Abstract:
The invention relates to a surgical instrument system, which comprises a hollow shaft as well as a shaft-type instrument that can be inserted into the hollow shaft. To create a surgical instrument system that consists of a hollow shaft and of a medical instrument that can be inserted into the hollow shaft and that is both simple in construction and capable of a range of uses, it is proposed according to the invention that at least one cam that reduces the inside diameter of the hollow shaft should be positioned on the interior of the hollow shaft.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    The present application claims priority of German patent application No. 20 2007 009 713.1 filed on Jul. 10, 2007, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The invention relates to a surgical instrument system, which comprises a hollow shaft as well as a shaft-type instrument that can be inserted into the hollow shaft. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    It is customary in endoscopic surgical interventions to create several means of access to the surgical area in order to have at least one accessway for conveying medical instruments such as cutting and/or gripping instruments into the surgical area for conducting an operation and to have at least one additional accessway for conveying an observation unit, such as an endoscope, into the area for observation and control of the operation. 
         [0004]    The various medical instruments are conveyed into the operating area after configuration of an initial skin incision by hollow shafts. Because a great range of medical instruments are inserted into these hollow shafts, the shafts must be so configured that they fulfill the various requirements demanded of the shaft by the insertion of the particular instrument. For instance, while inserting an endoscope into the hollow shaft, in order to create sufficient space for rinsing inside the hollow shaft, by which the endoscope lens system can be cleaned during the operation, shafts known in the art comprise lateral rinsing holes or distal inserts, which on the other hand reduce the flow of rinsing agents and the turbulence or else are unnecessary or can even be a hindrance for other instrument inserts. 
         [0005]    It is therefore the object of the invention to create a surgical instrument system that consists of a hollow shaft and of a medical instrument that can be inserted into the hollow shaft and that is of simple construction and offers a range of uses. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    The invention fulfills this object in that on the interior of the hollow shaft at least one cam is positioned that reduces the inside diameter of the hollow shaft in such a way that a rinsing area is configured between the interior surrounding surface of the hollow shaft and the outer surrounding surface of the shaft-type instrument that can be inserted into the hollow shaft when the shaft-type instrument, such as an endoscope, comes into contact with its outer surrounding surface on the at least one cam. 
         [0007]    The addition of individual cams on the interior wall of the hollow shaft has the advantage that these cams reduce the rinsing flow very little if at all. 
         [0008]    It is proposed with a practical embodiment of the invention that several cams, preferably three, should be distributed over the inner surrounding surface of the hollow shaft. Providing several cams distributed over the surrounding surface makes possible a simple way of holding a medical instrument inserted in the hollow shaft, for instance an endoscope lens system, at a precise distance from the inside surrounding surface of the hollow shaft. 
         [0009]    It is further proposed with the invention that the several cams should preferably be positioned in the area of the distal end of the hollow shaft and aligned in a circle, that is, that all cams should be arranged at an equal distance from the distal point of the hollow shaft. 
         [0010]    To ensure that the rinsing flow is disturbed as little as possible by the cams extending into the hollow shaft, it is proposed with the invention that the cams should be configured as essentially point-shaped. 
         [0011]    Contrary to what occurs in inserting medical instruments into the hollow shaft that happens to be already in the skin incision, when the hollow shaft is inserted into the skin incision by means of an expansion mandrel or obturator inserted into the hollow shaft, it is not desirable that a gap should be created between the inside surrounding surface of the hollow shaft and the outside surrounding surface of the shaft instrument inserted into the hollow shaft, because this could cause tissue damage by the sharp distal end of the hollow shaft. 
         [0012]    In this type of application, in order to remove the distance-producing effect of the cams positioned on the inside wall of the hollow shaft, it is proposed with the invention that, in the shaft of the shaft-type instrument inserted into the hollow shaft, at least one recess should be configured corresponding with the at least one cam. The configuration of this recess has the effect that the corresponding cam can be inserted into this recess, while the rest of the instrument shaft can fill the inside diameter of the hollow shaft completely. 
         [0013]    The cams of the hollow shaft that engage in the recesses of the instrument shaft, in addition, cause a rotation-proof blocking of the medical instrument inserted into the hollow shaft relative to the hollow shaft. 
         [0014]    It is further proposed with the invention that with several cams positioned over the inside surrounding surface of the hollow shaft, the recesses corresponding with the cams in the shaft of the shaft-type instrument should be configured as grooves running in the axial direction of the shaft, such that the axial length of the grooves preferably corresponds to the position of the corresponding cams on the inside of the hollow shaft. 
         [0015]    In order to allow that the medical shaft-type instrument that is to be inserted is inserted into the hollow shaft in a simple manner and in exact position and in the correct alignment with the hollow shaft, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention an additional cam is positioned on the inside of the hollow shaft in addition in the area of the proximal end, and in the shaft of the shaft-type instrument that is to be inserted into the hollow shaft, a recess is configured that corresponds with the additional cam and extends from the distal end of the shaft to the height of the additional cam. 
         [0016]    This additional cam positioned in the area of the proximal end on the inside of the hollow shaft is preferably aligned in the axial direction flush with one of the other cams. 
         [0017]    Finally it is proposed with the invention that the shaft-type instrument that can be inserted into me hollow shaft should be an obturator. 
         [0018]    Further characteristics and advantages of the invention can be seen by means of the description of the appended illustrations, in which an embodiment of an inventive surgical instrument system is presented in exemplary form, without restricting the invention to this embodiment. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0019]      FIG. 1  shows a schematic side view of an inventive surgical instrument system comprising a hollow shaft as well as a medical shaft-type instrument that can be inserted into the hollow shaft. 
           [0020]      FIG. 2  shows a perspective view of a detail of the distal end of the hollow shaft. 
           [0021]      FIG. 3  shows an enlarged section along the line III-III in  FIG. 2 . 
           [0022]      FIG. 4  shows a perspective view of the medical instrument that can be inserted into the hollow shaft. 
           [0023]      FIG. 5  shows an enlarged section along the line V-V of  FIG. 4 . 
           [0024]      FIG. 6  shows a perspective view of a detail of the distal end of the hollow shaft with inserted medical instrument. 
           [0025]      FIG. 7  shows a section along the line VII-VII of  FIG. 6 . 
           [0026]      FIG. 8  shows a section according to  FIG. 7  but with a different shaft-type instrument inserted into the hollow shaft. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0027]    The surgical instrument system illustrated in  FIG. 1  consists of an inventive surgical instrument system comprising a hollow shaft  1  as well as a medical shaft-type instrument  2  that can be inserted into the hollow shaft  1 . 
         [0028]    The hollow shaft  1  consists essentially of a hollow cylindrical tube on whose proximal end rinsing connections  3  and a coupling mechanism  4  for locked fixing of the medical shaft-type instrument  2  that is inserted into the hollow shaft  1  are positioned. In the illustrated embodiment of the hollow shaft  1 , the distal end of the hollow shaft  1  comprises a return spring  5 , but it is also possible of course to configure the distal end of the hollow shaft  1  in such a way that said end ends straight or has a distal end of a different shape or type. 
         [0029]    As can be seen in particular from  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the hollow shaft  1  in the area of its distal end comprises three notches  6  that are distributed over the perimeter of the hollow shaft  1  and that configure point-shaped cams  7  that reduce the inside diameter of the hollow shaft  1  on the inside of the hollow shaft  1 . 
         [0030]    With the illustrated embodiment of the hollow shaft  1 , the cams  7  are positioned in a circle at an equal distance from the distal end of the hollow shaft  1 . It is also possible of course to arrange more or fewer cams  7  and cams  7  in other arrangements on the inside of the hollow shaft  1 . In addition, the illustrated configuration of the cams  7  as point-shaped cams  7 , which are formed by in-curving of the surrounding surface of the hollow shaft  1 , constitutes only one possible means of designing and configuring the cams  7 . What&#39;s essential is that the cams  7  in some sections reduce the inside diameter of the hollow shaft  1 . 
         [0031]    The shaft-type instrument  2  configured as a mandrel, for instance an obturator, consists, as can be seen from  FIGS. 1 ,  4 , and  5 , essentially of a lengthwise extended shaft  8  whose distal end is configured as a rounded point  9  and on whose proximal end a handle  10  is positioned, which on the one hand facilitates the insertion and withdrawing of the shaft  8  into and out of the hollow shaft  1  and, on the other hand, constitutes a limiting stop for the insertion depth of the shaft  8  into the hollow shaft  1 . 
         [0032]    The handle  0 , in addition, comprises appropriate catching instruments to secure the shaft-type instrument  2  on the coupling mechanism  4  of the hollow shaft  1 . 
         [0033]    As can be seen in particular from  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the shaft  8  of the shaft-type instrument  2  in the area of the distal end comprises three recesses  11  configured as grooves that are distributed over the perimeter of the shaft  8  and correspond with the cams  7  of the hollow shaft  1 . 
         [0034]    These grooves  11  serve, despite the cams  7  configured on the inside of the hollow shaft  1 , to completely fill the hollow shaft  1  with the shaft  8  of the shaft-type instrument  2  that is to be inserted, when this is required. As shown in  FIG. 7 , the cams  7  engage with the grooves  11  and thereby allow an essentially fully flat lining of the hollow shaft  1  by the shaft  8  of the shaft-type instrument  2  inserted into the hollow shaft  1 . 
         [0035]    When it is required, however, that free space, for instance in the form of a rinsing area  12  ( FIG. 8 ), should remain between the inner surrounding surface of the hollow shaft  1  and the outer surrounding surface of the shaft of the shaft-type instrument  2  that is to be inserted into the hollow shaft  1 , these cams  7  configured on the inside of the hollow shaft  1 , with a shaft  13  without recesses  11 , for instance the shaft  13  of an endoscope lens system, produce this required distance because the shaft  13  with its surrounding surface is contiguous with the cams  7  and thus is held at a distance from the inside wall of the hollow shaft  1 . 
         [0036]    Alternatively to the previously described configuration of the rinsing area  12  on a shaft without recesses  11 , it is also possible to configured the rinsing area  2  in that the depth of the recesses/grooves in the shaft  8  or  3  of the shaft-type instrument  2  is less than the height of the cams  7 , so that the width of the rinsing area  12  can be determined by the depth of the recesses/grooves  11 . 
         [0037]    The sectional view in  FIG. 8  shows a division of the rinsing area  12  into three rinsing channels. It should be pointed out that these rinsing channels are configured only in the immediate contact vicinity of the shaft  3  on the cams  7 , but before and behind the cams  7  the rinsing area takes up the entire perimeter surface between the inside surrounding surface of the hollow shaft  1  and the outer surrounding surface of the shaft  13  of the shaft-type instrument that is to be inserted into the hollow shaft  1 . 
         [0038]    The previously described surgical instrument system is used as follows. 
         [0039]    In a first operational step, for instance by means of a sharp trocar mandrel, at least one skin incision is produced by which thereafter the medical instruments required for the endoscopic operation can be conveyed to the operating area. 
         [0040]    The medical instruments are inserted through the skin incision into the operating area by means of sleeves, such as the hollow shaft  1 , inserted into the skin incision. 
         [0041]    Because the operationally produced cut of the skin incision is to be kept as small as possible, but thereafter medical instruments with a larger diameter must also be inserted into the operating area, it is necessary thereafter, after configuring the skin incision, to widen the skin incision by using the tissue elasticity. 
         [0042]    The widening can, for instance, be carried out by means of the shaft-type instrument  2 , which is pushed with its rounded point  9  forward into the skin incision and widens said incision with the conical shape of the point  9  upon further insertion of the shaft  8 . To be able to inserted the hollow shaft  1  into the skin incision simultaneously with the widening of the skin incision, first the shaft-type instrument  2  is inserted into the hollow shaft until the cams  7  of the hollow shaft  1  engage in the recesses/grooves  1  of the shaft  8 . 
         [0043]    In this combination depicted in  FIG. 6 , the instrument system is inserted into the skin incision. To avoid injuries of the tissue upon insertion of the hollow shaft into the skin incision by the sharp distal end edge of the hollow shaft  1 , it is urgently necessary in this stage of the operation that the shaft  8  of the shaft-type instrument  2  inserted into the hollow shaft  1  completely fills up the hollow shaft  1 , in particular at the distal end, in order thereby to ensure seamless transition from the outer diameter of the shaft  8  to the outer diameter of the hollow shaft  1 . 
         [0044]    After placing the hollow shaft  1  in the skin incision, the shaft-type instrument  2  in the form of an expansion mandrel can be withdrawn again from the hollow shaft  1 . 
         [0045]    The hollow shaft henceforth forms a free accessway to the operating area, through which further medical instruments can be inserted into the operating area. 
         [0046]    Upon inserting an endoscope lens system into the operating area, to ensure a constantly clear field of vision it is necessary to rinse the lens system. As can be seen from  FIG. 8 , said necessary rinsing area  12  is produced inside the hollow shaft  1  in that the shaft  13  of the endoscope lens system has no recesses/grooves, so that the shaft  13  with its surrounding surface is contiguous with the cams  7  and thus is held at a distance from the inside wall of the hollow shaft  1  while forming the rinsing area  12 . 
         [0047]    To be able to insert the insertable medical shaft-type instrument  2  into the hollow shaft  1  in simple manner and in the correct alignment to the hollow shaft  1 , an additional cam  7  can be positioned on the inside of the hollow shaft  1  in addition in the area of the proximal end, and in the shaft  8  of the shaft-type instrument  2  that is to be inserted into the hollow shaft  1  a recess  11  can be configured that corresponds with the addition cam  7  and extends from the distal end of the shaft  8  to the height of the additional cam  7 . 
         [0048]    The surgical instrument system of this configuration is characterized in that it ensures both a range of possible uses and a constantly high degree of operating safety and ease of operation.