Surgery – Means for introducing or removing material from body for... – Treating material introduced into or removed from body...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-10
2001-05-22
Nguyen, Anh-Tran T. (Department: 3763)
Surgery
Means for introducing or removing material from body for...
Treating material introduced into or removed from body...
C604S191000, C222S137000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06234994
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an application device for applying a multicomponent tissue adhesive. The invention further relates to a holding device for keeping the supply reservoirs and a connecting headpiece, having the supply reservoirs coupled thereto, attached to each other.
An application device for applying a multicomponent tissue adhesive is known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,874,368, U.S. Pat. No. 4,978,336, U.S. Pat. No. 5,104,375 and EP-B-0 037 393, respectively. In these known application devices, the two supply reservoirs containing the adhesive components are held together by a holding device which makes it possible to hold the application device between the fingers of a hand and to operate the device by one hand. The conically tapering outlet connecting pieces of the two supply reservoirs are inserted into the accommodating connecting pieces of a connecting headpiece, wherein the accommodating connecting pieces are arranged as syringes with cylinders and pistons. Since these outlet connecting pieces have an inner cone of the same angle as the outer cone of the supply-reservoir outlet connecting pieces, the connecting pieces of the supply reservoir become wedged with those of the connecting headpiece, thus resulting in a certain axial securing effect of this coupling connection. However, this axial retentive force may be too small if the channels extending through the connecting headpiece from the accommodating connecting pieces up to a common discharge end are clogged. Thus, when actuating the pistons, the connecting headpiece may become detached from the supply reservoirs because of the pressure build-up within the supply reservoirs, rendering the application device inoperable.
For this reason, it is provided in another known application device described in WO-A-95/31137 that the connecting head is mechanically secured by a coupling element on the holding device to thus preclude undesired detachment from the outlet connecting pieces of the supply reservoirs. The coupling element of this known application device is lockingly inserted into openings of the connecting headpiece and the holding device. Although this connection is mechanically reliable, it can be released only with difficulties, which can be desirable e.g. to allow a quick refill of the supply reservoirs. In the commercially available tissue adhesive application system Duploject (Duploject is a registered trademark) of the Immuno company the connecting headpiece has a connecting strip elastically attached thereto, wherein the free end of the connecting strip facing away from the connecting headpiece is provided with a bore. The free end is adapted for mounting on a pin of the holding device. The mechanical connecting of the connecting strip to the holding device requires a certain precision in handling, which may be disturbing.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is the object of the invention to provide an application device and a holding device for this application device wherein the connecting headpiece can be releasably connected to the holding device of the supply reservoirs for thus securing it against unintended detachment from the supply reservoirs, and wherein this mechanical connection, although providing a safe hold, can be released and established easily and without problems.
For solving the above object, the invention provides an application device comprising
a plurality of supply reservoirs for respectively one fluid component, particularly a tissue adhesive component, each supply reservoir having a front end with an opening for discharge of the respective fluid component and a rear end opposite to the front end, and a piston arranged for sliding displacement in the supply reservoir, with the piston comprising a piston rod projecting from the rear end and having an actuating end for actuating the piston,
a connecting headpiece having accommodating connecting pieces for the front ends of the supply reservoirs, the connecting headpiece having channels for the individual fluid components extending therethrough between the inlet openings thereof and a discharge end for simultaneous discharge of all fluid components, and the accommodating connecting pieces being provided with radially outward projections,
a holding device for holding the supply reservoirs in the region of their rear ends, the holding device being adapted to be positioned between the fingers of a hand, and
a coupling element for releasably connecting the holding device to the connecting headpiece, the coupling element comprising an encompassing member with a plurality of encompassing zones for at least partially encompassing the accommodating connecting pieces and for abutment on the sides of the projections of the accommodating connecting pieces facing away from the holding device.
The holding device according to the invention is provided with
a holding device for holding supply reservoirs for the individual fluid components, the holding device being adapted to be positioned between the fingers of a hand, and
a coupling element for releasably connecting the holding device to a connecting headpiece which is adapted to have the supply reservoirs coupled thereto and which is provided for simultaneous discharge of all fluid components,
the coupling element comprising an encompassing member with a plurality of encompassing zones for partially encompassing connecting pieces of the connecting headpiece provided with outer projections, and for gripping engagement behind the outer projections of the connecting pieces of the connecting headpiece.
According to the invention, the application device comprises a coupling element, connected with the holding device, which is provided with an encompassing member arranged to encompass accommodating connecting pieces of the connecting headpiece at least partially and particularly through a peripheral angular range between about 200° and 300°. In doing so, the encompassing member is in engagement behind projections arranged on the accommodating connecting pieces of the connecting headpiece; thus, the encompassing member is in abutment on that side of these projections which is facing away from the holding device. In this manner, the encompassing member prevents a detachment of the connecting headpiece from the outlet connecting pieces of the supply reservoir.
The positioning of the encompassing member can be performed in a particularly simple manner if the encompassing zones surrounding the accommodating connecting pieces are elastic so that the encompassing member can be mounted to the accommodating connecting pieces from the side. Because of the elastic resiliency of the encompassing zones, arranged particularly as C-shaped brackets extending around the accommodating connecting pieces through 200° to 300°, the encompassing member in its mounted condition is kept from undesirably sliding laterally off the accommodating connecting pieces.
Preferably, the encompassing member is connected to the holding device by a connecting member which is particularly provided as a preferably round rod. Thus, in this case, the coupling element comprises two parts, of which one, i.e. the encompassing member, cooperates with the connecting headpiece, and the other part, i.e. the connecting member, is provided for the mechanical connection between the encompassing member and the holding device. The connecting member is suitably integrally formed with the encompassing member. The connecting member has a free end adapted for connection with the holding device against unintended detachment. For this purpose, the free end is provided with at least one and preferably a plurality of locking projections arranged for engagement behind the edge of an opening in the holding device. The connecting member can be inserted into the opening of the holding device to a larger or smaller extent so that the distance of the encompassing member from the holding device can be suitably selected corresponding to the respective conditions. Normally, for application devices having supply reservoirs which are different in t
Birch & Stewart Kolasch & Birch, LLP
Nguyen Anh-Tran T.
Omrix Biopharmaceuticals SA
Thanh Loan H.
LandOfFree
Multicomponent tissue adhesive application device and holder... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Multicomponent tissue adhesive application device and holder..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Multicomponent tissue adhesive application device and holder... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2438546