U.S. patent number 3,834,021 [Application Number 05/326,500] was granted by the patent office on 1974-09-10 for precision instrument system.
Invention is credited to W. Bradford De Long, Robert W. White.
United States Patent |
3,834,021 |
White , et al. |
September 10, 1974 |
PRECISION INSTRUMENT SYSTEM
Abstract
A tool system for cutting, clamping, positioning, stretching and
other tool functions precisely, and particularly in deep or narrow
cavities, which may be operated by one hand, and particularly by a
set of intrinsic hand muscles which permit sensitive and accurate
tool control without fatigue, which is especially useful in
microsurgical work and miniature electronic assembly, and in which
a support may be carried by the hand or its digits to receive
interchangeable tools that lie between and are controlled by at
least two digits of the hand.
Inventors: |
White; Robert W. (New York,
NY), De Long; W. Bradford (San Francisco, CA) |
Family
ID: |
23272471 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/326,500 |
Filed: |
January 24, 1973 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
30/232; 294/25;
606/205; 30/249; 606/174 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B25B
9/00 (20130101); A61B 17/2804 (20130101); A61B
17/3201 (20130101); H01L 21/68707 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A61B
17/32 (20060101); A61B 17/28 (20060101); H01L
21/67 (20060101); H01L 21/687 (20060101); B25B
9/00 (20060101); B26b 013/16 (); B26b 013/26 () |
Field of
Search: |
;30/124,232,245,246,249,291,298 ;128/309,318,321,346,354
;294/25,100 ;81/43 ;24/3A,28A,81AD ;224/28R,28F,28G |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Smith; Al Lawrence
Assistant Examiner: Peters; J. C.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Kenyon & Kenyon Reilly Carr
Claims
We claim:
1. An instrument system which comprises a fixed tool arm having a
first mounting means positioned at its inner end, a movable tool
arm, said movable tool arm adapted to move adjacent to and in
cooperation with said fixed tool arm; a sliding barrel, said barrel
adapted to reciprocate about said fixed tool arm and operably
connected to said movable tool arm second mounting means secured to
the hand and forming a pivot for said first mounting means, said
fixed tool arm held to the hand by the cooperative action between
said first mounting means and said second mounting means, when said
barrel is held by the digits of said hand in normal operating
position.
2. The instrument system of claim 1 in which the pivot formed by
said second mounting means acts as a pivot about which the tool may
be rotated by the digits of that same hand so as to permit more
accurate positioning of the operating end of the fixed tool
arm.
3. The instrument system of claim 2 in which the operating plane of
the tool arms may be rotated without changing the feel or grip of
the system in the hand.
4. The instrument system of claim 3 in which said fixed tool is
pivotally mounted to said movable tool arm whereby the operating
movement of the tool arms is scissorlike.
5. The instrument system of claim 2 in which said first mounting
means comprises a ball and in which said second mounting means is a
socket.
6. The instrument system of claim 5 in which the socket is mounted
to a glove-like fitting over the hand.
7. The instrument system of claim 1 in which said first mounting
means is assisted in its cooperative action with said second
mounting means by a spring itself restrained by said barrel.
8. The instrument system of claim 1 in which the movable tool arm
is pivotably attached to the fixed tool arm.
9. The instrument system of claim 8 in which the movable tool arm
is operably connected to the sliding barrel by a linkage pivotably
attached at one end to the movable arm and pivotably attached at
the other end to said barrel.
10. The instrument system of claim 1 in which the sliding barrel is
resiliently urged outward with respect to said fixed tool arm, so
that it may be moved inwardly by digital pressure.
11. The instrument system of claim 7 which further comprises means
for adjusting the amount said spring means contributes to said
cooperative action.
12. A precision instrument system which comprises a fixed tool arm;
a swinging tool arm pivotally mounted to said fixed tool arm; said
fixed arm having first mounting means positioned at its inner end;
second mounting means secured to the hand and forming a pivot for
said first mounting means, said fixed tool arm held to the hand by
the cooperative action between said first mounting means and said
second mounting means; a sliding barrel adapted to reciprocate
about said tool arm; said swinging tool arm being operably
connected to said sliding barrel.
13. The precision instrument system of claim 12 in which the
sliding barrel is adapted to be gripped for reciprocation by two or
more digits of the hand to which the rigid tool arm is held
adjacent.
14. The precision instrument system of claim 12 in which the
sliding barrel is urged outwardly by a resilient spring.
15. The precision instrument system of claim 14 in which said
second mounting means is stabilized by being held adjacent to a
human hand in a fixed point of rotation that does not change during
operating actuation of the tool.
16. The precision instrument system of claim 15 in which the
cooperative action between said first and second mounting means
permits free rotational movement whereby the fixed and swinging
tool arms may be angularly rotated by two digits of the hand for
reciprocating said sliding barrel.
17. The precision instrument system of claim 16 in which the
sliding barrel is adapted to be pressured by digits of said hand so
that in operation, said digits act with forces which are opposed in
all directions but that needed to produce the desired degree of
tool arm movement so that the movement of the tool is predictable,
and relatively unaffected by the tightness or tension with which
the tool is held.
18. The precision instrument system of claim 17 in which said
digits comprise the thumb and at least the first fingers of said
hands.
19. The precision instrument system of claim 17 in which the
reciprocation of said barrel does not affect the position or
movement of the fixed tool arm in any way.
20. The precision instrument system which comprises a first tool
arm having a working end portion, said first tool arm being
adjustably received in a threaded receptacle, said receptacle being
detachably mounted to a flexible material which is adapted to mount
to a human hand to provide a pivotal and secure support for the
first tool arm; a second tool arm having a working end portion,
said second tool arm pivotably attached to said first tool arm; a
sliding barrel adapted for reciprocation about a portion of the
first tool arm, said sliding barrel adapted to be held in a pencil
grip by the thumb and fingers of the hand to which the flexible
material is adapted to be fit, said barrel operably connected to
said second tool arm, the working end portions of the first and
second tool arms interconnected to the sliding barrel such that
relative movement between said first tool arm and said sliding
barrel actuates the same, whereby the operation of the said working
end portions of said tool arms relative to one another may be
controlled by the digits of the hand to which the said flexible
material is mounted.
21. The precision instrument system of claim 20 in which said
sliding barrel is urged generally away from the mounting location
to the hand by a spring.
22. The precision instrument system of claim 21 in which the
tension of the spring is adjustable.
23. The precision instrument system of claim 20 in which the second
tool arm is attached to the sliding barrel by rigid linkage.
24. The precision instrument system of claim 15 in which said
second mounting means is held by an elastic strap or glove which is
adapted to be mounted to said human hand.
25. The instrument system of claim 1 in which said first mounting
means and said second mounting means are adapted such that the tool
portion of said instrument can be disengaged from said second
mounting means and replaced by another tool portion by the same
hand which carries said second mounting means.
26. The precision instrument system of claim 12 in which said first
mounting means and said second mounting means are adapted such that
the tool portion of said instrument can be disengaged from said
second mounting means and replaced by another tool portion by the
same hand which carries said second mounting means.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE
The concern for providing a surgical tool which may be firmly and
comfortably fitted to the hand for precision operation is evidenced
by the Harter U.S. Pat. No. 2,846,766 for scissors with flexible
handles that were designed to permit a surgeon to get a secure grip
on the snips, and the Hoppe U.S. Pat. No. 3,372,477 teaches a tool
for both cutting and holding a suture which may be held in one hand
and thumb operated.
The general background of the cutting tool art includes those
devices designed for agricultural uses such as taught by the Cole
and French Pat. No. 222,244, which discloses a cutting instrument
comprising a shank extension (c) with a hooked stationary blade (a)
at its outer end to which moving blade (e) is pivotably attached
and powered in a scissors motion by a linkage rod (m) which is
connected to a movable barrel or handle (n) which is slidable with
respect to the shank (c), the blade being urged to open position by
resilient spring (g). See also Hill and Young U.S. Pat. No. 992,561
and Page U.S. Pat. No. 2,376,002.
The Stockton and Willimon U.S. Pat. No. 1,104,573 evidences the
past practice of attaching a hand tool to the hand as by strap
(18), and tools for one-hand use are, of course, well known; see,
for example, Berger and Berger U.S. Pat. No. 3,481,641 which
illustrates a simple grasping instrument.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A guiding conception of the applicant's precision instrument system
has been the provision of an operating mechanism for a series of
tools (cutting, clamping, sawing, sewing, stretching, clipping,
holding, etc.) which could be controlled through the digits by the
delicate intrinsic muscles of the hand. Additionally, the tool
itself may be supported by the wrist muscles through attachment to
the hand, as by an elastic strap carrying appropriate support
means.
The control muscles used by this system are those which are
typically developed from childhood, for example, by writing, and
the employment of the applicant's system permits this highly
developed skill to be used in delicate surgical, assembly and other
tasks.
The instrument system is also designed so that the operating plane
of the cutting, clamping or other tool operating motion may be
adjusted 360.degree. by simply rolling the round tool barrel
between two digits of the hand, and so that the digital movement
used to control and operate the tool remains the same regardless of
the angular orientation given to the cutting or other motion of the
tool.
The tool is designed so that it may be stabilized by an extension
held against the palm or stabilized and supported by the hand by a
ball which may be snapped to a socket carried on an elastic strap
or gloove which snugly fits the hand. The strap or glove may be
custom made to fit the hand, and of a material which may be
sterilized. A variety of tools may be interchangeably attached with
one hand by snapping their balls into and out of the socket carried
by the strap or glove, or otherwise by the hand.
DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the instrument system attached by a
strap to a hand and held as it might be in use.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the instrument system, except
for the strap and glove.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a tool portion of the instrument
system.
DESCRIPTION
The instrument system comprises a working tool arm portion which is
exemplified in FIGS. 1 and 2 as scissor-type cutting blades. A
fixed blade 2 (shown best in FIG. 2) is integral with rod 4 which
carries threads 6 at its inner end and is adjustably screwably
positioned within the threaded portion 7 of the receptacle 8 which,
in one embodiment, carries a ball 10 adapted to be snapped into and
out of socket 12 carried on a backing plate 14 attached (as by
adhesive) to an elastic strap 16 or its glove equivalent which
snugly fits the surgeon's or tool worker's hand 18.
The receptacle 8 is fabricated or formed to provide hollow tubular
guide 20 which is generally concentric with the threaded position 7
of the receptacle 8 and which extends generally along and about the
rod 4.
A sliding barrel 22 rides on the tubular guide 20. A swinging blade
26 is pivotably mounted to the fixed blade 2 at pivot 28. The
sliding barrel 22 is operably connected to the swinging blade 26 by
linkage 14, which is pivotably attached to the swinging blade at
pivot 30 and to the sliding barrel at pivot 32.
Resilient spring 34 extends between a shoulder 36 on the outwardly
facing end of receptacle 8, and an inwardly facing shoulder 38 on
sliding barrel 22.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, spring 34 urges the sliding barrel
outwardly, and the swinging blade 22 toward an open position.
As can be seen in FIG. 2, the reciprocation of the sliding barrel
22 will be stopped by interference with the linkage 14 or the end
of the swinging blade 26. Alternatively, a stop for the sliding
barrel may be positioned along the length of the rigid blade 2.
In one alternative embodiment, the instrument system is equipped
with a clamping tool in which the tool arms include a fixed clamp
surface 42 and swinging clamp surface 40 as shown in FIG. 3, in
which the construction of the tool arms carrying the clamp surfaces
is shown as being such that the spring 34 urges the clamp surfaces
into a clamping position.
In another alternative embodiment, the receptacle 8 may be provided
with a modified form designed to rest in the web of the users hand
between the thumb and finger in place of the ball 10. For example,
it may be provided with a pistol-shaped handle providing pivotal
and rotable freedom of movement to the fixed tool arm about a
stable point of rotation and as might be provided by a ball and
socket joint, or simply a right angle swivel extension. In use, the
modified form of fixed tool arm is held to or against the web of
the hand by spring 34 (which spring may not be omitted in this
alternative embodiment).
In either case, the ball 10 or the piston shaped handle may act as
a pivot at the inner end of the tool, which permits more accurate
positioning and movement of the tool at the operating end
particularly if the hand which is adjacent the pivot is steadied
against an object or surface.
In use, the elastic strap 16 or its equivalent, for example, a
closed or open glove, is fitted to the hand. The fit should be snug
so as to provide a stable mount for the socket 12. For the same
purpose, the mounting plate 14 should be made large so as to
prevent any relative moving or rotating between the socket 12 and
the elastic strap 16 or glove.
In another embodiment, the socket or mount may be carried at the
inner portion of one, but preferably at least two digits, for
example between a pair of interconnected finger rings, and for ease
of reference this is also referred to herein as being a mount
carried by the hand of said digits. In some surgical procedures, it
may be desirable to remove the mount at certain times and the use
of removable rings facilitates this. In summary, tool control is
achieved by the applicant's device with various types of mounts,
including even a pistol or right angle extension designed to rest
in the web of the hand.
The selected tool is then mounted to the socket 12 by its ball 10.
Socket 12 may be made of teflon or other material which is self
lubricating and which securely grips the ball, or otherwise as is
known in the ball and socket art. The particular tool used during
an operation may be changed many times but, because of
standardization in construction, the "feel" and control of each
tool will remain the same.
It will be understood that although this instrument system may be
securely mounted to the hand in use, even in this embodiment a
variety of tools can be substituted conveniently, and can be
substituted in a one-handed operation in which the hand to which
the instrument system is mounted may itself exchange systems
(without the aid of the other hand, which may remain engaged). The
sliding barrel 22 of the tool to be replaced is reciprocated
outward (by the hand to which it is attached) until it meets a stop
or interfere with the linkage 14, and thereupon additional movement
pulls ball 10 from its socket 12. Similarly, a new tool may be
inserted by moving the sliding barrel 22 of the tool to be used
inward until the linkage 14 is fully extended or until the shoulder
38 on the barrel 22 interfers with shoulder 39 on the recepticle 8,
whichever first occurs, whereupon further movement will cause the
ball 10 to slip to the socket 12. The tools may in this manner by
interchanged even if each hand is provided with a socket, and one
hand may be employed while the other hand exchanges the tool which
may have been attached to it.
Once the tool is mounted on the socket to the hand, or, in the
modified form, for example, once the piston grip is held to the web
of the hand, that tool may be rotated between the digits, perhaps
most conveniently between the thymb and the first end second
fingers, so that the cutting clamping or tool operation will take
place in the desired plane. Again, the operation and feel of the
instrument system remains the same regardless of the angular
orientation given to the cutting, clamping or other working
operation.
The resilient forces of the spring 34 may be adjusted by screwing
the rod 4 into or out of the threaded portion 7 of the receptacle
8. If desired, the spring 34 may be omitted altogether and the
barrel reciprocated both in and out between digits of the hand as
described below. It may be preferred to adjust all of the tools to
have the same relative compression of the springs 34, so that the
control feel will remain the same even though many different
working heads may be exchanged and used, but if it is desired to
have some tools bear a stronger force than others, the instrument
system can readily accomplish this.
The cutting, clamping, stretching or other operating movement of
the tool is controlled by pulling two or more digits of the hand
holding the tool about the sliding barrel 22 thereof inward to
close the blades and clamps (as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2) to hold the
barrel or to open them (by the alternative shown in FIG. 3). The
opposite movement is achieved by extending the digits permitting
the spring 34 to reciprocate barrel 22 outward. One preferred
teaching is to use the thumb 50 and the index or first finger 52
and the second finger 54. As shown generally in FIG. 1 by this
teaching, the movements are somewhat similar to those performed by
the fingers in writing (as may be understood by taking a pencil in
hand and observing its motions in writing). Another teaching is to
use the first finger 52 and the second finger 54, with the barrel
22 lying between them.
The weight of the tool in the typical operating position is carried
by the socket, and supported by the stronger muscles or the wrist,
and the fingers with their intrinsic muscles of the hand are
typically free to control the tool's movement, and to do so without
fatigue.
The system is particularly adapted for precision operation, even on
a microscopic scale, since one tool arm is rigid, and is not moved
during the operating procedure which is an aid in precisely
positioning the tool for operation in a precisely determined
location.
It will be understood that the term fixed tool arm is used herein
to include the fixed blade 2, or the fixed clamp 42, and any other
fixed tool element and that the "swinging tool arm" is used herein
to include the swinging blade 26 or the swinging clamp 40 and any
other swinging tool element.
It will be understood that particularly useful applications of this
instrument system are for surgeons utilizing the operating
microscope, a group which includes certain neurosurgeons,
ophthamologists, otolaryngologists and plastic surgeons, and that
it may also be used in the electronic industry where certain
operations require precision work in soldering or circuit
assembly.
It will also be understood that the sliding barrel 22 of the
instrument system is designed to lie in a "pencil" grip. In this
position, in gripping the barrel ever more tightly it is natural in
a normal hand to grip it with balanced and opposed forces that the
force so of gripping does not cause any movement in the operating
ends of the tool arms. It is only in extending or retracting the
barrel that the forces of the digits of the hand do not
substantially balance out. Similarly, this same balancing of forces
takes place in the embodiment wherein the sliding barrel 22 lies
between the first and second fingers.
* * * * *