WO2005046481A1

WO2005046481A1 - Bioptome with a disposable cutting nipper

Info

Publication number: WO2005046481A1
Application number: PCT/BR2004/000227
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ernesto Guillermo Cadeiras; Miguel Cadeiras
Original assignee: Ernesto Guillermo Cadeiras; Miguel Cadeiras
Priority date: 2003-11-13
Filing date: 2004-11-16
Publication date: 2005-05-26
Also published as: AR041956A1

Abstract

Cutting nipper comprised of an only parallelepipedon shaped body which lower portion is at least partially hollow. An opening is provided in the lower base to access the inner body and the upper portion having an upper concave base from which two sections project ending in spoons. The lower end of each said sections having articulation thinning of the respective spoon and these articulate between an angle comprised between a plane coinciding with the body axis corresponding to the closed position of the tool and a plane disposed about 45° from the prior corresponding to the open position of the tool. The assembly of the guide tube on a step of similar diameter configures the point of maximum closeness between the cutting edges of the spoons.

Description

Bioptome with a disposable cutting nipper This invention refers to a bioptome with a disposable cutting nipper. To make this invention understandable so that it can be put into practice easily, the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment will be set forth, reference being made to the attached drawings, intending to illustrate the embodiment disclosed and are not to be construed as being limitations thereto, which components can be selected between various equivalent ones without deviating from the principles set forth in the present documentation. Background of the invention Processes are used that are more or less invasive with the object of obtaining samples of internal tissue from patients and allowing doctors to make a diagnosis. Undoubtedly, the technical evolution has enabled to miniaturize the elements used to extract such samples and those, together with access techniques to the extraction areas of the samples which are less invasive, better instruments and better study, evaluation and investigation techniques allowing the use of smaller sized samples, has lead to the need for less time for an extraction, less trauma and the patients fast recovery. Amongst the tools used to achieve the extraction of samples necessary to carry out analysis, the most common are nippers with adequate cutting edges to cut a portion of tissue to be analysed. Such nippers require effective cutting edges to produce a net cut of the tissue to avoid tearing with the resulting harm to the surrounding area of the sample. The nipper should have an exact balance to take the necessary amount of sample tissue to carry out studies and be the smallest size possible to achieve a minimum invasion. Undoubtedly this balance is in direct relationship to the type of sample to be extracted. Amongst the multiple existing models, stainless steel nippers are known in the art, having diameters equal or larger than 1,5 mm formed by a great number of mobile parts connecting with each other. This type of tools is reusable and requires very high quality constructive standards as they are submitted to numerous sterilizations during their lifetime and should maintain cutting edges adequately sharp to effect a net cut and not damage the surrounding tissue. Disposable bioptomes are known that, like the ones described above, are connected by numerous parts, and like them, are difficult to use. Such a quantity of connecting parts makes them very expensive that makes then unavailable to the poorer section. This determines that as it is impossible to cover the cost of disposable material, lots of biopsies are not done and doctors have to resource to alternative methods that are not so precise to make a diagnosis. The costliness has lead to the practice of reusing tools that are normally disposable with a certain risk of breakage thereof. Taking these above aspects into account, the inventors have determined that it is preferable to use a tool that is partially disposable, i.e., that only the cutting nipper of the bioptome be disposable. The inventors have also considered that said cutting nipper can be manufactured by injection, simplifying production and noticeably reducing costs. Therefore it is an object of the present invention to obtain a bioptome provided with a disposable cutting nipper. A further object of the present invention is that said cutting nipper be manufactured by injection Within the object proposed, the inventors have studied US Patents 3,989,049; 4,016,881; 4,427,014; 4,896,678; 5,222,973; 5,318,589 and 5,636,639, which teach the above-mentioned complexity. US 5,636,639 to Vincent Turturro et al. being the closest prior art found, discloses an endoscopic bioptome comprised by a cylindrical container in which an inner member moves axially. The inner member is attached to a control wire (18) of a cutting tool formed by two cups (46a and 46b) with preferably serrated edges. The movement of the tool is limited by two abutments (47a and 47b) provided on said cups and a piece (15) located at the opposite end. The invention proposed in the present document, such as it will be described, substantially simplifies prior art tools and reduces costs without losing effectiveness. Drawings

- Figure 1 is a schematised side section view of the bioptome.

- Figure 2 is a schematised perspective view of the disposable cutting nipper.

- Figure 3 is a schematised perspective view of the disposable cutting nipper in which the lower opening can be seen. In the figures described above the same reference numbers indicate equal or corresponding parts, number (1) being a lower portion; number (2) being an opening; number (3) being an actuation cable and number (4) being an upper portion. Number (5) being an upper base, number (6) being a section; number (7) being a spoon and number (8) being a cutting edge. Number (9) being a thinning; number (10) being a guide tube; number (11) being a step and (12) an abutment. Finally reference letter (a) has been used to indicate a body. Detailed Description Basically the present invention consists of a bioptome with a disposable nipper composed of a body at least partially hollow in which from one of the ends two semicircular spoons with facing cutting edges project. Said body is disposed partially lodged in a guide tube and attached to an actuation cable. With the object of obtaining a disposable nipper bioptome, beginning with injection of an only a parallelepiped on shaped body (a), of an appropriate material, having a lower portion (1) that is at least partially hollow. The lower base of said lower portion (1 ) provides an opening

(2) allowing access to the inner part of the body (a) where adequate means are provided to fix one of the ends of the actuation cable (3) of the cutting nipper. The upper portion (4) of said body (a) has an upper concave base (5) allowing to release tension and assures the cutting of precise edges. From said upper base (5) two sections (6) project ending in spoons (7) with cavities and cutting edges (8) facing each other conforming a scissor or cutting nipper. The lower end of each of said sections (6) having thinning

(9) that facilitates articulation of the spoons (7) within an angle comprised between a plane coinciding with the body (a) axis that corresponds to the closed position of the tool and a plane disposed about 45° from the prior corresponding to an open position of the tool, this being the preferred one, but said angle can vary accordingly. Taking into account that the cutting nipper disclosed is manufactured by injection, it is conformed in one piece and in a suitable material. Concerning the material used for the cutting nipper, the inventors have taken the cutting edges (8) of the spoons (7) into account, which should be suitable to produce a net cut of the material to be removed for analysis, neither harming nor tearing the neighbouring tissues. Furthermore, the inventors have considered that the tool described has been designed to be disposable after using it, once for which reason the preferred material is an injected thermoplastic resin under controlled pressure and temperature conditions. A tube guide (10) is provided to complement the cutting nipper described herewith where said cutting nipper can be lodged. Use of the bioptome disclosed is very simple. In fact, once the tissue from which a sample will be extracted has been located, the bioptome is introduced, in the advance position, that has a rounded front in the shape of a wedge approximately infundibulum shaped that continues in the guide tube (10) so that when facing the tissue in said advance operation, can separate it gently and without tearing it. Once the end of the guide tube (10) is near the tissue from which the sample will be extracted, using the actuation cable (3) the body (a) is slid so that the upper portion (4) thereof, partially included in the tube guide (10) emerges thereof and advances towards the tissue. As it is not withheld in the guide tube (10), the sections (6) separate abandoning the closed position and articulate on the respective thinning so that the concavities of both spoons (7) are placed on two planes disposed at an angle of about

45° to the plane of the body (a) axis, this being the preferred one, but said angle can vary accordingly. In this way said spoons (7) face the tissue from which a sample is required. Then the cutting scissor is advanced till the cutting edges (8) of said spoons (7) come into contact with said tissue then closing the cutting scissor. For this to occur it will only be necessary to act on the actuation cable (3) and proceed to retract said cutting scissor by reintroducing it into the guide tube (10) for which reason when the end edges of said guide tube (10) come into contact with the thinning (9) will gradually reduce the separation between the spoons. When the end of the guide tube is assembled on step (11 ) its diameter coincides with the diameter of the sections (6) for which reason it exerts pressure on the spoons (7) that, are then in the point of maximum closeness or cutting point. At that moment the cutting wedges (8) of both spoons (7) have come into contact with the tissue producing a cutting that will be enclosed and protected in the space between the concavities of said spoons (7). So that the cutting nipper or scissor does not remain totally lodged in the guide tube (10), sections (6) have an abutment (12) that has a diameter equivalent to that of said guide tube (10). Once the cutting scissor is extracted from the guide tube (10) the sample obtained is removed and the actuation cable (3) is released by detaching it from the body (a). The whole body is then discarded whilst said actuation cable (3) and said guide tube (10) will be sterilized, after being attached to a new body (a), to be available for a new operation. As body (a) is injected in a thermoplastic resin, it can be easily melted to destroy it. In an alternative embodiment, the opening (2) goes through the body (a) from one end to the other allowing to install various accessories (not shown) such as optical fibres that allow to receive images, ducts that allow to inject inert gases, etc. In this way one of the construction possibilities has been outlined that show how to put the invention to use and the way it works, the document being complemented with the synthesis of the invention contained in the claim set added below.

Claims

Claims Having described and determined the nature of the invention, its scope and the manner in which it can be put into practice in its basic idea, the following is stated as an invention and of exclusive property: 1. Bioptome with disposable cutting nipper provided with a lodging guide tube of a cutting nipper attached to an actuation cable and provided with two spoons with cutting edges and opposite concavities; characterized in that said cutting nipper is conformed by an only parallelepipedon shaped body which lower portion is at least partially hollow, in which the inferior base is provided with a opening to access the inner part of the body and in which upper portion having an upper concave base from which two sections project ending in said spoons; which lower end of each of said sections has a thinning for articulation of the respective spoon and both articulate within an angle comprised between a plane coinciding with the body axis corresponding to the closed position of the tool and a plane disposed away from the prior corresponding to the open position of the tool; which guide tube is assembled on a step of similar diameter to configure the point of maximum closeness between the cutting edges of the spoons. 2. Bioptome of claim 1 , characterized in that the constitutive material of the body is an injected thermoplastic material under controlled pressure and temperature conditions. 3. Bioptome of claim 1, characterized in that the cutting nipper is partially lodged in the guide tube, which end contacts the abutments provided on the spoons. 4. Bioptome of claim 1, characterized in that the hollow portion of the body is provided with a means to fix one of the ends of the actuation cable of the cutting nipper. 5. Bioptome of claim 1, characterized in that the opening goes through the body from end to end.