Handle assembly

Details Handle assembly Handle assembly

1999-02-10

2001-03-27

Green, Mary Ann (Department: 3682)

Machine element or mechanism

Control lever and linkage systems

Elements

C606S085000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06205884

ABSTRACT:

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
Not Applicable
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a handle assembly for use with surgical instruments, such as broaches and tamps.
Handles are used to hold surgical instruments such as broaches to allow them to be impacted. The handle holds the instrument rigidly in order to impart control on the movement of the instrument. The use of a handle which is detachable from the instrument has the advantage that one handle can be used for a range of sizes of instruments. This is particularly useful when the instruments are broaches and a succession of instruments must be used, each instrument increasing incrementally in size.
During surgical procedures, a mixture of blood and human tissue inevitably finds its way into small places in a handle and can dry to form a glue-type mixture and become a bio-hazard. Therefore, it is essential that any handle can be easily and effectively cleaned between operations to ensure that mechanisms in the handle do not become clogged and jammed and also, more importantly, that all tissue is removed to stop cross-contamination.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention there is provided a handle assembly for use with surgical instruments comprising a handle body and an arm, wherein the handle body and arm have at least two relative positions, a locked position in which the arm locks an instrument in the handle body and a released position in which the arm is separable from the handle body, the handle assembly also comprising an operating mechanism for controlling the relative positions of the handle body and the arm.
Preferably, the handle body and arm have a third intermediate relative position in which the instrument is unlocked from the handle assembly whilst the arm is attached to the handle body.
Preferably, the operating mechanism is a trigger mechanism. Preferably, the trigger mechanism allows the handle body and arm to be held in their relative positions by movement of the trigger in a single direction. Most preferably, the trigger mechanism is sprung with the spring biased to in a direction to hold the handle body and the arm in their relative positions.
Preferably, the handle body and the arm are pivoted relative to one another about a pivot point. Preferably, one of the handle body and arm has a peg at the pivot point. Preferably, the other component of the handle body or arm has a slot for location over the peg. The slot is most preferably open ended to allow the separation of the handle body from the arm.
Preferably, the distal end of the arm has engaging means for engaging a portion of an instrument inserted in the handle body, in order to lock the instrument in the handle when the handle body and the arm are in their locked position.
Preferably, a trigger guide of the trigger mechanism is in a fixed relationship with the handle body and a trigger body is moveable in a single direction relative to the handle body. The arm may have at least one latch for co-operation with the trigger mechanism. Preferably, two latches are provided on the arm relating to the locked position and the unlocked position of the handle body and arm.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5089003 (1992-02-01), Fallin et al.
patent: 5324293 (1994-06-01), Rehmann
patent: 5443471 (1995-08-01), Swajger
patent: 5531750 (1996-07-01), Even-Esh
patent: 5720750 (1998-02-01), Koller et al.

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