Surgical instrument
First Claim
1. A surgical instrument disposed generally along an axis, said surgical instrument comprisinga first member that extends distally from a base and has an opening in a distal region thereof for admitting tissue, said first member including a bend region that angularly offsets said distal region of said first member from said axis so that said distal region is aligned with a distal axis,a second member for moving a cutting implement and causing it to cut tissue that is exposed to said implement through said opening, anda rotator coupled to said first member for rotating said first member with respect to said base to rotate said opening around to said distal axis, said distal axis and said distal region remaining aligned as said first member rotates with respect to said base.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A surgical instrument includes a first member that has an opening in its distal region for admitting tissue and that is rotatable with respect to a base from which the first member extends to allow the rotational orientation of the opening to be selectively changed with respect to the axis of the instrument. A second member is disposed within the first member to transmit force to move a cutting implement disposed at its distal end and cause it to cut tissue that is exposed to the implement through the opening. In another aspect of the invention, a surgical instrument includes a rigid member that has a bend region that angularly offsets a distal region from a proximal region mounted to a first section of a base; a surgical device extending distally from a second section of the base coaxially with the rigid member carries a surgical tool distal of the bend region, and is flexible at least in the bend region to transmit force applied at a proximal end of the surgical device through the bend region to operate the surgical tool; the first base section is rotatable with respect to the second base section, allowing the relative rotational orientation between the surgical tool and the bend region to be changed.
666 Citations
74 Claims
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1. A surgical instrument disposed generally along an axis, said surgical instrument comprising
a first member that extends distally from a base and has an opening in a distal region thereof for admitting tissue, said first member including a bend region that angularly offsets said distal region of said first member from said axis so that said distal region is aligned with a distal axis, a second member for moving a cutting implement and causing it to cut tissue that is exposed to said implement through said opening, and a rotator coupled to said first member for rotating said first member with respect to said base to rotate said opening around to said distal axis, said distal axis and said distal region remaining aligned as said first member rotates with respect to said base.
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13. A surgical instrument disposed generally along an axis, said surgical instrument comprising
a first member that extends distally from a base and has an opening in a distal region thereof for admitting tissue, said first member including a bend region that angularly offsets a distal region of said first member from said axis in a selected direction, a rotator coupled to said first member for rotating said first member with respect to said base to selectively change a rotational orientation of said opening with respect to said axis, said first member being relatively flexible at least in said bend region to allow said rotator to change said rotational orientation of said opening without changing said selected direction of said offset, a second member for moving a cutting implement and causing it to cut tissue that is exposed to said implement through said opening, and at least a portion of said second member being axially aligned with said bend region, said portion being relatively flexible to transmit force applied at a proximal end thereof through said bend region to move said cutting implement.
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31. A surgical instrument disposed generally along an axis, said surgical device comprising
a first member that extends distally from a base and has an opening in a distal region thereof for admitting tissue, means for providing said first member with a bend region that angularly offsets said distal region from said axis in a selected direction, a second member disposed within said first member, for transmitting force applied to a proximal end thereof to move a cutting implement disposed at a distal end thereof and cause it to cut tissue that is exposed to said implement through said opening, at least a portion of said second member that is disposed within said bend region being relatively flexible, means for rotating said first member with respect to said base, said first member being relatively flexible at least in said bend region to transmit said rotation through said bend region to selectively change a rotational orientation of said opening with respect to said axis without changing said selected direction of said offset.
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41. A surgical instrument disposed generally along an axis, said surgical device comprising
an outer tube that extends distally from a base and has an opening in a distal region thereof for admitting tissue, a stationary support tube that extends distally from a base and is disposed within said outer tube, said support tube including a bend region disposed between said base and said distal region to angularly offset said distal region from said axis in a selected direction, an inner tube disposed within said support tube for transmitting force applied to a proximal end thereof to move a cutting implement disposed at a distal end thereof and cause it to cut tissue that is exposed to said implement through said opening, at least a portion of said inner tube that is disposed within said bend region being relatively flexible, and means for rotating said outer tube with respect to said base about said stationary support tube, said outer tube being relatively flexible at least in said bend region to transmit said rotation through said bend region to selectively change a rotational orientation of said opening with respect to said axis without changing said selected direction of said offset.
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51. A surgical instrument comprising
a base having a first section and a second section rotatably coupled thereto, a rigid member having a proximal region mounted to said first section of said base and a bend region that angularly offsets a distal region of said rigid member from said proximal region, a surgical device extending distally from said second section of said base coaxially with said rigid member, said second section inducing a corresponding rotation of said surgical device with respect to said rigid member when said second section is rotated with respect to said first section, said surgical device being coupled to a surgical tool disposed distally of said bend region at a selected rotational orientation with respect to said bend region, said surgical tool being configured to manipulate body tissue in an area adjacent to said surgical tool, an orientation of said area with respect to said bend region being determined by said rotational orientation of said surgical tool, said surgical device being configured to independently: - (1) transmit a force applied at a proximal end of said surgical device through said bend region to operate said surgical tool to manipulate body tissue in said area, and (2) transmit the rotation of said surgical device induced by said second section of said base through said bend region to change said selected rotational orientation of said surgical tool with respect to said bend region to change said orientation of said area with respect to said bend region.
- View Dependent Claims (52, 53, 54, 55, 56)
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57. A surgical instrument comprising
a base having a first section and a second section rotatably coupled thereto, a rigid member having a proximal region mounted to said first section of said base and a bend region that angularly offsets a distal region of said rigid member from said proximal region, a surgical device extending distally from said second section of said base coaxially with said rigid member, said surgical device comprising a first member coaxially disposed within a second member, said second member being mounted to said second section of said base so that said second section induces a corresponding rotation of said second member with respect to said rigid member when said second section is rotated with respect to said first section, said first and said second members of said surgical device being coupled to a surgical tool disposed distally of said bend region at a selected rotational orientation with respect to said bend region, said first member being relatively flexible at least in said bend region to transmit a force applied at a proximal end of said first member through said bend region to operate said surgical tool to manipulate body tissue adjacent thereto, said first member being movable with respect to said second member in response to said force, and said second member being relatively flexible at least in said bend region to transmit the rotation of said second member induced by said second portion of said base through said bend region to change said selected rotational orientation of said surgical tool with respect to said bend region.
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66. A surgical instrument comprising
an outer rigid tube having a proximal region mounted to a first section of a base and a bend region that angularly offsets a distal region of said outer tube from said proximal region, an intermediate tube having a proximal end mounted to a second section of said base, said second section of said base being rotatably mounted with respect to said first section of said base and said intermediate tube being disposed coaxially within said outer tube and carrying a first portion of a surgical tool distal of said bend region, said intermediate tube having a relatively flexible region at least in said bend region to transmit force applied at said second section of said base through said bend region to change a relative rotational orientation between said first portion of said surgical tool and said bend region, an inner tube disposed coaxially within said intermediate tube, said inner tube carrying a second portion of said surgical tool distal of said bend region and having a relatively flexible region at least in said bend region to transmit force applied at a proximal end of said inner tube through said bend region to move said second portion of said surgical tool with respect to said first portion of said surgical tool.
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74. A method of surgery for a joint space comprising
introducing into said joint from outside said joint via a puncture wound in the flesh: -
a first conduit for introducing fluid from a fluid source, a visualization instrument, and a surgical instrument comprising a base having a first section and a second section rotatably coupled thereto, a rigid member having a proximal region mounted to said first section of said base and a bend region that angularly offsets a distal region of said rigid member from said proximal region, a surgical device extending distally from said second section of said base coaxially with said rigid member, said second section inducing a corresponding rotation of said surgical device with respect to said rigid member when said second section is rotated with respect to said first section, said surgical device being coupled to a surgical tool disposed distally of said bend region at a selected rotational orientation with respect to said bend region, said surgical tool being configured to manipulate body tissue in an area adjacent to said surgical tool, an orientation of said area with respect to said bend region being determined by said rotational orientation of said surgical tool, said surgical device being configured to independently;
(1) transmit a force applied at a proximal end of said surgical device through said bend region to operate said surgical tool to manipulate body tissue in said area, and (2) transmit the rotation of said surgical device induced by said second portion of said base through said bend region to change said selected rotational orientation of said surgical tool with respect to said bend region to change said orientation of said area with respect to said bend region;introducing fluid through said first conduit into said joint to distend said joint and to provide a clear field for viewing through said visualization instrument, positioning said visualization instrument to enable observation of a first area of said joint to be surgically treated, on the basis of said visual observation, positioning said surgical instrument adjacent to said first area of said joint and applying said force at said proximal end of said surgical device to operate said surgical tool to manipulate body tissue in said first area of said joint, rotating said second section of said base with respect to said first section to change said selected rotational orientation of said surgical tool with respect to said bend region, and positioning said surgical instrument adjacent to a second area of said joint and applying said force to operate said surgical tool to manipulate body tissue in said second area, said second area having a different rotational orientation with respect to said bend region than said first area.
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Specification