Needle holder having a rotating clamp for surgical sutures

Claim 1

A NEEDLE HOLDER FOR USE WITH A NEEDLE EFFECTING SURGICAL SUTURES COMPRISING AN ELONGATED TUBULAR MEMBER, CLAMP MEANS ADAPTED TO HOLD SAID NEEDLE INCLUDING A HOLLOW MEMBER HAVING A CUT-OUT PORTION ADJACENT ONE END THEREOF AND A ROD SLIDABLE WITHIN SAID HOLLOW MEMBER, THE END OF SAID ROD FACING THE CUT-OUT PORTION OF THE HOLLOW MEMBER AND THE FACING SURFACE OF SAID CUT-OUT PORTION FORMING A PAIR OF OPPOSED CLAMPING JAWS, AND SPRING MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID ROD NORMALLY HOLDING SAID CLAMPING JAWS APART IN THE OPEN POSITION THEREOF, SAID HOLLOW MEMBER BEING ROTATABLY MOUNTED AT ONE END OF SAID TUBULAR MEANS ROTATION ABOVE AN AXIS PASSING THROUGH SAID CLAMPING JAWS AND PERPENDICULAR TO THE AXIS OF SAID TUBULAR MEMBER, MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY CLAMPING SAID JAWS TOGETHER AGAINST THE ACTION OF SAID SPRING MEANS TO HOLD SAID NEEDLE INCLUDING SPINDLE MEANS AXIALLY SLIDABLE IN SAID TUBULAR MEMBER, A ROCKER ARM ON SAID TUBULAR MEMBER ENGAGING AT THE OPPOSITE ENDS THEREOF THE END OF SAID ROD OPPOSITE SAID CLAMPING JAWS AND SAID SPINDLE MEANS, SAID SPINDLE MEANS INCLUDING A WEDGE MEMBER ENGAGING SAID ROCKER ARM FOR APPLYING AXIAL MOVEMENT OF SAID SPINDLE MEANS TO SAID CLAMPING JAWS TO CLOSE THE SAME, A HANDLE MEANS ADAPTED TO BE OPERATED BY ONE HAND SECURED TO THE END OF SAID TUBULAR MEMBER OPPOSITE SAID CLAMP MEANS INCLUDING AT LEAST ONE PIVOTAL ARM FOR SELECTIVELY AXIALLY MOVING SAID SPINDLE MEANS TO CLOSE SAID CLAMPING JAWS AND RELEASABLE DETENT MEANS FOR LOCKING SAID PIVOTAL ARM IN THE POSITION THEREOF CORRESPONGING TO THE CLAMPING POSITION OF SAID CLAMPING JAWS, AND FIRST RETURN SPRING MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH THE TUBULAR MEMBER AND SAID SPINDLE MEANS FOR NORMALLY HOLDING SAID SPINDLE MEANS IN THE POSITION THEREOF CORRESPONDING TO SAID OPEN POSITION OF SAID CLAMPING JAWS, AND MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY ROTATING SAID CLAMPING MEANS INCLUDING PULLEY MEANS SECURED TO SAID CLAMP MEANS, CABLELIKE MEANS PASSING AROUND SAID PULLEY MEANS, AND AN ACTUATING SLEEVE MEANS INCLUDING A TRIGGER MEMBER ADAPTED TO BE OPERATED BY SAID HAND, SAID ACTUATING SLEEVE MEANS BEING SLIDABLY MOUNTED ON SAID TUBULAR MEMBER AND OPERATIVELY SECURED TO ONE END OF SAID CABLE-LIKE MEANS FOR PULLING SAID CABLE-LIKE MEANS TO ROTATE SAID PULLEY AND THEREWITH SAID CLAMP MEANS, AND SECOND RETURN SPRING MEAND OPERATIVELY SECURED TO THE OTHER END OF SAID CABLE-LIKE MEANS AND SAID TUBULAR MEMBER FOR NORMALLY KEEPING SAID CLAMP MEANS IN A PRESELECTED RADIAL POSITION WITH RESPECT TO SAID AXIS TO EFFECT RETURN OF SAID CLAMP MEANS TO SAID PRESELECTED POSITION UPON RELEASE OF SAID ACTUATING MEANS.