US3825011A - Artery clamp - Google Patents

Abstract

An artery clamp useful in the treatment of intracranial aneurysms and other vascular disorders of the type described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,631,859 and which includes a yoke member having limbs thereof in releasable engagement with a plate, a pressure plate mounted for reciprocation between and orthogonal to the limbs of the yoke member, with the improvement herein involving the flaring of the terminal portions of the limbs of the yoke to facilitate assembly thereof with the plate as well as the inclusion of flanges on the pressure plate to prevent rotation thereof relative to the yoke member.

Description

United States Patent [1 1 Frewer 1451 July 23, 1974 ARTERY CLAMP [76] Inventor: Werner Frewer, Rt. 1, Box No.

353-13, Earlysville, Va. 22936 [22] Filed: Jan. 26, 1973 21 Appl. No.: 327,111 w [52] U.S. CL. 128/346, 128/326 [51] Int. Cl....- A6lb 17/12 [58] Field of Search l28/346, 326, 321, 322,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,63 l ,859 -l/l972 Crutchfield 128/346 Primary Examiner Dalton L. Truluck Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Edwin E. Greigg [5 7 ABSTRACT An artery clamp useful in the treatment of intracranial aneurysms and other vascular disorders of the type described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,631,859 and which includes a yoke member having limbs thereof in releasable engagement with a plate, a pressure plate mounted for reciprocation between and orthogonal to the limbs of the yoke member, with the improvement herein involving the flaring of the terminal portions of the limbs of the yoke to facilitate assembly thereof with the plate as well as the inclusion of flanges on the pressure plate to prevent rotation thereof relative to the yoke member.

2 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures 1v ARTERY CLAMP BACKGROUND OF THE- INVENTION This invention relates to further improvements in artery clamps useful in the treatment'of intra-cranial aneurysms and more particularly to a concept that will facilitate the use by surgeons of the instrument patented by William Gayle Crutchfield on Jan. 4, I972, U.S. Pat. No. 3,631,859.

It is recognized that this Crutchfield' patented invention is definitely a step forward in the art relating to instruments necessary to a proper treatment of intracranial vascular disorders. However, use of any instrument frequently reveals that it needs improving upon and it is for this reason that this concept was born.

Heretofore surgeons have found it to be awkward to try to assemble the support plate with the perforations in the yoke member by reason of the pressure plate rotating freely in juxtaposed retracted position relative to driver 17 is now in registry with the bifurcated portion the support plate and thereby interfering with the projections on the support plate fromgaining quick access to the perforations in the yoke limbs.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly the principal object of this invention is to facilitate assembly of a yoke member, that has been placed around an exposed artery, with a support plate that is associated with a control assembly.

Another object of the invention is to provide for easy alignment of the legs carried by the clamping plate with BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the controlassembly according to the prior art with a stabbing cap mounted thereon in place of the clamp assembly;

FIG. 2 is a view of the control assembly in partial section with the stabbing cap removed and the clamp assembly according to the present invention shown spaced therefrom;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the parts of the clamp assembly prior to assembly and preparatory for attachment to the control assembly;

FIG. 4 shows the clamp assembly with theend of the control assembly latched thereto; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the artery clamp with clamp assembly and the control assembly in operative association.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Turning now to FIG. 1 there is shown in this view the control assembly 10 to the end of which is secured the stabbing point 11 this being necessary as explained earher in the Crutchfield patent togain access through the flesh of the patient adjacent to the incision and so that the surgeon can align the control assembly with and attach the yoke member thereto. As soon as the device 18 that is carried at the end of the threaded stem 19 the opposite end of which passes through the supporting plate 20 and is affixed to the pressure plate 21. It will be readily understood at this point, particularly from a study of the drawings in the Crutchfield disclosure that since thescrewdriver is in contact with the threaded stem the pressure plate 21 is free to revolve thus making it difficult to assemble the perforated limbs of the yoke 22 with the support plate.

The difficulties experienced in the use of the Crutchfield assembly have been overcome by the improvements that'will now be described.

Reference is made at this time to the construction of the clamping assembly as believed best shown in FIGS.

.3, 3a, 4 and 5 of the issued patent to Crutchfield with the reference numerals identified in these figures being utilized. It will be apparent to one skilled in the art that assumingthe yoke has been positioned about the artery to be treated and that the control assembly hasbeen inserted through the flesh and the stabbing point removed the surgeon must now assemble the two elements in order to have an operative device capable of applying pressure to the artery.

Itis also understood, of course, that since the yoke is held by some instrument such as forceps around the artery by one hand of the surgeon the control assembly must be maneuvered into position by the other hand so that the protuberances on the support plate 10 can be inserted in the perforations in the limbs of the yoke 12.

It is also believed well understood from the drawing and description in Crutchfields patent that the screwdriver 16 is in engagement with the bifurcated threaded stem with the opposite end thereof extending through the support plate 10 and secured to the pressure plate 14 and thus is free to rotate in front of the support plate. As a result the surgeon has considerable difficulty in manipulating the control assembly and securing the protuberances on the support plate with the limbs of the yoke 22 by reason of the interference of the pressure plate which blocks'access of the perforated limbs to the projections on the supporting plate.

sembly of the control assembly with the above portions of the clamp assembly is the inclusion of flared terminal portions 26 26 adjacent to the extremity of the limbs of the yoke 22. It will be readily understood that in Crutchfields construction at least one perforation of the limb of the yoke has to be placed on a protuberance which offstands above the surface of the support plate and then the unattached other limb of the yoke has to be bent outwardly by the surgeons forceps until that perforated limb can perceive the other protuberance on the support plate,

In this improvement by providing the slot or small perforation in the flat wall of the limbs of the yoke and of the flared portions in the parallel extent of each of the limbs thereof the control assembly can be easily guided between the flared limbs so that the limbs are gradually bent away from one another simultaneously and the protuberance can engage in the perforations in the limbs of the yoke.

What is claimed is: v

1. In an instrument for use in the treatment of intracranial aneurysms and other vascular disorders including (a) a substantially U-shaped yoke member having a pair of parallel laterally spaced apart limbs connected at one of their adjoining ends and having opposing free ends, (b) a clamp support plate fitted between the free ends of the limbs of the yoke member, releasable interengaging connecting means between said clamping support plate and the free ends of the limbs of the yoke member, (d) a pressure plate mounted for reciprocation between and orthogonal to the limbs of the yoke member and disposed inwardly of the clamp support plate, (e) a pressure plate reciprocating stem mounted in threaded engagement in the clamp support a 4 plate and in rotatable engagement at one end thereof with the pressure plate and having an outwardly projecting end portion provided with engaging means, (f) a tubular support member having a resilient end portion in latching engagement with the clamp'support plate (g) a rotatable pressure plate actuating member slidably and rotatably mounted in the tubular support member and having an end portion provided with engaging'means complementary to and engageable with the engaging means on theoutwardly projecting end portion of the pressure plate reciprocating stem for rotation thereof, (h) a sleeve member slidably mounted on the tubular support member for urging the resilient end portion of the support member into latching engagement with the clamp support plate, (i) disengageable lock means for selectively preventing movement of the pressure plate actuating member in the tubular member, (j) disengageable lock means for selectively preventing movement of the sleeve member on the 'tubular support member, the improvement comprising parallel rearwardly extending flanges extending from opposite sides of the pressure plate to prevent rotation thereof during assembly of the yoke member therewith, said flanges overlyingvthe support plate when the pressure plate is in a retracted, pre-operative position whereby the free ends of the limbs of the yoke member have interference-free engagement with the support plate.

2. In an instrument as claimed in claim 1, wherein the free endsof the limbs of the yoke member include flared end portions to facilitate assembly thereof with the support plate.

Claims (2)

1. In an instrument for use in the treatment of intracranial aneurysms and other vascular disorders including (a) a substantially U-shaped yoke member having a pair of parallel laterally spaced apart limbs connected at one of their adjoining ends and having opposing free ends, (b) a clamp support plate fitted between the free ends of the limbs of the yoke member, (c) releasable interengaging connecting means between said clamping support plate and the free ends of the limbs of the yoke member, (d) a pressure plate mounted for reciprocation between and orthogonal to the limbs of the yoke member and disposed inwardly of the clamp support plate, (e) a pressure plate reciprocating stem mounted in threaded engagement in the clamp support plate and in rotatable engagement at one end thereof with the pressure plate and having an outwardly projecting end portion provided with engaging means, (f) a tubular support member having a resilient end portion in latching engagement with the clamp support plate (g) a rotatable pressure plate actuating member slidably and rotatably mounted in the tubular support member and having an end portion provided with engaging means complementary to and engageable with the engaging means on the outwardly projecting end portion of the pressure plate reciprocating stem for rotation thereof, (h) a sleeve member slidably mounted on the tubular support member for urging the resilient end portion of the support member into latching engagement with the clamp support plate, (i) disengageable lock means for selectively preventing movement of the pressure plate actuating member in the tubular member, (j) disengageable lock means for selectively preventing movement of the sleeve member on the tubular support member, the improvement comprising parallel rearwardly extending flanges extending from opposite sides of the pressure plate to prevent rotation thereof during assembly of the yoke member therewith, said flanges overlying the support plate when the pressure plate is in a retracted, pre-operative position whereby the free ends of the limbs of the yoke member have interferencefree engagement with the support plate.

2. In an instrument as claimed in claim 1, wherein the free ends of the limbs of the yoke member include flared end portions to facilitate assembly thereof with the support plate.

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