Surgery – Instruments – Surgical mesh – connector – clip – clamp or band
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-21
2001-09-25
Jackson, Gary (Department: 3731)
Surgery
Instruments
Surgical mesh, connector, clip, clamp or band
C606S205000, C606S207000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06293954
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to surgical clamps. In particular, the invention relates to surgical clamps having removable clamping members.
A wide variety of surgical clamps exist in order to perform a correspondingly wide variety of functions. Typically, however, a separate clamp must be purchased for each desired clamp functional surface, clamp size, and clamp shape.
One potential solution would be to change the pads on the clamp. U.S. Pat. No. 4,821,719 discloses a surgical clamp with replaceable pads. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 2,743,726 discloses a surgical clamp with a detachable resilient sleeve. The replaceable pads and resilient sleeve conform to the existing clamp functional surface. Thus, they do not allow different clamp functional surfaces, sizes, or shapes, making this an imperfect solution.
Another potential solution would be to provide a removable clamping structure. U.S. Pat. No. 5,569,274 discloses an endoscopic device with a releasable clamp. The releasable clamp allows multiple clamp surfaces to be first attached and then released. It is not, however, designed to provide for manipulation of the object clamped after clamping has occurred.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,582,615 discloses a hemostatic clip applicator with a removable surgical instrument. The surgical instrument disclosed is a clip applicator. It does not show that this concept can be applied to surgical clamps.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,308,358 discloses a shafted surgical instrument with a detachable shaft yoke. The shaft yoke is detachable for cleaning purposes. It fails to show that the actuators at the end of the shaft are themselves detachable, and does not suggest that the actuators can form clamping surfaces. Thus, it does not disclose a way of providing multiple clamping surfaces.
A final potential solution is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,048,937, which describes a wrench with detachable jaws. There is no teaching, however, that this innovation can be applied to other arts, such as the art of surgical tools. Furthermore, it shows that the jaws grip to perform turning, whereas the present invention grips to perform compression. Given that there is no need to use this wrench to compress pipes, a compression function appears to be an unnecessary application in an unrelated art, as compared to the art of surgical tools.
Thus, the problems that remain after consideration of the art include a need for multiple clamping surfaces at low cost, the manipulation of the object clamped after clamping has occurred, and compression of the object clamped.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention addresses these and other problems of the prior art by providing a jaw-type surgical clamp with removable clamp members. This allows replacement of the clamp members on the jaw. In addition, it allows multiple styles of clamp members to be used with a single handle portion. This can reduce the acquisition cost of an assortment of surgical clamps by requiring the purchase of only one handle portion. In addition, it allows compression of a clamped object. Finally, it allows the surgical clamp to manipulate a clamped object because the clamp members do not rotate with respect to the jaw.
According to one embodiment, a jaw-type surgical clamp includes a pair of jaws, a pair of clamp members, and mutually engagable structures which releasably lock the clamp members and jaws. The jaws are movable toward and away from each other. The jaws have an attachment portion and an anti-rotation surface. The clamp members are removably attachable to the jaws and have an attachment portion and an anti-rotation surface. The attachment portion of the clamp is configured to telescopically engage the attachment portion of the jaw. The anti-rotation surface of the clamp is configured to complementarily engage the anti-rotation surface of the jaw to prevent rotation between the clamp and the jaw.
According to another embodiment, a jaw-type surgical clamp kit includes the elements described above with the addition of a plurality of pairs of clamp members. Each pair of the plurality has a different clamping surface.
A principal object of the invention is to provide a surgical clamp wherein the clamp members are removably attachable.
Another object of the invention is to provide a surgical clamp wherein multiple clamping surfaces, shapes and cross-sections are available without requiring a user to purchase multiple surgical clamps.
Still another object is to provide a surgical clamp wherein a clamped object can be manipulated with the clamp after the object has been clamped.
A further object of the invention is to provide an improved surgical clamp with replaceable clamping members which are locked against rotation relative the handle members of the clamp.
Yet another object is to provide a surgical clamp that allows compression of the clamped object.
These and other objects will become apparent when viewed in light of the following detailed description and accompanying drawings.
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Fogarty Thomas J.
Howell Thomas A.
Willis David
Jackson Gary
Morrison & Foerster / LLP
Novare Surgical Systems, Inc.
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