System with a surgical needle and a handle

In a system with a surgical needle and a handle, the surgical needle has in its proximal end-section, lying opposite the needle tip, a holding section (14), which is set up for insertion into the handle. The handle has a channel (32), set up for holding the holding section (14) of the surgical needle, and a locking device (50, 70) with a locking element (50) which is displaceable in longitudinal direction of the channel (32) from a locking position, in which the holding section (14) is fixed to the handle, into a release position, in which the holding section (14) can be pulled out from the channel (32).

The invention relates to a system with a surgical needle and a handle.

There are surgical techniques in which thick to very thick surgical needles are used, e.g. needles with a diameter of 2 mm to 7 mm. Such needles are used for example in order to insert a tape underneath the urethra of a patient for the treatment of stress incontinence.

Such a large needle can often be handled by the operator only with difficulty. If the needle is guided through tissue, considerable forces arise. The operator can admittedly use a needle holder or a forceps-like surgical instrument when handling the needle. However, as a rule, he often has to reattach this instrument to the needle, which is awkward. Furthermore, unfavourable leverage conditions can occur, in particular if the instrument runs at an angle to the needle.

In the case of a previously known system with a surgical needle and a handle, the handle to which the proximal end-region of the needle lying opposite the tip of the needle is attached facilitates handling. A screw screwed into the proximal face of the needle serves to secure it. In order to pull the needle completely through the body tissue of the patient, the needle has to be detached from the handle. This is awkward, however, because to do this the screw has to be unscrewed first.

It is the object of the invention to provide a possibility of facilitating the handling of a surgical needle, in particular a thick surgical needle.

This object is achieved by a system with a surgical needle and a handle with the features of claim1. Advantageous versions of the invention emerge from the dependent claims. Claim15relates to a surgical needle and claim16to a handle which are set up for such a system.

The system according to the invention contains a surgical needle and a handle. In its proximal end-region lying opposite the needle tip, the surgical needle has a holding section which is set up for insertion into the handle. The handle has a channel set up for holding the holding section of the surgical needle and a locking device. The locking device has a locking element which is displaceable in longitudinal direction of the channel from a locking position in which the holding section is attached to the handle, into a release position in which the holding section can be pulled out from the channel.

If the holding section is locked at or fixed to the handle, the surgical needle is firmly and securely connected to the handle. In this position, the handle substantially facilitates the handling of the needle. Thus, e.g., the needle can be held and guided with the help of the handle if it is moved towards the tissue of a patient, placed in position there and pushed through. The suture material, the tape or a similar object which is to be pulled through the tissue with the help of the needle, can be attached to the shaft of the surgical needle between the holding section and the needle tip, preferably near the holding section, e.g. with the help of a shrink-on tube. For this purpose the surgical needle preferably has, distal to the holding section, an attachment section for a suture material, tape or similar, e.g. a section of the shaft, provided with grooves, which can also be provided with a step, against which e.g. the shrink-on tube lies, in order to facilitate a continuous transition between the shaft and the suture material, tape or similar.

If the surgical needle has penetrated the body roughly up to the shoulder of the handle, the needle tip has already left the tissue at the desired point where it or the section of the shaft following the needle tip can be gripped manually by the operator (or with a customary instrument). At this time, the locking element can be moved quickly and in a user-friendly manner from the locking position into the release position, so that the needle can be pulled out of the handle without jerking and expending little force (or conversely the handle can be pulled off the needle). The needle can be pulled fully through the tissue, after the release of the handle, with the suture material, tape or similar attached to the needle.

The surgical needle can have a diameter of 2 mm to 7 mm, however another diameter is also conceivable.

The holding section of the surgical needle preferably deviates from a circular form at least in part of its cross-section, and the channel of the handle is matched in its cross-section to the holding section to secure the surgical needle against twisting. This design makes it possible in an easy way to connect the needle to the handle, secured against rotation.

The channel preferably extends from an opening in the distal end area of the handle, and the holding section of the surgical needle is set up for longitudinal insertion into this opening.

In a preferred version of the invention, the holding section of the surgical needle has at least one recess, in which in the locking position at least one blocking element provided on the locking device of the handle engages. The blocking element is mounted moveable transversely to the longitudinal direction of the channel, the locking element blocking a movement of the blocking element when in the locking position, but freeing it when in the release position. The blocking element preferably includes a ball which projects, when in the locking position, into the internal space of the channel and, when the needle is inserted, engages in the recess at the holding section of the needle. The channel is preferably formed in a metal sleeve, the ball guided in a recess in the wall of the metal sleeve, and the diameter of the ball is greater than the thickness of the wall in the area of the recess. The locking element can have a sleeve which can be displaced in longitudinal direction of the metal sleeve and which surrounds the metal sleeve, which sleeve has a conical inner surface in the area of the ball and engages against the ball when in the locking position and permits a radial shift of the ball when in the release position.

This preferred design of the invention allows for a convenient and secure handling of the surgical needle. When needed, the locking element can be conveniently and quickly pushed into the release position with the help of an activating element provided on the handle, so that the surgical needle can be released from the handle with slight exertion of force. A further advantage of this version is that plastic can be used as basic material for the handle; through the use of the metal sleeve (which can be cheaply produced) the highly-stressed channel area acquires a stability which is sufficient to secure the holding section of the surgical needle.

Preferably, a spring biases the locking element into the locking position. This guarantees that, in normal position, the surgical needle is locked at the handle. In addition, a safety device can be provided on the handle which is set up to secure the locking element against an unintentional movement into the release position (which could occur even against the spring force). In order to activate the safety device, an ergonomically designed activating element is preferably provided which can be coupled with the activating element for displacing the locking element.

The handle is preferably made substantially from plastic and can be designed as a disposable article. It preferably has a multi-part housing, so that the locking device can be fitted without any problems.

In a preferred version of the invention, the handle has at least one widening structure in the area of its proximal end, which allows the handle to rest comfortably in the palm of the hand or against the ball of the hand of the operator. The handle can additionally have at least one finger-rest structure, e.g. two wing-like structures extending on opposite sides, which run parallel to the widening structure and with the help of which the operator can e.g. pull the handle onto the palm of his hand with the index finger and the middle finger, so that it rests securely in his hand. A further advantage of this version can be observed when the needle is bent. The operator can then deduce from the position of the widening structure or the finger-rest structure the direction in which the front (distal) section of the needle is running.

FIG. 1is an exploded view of a version of a system with a surgical needle1and a handle2and shows the individual parts of the embodiment.

The surgical needle1, which forms a component of the system, has a needle tip10at its distal end. Connected to this is a shaft12which is bent in the embodiment and has a maximum diameter of 5 mm. In its proximal end-section the needle1has a holding section14, which is designed with a hexagonal cross-section. A groove-like recess16extends over the circumference of the holding section14(see alsoFIG. 5andFIG. 6).

Represented in the lower part ofFIG. 1are four parts of the handle2which, in the embodiment, are each made in one piece from plastic, namely a housing part20, a handle end-piece22, a locking element24and an activating element26. How these parts as well as a metal sleeve30, which is shown in the upper part ofFIG. 1, are assembled, can be best seen from an over-all view ofFIGS. 1 to 4. In short, the metal sleeve30is located in the housing part20and is, like the handle end-piece22, firmly connected to it; the locking element24and the activating element26are locked together and can be displaced in longitudinal direction of the handle1relative to the other parts.

The metal sleeve30consists of stainless steel, in the embodiment. Extending in longitudinal direction from its open distal end31is a channel32which has a hexagonal cross-section in its distal section and can accommodate the holding section14of the needle1completely and securely against rotation. The metal sleeve30contains a projecting collar34in its central area and an internal thread for accommodating a screw in the area of its proximal end35. In the proximity of the distal end31, the wall36of the metal sleeve30is provided with two recesses38, see alsoFIG. 6. The cross-section of the holding section14and the cross-section of the channel32matched to this, deviate from the shape of an equilateral hexagon, so that the needle1can be inserted into the channel32only in an unequivocal way.

With the help of a screw40which is screwed into the internal thread at the proximal end35of the metal sleeve30, the metal sleeve30is attached to the proximal end-section42of the housing part20. The metal sleeve30is secured against rotation by a flattened area near its proximal end35.

The housing part20contains two finger-rest structures44and45, at the end of each of which a locking projection46is located. The locking projections46project into corresponding recesses on the handle end-piece22, in order to connect the handle end-piece22firmly to the housing part20. Furthermore, the wall of the housing part20is provided with a slit48and an identical slit lying diametrally opposite this.

The locking element24, which is designed in one piece in the embodiment, but which in principle can also consist of several parts, has in its distal section a sleeve50which, when fitted, surrounds the metal sleeve30. Two spring tongues52extend from the sleeve50, which are each provided with a locking projection54at their ends, and two guiding parts56and57, which are somewhat longer than the spring tongues52. When the handle2is fitted, the locking projections54project through the slits48.

A compression spring58, which is guided by the metal sleeve30and rests against it (not shown inFIG. 4), presses against the locking element24, so that the locking element24is so pre-stressed that in the “normal state” (i.e. without exposure to external force) it is displaced in proximal direction relative to the metal sleeve30(locking position, seeFIG. 5).

The activating element26contains two side parts60and61, which extend from an end piece62and are provided with gripping grooves64on their outsides. A locking recess66is located on the insides of each of the side parts60and61. When fitted, the locking recesses66are locked with the locking projections54projecting through the slits48. The activating element26and the locking element24are thereby connected to each other. In order to displace the locking element24with the help of the activating element26relative to the housing part20and the metal sleeve30and against the force of the compression spring58, the two side parts60and61of the activating element26must be pressed against each other in order to release a catch arranged on the locking projections54and the slits48(not shown in detail in the figures). This serves as safety device, so that the locking element24cannot be displaced by mistake. The design of the activating element26with the two side parts60and61and the gripping grooves64is ergonomic and allows a problem-free operation with surgical gloves.

The mode of operation of the locking device is obvious fromFIGS. 5 and 6; it enables the surgical needle1to be either connected firmly and securely to the handle2or else released, so that it can be pulled out of the channel32without any problems.

FIG. 5shows the locking position in which the holding section14is secured to the handle2. A ball70is guided in each of the recesses38, which extend in the area of the channel32and the holding section14through the wall36of the metal sleeve30. As the recesses38are designed in a slightly conical manner, the balls70cannot fall inwards into the channel32. A radial movement outwards is possible, on the other hand, the sleeve50preventing the ball in question70from emerging fully from the recess38. In the area of the balls70, the sleeve50has a conical inner surface72. In the locking position, the conical inner surface72lies against the balls70, while the balls70engage in the recess16on the holding section14of the needle1. As the balls70cannot escape outwards in this position, the needle1cannot be pulled out of the channel32. In this position, it is thus securely and firmly connected to the handle2.

If the two side parts60and61of the activating element26are pressed against each other and the explained safety device is thereby released, the locking element24with the sleeve50can be displaced relative to the metal sleeve30, that is to the left in the representation according toFIGS. 5 and 6. When the release position shown inFIG. 6is reached, the balls70are no longer prevented from moving outwards radially. The needle1can therefore be pulled out of the channel32, the groove-like recess16pressing the balls70radially outwards.