Powered surgical handpiece with precision suction control

A surgical handpiece for actuation of a cutting accessory attached to said handpiece, said handpiece comprising:

• a housing, said housing formed to define a suction bore that extends from the cutting accessory and a suction passage;
• a power generating unit disposed in said housing for actuating the cutting accessory;
• a valve assembly, said valve assembly including:
• a valve chamber defined by said housing between the suction bore and the suction passage;
• and
• a valve rotatably mounted in the valve chamber and including a movable control member disposed outside of said housing, said valve comprising a valve stem formed from rigid material and further shaped to have a stem bore that extends therethrough, and a valve barrel formed of flexible material and having a portion which extends through the stem bore so as to define a valve bore that extends through said valve barrel with first and second non-circular valve bore openings at the opposite ends of said valve bore, wherein the first valve bore opening is selectively placed in registration with the suction bore and the second valve bore opening is placed in registration with the suction passage as the valve is rotated from a closed state to a fully open state, the first valve bore opening being shaped to have a first narrow width section that is first placed in registration with the suction bore during the rotation of the valve from the closed state to the fully open state and a second, wide width section that is placed in registration with the suction bore as said valve is further rotated toward the fully open state, the second valve bore opening being shaped to have a first narrow width section that is first placed in registration with the suction passage during the rotation of the valve from the closed state to the fully open state and a second, wide width section that is placed in registration with the suction passage as the valve is further rotated toward the fully open state.

A surgical handpiece for actuation of a cutting accessory attached to said handpiece, said handpiece comprising:

• a housing, said housing being formed to define a suction bore that extends from the cutting accessory and a valve chamber that intersects the suction bore;
• a power generating unit disposed in said housing for actuating the cutting accessory;
• a valve assembly, said valve assembly including:
• a valve stem formed from rigid material and moveably mounted in the valve chamber, said valve stem being formed to define a stem bore that extends through said valve stem;
• a valve barrel comprising flexible material and having a portion disposed within the stem bore so as to define a valve bore, said valve bore having a non-circular valve opening that is selectively placed in registration with the suction bore, said valve opening having a first section with a first cross sectional width and a second section contiguous with the first section and having a second cross sectional width that is greater than the first cross sectional width, such that when said valve stem is moved from a closed position to an open position, the first section of the valve opening moves into registration with the suction bore before the second section of the valve opening moves into registration with the suction bore;
• and
• a moveable control member connected to said valve stem that is located outside of said housing for manually establishing the position of said valve stem.

A surgical handpiece for actuation of a cutting accessory attached to said cutting accessory, said handpiece comprising:

• a housing, said housing shaped to have a suction bore that extends from the cutting accessory and a valve chamber that intersects the suction bore;
• a power generating unit disposed in said housing for actuating the cutting accessory;
• and
• a valve assembly, said valve assembly including:
• a valve stem rotatably mounted in the valve chamber, said valve stem being formed from rigid material and being shaped to have an outer surface and a valve stem bore that extends through said valve stem;
• a valve barrel located around the outer surface of said valve stem, said valve barrel being shaped to define a first rib that extends circumferentially around said valve stem, and second and third ribs that extend around opposed openings of a valve bore, said first, second and third ribs being dimensioned to abut surfaces of said housing that define the valve chamber;
• and
• a lever attached to said valve stem that is located outside of said housing.

A surgical handpiece for actuation of a cutting accessory attached to said handpiece, said handpiece comprising:

• a housing formed to define a suction bore that extends from the cutting accessory and a valve chamber that intersects the suction bore, the valve chamber being a closed-ended bore;
• a power generating unit disposed in said housing configured to actuate the cutting accessory;
• a valve assembly, said valve assembly including:
• a valve body that is rotatably fitted in the valve chamber and defined by a stem and a lever integral with said stem, the stem being shaped to define a through bore that is selectively placed in registration with the suction bore, said valve body being formed with a first hole that is directed towards said housing and a second hole having a portion that intersects the first hole;
• and
• a first pin that is slidably fitted in the first hole and the portion of the second hole that intersects the first hole, and a second pin that is removably fitted in the second hole, wherein said second pin is dimensioned so that said second pin seats in the portion of the second hole in which said first pin can slide, and said first pin is dimensioned so that when said second pin is disposed in the portion of said second hole in which said first pin can slide, said first pin is blocked from sliding in the second hole and extends out of said first hole and engages a surface of said housing.