Electro-cauterizing cannula assembly for use with power-assisted liposuction instruments
First Claim
1. An electro-cauterizing cannula assembly for use with a powered liposuction device having a hand-holdable housing provided with a reciprocation means reciprocatable within said hand-holdable housing and power supply terminals for supplying radio-frequency (RF) power signal to said cannula assembly during liposuction operations, said electro-cauterizing cannula assembly being operably connectable to said hand-holdable housing and comprising:
- a hollow inner canula having a distal end and a proximal end and an inner suction aperture about said inner cannula distal end, said inner cannula proximal end further including an outlet port and a continuous passageway which communicates said inner suction aperture with said outlet port;
a hollow outer cannula having a distal end and a proximal end and on outer suction aperture about said outer cannula distal end, said hollow inner cannula being disposed within at least a portion of said hollow outer and inner cannulas while permitting aspiration through said outer and inner suction apertures, along said continuous passageway and out of said outlet port;
said hollow inner cannula being operably associatable with said reciprocation means, and said hollow outer cannula being essentially stationary with respect to said hand-holdable housing, so as to effectuate relative sliding movement between said hollow inner and outer cannulas when said reciprocation means reciprocates, so that the location of said aspiration through said outer and inner suction apertures is periodically displaced; and
electro-cauterizing means associated with said hollow inner and outer cannulas, for conducting radio-frequency power signals along said hollow inner and outer cannulas and effecting coagulation of protein molecules within the tissue being aspirated through said outer and inner suction apertures.
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Abstract
A method and apparatus is disclosed for mechanically-assisted liposuction treatment. The apparatus includes a hand-holdable housing, an electro-cauterizing cannula assembly, and a reciprocation mechanism. The hand-holdable housing has a cavity adaptable for receipt of a portion of the electro-cauterizing cannula assembly. The electro-cauterizing cannula assembly includes an inner cannula and an outer cannula, each having a distal end and a proximal end and at least one aspiration aperture about the distal end. The inner cannula is disposed within the outer cannula and the inner and outer aspiration apertures are in at least partial registration to form an effective aspiration aperture. The reciprocation mechanism is disposed within the housing and is operably associated with either the inner or outer cannula so that one of the cannulas can be selectively caused to reciprocate relative to the housing while the other is stationarily disposed relative to the housing. As one of the cannulas is caused to reciprocate relative to the other the effective aspiration aperture formed through the distal end of the cannula assembly, is caused to undergo periodic displacement. During aspiration of tissue, high-voltage RF power signals are supplied to the inner and outer cannulas to effect hemostasis about the reciprocating aspiration aperture. Such hemostasis is achieved by causing protein molecules within aspirated tissue to coagulate in response to the high-voltage RF signals being supplied across the reciprocating cannulas. In the preferred embodiments, the amount and rate of such aspiration aperture displacement is controllably adjustable. The cannula assembly is releasably detachable from the hand-holdable housing to facilitate cleaning and sterilization of the cannula assembly and the housing.
56 Citations
61 Claims
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1. An electro-cauterizing cannula assembly for use with a powered liposuction device having a hand-holdable housing provided with a reciprocation means reciprocatable within said hand-holdable housing and power supply terminals for supplying radio-frequency (RF) power signal to said cannula assembly during liposuction operations, said electro-cauterizing cannula assembly being operably connectable to said hand-holdable housing and comprising:
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a hollow inner canula having a distal end and a proximal end and an inner suction aperture about said inner cannula distal end, said inner cannula proximal end further including an outlet port and a continuous passageway which communicates said inner suction aperture with said outlet port;
a hollow outer cannula having a distal end and a proximal end and on outer suction aperture about said outer cannula distal end, said hollow inner cannula being disposed within at least a portion of said hollow outer and inner cannulas while permitting aspiration through said outer and inner suction apertures, along said continuous passageway and out of said outlet port;
said hollow inner cannula being operably associatable with said reciprocation means, and said hollow outer cannula being essentially stationary with respect to said hand-holdable housing, so as to effectuate relative sliding movement between said hollow inner and outer cannulas when said reciprocation means reciprocates, so that the location of said aspiration through said outer and inner suction apertures is periodically displaced; and
electro-cauterizing means associated with said hollow inner and outer cannulas, for conducting radio-frequency power signals along said hollow inner and outer cannulas and effecting coagulation of protein molecules within the tissue being aspirated through said outer and inner suction apertures. - View Dependent Claims (2, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 22, 23)
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26. The apparatus of claim 25, said hollow outer cannula further comprises an outer cannula base extending from said outer cannula proximal end and being adapted for releasably connecting with said hand-holdable housing,
wherein said hollow inner cannula is operably associated with said reciprocation means by way of an actuation means disposed in said hand-holdable housing and reciprocatable by said reciprocation means, and wherein said hollow inner cannula base further including said outlet port and said continuous passageway, and wherein said hollow outer cannula further comprises an outer cannula base which extends from said inner cannula proximal end and is adapted for releasably connecting with said hand-holdable housing.
- 49. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein said RF power signal generator comprises a device, external o said hand-holdable housing, for generating said RF power signals.
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51. the apparatus of claim 51, wherein said control means comprises a manually actuated trigger.
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53. A power-assisted liposuction instrument, which comprises:
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a cannula assembly; and
cauterizing means disposed along said cannula assembly for cauterizing aspirated tissue during liposuction procedures. - View Dependent Claims (54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61)
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Specification