Surgical needle abstract
The surgical needle holder has a support body formed of an electrically
conducting material and constituted by an outer cylindrical tube
and an inner core. The outer cylindrical tube and the exposed parts
of the core are surrounded by an insulating jacket. At one end of
the core extends a blind bore or passageway into which the shank
of the surgical needle is inserted. The blind bore or passageway
crosses a cylindrical cavity formed in the core. The cavity has
a vertical face and an opposing inclined face. The cavity is accessible
through a slot formed in the surface of the outer cylindrical tube.
A releasable locking device is formed by an electrically conducting
plate having an insulated tab portion. The plate is mounted for
pivotal movement from an upright position to a maximum forward inclined
position and occupies the cavity with the insulated tab portion
extending outwardly through the slot to the exterior of the support
body. The plate also has a central aperture which, when in its upright
pivotal position, is in alignment with the blind bore which has
the same diameter. A coiled spring is housed in a groove formed
in the inner core and surrounded by the outer cylindrical tube.
The spring engages and urges the conducting plate to its maximum
forward portion.
Surgical needle claims
What is claimed is:
1. A surgical needle holder comprising an insulated electrically
conducting support body for mounting a surgical needle, a passageway
in the body for insertion of the needle shank, and releasable locking
means in the passageway for locking the needle shank therein, and
in electrical contact with the support body.
2. A surgical needle holder as claimed in claim 1 wherein the locking
means is in the form of a pivotal locking plate mounted in the support
body and provided with an aperture for receiving the needle shank
when the shank is inserted in the passageway in the support body
with the locking plate in one pivotal position, said locking plate
being biased to a normally held second pivotal position whereat
the plate locks onto the needle shank around the plate aperture
to secure the needle shank in the passageway.
3. A surgical needle as claimed in claim 2 wherein the locking
plate is mounted in a cavity in the support body, one face of the
cavity lying at an inclination to an opposed face of the cavity
thereby to provide a degree of operating movement of the plate from
an upright position in said first pivotal position to an inclined
position in said second pivotal position to lock onto the needle
shank.
4. A surgical needle holder as claimed in claim 3 wherein the locking
plate is biased to the normally held second pivotal position by
means of a coiled spring housed in the support body.
5. A surgical needle holder as claimed in claim 4 wherein the locking
plate is provided with an operating tab extending from the cavity
in the support body.
6. A surgical needle holder as claimed in claim 3 wherein the locking
plate is provided with an operating tab extending from the cavity
in the support body.
Surgical needle description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a surgical needle holder and particularly
to a surgical needle holder provided with a releasable locking mechanism
for a surgical needle to be retained in the holder.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Surgical needles mounted in specially designed holders are used
in medical practice in the areas of for example hair removal by
electrolysis such as during ophthalmic treatment, and certain aspects
of cosmetic surgery.
Handling and disposal is important in the use of surgical needles
both from the point of view of the health of the patient and the
user.
There are various types of surgical needle holders in use at the
present time. In one variant the surgical needle is held to the
electrically conducting core of the needle holder by means of a
mechanism operating in the manner of a drill chuck and in another
in the manner of a propelling pencil.
The first arrangement, during mounting and disposal, necessitates
far too much handling of the surgical needle to be acceptable while
in the second arrangement the mechanism is not capable of holding
the needle in the holder as firmly and positively to the extent
required so that amongst other things electrical contact between
the needle and the core of the holder is compromised.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to overcome the disadvantages
of the prior art.
According to the invention there is provided a surgical needle
holder comprising an insulated electrically conducting support body
for mounting a surgical needle, a passageway in the body for insertion
of the needle shank, and releasable locking means in the passageway
for locking the needle shank therein, and in electrical contact
with the support body.
Preferably the locking means is in the form of a pivotal locking
plate mounted in the support body and provided with an aperture
for receiving the needle shank in one pivotal position of the locking
plate when the shank is inserted in the passageway in the support
body. The locking plate is biased to a normally held second pivotal
position whereat the plate locks onto the needle shank around the
plate aperture to secure the needle shank in the passageway.
Advantageously the locking plate is biased to the normally held
second pivotal position by means of a coiled spring housed in the
support body.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become
apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment
thereof taken with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:
FIG. 1 is a cross section of a surgical needle holder according
to the invention showing the locking mechanism for the surgical
needle in one operating position;
FIG. 2 is the same view as of a surgical holder according to the
invention as FIG. 1 but with the locking mechanism in a different
operating position: and
FIG. 3 is the same cross sectional view of the surgical needle
holder according to the invention as FIGS. 1 and 2 but showing a
surgical needle locked in the holder by means of the locking mechanism.
BEST MODES OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
to The surgical holder shown in the drawings comprises an outer
cylindrical tube 1 having an inner core 2 forming a projecting
nozzle 3 at one end of the tube 1 and a butt end 4 at the rear of
the tube 1. The tube 1 and core 2 form a support body formed of
an electrically conducting material, and the core 2 is connectable
to an R.F generator (not shown) through lead wire 2'.
The tube 1 and exposed parts of the core 2 are surrounded by an
insulating jacket 17 (partially shown in FIG. 2).
A blind bore or passageway 5 extends into the core 2 of the surgical
needle holder from the nozzle end 3. The blind bore 5 crosses a
cylindrical cavity 6 formed in the core 2 having a vertical face
7 and an opposing face 8 inclined thereto at an angle .alpha..
The cavity 6 is accessible through a slot 9 formed in the surface
of the outer tube 1. An electrically conducting cylindrical plate
10 having an insulated tab portion 11 occupies the cavity with the
tab portion 11 extending through the slot 9 in the outer tube 1.
The plate 10 forms a releasable locking means.
By reason of the opposing vertical and inclined faces 78 of the
cavity 6 the plate 10 is pivotally movable from an upright position
as shown in FIG. 1 to a maximum forward inclined position as shown
in FIG. 2 and intermediate positions as illustrated in FIG. 3.
The plate 10 is urged to its maximum forward position as shown
in FIG. 2 by means of a coiled spring 16 housed in a groove 12 formed
in the core 2 and surrounded by the outer tube 1. The plate 10 has
a central aperture 13 which, when in its upright pivotal position,
is in alignment with the blind bore 5 having the same diameter.
One method of loading the surgical needle holder as described with
a surgical needle will now be described with reference to the drawings.
In FIG. 2 the locking plate 10 is shown biased to its normal forward
rest position.
The shank 14 of a surgical needle 15 covered with a protective
sheath 15' is inserted into the blind bore 5 in the nozzle 3 of
the outer body 1 until it encounters the aperture 13 in the locking
plate 10.
The shank 14 of the surgical needle 15 engages the periphery of
the aperture 13 in the locking plate 10 thereby to push the locking
plate 10 anti-clockwise until the shank 14 engages the base of the
blind bore at which point the spring 16 urges the locking plate
10 clockwise until the needle shank 14 is held in tight frictional
fit and consequently in good electrical contact, within the aperture
13 in the locking plate 10. Any pull on the needle 15 tending to
remove it from the bore 5 merely serves to increase the grip of
the plate 10 in the shank 14. The sheath 15' may then be removed
safely.
To release the needle 15 the tab 11 is pulled anti-clockwise by
the operator to the position shown in FIG. 1 at which point the
needle 15 may be released from the surgical holder under its own
weight into a disposable container. |