Dual-ended, multifunction tools for microsurgery.

Abstract

A new concept in microsurgical instrumentation is herein described and the rationale for its design presented in the context of surgical efficiency. This new concept employs bipolarity or dual-endedness as a means to enable the microsurgeon to have access to various instruments without the need to exchange tools. The elimination of instrument exchange has increased the speed with which a microsurgeon can perform a variety of procedures as well as decrease fatigue associated with continuous visual reaccommodation between the microscope and surrounding operating room. Following considerable modification through several prototypical stages and long periods of laboratory testing, these instruments boast ideal balance in the hands of the surgeon, and the capacity for modification by the user, allowing a variety of instrument combinations. Hence, personal preference can dictate the ultimate tool configuration, thereby allowing customization of the instruments to the procedure as well as the surgeon, by virtue of an interlocking mechanism between instrument components. The resulting economy of movement and reduced instrument handling engendered by the use of these instruments reduces operating time and often eliminates the need for a highly trained surgical assistant. These instruments can be fitted with a removable extension allowing unipolar use or extended instrument length. Simplicity of design makes these instruments conducive to standard cleaning and sterilization procedures.