US3840017A - Surgical instrument - Google Patents

Abstract

A surgical, thread holder and stitching device is provided which employs a hollow needle through which a spool or reel of surgical thread is fed. The hollow needle may have beveled ends for cutting the thread and a recess may be provided in the holder to receive a syringe to pass a medicant through the hollow needle. The device is further characterized by including a surgical knife mounted on the needle protector of the device.

Description

9 1 nited States Patent 11 1 11 1 ,840,017 Violante 1 1 Oct. 8, 1974 1 SURGICAL INSTRUMENT 3,013,559 12/1961 Thomas 128/340 [7 Inventor: Alfonso n y Violante, FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS lnsurgemessur N 1216,4631 772,134 8/1934 France 128/340 F1001 MeXICO Y MeXICO 259,450 4 1912 Germany 128/340 [22] Filed: Aug. 23, 1972 Primary ExaminerDalton L. Truluck [21] Appl' 283036 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Cameron, Kerkam, Sutton,

- Stowell & Stowell [30] Foreign Application Priority Data Oct: xexico 131123 57 CT 133270 Fe mm A surgical, thread holder andstltching device 15 pro- 52 us. (:1. 128/340 Vided which employs a hollow needle thmugh which a 51 1111. Cl .i A6lb 17/06 S11300101 reel of Surgical thread is feThe hollow 5 Field ofSearch 12 334 R 339 340 2 5 C118 may have beveled ends for cutting the thread and 128/232 a recess may be provided in the holder to receive a sytinge to pass a medicant through the hollow needle. [56] References Cited The device is further characterized by including a surgical knife mounted on the needle protector of the de- UNITED STATES PATENTS Vice. 373,372 ll/l887 King 128/340 2,662,524 12/1953 Hudgins 128/215 5 Claims, 17 Drawing Figures PATENTED 81974 sum 1 or 4 FIG. 2

FIG. I

FIG. 3 F|G.4 FIG.5

PATENIEUUET 81974 SHEET 2 OF 4 FIG.

THE INVENTION The present invention is generallydirected to a surgical device and in particular to a surgical thread holder and stitching device and the device may include means for cutting the thread, medicating the wound site and preparing the site for surgical suturing.

In general at the present, substantial time is required to affect suturing of wounds or incisions since with traditional procedures as many as three or four independent motions are required of the surgeon for the preparation of suturing needles.

' It is a particular object of the present invention to provide a device, the use of which reduces the motions or periods of time involved in surgical suturing as the needle carrier is also the carrier and dispenser of extended lengths of suture material whether it be thread, catgut, silk, nylon, wire and the like.

' It is a further object to provide such a device which may also be employed in site preparation such as removal of hair from about the wound, trimming wound edges and anaesthetizing and/or medicating and anaesthetizing the area to be sutured.

In general the present invention is accomplished by a surgical stitching instrument comprising a tubular body, means mounting a thread spool at one end thereof, means mounting a hollow surgical needle at the other end thereof, a recess shaped for insertion of the ball of an operators thumb in the instrument adjacent the needle mounting means, an opening in the instrument for the passage of thread from a spool mounted therein into the recess and an opening in the instrument for the passage of thread from the recess into the lumen of a hollow needle mounted thereon.

The invention will be more particularly described in reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a surgical instrument constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the structures shown in FIG. 1;

FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 illustrate various forms of hollow needles employable with the device illustrated in FIGS. 1- and 2;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a modified form of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of the instruments shown in FIG. 6;

FIGS. 8a, 8b, and c comprise shavings of various forms of hollow needles which may be employed with the form of the invention shown in FIGS. 6 and 7;

FIG. 9 is a plan view of another form of a surgical instrument constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a plan view of the instruments shown in FIG. 8;

FIG. 11 is a view of a typical collapsible wall syringe usable with the instrument shown in FIGS. 8 and 9;

FIG. 12 is a side elevational view of still another form of the surgical tool of the invention;

FIG. 13 is a plan view of the device shown in FIG. 12 including a needle protector associated with a surgical scaple;

FIG. 14 is a section substntially on line 14-14 of FIG. 13; and

FIG. 15 is a section substantially on line 15-15 of FIG. 13.

Referring to the drawings and particularly to FIGS.

1 and 2, 10 generally designates a surgical instrument comprising abody portion 12 which has means atend 14 for rotatably mounting a reel orspool 16 and means atend 18 for reception of a hollowsurgical needle 20.

Thebody portion 12 is provided with aninternal bore 22 which opens at 24, atend 14, and at 26 adjacent arecess 28adjacent end 18.

The spool orreel 16 is rotatably mounted on an axle orpivot pin 30 removably receivable in suitable bores atend 14. Thereel 16 receives theselected suture material 32 which is threaded through thebore 22 in thebody 12.

Thehollow suture needle 20 is mounted in anose piece 34 such that aportion 36 of the needle projects forwardly of the instrument and aportion 38 projects inwardly of the instrument to terminate in therecess 28 whereby the suture thread orsuture material 32 may be fed through the hollow needle to project outwardly therefrom as illustratedin the drawings; The amount of thread to be employed in forming a suture is conveniently expelled from the projecting end of thehollow needle 20 by thesurgeons thumb 40, FIG. 2, working in therecess 28 in a push-lift-retract motion.

It will be particularly noted that thesurgical needle 20 has abeveled and sharpenedtip 42 which assists in penetration of the skin, muscle and other tissue and at the same time presents a sharpened edge which the surgeon can employ in cutting of the suture material. The unit may also include anipple 44 provided with abore 45 whereby the needle and holder may be placed at right angles to thebody 10 as shown in broken lines in FIG. 1.

FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate other hollow needle types which might be received on the end of the surgical instrument in place of thestraight needle 20 illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 3 with the needles being designate 20' and 20".

Referring particularly to FIGS. 6 and 7, a modified form of the present invention is shown with the surgical instrument being designated and comprising abody portion 52 provided with alarge bore 54 at oneend 56. Thebore 54 is capped by acap element 58 which may have external threads which mate with internal threadsadjacent end 56 ofbore 54 or thecap 58 may be retained by frictional engagement.

Thelarge bore 54 receives aspool 60 of suture material with the loose end being payed out through asmall bore 62 which extends to theforward end 64 of theinstrument 50. Theend 64 receives ahollow needle 66 which is frictionally inserted therein with its internal end forming a continuation of thebore 62.

In this form of the invention, as in the form shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the forward end of the surgical instrument is provided with a thumbreceivable recess 68 which extends into thebore 62 whereby the surgeons thumb may be employed to feed suture material through thehollow needle 66. As previously described, thehollow needle 66 may be shaped as illustrated or have various curvatures as shown at 66, 66 and 66" in FIGS. 8a, b and 0.-

Referring now to FIGS. 9 and 10, there is shown a surgical instrument very similar in form and function to thesurgical instrument 10, illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawing. The surgical instrument includes areel 102 which carries the suture material which is fed to thebore 104 of the body of the instrument which bore feeds into an enlargedrecess 106 adjacent the forward end of theinstrument 106. The recess performs the function ofrecess 28 of the FIGS. 1 and 2 form of the invention and in addition is shaped to receive aflexible wall syringe 108 with thepointed end 110 being insertable in theforward portion 112 of thebore 104 such that when thesyringe 108 is in the position illustrated in FIG. 110 the rearward beveled and sharpened end 114 of the hollowsurgical needle 116 will pierce the sealedtip 110 whereby the surgeon may express medicament from the syringe 8 through the hollow needle at the surgical site with such insertion being carried out with or without the suture orsurgical thread 116 being within the hollow needle.

Referring now to FIGS. 12 through 15, a further form of the present invention is shown with the surgical instrument being similar in form to that shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 and being generally designated 150. The spool orbobbin 152, retained in the enlargedbore 154 of thebody 157 of the device,feeds suture material 160 through abore 162 and the lumen of a hollowsurgical needle 164. The assembly also includes an enlargedrecess 166 which receives the surgeons thumb for feeding the suture material through thehollow needle 164 and in addition therecess 166 is adapted to receive asyringe 108 similar in nature to that described in reference to FIG. 11. The extended sealedend 110 of thesyringe 108 is pierced by the sharpened beveled rearward end of the hollowsurgical needle 164 as previously discussed in reference to the form of the invention shown in FIGS. 9, and 11. This form of the invention also includes aneedle protecting sheath 170 having atapered bore 172 adapted to slip over theneedle 164 and the tip 174 of the surgical instrument. Theneedle protector 170 is provided with a removable scaple orblade 176 having acutting edge 178 as more clearly shown in FIGS. 13, 14 and 15.

It will be recognized that the needle protector and surgical points illustrated in FIGS. 12, 13 and 14 may also be employed with the forms of the invention shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, 6 and 7 and 9 and 10.

From the foregoing detailed description of several forms of my invention, it will be seen that all of the aims and objects herein before set forth and others are fully accomplished.

I claim:

1. A surgical stitching instrument comprising a tubular body; a thread spool mounted at one end of the tubular body; a hollow surgical needle mounted at the other end of the tubular body; an arcuate recess of a size and shape for the reception of the ball of an operators thumb positioned in the tubular body adjacent the hollow surgical needle; a first passage way for the passage of thread from said spool into the arcuate recess; a second passage way at the opposite end of the arcuate recess for the passage of thread, bridging said recess, into the lumen of the hollow needle mounted on the tubular body; whereby the operator's thumb has positive thread feeding and thread immobilizing contact with the thread in the zone of the arcuate recess.

2. A surgical stitching instrument as defined in claim 1 including an opening in the tubular body adjacent the second passage way communicating with lumen of the hollow needle mounted thereon and adapted to receive the outlet of a medicament syringe.

3. A surgical stitching instrument as defined in claim 2 wherein the opening in the tubular body communicating with the lumen of the hollow needle is adjacent the arcuate recess. 7

4. A surgical instrument as defined in claim 1 including a needle protecting cap having a surgical blade on the exterior thereof.

5. A surgical instrument as defined in claim 1 wherein the hollow surgical needle mounting at the other end of the tubular body includes a receptor positioned to the longitudinal axis of the tubular body. l

Claims (5)

1. A surgical stitching instrument comprising a tubular body; a thread spool mounted at one end of the tubular body; a hollow surgical needle mounted at the other end of the tubular body; an arcuate recess of a size and shape for the reception of the ball of an operator''s thumb positioned in the tubular body adjacent the hollow surgical needle; a first passage way for the passage of thread from said spool into the arcuate recess; a second passage way at the opposite end of the arcuate recess for the passage of thread, bridging said recess, into the lumen of the hollow needle mounted on the tubular body; whereby the operator''s thumb has positive thread feeding and thread immobilizing contact with the thread in the zone of the arcuate recess.

2. A surgical stitching instrument as defined in claim 1 including an opening in the tubular body adjacent the second passage way communicating with lumen of the hollow needle mounted thereon and adapted to receive the outlet of a medicament syringe.

3. A surgical stitching instrument as defined in claim 2 wherein the opening in the tubular body communicating with the lumen of the hollow needle is adjacent the arcuate recess.

4. A surgical instrument as defined in claim 1 including a needle protecting cap having a surgical blade on the exterior thereof.

5. A surgical instrument as defined in claim 1 wherein the hollow surgical needle mounting at the other end of the tubular body includes a receptor positioned 90* to the longitudinal axis of the tubular body.

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