Pulsed vacuum and/or flow method and apparatus for tissue removal

Surgical apparatus for cutting tissue, the apparatus comprising:

• a hollow needle having a port therein for enabling tissue entry into a needle lumen through said port;
• a cutting blade disposed within said hollow needle for severing tissue enabling the needle lumen through said port;
• a driver, connected to said cutting blade, for moving the blade between a first position enabling tissue entry through said port and a second portion closing said port, the tissue entering the needle being severed as the blade moves between the first and second position;
• a vacuum source in communication with said needle lumen for causing tissue entry into the needle lumen through said port and for aspirating severed tissue through the lumen;
• and
• a controller, including a valve for controlling vacuum communication between said vacuum source and said needle lumen and connected to said driver, for coordinating vacuum and blade movement so that vacuum is provided to said needle lumen when the blade is in the first position and during severing of tissue by the blade and reducing vacuum to said needle lumen before moving the blade from the second position to the first position.

A surgical apparatus having:

• a hollow needle having a port therein for enabling tissue entry into a needle lumen through said port;
• a cutting blade disposed within said hollow needle for severing tissue entering the needle lumen through said port;
• a device, connected to said cutting blade, for moving the blade between a first position enabling tissue entry through said port and a second position closing said port, the tissue entering the needle being severed as the blade moves between the first and second positions;
• and
• a vacuum source in communication with said needle lumen for causing tissue entry into the needle lumen through said port and for aspiration of severed tissue through the lumen;
• the improvement comprising:
• a controller, including a valve for controlling vacuum communication between said vacuum source and said needle lumen and connected to said driver, for coordinating vacuum and blade movement so that vacuum is provided to said needle lumen when the blade is in the first position and during severing of tissue by the blade and reducing vacuum to said needle lumen before moving the blade from the second position to the first position.