Electrosurgical instrument
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A hand-held instrument comprising:
- a hand piece configured to be held by a user, the hand piece having a proximal end and a distal end;
an extendable shaft movably associated with and disposed at least partially within the hand piece, the extendable shaft having a proximal end and a distal end and being selectively movable relative to the hand piece between a retracted position and an extended position, the proximal end of the extendable shaft being movably disposed within the hand piece such that the proximal end of the extendable shaft is positioned closer to the distal end of the hand piece when the extendable shaft is in the extended position than when the extendable shaft is in the retracted position;
a nozzle disposed at the distal end of the extendable shaft, the nozzle being adapted to have smoke, gas, or fluid drawn therethrough; and
a utility conduit connected to the distal end of the extendable shaft, the utility conduit comprising a power cable for transmitting electrical energy to the hand piece and an evacuation hose in fluid communication with the nozzle, the evacuation hose being configured to convey away the smoke, gas, or fluid drawn into the nozzle, wherein the utility conduit moves with the extendable shaft and relative to the hand piece when the extendable shaft moves between the retracted position and the extended position.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An electrosurgical instrument that reduces the amount of fatigue experienced by a physician performing electrosurgery includes a hand piece with a utility conduit connected to the hand piece. The utility conduit can include an electrical cable and a smoke/fluid evacuation hose. The location at which the utility conduit exits the hand piece is selectively adjustable to reduce the resistance to the movement of the electrosurgical instrument created by the weight of the utility conduit. An electrosurgical instrument may also include an extendable shaft that allows for selective adjustment of the reach of the operational capabilities of the instrument.
172 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A hand-held instrument comprising:
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a hand piece configured to be held by a user, the hand piece having a proximal end and a distal end; an extendable shaft movably associated with and disposed at least partially within the hand piece, the extendable shaft having a proximal end and a distal end and being selectively movable relative to the hand piece between a retracted position and an extended position, the proximal end of the extendable shaft being movably disposed within the hand piece such that the proximal end of the extendable shaft is positioned closer to the distal end of the hand piece when the extendable shaft is in the extended position than when the extendable shaft is in the retracted position; a nozzle disposed at the distal end of the extendable shaft, the nozzle being adapted to have smoke, gas, or fluid drawn therethrough; and a utility conduit connected to the distal end of the extendable shaft, the utility conduit comprising a power cable for transmitting electrical energy to the hand piece and an evacuation hose in fluid communication with the nozzle, the evacuation hose being configured to convey away the smoke, gas, or fluid drawn into the nozzle, wherein the utility conduit moves with the extendable shaft and relative to the hand piece when the extendable shaft moves between the retracted position and the extended position. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A hand-held instrument comprising:
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a hand piece having a proximal end, a distal end, and a slot extending from the proximal end toward the distal end; an extendable shaft that is selectively movable relative to the hand piece between a fully retracted position and a fully extended position, the extendable shaft having a proximal end, a distal end, and a slot extending from the proximal end toward the distal end, the slot in the extendable shaft being generally aligned with the slot in the hand piece when the extendable shaft is in the fully retracted position; a nozzle disposed at the distal end of the extendable shaft, the nozzle being adapted to have smoke, gas, or fluid drawn therethrough; and a utility conduit connected to the distal end of the extendable shaft, the utility conduit comprising a power cable for transmitting electrical energy to the hand piece and an evacuation hose in fluid communication with the nozzle, the evacuation hose being configured to convey away the smoke, gas, or fluid drawn into the nozzle, the utility conduit being configured to move with the extendable shaft and relative to the hand piece when the extendable shaft is moved between the fully retracted position and the fully extended position, wherein, when the extendable shaft is in the retracted position, the connection between the utility conduit and the distal end of the extendable shaft is disposed at a first position relative to the distal end of the hand piece, and wherein, when the extendable shaft is in the extended position, the connection between the utility conduit and the distal end of the extendable shaft is disposed at a second position relative to the distal end of the hand piece, the second position being located more distal relative to the distal end of the hand piece than the first position, wherein the alignment of the slot in the extendable shaft and the slot in the hand piece enables the utility conduit to pass through the slot in the extendable shaft and the slot in the hand piece to exit the hand piece at an exit location between the proximal end and the distal end of the hand piece. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A hand-held instrument comprising:
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a hand piece configured to be held by a user, the hand piece having a proximal end, a distal end, and a slot extending from the proximal end toward the distal end; an extendable shaft movably received at least partially within the hand piece, the extendable shaft being selectively movable relative to the hand piece between a retracted position and an extended position, the extendable shaft having a proximal end, a distal end, and a slot extending from the proximal end toward the distal end, the proximal end of the extendable shaft being movably disposed within the hand piece such that the proximal end of the extendable shaft is positioned closer to the distal end of the hand piece when the extendable shaft is in the extended position than when the extendable shaft is in the retracted position; a nozzle disposed at the distal end of the extendable shaft, the nozzle having an opening therein through which smoke or fluid may be drawn, wherein the nozzle moves with the extendable shaft when the extendable shaft moves between the retracted position and the extended position; and a utility conduit connected to the distal end of the extendable shaft, the utility conduit comprising a power cable for transmitting electrical energy to the hand piece and an evacuation hose in fluid communication with the nozzle, the evacuation hose being configured to convey away the smoke or fluid drawn into the nozzle, wherein the utility conduit moves with the extendable shaft and relative to the hand piece when the extendable shaft moves between the retracted position and the extended position, wherein; when the extendable shaft is in the retracted position, the connection between the utility conduit and the distal end of the extendable shaft is disposed at a first position relative to the distal end of the hand piece, when the extendable shaft is in the extended position, the connection between the utility conduit and the distal end of the extendable shaft is disposed at a second position relative to the distal end of the hand piece, the second position being located more distal relative to the distal end of the hand piece than the first position, when the extendable shaft is in the extended position, the utility conduit is configured pass through the slot in the hand piece to exit the hand piece at an exit location between the proximal end and the distal end of the hand piece, and when the extendable shaft is in the retracted position, the utility conduit is configured pass through both the slot in the extendable shaft and the slot in the hand piece to exit the hand piece at an exit location between the proximal end and the distal end of the hand piece. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification