SURGICAL ASPIRATION SYSTEM AND METHOD OF SURGICAL ASPIRATION

• US 20080051708A1
• Filed: 08/24/2007
• Published: 02/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alka Kumar, Atul Kumar
• Original Assignee: Alka Kumar, Atul Kumar
• Inventors: Kumar, Alka, Kumar, Atul
• Granted Patent: US 7,918,822 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/119
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/732 Visual indicating means for vacuum pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/74 Suction control underwater drainage A61M1/61
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/581 by audible feedback

Abstract

A single handed, safe and efficient system for aspirating a surgical site. The aspirating system of the present invention allows the surgeon to aspirate a surgical site by holding the aspiration cannula constantly in the same hand, such that the other hand of the surgeon is never needed for managing or manipulating the aspiration system in any manner. The invention allows a surgical site to be aspirated in an uninterrupted manner despite blood clots and tissue debris which constantly block the tip and the lumen of the aspiration cannula.

Claims

1. A surgical aspiration system, comprising:

a cannula in the vicinity of a surgical site;

a suction tube in communication with the cannula for removing fluid or tissue from the surgical site;

a positive displacement pump connected to the suction tube; and

a controller connected to the positive displacement pump for operating the positive displacement pump.

2. The surgical aspiration system of claim 1, further comprising a pressure transducer connected to the suction tube for sensing the pressure in the suction tube.

3. The surgical aspiration system of claim 1, wherein the controller operates the positive displacement pump in a direction different from the direction in which the fluid is suctioned through the suction tube.

4. The surgical aspiration system of claim 1, wherein the positive displacement pump is selected from the group consisting of peristaltic pump, piston pump, gear pump and diaphragm pump.

5. The surgical aspiration system of claim 4, wherein the positive displacement pump is a peristaltic pump.

6. The surgical aspiration system of claim 1, further comprising a first airtight container in communication with an end of the suction tube.

7. The surgical aspiration system of claim 6, further comprising a second airtight container in communication with another end of the suction tube.

8. The surgical aspiration system of claim 1, wherein the fluid is blood or saline solution.

9. The surgical aspiration system of claim 1, wherein the surgical site is a laparoscopic site or a neurosurgical site.

10. The surgical aspiration system of claim 1, wherein the surgical site is the brain.

11. A single-handed aspiration system for aspirating blood, blood clots and tissue debris uninterruptedly, comprising:

an aspiration cannula provided in the vicinity of a surgical site;

a suction tube connected to the cannula for removing blood, blood clots and tissue debris from the surgical site in a first direction;

a peristaltic pump connected to the suction tube;

a pressure transducer connected to the suction tube and configured to generate pressure signals indicative of a difference in pressure in the suction tube; and

a controller connected to the peristaltic pump for operating the peristaltic pump in response to the pressure signals from the pressure transducer.

12. The aspiration system of claim 11, wherein the pressure transducer generates pressure signals when blood clots or tissue debris block at least a portion of the aspiration cannula or of the suction tube.

13. The aspiration system of claim 12, wherein the controller operates the peristaltic pump in a direction which is opposite the first direction.

14. The aspiration system of claim 11, wherein the aspiration cannula has a diameter of at least 0.3 mm.

15. The aspiration system of claim 11, wherein the surgical site is a laparoscopic site or a neurosurgical site.

16. The aspiration system of claim 11, wherein the surgical site is the brain.

17. The aspiration system of claim 11, wherein the surgical site comprises cancer cells.

18. A method of surgical aspiration, comprising the steps of:

providing a suction tube connected to a cannula in the vicinity of a surgical site;

conducting aspiration of fluid or tissue from the surgical site;

sensing variations of pressure in the suction tube; and

operating a positive displacement pump connected to the suction tube based on the pressure variations in the suction tube.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of sensing variations of pressure in the suction tube further comprises:

providing a pressure transducer connected to the suction tube; and

detecting a difference in pressure in the suction tube.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the difference in pressure is due in part to obstructing at least a region of the cannula or of the suction tube by at least one clot or tissue debris.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of operating the positive displacement pump further comprises:

rotating the positive displacement pump in a first direction, to allow fluid or tissue to be aspirated from the surgical site through the cannula and the suction tube; and

rotating the positive displacement pump in a second direction which is opposite the first direction, to allow clots or tissue debris to be flushed from the cannula.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the positive displacement pump is a peristaltic pump.

23. A method of controlling surgical aspiration of fluid or tissue at a surgical site, comprising the steps of:

providing a positive displacement pump in communication with a suction tube and an aspiration cannula of a surgical aspiration system;

operating the positive displacement pump in a first mode, wherein fluid or tissue is aspirated from the surgical site through the aspiration cannula and the suction tube; and

operating the positive displacement pump in a second mode, wherein at least one clot or tissue debris is flushed from the aspiration cannula.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising the steps of:

sensing variations of pressure in the suction tube; and

controlling the operation of the positive displacement pump in the first mode or the second mode, based on the pressure variations in the suction tube.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the first mode is a suction mode and the second mode is a flushing mode.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein the positive displacement pump operates in the second mode for about 3 to about 5 seconds.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein the positive displacement pump is a peristaltic pump.

28. A method of conducting single-handed surgical aspiration, comprising the steps of:

providing a surgical aspiration system comprising a cannula, a suction tube in communication with the cannula, a positive displacement pump connected to the suction tube, and a controller connected to the positive displacement pump for controlling the rotational direction of the positive displacement pump; and

conducting aspiration of fluid or tissue from a surgical site with only one hand.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising the steps of detecting pressure signals by a pressure transducer and providing the detected pressure signals to the controller.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the surgical site is a laparoscopic site or a neurosurgical site.