Patent GB-1214718-A (GB)
Title: Electro-surgical handle
IPC: A61B18/14
Filed: 1968-10-31
Abstract: 1,214,718. Handle fixings. EDWARD WECK & CO. Inc. 31 Oct., 1968 [9 Nov., 1967], No. 51570/68. Heading B4K. [Also in Division A5] A handle suitable for holding an elongated tool such as an electrode for electro-surgical operations comprises an elongated body 15 provided with a longitudinally extending passage 16 therethrough open at one end to receive an electrode 11, Fig. 1, a chuck 25 mounted within and displaceable along said passage between a closed electrode gripping position and an open electrode releasing position, a chuck tightener (21), Fig. 5 (not shown), within said passage, and a cap 38, Fig. 3, connected with said chuck and normally held in alignment with said body by a spring 32, Fig. 1. The cap is angularly displaceable about the opposite end 37 of the body to displace the chuck into the open position thereof against said spring, which normally biases the chuck into its closed position. The electrode 11 includes a generally spherical cauterizing tip 12 and an elongated shank 13 and has an insulating sleeve 14 sliding thereover, which also serves to limit the insertion of electrode 11 into the handle, when it abuts on shoulder (18). The chuck 25, which may be made of brass, is of the form of an elongated generally cylindrical tube with a passage-way 26, Fig. 3, therethrough, and is provided with a plurality of longitudinal slots (27), Fig. 2 (not shown), with four elements (28) therebetween which grip the shank 13 of electrode 11 and which are compressed by chuck tightener (21) when the chuck is moved to its closed position. The chuck tightener (21) is of the form of an annular collet with an internal bore which converges towards the end of the instrument, and is held between two shoulders (20), and 23. The chuck is threadably received in a coupling 30 which slides along passage 16, and fixed thereon by lock-nut 31. Spring 32 bears on coupling 30, and on collar 33 which is threaded into the end portion 34 of casing 15. The end of the casing 15, on which the surface 39 of the cap seats, acts as an annular fulcrum 37, Fig. 3, to allow the cap 38 to be pivoted out of alignment with casing 15. The chuck 25 and cap 38 are connected by a cable or strap 48, attached at one end to coupling 30 by one or more set-screws 52 and at the other end has a crimped clamp collar 50 holding seating element 49 and spring 51 against a plug 41 which is threadably received in shell 40 of cap 38. The cable 48 also holds the cap 38 and casing 15 together. Thus, upon displacing the cap out of alignment, the chuck 25 moves backwards against spring 32 and the electrode 11 is released from its grasp. A spring 51 allows further displacement of the chuck after the cap is fully seated upon the end of casing 15. The electrode 11 is connected with an electric power source through chuck 25, coupling 30, strap 48 and plug 41, all of which are made of electrically conducting materials. Plug 41 is in turn connected with conductor 55 of a power cable 56 through joint 57. The joint may take the form of a terminal 58 connected with conductor 55 and inserted in the bore 45 of plug 41. The body 15 and cap 38 may be made of a plastics material, such as polysulfone.