Back to results
US 12,280,520 B2Granted
Arthroscopic devices and methods
AssigneeRELIGN Corporation
InventorsAaron Germain, Kyle Klein, Jan Echeverry
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An arthroscopic or other surgical cutter has features which facilitate fabrication by ceramic molding. The arthroscopic cutter includes a cutter body having a longitudinal axis and a window, an interior channel, and a plurality of cutting edges extending radially outwardly from an outer surface thereof. The features include non-helical, longitudinally aligned cutting edges, controlled thicknesses of the cutting edges, controlled heights of the cutting edges, controlled areas of the windows, controlled diameters of the internal channels, controlled rake angles of the cutting edges, and other parameters.
Claims20
A method of forming a molded ceramic body for cutting tissue, the method comprising:
- injecting a flowable material comprising a ceramic material into a cavity in a mold to form a molded ceramic body that includes a longitudinal axis, a proximal shaft portion, and a distal cutting portion with a plurality of cutting edges, wherein the mold, during said injecting, accommodates a first removable core pin and a second removable core pin that extend into the cavity through a first portion of the mold and a second portion of the mold, respectively;
- removing the first removable core pin from the cavity following said injecting so as to leave a first void in the molded ceramic body, the first void forming a side window in the molded ceramic body;
- removing the second removable core pin from the cavity following said injecting so as to leave a second void in the molded ceramic body, the second void forming an interior channel that extends along the longitudinal axis in the molded ceramic body proximally and distally of the side window;
- wherein, during said injecting, the first removable core pin and the second removable core pin engage one another in the cavity so that, upon removal of the first removable core pin and the second removable core pin from the cavity following formation of the molded ceramic body, the first void and the second void are fluidly connected to one another to allow cut tissue to be drawn into the interior channel through the side window during use of the molded ceramic body;
- and
- removing the molded ceramic body from the cavity.
3 more elements
A method of forming a molded ceramic body for cutting tissue, the method comprising:
- injecting a flowable material comprising a ceramic material into a cavity in a mold to form a molded ceramic body that includes a longitudinal axis, a proximal shaft portion, and a distal cutting portion with a plurality of cutting edges, the mold comprising a first mold component and a second mold component that are brought together to form at least part of the cavity and which are separable from one another following said injecting, wherein the mold, during said injecting, accommodates a first removable core pin and a second removable core pin that extend into the cavity through a first portion of the mold and a second portion of the mold, respectively;
- removing the first removable core pin from the cavity following said injecting so as to leave a first void in the molded ceramic body, the first void forming a side window in the molded ceramic body;
- removing the second removable core pin from the cavity following said injecting so as to leave a second void in the molded ceramic body, the second void forming an interior channel that extends along the longitudinal axis in the molded ceramic body;
- wherein, during said injecting, the first removable core pin and the second removable core pin engage one another in the cavity so that, upon removal of the first removable core pin and the second removable core pin from the cavity following formation of the molded ceramic body, the first void and the second void are fluidly connected to one another to allow cut tissue to be drawn into the interior channel through the side window during use of the molded ceramic body;
- separating the first mold component from the second component;
- and
- removing the molded ceramic body from the cavity.
4 more elements
A method of forming a molded ceramic body for cutting tissue, the method comprising:
- injecting a flowable material comprising a ceramic material into a cavity in a mold to form a molded ceramic body that includes a longitudinal axis, a proximal shaft portion, and a distal cutting portion with a plurality of cutting edges, wherein the mold, during said injecting, accommodates a first removable core pin and a second removable core pin that extend into the cavity through a first portion of the mold and a second portion of the mold, respectively;
- removing the first removable core pin from the cavity following said injecting so as to leave a first void in the molded ceramic body, the first void forming a side window in the proximal shaft portion of the molded ceramic body;
- removing the second removable core pin from the cavity following said injecting so as to leave a second void in the molded ceramic body, the second void forming an interior channel that extends along the longitudinal axis in the molded ceramic body;
- wherein, during said injecting, the first removable core pin and the second removable core pin engage one another in the cavity so that, upon removal of the first removable core pin and the second removable core pin from the cavity following formation of the molded ceramic body, the first void and the second void are fluidly connected to one another to allow cut tissue to be drawn into the interior channel through the side window during use of the molded ceramic body;
- and
- removing the molded ceramic body from the cavity.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.