Hook shaped ultrasonic cutting blade

• US 20080009848A1
• Filed: 06/14/2006
• Published: 01/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Misonix OPCO LLC
• Original Assignee: Misonix Incorporated (Smith & Nephew PLC)
• Inventors: Paraschiv, Mircea, Manna, Ronald R., Darian, Alexander L., Novak, Theodore A.D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,814,870 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/34
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/142 with reciprocating saw blades, e.g. with cutting edges at the distal end of the saw blades
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/320068 using mechanical vibrations, e.g. ultrasonic A61B17/22012 takes precedence; dental tooth drilling devices operated by vibration A61C3/03; removing intra-ocular material using mechanical vibrations A61F9/00745
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320075 single edge blade, e.g. for cutting
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320078 Tissue manipulating surface

Abstract

An ultrasonic surgical blade has a blade body and a shank. The shank is fixed at one end to the blade body and is operatively connectable at an opposite end to a source of ultrasonic vibrations. The shank has a longitudinal axis. The blade body is eccentrically disposed relative to the axis.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic surgical blade comprising a blade body and a shank, said shank being fixed at one end to said blade body and operatively connectable at an opposite end to a source of ultrasonic vibrations, said shank having a longitudinal axis, said shank having a shank width in a direction substantially perpendicular to said axis, said blade body having a blade width in a direction substantially perpendicular to said axis, said blade width being substantially less than said shank width, said blade body having a thickness substantially less than said blade width, said blade body having a hook portion at a distal end and opposite said shank, said blade body and said shank defining a cutout or recess between said shank at a proximal end and said hook portion at said distal end of said blade body.

2. The surgical blade defined in claim 1 wherein said blade body is eccentrically disposed relative to said axis.

3. The surgical blade defined in claim 2 wherein said blade body includes said hook portion and an elongate portion, said elongate portion being located entirely to one side of said axis.

4. The surgical blade defined in claim 3 wherein said elongate portion includes a first edge and a second edge substantially parallel to one another and to said axis, at least one of said first edge and said second edge including a blunt section.

5. The surgical blade defined in claim 3 wherein said elongate portion includes a first edge and a second edge substantially parallel to one another and to said axis, at least one of said first edge and said second edge including a sharp section.

6. The surgical blade defined in claim 1 wherein said hook portion is provided with an arcuate cutting edge facing in a distal direction, away from said shank.

7. The surgical blade defined in claim 6 wherein said hook portion is provided with an additional cutting edge facing in a proximal direction, toward said shank.

8. The surgical blade defined in claim 7 wherein at least one of said arcuate cutting edge and said additional cutting edge is a blunt edge.

9. The surgical blade defined in claim 6 wherein said arcuate cutting edge extends through an arc taken from the group consisting of 180 degrees and 90 degrees.

10. The surgical blade defined in claim 1 wherein said hook portion is provided with a cutting edge facing in a proximal direction toward said shank.

11. The surgical blade defined in claim 10 wherein said hook portion is further provided with a notch facing in a proximal direction and toward said shank.

12. The surgical blade defined in claim 1 wherein said cutout or recess is substantially rectangular.

13. The surgical blade defined in claim 1 wherein said blade body includes an outwardly facing substantially J-shaped cutting edge.

14. An ultrasonic surgical blade comprising a blade body and a shank, said shank being fixed at one end to said blade body and operatively connectable at an opposite end to a source of ultrasonic vibrations, said shank having a longitudinal axis, said blade body including an elongate portion oriented substantially parallel to said axis and a distal end portion at an end of said elongate portion opposite said shank, said distal end portion having a first cutting edge facing in a distal direction away from said shank, said elongate portion having a second cutting edge facing laterally away from said axis, said blade body being eccentrically disposed relative to said axis.

15. The surgical blade defined in claim 14 wherein said distal end portion has a third cutting edge facing in a proximal direction toward said shank.

16. The surgical blade defined in claim 15 wherein said third cutting edge is a blunt cutting edge.

17. The surgical blade defined in claim 15 wherein said distal end portion further includes a notch facing in a proximal direction toward said shank.

18. The surgical blade defined in claim 14 wherein said first cutting edge is an arcuate cutting edge, said first cutting edge and said second cutting edge being continuous with one another.

19. The surgical blade defined in claim 18 wherein said arcuate cutting edge extends through an arc taken from the group consisting of 180 degrees and 90 degrees.

20. The surgical blade defined in claim 14 wherein said blade body and said shank define a cutout or recess between said shank at a proximal end and said distal end portion.

21. The surgical blade defined in claim 14 wherein said elongate portion is located entirely to one side of said axis.

22. A surgical method comprising:

providing a cutting blade having a blade body and a shank, said shank being fixed at one end to said blade body, said blade body having a hook portion at a distal end and opposite said shank, said hook portion including a first cutting edge facing in a distal direction away from said shank and a second cutting edge facing in a proximal direction toward said shank;

operatively connecting said shank at an end opposite said blade body to a source of ultrasonic vibrations;

thereafter moving said blade into a patient;

ultrasonically vibrating said blade during the moving of said blade into the patient, so that said first cutting edge cuts into tissues of the patient;

subsequently pulling said blade in a proximal direction out of the patient so that said second cutting edge engages bony tissue of the patient; and

ultrasonically vibrating said blade during the pulling of said blade to thereby cut through said bony tissue.

23. The method defined in claim 22 wherein said shank has a longitudinal axis and said blade body includes an elongate portion connecting said shank to said hook portion, said elongate portion including a third cutting edge facing said axis, further comprising:

shifting said blade body laterally after the moving of said blade into the patient and prior to the pulling of said blade in a proximal direction out of the patient, ultrasonically vibrating said blade during the shifting of said blade to thereby enable said third cutting edge to cut through tissues of the patient.

24. The method defined in claim 23 wherein said elongate portion of said blade body is disposed entirely to one side of said axis, the vibrating of said blade during the shifting of said blade comprising vibrating said elongate portion at least partially in a direction orthogonal to said axis.

25. The method defined in claim 22 wherein said bony tissue is a spinal lamina, the method forming a portion of a laminectomy.