The present invention relates to a device to organize, stabilize and prevent surgical instruments from falling to the ground.
In the majority of laparoscopic operations the surgeon stands on the left side of the patient. To the surgeon's right side, there lies the head of the patient and the anesthesiologist. That leaves no room for an assistant or an instrument stand. Currently, most surgeons place their surgical instruments on the patient's chest. These instruments are at risk of falling on the floor without any reliable mechanism to prevent that. These surgical instruments are very expensive and fragile, thus they frequently break when they fall. There are some inventions that provide some help. However, none of them are good enough. One example is a soft plastic bag that adheres to the drapes. Since it is soft, the opening of the bag collapses on itself when empty. That makes it difficult to insert the instruments inside it. In addition the bag breaks frequently when the instrument is inserted in a trajectory different from the bag alignment. Another prior art is a rigid holster that lies vertically and dangles off the side of the drape. The holster puts undue tension on the drape that causes it to slip. In addition, since it stands vertically, it is very awkward for the surgeon to aim the instrument in the holster.
This is a surgical instrument holder designed to be used during an operation. It is specifically designed to put the instrument at the optimal ergonomic angle in relationship to the standing surgeon's hand. It is versatile, as it adheres to the surgical drape or the bare skin of the patient. Since it has a rigid large opening, it enables the surgeon to insert the instrument inside the holder with minimal effort and possibly without even looking. That may improve operative time, decrease surgeon's distractions, and decrease the risk of instruments falling on the floor. This invention is most beneficial when multiple surgical instruments are being used sequentially and alternatively, as it allows for a quick exchange between instruments to aim the instrument in the holster.
The surgical instrument holder includes a body with chambers 1 aligned on a plane. The surgical instrument holder also includes a base 2 attached to the body, and a channel 3 along an edge of the base 2. The chambers 1 are cone shaped or funnel shaped chambers with a wide entrance opening at the side facing the surgeon and a narrower exit opening on the other side that fits most of the laparoscopic surgical instruments in use today. The entrance opening and exit opening can be circular with a diameter of the entrance opening being twice the diameter of the exit opening. It is designed so the surgical instruments can enter from the entrance opening, and protrude on the other side from the exit opening. The entrance opening is large enough to allow most instruments to go through it. However, it is not large enough to allow for the instrument's handle to go through. Thus, the entrance opening holds the instruments in their location and prevents them from going completely through the chamber 1 and through the instrument holder. The chambers 1 are aligned at an angle 5 with the horizontal plane that makes it optimal for the standing surgeon's dominant hand. The angle 5 is between 0 and 89 degrees, and more specifically 24 degrees. The channel 3 can accommodate a tubular structure, and can stabilize a tubing or a wire used in surgery. The surgical instrument holder is made from a single piece of injection molded hard plastic, such that the body and the base 2 are made from one solid piece. The body and the base 2 can also be made of metal, and the body and the base 2 can be made from two different pieces. The base 2 includes a double-sided tape 4 on its bottom to help it adhere to the surface underneath. The base can also include an indentation or opening 6 that can accommodate an external clamping mechanism, such as a clip. The surgical instrument holder can be packaged and sterilized. It is the first ergonomically configured surgical instrument holder that enables efficient instrument exchange during an operation.
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20190216566 A1 | Jul 2019 | US |