Medical clamp, in particular spinal clamp, device for providing a reference position and method for determining a reference position

1. A medical clamp, comprising:

two clamp limbs each having a respective clamp jaw;

a grip part connected to and releasable from said clamp limbs, said grip part being configured for executing a clamping movement of said clamp limbs;

covering devices each being assigned to and disposed on a respective one of said clamp limbs, said covering devices being adapted for at least partially covering said clamp jaw of said respective clamp limb;

each of said covering devices being a tubular sleeve, said tubular sleeves being at least partially open to one side and pushed over the respective one of said clamp limbs from a distal free end; and

each of said covering devices being movable between a first position of said covering device in which said clamping jaw of said clamp limb is completely covered by said covering device and a second position of said covering device in which said clamping jaw of said clamp limb is not covered by said covering device;

each of said tubular sleeves being movable between said first position and said second position by turning about its central longitudinal axis; and

said tubular sleeves being actuatable independently of one another.

2. The medical clamp according to claim 1 , wherein said grip part has a first actuating limb and a second actuating limb being movable relative to each other.

3. The medical clamp according to claim 2 , wherein said two actuating limbs have ends and are connected to each other in an articulated manner at one of said ends.

4. The medical clamp according to claim 2 , which further comprises a central drive mechanism for moving said two actuating limbs towards and away from each other.

5. The medical clamp according to claim 4 , wherein said central drive mechanism includes a spindle with a knurled disc.

6. The medical clamp according to claim 1 , wherein said clamp limbs are connected to said grip part by a connection selected from the group consisting of a snap-fitting connection, a locking connection and a clamping connection.

7. The medical clamp according to claim 1 , wherein said clamp limbs are individually releasably connected to said grip part.

8. The medical clamp according to claim 1 , wherein said clamp limbs have straight clamping jaws.

9. The medical clamp according to claim 8 , wherein said clamp limbs each have an attachment end and a smaller thickness in vicinity of said clamping jaws than in vicinity of said attachment end.

10. The medical clamp according to claim 9 , wherein said clamp limbs have a transition area and a thickness decreasing continuously in said transition area in direction of said clamping jaws.

11. The medical clamp according to claim 1 , wherein said clamping jaw of said clamp limb is completely covered by said covering device in said first position of said covering device.

12. The medical clamp according to claim 1 , wherein said covering device is one of two covering devices each being associated with a respective one of said clamp limbs and actuated independently of the other.

13. The medical clamp according to claim 1 , wherein said clamp limbs have clamping jaws with fixing spikes or fixing edges.

14. The medical clamp according to claim 1 , which further comprises parts made of a non-metal.

15. The medical clamp according to claim 1 , wherein said grip part has a securing device for a marking element for determining a position of said grip part with a contactless locating method.

16. The medical clamp according to claim 15 , wherein said marking element is a reference marking for a positioning system for percutaneous interventions.

17. The medical clamp according to claim 15 , which further comprises a central longitudinal clamp axis, said marking element being disposed remote from said central longitudinal clamp axis.

18. The medical clamp according to claim 1 , wherein the medical clamp is a spinal clamp.

19. In a positioning system for percutaneous interventions, a device for providing a reference position, the device comprising the medical clamp according to claim 1 .

20. The medical clamp according to claim 1 , wherein said covering devices are disposed on said clamp limbs in both said first and second positions of said covering devices.

21. A method for determining a reference position for a positioning system for percutaneous interventions, the method comprising the following steps:

providing the medical clamp according to claim 1 having a marking element;

applying the medical clamp to a tissue part of a patient; and

determining a position of the marking element with a contactless locating method.