← Back to Patent Explorer
US5609604A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Trocar with improved blade attachment

Assignee: Ethicon Endo Surgery Inc
•
Filing: 1995-10-16
•
Granted: 1997-03-11
•
Expires: 2015-10-16
📄 Original PDF 🌐 Google Patents 🔄 Sync Now

Abstract

Abstract A trocar having an obturator with an obturator housing, a piercing tip and a rigid stem is disclosed. The piercing tip has a cutting edge surface and first and second spaced-apart legs generally parallel to each other extending away from the cutting edge surface. The stem is attached to the obturator housing at a first end of the obturator, and the legs of the piercing tip straddle the stem at an opposite end of the obturator. The straddling of the legs about the stem of the obturator fixes the piercing tip to the stem. The attachment of the piercing tip to the stem provides a secure attachment. The trocar is easy to manufacture and assemble, and the component parts can be readily disassembled. The piercing tip attachment is especially advantageous when the piercing tip is configured generally as a razor blade.

Inventors

  • 👤 Richard F. Schwemberger
  • 👤 Darrel Powell
  • 👤 Randy R. Stephens
  • 👤 Salvatore Privitera

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-23 21:25
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B17/00; A61B17/34; A61B17/3417; A61B2017/3454; A61B2017/346

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim 224 words
A surgical trocar comprising an obturator, said obturator having: a) an obturator housing at a first end of said obturator; b) a piercing tip at an opposite end of said obturator for piercing bodily tissue, said piercing tip including a cutting edge surface and first and second spaced-apart legs generally parallel to each other extending away from said cutting edge surface, said first and second legs having first and second inwardly-extending, mutually opposed barbs thereon; and c) an elongated rigid stem having a distal tip thereon, said stem attached to said obturator housing at said first end of said obturator, said stem having first and second sidewalls thereon, said sidewalls having first and second slots disposed therein and first and second notches embedded therein, said first and second legs of said piercing tip being straddled about said stem at said opposite end of said obturator, said first and second legs being disposed within said first and second slots embedded in said sidewalls of said stem, and said first and second barbs of said legs being embedded in said first and second notches of said stem so as to attach said piercing tip to said stem; wherein said first and second slots are tapered from a deep region adjacent said distal tip of said stem to a shallow region adjacent said first and second notches.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 224 words
A surgical trocar comprising an obturator, said obturator having: a) an obturator housing at a first end of said obturator; b) a piercing tip at an opposite end of said obturator for piercing bodily tissue, said piercing tip including a cutting edge surface and first and second spaced-apart legs generally parallel to each other extending away from said cutting edge surface, said first and second legs having first and second inwardly-extending, mutually opposed barbs thereon; and c) an elongated rigid stem having a distal tip thereon, said stem attached to said obturator housing at said first end of said obturator, said stem having first and second sidewalls thereon, said sidewalls having first and second slots disposed therein and first and second notches embedded therein, said first and second legs of said piercing tip being straddled about said stem at said opposite end of said obturator, said first and second legs being disposed within said first and second slots embedded in said sidewalls of said stem, and said first and second barbs of said legs being embedded in said first and second notches of said stem so as to attach said piercing tip to said stem; wherein said first and second slots are tapered from a deep region adjacent said distal tip of said stem to a shallow region adjacent said first and second notches.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 32 words
The trocar of claim 1 wherein said piercing tip has first and second planar surfaces generally parallel to each other, said surfaces converging to said cutting edge surface of said piercing tip.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 27 words
The trocar of claim 2 wherein said stem has a distal tip, and said distal tip has a tip slot interposed between said first and second slots.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 19 words
The trocar of claim 3 wherein said planar surfaces of said piercing tip are embedded in said tip slot.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 14 words
The trocar of claim 4 wherein said distal tip of said stem is rounded.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 28 words
The trocar of claim 5 wherein said tip slot merges with said first and second slots so as to form a continuous attachment slot for said piercing tip.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 196 words
A surgical trocar comprising an obturator, said obturator having: a) an obturator housing at a first end of said obturator; b) a piercing tip at an opposite end of said obturator for piercing bodily tissue, said piercing tip including (i) first and second planar surfaces generally parallel to each other, said planar surfaces extending in a distal direction from a base and converging to a cutting edge surface of said piercing tip remote from said base, (ii) first and second spaced-apart legs generally parallel to each other extending in a proximal direction from said base and away from said cutting edge surface, (iii) first and second elongated base portions extending from said base of said planar surfaces in said proximal direction, and (iv) first and second longitudinal piercing tip slots separating said first and second elongated base portions from said first and second legs; and c) an elongated rigid stem, said stem attached to said obturator housing at said first end of said obturator, and said first and second legs of said piercing tip being straddled about said stem at said opposite end of said obturator so as to attach said piercing tip to said stem.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 196 words
A surgical trocar comprising an obturator, said obturator having: a) an obturator housing at a first end of said obturator; b) a piercing tip at an opposite end of said obturator for piercing bodily tissue, said piercing tip including (i) first and second planar surfaces generally parallel to each other, said planar surfaces extending in a distal direction from a base and converging to a cutting edge surface of said piercing tip remote from said base, (ii) first and second spaced-apart legs generally parallel to each other extending in a proximal direction from said base and away from said cutting edge surface, (iii) first and second elongated base portions extending from said base of said planar surfaces in said proximal direction, and (iv) first and second longitudinal piercing tip slots separating said first and second elongated base portions from said first and second legs; and c) an elongated rigid stem, said stem attached to said obturator housing at said first end of said obturator, and said first and second legs of said piercing tip being straddled about said stem at said opposite end of said obturator so as to attach said piercing tip to said stem.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 34 words
The trocar of claim 7 wherein said stem has first and second sidewalls, and said first and second legs are disposed within first and second stem slots embedded in said sidewalls of said stem.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 19 words
The trocar of claim 8 wherein said first and second legs have first and second inwardly-extending, mutually opposed barbs.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 40 words
The trocar of claim 9 wherein said stem has first and second notches disposed in said first and second sidewalls of said stem, and said first and second barbs of said legs are embedded in said first and second notches.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 29 words
The trocar of claim 10 wherein said stem has a distal tip thereon, and said distal tip has a tip slot interposed between said first and second stem slots.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 19 words
The trocar of claim 11 wherein said planar surfaces of said piercing tip are embedded in said tip slot.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 14 words
The trocar of claim 12 wherein said distal tip of said stem is rounded.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 28 words
The trocar of claim 13 wherein said tip slot merges with said first and second slots so as to form a continuous attachment slot for said piercing tip.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 32 words
The trocar of claim 14 wherein said first and second stem slots are tapered from a deep region adjacent said tip slot to a shallow region adjacent said first and second notches.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

DE160504C Cited
US1333745A Cited
US3831814A Cited
US3643649A Cited
US4535773A Cited
US4601710A Cited
US4601710B1 Cited
US5344410A Cited
US5314417A Cited
US5441041A Cited
EP0647434A2 Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 2000-03-10 2000-09-09 2001-03-11 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2004-03-10 2004-09-09 2005-03-11 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2008-03-10 2008-09-09 2009-03-11 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

Assigned Categories & Tags

No categories assigned to this patent yet.

Assign Category Tag