US2887110A - Forceps for removing skin clips - Google Patents

Description

May 19, 1 959 B. K. AFROESCHMANN FORCEPS FOR REMOVING SKIN CLIPS Filed Oct. 12, 1956 INVENTOR.

BEN/V0 K 4. B05 3 CHMA/VM A T TOEA/EYS.

United States Patent FORCEPS FOR REMOVING SKIN (ILIPS Benno K. A. Roeschmann, Montelair, NJ.

Application October 12, 1956, Serial No. 615,706

1 'Claim. (Cl. 128-321) This invention relates to surgical instruments, and more particularly to a pair of forceps for removing surgical clips or clamps of the type having opposed outwardly projecting top lugs.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved forceps for removing surgical clips, said forceps being simple in construction, being easy to use, and providing a secure grip on the surgical clip being re moved whereby said clip is disengaged from the patients skin rapidly and painlessly.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved forceps for removing skin clips of the type having opposed outwardly projecting top lugs, said forceps being inexpensive to manufacture, being compact in size, and being arranged so that the skin clip being removed is opened completely and rapidly, the forceps being provided with means for positively gripping the skin clips during their removal and for avoiding twisting of the cli s.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claim, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side view of a pair of forceps constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is an end elevational view of the forceps of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical cross sectional view taken on line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an enlarged horizontal cross sectional view taken online 4--4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is an enlarged vertical cross sectional view taken through the gripping fingers of the forceps of Figures 1 to 4 and illustrating the manner in which the fingers engage with the outwardly projecting top lugs of a surgical clip.

Referring to the drawings, 11 generally designates a pair of forceps constructed in accordance with the present invention, said forceps comprising a pair of outwardly bowedarms 12 and 13, thearm 12 being provided with atop lug 14 formed with avertical groove 15 in which is received aflattened top lug 16 formed on thearm 13. Apivot pin 17 extends through thetop lug 14 and through theflattened lug 16, pivotally connecting thearms 12 and 13. Designated at 18 is a leaf spring which is secured at its lower end to the lower portion of thearm 12, as by arivet 19. Theleaf spring 18 is of similar shape and bears on the upper portion of the inside surface of thearm 13, being retained adjacent said upper portion by a hook-like retainingmember 20 secured to the upper portion of thearm 13, as shown in Figure 1.Spring 18 biasesarms 12 and 13 apart, but is readily yieldable when thearms 12 and 13 are squeezed together for removal of a surgical clip.

Thearms 12 and 13 are formed at their lower ends with the deepening, straight, substantiallyparallel fingers 21 and 22, as shown in Figure 1, the respective fingers being formed with the opposingvertical grooves 23 and 24 opening at the bottom ends of the fingers, as is clearly 2,887,110 Patented May 19, 1959 shown in Figure 5. The inside wall surface of thegrooves 23 and 24 are formed withtransverse serrations 25, as shown in Figure 5, and the opposing faces of thefingers 21 and 22 are likewise formed withtransverse serrations 26. Thegrooves 23 and 24 are less in depth than the thickness of thearms 27, 27 of a conventionalsurgical clip 28, as shown in Figure 5, whereby thelugs 27, 27 may be firmly gripped by thefingers 21, 22, even when thelugs 27, 27 are in abutment with each other.

As will be readily understood, the conventionalsurgical clip 28 may be employed to close an incision or wound as a substitute for or in conjunction with sutures. When engaged with the incision or wound, thegripping portions 29 of the clip are brought relatively close together and thetop lugs 27 of the clip are in outwardly extending oppositely directed positions. To unfasten the clip, it is necessary to exert squeezing pressure on the opposed outwardly projectingtop lugs 27. In operating the forceps, for this purpose, thelugs 27, 27 are engaged in thegrooves 23 and 24 of thefingers 21 and 22, and squeezing pressure is applied to thearms 12 and 13, forcing thefingers 21 and 22 toward each other and rotating the arms of the surgical clip so that thelugs 27, 27 are brought into contact with each other.

When thelugs 27, 27 are engaged in thegrooves 23, 24, the lugs are firmly held by the engagement of thetransverse serrations 25 therewith, whereby slipping cannot occur and whereby even opposing inward forces are applied to the lugs, causing thespur elements 29 of the clip to be separated smoothly and rapidly and allowing the clip to be removed from the suture or wound with a minimum of pain or discomfort to the patient.

The forceps 11 may be employed for removing surgical clips of different sizes, since in most cases, the size of thelugs 27 remains the same for the various different sizes of surgical clips.

While a specific embodiment of an improved forceps for removing surgical clips has been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A pair of forceps for removing skin clips of the type having opposed outwardly projecting top lugs comprising a pair of outwardly bowed arms, means pivotally connecting the top ends of said arms, spring means biasing said arms apart, and depending, straight, substantially parallel gripping fingers on the bottom ends of said arms, said fingers being formed with opposing rec tangular grooves open at their lower ends, whereby said grooves define a cavity open at its bottom end when the fingers are brought together into contact with each other, and being further formed with transverse serrations in said grooves, said transverse serrations opposing each other to engage at times with the top edges of the out wardly projecting top lugs of a skin clip, said opposing grooves being relatively shallow, whereby to grip the lugs even when the lugs are in abutment with each other.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

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