Controller for use with an air-powered tissue-aspiration instrument system

• US 20050256445A1
• Filed: 06/03/2005
• Published: 11/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/1990
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Robert L. Cucin
• Original Assignee: Robert L. Cucin
• Inventors: Cucin, Robert L.
• Application Number:
  US11/145,027
• Publication Number:
  US 20050256445A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/22
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/32002 with continuously rotating, oscillating or reciprocating cutting instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/148 having a short, rigid shaft for accessing the inner body transcutaneously, e.g. for neurosurgery or arthroscopy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00595 Cauterization
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2217/005 with suction drainage system
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2218/007 Aspiration
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/84 Drainage tubes; Aspiration tips for negative pressure wound therapy A61M1/90; for surgical cutting instruments A61B17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/89 Suction aspects of liposuction surgical cutting instruments A61B17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2202/0014 removed from the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2202/08 Lipoids
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/106 reciprocating

Abstract

A method and apparatus is disclosed for mechanically-assisted liposuction treatment. The apparatus includes a hand-holdable housing, an electro-cauterizing dual cannula assembly, and a reciprocation mechanism. The hand-holdable housing has a cavity adaptable for receipt of the electro-cauterizing cannula assembly. The electro-cauterizing cannula assembly has a distal end and a proximal end and at least one aspiration aperture about the distal end. The reciprocation mechanism is disposed within the housing and is operably associated with the inner cannula so that the inner cannula can be selectively caused to reciprocate relative to the stationary outer cannula mounted to the hand-supportable housing. As the inner cannula is caused to reciprocate relative to the housing, the aspiration aperture formed through the distal end of the cannula assembly is caused to undergo periodic displacement. During aspiration of tissue, high-voltage RF power signal supplied to electro-cauterizing electrode structures formed about each reciprocating aspiration aperture to effect hemostasis thereabout. Such hemostasis is achieved by causing protein molecules within aspirated tissue to coagulate in response to the high-voltage RF signal being supplied across the electro-cauterizing electrode. In the preferred embodiments, the amount and rate of such aspiration aperture displacement is controllably adjustable. The cannula assembly is releasably detachable from the hand-holdable housing to facilitate cleaning and sterilization of the cannula assembly and the housing.

Claims

1. A controller for use with an air-powered tissue-aspiration instrument system employing a cannula assembly provided with an inner cannula having an aspiration aperture that can undergo displacement within an outer cannula mounted with respect to a hand-supportable housing, and a bipolar electro-cautery apparatus mounted about the aspiration aperture of said cannula assembly, said controller comprising:

a control console having (i) a plurality of switches for selecting a desired cannula stroke length dimension (i.e. inches or centimeters) for measurement and display and for enabling and disabling electro-cautery function selection, (ii) a plurality of indicators for indicating Power ON/OFF function selection, cannula stroke length dimension selection, and electro-cautery enable/disable function selection, and (iii) a pair of display panels for displaying graphical) indications of inner cannula reciprocation rate (in cycles/sec) and inner cannula position measured by the cannula position sensor mounted within the hand-supportable liposuction instrument.

2. The controller of claim 1, which further comprises:

(iv) a LCD-based panel for displaying measured numerical values for the instantaneous rate of reciprocation for the inner cannula and the instantaneous stroke length thereof.

3. The controller of claim 2, which further comprises:

a controller housing mounting a multi-core (i.e. air-supply/RF-power-signal/control-signal) connector assembly, and providing an input port for receiving RF power signals generated from an external RF signal source, and an input port for receiving a source of pressurized air to drive said air-powered tissue-aspiration instrument system.

4. An air-powered tissue-aspiration instrument system, wherein (i) analog voltage input signals are generated from within the powered instrument and supplied as analog input voltage signals to an intelligent instrument controller for detection, A/D conversion and digital signal processing, (ii) digital voltage output control signals are generated within the intelligent instrument controller and supplied as output voltage signals to the powered instrument and also the air-control valve assembly within the instrument controller so as to generate the pair of pressurized air-supply streams that are supplied to the liposuction instrument via the multi-port connector assembly, and (iii) an analog control voltage output signal is generated within the intelligent instrument controller and supplied to the control input port of the external RF signal source (i.e. generator) to generate an RF power signal and to supply the same to the instrument controller for controlled delivery to the electro-cauterizing dual cannula assembly of the powered instrument.

5. An air-powered tissue-aspiration instrument system comprising

(i) a hand-supportable air-powered instrument having an electro-cauterizing dual-cannula assembly and a multi-core (i.e. air-supply/RF-power/control-signal) connector assembly;

and

(ii) an instrument controller designed to (i) receive a pressurized air flow from an pressurized air source and RF power signals from a RF power signal generator, both external to said instrument controller, and to (ii) supply a pair of pressurized air streams and RF power signals to the hand-supportable instrument during instrument operation.

6. The air-powered tissue-aspiration instrument system of claim 5, wherein a multi-core connector assembly is provided comprising:

(i) a first multi-port connector adapted for installation in the rear end portion of the powered instrument housing as well as through the wall of the intelligent instrument controller (as the case may be) and having a pair of pressurized air-flow ports and a multi-pin electrical port for supporting the communication of RF power signals between the instrument controller and liposuction instrument and the communication of electrical control signals between the instrument controller and instrument; and

(ii) a second multi-port connector plug mated to the first multi-port connector and adapted for connection to a multi-core cable structure including a pair of air-supply tubes, a pair of RF power signal wires, and a set of electrical control signal wires, all of which is encased within a flexible plastic casing.

7. The air-powered tissue-aspiration instrument system of claim 6, wherein the flexible aspiration tubing connected to the inner cannula is routed out through an exit port formed in the side surface of its hand-supportable housing.