Apparatus and method for minimally invasive surgery using rotational cutting tool

• US 6,702,813 B1
• Filed: 12/17/2001
• Issued: 03/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Origin Medsystems Inc. (Eli Lilly and Company)
• Original Assignee: Origin Medsystems Inc. (Eli Lilly and Company)
• Inventors: Baxter, Jeffrey W., Davis, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Gibson, Roy D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Johnson, III, Henry M.
• Application Number:
  US10/022,680
• Time in Patent Office: 813 Days
• Field of Search: 606/32, 606/39, 606/41, 606/45, 606/48-50, 606/167, 606/180
• US Class Current: 606/49
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/00008 Vein tendon strippers tube strippers A61M1/83
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/32 Surgical cutting instruments A61B18/042 takes precedence; suture cutters A61B17/0467; instruments for ligaturing or cutting A61B17/128; instruments for rupturing the amniotic membrane A61B17/4208; specially adapted knives for eye surgery A61F9/0133
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/320016 Endoscopic cutting instruments, e.g. arthroscopes, resectoscopes A61B10/0233, A61B17/29, A61B17/3207 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/32002 with continuously rotating, oscillating or reciprocating cutting instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/320783 through side-hole, e.g. sliding or rotating cutter inside catheter
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1482 having a long rigid shaft for accessing the inner body transcutaneously in minimal invasive surgery, e.g. laparoscopy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320741 for stripping the intima or the internal plaque from a blood vessel, e.g. for endarterectomy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00202 rotating
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00601 Cutting
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/126 bipolar
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1861 with an instrument inserted into a body lumen or cavity, e.g. a catheter

Abstract

An apparatus and method for minimally invasive surgery using a cutting tool with rotational cutting edges. The surgical instrument includes a tube having a distal end and a cutting edge at the distal end. A handle is attached to the proximal end of the tube. Within the tube is a shaft having a longitudinally extending blade at its distal end that is adjacent to the distal end of the tube. The blade is revolvable about the longitudinal axis of the instrument to provide rotational cutting action. One or both of the blade and the cutting edge on the tube can be electrically energized to provide for electrocauterization of the body tissue being cut.

Claims

1. A surgical instrument comprising:

a tube having a distal end and a proximal end, said distal end including a first cutting edge; and

a shaft within said tube, said shaft having a distal end and a proximal end, said distal end of said shaft including a blade, one of said shaft and said tube being rotatable with respect to the other such that said blade cooperates with said cutting edge wherein said blade has an elongated portion having two opposing surfaces and a second cutting edge on each of said opposing surfaces.

2. The instrument of claim 1 wherein said shaft is coaxial with said tube.

3. The instrument of claim 2 wherein said shaft has an inner lumen.

4. The instrument of claim 2 wherein said shaft has an inner lumen such that an imaging device may be inserted therein.

5. The instrument of claim 2 wherein said shaft has an inner lumen such that a separate surgical instrument may be inserted therein.

6. The instrument of claim 1 wherein one of said first cutting edge and said blade is adapted to be electrically energized.

7. The instrument of claim 1 wherein said tube is fixedly attached to a handle and said shaft is rotatable relative to said tube.

8. The instrument of claim 1 wherein said blade includes a serrated cutting edge.

9. The instrument of claim 1 wherein said first cutting edge on said tube is serrated.

10. A surgical instrument comprising:

a handle;

a tube extending from and coupled to said handle, said tube having a distal end and a first cutting edge at said distal end, said tube having a proximal end associated with said handle;

a tubular shaft defining a lumen coaxial with said tube, said shaft rotatably disposed within said tube and having at its distal end an elongated portion having two opposing surfaces and a second cutting edge on each of said opposing surfaces, said opposing surfaces having an insulating layer thereon, said shaft having a proximal end adjacent said handle and a distal end adjacent said distal end of said tube, wherein one of said second cutting edges on said shaft and said first cutting edge on said tube is adapted to be electrically energized; and

wherein said handle defines an opening in communication with said lumen of said tubular shaft wherein said opening and said lumen provide access through the instrument to said distal end of said tubular shaft.

11. The instrument of claim 10 wherein said tube and said shaft are bendable.

12. A surgical instrument comprising:

a handle;

a tube having a distal end and an outer blade extending from said distal end, said tube having a proximal end associated with said handle; and

a shaft disposed within said tube, said shaft having a distal end adjacent said distal end of said tube, said shaft having an inner blade extending from said distal end, wherein said inner blade has an elongated portion having two opposing surfaces and a cutting edge on each of said opposing surfaces, said opposing surfaces having an insulating layer thereon, said shaft having a proximal end extending into said handle, wherein said inner blade and said outer blade are adapted to be electrically energized.

13. The instrument of claim 12 wherein said tube has a first longitudinal axis and said shaft has a second longitudinal axis displaced from said first longitudinal axis.

14. The instrument of claim 13 wherein said tube is fixedly attached to said handle and said shaft is revolvable about said first longitudinal axis relative to said tube.

15. The instrument of claim 13 wherein said shaft is fixedly attached to said handle and said tube is rotatable about said first longitudinal axis relative to said shaft.

16. The instrument of claim 13 wherein said shaft is revolvable about said first longitudinal axis relative to said tube, and said tube is rotatable about said first longitudinal axis relative to said shaft.

17. A method for cutting body tissue, the method comprising:

inserting a surgical instrument comprising a tube having a distal end, a proximal end, a longitudinal axis between said distal and proximal ends, and a first cutting edge at said distal end of said tube, said instrument further including a shaft having a distal end, a proximal end, and a blade at said distal end of said shaft, wherein said blade has an elongated portion having two opposing surfaces and a second cutting edge on each of said opposing surfaces, said shaft being rotatably disposed within said tube such that said cutting edge and said blade are rotatably engageable;

aligning the body tissue to be cut between said first cutting edge and said blade; and

rotating at least one of said tube and said shaft about said longitudinal axis such that said first cutting edge and said blade engage to cut the body tissue.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising electrically energizing at least one of said first cutting edge and said blade wherein the body tissue is cauterized.