Surgical cutting apparatus

A surgical apparatus for cutting and storing tissue comprising:

• a housing including a handle assembly;
• an elongated body portion extending from the housing;
• a cutting tube slidably positioned within the elongated body portion for movement upon actuation of the handle assembly from a proximal position to a distal position to cut body tissue, the cutting tube having an open distal end;
• a rotation knob for rotating the elongated body portion about its longitudinal axis;
• and
• a manually engageable and manipulable locking member mounted to the housing and movable relative to the housing between a first position in engagement with the rotation knob to prevent rotation of the rotation knob and a second position disengaged from the rotation knob to permit rotation thereof.

A surgical apparatus for cutting and storing tissue comprising:

• a handle assembly including a housing and a trigger mounted to the housing and being movable between at least a first position and a second position;
• an elongated body portion extending from the housing of the handle assembly;
• a cutting tube slidably positioned within the elongated body portion for movement upon actuation of the trigger from a proximal position to a distal position to cut body tissue, the cutting tube having an open distal end;
• and
• a manually engageable and manipulable release lever pivotally mounted to the housing about a mounting pin connected to the housing, the release lever engagable with the trigger and movable independent of movement of the trigger from a blocking position in engagement with the trigger to a release position in disengagement with the trigger to thereby release the trigger to allow the cutting tube to be removed from the elongated body portion.

A surgical apparatus for cutting and storing sections of body tissue, which comprises:

• a housing;
• an outer tube connected to the housing and extending distally therefrom, the outer tube defining an opening in a side wall thereof adjacent a distal end of the outer tube, the opening dimensioned to receive body tissue therein;
• a cutting tube disposed within the outer tube and movable therewithin from an unadvanced position to an advanced position to cut body tissue received within the opening of the outer tube, the cutting tube having a longitudinal opening defining a chamber to receive cut body tissue sections;
• a trigger mounted to the housing and in operative engagement with the cutting tube, the trigger movable to cause corresponding movement of the cutting tube from the unadvanced position to the advanced position;
• an anvil mounted to the outer tube adjacent the opening, the anvil dimensioned to force the cut body tissue sections proximally within the chamber of the cutting tube upon movent of the cutting tube to the advanced position thereof;
• a plug assembly at least partially disposed within a proximal end of the cutting tube and being releasably mounted thereto to permit access to the cut body tissue sections within the chamber, the plug assembly including a plug for enclosing the chamber of the cutting tube and a grasping portion dimensioned to be grasped by an operator to remove the plug assembly from the cutting tube;
• and
• a manually operable release lever mounted to the housing and engagable with the trigger, the release member movable relative to the housing to a release position to permit the trigger to move to an inoperative position wherein the trigger is in operative disengagement with the cutting tube, to thereby permit removal of the cutting tube from the outer tube.

A surgical apparatus for cutting and storing sections of body tissue, which comprises:

• a housing;
• an outer tube connected to the housing and extending distally therefrom, the outer tube defining an opening in a side wall thereof adjacent a distal end of the outer tube, the opening dimensioned to receive body tissue therein;
• a cutting tube disposed within the outer tube and movable therewithin from an unadvanced position to an advanced position to cut body tissue received within the opening of the outer tube, the cutting tube having a longitudinal opening defining a chamber to receive cut body tissue sections;
• a trigger mounted to the housing and in operative engagement with the cutting tube, the trigger movable to cause corresponding movement of the cutting tube from the unadvanced position to the advanced position,
• an anvil mounted to the outer tube adjacent the opening, the anvil dimensioned to force the cut body tissue sections proximally within the chamber of the cutting tube upon movement of the cutting tube to the advanced position thereof;
• a plug assembly at least partially disposed within a proximal end of the cutting tube and being releasably mounted thereto to permit access to the cut body tissue sections within the chamber, the plug assembly including a plug for enclosing the chamber of the cutting tube and a grasping portion dimensioned to be grasped by an operator to remove the plug assembly from the cutting tube;
• a manually operable release lever mounted to the housing and engagable with the trigger, the release member movable to a release position to permit the trigger to move to an inoperative position wherein the trigger is in operative disengagement with the cutting tube, to thereby permit removal of the cutting tube from the outer tube;
• wherein the trigger is in direct engagement with the plug assembly to cause movement of the cutting tube and wherein movement of the release lever to the inoperative position causes release of the trigger from engagement with the plug assembly to thereby permit removal of the plug assembly and the cutting tube from the outer tube.