U.S. patent number 3,802,074 [Application Number 05/145,901] was granted by the patent office on 1974-04-09 for surgical suture extractor.
Invention is credited to Clemens B. Hoppe.
United States Patent |
3,802,074 |
Hoppe |
April 9, 1974 |
SURGICAL SUTURE EXTRACTOR
Abstract
An instrument for severing and removing sutures constructed of
telescoping parts slidable one within the other and disposable in
whole or in part. The device grips the suture either before or
immediately after the thread or stitch is cut so that the suture
can be removed in a single motion of the surgeon's hand.
Inventors: |
Hoppe; Clemens B. (Palm Beach,
FL) |
Family
ID: |
22515041 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/145,901 |
Filed: |
May 21, 1971 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
30/134 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61B
17/0467 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A61B
17/04 (20060101); B26b 001/08 () |
Field of
Search: |
;30/124,127,134,241,242,243,162,320 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Simpson; Othell M.
Assistant Examiner: Bicks; Mark S.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Pennie & Edmonds
Claims
I claim:
1. An instrument for removing sutures comprising:
a. a slender elongated outer tubular member to be grasped by the
hand, and having at its outer open end an angular projection
overlying said outer end for supporting the suture during cutting
and removal thereof;
b. said projection including a back-up member;
c. a single-piece inner, elongated member fitted to slide axially
within said outer member;
d. said inner member carrying a knife at its outer end to cooperate
with said back-up member in severing the suture;
e. said outer member having an opening for exposing a portion of
said inner member and said inner member having a gripping surface
aligned with the opening for contact by a finger of the hand,
including the thumb, to produce axial sliding of the inner member
relative to the outer member; and
f. said outer tubular member having a flat, hollow, diametrically
opposed, tapered outer end terminating in said angular
projection.
2. An instrument for removing sutures according to claim 1 in which
the backup member has a cutting edge, and the knife on the inner
member cooperates in shear with said cutting edge in severing the
suture.
3. An instrument for removing sutures according to claim 1
wherein,
a. said inner member has a reduced portion at its outer end, one
side thereof being parallel with the adjacent inner surface of said
hollow tapered portion and the opposite side thereof is parallel
with the axis of said instrument and supports said cutting
knife;
b. a surface of said backup member is parallel to the axis of the
instrument, and in order to maintain said knife in cooperation with
said surface, a reaction member is provided on the inner surface of
said outer member for cooperation with said axially parallel
surface of said inner member.
4. An instrument according to claim 1 wherein said outer end is at
an acute angle to said backup member and said knife has a cutting
edge at some angle different than said outer end.
5. An instrument for removing sutures according to claim 1
wherein:
a. said inner member is wholly contained within said outer member
with the gripping surface recessed in the opening of the outer
member.
6. An instrument for removing sutures comprising:
a. a slender elongated outer tubular member to be grasped by the
hand, and having at its outer open end an angular projection
overlying said outer end for supporting the suture during cutting
and removal thereof;
b. said projection including a backup member;
c. a single piece inner elongated member fitted to slide axially
within said outer member;
d. said inner member carrying a knife at its outer end to cooperate
with said backup member in severing the suture;
e. a deformable member arranged on the outer end of said inner
member alongside of said knife, said deformable member when in the
undeformed condition extending beyond the knife edge and forcing
the suture against said backup member to grip the suture during and
after the severing thereof to enable removal of the suture; and
f. said outer member having an opening for exposing a portion of
said inner member and said inner member having a gripping surface
aligned with the opening for contact by any finger of the hand,
including the thumb, to produce axial sliding of the inner member
relative to the outer member.
7. An instrument for removing sutures according to claim 6 wherein
said deformable member is integral with said inner member.
8. An instrument for removing sutures according to claim 7 in which
said knife is integral with said inner member.
9. An instrument for removing sutures comprising:
a. a slender elongated outer tubular member to be grasped by the
hand, and having at its outer open end an angular projection
overlying said outer end for supporting the suture during cutting
and removal thereof;
b. said projection including a backup member;
c. a single piece inner elongated member fitted to slide axially
within said outer member;
d. said inner member carrying a knife at its outer end to cooperate
with said backup member in severing the suture;
e. said outer member having an opening for exposing a portion of
said inner member and said inner member having a gripping surface
aligned with the opening for contact by any finger of the hand,
including the thumb, to produce axial sliding of the inner member
relative to the outer member; and
f. said outer member defining a flat tubular, diametrically opposed
tapered outer end with planar surfaces on opposite sides of the
knife tapering toward said outer end.
Description
CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application discloses an improvement over the surgical suture
extractors disclosed and claimed in the applicant's prior U.S. Pat.
No. 3,328,876 dated July 4, 1967, U.S. Pat. No. 3,364,572 granted
Jan. 23, 1968, U.S. Pat. No. 3,364,573 granted Jan. 23, 1968 and
U.S. Pat. No. 3,372,477 granted Mar. 12, 1968.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The instrument is not of the tweezer type as disclosed in the first
three of the above patents and also in Beaver U.S. Pat. No.
3,541,684 granted Nov. 24, 1970. The present instrument is made up
of two slender, elongated members one of which is hollow, and which
receives the second member in internal sliding relation therewith.
Although both members are advantageously cylindrical in shape, one
or both of them may be polygonal in cross section. Also, although
the inner member may be made hollow, it may, if desired, be made
solid.
The outer member is at least partially tapered or conical at its
outer or working end and formed with a projection extending
angularly with respect to its axis. This angular projection also
includes a part which serves as a backup member for a knife which
is mounted at the end of the inner slidable member and the cutting
edge of which is sloped to approximately the same degree as the
angularity of the projection referred to so that the edge of the
knife and the surface of the backup member are approximately
parallel.
The device may be made of several different materials such as
plastic, glass or metal, or combinations thereof. Although the
knife supported by the inner sliding member is usually made of
metal such as steel it may be of the same material as the inner
member, or both the inner and outer members. In one form of the
invention the knife is made integral with the inner slidable member
and this form is particularly adapted for the one-piece
construction.
The instrument is held by the hand of the surgeon and the sliding
movement of the inner member to effect the movement of the knife is
produced by the surgeon's hand, for example, the thumb, which
engages the inner member through a suitable opening in the outer
member.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE VIEWS OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the device in combination with
the operator's hand which is shown in phantom.
FIG. 2 is a view showing the instrument in central longitudinal
partial section.
FIG. 3 is a longitudinal section taken on line 3--3 of FIG. 2.
FIG. 4 is a view drawn to an enlarged scale of the upper portion of
the device as shown in FIG. 2 with the knife in a different
position.
FIG. 5 is a top or plan view of the device as seen from the upper
end of FIG. 3 but drawn to the same scale as FIG. 4.
FIG. 6 is a view similar to the upper end portion of FIG. 2 showing
a modification.
FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 3 taken on line 7--7 of FIG.
6.
FIG. 8 is a top or plan view similar to FIG. 5 looking from the
upper end of FIG. 6.
FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 6 of a further modification.
FIG. 10 is similar to FIG. 9 with the knife in a different position
and
FIG. 11 is a view similar to FIG. 6 showing a still further
modification.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The instrument of the invention is shown in the hand of the user in
FIG. 1 the hand being shown in phantom. The device comprises an
outer tubular member 15 which is shown as being cylindrical and
slender considering the purpose for which it is to be used. This
member has a short tapered or conical portion 16 which terminates
in an angular projection 17, the lateral dimension of which is no
longer than the diameter of member 15.
Mounted in slidable relation within member 15 there is an inner
member 18 which desirably has a corrugated portion 19 to be engaged
by the thumb of the user through a short opening 20 in outer member
15. The remaining details of construction will be described
below.
Now referring to FIGS. 2-5 the tapered portion 16 has two opposite
equally sloping walls 21 and 22, the upper edges of which 23 and 24
terminate short of the apex 25 of the outer member so as to leave a
lateral opening for the passage of a suture 26 to be cut and
removed. Apex 25 is at the outer end of the angular projection 17
as shown more clearly in FIG. 3. Thus angular projection 17 is
integral at its right end as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5 with the
sidewall of outer member 15, and the opposite sides of projection
17 are approximately parallel.
Mounted on a flat surface 27 provided on inner slidable member 18
at its outer end there is a cutting blade 28 which is mounted at
one side of and parallel with the axis of the device and has a
cutting edge approximately parallel with angular projection 17. As
shown by the section lining in FIGS. 2-4 the instrument illustrated
is made of synthetic plastic, and the steel cutting blade or knife
28 is held in place by means of a stud 29, the end of which is
softened and formed into a head by heat treatment.
The inner surface 30 of angular projection 17 is flat and forms a
backup surface 30 to support the suture while it is being severed
by knife 28. On the right-hand portion of angular projection 17
there is a flat surface 31 which is in alignment with surface 27 on
inner member 18. After the operator inserts the angular projection
17 beneath a suture 26 he pushes inner member 18 forward and the
edge of knife 28 is thus moved against the suture and severs it by
a shearing action with the intersection 32 between surfaces 30 and
31, which intersection forms a backup cutting edge. As shown in
FIG. 3 the angularity of the edge of blade 28 differs slightly from
that of the edge 24 which forms the lower edge of the lateral
suture opening 33.
In order to grip suture 26 so as to remove it a compressible member
34 is formed on the inner end of the inner sliding member 18. As
illustrated this is a hollow member so that as knife 28 is pushed
forward and cuts the suture 26 member 34 is deformed as it presses
against the suture as indicated in FIG. 4. Thus the left-hand part
of suture 26 is gripped before it is severed from the suture
section 35 shown at the right.
When the inner slidable member 18 is cylindrical and therefore
easily rotatable with respect to the outer member 15 it is
important to maintain the knife or blade 28 parallel with surface
31 on angular projection 17 and with the backup and shearing
intersection 32. This may be accomplished by providing a narrow
elongated and shallow recess 36 in the surface of inner member 18,
and an elongated rib 37 on the inner surface of outer member 15 and
which projects into recess 36.
The modification shown in FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 is similar in
construction to that previously described in connection with FIGS.
2-5 and similar reference numerals have been used in these figures
where the parts are alike. There are two differences. One of these
is that blade or knife member 28a of FIGS. 6 and 7 is bonded on its
inner surface to the surface 27 on inner member 18, instead of
being secured thereto by the stud 29. The second difference is the
provision of an arcuate reaction member 38 (FIG. 8) which has a
flat interior surface 39 to engage the outer surface of knife 28a
and maintain it in its proper working position with respect to the
surface 31 of the backup member provided by angular projection
17.
In the constructions previously described and shown in FIGS. 1-8
the suture is first gripped and then cut or severed whereas in the
constructions of FIGS. 9-11, the opposite is the case. The suture
is first cut and then gripped. Referring to FIGS. 9 and 10 the
construction is similar to that described above in connection with
FIGS. 6 and 7. That is to say the knife 28a is bonded to surface 27
of the inner sliding member 18 and a reaction member 38 having a
flat inner surface 39 presses the knife against the surface 31 on
angular projection 17. The difference from the previous figures is
that the compressible member 34 which holds the suture against
surface 30 while it is being cut is omitted. Instead of gripping
the suture 26 by such a compressible member, knife 28a first severs
the suture and then the outer surface 40 of the outer end of inner
sliding member 18 engages the suture and presses it against surface
30. In FIG. 9 the parts are shown prior to severing the suture and
in FIG. 10 they are shown after suture has been severed.
It will be understood of course that instead of bonding the knife
28a in position, it may be held in place in any other suitable way,
as for example by a stud 29 as previously illustrated and
described.
In the modification shown in FIG. 11 the knife blade 28b is made
integral with the inner slidable member 18, instead of being bonded
or otherwise held in position. Also the flat longitudinal surface
31 of the previous figures has been omitted and the inner surface
30 of angular projection 17 is employed as a backup member so that
when knife 28b is advanced to cut the suture it merely forces the
outer surface of the suture against surface 30 while the point of
the knife is penetrating the suture to this surface. As shown in
FIG. 11 a compressible member 34a comprising a piece of plastic
sponge, rubber or the like is mounted at the outer end of inner
sliding member 18 and engages the inner surface of the suture while
knife 28b is producing the severing action. The suture therefore is
gripped either just prior to or during the severing process and
such gripping will be maintained until the suture has been
removed.
Although all forms of the invention are constructed to be
advantageous from the standpoint of disposability the form of FIG.
11 is particularly advantageous from this standpoint because its
cutting knife is made in one piece with the inner sliding
member.
Also the edge of the knife can move beyond the suture after
severing, as in previous forms.
* * * * *