Suture needle abstract
A surgical instrument for holding a suture needle is provided.
The instrument includes handle portions shaped to accommodate the
human hand, jaws formed to securely grasp a suture needle and a
latching mechanism to hold the device closed so that the physician
can concentrate on manipulation of the needle. The contoured shape
of the handle portions improves the ability of the surgeon to grasp
and manipulate the instrument under the adverse conditions encountered
during surgery.
Suture needle claims
I claim:
1. Apparatus for gripping and holding a suture needle for use during
surgical procedures comprising:
first and second elongated members;
each of said first and second elongated members having a generally
straight handle portion fixedly attached at one end thereof and
a jaw at the other end thereof, said handle portions being adjacent
and disposed parallel to one another when said jaws are in a closed
configuration, said handle portions fabricated of aluminum;
pivot means pivotally interconnecting said first and second elongated
members intermediate the ends thereof;
a transverse groove formed in a facing surface of each jaw near
the end of each jaw, said facing surface of each jaw in opposing
relationship with the facing surface of the other jaw, said grooves
for receiving a suture needle and securely gripping said suture
needle in said jaws when said jaws are in a closed configuration;
locking means including a locking clip pivotally attached at the
end of one of said handle portions, said locking clip adapted to
engage a clip catch formed in the end of the other one of said handle
portions, said locking means for releasable coupling said handle
portions together, said jaws in an open configuration when said
locking means is disengaged and said jaws in a closed configuration
when said locking means is engaged; and
one of said handle portions including a recessed area on the outside
aspect of said handle portion near said pivot means, said recessed
area contoured to approximately accommodate a human thumb and the
other one of said handle portions including a plurality of indented
areas on the outside aspect of said other handle jportion, each
of said plurality of indented areas contoured to approximately accommodate
human fingers.
2. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said jaws are fabricated from
tungsten carbide.
3. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said first and second elongated
members are fabricated of stainless steel.
4. Apparatus as in claim 1 further comprising spring means disposed
between said handle portions providing a force urging said handle
portions apart.
5. Apparatus for gripping and holding a suture needle for use during
surgical procedures comprising:
first and second elongated members;
each of said first and second elongated members having a handle
portion at one end thereof and a jaw at the other end thereof, said
handle portions being adjacent one another;
pivot means pivotally interconnecting said first and second elongated
members intermediate the ends of thereof;
a transverse groove formed in a facing surface of each jaw near
the end of each jaw, said facing surface of each jaw in opposing
relationship with the facing surface of each of the other jaw, said
grooves for receiving a suture needle and securely gripping said
suture needle in said jaws when said jaws are in a closed configuration;
locking means including a spring-loaded locking clip pivotally
attached at the end of one of said handle portions, said spring-loaded
locking clip comprising a latch arm having an arcuate latch hook
at one end and a mounting bushing at the other end, said mounting
bushing pivotally mounted in a recess formed in the end of said
one handle portion, and an arcuate recess formed in the end of said
other handle portion for receiving said latch hook when said locking
clip is engaged, said locking means for releasable coupling said
handle portions together, said jaws in an open configuration when
said locking means is disengaged and said jaws in a closed configuration
when said locking means is engaged; and
one of said handle portions including a recessed area on the outside
aspect of said handle portion near said pivot means, said recessed
area contoured to approximately accommodate a human thumb and the
other one of said handle portions including a plurality of indented
areas on the outside aspect of said other handle portion, each of
said plurality of indented areas contoured to approximately accommodate
human fingers.
6. Apparatus as in claim 5 wherein said handle portions are generally
straight and are disposed parallel to each other when said locking
means are engaged and said jaws are in a closed configuration.
7. Apparatus as in claim 6 wherein said handle portions are fabricated
separately from said first and second elongated members.
8. Apparatus as in claim 7 wherein said handle portions are fabricated
of aluminum.
9. Apparatus as in claim 7 wherein said jaws are fabricated from
tungsten carbide.
10. Apparatus as in claim 6 wherein said first and second elongated
members are fabricated of stainless steel.
11. Apparatus as in claim 5 further comprising spring means disposed
between said handle portions providing a force urging said handle
portions apart when said handle portions are in a closed configuration.
12. Apparatus for gripping and holding a suture needle for use
during surgical procedures comprising:
first and second elongated members;
each of said first and second elongated members having a handle
portion at one end thereof and a jaw at the other end thereof, said
handle portions being adjacent one another;
pivot means pivotally interconnecting said first and second elongated
members intermediate the ends thereof;
serrated teeth formed in a portion of a facing surface of each
jaw extending to the end of said jaw, said facing surface of each
jaw in opposing relationship with the facing surface of the other
jaw, said serrated teeth for grasping and securely gripping a suture
needle in said jaws when said jaws are in a closed configuration;
locking means including a spring-loaded locking clip pivotally
attached at the end of one of said handle portions, said spring-loaded
locking clip comprising a latch arm having an arcuate latch hook
at one end and a mounting bushing at the other end, said mounting
bushing pivotally mounted in a recess formed in the end of said
one handle portion and said clip catch comprising an arcuate recess
formed int the end of said other handle portion for receiving said
latch hook when said locking clip is engaged, said locking means
for releasable coupling said handle portions together, said jaws
in an open configuration when said locking means is disengaged and
said jaws in a closed configuration when said locking means is engaged;
and
one of said handle portions includes a recessed area on the outside
aspect of said handle portion near said pivot means, said recessed
area contoured to approximately accommodate a human thumb and the
other one of said handle portions including a plurality of indented
areas on the outside aspect of said other handle portion, each of
said plurality of indented areas contoured to approximately accommmodate
human fingers.
13. Apparatus as in claim 12 wherein said handle portions are generally
straight and are disposed parallel to each other when said locking
means are engaged and said jaws are in a closed configuration.
14. Apparatus as in claim 13 wherein said handle portions are fabricated
separately from said first and second elongated members.
15. Apparatus as in claim 14 wherein said handle portions are fabricated
of aluminum.
16. Apparatus as in claim 14 wherein said jaws are fabricated from
tungsten carbide.
17. Apparatus as in claim 15 wherein said first and second elongated
members are fabricated of stainless steel.
18. Apparatus as in claim 12 further comprising spring means disposed
between said handle portions providing a force urging said handle
portions apart.
Suture needle description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to surgical instruments
and, more particularly, to a spring-loaded plier-like instrument
having grooved jaws to secure a suture needle when the jaws are
closed.
In many medical procedures or emergency situations a physician
is often required to close and join the edges of an incision or
wound with one or more sutures by the use of a small curved needle.
During the suturing process, the physician must positively grip
and hold the needle while achieving maximum stability and control
of the needle. This is particularly true where the tissue surrounding
the incision or wound is quite thin or delicate.
There are several prior art plier-like instruments and other holding
devices available for gripping and securing suture needles. Many
of the prior art devices are simply specially constructed long-nosed
or needle-nosed pliers which may or may not have grooves provided
at the distal end of the jaws to grasp a needle. Such a plier-like
device requires that a physician continuously exert a closing force
on the plier handles while using the instrument. Other prior art
devices comprise scissor-like devices which include a ratchet mechanism
between the scissor handles to couple and lock the handles together
thereby maintaining the scissor jaws in a closed configuration and
securely gripping and holding a needle. The ends of the handles
typically carry finger loops to facilitate grasping the device.
While the locking scissor device overcomes the necessity of exerting
a closing force on the handles, grasping and controlling the scissor
device with the finger loops tends to detract from the physician's
control of the instrument during the suturing process.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It as an object of the present invention to provide a needle holding
instrument which allows a physician to achieve maximum stability
of the needle through hand control during the suturing procedure.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a locking
needle holding instrument which frees a physician of the necessity
of exerting a closing force on the device handles during use.
In accordance with the principles of the present invention a plier-like
needle holding instrument having straight handles which are contoured
to fit in a physician's hand is provided. A pair of plier arms pivotally
joined at a pivot bearing intermediate the ends thereof have cooperating
jaw portions at their distal ends and have straight handle portions
at their proximal ends. The jaws are grooved at the end thereof
to receive and hold a suture needle when the jaws are closed. The
handle portions are coupled together by a spring-loaded locking
clip which maintains the jaws in a closed configuration when the
locking clip is engaged. One of the handle portions has a recessed
area on the outside aspect near the pivot end of the handle portion
shaped to approximately fit a human thumb. Near the end opposite
the pivot bearing, the other handle portion has a series of areas
of indentation shaped approximately to accommodate the fingers of
a human hand.
When the locking clip is engaged, the jaws are held in a closed
configuration securely gripping a needle in the instrument. The
engaged locking clip relieves the physician of the necessity to
hold the instrument in a closed configuration. The contoured handle
portions allow the physician to achieve maximum stability of the
needle during a suturing procedure through hand control of the instrument.
The control of the needle holding instrument is fully realized by
the grip-like configuration of the handle portions.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of a suture needle holding instrument
constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the suture needle holding instrument
shown in FIG. 1 in a jaws open configuration;
FIGS. 3A and 3B are a side view and a front view, respectively,
of the jaws of the suture holding instrument shown in FIG. 1 illustrating
serrated teeth to grasp a suture needle; and
FIG. 4 is a view in perspective illustrating a suture needle secured
in the jaws of the needle holding instrument shown in FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now to FIGS. 1 2 3A, 3B and 4 a suture needle holding
instrument constructed according to the principles of the present
invention is provided. The suture needle holding instrument 10 comprises
a pair of elongated members or plier arms 11 and 13 which intersect
and are pivotally coupled together at a pivot bearing 15. The plier
arms 11 13 each have, at the proximal ends thereof, generally round
and extending straight handle portions 17 and 19 respectively.
The plier arm 11 extends beyond the pivot bearing 15 to form a jaw
portion or jaw 21 at the distal end thereof. Similarly, the plier
arm 13 extends beyond the pivot bearing 15 to form a jaw portion
or jaw 23 at the distal end thereof. A spring-loaded locking clip
25 is attached at the rear end 27 (i.e., the end opposite the pivot
bearing 15) of one of the handle portions 19. The locking clip 25
cooperates with an associated clip catch 31 formed in the rear end
29 of the other handle portion 17.
Each of the jaws 21 23 are generally straight and have a generally
flat inwardly facing surface 33 35 respectively, on opposing relationship
to each other. Each of the jaws 21 23 has a transverse channel
or groove 37 39 formed in its surface 33 35 respectively, near
the front end (i.e., the end opposite the pivot bearing 15) thereof.
The grooves 37 39 are generally in alignment when the jaws of the
instrument 10 are closed and are shaped and sized to receive and
securely grip a suture needle 41 therein (as shown in FIG. 4). Alternatively,
a portion of the inwardly facing surfaces 33 35 extending to the
tips thereof may have cross-hatched serrated teeth 34 36 respectively,
formed therein rather than the grooves 37 39 respectively, to
facilitate grasping and holding a suture needle 41.
The locking clip 25 comprises a latch bar 43 having an arcuate
hook 45 at one end and a cylindrical mounting bushing 47 at the
other end. The latch bar 43 is pivotally mounted on pin 49 in recess
51 formed in the rear end 27 of handle portion 19. An arcuate recess
formed in the rear end 29 of handle portion 17 comprises the clip
catch 31. When the handle portions 17 19 are urged together, closing
the jaws 21 23 to a substantially parallel configuration, the
latch hook 45 is engaged with the clip catch 31. The mounting bushing
47 is mounted slightly below the end surface 53 of the handle porion
19 thus when the latch hook 45 is inserted in the clip catch 31
recess, the latch bar 43 is slightly deformed and exerts a restoring
force which urges the latch hook 45 out of the clip catch 31 recess.
Since the clip catch 31 is curved inwardly, the latch hook 45 is
held engaged until the handle portions are squeezed together allowing
the latch hook 45 to disengage from the clip catch 31. The locking
clip 25 is fabricated from a resilient material such as spring steel
or other suitable material.
One of the handle portions 17 has a recessed area 55 on the outside
aspect near the pivot bearing 15 end of the handle portion. The
recessed area 55 is contoured to approximately fit a human thumb.
The other handle portion 19 has several recessed or indented areas
57 three or four for example, on the outside aspect positioned
from the approximate midpoint to near the rear end 27 of the handle
portion 19. The indented areas 57 are shaped and positioned to accommodate
the fingers of a human hand. The hand grip configuration of the
handle portions 17 19 allows the user to achieve full control of
the instrument.
The suture needle holder instrument 10 is fabricated from stainless
steel or other suitable material such as tungsten carbide having
sufficient flexibility and corrosion resistance to allow the instrument
10 to be used in surgical procedures. The plier arms 11 13 each
may be fabricated as an integral unit in a well-known manner or,
alternatively, the plier arms 11 13 including the jaw portions
21 23 may be integrally formed and the handle portions 17 19 fabricated
from tubular stock such as aluminum tubing and attached, such as
by welding or other suitable means, to the plier arms 11 13.
The jaws 21 23 are opened by squeezing the handle portions together
slightly allowing the latch hook 45 to disengage from the clip catch
31 and then spreading the handle portions 21 23 apart opening the
jaws 21 23 at the distal end of the instrument 10. A light spring
59 may be attached between the handle portions 17 19 urging the
handle portions apart. When the handle portions 17 19 are squeezed
together, the locking clip 25 may be reengaged thus clamping the
jaws 21 23 together and gripping and securing a suture needle 41
in the instrument 10. If included, the spring 59 will be compressed
exerting a force against the inside surfaces of the handle portions
17 19 urging the handle portions apart and further ensuring that
the locking clip 25 will remain engaged during use of the instrument
10.
Although the present invention has been described in its preferred
form with a degree of particularity, it is understood that the present
disclosure of the preferred embodiment has been by way of example
and that numerous changes in the details of construction may be
restored to without departing from the spirit and scope as hereinafter
claimed.
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