GB1033708A - - Google Patents

Abstract

1, 033, 708. Suturing appliances. J. E. HEALEY and E. B. MOORE. Dec. 20, 1962 [Dec. 26, 1961; Aug. 7, 1962], No. 48134/62. Heading A5R. [Also in Division E2] An instrument for holding together cut ends of body ducts e.g. blood vessels, for suturing, comprises cylindrical clamping bodies 26 mounted on pivotal arms A, B, each body having a circular channel therethrough for receiving a cut end of a body duct and comprising two parts which on separation afford a passageway between the channel and the exterior, the bodies defining working surfaces which as they approach one another, on finger manipulation of the arms, first make contact at a point furthest from the pivot, and the channels, in the final position of the working surfaces, having their axes coincident. Arms A,B, each having a handle 20 at one end and a cylindrical axially bored head 26 at the other, are pivotal intermediate their ends so that, when the handles are brought together, the heads are axially aligned. A cylindrical bushing in two separable complementary parts 64, 66 is inserted in the bore of each head so that faces of flanges 68 of the bushings face one another and a slot 62 in each head is closed. In use, the arms are separated at the pivot and cut ends of a body duct to be sutured are passed one through each bushing and cuffed one over each head, where they are secured by rubber rings. The arms are then reassembled at the pivot and the handles are pressed together so that the cuffed ends of the body duct abut one another. The arms are secured in closed position by the interengagement of toothed projections 24 which extend from each arm adjacent the handle, the teeth of the projections being disposed so that on engagement a suitable predetermined pressure is applied to the abutting ends of the body duct. After removal of the rubber rings, the cuffed ends of the body duct are sutured together. To remove the device, the handles are opened, the arms are separated and the bushings are removed from the heads so that the duct may be slid through the slots 62 in the heads. One arm B has a flattened central portion 44 with overhanging flanges 50, 52 and a pivot pin 46. The other arm A has a flattened central portion 34 having an aperture 48 which fits over the pin 46 to pivotally interconnect the arms. As the arms are closed, the apertured flattened portion slides under the flanges to secure the arms together and when the arms are opened they may be separated. In an alternative construction, each bored head comprises a part-cylindrical portion secured to an arm and a complementary part-cylindrical portion mounted on a lever secured to the arm,the lever being spring-urged so that the head portions complete a cylinder. In use, the device may be withdrawn from a sutured body duct when the portions of each head are separated by moving the levers against the springs.