Medical devices and related methods

• US 20040260200A1
• Filed: 04/08/2004
• Published: 12/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Board of Regents of the University of Texas System (University of Texas System)
• Original Assignee: Board of Regents of the University of Texas System (University of Texas System)
• Inventors: Morello, Frank A.
• Application Number:
  US10/821,108
• Publication Number:
  US 20040260200A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/566
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 10/0233 Pointed or sharp biopsy instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 10/0283 with vacuum aspiration, e.g. caused by retractable plunger or by connected syringe A61B10/025, A61B10/0266 take precedence

Abstract

Medical devices for insertion into a body cavity, such as the thoracic cavity. One version of the medical devices includes an outer needle with side openings in the shaft that communicate with a central passageway of the outer needle, and a stylet having a tapered distal end and a shaft that is configured to be slidably positioned within the passageway of the outer needle. The stylet shaft in this version has different cross-sectional areas at different locations along the stylet shaft. Methods of performing a medical procedure on a subject using the disclosed medical devices. One such procedure is a lung biopsy on a subject.

Claims

1. A medical device comprising:

an outer needle having a shaft, a passageway, an open end communicating with the passageway, and side openings in the shaft that communicate with the passageway; and

a stylet having a tapered distal end and a stylet shaft configured to be slidably positioned within the passageway of the outer needle, the stylet shaft having different cross-sectional areas at different locations along the stylet shaft.

2. The medical device of claim 1, where the distal end of the stylet comprises a sharp tip that fits closely against a portion of the inner surface of the passageway.

3. The medical device of claim 1, where two side openings in the shaft of the outer needle are spaced greater than 1 centimeter apart.

4. The medical device of claim 1, where the side openings located farthest from each other are at least 2 centimeters apart.

5. The medical device of claim 1, where the side openings located farthest from each other are at least 5 centimeters apart.

6. The medical device of claim 1, where the side openings located farthest from each other are at least 7 centimeters apart.

7. The medical device of claim 1, where the outer needle includes a hub.

8. The medical device of claim 7, where the hub includes a notch.

9. The medical device of claim 8, where the stylet includes a hub.

10. The medical device of claim 9, where the hub of the stylet includes a male portion configured to mate with the notch in the hub of the outer needle.

11. The medical device of claim 1, where the outer needle is configured to attach to a valve that includes an opening that allows the stylet to by slidably positioned within the passageway of the outer needle when the valve is attached to the outer needle.

12. The medical device of claim 1, where the outer needle is configured to allow a lung biopsy needle to be slidably inserted into the passageway.

35. A method of performing a medical procedure on a subject, the method comprising inserting the medical device of any of claims 1, 13 and 25 into the subject.

36. The method of claim 35, further defined as a method of obtaining a lung biopsy in a subject.

37. The method of claim 35, where the medical device is inserted into a lung of the subject.

38. The method of claim 35, where inserting the medical device further comprises connecting the medical device to an external source of suction.

39. The method of claim 35, further defined as a method of preventing a pneumothorax in a subject.

13. A medical device comprising:

an outer needle having a shaft with a 16-gauge to 19-gauge outer diameter, a passageway, an open end communicating with the passageway, and side openings in the shaft that communicate with the passageway; and

a stylet having a distal end and a portion configured to be slidably positioned within the passageway.

14. The medical device of claim 13, where the distal end of the stylet comprises a sharp tip that fits closely against a portion of the inner surface of the passageway.

15. The medical device of claim 13, where two side openings in the shaft of the outer needle are spaced greater than 1 centimeter apart.

16. The medical device of claim 13, where the side openings located farthest from each other are at least 2 centimeters apart.

17. The medical device of claim 13, where the side openings located farthest from each other are at least 5 centimeters apart.

18. The medical device of claim 13, where the side openings located farthest from each other are at least 7 centimeters apart.

19. The medical device of claim 13, where the outer needle includes a hub.

20. The medical device of claim 19, where the hub includes a notch.

21. The medical device of claim 20, where the stylet includes a hub.

22. The medical device of claim 21, where the hub of the stylet includes a male portion configured to mate with the notch in the hub of the outer needle.

23. The medical device of claim 13, where the outer needle is configured to attach to a valve that includes an opening that allows the stylet to be slidably positioned within the passageway of the outer needle when the valve is attached to the outer needle.

24. The medical device of claim 13, where the outer needle is configured to allow a lung biopsy needle to be slidably inserted into the passageway.

25. A medical device comprising:

an outer needle having a shaft, a passageway, an open end communicating with the passageway, and side openings in the shaft that communicate with the passageway, two of the side openings being spaced greater than 1 centimeter apart; and

a stylet having a portion configured to be slidably positioned within the passageway.

26. The medical device of claim 25, where the side openings located farthest from each other are at least 2 centimeters apart.

27. The medical device of claim 25, where the side openings located farthest from each other are at least 5 centimeters apart.

28. The medical device of claim 25, where the side openings located farthest from each other are at least 7 centimeters apart.

29. The medical device of claim 25, where the outer needle includes a hub.

30. The medical device of claim 29, where the hub includes a notch.

31. The medical device of claim 30, where the stylet includes a hub.

32. The medical device of claim 31, where the hub of the stylet includes a male portion configured to mate with the notch in the hub of the outer needle.

33. The medical device of claim 25, where the outer needle is configured to attach to a valve that includes an opening that allows the stylet to be slidably positioned within the passageway of the outer needle when the valve is attached to the outer needle.

34. The medical device of claim 25, where the outer needle is configured to allow a lung biopsy needle to be slidably inserted into the passageway.