Patent ID: 6066150
Filing Date: 2000-05-23
Classification: A61B,A61M

Abstract:
A surgical dissection instrument having a pressure jet of liquid, the instrument comprising:a handpiece being provided with a mechanism for generating and controlling the -pressure jet of liquid, with the liquid comprising a physiological salt solution;a device for supplying said handpiece with the pressure jet of liquid, said handpiece (10) being provided with a hollow generally elongate body (15), said hollow body extending from a first end cap (16) to a remote second end cap (19) with both the first and second end caps being located substantially along a longitudinal axis;said device for supplying the handpiece (10) comprising a flexible tube (13) being housed in said body (15) and extending from the second end cap (19) to the first end cap (16) in a substantially rectilinear manner, and said flexible tube (13) being designed to withstand a pressure of at least 40 to 70 bar;the first end cap (16) comprising a nozzle (16a) for controlling said pressure jet of liquid; pinching mechanism for locally squashing said flexible tube (13) and restricting said pressure jet of liquid, said pinching mechanism being located in an area adjacent the first end cap (16) and comprising:a fixed squeezing projection (26) being secured to said body (15), the fixed squeezing projection (26) supporting said flexible tube (13) and being arranged perpendicular to said flexible tube;a movable squeezing projection (25) being arranged opposite said fixed squeezing projection (26), on a second side of and perpendicular to said flexible tube (13), and the fixed squeezing projection (26) and the moveable squeezing projection (25) 26) defining there between a space for said flexible tube (13) to pass, the movable squeezing projection (25) moving in relation to the fixed squeezing projection (26) so as to diminish said space and cause said flexible tube (13) to be squashed in a direction substantially perpendicular to the fixed projection;a lever (17) for controlling said pinching mechanism, the lever being hand-operatable by a user, the lever being mounted in a corresponding recess located in said body (15) and articulating about a pivot located between the first end cap (16) and the fixed squeezing projection (25);a locking mechanism (18) being combined with the control lever (17), said locking mechanism having a lower locked position for locking said control lever (17), squashing said flexible tube (13) between the moveable and fixed projections (25, 26) and a flow of the pressure jet of liquid is shut off; andsaid locking mechanism further having an unlocked position to release said control lever which moves to an upper position, under an effect of the pressure jet of liquid surging through the tube (13).