Tissue morcellator system and method
First Claim
1. A tissue morcellation system comprising:
- a portal apparatus having an opening extending therethrough, said portal apparatus being insertable through an incision formed in a mammalian body such that the opening of the portal apparatus provides a passageway into the mammalian body;
a morcellator device insertable through the opening of said portal apparatus, said morcellator device comprising;
i) a drive motor;
ii) a shaft extending downwardly from said drive motor and being rotatable thereby, said shaft having a distal end;
iii) a cutting element positioned on the distal end of said shaft; and
iv) a hollow passageway which extends longitudinally through said drive motor, through said shaft, and through said cutting element; and
an elongate, non-rotatable suction probe having a proximal end, a distal end, a suction lumen extending longitudinally therethrough and an outer surface, said suction probe being operatively coupled to a vacuum source for selectively creating suction pressure within the suction lumen, and insertable through the hollow passageway and moveable back and forth within said passageway such that the distal end of the probe will engage, by suction pressure, a mass of matter located within said mammalian body and will lift said mass of matter into contact with the cutting element of said morcellator device such that a portion of said mass of matter may be severed by said cutting element and drawn out of the body through the lumen of said suction probe.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A morcellation system and method for reducing and removing tissue or other matter contained within a mammalian body. A portal apparatus, having a central opening, is inserted into a small incision. Thereafter, a hollow-bore morcellator device is nestable within the central opening of the portal device. The hollow-bore morcellator device includes a rotatable shaft which extends downwardly into the body cavity, and upon which an annular cutting ring is mounted. An elongate suction probe is passable downwardly through the hollow-bore morcellator device, and is usable to engage (by suction force) a mass of tissue or other matter, and to repeatedly lift such mass into contact with the rotating annular cutting ring of the morcellator shaft. A tissue containment chamber may be positioned on the proximal end of the suction probe such that segments of tissue or matter separated by the annular cutting ring may be aspirated through the suction probe and collected within the collection chamber. The morcellator system may be utilized in conjunction with a flexible tissue containment bag. The tissue containment bag is preferably engageable with the portal apparatus to facilitate insertion of the morcellator device thereinto. Also, the system may include a pressurization system for passing positive pressure gas into the tissue containment bag. The passing of gas into the bag may be coordinated with the removal of gas withdrawn through the suction probe to ensure that the containment bag remains fully expanded during the suction operation.
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Citations
36 Claims
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1. A tissue morcellation system comprising:
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a portal apparatus having an opening extending therethrough, said portal apparatus being insertable through an incision formed in a mammalian body such that the opening of the portal apparatus provides a passageway into the mammalian body; a morcellator device insertable through the opening of said portal apparatus, said morcellator device comprising; i) a drive motor; ii) a shaft extending downwardly from said drive motor and being rotatable thereby, said shaft having a distal end; iii) a cutting element positioned on the distal end of said shaft; and iv) a hollow passageway which extends longitudinally through said drive motor, through said shaft, and through said cutting element; and an elongate, non-rotatable suction probe having a proximal end, a distal end, a suction lumen extending longitudinally therethrough and an outer surface, said suction probe being operatively coupled to a vacuum source for selectively creating suction pressure within the suction lumen, and insertable through the hollow passageway and moveable back and forth within said passageway such that the distal end of the probe will engage, by suction pressure, a mass of matter located within said mammalian body and will lift said mass of matter into contact with the cutting element of said morcellator device such that a portion of said mass of matter may be severed by said cutting element and drawn out of the body through the lumen of said suction probe. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A morcellator device for morcelling matter within a mammalian body, said device comprising:
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a drive motor; a shaft extending downwardly from said drive motor, said shaft having a distal end; a cutting element positioned on the distal end of said shaft; a hollow passageway which extends longitudinally through said drive motor, through said shaft, and through said cutting element; and an elongate suction probe having a proximal end, a distal end, a suction lumen extending longitudinally therethrough and an outer surface, said suction probe being operatively coupled to a vacuum source for selectively creating suction pressure within the suction lumen; said drive motor being operative to rotatably drive said shaft and said cutting element such that, while said shaft and said cutting element are rotating, said suction probe may be passed through said hollow passageway and moved back and forth therewithin beyond said cutting element such that the distal end of said suction probe may engage, by suction pressure, a mass of matter located beyond said cutting element, and subsequently move said mass of matter into contact with said cutting element so as to effect morcellation of said mass of matter by said cutting element in a manner wherein a portion of said mass of matter is severed by said cutting element and drawn through the suction lumen of said suction probe. - View Dependent Claims (31)
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32. A method for morcelling and removing a mass of matter located within a mammalian body, said method comprising:
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a) forming an incision of less than 3 cm in said mammalian body; b) inserting, through said incision, a morcellator device comprising; a drive motor; a shaft extending downwardly from said drive motor, said shaft having a distal end; a cutting element positioned on the distal end of said shaft; and a hollow passageway which extends longitudinally through said drive motor, through said shaft, and through said cutting element; said drive motor being operative to rotatably drive said shaft and said cutting element such that, while said shaft and said cutting element are rotating, a separate suction probe operatively coupled to a vacuum source for selectively creating suction pressure therewithin may be passed through said hollow passageway and beyond said cutting element to engage, by suction pressure, a mass of matter located beyond said cutting element, and to subsequently move said mass of matter into contact with said cutting element so as to effect morcellation of said mass of matter by said cutting element; c) energizing the drive motor of said morcellator device to cause said shaft and said cutting element to rotate; d) advancing the suction probe through the hollow passageway of said morcellator device until said suction probe engages, by suction pressure, the mass of matter located within said mammalian body; e) retracting said suction probe to lift said mass of matter into contact with the rotating cutting element of said morcellator device such that a portion of said mass of matter will be severed by said cutting element and drawn, out of the mammalian body, through said suction probe. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36)
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Specification