US 5,922,003 A · Angled rotary tissue cutting instrument and method of fabricating the same

Abstract

The present invention is generally characterized in an angled rotary tissue cutting instrument including an outer blade assembly, having a rigid tubular member with proximal and distal portions connected by a bend, and an inner blade assembly rotatably disposed within the outer blade assembly and including a tubular drive shaft at a proximal end, a cutting tip at a distal end, and a flexible coupling disposed between the drive shaft and the cutting tip. The drive shaft and cutting tip include neck portions which are disposed telescopically within proximal and distal ends of the coupling. The flexible coupling is formed of a flexible polymeric material, and each of the neck portions includes a lateral opening defining a predetermined flow path for the polymeric material during fabrication so that the flexible polymeric coupling includes flow portions extending into the openings in the neck portions of the drive shaft and the cutting tip to form permanent, interlocking mechanical joints therewith capable of receiving and transmitting torque.

Claims25

Dependent claims

An angled rotary tissue cutting instrument comprising an outer blade assembly including a rigid tubular member having proximal and distal portions connected by a bend;

and
an inner blade assembly rotatably disposed within said outer blade assembly and including a tubular drive shaft at a proximal end, a cutting tip at a distal end, and a flexible coupling disposed between said drive shaft and said cutting tip within said bend in said outer blade assembly;
said flexible coupling including a hollow tubular member formed of a flexible polymeric material and having proximal and distal ends;
said drive shaft and cutting tip including neck portions disposed telescopically within said respective proximal and distal ends of said flexible polymeric coupling, each of said neck portions including a lateral opening defining a predetermined flow path for said polymeric material during fabrication;
and
said flexible polymeric coupling including inwardly protruding portions molded in place within said openings in said neck portions of said drive shaft and said cutting tip to form permanent, interlocking mechanical joints capable of receiving and transmitting torque.

3 more elements

A method of fabricating an angled rotary tissue cutting instrument comprising the steps of

positioning a neck portion at the proximal end of a cutting tip in the distal end of
a flexible polymeric coupling of tubular configuration;
positioning a neck portion at the distal end of a drive shaft in the proximal end of the flexible polymeric coupling;
placing a first band of shrink tubing over a proximal end of the flexible polymeric coupling;
placing a second band of shrink tubing over a distal end of the flexible polymeric coupling;
heating the shrink tubing and the flexible polymeric coupling to cause the polymeric coupling to flow and the shrink tubing to contract around the polymeric coupling such that the polymeric material flows along predetermined flow paths defined by lateral openings in the neck portions of the drive shaft and cutting tip;
and
cooling the shrink tubing and the flexible polymeric coupling so that flowed portions of the polymeric coupling harden within the openings in the neck portions to form permanent, interlocking mechanical joints therewith capable of receiving and transmitting torque as an integral inner blade assembly.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Angled rotary tissue cutting instrument and method of fabricating the same

Life of this patent

Angled rotary tissue cutting instrument and method of fabricating the same

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims25