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US 5,569,283 AGranted
Surgical cutting instrument with guarded blade
AssigneeUnited States Surgical Corporation
InventorsDavid T. Green, Salvatore Castro, Keith Ratcliff, Graham W. Bryan, Paul Nolan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A surgical cutting instrument for performing endoscopic procedures such as carpal tunnel release. The cutting instrument consists of a tubular sheath or obturator constructed of a transparent material which is connected to a handle which includes means for securing a viewing instrument such as an endoscope thereto. A cutting blade is moved from a first protected or enclosed position to a second armed position, where only the blade edge is exposed at an opening in the obturator.
Claims34
A surgical cutting instrument comprising:
- a sheath member defining a longitudinal axis having a proximal end and a closed distal end and an outwardly radially directed nodule tapered towards said distal end and defining a proximally directed opening, said opening being disposed in a plane which is at an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis;
- and
- a cutting member disposed within said sheath member having a proximally directed cutting edge disposed at an angle to the longitudinal axis, said cutting member being manipulable from a position spaced from said distal end and being movable from a first position wherein said cutting edge is fully enclosed within said sheath member to a second position wherein only said cutting edge is exposed at said opening of said nodule, said cutting edge retaining the same angle with respect to the longitudinal axis in each of said first and second positions and wherein the sheath member has a bore extending through the length thereof and to the cutting member, the bore having a diameter sufficient to receive a viewing member to enable viewing of the cutting edge.
A surgical cutting instrument comprising:
- a sheath member defining a longitudinal axis having a closed distal end and an outwardly radially directed nodule closed at a distal end and defining a proximally directed opening, said opening defining a plane which is at an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis;
- and
- a cutting member disposed within said sheath member and having a proximally directed cutting edge disposed at an angle to the longitudinal axis, said cutting edge being disposed adjacent to and within said opening of said nodule, the angle of said cutting edge with respect to the longitudinal axis being substantially equal to the angle of the plane of said opening with respect to the longitudinal axis.
A surgical cutting instrument comprising:
- a handle having a longitudinal bore;
- an endoscopic portion extending from said handle having a longitudinal bore in communication with said bore in said handle, said endoscopic portion having a closed distal end remote from said handle and a proximally directed opening defining a plane which is at an angle with respect to the longitudinal bore of siad endosepic portion;
- and
- a cutting member including a cutting edge disposed at an angle to the longitudinal bore of siad endoscopic portion and being disposed within said endoscopic portion and movable from a first position wherein said cutting member is fully enclosed within said endoscopic portion to a second position wherein only said cutting edge is exposed at said opening on said endoscopic portion, and wherein said cutting edge retains the same angle with respect to the longitudinal bore of siad endoscopic portion in each of said first and second positions, the longitudinal bore in said endoscopic portion extending to the cutting member and having a diameter sufficient to receive viewing means to enable viewing of the cutting edge.
1 more element
A surgical cutting instrument comprising:
- an endoscopic portion having a longitudinal bore and an opening facing in a proximal direction in a plane which is at an angle to the longitudinal bore;
- means for securing an endoscope within said bore;
- and
- a cutting member including a cutting edge disposed at an angle to the bore at said opening within said endoscopic portion and positioned proximally of a distal tip of said endoscopic portion, said cutting member being movable from a first position wherein said cutting edge is fully enclosed within said endoscopic portion to a second position wherein only said cutting edge is exposed at the opening of said endoscopic portion, and wherein said cutting edge is exposed in said proximal direction when said cutting member is in said second position.
1 more element
A surgical cutting instrument comprising:
- a sheath member having a closed distal end and defining a longitudinal axis;
- a cutting member positioned within said sheath member, said cutting member movable between an undeployed and a deployed position and having a proximally facing cutting edge disposed at an angle to the longitudinal axis, said cutting edge being disposed at said angle to the longitudinal axis in each of said undeployed and deployed positions;
- means for receiving a viewing instrument to allow visualization of said cutting member;
- and
- means for securing the viewing instrument to the surgical cutting instrument.
2 more elements
A method for decompression of the carpal tunnel through division of the transverse carpal ligament comprising the steps of:
- incising the wrist of a patient adjacent the carpal tunnel;
- inserting a cutting instrument into the carpal tunnel beneath the transverse carpal ligament to a position beyond the transverse carpal ligament, said instrument having a sheath including a proximally directed opening defining a plane which is at an angle to a longitudinal axis of the sheath and a proximally directed cutting blade disposed at an angle to the longitudinal axis and positioned adjacent said opening, the angle of said cutting blade with respect to the longitudinal axis being substantially equal to the angle of the plane of said opening with respect to the longitudinal axis;
- moving a cutting edge of said cutting blade adjacent said opening;
- engaging said transverse carpal ligament with said cutting edge;
- and
- withdrawing said instrument, such that said cutting edge divides said ligament to decompress the carpal tunnel.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.