System and method for performing irrigated nose and throat surgery
First Claim
1. A method of performing surgery on a site within a dry passageway, said method including the steps of:
- positioning an endoscope in the passageway, the endoscope having a distal end, wherein the distal end of the endoscope is positioned so that a surgical site in the passageway can be viewed through the distal end of the endoscope;
placing an elongated cutting accessory in the passageway, the cutting accessory having a distal end with a tissue working member and the cutting accessory defining a conduit through which fluid is discharged from the distal end of the cutting accessory;
viewing the surgical site and the cutting accessory through the endoscope;
applying the cutting accessory to the surgical site and performing a procedure with the cutting accessory;
cleaning the distal end of the endoscope by;
causing fluid to flow through the conduit so that the fluid is discharged from the distal end of the cutting accessory in a spray; and
positioning the endoscope and the cutting accessory so that the fluid spray discharged by the cutting accessory strikes the distal end of the endoscope while the distal end of the endoscope is in the passageway; and
drawing a suction through the cutting accessory to remove from the passageway the fluid discharged to clean the endoscope.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for performing skull based nasal, sinus and/or throat surgery. In the system and method of this invention a cutting accessory is applied to the tissue on which a procedure is to be performed. Simultaneously with the performance of the procedure by the cutting accessory, irrigating solution is discharged from the cutting accessory onto the tissue. The cutting accessory also has a conduit through which the discharged irrigating solution is drawn away from the surgical site. The irrigating solution discharged onto the surgical site facilitates the performance of the surgical procedure. This solution can also be used to remove debris from the distal end of an endoscope employed to view the procedure and/or as a transport media for topically applying medicine to the surgical site.
479 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method of performing surgery on a site within a dry passageway, said method including the steps of:
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positioning an endoscope in the passageway, the endoscope having a distal end, wherein the distal end of the endoscope is positioned so that a surgical site in the passageway can be viewed through the distal end of the endoscope; placing an elongated cutting accessory in the passageway, the cutting accessory having a distal end with a tissue working member and the cutting accessory defining a conduit through which fluid is discharged from the distal end of the cutting accessory; viewing the surgical site and the cutting accessory through the endoscope; applying the cutting accessory to the surgical site and performing a procedure with the cutting accessory; cleaning the distal end of the endoscope by; causing fluid to flow through the conduit so that the fluid is discharged from the distal end of the cutting accessory in a spray; and positioning the endoscope and the cutting accessory so that the fluid spray discharged by the cutting accessory strikes the distal end of the endoscope while the distal end of the endoscope is in the passageway; and drawing a suction through the cutting accessory to remove from the passageway the fluid discharged to clean the endoscope. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 18)
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7. A method of performing surgery in a sinus passageway, a nasal passageway or a throat, said method comprising the steps of:
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positioning a cutting accessory in the sinus passageway, the nasal passageway or the throat, the cutting accessory having; an elongated outer housing with opposed proximal and distal ends, an inlet bore in the proximal end and an outlet opening adjacent the distal end; and an elongated tubular moving shaft within the outer housing, the moving shaft having opposed proximal and distal ends, a tissue working member attached to the distal end and an opening adjacent the distal end; applying the cutting accessory to a surgical site to perform the surgical procedure, wherein, in said step, the outer housing distal end and the tissue working member are directed towards tissue at the surgical site; simultaneously with said actuation of the moving shaft, drawing a suction from the moving shaft distal end through the moving shaft so that, when the cutting accessory is applied to the surgical site, an irrigating solution is drawn through the moving shaft distal end opening; actuating the moving shaft to perform a surgical procedure on tissue to which the cutting accessory is directed; simultaneously with said actuation of the moving shaft, flowing the irrigating solution through the outer housing inlet bore and an interstitial space between the cutting accessory outer housing and the moving shaft to the outer housing, wherein solution is flowed through the outer housing at a rate of at least 25 ml/min; and providing a seal between the outer housing and the moving shaft, the seal being located between the outer housing inlet bore and distal end of the moving shaft so that the seal blocks at least 90% of the fluid introduced into the interstitial space between the outer housing and the moving shaft from flowing to the proximal end of the moving shaft, wherein the rate at which irrigating solution is flowed into the outer housing inlet bore and the rate at which said suction is drawn are set so at least 6% of the solution flowed into the outer housing inlet bore is discharged from the outer housing outlet opening to the surgical site. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of performing surgery in a sinus passageway, a nasal passageway or the throat, said method comprising the steps of:
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positioning a cutting accessory in the sinus passageway, the nasal passageway or the throat, the cutting accessory having; an elongated outer housing with opposed proximal and distal ends, an inlet bore in the proximal end and an outlet opening in the distal end; and an elongated tubular moving shaft within the outer housing, the moving shaft having opposed proximal and distal ends, a tissue working member attached to the distal end and an opening adjacent the distal end; applying the cutting accessory to a surgical site to perform the surgical procedure, wherein, in said step, the outer housing distal end and the tissue working member are directed towards tissue at the surgical site; actuating the moving shaft to perform a surgical procedure on tissue to which the cutting accessory is directed; creating a mixture of a topical medicine and irrigating solution; simultaneously with said actuation of the moving shaft, flowing the mixture through the outer housing inlet bore and an interstitial space between the cutting accessory outer housing and the moving shaft to the outer housing; discharging the mixture from the outer housing distal end opening so that simultaneously with said actuation of the cutting accessory mixture is discharged onto the tissue at which the surgical procedure is being performed by the cutting accessory; and simultaneously with said actuation of the moving shaft, drawing a suction through the moving shaft so that, when the cutting accessory is applied to the surgical site, fluid is drawn through the moving shaft distal end opening. - View Dependent Claims (17)
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Specification