Surgery – Instruments – Electrical application
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-26
2001-05-15
Thaler, Michael H. (Department: 3731)
Surgery
Instruments
Electrical application
Reexamination Certificate
active
06231574
ABSTRACT:
This invention relates to bipolar forceps such as are used in electrosurgery and in which each of two limbs is formed by a length of stainless steel extending from an exposed pointed tip portion through an electrically-insulating ribbed grip portion to an exposed terminal portion, the terminal portions of the two limbs being separated by intervening electrically-insulating material, and the terminal portions and intervening electrically-insulating material form a plug for insertion into a ‘Block’ fitting attached to a cable for connecting to a power supply.
In bipolar forceps known as the ‘Downs Eschmann Forceps’ stainless steel strip is used to form the basis of each limb, having a major length with parallel edges forming the terminal portion and the basis of the grip portion, and a minor length tapering from the grip portion to the exposed tip, with electrically insulating material enclosing the stainless steel strip from closely adjacent the tip along the grip portion and terminating in a cylindrical collar providing an annular shoulder on the plug for abutment against the ‘Block’ fitting into which the plug will be inserted.
Manufacture of the ‘Downs Eschmann Forceps’ involves an appreciable number of operations, including punching out the stainless steel strips with tapering lengths at one end and holes in the terminal portions at the other end for securing (in another operation) to the intervening electrically-insulating material, coating the shaped strips with electrically-insulating material, moulding the ribbed grip portions, and moulding the collar on the plug, all of which incurs considerable expense not conducive to these forceps being disposable.
The object of the present invention, is therefore, to provide a construction and method of manufacture of bipolar forceps the cost of which is conducive to the forceps being disposable.
According to the present invention, bipolar forceps of the type initially described are characterized in that each length of stainless steel is formed of wire (preferably of rectangular cross-section, and more particularly square), and a unitary moulding of electrically-insulating material forms both grip portions and shoulder portions for the plug, with the lengths of stainless steel wire enclosed in the grip portions and in the shoulder portions, in which shoulder portions the wires are bent to bring their terminal portions into close parallel disposition in the plug.
The terminal portions of the wires are preferably initially of a length slightly in excess of the length of the plug, so that during manufacture those excess lengths and the pointed tip portions can be located in recesses in the ends of mould parts into which the electrically-insulating material is injected, and the excess lengths are cropped off after removing the co-moulded forceps from the mould. A suitable insulating material is Nylon 66. The insulating material in the plug preferably has an H cross-section with the terminal portions of the wires separated by the crossbar of the H and the oppositely-facing sides of the terminal portions flush with or slightly raised from the respective upper and lower faces of the uprights of the H. The insulating material preferably has shallow indentations in the upper and lower faces of the uprights of the H, for snap engagement in a ‘Block’ fitting attached to a cable for connecting to a power supply
The oppositely-facing sides of the grip portions are preferably provided with series of moulded cross-grooves with slightly raised edges to afford a good grip; and the mutually-facing sides of the grip portions are preferably provided with two laterally spaced projections on one side and one intervening projection on the other side, to ensure correct alignment of the pointed tips when the forceps are squeezed together.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4732149 (1988-03-01), Sutter
patent: 4890610 (1990-01-01), Kirwan et al.
patent: 5196009 (1993-03-01), Kirwan, Jr.
Thaler Michael H.
Trexler, Bushnell Giangiorgi, Blackstone & Marr, Ltd.
Uniplex Limited
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