Medical devices for clearing a surgical site

• US 20120245509A1
• Filed: 02/15/2012
• Published: 09/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lexion Medical LLC
• Original Assignee: Lexion Medical LLC
• Inventors: Ott, Douglas E., Tran, Nathanial
• Granted Patent: US 9,226,786 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/24
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/00 Surgical instruments, devices or methods for transferring non-mechanical forms of energy to or from the body eye surgery A61F9/007; ear surgery A61F11/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/401 using air flow
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2218/005 using gas or vapor, e.g. for protection or purging
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 13/003 Blowing gases other than for carrying powders, e.g. for inflating, dilating or rinsing
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/1075 by influencing the temperature A61M16/1045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/109 the humidifying liquid or the beneficial agent
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/16 Devices to humidify the respiration air A61M16/1045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/161 with means for measuring the humidity
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3368 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/75 with filters

Abstract

An apparatus and method for clearing of a surgical site during the performance of a medical procedure where a single phase wash fluid, which has been conditioned, is directed at the surgical site to inhibit or prevent harm to the body tissue as unwanted debris is blown away from the surgical site thereby permitting a surgeon to safely perform a medical procedure without the presence of unwanted liquids or unwanted debris at the surgical site.

Claims

1. A single-phase surgical blower for clearing unwanted debris from a surgical site without generating additional debris at the surgical site comprising:

a source of a wash gas;

a regulator for controlling the flow of the wash gas;

a filter for removing unwanted particles from the wash gas;

a nozzle for delivery of the wash gas to the surgical site; and

a wash gas conditioning housing located in fluid communication with the source of the wash gas and said nozzle with said wash gas conditioning housing including a heater for elevating a temperature of the wash gas to a tissue friendly level and a source of vaporizable liquid for hydrating the wash gas, while inhibiting or preventing entrainment of a liquid into the wash gas to bring the wash gas to a conditioned gaseous state whereby directing a stream of the conditioned wash gas at the surgical site blows away unwanted debris from the surgical site without desiccating tissue at the surgical site.

2. The single-phase surgical blower of claim 1 where the wash gas is carbon dioxide.

3. The single-phase surgical blower of claim 1 wherein the vaporizable liquid comprises a saline solution containing sterilized water and the source of vaporizable liquid is a stagnant source of vaporizable liquid.

4. The single-phase surgical blower of claim 1 including a single lumen bendable delivery tube in fluid communication with said housing and said nozzle.

5. The single-phase surgical blower of claim 1 wherein the surgical site is a dynamic surgical site and the wash gas is directed through an elongated bendable blowpipe and a nozzle at a distal end of the blowpipe.

6. A single-phase surgical blower comprising:

a wash gas conditioning housing for hydrating a wash gas by allowing the wash gas to linger in the presence of a conditioning fluid while inhibiting or preventing entrainment of liquid droplets therein;

an inlet for connecting the wash gas conditioning housing to a source of a wash gas; and

a blowpipe in fluid communication with said gas conditioning housing for directing a stream of conditioned wash gas at a surgical site to remove debris from the surgical site.

7. The single-phase surgical blower of claim 6 including a regulator for controlling the flow of conditioned wash gas through said blowpipe.

8. The single-phase surgical blower of claim 7 wherein the regulator for controlling the flow of wash gas through said blowpipe is located upstream of the wash gas conditioning housing.

9. The single-phase surgical blower of claim 8 wherein the blowpipe is bendable.

10. The single-phase surgical blower of claim 9 including a nozzle on a terminal end of the blowpipe.

11. The single-phase surgical blower of claim 10 where the wash gas conditioning housing includes a heater and a stagnant source of vaporized liquid for hydrating the wash gas as the wash gas lingers proximate the source of the conditioning fluid including a vaporizable liquid.

12. The single-phase surgical blower of claim 11 where the wash gas conditioning housing includes a temperature sensor and a moisture sensor for maintaining the wash gas at a tissue friendly temperature and a source of hydration fluid for delivery of hydration fluid on-the-go.

13. A method of on-the-go enhancing visualization at an anastomosis site by removing unwanted debris and without generating unwanted debris at the anastomosis site during a medical suturing procedure of a blood vessel and without desiccation of the blood vessel at the anastomosis site comprising;

directing a wash gas into a wash gas conditioning housing;

conditioning the wash gas by heating the wash gas to a tissue friendly temperature while increasing the relative humidity thereof by vaporizing a liquid in the presence of the wash gas;

mixing the vaporized liquid and the wash gas to form a single conditioned wash gas stream; and

blowing the single conditioned wash gas stream at the anastomosis site to remove unwanted debris from the anastomosis site without adversely impacting body tissue at the anastomosis site.

14. The method of claim 13 including controlling the delivery of the wash gas by generating a voice command to change the rate of delivery of the wash gas to the anastomosis site.

15. The method of claim 13 including maintaining the temperature of the wash gas at about 35-40°

C. and the relative humidity of the wash gas at or near a state of saturation.

16. The method of claim 13 including the step of inhibiting and preventing micro impacts of liquid droplets at the anastomosis site by maintaining the wash gas in a vapor phase after the wash gas has been discharged from a nozzle.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the velocity of the wash gas is kept below a jet streaming velocity.

18. The method of claim 13 including directing the wash gas through a nozzle to generate an isothermal expansion of the conditioned wash gas after the wash gas has been conditioned to prevent condensation of the water vapor in the wash gas.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein the wash gas flows through a chamber containing a stagnant source of water vapor to increase the humidity of the wash gas as the wash gas flows therethrough.

20. The method of claim 16 including allowing the wash gas to linger proximate the source of vaporizable liquid to hydrate the wash gas without atomization of the vaporizable liquid.

21. The method of claim 16 including the step of on-the-go supplying hydration fluid to the wash gas conditioning housing.