Surgical tubular cutter having a tapering cutting chamber

• US 5,741,287 A
• Filed: 11/13/1996
• Issued: 04/21/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ethicon Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: FemRx, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Christian, Jeffrey J., Alden, Donald L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dawson, Glenn K.
• Application Number:
  US08/746,541
• Time in Patent Office: 524 Days
• Field of Search: 604/19, 604/22, 604/35, 606/167, 606/107, 606/171, 606/180, 606/187, 606/170
• US Class Current: 606/170
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/32002 with continuously rotating, oscillating or reciprocating cutting instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2217/005 with suction drainage system

Abstract

The invention provides tubular surgical cutters having conical or tapering cutting chambers along substantially the entire length of their cutting apertures. Tissues which are drawn into such a conical chamber and severed from the adjacent tissue are quite easily drawn proximally for aspiration, substantially reducing the likelihood that they will clog the cutter mechanism. In some embodiments, an inner cutting tube having an orifice which is smaller than that of the outer cutting tube limits the size of tissue fragments entrained within the cutting chamber, further reducing the possibility that those fragments will clog the aspiration lumen and interrupt the tissue removal process.

Claims

1. A tubular surgical cutter comprising:

a tubular body having a proximal end, a distal end, and a lumen therebetween;

an outer tip extending distally from the distal end of the tubular body, the outer tip having an aperture and an inner surface bordering a chamber, the chamber being in communication with the lumen of the tube and the aperture; and

an inner tip rotatably disposed within the chamber of the outer tip, the inner tip having an inner surface bordering a chamber and an aperture which cooperates with the aperture of the outer tip to sever tissues which protrude into the chamber when the inner tip rotates;

wherein the chamber of the inner tip receives the tissues along an axial cutting zone when the inner and outer apertures align, wherein a proximal end of one of the apertures defines a proximal end of the axial cutting zone, wherein a distal end of one of the apertures defines a distal end of the axial cutting zone, and wherein at least one of the chambers has a radius which decreases distally substantially throughout the axial cutting zone.

2. A tubular cutter as claimed in claim 1, wherein cross-sectional radii defined by the inner surface of the inner tip and the inner surface of the outer tip decrease distally substantially throughout the axial cutting zone.

3. A tubular cutter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one chamber comprises a cone which is substantially coaxial with the lumen of the tubular body.

5. A tubular cutter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the aperture of the inner tip is smaller than the aperture of the outer tip.

15. A tubular surgical cutter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one of the chambers has a radius which decreases distally continuously throughout the axial cutting zone.

4. A tubular surgical cutter comprising:

a tubular body having a proximal end, a distal end, and a lumen therebetween;

an outer tip extending distally from the distal end of the tube, the outer tip having an aperture and an inner surface bordering a chamber, the chamber being in communication with the lumen of the tube and the aperture;

an inner tip rotatably disposed within the chamber of the outer tip, the inner tip having an inner surface bordering a chamber and an aperture which cooperates with the aperture of the outer tip to sever tissues which protrude into the chamber when the inner tip rotates;

wherein the chamber of the inner tip receives the tissues along an axial cutting zone when the inner and outer apertures align, wherein a proximal end of one of the apertures defines a proximal end of the axial cutting zone, wherein a distal end of one of the apertures defines a distal end of the axial cutting zone, and wherein at least one of the chambers has a radius which decreases distally substantially throughout the axial cutting zone; and

an inner tubular body extending proximally from the inner tip, the inner tube having an inner lumen with a cross-section which is larger than the cross-section of the chamber of the inner tip throughout the axial cutting zone.

6. A tubular surgical cutter comprising:

an outer member comprising a tubular body having a proximal end, a distal end, a lumen extending therebetween, and a tapered tip extending distally from the distal end of the tube, the tip having an aperture and an inner surface bordering a chamber which tapers continuously from a large proximal radius to a small distal radius, the chamber being in communication with the lumen of the tube and the aperture; and

an inner member rotatably disposed within the lumen and the chamber of the outer member, the inner member comprising a tube having a proximal end, a distal end, and a lumen therebetween, and a tapered tip extending distally from the distal end of the tube, the tip having an aperture and an inner surface bordering a chamber which tapers continuously from a large proximal radius to a small distal radius, the chamber being in communication with the lumen of the tube and the aperture;

wherein the apertures of the outer member and the inner member cooperate to sever tissues along an axial cutting zone when the inner member rotates, and wherein the large radii of the tapered inner and outer tips are disposed proximally of the apertures and the small radii are distal of the apertures so that the chambers taper throughout the apertures to prevent the severed tissues from clogging the inner tube when the severed tissue is aspirated proximally.

7. A method for fabricating a clog-resistant tubular surgical cutter, the method comprising:

fabricating a first tubular member with a first tapering region near a distal end, the first tapering region decreasing in radius distally from a cylindrical region;

fabricating a second tubular member with a second tapering region near a distal end, the second tapering region decreasing in radius distally from a cylindrical region;

rotatably mounting the second tubular member within the first tubular member so that the first tapering region aligns axially with the second tapering region, and

forming apertures through the first and second tapering regions distally of the cylindrical regions for severing tissues which protrude through the apertures when the second tubular member rotates, wherein the apertures are formed so that proximal ends of the apertures are disposed along the tapering region.

8. A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the aperture forming step comprises cutting an aperture in the second tubular member to a second aperture size and separately cutting an aperture in the first tubular member to a first aperture size which is larger than the second aperture size so that the second tubular member protrudes through the first aperture when the first and second apertures are aligned.

9. A method for severing and removing tissues from an internal surgical site, the method comprising:

protruding the tissues through an aperture into a chamber, wherein the chamber tapers substantially continuously throughout the aperture from a large proximal radius to a small distal radius;

severing the protruding tissues between the aperture and a cooperating cutting edge; and

aspirating the severed tissue proximally adjacent the small radius and past the large radius to avoid clogging.

10. A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the severed tissue is aspirated proximally through a lumen which has a larger cross-section than the chamber.

11. A tubular surgical cutter comprising:

an outer tubular body having a proximal end, a distal end and a lumen therebetween;

an inner tubular body having a proximal end, a distal end and a lumen therebetween, the inner tubular body disposed within the lumen of the outer tubular body;

an outer tip extending from the distal end of the outer tubular body, the outer tip having an aperture with a proximal end and an inner surface;

an outer chamber defined by the inner surface of the outer tip, the outer chamber being in communication with the lumen of the outer tubular body and the outer aperture;

an inner tip extending from the distal end of the inner tubular body and rotatably disposed within the outer chamber, the inner tip having an inner surface and an aperture bordered by a cutting edge;

an inner chamber defined by the inner surface of the inner tip, the inner chamber being in communication with the lumen of the inner tubular body and the inner aperture; and

an axial cutting zone defined by the entire alignment of the inner and outer apertures, the inner chamber having a cross-section, throughout the cutting zone, which is smaller than the cross-section of the inner lumen, wherein a radius of the inner chamber decreases distally substantially continuously throughout the cutting zone.

12. A tubular cutter as claimed in claim 11, wherein the aperture of the inner tip is smaller than the aperture of the outer tip.

13. A tubular cutter as claimed in claim 11, wherein the cutting edge is scalloped, wherein the scalloped edge defines one or more protruding points for grasping tissue.

14. A tubular surgical cutter comprising:

an outer member comprising;

a tubular body having a distal end, a proximal end, and a lumen therebetween; and

a tapered tip extending distally from the tubular body, the tapered tip having an aperture, the aperture having a proximal end and a distal end and defining an aperture axial length therebetween;

an inner member rotatably disposed within the tapered tip, the inner member having a cutting edge; and

an inner chamber defined by a path swept by the cutting edge of the inner member when the inner member rotates, wherein the inner chamber tapers inwardly and distally substantially continuously throughout the aperture length.