US462270A - Naughey - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

D. S. MQGONNAUGHEY. SUTURE INSTRUMENT.

N0. 462,270. Patented Nov. 3,1891.

- Lia/gator UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

DAVID S. MCCONNAUGIIEY, OF IVASIIINGTON, IOIVA.

SUTURE-INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 462,270, dated November 3, 1891.

Application filed March 30, 1891. Serial No. 387,004. (No model.)

T 0 aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, DAVID S. MOCON- NAUGHEY, a citizen of the United States, residin g at \Vashington, in the county of Vashington and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Suture-Instruments; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to an improvement in suture-instruments, the object of the invention being to provide a simple, cheap, and efficient surgical device for use in surgical operations in holding in apposition the edges of an incision or the surface of wounded parts or lacerations; and the invention consists, essentially, in the construction,arrangement, and combination of parts, substantially as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the annexed drawings, illustrating my invention, Figure 1 is a plan view of myimproved suture-instrument, the forcep-jaws being open. Fig. 2 is a similar partial plan view with the forcep-handles broken off and the jaws closed to hold one of the suturingdisks. Fig. 3is an edge view of the device shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4: is a reverse plan of the device shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is an enlarged partial longitudinal section. Fig. 6 is a plan and edge view of one of the suturingdisks. Fig. 7 is a cross-section of one of the suturing-disks after the cut therein has been closed by pressure for the purpose of connecting the disk securely to the end of a piece of wire. Fig. Sis a perspective view of one of the disks and the wire connected thereto, said disk having its out or slot closed and the periphery made substantially complete. Fig. 9 is a view showing a piece of wire with a suturing-disk securely connected to each end thereof, and representing also a looped piece of wire having both its ends connected to the same disk.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout all the different figures of the drawings.

In the construction of my improved sutureinstrument I first provide a pair of forceps whose purpose it is to receive between their jaws a leaden or other soft-metal disk having a peripheral notch or cut, into which the ends of the silver or other wire are laid, and then by manipulating the forceps said disk is pressed or squeezed so that it may tightly engage the wire or wires and be firmly connected thereto. A common and well-known method of closing sutures by a ligature in cases of-cleft palate, recto-vaginal, and vesicovaginal fistula cases is to take a thread, pass it through the sides of the incision, and then bring the two ends together and enter them through an aperture in a shot, which is seized by forceps pushed up to the ligature, so as to bring the inside edges into apposition, after which the shot is squeezed flat so as to securely hold the suture. The bullet-suture is often employed, and likewise the button and quill suture are used. Staphyloraphic instruments and nraniscoplastic instruments are often employed for operations upon the palate, the edges of the cleft being pared, ligatures passed through them, after which they are brought together by the use of these instruments. My invention aims, however, to provide a much simpler, cheaper, and better instrument than has heretofore been used for the purpose of a suture-instrument, particularly when silver or other wire is employed for holding in apposition the edges of the incision. I simply refer to these other methods and instruments to indicate briefly an idea of some of the other modes and devices now in use.

The forceps which I employ have the handles A A, which are of the proper length or shape and are preferably provided, respectively, with the finger-loops a and a. These handles are pivoted together by means of the pivot D.

A designates one of the forcep-jaws, which is formed on the end of the handle A beyond the pivot, and A designates the other forcepjaw, formed 011 the end of the other handle A beyond the pivot- D. The opposing inner edges of the jaws A and A are provided, respectively, with curved recesses d and 6. These recesses are adapted to receive within them and between the jaws a suitable disk which can be tightly compressed within the recesses when the handles of the forceps are pressed together.

B designates astrip of thin spring-steel or other metal or material, serving as a shield or backing-plate, it being held in place by means of the'screwepivot D, which, we have seen, connects the forcep-jaws. The metallic strip B is provided with a pair of oppositely-projecting flat steel or other springs 19 b, which lie between the forcep-handles A A and in contact therewith, said springs 19 I) being fastened on the center longitudinal line of the strip 13, and said springs operate to keep the strip B exactly in a central position at all times, whether the jaws of the forceps are opened orclosed, in order that a central slot, slit,.opening, or notch B in the outer end of the shield B may be kept at a point midway between the opposing recessesd and 6, so that a wire withinsaid slot B, resting in the lower end thereof, may be kept also within acut in the suturing-disk which occupies a position within the jaws. The shield also serves-another very necessary purpose-that-of preventing any part of the tissues of the adjoining incision with which the instrument may at any time be used from falling between the blades of the instrument.

0n the side of theforcepsopposite to where the shield B is located is a third blade or jaw O, which has several uses. Its lower end is provided with a slot f, through which passes a headed .pin F, fixed in theforcep-han-dle A. The blade 0 is also furnished with a slot 0 long enough to permit of I a certain amount of oscillation or play, which slot contains a headed pin .E, fixed in the forcep-handle A at a point not from the forceppivot D. Therefore the outer end of thebl-adeO is'contig'uous to the jaws A and A and as the forcep-han-dles are manipulated and the foreep-jawsinconsequence move toward or away from each other the end of the blade or arm 0 will-likewise have a movement analogous to the backward-and-forward movement of the jaw A but being pivot-ed at a point below the pivot D the end of the bladeO will, when the two jaws A and A approach each other, have a cross or shearing movement which will carry it not only across the face of jaw A but also over to the jaw A In other words, it will have a shearing movement across thespace between the two jaws and accordingly across the face of the disk contained between said jaws. Theend of this blade 0 is provided with a curved slot C, the edge of which is sharped to provide a'cutter. It may therefore be proper to enumrate the useof the blade 0 and its cutter G as being three in number. First. To hold the suturing-diskbetween the jaws A and A It will of course be observed that when a disk has been located between these jaws and the jaws have begun to move toward each-othersaid disks will be confined between the jaws A and A the slitted endof the-shield-B, and the blade end-C of the armG, and hence the disk cannot escape, but must be squeezed and pressed tightly within its confined limits. Secondly. The object of the cutter-provided arm is to form a groove or guide for the end of the wire when it is being drawn or when the disk isbeing placed in position, the end of the wire obviously passing through the curved recesses O. Thirdly.

The blade 0 has the function of cutting, by

means of cutter O, the wire projecting on the surface of the disk. As the disk is being squeezed and tightly pressed upon the wire passing through it, cutter C will simultaneously operate to clip off or cut off the projecting end of the wire close up against the face of the disk, so that there will be no troublesome projecting end of the wire, and by one simple squeezing movement not only will a perfect compression of the disk be effected, but its upper surface will be left smooth and neat. The blade 0 can be readily disconnected from the other parts whenever the pivot I) has been removed for the purpose of disengaging the two partsofthe forceps-since the elongated slots f and 0 will readily permit the blade, when properly turned,to be removed from the headed pins E and Furthermo-re, it will be observed that the jaws A and A are made of the same thickness as the disks which are to be placed between them; also, that the slot B in the end of the shield B will be of suitable depth and width to properly'permit the wire to pass t hrough,and also that the several parts will have their shapes, size, and relative adjustment so fixed and complete that the movements to which I have already referred in the description will take place successfully so as to accomplish perfectly the purposes for which they aresevorally and jointly intended; -and,-also, it will be noted that the blade O formsa-connection between the two arms A and A, since the pin E is fixed in the arm or handle A'and the pin F is fixed in the arm or handle A". Therefore the handles-of the forceps can be opened only just so far, the blade (3 preventing any further movement after the limit has been reached. Other modes of pivot-ally connecting the handles than by the use of the pivot I) may be employed. These handles may be constructed in any'suitable manner to suit the convenience or taste of the user. They may be straight or at an angle with the jaws, or they may be the ordinary shears or scissors handle, or any other kind of handle.

Gr represents one of thesuturing-disks and H a piece of silver or other wire to which my instrument is designed to connect the disk. The diskG is made of any suitable soft metal or material, such as lead. It is provided with a V shaped cut extending inward from the periphery to the center and a little past the center. The inner opposing edges-of the cut 9 are provided with longitudinal grooves or corrugations g.

The disks G are flat and preferably equal in thickness to about the-thickness of the jaws of the forceps. It will be readily seen that one of the disks G can by the compressing action of the forceps becompressed oar-squeezed together, so as to entirely close the out g and cause the corrugations or grooves to embed IIO' themselves in each other, making the disk firm, complete, and tight. The end of the wire may be laid within the cut g, so as to occupy a position at the central point of the disk G. Then after the compression takes place on the wire, said wire will be rigidly connected to the disk at a central point.

In Fig. 5 I have shown a longitudinal section, on an enlarged scale,of the workingparts of the device, the wire H occupying a position within the slit .13 within the bottom end of the disk-cut g, and also'within the cutterguide 0. A quick movement now of the hand in compressing the handles of the forceps will compress the disk, engaging the wire therewith and cutting off the projecting end of the latter, so as to leave asmooth outside surface on the disk. In this way the wires after they have been passed through the edges of an incision and said edges have been brought into close apposition may be tightly connected to one of these disks in the manner shown in Fig. 9,where two ends of a wire are shown connected to a disk, or where a disk is shown connected to each end of a piece of wire. The disks may be connected to the wires in any manner that it may be desired to have them, and connection will be quickly accomplished and will be found perfeet and durable.

In Fig. 7 the form of the wire itself within the disk after the latterhas been tightly compressed is represented, it being obvious that as the wire is compressed between the two corrugated edges it will itself be corrugated or ridged, and therefore the provision of the corrugated edges of the cut assists in making the connection of the suturing-disk with the wire stronger and more complete.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent-,- is- 1. In a suture-instrument, the combination,

of the curved recessed forcep-jaws, the slitted shield, and the cutter-provided pivoted arm, substantially as described.

3. In asuture-instrument, the combination of a pair of interpivoted forcep-jaws, a slitted shield having the same pivot as said jaws, and an arm pivoted to each of the jaws and provided with a cutting end, substantially as described.

i. The combination of the interpivoted forcep-plates having jaws A A recessed at eand d, the shield B, carried by pivot D,which connects the jaws, said shield having the end slit B, and having also the oppositely-projecting springs 19 1) between the lever-handles, and the cutter-arm O, pivoted to each of the aforesaid handles and having the curved cutting-recesses 0, all arranged substantially as described.

5. In a suture-instrument, a pair of interpivoted forcep-handles having jaws provided on their opposite inner edges with curved recesses adapted to receive a cleft-disk and compress the same tightly upon a wire.

6. The combination,in a suture-instrument,

of a pair of pivoted forcep-jaws adapted to compress a disk between them and a third cutting-j aw having its arm pivoted to each of the forcep-jaws and its cutting-edge in proximity to the recessed faces of the jaws, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I ai'iix mysignature in presence of two witnesses.

DAVID S. MoGONNAUGI-IEY.

Witnesses:

D. J. DEWEY, A. S. FOLGER.

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