Patent · US Expired

Apparatus and methods for rotationally deploying needles

US5951575A · kind A · utility

1,111Cited by
31References
23Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 1, 1996
Grant dateSep 14, 1999
Priority date—
Expiry dateMar 1, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
  • CPC primaryA61B2017/2929
  • WIPO fieldMedical technology
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A surgical instrument comprises a shaft, a clamp support at a distal end of the shaft, and a clamp comprising a pair of pivotally mounted jaws within the clamp support. A handle at a proximal end of the shaft comprises an actuator for both opening and closing the jaws of the clamp and for rotating the jaws of the clamp about a deflected axis defined by the clamp support. The actuator includes a lever and a rotatable wheel which are coupled to the clamp via a flexible drive cable extending through the shaft and clamp support. The device is particularly useful for manipulating and driving curved surgical needles in thoracoscopic, laparoscopic, and other endoscopic suturing procedures.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.