The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 04, 1995
Filed:
Jan. 18, 1994
Greg Furnish, Lawrenceville, GA (US);
Snowden-Pencer, Inc., Lawrenceville, GA (US);
Abstract
This invention relates to endoscopic surgical instruments. In particular, the present invention relates to an apparatus for sealing the opening of an endoscopic suction/irrigation valve assembly and probe through which auxiliary endoscopic surgical instruments are inserted. The apparatus provides at least one shaft sealing surface which slidably yet also frictionally grips the shaft of an instrument inserted therethrough to hold the instrument tool at a desired position relative to the tip of the suction/irrigation probe. The invention also provides a means for attaching the sealing member to the valve assembly and a flexible seal radially extending within the lumen of the flexible sealing member for receiving of the instrument therethrough. The flexible seal can be comprised of a plurality of valve leaflets, each of which is independently secured to the luminal surface of the body portion of the sealing member. The valve leaflets can be initially joined along their juxtaposed edges to form a frangible seal such that, when the frangible seal is fractured by insertion of an auxiliary instrument shaft, the leaflets are then move between an open and a normally closed position. These leaflets substantially seal the opening auxiliary instrument opening of the surgical valve assembly and probe during the interchange of auxiliary instruments.