Methods and devices for soft tissue dissection
Inventors
Crenshaw, Hugh Charles • Pell, Charles Anthony • Espenhahn, Eric Torr • Moody, Ryan
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-9538995-B2
Publication Date
2017-01-10
Expiration Date
Abstract
A differential dissecting instrument for differentially dissecting complex tissue is disclosed. The differential dissecting instrument comprises a handle and an elongate member having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is connected to the handle. The differential dissecting instrument comprises a differential dissecting member configured to be rotatably attached to the second end and further comprises at least one tissue engaging surface. The differential dissecting instrument comprises a mechanism configured to mechanically rotate the differential dissecting member around an axis of rotation, thereby causing the at least one tissue engaging surface to move in at least one direction against the complex tissue. The at least one tissue engaging surface is configured to selectively engage the complex tissue such that the at least one tissue engaging surface disrupts at least one soft tissue in the complex tissue, but does not disrupt firm tissue in the complex tissue.
Core Innovation
The invention relates to a differential dissecting instrument and a differential dissecting member for differentially dissecting complex tissue. The instrument includes a handle, an elongate member, and a differential dissecting member rotatably attached to a second end, and a mechanism mechanically rotates the differential dissecting member around an axis of rotation so that at least one tissue engaging surface moves against the complex tissue when pressed into the tissue.
The tissue engaging surface is configured for selective engagement such that the at least one tissue engaging surface disrupts at least one soft tissue in the complex tissue, but does not disrupt firm tissue in the complex tissue. The differential selectivity is achieved by moving across the complex tissue so that the tissue engaging surface disrupts soft tissue while avoiding disrupting firm tissue.
In the disclosed geometry, the differential dissecting member and its tissue-facing surface include a semi-ellipsoid shape defined by three orthogonal semi-axes, and the tissue-facing surface includes an alternating series of valley and projection arrays along a direction of motion. The member is also defined with geometric constraints on placement radii of the tissue engaging surface relative to the axis of rotation, including a minimum placement radius greater than zero and specified relationships between minimum and maximum placement radii and projection length.
Additional disclosed features include tissue engaging surface configurations designed to avoid slicing via a three-dimensional surface having no sharp edges, and the distribution of tissue engaging surfaces over an outer surface of a body with placement-radius definitions. The embodiments further define that the instrument and member can be mechanically rotated so that a second end sweeps along a direction of motion, with a first end engaged with a drive mechanism and directed away from the complex tissue.
Claims Coverage
The partial content includes four independent claims. Across these independent claims, the inventive coverage concentrates on a differential dissecting instrument/member that differentially disrupts soft versus firm tissue when pressed, rotational/drive-defined movement of the tissue engaging surface relative to complex tissue, and specific tissue-engaging surface geometry and placement-radius constraints defined relative to an axis of rotation.
Differential dissection of complex tissue with selective soft-tissue disruption
A differential dissecting instrument having a handle, an elongate member, and a differential dissecting member rotatably attached to a second end, wherein a mechanism mechanically rotates the differential dissecting member around an axis of rotation so the at least one tissue engaging surface moves against the complex tissue, and wherein the at least one tissue engaging surface selectively engages the complex tissue so that when pressed into the complex tissue the tissue engaging surface disrupts at least one soft tissue but does not disrupt firm tissue.
Semi-ellipsoid second-end geometry relative to axis of rotation
The differential dissecting member has a first end and a second end, the first end configured to be directed away from the complex tissue and rotatably engaged with the mechanism, and the second end configured to be directed toward the complex tissue, wherein the second end comprises a semi-ellipsoid shape defined by three orthogonal semi-axes with the major semi-axis perpendicular to the axis of rotation and the second minor semi-axis parallel to the axis of rotation.
Valley/projection alternating tissue-facing surface with direction component at valley edges
A differential dissecting member having a body with a central axis, where a drive mechanism moves the member such that the second end sweeps along a direction of motion, and wherein the tissue-facing surface comprises an alternating series of at least one valley and at least one projection arrayed along the direction of motion such that the intersection of a valley and a projection defines at least one valley edge possessing a component of the valley edge direction perpendicular to the direction of motion.
Placement radius constraints of distributed tissue engaging surface
A differential dissecting instrument where the differential dissecting member comprises a body and includes a tissue engaging surface distributed over at least a portion of the outer surface of the body having a minimum placement radius greater than zero and a maximum placement radius relative to the axis of rotation, with specified relationships between the minimum and maximum placement radii and projection length.
Across the independent claims, the main inventive features define a differential dissecting instrument/member that, when pressed into complex tissue, uses a rotatably driven tissue engaging surface to disrupt at least one soft tissue but not disrupt firm tissue, while specifying a semi-ellipsoid relationship of the second-end geometry relative to an axis of rotation and an alternating valley/projection pattern with valley-edge direction components perpendicular to a direction of motion. Additional independent-claim coverage further constrains how the tissue engaging surface is distributed using placement-radius relationships relative to the axis of rotation.
Stated Advantages
Not explicitly described in patent.
Documented Applications
Not explicitly described in patent.
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