Surgical instrument

#This invention relates to a surgical instrument usable for endoscopic surgery and having an outer member and an inner member movable in the outer member.

#Prior tissue working instruments, suitable for endoscopic surgery, have included a hand piece engagable proximal part and a tissue working distal part, and more particularly have included an elongate, generally tubular outer member in which an elongate inner member is disposed movably for surgically working (e.g. removing, shaping, etc.) tissue.

#Early examples of such instruments tended to be rigid and straight. Later examples included instruments having a bent or bendable outer tubular member and an inner elongate member having a length portion of sufficient flexibility to enable tissue working movement (e.g. rotation and/or reciprocation) thereof within the bent outer member.

#FIG. 1 is a partially schematic, elevational view of a surgical instrument embodying the invention.

#FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the distal end portion of the outer member of the FIG. 1 instrument, looking downward in FIG. 1.

#FIG. 3 is a central cross sectional view substantially taken on the line III-III of FIG. 2.

#A surgical instrument 10 (FIG. 1) embodying the invention comprises an elongate generally tubular outer member 11 and an inner member 12 movably disposed in the outer member 11. In the embodiment shown, the inner member 12 is rotatable in the outer member 11 although other types of relative motion (e.g. reciprocating motion) therebetween are contemplated.

#The particular surgical instrument disclosed in FIGS. 1-7, by way of example, is of a type typically referred to as a cutter or shaver. However, it is contemplated that the invention may be embodied in surgical instruments of other types, for example burs or punches or other tissue working surgical instruments. Further, the terms inner and outer applied to the members 11 and 12 are intended to refer to their relative radial position and do not exclude kinds of surgical instruments in which at least one further member may be disposed radially within, without, or between the mentioned inner and outer members.

#Turning now more particularly to the particular surgical instrument 10 shown in FIGS. 1-4, the outer member 11 comprises a proximal hub 20, an elongate tube 21 extending distally and fixedly from the hub 20, and a tip 22 fixed to and extending distally of the tube 21. The tube 21 may be angled as here shown (e.g. bent or curved) or straight as desired.