Surgical suction irrigator

• US 7,297,133 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2003
• Issued: 11/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Stryker Corporation
• Original Assignee: Stryker Corporation
• Inventors: Nguyen, John, Saravia, Heber, Nelson, Charles L., Pennybacker, William P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lucchesi; Nicholas D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): KOHARSKI, CHRISTOPHER
• Application Number:
  US10/648,693
• Publication Number:
  US 20050075600A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,547 Days
• Field of Search: 604/35, 604/33, 604/250, 604/408, 604/246, 222/401, 415/80, 415/98, 432/84
• US Class Current: 604/35
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/02 Blood transfusion apparatus blood infusion by syringes A61M5/14
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/7413 by changing the cross-section of the line
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/774 Handpieces specially adapted for providing suction as well as irrigation, either simultaneously or independently
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8206 battery-operated
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2209/082 Mounting brackets, arm supports for equipment
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 3/02 Enemata; Irrigators
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 3/0208 before use
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 3/0212 after use
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 3/022 Volume; Flow rate
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 3/0258 by means of electric pumps

Abstract

A surgical irrigation system is suitable for endoscopic and other surgical procedures. A hand held handpiece has a forward protruding hollow tip for supplying irrigation liquid to a surgical site, a hand actuable control for controlling irrigation liquid flow to the tip, and an irrigation liquid inlet. A self contained pumping unit is locatable adjacent a source of irrigation liquid and remote from the handpiece. The pumping unit comprises a housing containing an outlet for irrigation liquid, a pumping member for pumping irrigation liquid through the outlet, a motor for driving the pumping member, and an electric battery assembly for energizing the motor. An elongate tube connects the pumping outlet to the handpiece irrigation liquid inlet for supplying pumped irrigation liquid to the handpiece.

Claims

1. A surgical irrigation system, comprising:

a handpiece locatable adjacent a surgical site and comprising an irrigation liquid inlet and an irrigation liquid outlet;

a motor/pump unit locatable remote from said handpiece and comprising a motor having a shaft and a housing including a receptacle having an end opening, a cover, and a motor receiving member axially opposing said receptacle and said cover;

said motor receiving member comprising an end wall and a hollow tubular wall extending from said end wall and defining a recess, said end wall having a hole therethrough, said motor being received in said recess with said shaft extending through said hole in said end wall, said motor receiving member being interposed between said receptacle and cover;

said cover comprising the open ended dome having a roof and a peripheral wall extending from said roof, said motor receiving member being received in said dome, an annular seal ring radially interposed between said motor receiving member and a surrounding portion of said peripheral wall of said dome, said motor receiving member being axially spaced from said roof of said dome by a pumping chamber, an impeller fixed on said shaft about said motor receiving member and disposed in said pumping chamber, said pumping chamber having an irrigation liquid inlet and an irrigation liquid outlet;

an elongate irrigation liquid path connecting said irrigation liquid outlet of said motor/pump unit to said irrigation liquid inlet of said handpiece.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said receptacle is circular.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said receptacle has a side wall and an end wall, said cover having a flange extending radially outboard of said peripheral wall thereof substantially to said side wall of said receptacle.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 in which said motor receiving member has a flange extending radially outboard and axially interposed between said flange of said cover and the top edge of said side wall of said receptacle member.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 in which said flange of said cover includes a generally L-profile tab extending from a radially outer portion of said flange and having a radially extending lip, fixing structure fixing said cover with respect to said receptacle and said motor receiving member, said fixing structure including said tab.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 in which said motor receiving member has a flange extending radially outboard, said tab extending through an opening in said flange of said motor receiving member.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said receptacle has a side wall and an end wall, said motor having an end facing a central portion of said end wall of said receptacle, said receptacle having a battery receiving zone surrounding said central portion and within said side wall and including side-by-side, axially elongate, battery receiving spaces.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 in which said receptacle defines a cup and at least a portion of said motor extends into said cup.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said receptacle has a central portion and a side wall, said housing including generally circumferentially distributed, battery separator elements disposed along and extending between said central portion and side wall of said receptacle, said separator elements having radially inboard and outboard portions which extend in a generally circumferential direction sufficient to block radial inward and outward battery displacement in said receptacle.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 in which said separator elements are fixed to and radially extend from said hollow tubular wall of said motor receiving member.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said housing includes generally circumferentially distributed battery separator elements, first and second sets of electrically conductive battery contacts, said first set comprising at least one electrically conductive spring wire contact which comprises a bight connecting a pair of spring portions having a battery engaging surface, said spring portions being laterally located by said battery separating elements, said second set comprising conductive, generally plate-like contacts of which at least one comprises a pair of spaced disks connected by a strip and another comprises separate terminals in circuit with said motor.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 in which said receptacle has a side wall and a bottom wall, said motor receiving member further comprising a deck radially outwardly extending from said hollow tubular wall, said battery separating elements extending radially outboard from said hollow tubular wall and extending axially from said deck and defining battery receiving grooves therebetween, said spring portions of a given said contact being disposed in adjacent ones of said grooves with the corresponding said bight spanning the intervening separating element and the bases of said spring portions being adjacent said deck, said disks being respectively fixedly located coaxially with adjacent ones of said grooves but lying fixedly adjacent said end wall of said receptacle.

13. A surgical irrigator system, comprising:

a handpiece having an irrigation liquid outlet opposable to a surgical site;

a motor/pump unit comprising a pumping chamber having a floor, a roof spaced above said floor and a peripheral wall generally upstanding between said floor and roof, said pumping chamber having a shaft extending substantially coaxially into said pumping chamber through said floor and toward said roof, an impeller fixed for rotation with said shaft, said pumping chamber having a liquid inlet substantially coaxial with said shaft and opening into said pumping chamber through said roof, said pumping chamber having a liquid outlet extending substantially tangentially through said peripheral wall, and an electrical motive power source rotatably driving said shaft;

a liquid path connecting said outlet and handpiece;

a pole-engageable, motor/pump unit support member extending from said motor/pump unit and adapted to support said motor/pump unit on an irrigation liquid container support pole; and

a generally tubular, elongate, liquid receiving member extending from said roof adjacent said inlet and having a remote free end portion including an irrigation liquid container connection structure.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, including an upstanding pole having an irrigation liquid container support fixed on said pole, said motor/pump unit support member fixedly locating said motor/pump unit adjacent said irrigation liquid container support.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, including an irrigation liquid container having an irrigation liquid outlet, said irrigation liquid container being supported by said irrigation liquid container support.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, in which said irrigation liquid container comprises a bag fixed on said irrigation liquid container support.

17. The apparatus of claim 13 in which said generally tubular, elongate, liquid receiving member comprises an outlet portion formed as an upstanding extension of said roof and having a liquid outlet end open to said pumping chamber, said generally tubular, elongate, liquid receiving member comprising an inlet portion including said irrigation liquid container connection structure, and a passage connecting said inlet and outlet portions.

18. The apparatus of claim 13 in which said generally tubular, elongate, liquid receiving member comprises an outlet portion open to said pumping chamber, and further comprises an inlet portion including said irrigation liquid container connection structure, and a passage connecting said inlet and outlet portions, said inlet portion being of hollow tubular shape with an outer periphery generally tapered toward its inlet end and a releasably fixing surface treatment to releasably fix in an outlet of an irrigation liquid container.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 in which said surface treatment is a radial protrusion engagable with an irrigation liquid supply container outlet.

20. The apparatus of claim 13 in which said liquid receiving member comprises a hollow tubular spike integral with said roof and having said inlet and outlet portions adjacent opposite ends thereof.

21. The apparatus of claim 13 in which said motor/pump unit further comprises a cup-like battery receiver fixed under said pumping chamber, said pole-engaging, motor/pump unit support member extending from said battery receiver.

22. A surgical irrigation system, comprising:

a handpiece for directing irrigation liquid to a surgical site, said handpiece having a manually actuable member having liquid flow blocking and liquid flow permitting positions;

a pumping unit locatable remotely from said handpiece, an elongate irrigation liquid tube connecting said pumping unit to said handpiece for delivery of irrigation liquid from said pumping unit to said handpiece, said pumping unit including a pumping chamber having an outlet connected to said irrigation liquid tube, said pumping chamber having an inlet, a tubular protrusion coupled to and upstanding from said inlet for receiving irrigation liquid, said tubular protrusion having an open, liquid receiving, free end spaced from said pumping chamber, a liquid pumping member in said pumping chamber adjacent said tubular protrusion, a motor drivingly coupled to said liquid pumping member, said motor having an energized condition corresponding to at least one said flow permitting position of said manually actuable member of said handpiece.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 in which said tubular protrusion open end faces at an acute angle to a longitudinal axis of said tubular protrusion.

24. The apparatus of claim 22 in which said tubular protrusion has an outboard portion spaced from said pumping chamber and having a relatively gradual taper away from said pumping chamber, said tubular protrusion having an inboard portion flared radially outward adjacent said pumping chamber at a relatively greater taper which decreases toward said outer portion.

25. A surgical irrigation system connectable to a conventional independent irrigation liquid supply container, said system comprising:

a handpiece for directing irrigation liquid to a surgical site;

a compact pumping unit locatable remotely from the handpiece and surgical site, an elongate irrigation liquid tube connecting said pumping unit to said handpiece for delivery of pumped irrigation liquid from said pumping unit to said handpiece, said pumping unit comprising a motor having a power source connector, a pumping member drivingly coupled to said motor and coupled in irrigation liquid pumping relation with said elongate tube and through said elongate tube to said handpiece, a cover enclosing a pumping chamber occupied by said pumping member and having an irrigation liquid outlet connected to said elongate tube, said cover further including an irrigation liquid inlet opening, a tubular liquid transfer member protruding from said cover, said tubular liquid transfer member having an outer, sealing surface configured for sealed insertion into an outlet fitting of an independent conventional irrigation liquid supply container, said tubular liquid transfer member being formed as an elongate hollow tube having a generally central, irrigation liquid bore extending substantially the length of said tube, said bore having an upper end open to receive irrigation liquid from a liquid supply container, said bore having a lower end open at and to said cover irrigation liquid inlet opening in irrigation liquid directing relation into said pumping chamber, whereby insertion of said tube into the inlet fitting of a conventional irrigation liquid supply container causes the outside of the tube to sealingly engage the pumping unit and enables said bore to supply liquid to said pumping chamber.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 in which a distal portion of said tube is tapered and includes a peripheral surface adapted to capture by a liquid outlet fitting of an irrigation liquid supply container.

27. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein said tube is a hollow spike upstanding from said cover.

28. The apparatus of claim 25 in which said pumping unit includes a cup-like battery receiver fixed below said pumping chamber.

29. The apparatus of claim 28 in which said receiver comprises a top-opening cup having upstanding, circumferentially distributed battery stations surrounding a central zone, said pumping unit including conductors electrically connecting said battery stations in circuit with said motor to drive said pumping member.