Surgical Instrument For Biopsy

Abstract

A surgical instrument comprising a first assembly member having a handle portion, a shank portion and a tip portion all substantially fixed in spatial and structural relation to each other, a second handle member hingedly connected to the first assembly member at the juncture of the handle and shank portions, a shank member hingedly connected to the second handle member and slidably mating with the shank portion of the first assembly member, and a tip member hingedly connected to the shank member at the end thereof remote from the handle-shank hinge and hingedly connected to the first assembly member at the juncture of the tip and shank portions thereof, this tip member being adapted to mate with the tip portion of the first assembly member when the handle member and the handle portion of the first assembly member are moved toward each other.

Description

This invention relates in general to a surgical instrument and more particularly to an improved surgical instrument for use in operations and biopsies of the larynx and trachea.

Conventional laryngeal and tracheal surgical instruments generally consist of a scissorslike tool designed and dimensioned for use in parts of the body inaccessible for open operation being provided at its insertion end with a punching and/or cutting element. This instrument is inserted into the larynx or trachea and an opening and/or incision made. The known device with its punching and/or cutting end is disadvantageous in that it does more damage than is necessary to the tissues involved and further must be inserted with the greatest of care in order to avoid inadvertent penetration of a blood vessel, membrane or musculo structure. Further, withdrawal of tissue and especially small sections of tissue which has been excised for palliative or study purposes (biopsy) cannot be carried out with the same instrument. This requires the insertion of a second instrument as for example forceps. The change from one instrument to another gives rise to delays and requires much skill and effort. During such manipulations the presence of a cutting edge increases the possibility of injury to the delicate tissue as does the additional movement involved in the changeover.

An object of this invention is the provision of a surgical instrument which may advantageously be employed in internal surgical procedures.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a surgical instrument which may advantageously be employed in surgical procedures involving the larynx, pharynx, nose, trachea, bronchi and like areas.

Another object of this invention is to provide a more easily, more safely and less painfully inserted and withdrawn surgical instrument.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a surgical instrument adapted to both sever and remove the severed tissue.

Many other objects, advantages and features of invention reside in the particular construction, combination and arrangement of parts involved in the embodiments of the invention and its practice as will be understood from the following description and accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the completely assembled instrument;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of an instrument in accordance with the invention showing the handles in closed position;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of an instrument in accordance with the invention showing the handles in open position;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view along line 4-4 of FIG. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 5 is a partial side elevation showing the forward portion with the tips in closed position;

FIG. 6 is a partial side elevation showing the forward portion with the tips in open position; and

FIG. 7 is a sectional view along line 7-7 of FIG. 5 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to the drawing, the instrument comprises a first handle, shank and tip assembly member 1 having a rearward hinge 2 and a forward hinge 3. A second handle member 4 is hingedly connected via the rearward hinge 2 to the first assembly member 1. A movable shank 5 is hingedly connected via a pivot pin 6 to the second handle member 4. More specifically, the hinge 2 includes an idler member 13 which is pivoted to the first assembly member 1 by a pivot pin 14. The member 13 is received in an appropriate slot substantially at the junction of the handle and shank portions of the first assembly member and extends upwardly therefrom. The outer handle 4 is rigidly connected to the idler member 13 so that the outer handle 4 may be pivoted about the pin 14 via the member 13 toward or away from the stationary inner handle portion of the assembly 1. The end of the shank 5 receives the member 13 in an appropriate slot and is connected thereto by the pivot pin 6. Thus, movement of the handle 4 away from the handle portion of the assembly 1 causes rotation of the member 13 about the pin 14 and thereby causes concomitant forward movement of the shank 5 via the pin connection 6. Reverse movement of the handle 4 will obviously cause rearward movement of the shank 5. This hinge arrangement permits the surgeon to accurately and carefully control the operation of the instrument at all times.

The shank 5 is aligned and mating with the shank portion 7 of the first assembly member 1. A movable tip member 8 is provided hingedly connected to the movable shank 5 by a hinge 9 and via the forward hinge 3 to the shank portion 7 of the first assembly member 1. The tip portion 10 of the first assembly member 1 is in mating relation to the tip member 8. A finger rest 11 is suitably provided on the first assembly member 1 and a screw adjustable safety stop member 12 is suitably operatively engaged through a threaded bore in the second handle member 4. This stop member 12, preferably in the form of a setscrew, is adapted to contact the handle portion of the first assembly member 1 to limit the minimum closing distance between the handles.

The tip portion 10 and the tip member 8 are as is indicated in FIGS. 5 and 6 constructed so as to be concave with respect to each other in their mating surfaces. The uppermost edges of tip portion 10 and tip member 8 are hollow ground to provide a cutting edge facilitating the removal, i.e., excision of tissue. The forward end of the instrument as formed by tip portion 10 and tip member 8 has a blunt but rounded end.

When the blunt forward end of the surgical instrument has been inserted to the desired location in the body, the surgeon opens the operating handles 1 and 4 and thereby opens the tip portion 10 and tip member 8 with respect to each other. The surgeon then closes the operating handles, handle member 4 is moved towards assembly member 1 with the effect that a section of tissue approximately corresponding to the inner area of the combined tip portion 10 and tip member 8 is excised. The excised tissue is received and held within the receptacle formed by the closed forward end of the instrument and is safely and easily removed as the instrument is withdrawn.

The instrumentality may be sterilized in the autoclave in the manner followed in sterilizing the conventional surgical tools.

Claims

What I claim is:

1. A surgical instrument comprising a first assembly member having a first inner handle member, a first shank member and a first tip member, all substantially fixed in spatial and structural relation to each other; an idler member pivotally connected to said first assembly member at the juncture of said first handle and first shank members thereof; a second handle member connected to said idler member and movable therewith; a second shank member hingedly connected to said idler member and slidably mating with said first shank member of said first assembly member; and a second tip member hingedly connected to said second shank member at the end thereof remote from said idler member and hingedly connected to said first assembly member at the junction of the first tip and first shank members thereof, said second tip member being adapted to mate with the first tip member of said first assembly member upon moving the second handle member toward the first handle member of said first assembly member.

2. A surgical instrument according to claim 1 wherein in said first assembly member, said first shank member and first handle member are disposed at an angle to each other opposite to the angular direction at which the first tip member is disposed to said first shank member.

3. A surgical instrument according to claim 1 wherein said first tip member and said second tip member are concave with respect to each other in their mating surfaces.

4. A surgical instrument according to claim 1 wherein the forward portion of said first shank member of said first assembly member surrounds the forward portion of said second shank member.

5. A surgical instrument according to claim 1 wherein said second shank member is keyed to said first shank member along the length thereof.

6. A surgical instrument according to claim 1 including a screw safety stop member connected with said second handle member and adapted to be moved into abutment with said first handle member to limit the distance of movement of said second handle member toward said first handle member.

7. A surgical instrument according to claim 1 including a finger rest provided on said first assembly member.