Delivery forceps

Claim 2

In an apparatus for assisting in delivery of a fetus from a womb, the combination comprising: a. housing means including an elongated hollow body having a cylindrical bore therein; b. a generally cylindrical sleeve slidably received in said body; c. a plurality of flexible fingers attached to one end of said sleeve, said fingers being extendable from and retractable into said body by relative movement between said body and said sleeve; d. a guide rod axially received within said body and said sleeve, and having means at one of its ends for flairing outwardly said fingers when said fingers are extended from said body; and e. means to secure said fingers to said head of said fetus.

Claim 3

In the apparatus of claim 1 wherein said securing means includes a cord having a noose portion connected to said fingers.

Claim 4

In the apparatus of claim 1 wherein said securing means includes a continuous, thin, flexible membrane connecting all of said fingers.

Claim 5

In the apparatus of claim 1 wherein said securing means includes a cord having a noose portion connected to the outer ends of said fingers and a continuous, thin, flexible membrane connecting all of said fingers.

Claim 6

In the apparatus of claim 2 wherein means to tighten said noose is provided.

Claim 7

In the apparatus of claim 3 wherein means are provided for evacuating the space between said membrane and said head of said fetus to securely attach said membrane and said fingers to said head of said fetus.

Claim 8

In an apparatus for assisting in the delivery of a fetus from a womb, the combination comprising: a. an elongated support body having an axial bore extending therethrough; b. a guide rod having a diameter smaller than said bore fixedly, axially positioned within said bore and having at least one end extending outwardly therefrom; c. a sleeve slidably mounted on said guide rod for movement into and out of said bore in said body; d. a plurality of flexible fingers attached at their inner ends to one end of said sleeve, said fingers adapted to be received substantially within the bore of said body when said sleeve is moved to a position suBstantially outside said body and to be extended from said body when said sleeve is received substantially within said body; e. a continuous, thin, flexible membrane connecting all of said fingers; f. a cord having a noose portion connected to the outer ends of said fingers and a terminal portion extending through the bore in said body; and g. a windlass assembly carried by the outer end of said guide rod and connected to the terminal end of said cord for tightening said cord to secure said fingers to said head of said fetus.

Claim 9

In an apparatus for assisting in the delivery of a fetus from a womb, the combination comprising: a. an elongated support body having an axial bore extending therethrough; b. a guide rod having a diameter smaller than said bore fixedly, axially positioned within said bore and having at least one end extending outwardly therefrom; c. a sleeve slidably mounted on said guide rod for movement into and out of said bore in said body; d. a plurality of flexible fingers attached at their inner ends to one end of said sleeve, said fingers adapted to be received substantially within the bore of said body when said sleeve is moved to a position suBstantially outside said body and to be extended from said body when said sleeve is received substantially within said body; e. a continuous, thin, flexible membrane connecting all of said fingers; f. a cord having a noose portion connected to the outer ends of said fingers and a terminal portion extending through the bore in said body; and g. a windlass assembly carried by the outer end of said guide rod and connected to the terminal end of said cord for tightening said cord to secure said fingers to said head of said fetus.

Claim 10

In the apparatus of claim 7 wherein said guide rod is provided with a bore therethrough for evacuating the space between said membrane and said head of said fetus.

Claim 11

In the apparatus of claim 7 wherein said sleeve is provided with a plurality of elongated slots and said body is connected to said guide rod by means of spacer blocks slidably received in said slots in said sleeve.

Claim 12

In the apparatus of claim 7 wherein the end of said guide rod adjacent said fingers is provided with an outwardly flaring surface.

Claim 13

In the apparatus of claim 7 wherein one of said fingers is provided with a bore therethrough which receives a part of said terminal portion of said cord.