Surgery – Specula – Retractor
Reexamination Certificate
1998-04-24
2002-03-12
Smith, Jeffrey A. (Department: 3732)
Surgery
Specula
Retractor
C600S224000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06354995
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to lateral expansion devices with at least two substantially axially parallel blade surfaces that expand from a central axis such that at least an orifice is increased in effective diameter.
It has been known through a very long history of medical expanders and speculums that moving three to five closely aligned parallel blades outwardly can create a valuable orifice expansion effect. Two main classes of these devices emerge from the art. A first class, the more difficult mechanically, maintains the longitudinal axes of the blades in substantially parallel relationship as they outwardly expand against the orifice edges. A second class, with an action typical of the dual bladed vaginal speculum, maintains the base of the blade in a substantially fixed position while the distal ends move equidistant from a central axis. The prior art classes are found in the following U.S. Pat. Nos.: 241,036, 242,443, 540,835, 972,983, 1,244,751, 1,427,653, 1,827,497, 2,083,573, 2,137,121, 2,485,939, 3,517,128, 3,565,061, 3,667,474, 3,688,773, 3,759,263, 4,130,113, and 5,377,667. Vaginal speculums typical of the current state of the art are found in the Cooper Surgical Winter 1996 catalog of CooperSurgical Inc. at page 18 and in the Cooper Surgical Spring 1997catalog of CooperSurgical Inc. at page 29. Two bladed lateral wall retractors typical of the current state of the art are shown in the Cooper Surgical Winter 1996 catalog of CooperSurgical Inc. at page 29.
It is a special object of the present invention to address the function of a combined application of a vaginal speculum and a lateral wall retractor shown Cooper Surgical Winter 1996 catalog of CooperSurgical Inc. at the top illustrations of page 18. In that set of illustrations, it is clear that the combined action of the speculum and retractor present a far more effective view of the cervix. The confused and unstable mass of equipment used to achieve that effect is a disadvantage to the skilled examiner. It is an object of the present invention to at least effect the function of the combined speculum/retractor apparatus of Cooper Surgical Winter 1996 catalog of CooperSurgical Inc. at page 18. It is further an object of the present invention to present an effective new expansion motion for at least two lateral expansion blades whose axes remain substantially parallel during a first expansion motion.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention comprises a lateral expansion device with a novel relative lateral motion of at least two to four blades. In a four blade embodiment, four blades are arranged initially such that their effective forcing planes are substantially axially and facially parallel to each other in a closed position, although maintaining substantially axially parallel positions throughout a first lateral expansion motion. In that embodiment, two of the blades, a top and bottom blade, are at an initial, closed position axially bracket two other blades, a left and right blade, which are adapted to expand substantially axially directly opposite each other in a straight path to a ultimate positions left and right of their initial positions, respectively.
The lateral motion of the left and right blades is substantially similar to the motion of the blades of the lateral retractor shown and described, as is well known in the art, in the Cooper Surgical Winter 1996 catalog of CooperSurgical Inc. at page 18. Lateral motion forcing means for the present invention includes, as an example, the forcep-type, ratcheting position-locking handles shown and well known to the art for the lateral wall retractor of Cooper Surgical Winter 1996 catalog of CooperSurgical Inc. at page 18.
One form of the four blade embodiment includes four pivotally interlocking base plates, one base plate per blade, adapted such that each blade is secured at one end substantially perpendicular to its own base plate. The following is a description of the motion of the blades from an initial, closed position to a furthermost expanded position. When viewed along an axis from the base plate attachment of the blades outward in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the blades, activation of the lateral motion forcing means forces the forcing plane of the top blade into an angularly smooth sweeping motion upward and to the right with respect to a lateral left hand motion of the forcing plane of the left blade, such that the top blade, in a first portion of the first lateral expansion motion, remains at least partly facially relatively close to and in front of the forcing plane of the left blade. Thus, the left blade moves laterally to the left while the top blade slides upward and to the right, maintaining a relatively continuously increasing force plane comprising the left facing left blade and the upwardly rotating top blade. In a second portion of the first lateral expansion motion, the left blade completes its path to furthest left hand position and the top blade rotates and upwardly moves outward in a relatively longer path as compared to the path of the left blade, such that the preferred final position of the top blade is substantially above and perpendicular the position of the left blade. The motions of the right blade and the bottom blade are opposite to but otherwise identical with those of the left blade and the top blade, respectively, such that in a furthest position away from the initial position, the right and left hand blades are facially substantially parallel and the top and bottom blades are facially substantially parallel.
In summary, the combined action of a left/top blade from the closed position to a furthermost lateral expansion position first develops a continuous combined force plane which lifts an upper portion of an orifice away from the left direction expansion of the left blade and finally results in a orifice opening expanded equally from an original small axis. Such an action, in the four blade embodiment, accomplishes the function of the combined vaginal speculum and lateral wall retractor currently required in the art for complete cervix exposure as shown in the upper illustration of the Cooper Surgical Winter 1996 catalog of CooperSurgical Inc. at page 18.
It should be understood that the blade of the present invention defines a physical piece of material and may comprise one or more rods or solid or perforated plates, such that the force applied to the lateral motion forcing means is translated into a lateral expansion of the blade as at least a part of an imaginary cross sectional forcing plane. The forcing plane is that widest face of an imaginary blade which would still accomplish the objects of the invention. The longitudinal axis of the blade is substantially the lateral cross section center of the blade. Thus, the blades of the present invention may comprise blades which are not facially opposite each other in the closed position, although their lateral expansion motion as part of the forcing planes of the above described motion of the four blade embodiment is substantially the same. In some embodiments, a single rod may be a blade and replace the potentially widest blade face of a forcing plane and still accomplish the relative upward and downward outward rotation of the top and bottom blades respectively with respect to the lateral outward motion of the left and right blades.
Alternate embodiments of the present invention arise from exclusive use of:
1. A top and bottom blade alone.
2. A top and left blade alone.
3. A left, right and top blade alone.
The novel relative motion of a left or right blade with respect to a top or bottom blade is a significant improvement of the present invention. Although many of the most important benefits of the present invention arise from the four blade embodiment, it is clear that at least part of the objects of the present invention will be obtained with use of two or three blades as described above.
The pivotal interlocking base plates with lateral motion forcing means comprise a novel arrangement accomplishment of the lateral
Hoftman Moshe
Weiss Sol
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