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US5133360A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Spears retriever

Assignee: COLIN PAUL SPEARS AS TRUSTEE OF COLIN PAUL SPEARS REVOCABLE TRUST
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Filing: 1991-03-07
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Granted: 1992-07-28
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Expires: 2011-03-07
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Abstract

Abstract A biopsy instrument is provided which has a retractable cutting wire or filament looped external to the innermost surface of the distal end of the tissue cutting cylinder. Forceful retraction of the cutting wire will cause displacement and closure of a loop of wire over the distal margin of the cored tissue biopsy, thus freeing the biopsy specimen in its entirety from its original locus and allowing removal of the entire cored biopsy from the body substantially without stretching the specimen along its length.

Inventors

  • 👤 Colin P. Spears

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-24 16:24
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B10/00; A61B10/02; A61B10/0233; A61B10/0266; A61B17/00; A61B17/32; A61B17/322; A61B17/34; A61B17/3468; A61B17/12; A61B17/12009; A61B17/12013; A61B17/3205; A61B17/32053; A61B18/00; A61B18/02; A61B2017/00831; A61B2017/0084; A61B2017/00849; A61B2017/00853; A61B17/320016; A61B2017/32004; A61B18/04; A61B18/12; A61B18/14; A61B2018/1405; A61B2018/1407; A61F; A61F2/00; A61F2/02; A61F2/10

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 24
Claim 1
Independent Claim 106 words
A trocar element having a longitudinal axis, a proximal end, a distal end, a passage therein extending from said distal end toward said proximal end along at least a portion of said longitudinal axis, and a filament looped about an exterior surface of said distal end, said filament having at least one longitudinal end extending proximally from said distal end whereby the application of a force to said least one longitudinal end causes said loop to slip off of said distal end and further application of force to said at least one longitudinal end causes said loop to at least partially close adjacent said distal end.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 106 words
A trocar element having a longitudinal axis, a proximal end, a distal end, a passage therein extending from said distal end toward said proximal end along at least a portion of said longitudinal axis, and a filament looped about an exterior surface of said distal end, said filament having at least one longitudinal end extending proximally from said distal end whereby the application of a force to said least one longitudinal end causes said loop to slip off of said distal end and further application of force to said at least one longitudinal end causes said loop to at least partially close adjacent said distal end.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 39 words
A trocar element as in claim 1, further comprising at least one aperture defined through a wall of said trocar element adjacent said distal end, said at least one longitudinal end of said filament being threaded through said aperture.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 56 words
A trocar element as in claim 2, where said distal end is inclined so as to have a distal portion and a distalmost tip, said aperture being defined adjacent said distalmost tip, so that as said loop slips off the distal end, it first slips off the distal portion and ultimately closes adjacent said distalmost tip.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 70 words
A trocar element as in claim 1, in combination with an outer trocar member mounted in coaxial surrounding relation to said trocar element, said outer trocar member having a longitudinal axis, a proximal end, a distal end and a passage defined along at least a portion of the length thereof from said distal end toward said proximal end thereof, said passage being sized so as to receive said trocar element.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 39 words
The combination of claim 4, further comprising at least one aperture defined through a wall of said outer trocar element adjacent said distal end thereof, said at least one longitudinal end of said filament being threaded through said aperture.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 13 words
The combination of claim 4, further comprising means for cooling said trocar element.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 20 words
The combination of claim 4, wherein said loop extends about 540 degrees around said distal end of said trocar element.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 37 words
The combination of claim 7, further comprising first and second apertures defined through a wall of said outer trocar member adjacent said distal end, each longitudinal end of said filament being threaded through a respective said aperture.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 47 words
A trocar element as in claim 7, wherein at least a portion of said distal end of said trocar element is able to flex relative to said longitudinal axis so as to facilitate accelerated release of said filament when said at least one longitudinal end is tensioned.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 37 words
The combination of claim 9, further comprising first and second apertures defined through a wall of said outer trocar member adjacent said distal end, each longitudinal end of said filament being threaded through a respective said aperture.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 38 words
A trocar element as in claim 10, further comprising first and second apertures defined through a wall of said trocar element adjacent said distal end, each longitudinal end of said filament being threaded through a respective said aperture.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 56 words
The combination of claim 9, wherein the distal end of said trocar element comprises a plurality of flexible tabs, said filament being mounted in surrounding relation to said flexible tabs so that when a predetermined force is applied to said at least one longitudinal end of said filament, said tabs will flex and release said filament.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 46 words
The trocar element of claim 1, in combination with an obturator element having a sharp distalmost tip, said obturator element being coaxially disposed within said trocar element and axially moveable with respect thereto so as to selectively protrude from said distal end of said trocar element.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 18 words
A trocar element as in claim 1, wherein said loop extends about 540 degrees around said distal end.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 16 words
A trocar element as in claim 1, wherein said filament is a single strand of material.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 14 words
A trocar element as in claim 1, wherein said filament has a round cross-section.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 14 words
A trocar element as in claim 1, wherein said filament has a triangular cross-section.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 43 words
A trocar element as in claim 1, wherein at least a portion of said distal end is able to flex relative to said longitudinal axis so as to facilitate accelerated release of said filament when said at least one longitudinal end is tensioned.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 22 words
A trocar element as in claim 1, wherein said filament is segmented to have at least two portions having different cross-sectional configurations.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 127 words
An inner trocar element having a longitudinal axis, a proximal end, a distal end, a passage therein extending from said distal end toward said proximal end along at least a portion of said longitudinal axis, an outer trocar element disposed in surrounding relation to said inner trocar element, said outer trocar element having a proximal end, a distal end, and a longitudinal axis, and a filament extending from an exterior side surface of said outer trocar element at least across a diameter of an opening of said passage at said distal end of said inner trocar element whereby tissue can be excised by inserting said inner and outer trocar elements into a target tissue and then rotating at least one of said inner and outer trocar elements.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim 127 words
An inner trocar element having a longitudinal axis, a proximal end, a distal end, a passage therein extending from said distal end toward said proximal end along at least a portion of said longitudinal axis, an outer trocar element disposed in surrounding relation to said inner trocar element, said outer trocar element having a proximal end, a distal end, and a longitudinal axis, and a filament extending from an exterior side surface of said outer trocar element at least across a diameter of an opening of said passage at said distal end of said inner trocar element whereby tissue can be excised by inserting said inner and outer trocar elements into a target tissue and then rotating at least one of said inner and outer trocar elements.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim 14 words
A trocar element as in claim 20, wherein said filament has a triangular cross-section.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim 22 words
A trocar element as in claim 20, wherein said filament is segmented to have at least two portions having different cross-sectional configurations.

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1995-07-28 1996-01-27 1996-07-28 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1999-07-28 2000-01-27 2000-07-28 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2003-07-28 2004-01-27 2004-07-28 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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