US 12,329,885 B2
Enhanced stiffening implement for a surgical tool
Reto Grüebler, Greifensee (CH); Bernhard Pultar, Winterthur (CH); and Klaus Dorawa, Kiel (DE)
Assigned to Alcon Inc., Fribourg (CH)
Filed by Alcon Inc., Fribourg (CH)
Filed on Dec. 14, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/644,186.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/126,710, filed on Dec. 17, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0193311 A1, Jun. 23, 2022
Int. Cl. A61F 9/007 (2006.01); A61F 9/013 (2006.01); A61L 31/08 (2006.01); A61L 31/14 (2006.01); A61B 17/28 (2006.01)
CPC A61L 31/14 (2013.01) [A61F 9/00736 (2013.01); A61F 9/013 (2013.01); A61L 31/088 (2013.01); A61B 17/28 (2013.01); A61L 2420/02 (2013.01); A61L 2420/06 (2013.01)] 9 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A surgical tool, comprising:
a tool body for manual securing by a surgeon for a surgical procedure;
a surgical implement extending from an end of the body to attain surgical access to a tissue region of a patient for the procedure; and
a stiffening coating on an outer surface of the implement for stabilizing the implement during the surgical procedure at the tissue region, wherein:
the coating is between about 1 micron and 30 microns in thickness to increase stiffness by between about 5% and about 30%; and
the implement is tubular with a distal chamber diameter to accommodate a tool feature and a proximal inner diameter that is substantially smaller than the distal chamber diameter, the proximal inner diameter occupying a majority of the tubular implement inner diameter to further enhance stiffening of the majority of the implement by more than 30%.