Surgery – Means for introducing or removing material from body for... – Treating material introduced into or removed from body...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-14
2001-01-23
Coggins, Wynn Wood (Department: 3763)
Surgery
Means for introducing or removing material from body for...
Treating material introduced into or removed from body...
C604S030000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06176847
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a surgical irrigation system which utilizes a liquid flow sensor device to activate a pump or impeller to increase fluid flow from a fluid source through a handpiece to a surgical site. The invention also relates to a device which is capable of activating a pump or impeller when the device senses the start of fluid flow.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
The use of surgical irrigation systems is known in the art. Such systems typically comprise an irrigation liquid source and a handpiece which has an inlet port connected to the irrigation liquid source, and an outlet port connected to, for example, a probe extending to an operative site within a mammalian body.
In the past it has been typical that such a handpiece is provided with a hand actuable electrical switch which is electrically connected to a remotely located motor for driving a pump to start and maintain irrigation liquid flow through the handpiece. Further, it is common for such a handpiece to additionally be connected to a vacuum source for applying suction to the operative site. Thus, when used by a surgeon, the surgeon can direct the probe of the handpiece to a surgical site and, by use of an electric switch on the handpiece, selectively choose to switch either irrigation liquid or vacuum to the surgical site.
One prior art surgical irrigation system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,470,305, which issued to Arnett et al. on Nov. 28, 1995. That patent is directed to a surgical irrigation system, and particularly to an irrigation handpiece with a built in pulsing pump. The handpiece is supplied with irrigation liquid by connecting a port on the handpiece to a source of irrigation liquid, utilizing a flexible tube. The pulsing pump, which is located within the handpiece, is provided with power by connecting the handpiece to a remotely located power supply (i.e., a battery pack) by running insulated electrical conductors along the flexible tubing which is connected to the source of irrigation liquid. The pump is activated by a switch on the handpiece. But convenience and ease of manipulation are interfered with by the presence of the electrical conductors running along the tubing and the weight of the pulsing pump in the handpiece.
Another surgical irrigation system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,484,402, which issued to Saravia et al. on Jan. 16, 1996. Saravia et al. disclose a surgical irrigation system which provides the surgeon with the ability to selectively choose to supply either irrigation liquid or suction to a surgical site. The system comprises a remotely located source of irrigation liquid and a remotely located suction source (i.e., vacuum). Furthermore, the system also comprises a suction/irrigation probe assembly consisting of a hand-held handpiece having a forward protruding hollow tip for supplying either the irrigation liquid or vacuum to the surgical site. The assembly also includes a self-contained pumping unit remotely located from the handpiece to pump irrigation liquid to the handpiece, into the protruding hollow tip, and to the surgical site. The remotely located pumping unit comprises a power supply (i.e., a battery pack), which is activated by an electrical switch in the handpiece. Therefore, the self-contained pumping unit must be connected to the switch in the handpiece by running cumbersome electrical cable along the flexible tubing that connects the pumping unit to the electrical switch on the handpiece.
Although the art is replete with various other efforts to provide new, improved surgical irrigation systems, the search continues. We have now, for the first time, provided a new and improved surgical irrigation system which has much better portability, significantly lighter weight, and radically improved ease of use in the operating room.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a surgical irrigation system not requiring any cumbersome electrical connection between the handpiece and the pump. The system handpiece does not include any electrical switch for activating a motor to drive a pump to start and maintain irrigation liquid flow. Its handpiece instead utilizes only a valve for starting and stopping liquid flow in combination with a sensitive, remotely located flow sensor which, by sensing even a trickle or a minor fluid flow, hydraulically activates a remotely located pump to pump a full volumetric flow of fluid to the surgical site. The flow sensor device is remotely located, not on the manually manipulable surgical handpiece, which needs to be of light weight, highly portable and easily manipulated by the surgeon.
The flow sensor device can include a large number of alternative designs, any of which is capable of sensing fluid flow through, for example, a chamber, and once sensing fluid flow, hydraulically activating a pumping mechanism or impeller to create the requisite full volume fluid flow. Such embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description of the invention and by studying the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3042038 (1962-07-01), Beacham
patent: 3101710 (1963-08-01), Koehn
patent: 4256103 (1981-03-01), Mylrea
patent: 4648869 (1987-03-01), Bobo, Jr.
patent: 5093593 (1992-03-01), Philipp
patent: 5470305 (1995-11-01), Arnett et al.
patent: 5484402 (1996-01-01), Saravia et al.
patent: 5520652 (1996-05-01), Peterson
patent: 5810765 (1998-09-01), Oda
Millman and Halkias, Integrated Electronics, Analog and Digital Circuits and Systems, Sect. 2-6, pp. 31-32, 1972.
Braganza Austin
Humphreys, Jr. James E.
Circon Corporation
Coggins Wynn Wood
Ganz Bradley M.
Mendez Manuel
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