Cholecystectomy dissector instrument

Claim 1

A surgical specialty instrument having dimensions for insertion into the abdomen when expanded under pressure through an eleven mm trocar sleeve for comfortable manipulation by a surgeon in spreading and removing tissue surrounding an exposed cystic duct and artery in an endo cholecystectomy dissection procedure, comprising in combination: a handle having two lever arms pivotable about a common pivot axis respectively defining at one end of each lever arm a separate ring for actuation by a surgeon to relatively move the two lever arms back and forth over a predetermined working arc, a tubular body affixed at an end to a first lever arm of a length, diameter, and construction for insertion through an incision into the abdominal body cavity by means of said trocar sleeve, said tubular body having a length of between 30 and 40 cm in order to reach the gall bladder, when the abdomen is expanded, with handle room for a surgeon to manipulate the tubular body during said procedure, a set of jaws pivotably mounted on the tubular body to move about a pivot axis at an end of the body opposite the handle, means for pivoting the jaws in a double action movement respectively for spreading apart and gripping tissue responsive to the movement of the lever arms in opposite directions comprising a rod coaxially movable within said body connected to the second one of the lever arms, and jaw structure comprising said set of jaws having an exterior finish for frictionally engaging and spreading tissue located in the vicinity of the cystic duct and adjacent artery and (b) serrated jaw teeth for mating the two jaws in substantially full surface contact in closed position and for frictionally grasping and moving tissue as forceps in response to manipulation of the lever arms by a surgeon's fingers in the handle, said jaws having an exterior shape substantially curving at a hook end away from the axis of the rod and body of a contour for fitting snugly around the cystic duct and artery of a patient and adapted for spreading and grasping tissue respectively by opening and closing of the double action jaws in a dissection procedure in the cystic duct and artery region, the exterior shape exhibiting a curvature being defined by rounded edges and end surfaces to reduce traumatic damage to tissue contacted in the dissection procedure.