Endoscopic surgical instrument having a retractable cutting blade and surgical procedure using same
Inventors
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-12268407-B2
Publication Date
2025-04-08
Expiration Date
Abstract
An endoscopic surgical instrument includes a front slide, a scope coupler mounted on the front slide, a hammer pivotally mounted on the front slide, a cannula having a lumen and formed with a slot, a sleeve mounted to partially rotate on a portion of the cannula, a blade tube and a retractable cutting blade assembly having a cutting blade situated within the blade tube. The blade tube extends axially from the front slide. The tube is received by the lumen of the cannula. The blade tube has a bore in which the distal end of an endoscope may be received. The instrument may be locked in one position to allow the tip of the endoscope to engage the blade assembly and cause the cutting blade to project from the cannula slot during a tissue cutting procedure, or may be locked in another position wherein the cutting blade remains retracted.
Core Innovation
The invention relates to an endoscopic surgical instrument and an arthroscopic surgical instrument that couples a distal viewing end portion of an endoscope or arthroscope to a selectively engageable retractable cutting blade assembly. The instrument includes a front slide with an elongated, tubular member and a rear main body defining a hammer receiving opening and an internal bore, where a scope coupler assembly is mounted on the rear main body of the front slide and is reciprocatingly movable within the internal bore.
A hammer is pivotally mounted on the rear main body of the front slide and is pivotable between a blade retracted position and a blade extended position. The lower portion of the hammer is engageable with the scope coupler to move the scope coupler between a first, forward position and a second, rearward position, so that the distal viewing end portion is prevented from exerting a blade extending force when in the blade retracted position and is allowed to exert a blade extending force when in the blade extended position.
The instrument further includes a cannula with an axially extending slot and a blade tube positioned within a lumen of the cannula such that a blade slot is in alignment and communication with the axially-extending slot. A retractable cutting blade assembly is mounted within an internal axial bore of the blade tube and selectively projects outwardly through the blade slot of the blade tube and through the axially-extending slot formed in the cannula, or retracts into the bore of the blade tube, with additional structures supporting endoscope or arthroscope coupling and selective blade deployment.
Claims Coverage
The partial content identifies at least one independent claim: clm-00001. The claim includes six inventive features.
Reciprocating scope coupler mounted to a front slide
A scope coupler assembly having a scope coupler removably mounts an endoscope or arthroscope, where at least a portion of the scope coupler is received by the internal bore of the front slide so the scope coupler is mounted on the rear main body and is reciprocatingly movable within the internal bore.
Pivotally mounted hammer controlling scope-coupler position
A hammer pivotally mounted on the rear main body is pivotable between a blade retracted position and a blade extended position, and its lower portion is engageable with the scope coupler so the scope coupler is in a first, forward position when the hammer is in the blade extended position and in a different, second, rearward position when the hammer is in the blade retracted position.
Slotted cannula with aligned axially extending slot
A cannula having a generally cylindrical rear section and an elongated slotted tubular member includes a lumen and a slot formed through thickness in communication with the lumen, with the slot extending at least partially along an axial length, and the lumen being in alignment and communication with an opening in the cannula front wall.
Aligned blade tube with blade slot communicating with cannula slot
A blade tube has proximal and distal end portions, with the proximal end portion at least partially received by the bore of the tubular member of the front slide and the distal end portion received by the lumen of the tubular member of the cannula, the blade tube having a bore and a blade slot positioned within the cannula lumen so the blade slot aligns and communicates with the axially-extending slot.
Retractable cutting blade assembly selectively projecting and retracting
A retractable cutting blade assembly mounted in an internal axial bore of the blade tube near the distal end portion has a cutting blade positioned to align with the blade slot to selectively project outwardly through the blade slot and through the axially-extending slot formed in the cannula and to selectively retract into the bore of the blade tube.
Hammer-state force control that maintains retracted and allows extended blade
When the hammer is in the blade retracted position, the scope coupler is in the second, rearward position to prevent the distal viewing end portion from exerting a blade extending force on the retractable cutting blade assembly, thereby maintaining the cutting blade in a retracted position; when the hammer is in the blade extended position, the scope coupler is in the first, forward position to allow the distal viewing end portion to exert the blade extending force, thereby causing the cutting blade to project outwardly through the aligned slots.
The identified independent claim (clm-00001) covers an endoscopic/arthroscopic instrument that positions a distal viewing end portion via a reciprocating scope coupler and a pivoting hammer, and uses aligned cannula and blade tube slots to selectively project and retract a cutting blade by controlling whether the distal viewing end portion can exert a blade extending force.
Stated Advantages
Maintains the cutting blade in a retracted position by preventing the distal viewing end portion from exerting a blade extending force.
Allows the distal viewing end portion of the endoscope or arthroscope to exert a blade extending force to project the cutting blade outwardly through aligned slots.
Documented Applications
Transverse carpal ligament severing while maintaining visualization of median nerve integrity.
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