Surgical Foreceps

The present invention will become apparent from the following description thereof when considered together with the accompanying drawings which are set forth as being exemplary of embodiments of the present invention and are not intended, in any way, to be limitative thereof and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front view of the surgical forceps of this invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the surgical forceps as shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged front view of the mating jaws of the surgical forceps as shown in FIG. 2 from line 3--3.

FIG. 3a is another embodiment of an enlarged front view of the mating jaws for use in the surgical forceps of this invention.

FIG. 4 is an inner side view of one of the jaws of the surgical forceps as shown in FIG. 1 through line 4--4.

FIG. 5 is an inner side view of the other jaws of the surgical forceps as shown in FIG. 1 through line 5--5.

Referring in detail to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown surgical forceps 1 comprising a pair of cross members 2, 4 pivoted to one another by pivotal connection 7 such as with a box or mortise type joint. Each of the cross members 2, 4 comprise arms 6 and 8, respectively, extending from the pivotal connection means 7 in one direction and arms 10 and 12, respectively, extending from the pivotal connection means 7 in an opposite direction. Arms 6 and 8 terminate with looped handle portions 14 and 16, respectively, for receiving a user's fingers for pivoting arms 6 and 8 about pivotal connection 7. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the pivotal connection 7 is located at the rearward portion of arms 6 and 8 so as to substantially be in the plane therewith. As stated above, arms 6 and 8 have looped handle portions 14 and 16, respectively, so that the user can operate the forceps in a conventional manner, and as in all instruments of this type, the arms possess catches 18 and 20, respectively, forming a broach for maintaining the corceps in a closed position after crushing a part of an organ between jaws 22 and 24 as discussed hereinafter.

A first pair of straight segments 26, 28 of arms 10 and 12 extend from pivotal connection 7 and then culminate in a second pair of segments 30, 32. The angle formed between the longitudinal axis 33 of the first set of arms and the longitudinal axis 35 of the segments 30, 32 forms an angle .alpha. which is shown to be about 120.degree.. As stated above, angle .alpha. could vary, for example, from between about 90.degree. to 150.degree., preferably between about 110.degree. and 130.degree. and most preferably about 120.degree.. The extremity of segments 30, 32 terminate with slightly curved or arcuate mating jaws 24 and 22, respectively, which lie in a plane 37 substantially perpendicular to the plane 41 containing pivotal connection 7 as shown by FIGS. 1 and 2. Plane 37 is defined as the plane containing the longitudinal axis that bisects the side area 52 disposed adjacent to and substantially perpendicular to the center outer edge notch 48 as shown in FIG. 2. If an even number of notches are employed, then the plane 37 would be defined as a plane containing a line that contains the center point of the two side areas disposed adjacent to and substantially perpendicular to the two center outer edge notches. The jaws 22 and 24 are shown curved to the anatomical curve of the cervix.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, jaw 24 has a lengthwise or longitudinal groove 34 and as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, jaw 22 has a lengthwise or longitudinal projection 36. As shown in FIG. 3, the longitudinal projection 36 of jaw 22 is designed to mate within the longitudinal groove 34 of jaw 24. The top surface of projection 36 has serrations 43. As stated above, this arrangement will provide a crushing action on the body organ contained within the jaws 22, 24 and thereby effect hemostasis through the entire length of the organ within said jaws while also preventing slipping of the organ.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the mating jaws 22, 24 have widthwise serrations 38 and 40, respectively. Thus when the arms 6 and 8 are pivoted to the closed position, the jaws 22 and 24 are brought into a mating position which will be sufficient to widthwise crush and thereby provide an almost instant hemostasis through the width of the body organ clamped therebetween while simultaneously preventing slipping of the organ through the forceps.

FIG. 3a shows an enlarged front view of another embodiment of mating jaws 21 and 23 for use in this invention. Specifically, the only difference between the jaws 21 and 23 of this view and the jaws 22 and 24 of FIG. 3 is that the projection 46 on jaw 23 has a truncated pyramidal shape while projection 36 on jaw 22 has a rectangular shape. Thus in accordance with this invention, the projection could have any polygonal configuration. The only requirement is that the groove in the mating jaw be shaped in a similar manner so that the projection can seat and mate within the groove.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the outer edges 42 and 44 of jaws 22 and 24, respectively, have three spaced-apart notches 47, 48 and 49. In the closed position, notches 47, 48 and 49 in jaw 22 will be in alignment with notches 47, 48 and 49 in jaw 24 so as to provide slots to accommodate a needle for suturing a body organ confined and secured between the jaws. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the user, such as a surgeon, can grasp the forceps by the looped members and by conventional pivoting can open and close the jaws of the forceps. By having the jaws of the forceps oriented approximately 90.degree. to the gripping arm members and having the second pair of segments 30 and 32 disposed at an angle between about 90.degree. to 150.degree., most preferably 120.degree., from the first pair of segments 26 and 28, the user can squeeze a body organ between the jaws thereby exposing the squeezed area without having the gripping arm obscuring or blocking the view and access to said squeezed area. To aid the surgeon locating the suture notches 47, 48 and 49, the areas designated 50, 52 and 54, respectively, adjacent the notches are shown slightly indented. The length of each of the areas 50, 52 and 54 is approximately equal to the length of the respective notches 47, 48 and 49 as shown in FIG. 2.

When using the surgical forceps of this invention in an abdominal hysterectomy operation, the forceps clamp the uterus at its cervical end and squeeze it down so as to force the lower aspect of the uterus (hereinafter referred to as cervix) cephalad or upwards. Three sutures are then placed through the notches in the jaws of the forceps to secure the vaginal cuff. The cervis uteri can then be excised in one step without leaving redundant or uneven vaginal edges at the vaginal junction. The surgical forceps of this invention serve to provide excellent hemostasis by its crushing action of the vaginal cuff secured between the jaws of the forceps and also provide a seal against vaginal contamination as it effectively closes off the entire vagina. The use of the surgical forceps as a single clamp during the operation will not obscure the area of the uterus being excised. The surgical forceps of this invention can effectively shorten the time of excising the cervis uteri from the vagina from 15 to 30 minutes. This reduction in operating time can materially benefit the patient by shortening anesthetic time which can be most important in the marginally healthy patient who requires abdominal hysterectomy.

It is to be understood that other modifications and changes to to the preferred embodiment of the invention herein shown and described can also be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.