Laser-powered surgical device for making incisions of selected depth
First Claim
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1. An improved tool for making precise surgical incisions of predetermined depth into a soft tissue by application to the soft tissue the improvement comprising:
- a tip element having a tissue-severing surface at a distal end thereof,tissue-contacting means for providing a tissue-contacting surface for contacting the soft tissue, said tissue-contacting surface being formed to have an opening which surrounds the tip element,whereby the soft tissue being incised is pressed by the tissue-contacting surface and is thereby locally stretched around the tip element within the opening so that only a predetermined length of the tissue-severing surface is permitted to penetrate the soft tissue.
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Abstract
A laser-powered surgical tool comprises an elongate distal end portion suitable for laparoscopic surgery, and contains an extreme distal end portion by which a laser-powered tip is applied to tissue to generate incisions of predetermined but adjustable depth therein. The tissue being incised is held by suction in an optimum position for advancing the incision while, simultaneously, any gases and incidental fluids generated or released by the advancing incision are removed by suction applied immediately around the incision point as the incision proceeds.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. An improved tool for making precise surgical incisions of predetermined depth into a soft tissue by application to the soft tissue the improvement comprising:
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a tip element having a tissue-severing surface at a distal end thereof, tissue-contacting means for providing a tissue-contacting surface for contacting the soft tissue, said tissue-contacting surface being formed to have an opening which surrounds the tip element, whereby the soft tissue being incised is pressed by the tissue-contacting surface and is thereby locally stretched around the tip element within the opening so that only a predetermined length of the tissue-severing surface is permitted to penetrate the soft tissue. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method of making surgical incisions of limited depth into a soft tissue, comprising the steps of:
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providing at an operative distal end of a surgical tool a tissue-contact surface having an opening; providing in said opening a tissue-severing tip which projects outwardly relative to the tissue-contact surface by a predetermined length; applying the surgical tool to the soft tissue so that the tissue-contact surface presses on and stretches the soft tissue across the opening, thereby limiting a penetration of the projecting tissue-severing tip into the stretched soft tissue to only a predetermined penetration depth; and moving the applied surgical tool so that the tissue-severing tip makes an incision of an incision depth no greater than said predetermined penetration depth. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification