Surgery – Instruments – Cutting – puncturing or piercing
Reexamination Certificate
2001-02-02
2003-07-01
Worrell, Danny (Department: 3765)
Surgery
Instruments
Cutting, puncturing or piercing
Reexamination Certificate
active
06585745
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to improvements in surgery and, in particular, an ultrasonic surgical device and method with improved cutting and coagulation effects.
BACKGROUND
A steel scalpel makes a fine incision which damages only the tissues that are actually cut by the scalpel. However, steel scalpel incisions have no inherent coagulation effect, i.e., the cut tissues bleed until the incision is closed and natural coagulation takes place. Electrosurgical devices utilize high-frequency electrical currents to cut and coagulate tissues. Compared to steel scalpel incisions, electrosurgical incisions have a significant coagulation effect due to the heat generated in the tissues by the high-frequency electrical currents. However, electrosurgical incisions necessarily cause thermal tissue damage, specifically near and around the line of the incision. In general, this approach cannot be used in delicate areas, such as adjacent important nerves, which must remain undamaged after the surgery.
Ultrasonic frequency cutting and coagulation devices are well-known. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,086,288 (Balamuth), 3,636,943 (Balamuth), 5,324,299 (Davidson), and 5,261,922 (Hood). All of these devices utilize longitudinal ultrasonic vibrations to accomplish tissue cutting and coagulation. Longitudinal vibrations are vibrations that are substantially parallel to the long axis passing through the respective surgical handpiece and surgical tip. As illustrated, for example in
FIG. 1
, the ultrasonic vibratory motion generated in the surgical blade or tip
2
attached to the surgical handpiece
1
of these devices is substantially parallel to the long axis
3
passing through the handpiece and tip. Because these devices utilize longitudinal ultrasonic vibratory motion, the motion of the blade or tip tends to be into and out of the tissue plane, in effect poking deeper into the tissue than one might desire. As illustrated in
FIG. 2
, this occurs because, the surgical handpiece
1
and tip
2
are typically held at an angle in the range of ±45 degrees relative to a normal
8
passing through the plane of animal tissue being operated upon. (See
FIG. 2.
) The longitudinal vibratory poking causes unnecessary bleeding and does not optimally utilize the coagulation capability inherent in the ultrasonic surgical device. Coagulation generally occurs only when the vibrating surgical blade or tip contacts the tip such that the vibratory motion of the surgical blade or tip is generally parallel to the direction of the incision in the plane of the tissue being operated upon. As illustrated for example in
FIG. 3
, this occurs when the surgical handpiece
1
and tip
2
are oriented so that the long axis
3
and the blade vibration are generally parallel to the tissue plane. In effect, this occurs by laying the surgical handpiece on the tissue—a difficult surgical procedure, at best—especially when working at depth through a small incision.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved surgical device, particularly an improved ultrasonic frequency vibratory scalpel or dissection device that provides improved coagulation effects and minimizes tissue damage.
The present invention is an improved ultrasonic frequency vibrating scalpel or dissection device that increases coagulation capability and causes minimal tissue damage.
SUMMARY
The ultrasonic frequency vibrating dissecting device disclosed herein utilizes transverse vibrations to provide cutting and coagulation. An ultrasonic motor is disclosed that is able to generate and directly drive the transverse vibrations.
More specifically, the present invention includes a surgical handpiece with a surgical blade that vibrates at ultrasonic frequencies for cutting and coagulating animal tissue, the surgical handpiece and surgical blade comprising a long axis passing through the surgical handpiece and surgical blade; a most distal portion of the surgical blade that is disposed away from the surgical handpiece for contacting tissue of a patient; and the most distal portion of the surgical blade having a vibratory motion that is substantially perpendicular to the long axis.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3086288 (1963-04-01), Balamuth
patent: 3526219 (1970-09-01), Balamuth
patent: 3636943 (1972-01-01), Balamuth
patent: 4136700 (1979-01-01), Broadwin
patent: 4634420 (1987-01-01), Spinosa
patent: 5047043 (1991-09-01), Kubota et al.
patent: 5156143 (1992-10-01), Bocquet et al.
patent: 5222937 (1993-06-01), Kagawa
patent: 5261922 (1993-11-01), Hood
patent: 5324299 (1994-06-01), Davison et al.
patent: 6077285 (2000-06-01), Boukhny
patent: 6228046 (2001-05-01), Brisken
patent: 6254622 (2001-07-01), Hood
patent: 6309400 (2001-10-01), Beaupre
patent: 6328751 (2001-12-01), Beaupre
patent: 6402769 (2002-06-01), Boukhny
Sound Surgical Technologies LLC
Worrell Danny
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