4,959,067 DATED SEPTEMBER 25, 1990

MANUAL SURGICAL SEPARATOR STRUCTURE & METHOD
NUDGER™

The purpose of this invention is to enable fine atraumatic tissue dissection and provide a non-adherent tip. This is a surgical separator structure comprising an elongated shaft having a handle at one end and a stem with controlled flexibility at the other end and a tissue separating tip secured to the other end of the flexible stem. The shaft may have a separate handle part and stem part secured together centrally of the shaft. The tip is preferably spherical and may be constructed to snap on the end of the stem and may also be retained by adhesive or the like. Alternatively, the other end of the stem may be molded into the tip to secure the tip to the stem. In the method of manufacture of the surgical separator, the handle and stem may be separately produced and secured together by a threaded connection while the tip may be snapped over the end of the stem and/or secured thereto with adhesive. Alternatively, the stem may be molded of "ABS" within a recess in the "TEFLON" tip to lock the tip on the stem. The handle is preferably color coded to provide a visual indication of the flexibility of the shaft. The tip is preferably colored to contrast with the stem such as bright yellow and is maybe luminescent.

In accordance with the invention, a surgical tissue separator is provided which includes an elongated shaft having a handle section at one end and a flexible stem at the other end and a tip on the flexible stem. The flexible stem may have a plurality of different configurations such as straight, double bend, single bend and right angle working end.

The generally spheroidal tip of the surgical separator located at the outer extremity of the stem working end of the invention is spherical and may be provided with a locking recess for receiving the working end of the flexible stem. The tip may be secured to the flexible stem by projections on the stem and recesses in the tip with the tip being snapped over the end of the stem thus creating an interference fit and in addition being optionally adhered to the stem. Alternatively, the stem may be molded into a pre-molded tip to secure the top to the stem or the tip may be molded around a pre-molded stem.

In use, the surgical tissue separator or nudger of the invention may be utilized to separate tissue along natural tissue separation lines or cleavage planes by nudging the tissue with the tissue separating tip of the surgical tissue separator. In accordance with the invention, should a surgeon apply too much pressure in attempting to separate tissue the flexible stem of the surgical tissue separator will bend providing a tactile and visual indication of the use of excessive pressure in separating the tissue. Controlled flexibility is achieved while precisely measuring tissue resistance.