Aortic punch

1. An aortic punch comprising:

a first body member having a proximal end and a distal end;

a second body member disposed at least partially within said first body member;

a manual actuator;

a piston having an anvil disposed at a distal end thereof; and

a shear, said shear being integral with said second body member;

wherein the first body member and second body member are axially movable relative to one another between a fully extended position and a fully retracted position and within a range of intermediate positions while maintaining the piston and shear in position relative to each other in the axial direction,

wherein separately the shear is axially movable via manual actuation relative to said anvil between an insertion position and a shearing position and a range of intermediate positions, and

wherein said piston includes external threads and wherein said first body member includes an internal surface with internal threads, the external threads of the piston engaging the internal threads of the internal surface of the first body member.

2. The aortic punch of claim 1 , said manual actuator comprising a plunger, said plunger comprising an actuator member having external threads, the second body member including an internal surface with internal threads, the threads of the actuator member of the plunger engaging the threads of the internal surface of the second body member.

3. The aortic punch of claim 1 ,

wherein said piston includes external threads having a first pitch and wherein said first body member includes a first inner member having an internal surface with internal threads, the external threads of the piston engaging the internal threads of the internal surface of the first inner member,

wherein said manual actuator comprises a plunger, said plunger comprising an actuator member having external threads having a second pitch equal to the first pitch, the second body member including an internal surface with internal threads, the threads of the actuator member of the plunger engaging the threads of the internal surface of the second body member,

wherein said actuator member has a surface that engages a mating surface on said first body member so as to prevent rotation of the first body member relative to the actuator member,

wherein the first inner member has unthreaded radially outwardly disposed surface and the actuator member has unthreaded radially inwardly disposed surface, the unthreaded radially outwardly disposed surface and the unthreaded radially inwardly disposed surface being in sliding engagement to allow relative axial translation of the first and second body members,

whereby rotation of the first and second body members relative to one another causes axial translation of the first and second body members relative to one another and also causes corresponding axial translation of the piston relative to the first body member to thereby maintain the piston and shear in position relative to each other in the axial direction.

4. The aortic punch of claim 3 , further comprising a pin coupled to the second body member and the piston, the pin configured to restrict rotation of the piston with respect to the second body member.

5. The aortic punch of claim 3 , said actuator member being separately formed from said manual actuator and axially rigidly affixed thereto.

6. The aortic punch of claim 1 , wherein the shear comprises a threaded internal surface and the piston comprises a threaded external surface and wherein the threaded internal surface of the shear engage the threaded external surface of the piston, whereby when the shear moves axially between the insertion position and the shearing position the shear rotates relative to the anvil.

7. The aortic punch of claim 1 , said manual actuator and said shear remaining in position relative to each other in the axial direction when the shear is moved axially relative to said anvil.

8. An aortic punch comprising:

a first body member having a proximal end and a distal end;

a second body member disposed at least partially within said first body member;

a manual actuator;

a piston having an anvil disposed at a distal end thereof; and

a shear, said shear affixed to said second body member;

wherein the first body member and second body member are axially movable relative to one another between a fully extended position and a fully retracted position and within a range of intermediate positions while maintaining the piston and shear in position relative to each other in the axial direction,

wherein separately the shear is axially movable via manual actuation relative to said anvil between an insertion position and a shearing position and a range of intermediate positions, and

wherein said piston includes external threads and wherein said first body member includes an internal surface with internal threads, the external threads of the piston engaging the internal threads of the internal surface of the first body member.

9. The aortic punch of claim 8 , said manual actuator comprising a plunger, said plunger comprising an actuator member having external threads, the second body member including an internal surface with internal threads, the threads of the actuator member of the plunger engaging the threads of the internal surface of the second body member.

10. The aortic punch of claim 8 ,

wherein said piston includes external threads having a first pitch and wherein said first body member includes a first inner member having an internal surface with internal threads, the external threads of the piston engaging the internal threads of the internal surface of the first inner member,

wherein said manual actuator comprises a plunger, said plunger comprising an actuator member having external threads having a second pitch equal to the first pitch, the second body member including an internal surface with internal threads, the threads of the actuator member of the plunger engaging the threads of the internal surface of the second body member,

wherein said actuator member has a surface that engages a mating surface on said first body member so as to prevent rotation of the first body member relative to the actuator member,

wherein the first inner member has unthreaded radially outwardly disposed surface and the actuator member has unthreaded radially inwardly disposed surface, the unthreaded radially outwardly disposed surface and the unthreaded radially inwardly disposed surface being in sliding engagement to allow relative axial translation of the first and second body members,

whereby rotation of the first and second body members relative to one another causes axial translation of the first and second body members relative to one another and also causes corresponding axial translation of the piston relative to the first body member to thereby maintain the piston and shear in position relative to each other in the axial direction.

11. The aortic punch of claim 10 , further comprising a pin coupled to the second body member and the piston, the pin configured to restrict rotation of the piston with respect to the second body member.

12. The aortic punch of claim 10 , said actuator member being separately formed from said manual actuator and axially rigidly affixed thereto.

13. The aortic punch of claim 8 , wherein the shear comprises a threaded internal surface and the piston comprises a threaded external surface and wherein the threaded internal surface of the shear engage the threaded external surface of the piston, whereby when the shear moves axially between the insertion position and the shearing position the shear rotates relative to the anvil.

14. The aortic punch of claim 8 , said manual actuator and said shear remaining in position relative to each other in the axial direction when the shear is moved axially relative to said anvil.

15. The aortic punch of claim 8 , wherein the first body member is rotationally coupled to the manual actuator so as to restrict rotation of the manual actuator relative to the first body member, and wherein the second body member is coupled to the piston so as to restrict rotation of the piston relative to the second body member.

16. An aortic punch comprising:

a first body member having a proximal end and a distal end;

a second body member disposed at least partially within said first body member;

a manual actuator;

a piston having an anvil disposed at a distal end thereof; and

a shear, said shear affixed to said second body member;

wherein the first body member and second body member are axially movable relative to one another between a fully extended position and a fully retracted position and within a range of intermediate positions such that the axial distance between the shear and the first body member increases as the second body is moved from the fully retracted position to the fully extended position while maintaining the piston and shear in position relative to each other in the axial direction, and

wherein separately the shear is axially movable via manual actuation relative to said anvil between an insertion position and a shearing position and a range of intermediate positions.

17. The aortic punch of claim 16 , wherein said piston includes external threads and wherein said first body member includes an internal surface with internal threads, the external threads of the piston engaging the internal threads of the internal surface of the first body member.

18. The aortic punch of claim 16 , said manual actuator and said shear remaining in position relative to each other in the axial direction when the shear is moved axially relative to said anvil.

19. The aortic punch of claim 16 , wherein the first body member is rotationally coupled to the manual actuator so as to restrict rotation of the manual actuator relative to the first body member, and wherein the second body member is coupled to the piston so as to restrict rotation of the piston relative to the second body member.