Patent ID: 6406485
Filing Date: 2002-06-18
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
A surgical grasping device comprising:a grasping attachment removably mountable on the jaw of a surgical instrument, the grasping attachment comprising an assembly of a metal element and a plastics element; the metal element being in the form of a resilient sheet having a plate portion, a clip, unitary with the plate portion, and engageable with a clip-engageable portion of an instrument jaw, and an aperture, in the plate portion, and alignable with a hole in an instrument jaw; and the plastics element comprising a substantially rigid plastics layer fixed to the plate portion of the metal element, with at least a part of the plate portion being locatable between the plastics layer and an instrument jaw, the plastics element having a projection extending from said plastics layer through the aperture in the plate portion, and beyond the plate portion, for entry into a hole in the instrument jaw; and an elastomeric layer, substantially less rigid than said plastics layer, secured to said assembly of a metal element and a plastics element, at least a portion of the plastics layer being located between the elastomeric layer and the plate portion of the metal element; whereby the metal element lends strength and stiffness to the grasping attachment, allowing the dimensions of the attachment in directions perpendicular to said sheet portion to be minimized; and the projection of the plastics layer is sufficiently flexible to fit closely into an aperture of a jaw without requiring excessively close manufacturing tolerances.