TYMPANOSTOMY TUBE DELIVERY DEVICE WITH ROTATABLE FLEXIBLE SHAFT

• US 20160038342A1
• Filed: 08/11/2014
• Published: 02/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tusker Medical, Inc. (Smith & Nephew PLC)
• Original Assignee: Acclarent Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Van, Nga K., Clopp, Mathew D., Baron, Scott J., Gross, Thomas D.
• Granted Patent: US 10,195,086 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/038 during shipment
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 11/202 Surgical middle-ear ventilation or drainage, e.g. permanent; Implants therefor

Abstract

An instrument comprises a shaft assembly, a handpiece body, and a drive assembly. The shaft assembly comprises a plurality of coaxially arranged shafts and a tympanostomy tube. The shaft assembly further includes a flexible section. The shaft assembly extends distally from the handpiece body. The drive assembly is operable to drive the shafts of the shaft assembly in a predetermined sequence to deploy the tympanostomy tube. One or more of the shafts are configured to translate along the flexible section of the shaft assembly as a part of the predetermined sequence to deploy the tympanostomy tube.

Claims

1. An instrument comprising:

(a) a shaft assembly, wherein the shaft assembly comprises a plurality of coaxially arranged shafts and a tympanostomy tube, wherein the shaft assembly further includes a flexible section;

(b) a handpiece body, wherein the shaft assembly extends distally from the handpiece body; and

(c) a drive assembly operable to drive the shafts of the shaft assembly in a predetermined sequence to deploy the tympanostomy tube,

wherein one or more of the shafts are configured to translate along the flexible section of the shaft assembly as part of the predetermined sequence to deploy the tympanostomy tube.

2. The instrument of claim 1, wherein the shaft assembly is rotatable relative to the handpiece body.

3. The instrument of claim 2, further comprising a thumbwheel fixedly secured to the shaft assembly, wherein the thumbwheel is operable to rotate the shaft assembly.

4. The instrument of claim 1, wherein the flexible section comprises a relief pattern.

5. The instrument of claim 4, wherein the relief pattern comprises a plurality of ribs and a longitudinally extending section, wherein the plurality of ribs and the longitudinally extending section define a plurality of cutouts.

6. The instrument of claim 4, wherein the relief pattern is cut into at least one of the shafts of the shaft assembly.

7. The instrument of claim 1, wherein the flexible section is malleable.

8. The instrument of claim 1, wherein at least one of the shafts of the shaft assembly comprises nylon.

9. The instrument of claim 1, wherein at least one of the shafts of the shaft assembly comprises PEEK.

10. The instrument of claim 1, wherein the shafts of the shaft assembly are operable to pierce a tympanic membrane of a patient and deploy the tympanostomy tube into the tympanic membrane of the patient.

11. The instrument of claim 1, wherein the shafts of the shaft assembly are configured to bend within the flexible portion such that the predetermined sequence of the drive assembly is unaffected by the bending.

12. The instrument of claim 1, wherein a surface between each shaft of the shaft assembly is coated with a lubricant.

13. The instrument of claim 1, wherein the shaft assembly further comprises an outer cannula, wherein the outer cannula comprises a distal tip, wherein the distal tip has a larger outer diameter than the outer cannula.

14. The instrument of claim 13, wherein distal tip of the outer cannula is unitarily formed in the outer cannula.

15. The instrument of claim 15, wherein the outer cannula and the distal tip comprise nylon or PEEK.

16. An apparatus comprising:

(a) a shaft assembly, wherein the shaft assembly comprises a plurality of coaxially arranged shafts and a tympanostomy tube;

(b) a handpiece body, wherein the shaft assembly extends distally from the handpiece body, wherein at least a portion of the shaft assembly is rotatable relative to the handpiece body; and

(c) a drive assembly operable to drive the shafts of the shaft assembly in a predetermined sequence to deploy the tympanostomy tube.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the shaft assembly further includes a flexible portion, wherein the shaft assembly is configured to bend at the flexible portion.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the flexible portion comprises a relief pattern cut into at least one of the shafts of the shaft assembly.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising a thumbwheel, wherein the thumbwheel is operable to rotate at least a portion of the shaft assembly relative to the handpiece body.

20. An apparatus comprising:

(a) a shaft assembly, wherein the shaft assembly comprises a plurality of coaxially arranged shafts and a flexible portion, wherein one of the shafts includes a piercing element, wherein a distal end of the shaft assembly is configured to fit in an ear canal of a patient;

(b) a handpiece body, wherein the shaft assembly extends distally from the handpiece body; and

(c) a drive assembly operable to drive the shafts of the shaft assembly in a predetermined sequence to pierce a tympanic membrane with the piercing element;

wherein the shaft assembly is configured to bend at the flexible portion.