Methods and apparatus for removing material from within a mammalian cavity using an insertable endoscopic instrument

A method of removing lesions from within a mammalian cavity of a patient, comprising:

• inserting a flexible endoscope within an opening to a mammalian cavity of a patient;
• disposing an endoscopic instrument within an instrument channel of the flexible endoscope to remove at least one lesion from within the mammalian cavity, the endoscopic instrument including a cutting assembly having an outer cannula, an inner cannula disposed within an outer cannula, and an opening defined along a portion of a radial wall of the outer cannula, the inner cannula rotatably coupled to a flexible torque component having a length that extends along a length of the flexible endoscope, the flexible torque component, upon actuation, providing torque to the inner cannula;
• providing irrigation fluid from a lavage port of the endoscopic instrument that remains outside the flexible endoscope while the endoscopic instrument is disposed within the instrument channel, the lavage port fluidly coupled to the outer cannula through a rotational coupler coupling the lavage port to an outer tubing connected to the outer cannula, the rotational coupler allowing the outer tubing and the outer cannula to rotate relative to the lavage port upon rotating a portion of the rotational coupler;
• rotating, via rotation of the portion of the rotational coupler, the outer cannula to a position in which the opening of the outer cannula is viewable via a camera of the flexible endoscope;
• positioning the opening at the lesion of the mammalian cavity;
• actuating the flexible torque component to rotate the inner cannula relative to the outer cannula, the inner cannula cutting a portion of the lesion as the inner cannula rotates adjacent to the opening;
• and
• actuating a sample retrieval component of the endoscopic instrument to remove the cut portions of the lesion from within the mammalian cavity via an aspiration channel defined by an inner wall of the inner cannula and the flexible torque component.

A method of removing lesions from within a patient, comprising:

• inserting a flexible endoscope within an opening of a patient;
• disposing an endoscopic instrument within an instrument channel of the flexible endoscope to remove a lesion from the surgical site, the endoscopic instrument including a cutting assembly having an outer cannula, an inner cannula disposed within an outer cannula, and an opening defined along a portion of a radial wall of the outer cannula, the inner cannula rotatably coupled to a flexible torque component having a length that extends along a length of the flexible endoscope, the flexible torque component, upon actuation, providing torque to the inner cannula;
• positioning the opening of the outer cannula at the lesion;
• actuating the flexible torque component to rotate the inner cannula relative to the outer cannula, the inner cannula cutting a portion of the lesion as the inner cannula rotates adjacent to the opening;
• and
• actuating a sample retrieval component of the endoscopic instrument to remove the cut portions of the lesion from within the patient via an aspiration channel defined by an inner wall of the inner cannula and the flexible torque component.

A method of resecting lesions from within a mammalian cavity of a patient, comprising:

• inserting a flexible endoscope within an opening to a mammalian cavity of a patient, the flexible endoscope including a coupling component disposed within a distal end of the endoscope, the flexible endoscope inserted within the opening via the distal end;
• disposing a surgical cutting assembly within an instrument channel of the flexible endoscope, the surgical cutting assembly inserted into the instrument channel via an instrument channel opening to the instrument channel at a proximal end of the endoscope that remains outside the opening to the mammalian cavity, the surgical cutting assembly including a cutter assembly having an outer cannula, an inner cannula disposed within an outer cannula, and a cutting window defined along a portion of a radial wall of the outer cannula, a proximal end of the inner cannula coupled to a coupling member, the coupling member fluidly coupled to an aspiration tube that extends along a length of the flexible endoscope, the coupling member configured to rotatably couple with the coupling component of the flexible endoscope;
• positioning, by rotating the outer cannula of the surgical cutting assembly, the cutting window at the lesion within the mammalian cavity to be resected;
• providing torque to the coupling component of the endoscope, the torque provided by one of a torque generation component disposed within the distal end of the endoscope or via a flexible torque component extending from the proximal end of the endoscope to the distal end of the endoscope, the torque causing the coupling component of the endoscope to rotate and cause the coupling member of the surgical cutting assembly and the inner cannula to rotate relative to the outer cannula to resect at least a portion of the lesion at the cutting window of the outer cannula;
• and
• actuating a sample retrieval component to provide suction to the aspiration tube to remove the resected portion of the lesion via an aspiration channel defined by an inner wall of the inner cannula, an inner wall of the coupling member and the aspiration tube.