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EP0350291A2 Expired / Lapsed EP ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Improved safety trocar

Assignee: Ethicon Inc
•
Filing: 1989-07-05
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2009-07-05
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Abstract

Abstract A safety trocar is provided which includes a spring-loaded shield (32) that shields the cutting tip of the obturator after the obturator penetrates tissue. The distal end (34) of the shield is hemispheric in profile and contains a slot which conforms to the geometry of the cutting tip. The rounded distal end enables the shield to spring forward to shield the cutting tip as soon as the tip perforates the tissue. A valve is located at the proximal end of the trocar tube to seal the end of the tube. The valve is oriented at an acute angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the trocar tube. The valve is controllable by an external lever which will hold the valve open or permit it to spring shut. An incremental advancement mechanism cooperates with the obturator to permit only incremental advance of the obturator. Instead of using a discrete shield component the shielding function may be provided by spring-loading the trocar tube itself to spring forward and shield the obturator tip after the tip penetrates tissue.

Inventors

  • 👤 Jose C. Deniega
  • 👤 Stephen Failla

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction EP
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-23 05:38
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B17/00; A61B17/34; A61B17/3494; A61B17/3496; A61B90/00; A61B90/08; A61B2090/0801; A61B2090/08021

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim 75 words
A trocar including a trocar tube having a proximal end and a distal end, an obturator having a perforating tip and extendable through the tube to perforate tissue at the distal end of the tube, and a safety shield extendable to shield the tip of the obturator, said safety shield exhibiting a rounded distal end with a slot for passage of said obturator tip therethrough, said slot conforming to the geometry of said obturator tip.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 75 words
A trocar including a trocar tube having a proximal end and a distal end, an obturator having a perforating tip and extendable through the tube to perforate tissue at the distal end of the tube, and a safety shield extendable to shield the tip of the obturator, said safety shield exhibiting a rounded distal end with a slot for passage of said obturator tip therethrough, said slot conforming to the geometry of said obturator tip.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 24 words
The trocar of Claim 1, wherein said rounded distal end is hemispheric in profile and the geometry of said obturator tip is three-sided pyramidal.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 53 words
The trocar of Claim 2, wherein said slot is bounded by three distally extending semicircular lobes of the distal end of said shield, and the proximal sides of said semicircular lobes oppose each other on either side of respective cutting edges of said obturator tip when said tip is extended through said slot.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 31 words
The trocar of Claim 3, wherein each of said lobes includes an inner surface which contacts a face of said obturator tip when said tip is fully extended through said slot.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 20 words
The trocar of Claim 3, wherein said slot extends radially to the outermost radial cutting edge of said obturator tip.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 94 words
A trocar including a trocar tube having a proximal end and a distal end, an obturator having a perforating tip and extendable through the tube to perforate tissue at the distal end of the tube, comprising: a valve located in the proximity of the proximal end of said trocar tube, and including a sealing member which sealingly engages an annular member, said annular member surrounding the longitudinal path of said trocar tube and being oriented in a plane which is at an acute angle with respect to said longitudinal path of said trocar tube.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 94 words
A trocar including a trocar tube having a proximal end and a distal end, an obturator having a perforating tip and extendable through the tube to perforate tissue at the distal end of the tube, comprising: a valve located in the proximity of the proximal end of said trocar tube, and including a sealing member which sealingly engages an annular member, said annular member surrounding the longitudinal path of said trocar tube and being oriented in a plane which is at an acute angle with respect to said longitudinal path of said trocar tube.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 49 words
The trocar of Claim 6, wherein said sealing member is a flap having a hingingly mounted proximal end and an opposite, distal end, said distal end being closer to the distal end of said trocar tube than said proximal end when said flap is sealed on said annular member.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 25 words
The trocar of Claim 7, further including a compartment mounted at the proximal end of said trocar tube, said valve being located within said compartment.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 65 words
The trocar of Claim 8, wherein said annular member is located at the distal end of a tubular member extending distally from the proximal end of said compartment, said tubular member defining a longitudinal path through which said obturator may pass and having a distal annular end located in a plane which is acutely oriented with respect to the longitudinal path of said trocar tube.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 18 words
The trocar of Claim 9, further including a gasket located on the proximal end of said tubular member.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 43 words
The trocar of Claim 8, further comprising a lever located outside said compartment and connected to said sealing member, said lever having a first position for maintaining said valve in a open condition, and a second position for allowing said valve to close.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 34 words
The trocar of Claim 11, further including a valve member located outside said compartment distal said valve, wherein said lever further cooperates with said valve member to render said valve member open or closed.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 51 words
A trocar including a trocar tube having a proximal end and a distal end, an obturator having a perforating tip and extendable through the tube to perforate tissue at the distal end of the tube, comprising: incremental advancement means, cooperating with said obturator, for permitting incremental distal advancement of said obturator.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 51 words
A trocar including a trocar tube having a proximal end and a distal end, an obturator having a perforating tip and extendable through the tube to perforate tissue at the distal end of the tube, comprising: incremental advancement means, cooperating with said obturator, for permitting incremental distal advancement of said obturator.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 14 words
The trocar of Claim 13, wherein said incremental advancement means is a ratchet mechanism.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 13 words
The trocar of Claim 14, wherein said ratchet mechanism includes a cam member.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 15 words
The trocar of Claim 13, wherein said incremental advancement means comprises a pawl clock escapement.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 14 words
The trocar of Claim 13, wherein said incremental advancement means comprises a screw mechanism.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 109 words
A trocar comprising: a trocar tube having a proximal end and a distal end; an obturator having a perforating tip and extendable through the tube to perforate tissue at the distal end of the tube; a housing located at the proximal end of said trocar tube; and resilient means located at the proximal end of said trocar tube and permitting said trocar tube to retract proximally to allow said obturator tip to extend distal the distal end of said trocar tube when force is exerted against said distal end of said trocar tube, and enabling said trocar tube to extend in a distal direction when said force is removed.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim 109 words
A trocar comprising: a trocar tube having a proximal end and a distal end; an obturator having a perforating tip and extendable through the tube to perforate tissue at the distal end of the tube; a housing located at the proximal end of said trocar tube; and resilient means located at the proximal end of said trocar tube and permitting said trocar tube to retract proximally to allow said obturator tip to extend distal the distal end of said trocar tube when force is exerted against said distal end of said trocar tube, and enabling said trocar tube to extend in a distal direction when said force is removed.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim 39 words
The trocar of Claim 18, wherein said resilient means comprises a spring, said trocar tube includes a proximal flange, said housing includes an abutment surface, and said spring is mounted for compression between said flange and said abutment surface.

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