Claims
- 1. A device for harvesting a tendon comprising:
an outer member having a distal end and a passageway extending longitudinally through the outer member; an inner member disposed within the outer member, the inner member having a distal end and a pathway through which the tendon is received; an actuator disposed so as to cause movement of the outer member longitudinally relative to the inner member between a non-actuated position, wherein the distal end of the inner member is advanced to be at least in substantially even alignment with the distal end of the outer member, and an actuated position, wherein the distal end of the outer member is advanced beyond the distal end of the inner member so as to expose the distal end of the outer member for separating tissues about the periphery of the tendon.
- 2. A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the outer member includes a sharp cutting edge circumferentially situated about the distal end of the outer member.
- 3. A device as set forth in claim 2, wherein the cutting edge is situated on a distal end portion that is removably securable to the outer member.
- 4. A device as set forth in claim 2, wherein the distal ends of the inner and outer members are shaped so that, in the non-actuated position of the inner and outer members, a blunt end is formed at the distal ends of such members to prevent the sharp cutting edge of the outer member from damaging the tendon.
- 5. A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the actuator for causing movement of the outer member relative to the inner member includes a handle.
- 6. A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the actuator includes a pair of handles attached to the inner and outer members, so that when the handles are moved toward one another, the outer member is pushed into the actuated position beyond the distal end of the inner member.
- 7. A device as set forth in claim 1, further comprising an arrangement for biasing the inner and outer members into the non-actuated position from the actuated position.
- 8. A device as set forth in claim 7, wherein the arrangement includes a spring, the spring capable of defining a distance to which the distal end of the outer member may extend beyond the distal end of the inner member in the actuated position.
- 9. A device as set forth in claim 8, wherein in the actuated position, the distal end of the outer member extends beyond the distal end of the inner member by a distance of between approximately 2 millimeters (mm) and approximately 5 mm.
- 10. A device as set forth in claim 9, wherein the distance from which the distal end of the outer member extends beyond the distal end of the inner member is approximately 3 mm.
- 11. A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the outer member is removably detachable from the device.
- 12. A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the inner and outer members are substantially cylindrical in shape.
- 13. A device as set forth in claim 1 further including a pair of longitudinally disposed slots in approximate alignment with one another in each of the inner and outer members.
- 14. A device for harvesting a tendon comprising:
an elongated outer member having a proximal end, a distal end, and a passageway extending between the proximal end and the distal end; a cutting edge situated at the distal end of the outer member, about the passageway, for separating tissues disposed about the periphery of the tendon; and an elongated inner member having a proximal end, a distal end, and a pathway positioned between the proximal and distal ends for receiving the tendon therein, the inner member being disposed within the passageway of the outer member for reciprocal movement relative to the outer member between a first position, wherein the distal ends of the outer and inner members are advanced to be at least in substantially even alignment, and a second position, wherein the distal end of the outer member is advanced beyond the distal end of the inner member so as to expose the cutting edge on the outer member for separating tissues about the periphery of the tendon.
- 15. A device as set forth in claim 14, wherein the distal ends of the inner and outer members are shaped so that, in the non-actuated position of the inner and outer members, a blunt end is formed at the distal ends of such members to prevent the sharp cutting edge of the outer member from damaging the tendon.
- 16. A device as set forth in claim 14 further including a pair of handles for reciprocally moving the outer member relative to the inner member between the first position and the second position.
- 17. A device as set forth in claim 16, wherein one of the handles is pivotally mounted to the outer member for reciprocally moving the outer member relative to the inner member between the first position and the second position.
- 18. A device as set forth in claim 17, wherein, in the second position, the distal end of the outer member extends beyond the distal end of the inner member by a distance of between about 2 mm and about 5 mm.
- 19. A device as set forth in claim 14, wherein the distal end of the outer member tapers in toward the passageway of the outer member.
- 20. A device as set forth in claim 19, wherein the distal end of the inner member flares out away from the pathway of the inner member.
- 21. A device as set forth in claim 14 further including a pair of slots longitudinally disposed in approximate alignment with one another in each of the inner and outer members.
- 22. A device as set forth in claim 14, wherein the outer member is removably detachable from the device.
- 23. A device as set forth in claim 14, wherein a the distal end on which the cutting edge is situated is removably securable to the outer member.
RELATED U.S. APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/321,373, itself a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 08/964,501 filed Nov. 5, 1997, issued on Jun. 15, 1999, as U.S. Pat. No. 5,911,730 which claims priority from Provisional Application Serial No. 60/030,202, filed Nov. 5, 1996. These applications are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
Provisional Applications (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60030202 |
Nov 1996 |
US |
Divisions (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
08964501 |
Nov 1997 |
US |
Child |
09321373 |
May 1999 |
US |
Continuations (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09321373 |
May 1999 |
US |
Child |
09834987 |
Apr 2001 |
US |