| abstract |
A surgical instrument for severing an umbilical cord while simultaneously applying a single umbilical cord clamp and compressing the placental (maternal) end of the cord is discussed. The instrument allows release of the hemostat on the maternal end of the umbilical cord immediately after severance of the cord for enabling collection of a blood specimen for a fetal thyroid screen test to avoid discomforting the infant by obtaining the specimen directly from the infant. The instrument includes upper and lower clamping jaws being arranged for detachably holding an umbilical cord clamp, a blade assembly, and upper and lower hemostat surfaces adapted to compress the umbilical cord when the upper and lower clamping jaws are closed. |