pair of diverging sides, each of said diverging sides intersecting at a cutting edge, and each of said flat surfaces intersecting along said cylindrical shaft in a smooth transition, and (iii) a safety shield placed around said obturator and extendable to shield the tip of said obturator, both of said safety shield and said obturator emplaceable in said trocar tube, said shield exhibiting a rounded distal end with a slot for passage of said obturator tip therethrough, said slot bounded by three distally extending lobes formed on the distal end of said shield, the proximal end of said lobes opposing one another alongside each of the cutting edges of said perforating tip when said tip is extended through said slot, said slot generally conforming to the geometry of said perforating tip.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
208 words
A trocar including: (i) trocar tube having a proximal end and a distal end into which may be placed an obturator inserted into a safety shield, (ii) an obturator having a cylindrical shaft attached to a perforating tip and extendable through said tube to perforate tissue at the distal end of the tube, said perforating tip having three cutting edges separated by three substantially flat surfaces, each of said substantially flat surfaces forming a face comprising a pair of diverging sides, each of said diverging sides intersecting at a cutting edge, and each of said flat surfaces intersecting along said cylindrical shaft in a smooth transition, and (iii) a safety shield placed around said obturator and extendable to shield the tip of said obturator, both of said safety shield and said obturator emplaceable in said trocar tube, said shield exhibiting a rounded distal end with a slot for passage of said obturator tip therethrough, said slot bounded by three distally extending lobes formed on the distal end of said shield, the proximal end of said lobes opposing one another alongside each of the cutting edges of said perforating tip when said tip is extended through said slot, said slot generally conforming to the geometry of said perforating tip.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
14 words
The trocar of claim 1 wherein said rounded distal end is hemispheric in profile.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
20 words
The trocar of claim 1 wherein said slot extends radially to the outermost radial cutting edge of said obturator tip.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
30 words
The trocar of claim 1 wherein each of said lobes has an inner surface which contacts a face of said perforating tip when said tip is extended through said slot.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
52 words
The trocar of claim 1 further including resilient means located at the end of said safety shield enabling said safety shield to retract proximally to allow said perforating tip to be exposed at the distal end of said safety shield when force is exerted against the distal end of said safety shield.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
47 words
The trocar of claim 5 further including a housing located at the proximal end of said safety shield, said housing including an abutment surface, and said safety shield including a proximal flange, wherein said resilient means is mounted for compression between said flange and said abutment surface.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US2878809A
Cited
US3994287A
Cited
US4168699A
Cited
US4177814A
Cited
US4601710A
Cited
US4601710B1
Cited
US4627838A
Cited
US4931042A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1996-05-31 | 1996-11-30 | 1997-06-01 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2000-05-31 | 2000-11-30 | 2001-06-01 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2004-05-31 | 2004-11-30 | 2005-06-01 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |