Apparatus and method for incising

• US 6,171,325 B1
• Filed: 10/20/1999
• Issued: 01/09/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GmbH (Sanofi )
• Original Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Lum, Paul, Greenstein, Michael, Verdonk, Edward D., Mauze, Ganapati R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Buiz, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bui, Vy Q.
• Application Number:
  US09/420,988
• Time in Patent Office: 447 Days
• Field of Search: 606/171, 606/172, 606/177, 606/178, 606/181, 606/182
• US Class Current: 606/171
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 10/0233 Pointed or sharp biopsy instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 10/0266 means for severing sample
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/32002 with continuously rotating, oscillating or reciprocating cutting instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/32053 Punch like cutting instruments, e.g. using a cylindrical or oval knife A61B17/326 takes precedence; trepans A61B17/1695; for use on the cornea A61F9/007
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/32093 for skin incisions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3476 Powered trocars, e.g. electrosurgical cutting, lasers, powered knives
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14514 using means for aiding extraction of interstitial fluid, e.g. microneedles or suction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150022 for capillary blood or interstitial fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150137 by vibration enhancing collection by vibration A61B5/150175
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15016 by accessories for bringing the piercing element into the body, e.g. through rotation of the piercing element
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150396 Specific tip design, e.g. for improved penetration characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150419 comprising means for capillary action
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150427 Specific tip design, e.g. for improved penetration characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150511 Details of construction of shaft
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15121 comprising piezos
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15142 Devices intended for single use, i.e. disposable

Abstract

A multi-shaft apparatus for incising a substrate of soft resilient material such as a body tissue. The incising apparatus includes two or more incision shafts each having a distal edge. The shafts are not affixed to each other and are allowed to slide against each other to drive the distal edges alternately against the substrate to incise the substrate. In the case of incising a body tissue, such alternate motion would result in less pain to the patient than a puncture resulting from a sharp jab by a sharp shaft of similar size to the shafts.

Claims

1. A multi-shaft apparatus for incising a body tissue, comprising:

two or more incision shafts each having a distal edge, the shafts being non-fixedly associated with one another for periodic motion in translational position or rotational position of at least one of the shafts relative to another of the shafts such that the distal edges thereof can be driven against the body tissue to incise the body tissue.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the shafts are aligned in parallel in proximity such that they slide against each other in relative motion.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the edges are beveled to each form a sharp edge with a bevel surface and the neighboring bevel surfaces of at least two of the shafts face away from each other.

4. An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the edges are beveled to form sharp edges with a bevel surface and the neighboring bevel surfaces of at least two of the shafts face each other.

5. An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the edges are beveled each to form a sharp edge with a bevel surface and the shafts are aligned such that the neighboring bevel surfaces of at least two of the shafts face the same direction.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a driver for driving the shafts for relative motion.

7. An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the one or more of the shafts moves relative to the other in reciprocating longitudinal action.

8. An apparatus according to claim 2 comprising a tube and wherein one of the shafts comprises at least part of the tube.

9. An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the shafts are concentric tubes that move in concentric motion.

10. An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the shafts associate with each other to form a tube each being a part thereof and one shaft moves relative to the other in reciprocating longitudinal action.

11. An apparatus according to claim 1 comprising two shafts aligned in parallel in proximity such that they slide against each other in relative motion.

12. An apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a piezoelectric driver to drive the relative motion of the shafts.

13. An apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a tube encircling the shafts and wherein the shafts reciprocatively slide in the tube with each distal edge extending out of the tube to contact the body tissue when cutting.

14. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the shafts surround a tubular channel for conducting liqud.

15. An apparatus according to claim 14 wherein the shafts associate with one another to form the tubular channel for conducting liqud.

16. An apparatus according to claim 14 wherein the shafts are concentric tubes where fluid can be conducted in the tubes as a whole.