Surgical needle abstract
An object of the present invention is to provide a safe surgical
needle apparatus, and a surgical needle and a needle holder used
therein, which can prevent the medical participants from being erroneously
punctured with a tip end of the surgical needle and can permit a
smooth tissue penetration of the surgical needle only when performing
a suturing work. In accordance with the present invention, there
are provided a surgical needle whose surface is formed from an electrically-insulating
material except for its tip end portion and its tail portion to
the latter of which a suture can be attached; a needle holder for
clamping said tail portion of the surgical needle, in which at least
a clamping surface thereof, which comes into contact with the surgical
needle, is made of a conductive material and which includes a means
for applying an electric current to the portion; and a surgical
needle apparatus comprising the afore-mentioned surgical needle
and needle holder, and an electric source for supplying an electric
current to the surgical needle through the needle holder.
Surgical needle claims
What is claimed is:
1. A surgical needle handled with a needle holder connected with
an electrice source comprising:
a blunt tip;
a tail portion which could be held with the needle holder; and
a needle body extending between the blunt tip and tail portion,
wherein an electrically-insulating material is provided over a
surface of the needle body, and
said blunt tip being electrically coupled with said tail portion.
2. A surgical needle as claimed in claim 1 wherein an electrically-insulating
layer is formed over a surface of a main needle body made of a conductive
material except said blunt tip and said tail portion.
3. A surgical needle as claimed in claim 1 wherein a conductive
wire is embedded within the needle body made of an electrically-insulating
material.
4. A surgical needle as claimed in claim 1 wherein said blunt
tip is constituted by a part of a spherical surface.
5. A surgical needle as claimed in claim 1 wherein said tail portion,
which is coupled with said blunt tip in an electrically continuous
manner, is provided over a predetermined range extending from a
tail end of the surgical needle.
6. A surgical needle as claimed in claim 1 wherein said tail portion,
which is coupled with said blunt tip in an electrically continuous
manner, is provided over a predetermined range adjacent to a given
region extending from a tail end of the surgical needle.
7. A needle holder for clamping said tail portion of the surgical
needle according to claim 1 comprising:
a clamping surface which comes into contact with the surgical needle
clamped and is made of a conductive material;
a means for applying an electric current to said clamping surface;
and
an insulating material provided over a surface thereof in close
proximity to said clamping surface.
8. A needle holder for clamping said tail portion of the surgical
needle according to claim 1 comprising:
a clamping surface which comes into contact with the surgical needle
to be clamped and is made of a conductive material;
a means for applying an electric current to said clamping surface;
and
an insulating material provided over a surface thereof except for
said clamping surface and a connecting terminal.
9. The needle holder of claim 7 wherein said means for applying
an electric current to the surgical needle is composed of a body
of the needle holder made of a conductive material and/or a conductive
wire embedded within a body of the needle holder made of an insulating
material, and a connecting terminal continuously formed on the body
of the needle holder.
10. A surgical needle apparatus comprising:
a surgical needle whose surface, except for a tip end portion and
a tail portion thereof, is formed from an electrically-insulating
material, said tip end portion being coupled with said tail portion
in an electrically continuous manner;
a needle holder for clamping said tail portion of the surgical
needle; and
an electric source for supplying an electric current through said
needle holder.
11. The needle holder of claim 8 wherein said means for applying
an electric current to the surgical needle is composed of a body
of the needle holder made of a conductive material and/or a conductive
wire embedded within a body of the needle holder made of an insulating
material, and a connecting terminal continuously formed on the body
of the needle holder.
12. A method of decreasing the transmission of infectious diseases
caused by accidental needle stick during suturing of tissues of
the body, comprising the steps of:
piercing the tissues of a body with a suture needle having a blunt
tip which is electrically connected to a means of supplying a high
frequency current to the needle,
passing a current from the means of supplying a high frequency
current to the blunt tip of the needle in an amount sufficient to
cause the tissue in contact with the blunt tip of the needle to
vaporize and permit the needle to penetrate tissues of the body.
13. The method of decreasing the transmission of infectious diseases
caused by accidental needle stick during suturing of tissues of
the body of claim 12 wherein the means of supplying a high frequency
current is electrically connected to a needle holder which in turn
is electrically connected to a conductive portion of the surgical
needle, and wherein a sufficiently high frequency current is passed
from the means for generating high frequency current to the needle
via the needle holder in order to effect penetration of the blunt
tip of the needle through tissues of the body.
Surgical needle description
TECHNICAL FIELD
In surgical operations, it is required to suture a body tissue
of each organ by using a surgical needle and a suture. This invention
relates to a surgical needle, a needle holder for holding the surgical
needle and a surgical needle apparatus as a whole system, which
are capable of safely performing suturing work in surgical operations.
BACKGROUND ART
Hitherto, the suturing work in surgical operations has been performed
by using a surgical needle which has a curved shape like that obtained
by bending an ordinary sewing needle and to a tail portion of which
a suture is preliminarily attached.
As such surgical needles, there have been eyed-type needles which
are capable of attaching and removing a suture at user's end, and
eyeless-type needles which are marketed with a suture already attached
by makers. Further, surgical needles are classified, according to
their shapes, into round needles tapered toward a tip thereof and
having a circular cross-section, polygonal needles whose tip end
is formed into a lance shape having a triangular cross-section,
spatula needles whose tip end is formed into a knife shape, or the
like. At present, such various types of the surgical needles have
been selectively used depending on a nature of tissue of the organ
to be operated or purposes of the suturing work. Any of these surgical
needles has usually machined into a very sharp tip so as to allow
surgeons to readily perform the tissue penetration thereof even
when only a small penetration force is applied thereto by the surgeons.
In the suturing work, the surgical needle is clamped at a tail
end thereof by a needle holder which can be manipulated by surgeons.
The needle holder is manipulated such that the surgical needle penetrates
the tissue and then the tip end thereof protrudes outside the tissue.
After the needle holder is removed from the tail end of the surgical
needle, the surgical needle is pinched at the tip end by the needle
holder and pulled out of the tissue to pass a suture attached thereto
through the tissue. Thereafter, the suture is tied for ligation
of the tissue and cut near the ligated portion by scissors or the
like. The unnecessary used surgical needle and cut suture are discarded.
The suturing work is completed by performing these sequential operations.
Since conventional surgical needles have very sharp tip ends, there
have frequently occurred such puncture accidents that surgeons or
their assistants are erroneously in touch with the tip ends during
surgical operations and injured by themselves. In such a case, if
patients to be surgically operated are carriers of bacteria and
viruses which are infectious through blood, there is a large risk
that the surgeons and their assistants are susceptible to these
infectious diseases through a very small amount of blood attached
to the tip end of the surgical needle. Also, when the used surgical
needles, which are contaminated with such blood, are discarded after
surgical operations, surgical participants, hospital participants
or participants in waste disposal are similarly exposed to risk
of accidental infection of the infectious diseases. Recently, this
poses a social problem.
Accordingly, all of these participants must take a great care upon
handling the surgical needle so as not to be in touch with the tip
end thereof.
However, when the needle holder to which the surgical needle is
fitted is handed over from the surgical assistant to the surgeon
or returned from the surgeon back to the surgical assistant, there
is a likelihood that the needle tip impinges against a hand of the
surgical assistant or the surgeon, thereby causing puncture accidents.
Further, in the case where the surgical operation is associated
with complicated suturing work, surgeons have to insert their fingertips
into a deep portion in a body of the patient. In this case, the
fingertips of the surgeons come into direct contact with the needle
tip, thereby also causing the puncture accidents. Thus, even though
a great care is taken, the puncture accidents cannot be completely
prevented.
In consequence, it have been recently proposed that conventional
surgical needles having a blunted tip, i.e., blunt needles, which
have been used for suture of specific tissues, are applied to suturing
of other tissues. However, many tissues cannot be penetrated by
such blunt needles. When it is intended that the blunt needle forcibly
penetrates these tissues by applying a large penetration force thereto,
the risk of puncture accidents is rather increased in many cases.
As a result, this proposal is practically unacceptable to surgeons.
The present invention has been accomplished in view of the afore-mentioned
problems.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
For example, even though a blunt tip of a metal rod having a diameter
on the order of 1 mm is pressed against a tissue of organ, no puncture
of the metal rod in the tissue can be caused by applying thereto
such a force as exerted in an ordinary suturing work.
Next, in the case where the metal rod is coupled to a conventionally
known electric cautery device and pressed against the tissue while
a high-frequency current is applied to the metal rod, the tissue,
which comes into contact with the metal rod, is caused to be destroyed
so that the metal rod readily punctures the tissue.
The reason therefor is suggested such that a water content in the
tissue is explosively distilled as soon as it is brought into contact
with the tip of the metal rod, so that the tissue is allowed to
be destroyed and incised by the pressure of the resulting steam.
The present invention has been attained by taking a hint from the
known electric cautery device. That is, in accordance with the present
invention, there are provided a surgical needle having a blunt tip
and an electrically-insulating material covering a surface thereof
except for the blunt tip and a tail portion which are coupled to
each other in an electrically continuous manner; a needle holder
for clamping the tail portion of the afore-mentioned surgical needle,
in which at least a clamping portion which comes into contact with
the surgical needle is made of a conductive material and which includes
a means for applying an electric current to the portion; and a surgical
needle apparatus comprising the surgical needle, the needle holder
and an electric source for supplying an electric current to the
surgical needle through the needle holder.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a front view of a surgical needle to which a suture is
attached;
FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-section of a part of the surgical needle
shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a schematic view explaining the state of use of the surgical
needle apparatus according to the present invention;
FIG. 4 is a front view of a needle holder; and
FIG. 5 is a view explaining a surgical needle according to another
embodiment of the present invention.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
The accompanying drawings illustrate preferred embodiments of a
surgical needle, a needle holder and a surgical needle apparatus
according to the present invention, in which FIG. 1 shows a front
view of the surgical needle to which a suture is attached; FIG.
2 shows an enlarged cross-section of a part of the surgical needle
illustrated in FIG. 1; FIG. 3 shows a schematic view explaining
the state of use of the surgical needle apparatus according to the
present invention; FIG. 4 shows a front view of the needle holder;
and FIG. 5 shows a explanatory view of a surgical needle according
to another embodiment of the present invention.
First, referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 there are shown a surgical needle
A and a suture S. The surgical needle A is of a circular shape in
cross section similarly to that of ordinary sewing needles and gradually
reduced in its diameter from an intermediate portion thereof towards
a tip end thereof so as to provide a tapered tip. Further, the surgical
needle is composed of a needle body 1 formed into an arcuate shape
as a whole (the needle body is generally made of stainless steel
but may be selectively formed from any other metal as far as it
can exhibit an electrical conductivity), and an electrically-insulating
layer 2 coated on the needle body 1.
The needle body 1 is formed at a tip end portion 3 thereof with
a tip 3a which is rounded or blunted so as not to readily stick
in surgical rubber gloves or fingertips, and at a tail end 4a thereof
with a recessed portion 5 which serves for coupling with the suture
S. The suture S is fitted to the needle body 1 by inserting the
suture S into the recessed portion 5 and then connecting the suture
S to the recessed portion 5 by pressing the recessed portion 5 from
outside. The electrically-insulating layer 2 is not provided over
the tail portion 4 in order to allow an electric current to be applied
to the surgical needle.
The reason why the needle tip of the needle body 1 is formed into
a circular shape in cross-section and reduced in its diameter towards
the tip and why the electrically-insulating layer 2 is provided
up to near the tip 3a (which is not restricted to a rounded or blunted
shape but may be of a planar shape or any other shape as far as
it makes the needle body less puncturable in tissue) is not only
to reduce an contact area of the surgical needle with the tissue
of organ so as to cause a small tissue destruction by application
of the electric current, but also to facilitate the penetration
of the surgical needle A into the tissue while dilating, thereby
limiting the tissue destruction to a minimum level.
The electrically-insulating layer 2 may be made of a fluoro-resin
and provided over a surface of the needle body 1 except for the
tip end portion 3 and the tail portion 4 thereof. Any materials
such as other resins, coating materials, rubbers or the like may
be used to form the electrically-insulating layer 2. Methods of
forming the electrically-insulating layer 2 is not limited to a
particular one but the formation thereof may be performed by any
method such as baking, coating, adhesion or the like.
Incidentally, the "tip end portion 3" means a tip-side
end portion of the needle body 1 which is not covered with the electrically-insulating
layer 2 to allow application of an electrical current to the tissue
of organ through the tip end portion 3. As long as an electrical
current can be applied and the penetration into the tissue can be
permitted, the tip end portion 3 has preferably an area as small
as possible. It is preferred that the tip 3a of the tip end portion
3 be of a spherical shape. However, the shape of the tip 3a is not
limited to the particular one but may be of any other rounded or
blunted shape as far as it makes the surgical needle less puncturable
in a human skin. In addition, the tip 3a may be larger or conversely
smaller in size than the remainder of the tip end portion 3.
On the other hand, the "tail portion 4" means an end
portion which includes an outer peripheral surface of the recessed
portion 5 to which the suture S is attached, and its adjacent regions
(vicinities). Only the outer peripheral surface of the recessed
portion 5 i.e., a portion serving for coupling with the suture
S, or both the outer peripheral surface of the recessed portion
and its adjacent regions may be defined as the tail portion 4 and
remain uncovered with the electrically-insulating layer. Alternatively,
only the adjacent regions may remain uncovered with the electrically-insulating
layer while the outer peripheral surface of the recessed portion
may be covered with the electrically-insulating layer. In consequence,
in order to apply an electrical current to the needle body 1 through
a clamping surface of each clamping piece 6a, 6a attached to a needle
holder 6 as shown in FIG. 4 and then apply the electrical current
to the tissue of organ through the tip end portion 3 of the surgical
needle A, the tail portion 4 may be defined as either a predetermined
area extending from the tail end 4a or as a predetermined area adjacent
to a given area extending by a certain distance from the tail end
4a and covered with the electrically-insulating layer.
Next, referring to FIGS. 3 and 4 the needle holder 6 as shown
in FIG. 4 is composed of a body portion and a connecting terminal
7 which is formed continuously with the body portion and adapted
to be connected with an electric cord from an electric source 11
(high-frequency current generator). The electrical current thus
introduced from the terminal is supplied to the clamping pieces
6a through the body portion of the needle holder 6. An electrically-insulating
layer can be provided on a portion of the needle holder adjacent
to but except for clamping surfaces of the clamping pieces 6a (contact
surfaces of the surgical needle A and the tail portion 4), or over
a surface of the needle holder except for the connecting terminal
and the clamping surfaces of the clamping pieces 6a. As materials
of the electrically-insulating layer 2 any electrically-insulating
materials such as resins, coating materials or rubbers can be used
like the case of the surgical needle A. Similarly, baking, coating,
adhesion or the like can be used as a method of forming the electrically-insulating
layer 2. Further, the body portion itself of the needle holder 6
may be formed from an electrically-insulating material such as resins,
and a conductive wire may be embedded in the body portion of the
needle holder to supply an electric current from the connecting
terminal 7 to the clamping surfaces of the clamping pieces 6.
When surgical operation are actually performed, as shown in FIG.
3 one of the electric cords from the electric source unit is connected
to a counter electrode plate 12 disposed on a side of patient and
the other of the electric cords is connected to the connecting terminal
7 of the needle holder 6 which clamps a non-insulating portion provided
on the tail portion 4 of the surgical needle A, in the same manner
as in the case of conventional electric cautery devices. When the
surgical needle A is stuck in the tissue to conduct a suturing work,
the surgeon depresses a foot switch (not shown) for supplying an
electric current, and press the surgical needle A into the tissue
while continuing the supply of electric current, so that the surgical
needle A readily penetrates the tissue, thereby accomplishing an
ideal perforation of the tissue.
After the tip end portion 3 of the surgical needle A penetrates
the tissue of organism and emerges out of a surface of the tissue,
the surgeon releases his foot from the foot switch to terminate
the supply of an electric current to the surgical needle, and performs
an ordinary suturing work. That is, although the surgical needle
A has electrically-exposed portions in the tip end portion 3 and
the tail portion 4 it is prevented that an undesired flow of electric
current between the tail portion and the tissue of organism is caused.
This is because the tip end portion completely penetrates the tissue
and emerges therefrom before the tail portion comes into contact
with the tissue of organism and then, after the foot switch is released,
the needle tip protruded from the surface of the tissue is clamped
by the same needle holder 6 to permit the surgical needle A to be
pulled out of the tissue.
Meanwhile, in accordance with the present invention, conventional
needle holders entirely made of a conductive material can also be
used. In this case, in order to avoid undesired flow of electric
current between the surgeon and handles of the needle holder, surgical
rubber gloves exhibiting an electrically-insulating property are
preferably used. Also, care should be taken to keep the needle holder
from the patient.
In FIG. 5 there is shown a surgical needle according to another
embodiment of the present invention, in which the surgical needle
according to the preceding embodiment is modified such that the
thickness of the electrically-insulating layer 2 is extremely increased
and the needle body 1 serves only for providing an electrical conductivity.
As is shown in FIG. 5 the surgical needle B of this embodiment is
made substantially of an insulating material such as plastics, and
comprises an arcuate needle body 21 having a circular cross-section
and made of a plastic material such as polycarbonates, a conductive
wire 23 made of metal or the like and embedded in the needle body
21. The needle body 21 has a tip 21a molded into a semi-spherical
shape such that one end 23a of the afore-mentioned conductive wire
23 emerges out of a surface thereof.
The needle body 21 is formed at a tail end 21b thereof with a recessed
portion 22 to which a suture (not shown) can be fitted. The opposite
end 23b of the conductive wire 23 emerges from an inner surface
of the recessed portion 22. By providing a metal-plated layer over
a region from the inner surface of the recessed portion 22 up to
an outer peripheral surface of the tail portion 24 the tip end
portion of the surgical needle B can be electrically connected with
the outer peripheral surface of the tail portion 24. Alternatively,
such an electrical connection between the tip end portion and the
tail portion can be achieved by such a structure in which the embedded
conductive wire 23 emerges from the outer peripheral surface of
the tail portion 24.
According to the latter embodiment, there is an advantage that
the production of such a surgical needle is less expensive as compared
with ordinary ones having a main needle body made of metal. In addition,
since the tip of the surgical needle is made of a plastic material,
such a surgical needle is unlikely to stick in the tissue in an
ordinary state, thereby rendering the surgical needle much safe.
Incidentally, the rigidity of the surgical needle B can be readily
adjusted by varying the sort of plastic material used for the needle
body 21 and the strength and the size of the conductive wire 23.
Further, by varying the electrical conductivity and the size of
the conductive wire, there can be provided surgical needles having
various penetrating properties which are adaptable to various surgical
operations.
Meanwhile, the foregoing explanations are made with respect to
eyeless-type surgical needles. Needless to say, the present invention
is also applicable to eyed-type surgical needles to which a suture
can be removably attached.
In the afore-mentioned arrangement of the present invention, only
the narrow tip end portion of the surgical needle, which comes into
contact with the tissue of organ, can serve for applying an electric
current thereto. Accordingly, while destroying only a small portion
of the tissue contacting the tip end portion, the surgical needle
can be readily inserted into the tissue by applying an extremely
small penetration force. At this time, a water content is allowed
to evaporate spontaneously and explosively from the small portion
of the tissue contacting the tip end portion of the surgical needle,
so that only a locally-limited destruction of the tissue is caused.
As a result, there occurs no burn expanded to a surrounding portion
of the tissue contacting the tip end portion of the surgical needle.
Further, the tissue can be subjected to an appropriate coagulation
by the application of the electric current, thereby enabling simultaneous
hemostasis at a penetrated portion of the tissue. There is no hemorrhage
from the bore of the tissue formed by the needle penetration, thereby
causing an ideal perforation of the tissue when a suture is passed
therethrough.
Accordingly, even though the tip of the surgical needle is formed
into a blunt shape to render it less puncturable, inherent functions
of the surgical needle are not lost and it can rather exhibit extremely
excellent tissue-penetrating properties. Further, since the surgical
needle according to the present invention can be used to effect
the tissue penetration only during application of electric current,
there occurs no erroneous puncture accidents during no application
of electric current, thereby providing a safe surgical needle and
a safe surgical needle apparatus. Also, even though the tip of the
surgical needle erroneously comes into contact with a part of a
body of the surgeon during surgical operations, there is caused
no electric current flow between the surgical needle and the body
of the surgeon because the surgeon is in no contact with a counter
electrode plate, so that the surgeon can be safely protected from
being punctured with the surgical needle.
Industrial Applicability
As described in detail above, a surgical needle, a needle holder
and a surgical needle apparatus comprising these members, according
to the present invention, can be used to suture the tissue of each
organ in surgical operations by using the surgical needle and a
suture. |