Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US20060287641?ie=ISO-8859-1
Timestamp: 2014-07-14 10:00:32
Document Index: 793701129

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 134', 'art 134', 'art 134', 'art 134', 'art 134', 'art 134', 'art 134']

Patent US20060287641 - Laparoscopic surgical instrument for in situ tool exchange - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign in<nobr>Advanced Patent Search</nobr>PatentsA method is presented for replacing a tool through a sleeve of a laparoscopic instrument without removing the sleeve from a body. The method includes rotating a housing portion of the laparoscopic instrument to expose an end of a first tool to be removed, removing the first tool from the sleeve, and...http://www.google.com/patents/US20060287641?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US20060287641 - Laparoscopic surgical instrument for in situ tool exchangeAdvanced Patent SearchPublication numberUS20060287641 A1Publication typeApplicationApplication numberUS 11/349,769Publication dateDec 21, 2006Filing dateFeb 7, 2006Priority dateJun 16, 2005Also published asUS8696649, US20060287640, US20060287642Publication number11349769, 349769, US 2006/0287641 A1, US 2006/287641 A1, US 20060287641 A1, US 20060287641A1, US 2006287641 A1, US 2006287641A1, US-A1-20060287641, US-A1-2006287641, US2006/0287641A1, US2006/287641A1, US20060287641 A1, US20060287641A1, US2006287641 A1, US2006287641A1InventorsAlfred PerlinOriginal AssigneeAlfred PerlinExport CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (4), Referenced by (1), Classifications (10) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetLaparoscopic surgical instrument for in situ tool exchangeUS 20060287641 A1Abstract A method is presented for replacing a tool through a sleeve of a laparoscopic instrument without removing the sleeve from a body. The method includes rotating a housing portion of the laparoscopic instrument to expose an end of a first tool to be removed, removing the first tool from the sleeve, and inserting a second tool into the sleeve without removing it from the body. Images(23) Claims(24)
While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments are shown by way of example in the drawings and are described in detail herein. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not intended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed. Rather, the invention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS Referring to FIGS. 1A and 1B, a general description of the parts associated with a laparoscopic instrument 100 is provided according to an embodiment of the present invention. A more detailed description of the parts and their associated movements is provided in subsequent drawings. The laparoscopic instrument 100 includes a push button 102 that has a generally cylindrical disk shape. The push button 102 is connected to a winged shaft 104 via a push-button screw 106, which is inserted through a central hole of the push button 102. The push button 102 is adjacent to a spring 108, which includes one end that is in contact with the push button 102 and another end that is in contact with a tool cover 110. The tool cover 110 is a generally cylindrical plate that includes a central hole and a plurality of tapped periphery holes. The winged shaft 104 protrudes through the central hole of the tool cover 110 toward the push button 102. Two connecting screws 112 connect the tool cover 110 to a housing 114. The housing 114 includes a drum receiving portion 116 for accommodating at least in part a tool drum 118, a trigger drum 120, and a fixing drum 122, each of which is located adjacent to one another as shown. The housing 114 further includes a ball-receiving slot 115 for allowing pivoting movement of the housing 114, as described in more detail below in reference to FIGS. 17-19. Referring to FIG. 1AI, the tool drum 118 is illustrated as being generally cylindrical, having a central through-hole, which is cylindrically shaped, and including a plurality of slots through which the winged shaft 104 protrudes. Although the plurality of slots is shown having three slots, alternatively, any number of slots may be used. The slot height extends only through part of the tool drum 118 (i.e., the slots are not through-slots). For example, the slot height is half the height of the tool drum 118. In alternative embodiments, the slot height extends through the entire tool drum 118. In yet other alternative embodiments, the central hole can have any other three-dimensional shape, e.g., a partial toroid, for receiving the winged shaft 104 therethrough. As explained in more detail below, the slots of the tool drum 118 engage the winged shaft 104 for securing the tool drum 118 to the fixing drum 122 in any one of a plurality of positions. A drum washer 124 and a plug 126 is located between the tool drum 118 and the housing 114. The tool drum 118 includes a ball-receiving hole 127 along its periphery as shown. The trigger drum 120 is generally cylindrical and is attached to a trigger handle 128 that includes a latching mechanism 130. The trigger drum 120 is attached to the trigger handle 128 directly or through a mechanical linkage. The trigger drum 120 includes a central slotted hole having substantially the same shape and dimensions as the slotted hole of the tool drum 118 through which the winged shaft 104 protrudes. The fixing drum 122 is generally cylindrical and is attached to a fixing handle 132 that includes a locking part 134 for the latching mechanism 130. The fixing drum 122 is attached to the fixing handle 132 directly or through a mechanical linkage. The fixing drum 122 includes a central slotted hole having substantially the same shape and dimensions as the slotted holes of the tool drum 118 and the trigger drum 120 through which the winged shaft 104 protrudes. The fixing drum 122 further includes a plurality of fixing holes 135 for securing the fixing drum 122 as described in more detail below. The winged shaft 104 includes a generally cylindrical shaft 136 and a plurality of winglets 138, which are arranged in two symmetrical pairs along the shaft 136. The winglet end of the winged shaft 104 is attached to a locking plate 140 via a locking screw 142. In alternate embodiments, the winglets 138 can be splines or parts thereof, keys, or pins. A fixing cover 144 is located along the winged shaft 104, between the locking plate 140 and the fixing drum 122. The fixing cover 144 includes a central slotted hole having substantially the same shape and dimensions as the slotted holes of the tool drum 118, the trigger drum 120, and the fixing drum 122 through which the winged shaft 104 protrudes. In addition, the fixing cover 144 includes a plurality of push-pin receiving holes through which corresponding push pins 146 are inserted. The push pins 146 protrude through the locking plate 140, the fixing cover 144, and the fixing holes 135 to secure the fixing drum 122 to the locking plate 140. The locking plate 140 includes a recessed groove 148 for receiving the winged shaft 104 and a plurality of push-pin receiving holes through which corresponding push pins 146 are inserted. A locking washer 150 is inserted between the head of the locking screw 142 and the locking plate 140. Turning now to FIG. 1B, the housing 114 is pivotably connected to a hinge 152 via a hinge pin 154, which is inserted through a plurality of hinge pivot holes 156. The housing 114 is attached to the hinge 152 at a housing pivoting portion 157, which is inserted in a hinge slotted area of the hinge 152. The hinge 152 includes a locking lever 158, which is attached to the hinge 152 via a lever screw 160. The locking lever 158 is inserted in a lever slot 159, which is located at a bottom end of the hinge 152. A lever spring 162 is positioned within the lever slot 159 for maintaining the locking lever 158 in a closed position. The locking lever 158 includes an actuating end 163 and a locking end 165. The actuating end 163 is actuated by urging the locking lever 158 toward the lever spring 162 to unlock the hinge 152 from a closed position to an open position, as described in more detail below in reference to FIGS. 17-19. When the locking lever 158 is pressed, it rotates around the axis of the lever screw 160 such that the locking end 165 causes the hinge 152 to pivot about the axis of the hinge pin 154 (the Z-axis). A long bearing 164 and a short bearing 166 are used to rotatably attach a knob 168 to the hinge 152. A plurality of set-screws 170 are screwed into the knob 168 for retaining the long bearing 165 and the short bearing 166 relative to the knob 168. A knob extension or sleeve 172 is attached to the knob 168 using a threaded end of the knob extension 172. The knob extension 172 is a hollow shaft (or sleeve) that is used for accommodating a tool holder 174, which is inserted into the hollow of the knob extension 172. The tool holder 174 is a hollow shaft that accommodates a tool 176, which includes a ball 178 at an insertion end and a scissors device 180 at an operating end. The tool 176 is inserted into the tool holder 174, as shown. According to the shown embodiment, the scissors device 180 is a three-member claw device. The outer surface of the sleeve 172 may be composed of or coated with an insulating material, such as Teflon, to electrically insulate the operator of the instrument 100 from the sleeve 172 when using an electric tool such as a cauterizing tool. For example, the sleeve 172 is wrapped with a Teflon shrink tube. FIGS. 2-8 show various views of the laparoscopic instrument 100 in an assembled form and depict representative movements of the trigger handle 128. The tool drum 118, the trigger drum 120, and the fixing drum 122 are assembled together with the housing 114. The trigger handle 128 and the fixing handle 132 are shown in a locked position, which is described in more detail below. The housing 114 and the hinge 152 are shown in a closed position, and the ball 178 is received by the ball-receiving hole 127 of the tool drum 118. As represented by the phantom lines, the trigger handle 128 is rotated relative to the fixing handle 132 in a counter clock-wise direction (from the locked position) to open the scissors device 180 at the operating end of the tool 176. In general, the rotation of the trigger handle 128 causes the rotation of the tool drum 118, which in turn causes the linear movement of the tool 176. The linear movement of the tool 176 causes an opening/closing movement for the scissors device 180. The relationship between the three drums 118, 120, 122 (also referred to as the drum sandwich assembly) is described in more detail below. In addition, as best seen in FIG. 3, the position of the shaft 136 (represented by the push-button screw 106) can be aligned with the hinge pivot hole 156 or can be different than the position of the hinge pivot hole 156. For example, the center of the shaft 136 can be at the same distance in the Y-axis direction from the X-axis of the tool 176 as the hinge pivot hole 156. Alternatively, the distance between the center of the shaft 136 and the X-axis of the tool 176 can be smaller or greater than the distance between the hinge pivot hole 156 and the X-axis of the tool 176. An electrical probe 182 is protruding from and is attached to the housing 114. The electrical probe 182 is electrically coupled to the tool 176 (such as a cauterizing tool) to supply electrical current from an external power supply. For example, electrical current is supplied via the electrical probe 182 to an electrocautery tool 176 for cauterizing organ tissue during a surgical procedure. Alternatively, a hole or plug is formed in the housing 114 for receiving an electrode therein. Referring to FIGS. 9-11, the tool drum 118, the trigger drum 120, and the fixing drum 122 are sandwiched between the tool cover 110 (located at the top, adjacent to the tool drum 118) and the fixing cover 144 (located at the bottom, adjacent to the fixing drum 122). The push button 102 is located at the top of the drum sandwich assembly�near the tool cover 110�and the locking plate 140 is located at the bottom of the drum sandwich assembly�near the fixing cover 144. The shaft 136 protrudes through each of the fixing cover 144, the fixing drum 122, the trigger drum 120, the tool drum 118, and the tool cover 110. The shaft 136 is attached via the locking screw 142 to the locking plate 140 and via the push-button screw 106 to the push button 102. The shaft 136 also protrudes through the spring 108. The winglets 138 attached to the shaft 136 are adapted to protrude only through corresponding slots of the tool drum 118, the trigger drum 120, the fixing drum 122, and the fixing cover 144. Depending on whether the push button 102 is in a depressed or un-depressed position, the winglets 138 protrude through only some of the tool drum 118, the trigger drum 120, the fixing drum 122, and the fixing cover 144. Depending on the position of the winglets 138, the rotatable movement of the trigger drum 120 is locked with respect to either the tool drum 118 or the fixing drum 122. The winglets 138 include a pair of top winglets 138 a and a pair of bottom winglets 138 b. As shown in FIGS. 10-11, the push button 102 is in an un-depressed position in which the top winglets 138 a protrude through the tool drum 118 and the trigger drum 120. In the un-depressed position, the rotatable movement of the trigger drum 120 is fixed with respect to the tool drum 118. If the push button 102 is in a depressed position, the top winglets 138 a rotate within the trigger drum 120 (where the bottom winglets 138 b are located in the un-depressed position), and the bottom winglets 138 b rotate within the fixing drum 122. In the depressed position, the rotatable movement of the trigger drum 120 is fixed with respect to the fixing drum 122. The novel arrangement according to the present invention allows the handles 128, 132 to be rotated regardless of the position of the trigger drum 120 relative to the tool drum 118. This aspect advantageously allows the surgeon to manipulate the handles 128, 132 in any drum position. According to the present invention, instead of having to twist or contort the surgeon's body in order to access a hard-to-reach area of a patient's inner cavity, the surgeon simply rotates the drum to achieve a new position and can continue to manipulate the handles 128, 132, which control the tool 176 inside the patient's body. It is advantageous for the handles 128, 132 to be manipulatable even as they are rotated together around the shaft 136. Referring to FIGS. 12A-12C, alternative embodiments of the winged shaft 136 of FIGS. 1-11 are shown depicting three different winglet combinations. For ease of understanding, FIG. 12B shows the winged shaft 104 of FIGS. 1-11, including the shaft 136 and the two sets of winglets 138. In an alternative embodiment, shown in FIG. 12A, a winged shaft 1204 a includes a shaft 1236 a and a single set of winglets 1238 a. To accommodate the single set of winglets 1238 a, the holes through which the winged shaft 1204 a protrudes (e.g., slotted hole of a trigger drum 1220 a) are modified to include a single slot 1239 a. Each winglet in the set of winglets 1238 a is spaced to lock at most any two drums together when rotated. In another alternative embodiment, shown in FIG. 12C, a winged shaft 1204 c includes a shaft 1236 c and three sets of winglets 1238 c approximately 120 degrees apart. To accommodate the three sets of winglets 1238 c, the holes through which the winged shaft 1204 c protrudes (e.g., slotted hole of a trigger drum 1220 c) are modified to include three slots 1239 c. Referring to FIG. 13, a schematic cross-sectional representation illustrates the relationship between a winged shaft 1304 and a plurality of drums, a tool drum 1318, a trigger drum 1320, and a fixing drum 1322, and various positions of the winged shaft 1304 relative to the drums 1318, 1320, 1322. The winged shaft 1304 includes a shaft 1336 and a set of two winglets 1338. From left to right, the drums include the tool drum 1318, the trigger drum 1320, and the fixing drum 1322. The drums 1318, 1320, 1322 are housed within a housing 1314 such that each drum can rotate freely unless fixed in place by the winglets 1338. The drums 1318, 1320, 1322 are fixed from rotational movement when the winglets 1338 protrude through corresponding drum slots. Movement of the winged shaft 1304 interlocks one or more of the drums 1318, 1320, 1322 with respect to each other to achieve a desired rotational combination. For example, as described below, movement of the winged shaft 1304 in any of a plurality of positions A-F achieves any desired rotational combination for the drums 1318, 1320, 1322. As shown in FIG. 13, the winglet and drum combinations can be used to provide a sort of �binary logic� for mechanical devices, such as gears and clutches. The versatility of using the winglets and the drums in accordance with the present invention allows any combination of drum movements to be realized. The concepts of FIG. 13 and related embodiments can be implemented in any mechanical system, including laparoscopic instruments. The present invention expressly contemplates that the lock-and-release embodiments shown and described herein is not limited to laparoscopic instruments. At position A, the winglets 1338 are positioned to the right of the fixing drum 1322. In this position, each of the drums 1318, 1320, 1322 is free to rotate with respect to each other. At position B, the winged shaft 1304 is moved toward the drums 1318, 1320, 1322 such that the winglets 1338 are positioned within the fixing drum 1322 only. Accordingly, in this position the fixing drum 1322 is fixed from rotational movement, while the tool drum 1318 and the trigger drum 1320 are free to rotate. At position C, the winged shaft 1304 is moved further toward the drums 1318, 1320, 1322 such that the winglets 1338 are positioned within both the trigger drum 1320 and the fixing drum 1322. Accordingly, in this position the trigger drum 1320 and the fixing drum 1322 are fixed from rotational movement, while the tool drum 1318 is free to rotate. At position D, the winged shaft 1304 is moved further toward the drums 1318, 1320, 1322 such that the winglets 1338 are positioned within all three drums. Accordingly, in this position each of the drums 1318, 1320, 1322 is fixed from rotational movement. At position E, the winged shaft 1304 is moved further toward the drums 1318, 1320, 1322 such that the winglets 1338 are positioned within the tool drum 1318 and the trigger drum 1320. Accordingly, in this position the tool drum 1318 and the trigger drum 1320 are fixed from rotational movement, while the fixing drum 1322 is free to rotate. At position F, the winged shaft 1304 is moved further toward the drums 1318, 1320, 1322 such that the winglets 1338 are positioned within the tool drum 1318 only. Accordingly, in this position the tool drum 1318 is fixed from rotational movement, while the trigger drum 1320 and the fixing drum 1322 are free to rotate. Referring to FIGS. 14-16, a cut-away perspective view of the drums 118, 120, 122 is shown revealing the winged shaft 104 in various positions together with the winglets 138. With reference to these figures, the movement of the winged shaft 104 and of the handles 128, 132 will now be described in more detail. In FIG. 14, the push button 102 is shown in a depressed position, and the handles 128, 132 are shown in a first position. Depressing the push button 102 causes the winged shaft 104 to slide in a direction away from the movement of the push button 102 until the top winglets 138 a are located within the trigger drum 120 and the bottom winglets 138 b are located within the fixing drum 122. In this configuration, the trigger drum 120 and the fixing drum 122 are fixed or locked together, which in turn locks the handles 128, 132 together. In addition, the locking plate 140 and the push pins 146 are correspondingly urged away from the fixing drum 122, which is now disengaged from the locking plate 140 and the push pins 146. Accordingly, in the depressed position the trigger drum 120 and the fixing drum 122 are locked with respect to each other. Further, because the fixing drum 122 is now disengaged from the locking plate 140 and the push pins 146, the combination of the trigger drum 120 and the fixing drum 122 is free to rotate around the Z-axis (the axis of the winged shaft 104). In FIG. 15, the push button 102 remains in the depressed position. However, the handles 128, 132 have been rotated counter clock-wise from the first position to a second position. Thus, the only two components that change their position from the first position to the second position are the trigger handle 128 and the fixing handle 132. For example, the position of the tool drum 118 remains unchanged. By rotating the handles 128, 132 to a new position, while maintaining the position of the tool drum 118, a surgeon using the laparoscopic instrument 100 may be able to achieve a better grasping position for the handles 128, 132 without changing the position of the tool 176 inside a patient and without contorting or twisting the surgeon's body to maintain a comfortable and firm grasp. As can be seen in FIGS. 1A and 9, the fixing handle 132 is secured to the locking plate 140 by inserting the push pins 146 through the fixing holes 135. Three pairs of fixing holes 135 are shown, and each fixing hole pair represents a different handle position (up to three different positions in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1A). When the push button 102 is depressed, the push pins 146 disengage the fixing holes 135, allowing the fixing drum 122 to freely rotate. The force exerted by the spring 108 allows the surgeon to rotate the fixing drum 122 (and thereby the fixing handle 132) until the push pins 146 �click� into alignment with a different set of fixing holes 135. Although three pairs of fixing holes 135 are shown allowing the fixing handle 132 to be rotated among one of three different positions, fewer or additional fixing holes are contemplated in other embodiments to allow the fixing handle 132 to be rotated among a corresponding number of positions. For example, if four positions are desired, four pairs of fixing holes 135 are formed in the fixing drum 122 and spaced according to each desired position. Although two push pins 146 are shown in FIG. 1A, in other embodiments, a different number of push pins is used instead. In FIG. 16, the push button 102 is shown in the un-depressed position to engage the fixing drum 122 to the locking plate 140 and the trigger drum 120 to the tool drum 118. The winglets 138 are now located within the tool drum 118 and the trigger drum 120 to secure the tool drum 118 and the trigger drum 120 to each other. The push pins 146 engage the fixing drum 122, fixing the handles 128, 132 in a second position. When the tool drum 118 and the trigger drum 120 are fixed relative to each other, i.e., in the un-depressed position, the trigger handle 128 may be partially rotated. The rotation of the trigger handle 128 causes the rotation of the tool drum 118, which in turn causes the linear movement of the tool 176. The linear movement of the tool 176 allows the surgeon to use the operating end of the tool 176. For example, a counter clock-wise movement of the trigger handle 128 causes the opening of the scissors device 180, while a clock-wise movement of the trigger handle 128 causes the closing of the scissors device 180. Referring to FIGS. 17-19, there is shown a shotgun subassembly of the laparoscopic instrument 100 in an open �breech� position. The term �shotgun� subassembly refers to the resemblance of the laparoscopic instrument 100 to the breech of a shotgun, which allows the surgeon to replace the laparoscopic tool without removing the instrument 100 from the patient's body. While the instrument 100 is inserted into the patient's body, the shotgun subassembly can be opened and closed like a shotgun to expose one end of the tool for removal and reinsertion. The laparoscopic instrument 100 includes a hinge portion 1700 and a housing portion 1702, which together form the shotgun subassembly having a �breech� that is pivotable about a hinge 152. The hinge portion 1700 generally includes the hinge 152, the tool 176, and the scissors device 180. The housing portion 1702 generally includes the housing 114, the handles 128, 132, and the drums 118, 120, 122. The pivoting of the hinge 152 with respect to the housing 114 of the laparoscopic instrument 100 is described in more detail in connection with FIGS. 18 and 19. In FIG. 17, the hinge 152 is assembled to the housing pivoting portion 157 using the hinge pin 154. The housing 114 pivots about the hinge pin 154 in the Z-axis to provide the opening and/or closing movement of the housing portion 1702 with respect to the hinge portion 1700. In FIGS. 18 and 19, the hinge portion 1700 is shown in an open position, having been pivoted in a counter clock-wise direction about the Z-axis from the closed position. As the hinge portion 1700 is urged toward the open position, the ball 178�along with the tool 176�is retracted from the ball-receiving hole 127 of the tool drum 118. To open the hinge portion 1700, the locking lever 158 is pressed in a direction toward the tool 176 (as described earlier in reference to FIG. 1B) such that the locking end 165 (shown in FIG. 1B) releases the housing pivoting portion 157. As the hinge portion 1700 is urged toward the open position, the ball 178 passes through the ball-receiving slot 115 formed in the housing 114 until the ball 178 exits the ball-receiving slot 115. After moving the hinge portion 1700 into the open position, the surgeon can remove the tool 176 from within the hinge portion 1700 and replace it with another laparoscopic tool without removing any other part of the instrument 100 from the patient's body. Thus, during the tool replacement, the knob extension or sleeve 172 remains inside the patient in a fixed position. In other words, in contrast to prior art laparoscopic instruments, the surgeon is not required to remove the instrument 100 from within the patient in order to replace the tool 176 with another tool. Maintaining the instrument 100 inside the patient while exchanging tools advantageously eliminates the need for the surgeon to search for and find a previously located body part or position. The location of the ball-receiving hole 127 is found by drawing a circle about the hinge pin 154, whose radius extends to the end of the ball 178 (when the tool 176 is fully inserted into the knob extension 172). Where the circle intersects the tool drum 118 is where the manufacturer should form the ball-receiving hole 127. In an alternate embodiment, instead of adapting the hinge portion 1700 to swing open, the hinge portion 1700 is adapted to slide open. For example, instead of having the housing 114 rotatable with respect to the hinge 152, the housing 114 slides open with respect to the hinge 152 in, for example, a direction of the Z-axis, to allow the removal and/or insertion of the tool 176. Referring to FIGS. 20A and 20B, an alternative embodiment of the present invention shows a laparoscopic instrument 2000 that includes a housing 2014 and a hinge 2052. The hinge 2052 pivots around an X-axis of the laparoscopic instrument 2000. Specifically, the hinge 2052 pivots around a hinge pin 2052, which is inserted through a hinge pivot hole 2056, with respect to the housing 2014. Referring to FIGS. 21A and 21B, an alternative embodiment of the present invention shows a laparoscopic instrument 2100 that includes a housing 2114 and a hinge 2152. The hinge 2152 pivots around a Y-axis of the laparoscopic instrument 2100. Specifically, the hinge 2152 pivots around a hinge pin 2152 with respect to the housing 2114. Slots in the housing 2014 and 2114, respectively, and respective drums will enable the exposed part of each respective shaft and ball to travel into each respective drum. Referring to FIGS. 22A-23B, the locking of the trigger handle 128 with respect to the fixing handle 132 will be described in more detail. In FIG. 22A, the handles 128, 132 are in an open and aligned position relative to one another. In the open position there is no contact between the latching mechanism 130 of the trigger handle 128 and the locking part 134 of the fixing handle 132. The latching mechanism 130 and the locking part 134 include a plurality of corresponding teeth 2282 that are biased so as to lock the handles 128, 132 to each other, as described in more detail below in reference to FIG. 22B. The trigger handle 128 further includes a latching lever 2284, which is pivotally connected to the trigger handle 128 at a pivoting point 2286, and a lever limiter 2288. The lever limiter 2288 limits the rotational movement of the latching lever 2284 to a distance that is sufficient for disengaging engaged ones of the teeth 2282. A reason for limiting the rotational movement of the latching lever 2284 is to prevent the latching lever 2284 from interfering with the operation of the laparoscopic instrument 100. The latching mechanism 130 is mounted on the latching lever 2284 such that the latching mechanism 130 moves whenever the latching lever 2284 is moved. The aligned position shows the latching lever 2284 parallel to the fixing handle 132 in the X-Y plane. In FIG. 22B, the handles 128, 132 are shown in a locked position, and the handles 128, 132 are correspondingly in a closed and aligned position. The latching mechanism 130 and the locking part 134 are interlocked via the plurality of corresponding teeth 2282, which are included in each of the latching mechanism 130 and the locking part 134. To lock the handles 128, 132, at least one of the handles 128, 132 is rotated around the Z-axis toward the other one of the handles 128, 132. For example, the trigger handle 128 is rotated in a clockwise direction toward the fixing handle 132. Corresponding ones of the teeth 2282 are engaged via frictional forces to prevent movement of the handles 128, 132 toward an open position. The teeth 2282 are biased to encourage movement of the handles 128, 132 toward one another but to resist movement of the handles 128, 132 away from one another. The ability to lock the handles 128, 132 during surgery advantageously frees the surgeon's hand to carry out other tasks, while leaving the instrument 100 inside the patient's body. It further permits the surgeon to relax the hand gripping the instrument 100 to minimize hand fatigue that can be caused by prolonged grasping and manipulation of the handles 128, 132. Still further, without locking handles, if the surgeon's hand that is grasping the handles 128, 132 were to momentarily relax or lose its grip, the tool 176 may slip or dislodge from a desired position inside the patient's body cavity. When the handles 128, 132 are in the locked position, the tool 176 can be reliably maintained inside the patient. With the handles locked, the surgeon may also rotate them together in accordance with the present invention to a better position without disturbing the position of the tool 176 inside the body cavity. In FIG. 23A, the handles 128, 132 are shown in a closed and offset position. The handles 128, 132 are fixed with respect to the Z-axis as the latching lever 2284 is urged in the Z-axis direction to unlock the latching mechanism 130 from the locking part 134. When the latching mechanism 130 is moved in the Z-axis direction away from the locking part 134, via movement of the latching lever 2284, engaged ones of the teeth 2282 disengage, causing the trigger handle 128 to unlock from the fixing handle 132. In FIG. 23B, the handles 128, 132 are shown in an open and offset position. After the trigger handle 128 is moved in the Z-axis direction (as shown in FIG. 23A) away from the fixing handle 132, the trigger handle 128 is rotated in a counter-clockwise direction around the Z-axis. To position the latching lever 2284 in the initial open and aligned position of FIG. 22A, the latching lever 2284 must be urged in the Z-axis direction toward the trigger handle 128 in order to position the latching lever 2284 in the same X-Y plane as the fixing handle 132. Now, the trigger handle 128 is ready to be locked relative to the fixing handle 132. Preferably, the latching lever 2284 is positioned to be manipulatable by the surgeon with a single finger, such as with the pinky finger of the hand grasping the handles 128, 132. In this respect, the surgeon is not required to remove the hand from the handles 128, 132 in order to lock or unlock them. In operation, the surgeon simply moves the latching lever 2284 with the pinky finger, which is typically not positioned within the handle 128 as are the ring and middle fingers. At least some of the parts described above in reference to FIGS. 1A-23B are injection-molded parts, which are precision molded with hot-oil or water molds using high-strength, graphite-, glass-, or carbon-filled plastics such as PEEK� (polyetheretherketone), Ultem� (polyetherimide), Grivory�, or RADEL� R (polyphenylsulfone). The injection-molded parts include single cavity molds and family molds. For example, some of the molded parts can be cold runner molds. Although the foregoing embodiments have been described in connection with a laparoscopic instrument 100, the present invention is equally applicable to an arthroscopic instrument. While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and herein described in detail. It should be understood, however, that it is not intended to limit the invention to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Patent CitationsCited PatentFiling datePublication dateApplicantTitleUS4396021 *Dec 15, 1980Aug 2, 1983Baumgartner George CSurgical instrument and processUS5433725 *Dec 13, 1991Jul 18, 1995Unisurge, Inc.Hand-held surgical device and tools for use therewith, assembly and methodUS5507774 *Oct 8, 1993Apr 16, 1996Wright Medical Technology, Inc.Surgical instrument capable of disassemblyUS5797959 *Aug 13, 1997Aug 25, 1998United States Surgical CorporationSurgical apparatus with articulating jaw structure* Cited by examinerReferenced byCiting PatentFiling datePublication dateApplicantTitleUS7666181Aug 2, 2008Feb 23, 2010Tarek Ahmed Nabil Abou El KheirMulti-purpose minimally invasive instrument that uses a micro entry portClassifications U.S. Classification606/1International ClassificationA61B17/00Cooperative ClassificationA61B2017/2947, A61B2017/2946, A61B17/29, A61B2017/291, A61B2017/0046, A61B2017/292, A61B2017/00464European ClassificationA61B17/29RotateOriginal ImageGoogle Home - Sitemap - USPTO Bulk Downloads - Privacy Policy - Terms of Service - About Google Patents - Send FeedbackData provided by IFI CLAIMS Patent Services©2012 Google