Surgery – Instruments – Means for removing tonsils – adenoids or polyps
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-14
2001-05-08
Mendez, Manuel (Department: 3763)
Surgery
Instruments
Means for removing tonsils, adenoids or polyps
Reexamination Certificate
active
06228095
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates broadly to surgical instruments and more particularly to methods and a device for collecting and removing specimens from a body cavity during surgery.
During surgery, there is often a need for the collection and removal of tissue specimens, such as organs or other material from a body cavity of the patient. These materials must generally be isolated to prevent contamination of the body cavity during removal. In minimally invasive surgery where access to the body cavity is restricted to vary small incisions, isolation and removal of specimens can be difficult. This is particularly so because such surgery often involves insufflation of the body cavity requiring that the access incisions be sealed against leakage.
The problem of specimen retrieval during minimally invasive surgery has typically been addressed by the introduction of a closable, flaccid bag or pouch into the body cavity. This pouch is typically deployed through a cannula and includes an arrangement for remotely closing the bag once a specimen has been deposited therein. Once closed, the pouch may be withdrawn through the cannula.
Several problems have been presented by previous specimen pouch designs, particularly with respect to their closure mechanisms. Because a specimen pouch must be closed prior to removal from the body cavity, its closure mechanism must be, in part, external to the patient's body. The mechanism often takes the form of a tether, drawstring or other flexible member that is threaded around the bag opening and through the cannula. Closure is typically accomplished by retraction of this member which results in the cinching of the pouch. With most such designs, the pouch must remain attached to this mechanism or to the cannula used to introduce the pouch. In either case, the introducer cannula must remain in place, typically with a portion of the closure mechanism disposed therein. This not only prevents the cannula from being used for other instruments, it restricts the movement of the pouch within the body cavity.
Another problem results from the manner in which the closure mechanism draws the pouch closed. Closure is usually accomplished using a form of cinch or noose wherein a drawstring or belt is drawn through a sleeve disposed around the opening of the pouch. This method often results in irregular bunching of the material around the pouch access opening which, in turn, can result in incomplete closure and an unacceptable risk of contamination. Further, nooses and other mechanisms used for closure require the drawing of a single strand or belt through essentially the complete circumference of a sleeve surrounding the bag opening. In addition to compounding the bunching problem, this results in an increase in the force required to draw the strand or belt through the sleeve as the bag nears complete closure.
Other specimen bag designs have attempted to solve the closure problem by using collapsible spring members or other relatively complex mechanisms that may require the use of specialized instruments to assist in closure.
There is accordingly a need for a specimen retrieval device that provides secure isolation of collected specimens using a low complexity, remotely manipulated closure mechanism that is separable from the collection device.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide an improved specimen retrieval device for use in minimally invasive surgery.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved specimen retrieval device that includes a specimen pouch stored in an introducer and insertable into a body cavity through a cannula.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a specimen pouch that is initially stored in a storage configuration and automatically opens to deployed configuration when removed from storage.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a specimen pouch that, once deployed, is separate and independent from the other elements of the invention used to facilitate insertion, closure and retrieval of the pouch.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a specimen pouch having a closure mechanism that is operable using conventional surgical instruments.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a specimen pouch closure mechanism that securely closes the pouch while reducing the risk of leakage due to bunching of the material surrounding the bag opening.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method for collecting and removing specimens from a body cavity using a specimen retrieval device according to the present invention.
To those ends, a specimen retrieval device according to the present invention for use within a body cavity during surgery includes an introducer having a proximal end and a distal end and defining a lumen therethrough. The introducer is configured and dimensioned for at least partial introduction into the body cavity through a predefined passageway. The specimen retrieval device further includes a pouch having an access opening defined therein. This pouch is collapsible for storage within the lumen and expandable upon removal from the lumen. The pouch has a first sleeve formed along a first portion of the pouch adjacent the opening and a second sleeve formed along a second portion of the pouch adjacent the opening. These sleeves are configured to define spacings between the sleeves. The specimen retrieval device also includes a resilient band having a first band portion slidably disposed within the first sleeve and a second band portion slidably disposed within the second sleeve. The band is configured to be collapsible for storage within the lumen along with the pouch. The band is also configured to bias the pouch in an open configuration when the pouch is removed from the lumen.
The band of a specimen retrieval device according to the present invention preferably includes at least one grasping tab projecting radially outward from the band. The at least one grasping tab is disposed in one of the spacings and forms a grasping surface for acquisition of the band by a surgical instrument. The band preferably includes first and second grasping tabs disposed in a space relationship along the band and dividing the band into first and second segments intermediate the grasping tabs. The first segment includes the first band portion and the second segment includes the second band portion.
A specimen retrieval device according to the present invention preferably further includes an arrangement for sealing a surgical instrument inserted into the lumen for interaction with the pouch. The arrangement for sealing is preferably attached to the proximal end of the introducer and preferably includes a septum valve.
A method for retrieval of specimens from a body cavity through a predefined passage according to the present invention includes providing a specimen retrieval device. The specimen retrieval device includes an introducer having a proximal end and a distal end and a specimen pouch defining an access opening. The specimen pouch has a first sleeve formed along a first portion of the pouch adjacent the opening and a second sleeve formed along a second portion of the pouch adjacent the opening. The specimen pouch also has a resilient band having a first band portion slidably disposed within the first sleeve and a second band portion slidably disposed within the second sleeve. The band is configured to bias the specimen pouch in an open configuration and includes at least one grasping tab. The specimen pouch is provided in a collapsed configuration and is removably disposed within the introducer adjacent the distal end.
The method for retrieval of specimens further includes the step of inserting the introducer into the predefined passage so that the distal end of the introducer extends through the cannula into the body cavity. The method further includes removing the specimen pouch from the introducer within the body cavity and placing material in the sp
Core Dynamics, Inc.
McGuireWoods LLP
Mendez Manuel
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