Surgery – Instruments – Forceps
Patent
1996-04-25
1998-09-22
Thaler, Michael H.
Surgery
Instruments
Forceps
606147, 606148, 81421, 814265, 269275, A61B 1728
Patent
active
058108815
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to clamping or gripping devices, for example, surgical needle holders.
Surgical needle holders include a pair of articulated jaws which are brought together to clamp or grip a surgical needle. Such needle holders are often required to hold needles having different sizes and shapes and because the area of contact between the surface of the needle (which is usually circular), and the surface of the jaws (which is usually planar) is relatively small, the needle is liable to shift relative to the jaws during a stitching operation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to provide an improved clamping or gripping device.
According to the present invention there is provided a clamping or gripping device comprising a pair of cooperating jaws, at least one of the two facing surfaces of the jaws comprising a memory material which is deformed by an object when gripped between the two jaws, to increase the grip by the jaws on the object, the memory material being capable of resuming its original shape when released from the object by being subjected to a temperature in excess of a predetermined temperature.
According to the present invention there is further provided a method of producing a clamping or gripping device comprising the steps of providing a pair of articulated jaws, lining the surface of at least one of the two facing surfaces of the jaws with an insert of memory material and profiling the surface of the insert to have an undulating pattern when in its heat stable state.
Surgical needle holders embodying the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of the needle holder;
FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of one of the jaws of the needle holder;
FIG. 3 is a section through the jaws of a second embodiment of a needle holder;
FIG. 4 is a section through the jaws of a third embodiment of a needle holder;
FIG. 5 is a section through the jaws of a forth embodiment of a needle holder;
FIG. 6 is a plan view of one of the jaws of a fifth embodiment of the needle holder; and
FIG. 7 is a plan view of one of the jaws of a fifth embodiment of a needle holder.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The needle holder shown in FIG. 1 comprises a pair of arms 2 and 4 pivotally secured together by a pin 6. Each arm 2 and 4 carries a respective jaw 8 and 10. The facing surfaces of the jaws 8 and 10 are provided with a respective metallic insert 12 and 14.
In operation, a needle carrying a suture is placed between the inserts 12 and 14 of the jaws and the jaws 8 and 10 are brought together by operating the arms 2 and 4 to clamp the needle between the inserts 12 and 14. The needle can have a variety of shapes, it can be curved, straight or otherwise profiled.
Each insert, which is advantageously 1 mm thick, is fitted in a recess of a respective jaw and is bonded thereto by brazing, soldering, gluing, mechanical clamping, riveting or sintering.
Each insert is of memory material, for example, a metal or alloy.
Materials which possess shape memory are known. Articles made of such materials can be deformed from a first undeformed configuration to a second deformed configuration. Such articles revert to the undeformed configuration when subjected to specified conditions. They are said to have shape memory. One set of conditions which will enable a deformed configuration of an article having shape memory to recover toward its undeformed configuration or shape is the application of heat. The material thus has a first heat-stable configuration and a second, heat-unstable configuration. A selected alloy is formed into its heat-unstable configuration at a temperature at which it is in a predominantly martensitic phase. Upon application of heat, the alloy reverts or attempts to recover from its heat-unstable configuration towards its first heat-stable configuration, ie, it "remembers" its original shape.
The ability in metallic
REFERENCES:
patent: 2706987 (1955-04-01), Bramstedt
patent: 5242458 (1993-09-01), Bendel et al.
patent: 5509923 (1996-04-01), Middleman et al.
Hoskin, deceased William John
Kemp Nicholas Richard
Microsurgical Equipment Ltd.
Thaler Michael H.
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