Abstract:
An automatically releasing instrument holder includes a grip to be held by an operator for guiding an instrument, an actuator to be activated by the operator and a biasing device exerting a force. A clamp is moved by the actuator toward the instrument against the force of the biasing device and is moved by the biasing device away from the instrument upon releasing the actuator. A method for operating the instrument holder is also provided.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The invention relates to an automatically releasing instrument holder. The invention also relates to a method of operating the instrument holder. An endoscope or a colonoscope is, in particular, contemplated as the instrument. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    Prior art devices and therefore methods of operating the same have been complicated and required separate manipulations to engage and release the instrument and only engage it with a set, non-adjustable force. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]    It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide an automatically releasing instrument holder and a method of operating the instrument holder, which overcome the hereinafore-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known devices and methods of this general type and which are simple to construct and operate, automatically release upon disengagement by the operator of the device, such as a surgeon, and allow infinite adjustment. 
         [0006]    With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, an automatically releasing instrument holder, comprising a grip to be held by an operator for guiding an instrument, an actuator to be activated by the operator, and a biasing device exerting a force. A clamp is moved by the actuator toward the instrument against the force of the biasing device and is moved by the biasing device away from the instrument upon releasing the actuator. The biasing device may be a spring, and the actuator may be a trigger being pivoted away from the grip by the spring and being pivoted toward the grip by the operator for engaging the instrument with the clamp. The spring is biased between a nose and the cam. Therefore, a simple, easily operated, reliable and automatically releasing instrument holder is provided. An important advantage of the instrument holder according to the invention is that the actuator and the biasing device allow infinite adjustment of contact between the clamp and the instrument by the operator. 
         [0007]    In accordance with another feature of the invention, the clamp includes a plurality of clamping shoes for surrounding the instrument. A cam is moved by the trigger for displacing the clamping shoes toward the instrument and is moved by the spring for displacing the clamping shoes away from the instrument. A cam ring is disposed within the cam. Cam lock springs are each being disposed between a respective two of the clamping shoes. The clamping shoes, for example three in number, provide equalized force distribution against the instrument from all radial directions for secure gripping without damage to the instrument. 
         [0008]    In accordance with a further feature of the invention, the cam has a cam surface on which ball bearings ride toward and away from the clamping shoes upon movement of the cam. A clamp body has holes formed therein in which the ball bearings move toward and away from the clamping shoes. The clamping shoes each have a protrusion being engaged by a respective one of the ball bearings. This feature provides infinite adjustment between clamped and released positions of the shoes, allowing the operator to chose and feel the force to be exerted. 
         [0009]    In accordance with an added feature of the invention, there is provided a grip tube extended through the grip, one dowel pin on which the trigger pivots on the grip, and another dowel pin disposed between the clamp body and the grip tube, perpendicular to the one dowel. Set screws are disposed between the clamp body and the grip tube. The dowel pins and the set screws allow balanced support for the moving and stationary parts of the instrument holder. 
         [0010]    With the objects of the invention in view, there is also provided a method for operating an automatically releasing instrument holder. The method comprises guiding an instrument in a grip to be held by an operator, providing an actuator or trigger to be activated by the operator, exerting a force against activation of the actuator with a biasing device or spring, and providing a clamp or clamping shoes for engaging the instrument. The actuator is activated by the operator to move the clamp toward the instrument against the force of the biasing device. The clamp is moved away from the instrument with the biasing device upon releasing the actuator. 
         [0011]    Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims. 
         [0012]    Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in an automatically releasing instrument holder and a method of operating the instrument holder, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims. 
         [0013]    The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING  
         [0014]      FIG. 1  is a diagrammatic, exploded perspective view of an instrument holder according to the invention; 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  is a side-elevational view of the instrument holder with a trigger released in an unlocked condition; 
           [0016]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the instrument holder with the trigger released in the unlocked condition; 
           [0017]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the instrument holder with the trigger depressed in the locked condition; 
           [0018]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the instrument holder with the trigger released in the unlocked condition and a cam removed; 
           [0019]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the instrument holder with the trigger released in the unlocked condition and with a nose removed; 
           [0020]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the instrument holder with the trigger released in the unlocked condition and with a spring and a cam ring removed; 
           [0021]      FIG. 8  is another perspective view similar to  FIG. 7 ; 
           [0022]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of the instrument holder with the trigger released in the unlocked condition and with a clamp body removed; 
           [0023]      FIG. 10  is a longitudinal-sectional view of the instrument holder with the trigger released in the unlocked condition; 
           [0024]      FIG. 11  is a longitudinal-sectional view of the instrument holder with the trigger partly depressed in a partly locked condition; 
           [0025]      FIG. 12  is a longitudinal-sectional view of the instrument holder with the trigger depressed in the locked condition; 
           [0026]      FIG. 13  is a fragmentary, perspective longitudinal-sectional view of the instrument holder with the trigger depressed in the locked condition; and 
           [0027]      FIG. 14  is an enlarged, fragmentary, perspective view of the instrument holder with the trigger depressed in the locked condition. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0028]    Referring now to the figures of the drawings in detail and first, particularly, to  FIG. 1  thereof, there is seen an exploded perspective view of an automatically releasing instrument holder according to the invention. The instrument holder includes a grip tube  2  to be slid inside a grip  6  for manipulation by an operator. A manual actuator in the form of a trigger  9  is to be hinged on the grip  6  by a dowel pin  15  passing through holes  8  in the trigger  9 , only one of which is shown, and corresponding non-illustrated holes in the grip  6 . The trigger  9  also has arms  11 ,  12  which pivot about the dowel pin  15 . When assembled, an extension  3  of the grip tube  2  extends through the grip  6  and partly through a clamp body  20 . Two set screws  18  are each engaged in a respective threaded opening  14  in the clamp body  20 . Each set screw  18  engages a respective protrusion  7  on the extension  3 , only one of which is shown. A clamp in the form of three clamping shoes  22 ,  23 ,  24  are held within the clamp body  20  and are biased against one another by cam lock springs  26  which extend into blind bores  17  formed in pairs in the clamping shoes. The clamping shoes  22 ,  23 ,  24  each have a protrusion  25  aligned with a respective hole  21  in the clamp body  20 . Only one of the protrusions  25  and holes  21  are shown. Ball bearings  19  are each to be placed in a respective one of the holes  21  for contacting a respective one of the protrusions  25 . Another dowel pin  16  passes through non-illustrated holes in the clamp body  20  and the extension  3 , perpendicular to the dowel  15 . A cam  28 , a cam ring  30  and a biasing device in the form of a spring  32  surround the clamp body  20 . A nose  34  is slipped over the spring  32  and the cam ring  30 . 
         [0029]      FIGS. 2 and 3  illustrate the assembled instrument holder in respective elevational and perspective views, with the trigger  9  released and the nose  34  in an unlocked position, that is fully retracted towards the cam  28 . In the perspective view of  FIG. 4 , the trigger  9  has been fully depressed by the operator to pivot about the dowel pin  15 , so that the arms  11 , 12  push the cam  28  toward the right in  FIG. 4 , that is distally. The perspective view of  FIG. 14  shows a particularly clear illustration of the arms  11 ,  12  engaging the cam  28 . It may be seen that the arms  11 ,  12  have engagement surfaces  11 ′,  12 ′, different parts of which engage the cam  28  during the stroke of the trigger  9  between the depressed and released positions. When the trigger  9  is released, the spring  32  pushes the cam  28  and the arms  11 ,  12  toward the left in  FIG. 4 , that is proximally, so that the trigger  9  is once again extended as in  FIGS. 2 and 3  and the ends of the arms  11 ,  12  are seated against stops  10  on the grip  6 , only one of which is shown in  FIG. 14 . 
         [0030]    In the perspective view of  FIG. 5 , the cam  28  has been removed to more clearly show the clamp body  20 . In the perspective view of  FIG. 6 , the nose  34  has also been removed, to show the cam ring  30  and the spring  32  surrounding the clamp body  20 . The perspective views of  FIGS. 7 and 8  show portions of the clamping shoes  22 ,  24  and the cam lock springs  26  within the clamp body  20 . In  FIG. 9 , the clamp body  20  has been removed to show all three clamping shoes  22 ,  23 ,  24  and several of the cam lock springs  26  and protrusions  25 . 
         [0031]    The longitudinal-sectional view of  FIG. 10  shows the trigger  9  released and therefore in the unlocked condition. The dowel pin  15  interconnecting the trigger  9  and the grip  6  and the dowel pin  16  interconnecting the clamp body  20  and the extension  3 , are seen as well. The cam ring  30  is seen as being disposed within the distal end of the clamp body  20 . It may also be seen that the grip tube  2  and the extension  3  have beads  4  engaged in corresponding recesses  5  in the grip  6 .  FIG. 10  also illustrates an inner annular cam surface or ramp  29  of the cam  28 . The above-mentioned three holes  21  formed in the clamp body  20  and three ball bearings  19  each being radially movable in a respective one of the holes  21 , may be seen in  FIG. 10  as well. Finally,  FIG. 10  shows the spring  32  disposed in a cavity  35  within the nose  34 . It may be seen that the spring  32  is biased between the nose  34  and the cam  28 , so as to bias the cam to the left or proximally in  FIG. 10 . The non-illustrated protrusions  25  on the clamping shoes  22 ,  23 ,  24  are each radially aligned with a respective one of the ball bearings  19 . 
         [0032]    In the longitudinal-sectional view of  FIG. 11 , the trigger  9  has been partly depressed, so that the arms  11 ,  12  push the cam  28  distally, causing the cam surface  29  to engage the ball bearings  19  and push them radially inwardly in the holes  21  against the protrusions  25  on the clamping shoes  22 ,  23 ,  24 . The clamping shoes  22 ,  23 ,  24  are in turn pushed radially inwardly against the force of the springs  26  and toward an instrument  40 , such as an endoscope or a colonoscope. The instrument  40  protrudes from the proximal and distal ends of the instrument holder and passes through a hollow body formed by the grip tube  2 , the clamp body  20 , the clamping shoes  22 ,  23 ,  24  and the hollow nose  34 . 
         [0033]      FIGS. 12 and 13  show the trigger fully depressed and therefore the clamping shoes  22 ,  23 ,  24  fully displaced radially inwardly against the instrument  40 , due to the cam surface  29  being fully run up over the ball bearings  19 . Upon release of the trigger  9 , the spring  32  would once again push the cam  28  proximally and the ball bearings  19  would roll along the cam surface  29  and be pushed radially outwardly again by the springs  26  and the clamping shoes  22 ,  23 ,  24 , while releasing the instrument  40 .