Hand-held instrument with dual zone fluid removal
Inventors
Greep, Darcy W. • Frampton, Chad S.
Assignees
Megadayne Medical Products Inc • MegaDyne Medical Products Inc
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Publication Number
US-11617611-B2
Publication Date
2023-04-04
Expiration Date
Abstract
An electrosurgical instrument has dual zone smoke evacuation for providing efficient capture and evacuation of smoke generated during an electrosurgical procedure. A hand piece with a proximal and a distal end is coupled to a front piece having a distal opening leading into an interior conduit. An extendable section is at least partially disposed within the interior conduit and extends distally out of the distal opening of the front piece. The extendable section is selectively translatable within the interior conduit. A negative pressure source enables the capture and evacuation of smoke through both the extendable section and the interior conduit.
Core Innovation
The invention relates to a hand-held instrument and an electrosurgical instrument that include smoke evacuation components with dual-zone fluid/smoke evacuation. A negative pressure source is configured to be in fluid communication with an atmosphere exterior of the hand-held instrument simultaneously through both a distal opening in a stationary front piece and a distally facing opening in a selectively translatable extendable section. The design enables captured smoke, defined broadly to include other fluids, to be drawn into both evacuation components via the negative pressure source.
The stationary front piece forms an interior conduit pathway, with a distal opening inner surface having a first dimension and an extendable section having an outer surface with a second dimension smaller than the first dimension such that a gap is formed between the inner surface of the distal opening and the outer surface of the extendable section. The gap and the interior conduit are configured as a second fluid evacuation component, while the distally facing opening and the extendable section conduit are configured as a first fluid evacuation component. The translation varies a distance between the first fluid evacuation component and the second fluid evacuation component, thereby adjusting the relative evacuation zones.
Selective translation positions the extendable section such that smoke escaping a first zone is captured by the second smoke evacuation component, and the vacuum arrangement simultaneously evacuates through both zones. The extendable section is selectively translatable relative to the hand piece between a fully retracted position and a fully extended position, while the stationary component maintains a fixed positional relationship. Additional described features include an electrosurgical instrument with an electrode tip, a tapered profile front piece with an opening, and structural elements supporting the extendable section within the interior conduit.
Claims Coverage
Independent claim coverage includes 3 inventive structures: (i) a hand-held instrument with dual evacuation paths using an extendable, selectively translatable conduit and a stationary gap/interior conduit pathway connected to a common negative pressure source, (ii) a hand-held instrument where a stationary second conduit is sealed only when a first selectively translatable evacuation conduit is fully extended, and (iii) an electrosurgical instrument with a stationary first smoke evacuation component and a selectively translatable second smoke evacuation component around an electrode tip, both drawn by a shared utility conduit negative pressure source.
Dual smoke evacuation zones with selectively translatable extendable section and stationary gap/interior conduit
A hand piece with an interior conduit, a stationary front piece with a distal opening leading into the interior conduit, and a selectively translatable extendable section disposed within the interior conduit and extending distally out of the distal opening, where the extendable section outer surface forms a gap with the inner surface of the distal opening. A negative pressure source is configured to be in fluid communication simultaneously through the distal opening via the interior conduit and through a distally facing opening via the extendable section conduit, enabling the extendable section to function as a first fluid evacuation component and the gap and interior conduit to function as a second fluid evacuation component, with selective translation varying a distance between the two evacuation components.
Selective sealing of stationary second conduit distal opening based on full extension position of first component
A hand-held instrument including a first fluid evacuation component selectively translatable between a fully retracted position and a fully extended position, where a first conduit directs fluid captured through a distal opening into the hand piece through a proximal opening via a negative pressure source. A second fluid evacuation component has a stationary positional relationship with the hand piece with a second conduit whose distal opening is in fluid communication with atmosphere exterior and directs fluid captured through the distal opening into the hand piece via the negative pressure source. The distal opening of the second conduit is completely closed off to the atmosphere exterior only when the first fluid evacuation component is selectively translated to the fully extended position, thereby preventing fluid evacuation through the second fluid evacuation component.
Electrosurgical instrument with stationary and selectively translatable smoke evacuation components around electrode tip using utility conduit
An electrosurgical instrument including an electrode tip providing electrical energy to target tissue, a stationary first smoke evacuation component with a first conduit having a distal opening in which the electrode tip is at least partially disposed, and a second smoke evacuation component selectively translatable relative to the electrode tip with a second conduit having a distal opening in fluid communication with an atmosphere exterior of the hand-held instrument. Selective translation varies a distance between the first and second smoke evacuation components. A utility conduit comprising a negative pressure source is in simultaneous communication with both first and second smoke evacuation components and provides negative pressure to draw captured smoke through both conduits and into the utility conduit.
The independent claims collectively cover electrosurgical and hand-held instruments that use negative pressure to evacuate smoke through two controlled evacuation components, where one component is stationary and the other is selectively translatable to vary the distance between evacuation zones or to condition sealing of a stationary conduit. Each configuration maintains simultaneous negative-pressure communication through both evacuation components, or prevents evacuation through the second component only when fully extended, to manage smoke capture relative to an electrode tip.
Stated Advantages
Improved smoke capture by enabling smoke escaping a first zone to be captured by a second smoke evacuation component.
Reduced visibility and odor.
Allows smaller-diameter extendable sections.
Documented Applications
Electrosurgical use where an electrode tip provides electrical energy to target tissue and the instrument evacuates smoke generated during electrosurgery.
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