| US 7,468,041 B2 | ||
| Modular surgical instrument with reciprocable implement | ||
| James M. Rhodes, Warsaw, Ind. (US); Oscar F. Salcido, Mentone, Ind. (US); and Herbert E. Schwartz, Ft Wayne, Ind. (US) | ||
| Assigned to DePuy Products, Inc., Warsaw, Ind. (US) | ||
| Filed on Jun. 26, 2003, as Appl. No. 10/606,533. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2004/0267164 A1, Dec. 30, 2004 | ||
| Int. Cl. A61B 10/00 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 600—564 [600/562; 600/563; 600/565; 600/566; 600/567; 600/568] | 19 Claims |
| 3. A modular surgical instrument comprising an actuator module and a discrete tool module,
the actuator module comprising:
a handle comprising a grip portion and an integral support portion, the support portion having proximal and distal ends and
a support surface between the proximal and distal ends, the handle being substantially open above the support surface; and
a lever pivotally connected to the support portion of the handle, the lever including a trigger portion and a drive portion,
the trigger portion being longer than the drive portion, the drive portion extending through an opening in the support surface
of the handle; and
the tool module comprising an assembly of a hollow housing, a discrete hollow elongate support member, a discrete surgical
implement and a discrete slide member;
the hollow housing having proximal and distal ends and being sized and shaped to fit between the proximal and distal ends
of the support portion of the handle;
the hollow elongate support member being fixed to the distal end of the housing, the hollow elongate support member having
a proximal end within the housing and extending outwardly from the housing to a free distal end, the free distal end having
an opening;
the hollow housing and hollow elongate support member defining an open passageway between them;
the surgical implement being capable of reciprocal motion in the proximal-distal direction relative to the hollow elongate
support member, at least part of the surgical implement extending through the hollow elongate support member and out through
the opening at the free distal end of the elongate support member, the surgical implement having a proximal part extending
past the proximal end of the hollow elongate support member into the housing; and
the slide member being operably connected to at least part of the surgical implement and being capable of reciprocal motion
in the proximal-distal direction relative to the housing, the slide member having a drive surface within the housing;
wherein the actuator module and tool module are capable of being assembled and disassembled so that at least one of the modules
can be reused independent of the other module, and
wherein when the actuator module and tool module are assembled the drive portion of the lever engages the drive surface of
the slide member so that the slide member and surgical implement can be moved in the distal direction by squeezing the trigger
portion of the lever.
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