Anti-coring device for a surgical morcellator

• US 20080039883A1
• Filed: 08/10/2006
• Published: 02/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ethicon Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Ethicon Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Nohilly, Martin J.
• Application Number:
  US11/502,339
• Publication Number:
  US 20080039883A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/180
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/32002 with continuously rotating, oscillating or reciprocating cutting instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/32053 Punch like cutting instruments, e.g. using a cylindrical or oval knife A61B17/326 takes precedence; trepans A61B17/1695; for use on the cornea A61F9/007
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/320758 with a rotating cutting instrument, e.g. motor driven A61B17/320725, A61B17/32075 and A61B17/320783 take precedence; for removing intra-ocular material A61F9/00763; endoscopic rotatable cutting instruments A61B17/32002
• 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 2017/320024 Morcellators, e.g. having a hollow cutting tube with an annular cutter for morcellating and removing tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320775 Morcellators, impeller or propeller like means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1407 Loop
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/08021 of the patient or his organs

Abstract

An anti-coring device for a surgical morcellator, which morcellator has a rotatable cutting blade having a sharpened edge and an outer sleeve that is axially moveable on the cutting blade, includes a shield mounted on the distal end of the outer sleeve and axially moveable therewith to selectively cover and at least partially uncover the sharpened edge of the rotatable cutting blade. The shield includes a main body and a protrusion extending axially from the main body and partially about the circumference of the cutting blade. The shield is axially positionable on the cutting blade so that is selectively covers the entire circumference of the sharpened edge of the cutting blade with its main body or only covers a portion of the circumference of the sharpened edge of the cutting blade with its protrusion, leaving the remaining portion of the sharpened edge exposed.

Claims

1. An anti-coring device for a surgical morcellator, the surgical morcellator including a rotatable cylindrical cutting blade having a distal end and a sharpened edge situated at the distal end, the anti-coring device comprising:

a shield situated at the distal end of the cutting blade and axially moveable with respect thereto, the shield including a main body having a bore formed axially therethrough for receiving a portion of the cutting blade, and a protrusion extending axially from the main body and partially about the circumference of the cutting blade, the shield being axially positionable on the cutting blade in a first position in which the main body thereof is disposed axially in alignment with the sharpened edge of the rotatable cutting blade to substantially cover the entire circumference of the sharpened edge of the cutting blade, and at least a second position in which the protrusion is disposed axially in alignment with the sharpened edge of the rotatable cutting blade to cover a selected arcuate first portion of the circumference thereof and to expose and not cover a second portion of the circumference of the sharpened edge of the rotatable cutting blade.

2. An anti-coring device for a surgical morcellator as defined by claim 1, wherein the surgical morcellator further includes an outer sleeve having a bore formed axially therethrough for receiving at least a portion of the rotatable cutting blade, the outer sleeve having a distal end situated in proximity to the distal end of the cutting blade, the outer sleeve being axially moveable on the rotatable cutting blade;

and wherein the shield is situated on the distal end of the outer sleeve and axially moveable therewith to selectively cover and at least partially uncover the sharpened edge of the rotatable cutting blade.

3. An anti-coring device for a surgical morcellator as defined by claim 1, wherein the selected arcuate first portion of the circumference of the sharpened edge of the rotatable cutting blade covered by the protrusion is between about ninety degrees (90°

) and about one hundred twenty degrees (120°

) when the shield is in the at least second position.

4. An anti-coring device for a surgical morcellator as defined by claim 1, wherein the selected arcuate first portion of the circumference of the sharpened edge of the rotatable cutting blade covered by the protrusion is at least about fifty-four degrees (54°

) when the shield is in the at least second position.

5. An anti-coring device for a surgical morcellator as defined by claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the protrusion of the shield extends axially beyond the sharpened edge of the rotatable cutting blade a first distance when the shield is in the at least second position.

6. An anti-coring device for a surgical morcellator as defined by claim 5, wherein the first distance which the portion of the protrusion extends axially beyond the sharpened edge of the rotatable cutting blade is between about 0.070 inches and about 0.100 inches.

7. An anti-coring device for a surgical morcellator as defined by claim 5, wherein the first distance which the portion of the protrusion extends axially beyond the sharpened edge of the rotatable cutting blade is at least about 0.030 inches.

8. An anti-coring device for a surgical morcellator as defined by claim 1, wherein the shield is axially positionable on the rotatable cutting blade in a third position in which the shield is in non-alignment with the sharpened edge of the rotatable cutting blade to expose and not cover the entire circumference of the sharpened edge.

9. A surgical morcellator having an anti-coring device attached thereto, the surgical morcellator comprising a rotatable cylindrical cutting blade having a distal end and a sharpened edge situated at the distal end, an outer sleeve having a bore formed axially therethrough for receiving at least a portion of the rotatable cutting blade, the outer sleeve having a distal end 5 situated in proximity to the distal end of the cutting blade, the outer sleeve being axially moveable on the rotatable cutting blade, the anti-coring device comprising a shield situated on the distal end of the outer sleeve and axially moveable therewith to selectively cover and at least partially uncover the sharpened edge of the rotatable cutting blade, the shield including a main body having a bore formed axially therethrough for receiving a portion of the cutting blade, and 10 a protrusion extending axially from the main body and partially about the circumference of the cutting blade, the shield being axially positionable on the rotatable cutting blade in a first position in which the main body thereof is disposed axially in alignment with the sharpened edge of the rotatable cutting blade to cover the entire circumference of the sharpened edge of the cutting blade, and at least a second position in which the protrusion is disposed axially in alignment with the sharpened edge of the rotatable cutting blade to cover a selected arcuate first portion of the circumference thereof and to expose and not cover a second portion of the circumference of the sharpened edge of the rotatable cutting blade.

10. A method of laparoscopically transecting tissue from an anatomical body of a patient during a surgical procedure, which comprises the steps of:

using a surgical morcellator having an anti-coring device, the surgical morcellator including a rotatable cylindrical cutting blade having a distal end and a sharpened edge situated at the distal end, and further including an outer sleeve having a bore formed axially therethrough for receiving at least a portion of the rotatable cutting blade, the outer sleeve having a distal end situated in proximity to the distal end of the cutting blade, the outer sleeve being axially moveable on the rotatable cutting blade, the anti-coring device including a shield situated on the distal end of the outer sleeve and axially moveable therewith to selectively cover and at least partially uncover the sharpened edge of the rotatable cutting blade, the shield including a main body having a bore formed axially therethrough for receiving a portion of the cutting blade, and a protrusion extending axially from the main body and partially about the circumference of the cutting blade, the shield being axially positionable on the cutting blade in a first position in which the main body thereof is disposed axially in alignment with the sharpened edge of the rotatable cutting blade to substantially cover the entire circumference of the sharpened edge of the cutting blade, and at least a second position in which the protrusion is disposed axially in alignment with the sharpened edge of the rotatable cutting blade to cover a selected arcuate first portion of the circumference thereof and to expose and not cover a second portion of the circumference of the sharpened edge of the rotatable cutting blade;

positioning the shield of the anti-coring device in the first position in which the shield substantially covers the entire circumference of the sharpened edge of the rotatable cutting blade;

inserting the distal end of the outer sleeve of the surgical morcellator into a patient;

positioning the shield of the anti-coring device in the at least second position in which at least the second portion of the circumference of the sharpened edge of the rotatable cutting blade is exposed; and

engaging the second portion of the sharpened edge of the morcellator cutting blade exposed by the shield when the shield is in the at least second position with the anatomical body of the patient for transecting tissue from the anatomical body.

11. An anti-coring device for a surgical morcellator, the surgical morcellator including a cutting element, the cutting element having a circumference associated therewith, the anti-coring device comprising:

a shield situated at the cutting element and axially moveable with respect thereto, the shield including a main body having a bore formed axially therethrough for receiving a portion of the cutting element, and a protrusion extending axially from the main body and partially about the circumference of the cutting element, the shield being axially positionable on the cutting element in a first position in which the main body thereof is disposed axially in alignment with the cutting element to substantially cover the entire circumference of the cutting element, and at least a second position in which the protrusion is disposed axially in alignment with the cutting element to cover a selected arcuate first portion of the circumference thereof and to expose and not cover a second portion of the cutting element.