Surgical tool with sheath

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10646244-B2
Application number	US-201615054942-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 26, 2016
Priority date	Nov 3, 2010
Publication date	May 12, 2020
Grant date	May 12, 2020

Abstract

A surgical tool can include a main unit and a first rigid sheath. The main unit includes an inner tube that is received within an outer tube. The first rigid sheath removably receives the main unit and connects to the main unit via a coupling between a first connector portion of the main unit and a second connector portion of the rigid sheath. The first rigid sheath can be completely removed from the main unit when the first connector portion is decoupled from the second connector portion. A different rigid sheath having a different shape from the shape of the first rigid sheath can then be removably attached to the main unit instead of the first rigid sheath. A surgical tool kit includes a plurality of rigid sheaths having different shapes and having the ability to be removably attached to the main unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A surgical tool comprising:
a main unit including:
an inner tube having a first end and a second end, the inner tube including a cutting surface at the first end and a flexible portion located between the first end and the second end; and
an outer tube having a first end and a second end, the outer tube including a cutting window at the first end and a flexible portion located between the first end and the second end, the inner tube received within the outer tube so as to align the cutting surface of the inner tube with the cutting window of the outer tube;

a rigid sheath having a first end and a second end, the rigid sheath removably receives the main unit such that the cutting window extends beyond an opening of the first end of the rigid sheath; and
a connector including:
a first connector located directly on the outer tube adjacent to the second end of the outer tube such that the flexible portion of the outer tube is located between the first connector and the first end of the outer tube; and
a second connector that is located at the second end of the rigid sheath and has an outer diameter equal to or smaller than a central portion of the rigid sheath between the first end and the second end of the rigid sheath, the first connector when connected to the second connector detachably couples the rigid sheath to the outer tube,

wherein the main unit is configured to be completely removable from the rigid sheath when the first and second connectors are uncoupled from each other.

2. The surgical tool of claim 1 , wherein the rigid sheath is constrained against rotation relative to the outer tube when the first and second connectors are coupled to each other.

3. The surgical tool of claim 1 , further including a first tapered portion of the rigid sheath extending from the first end of the rigid sheath for a first tapered distance along the rigid sheath, the first tapered portion having a diameter smaller than a central portion of the rigid sheath.

4. The surgical tool of claim 3 , further including a second tapered portion of the rigid sheath extending from the second end of the rigid sheath for a second tapered distance along the rigid sheath, the second tapered portion having a diameter smaller than the diameter of the central portion of the rigid sheath.

5. The surgical tool of claim 4 , further including an untapered portion extending between the first tapered portion and the second tapered portion, the untapered portion having a larger diameter than the first and second tapered portions.

6. The surgical tool of claim 1 , wherein the first and second connectors are adjustably connectable to each other such that an orientation of the cutting window relative to a longitudinal axis of the rigid sheath can be radially adjusted.

7. The surgical tool of claim 1 , wherein the flexible portion of the inner tube and the flexible portion of the outer tube are radially, symmetrically bendable about a longitudinal, central axis of the surgical tool.

8. The surgical tool of claim 1 , wherein the rigid sheath is straight along an entire length of the rigid sheath.

9. The surgical tool of claim 1 , wherein the rigid sheath includes a curved portion at least near the first end of the rigid sheath.

10. The surgical tool of claim 9 , wherein an angle of the curved portion is one of 15°, 30°, 40°, 60°, 75°, and 110°.

11. The surgical tool of claim 1 , wherein the flexible portion of the inner tube is located at least near the first end of the inner tube, and the flexible portion of the outer tube is located at least near the first end of the outer tube.

12. The surgical tool of claim 1 , wherein the outer tube of the main unit cannot rotate relative to the rigid sheath when the first and second connectors are coupled to each other.

13. The surgical tool of claim 1 , wherein the cutting window extends through the opening located at the first end of the rigid sheath and the cutting window protrudes beyond the first end of the rigid sheath.

14. The surgical tool of claim 1 , wherein:
the first connector located on the outer tube adjacent to the second end of the outer tube is a protrusion; and
the second connector located at the second end of the rigid sheath includes a plurality of slots that extend in a longitudinal direction of the rigid sheath and that pass entirely through a thickness of a wall defining the rigid sheath from an inner surface of the wall to an outer surface of the wall.

15. The surgical tool of claim 1 , wherein the rigid sheath removably receives the main unit such that the first end of the rigid sheath is located between the first end of the outer tube and the flexible portion of the outer tube.

16. The surgical tool according to claim 1 , wherein the first connector and the second connector are configured to be connected by moving the rigid sheath axially over the outer tube until one of the first connector and the second connector extends through an opening in the other of the first connector and the second connector, and then rotating the rigid sheath in a circumferential direction for a distance to connect the first connector and the second connector.

17. The surgical tool according to claim 1 , wherein the first connector is directly fixed to the outer tube between the flexible portion and an outer tube hub disposed on the second end of the outer tube.

18. The surgical tool according to claim 1 , wherein the second connector is disposed within a wall of a portion of the rigid sheath.

19. The surgical tool according to claim 1 , wherein the first connector is disposed around only a portion of a circumference of the outer tube.

20. A surgical tool kit comprising:
a main unit including:
an inner tube having a first end and a second end, the inner tube including a cutting surface at the first end and a flexible portion located between the first end and the second end; and
an outer tube having a first end and a second end, the outer tube including a cutting window at the first end and a flexible portion located between the first end and the second end, the inner tube received within the outer tube so as to align the cutting surface of the inner tube with the cutting window of the outer tube;

a first rigid sheath having a first end and a second end, the first rigid sheath being configured to be removably attachable directly to the outer tube such that the cutting window extends through an opening located at the first end of the first rigid sheath and such that the cutting window protrudes beyond the first end of the first rigid sheath, the first rigid sheath including a connector that is located at the second end of the first rigid sheath and has an outer diameter equal to or smaller than a central portion of the first rigid sheath between the first end and the second end of the first rigid sheath; and
at least one additional rigid sheath having a first end and a second end, the at least one additional rigid sheath being configured to be removably attachable directly to the outer tube instead of the first rigid sheath such that the cutting window extends through an opening located at the first end of the at least one additional rigid sheath and such that the cutting window protrudes beyond the first end of the at least one additional rigid sheath,

wherein the at least one additional rigid sheath has a shape that is different from a shape of the first rigid sheath.

21. The surgical tool kit of claim 20 , wherein each of the first rigid sheath and the at least on

Assignees

• Gyrus Acmi Inc

Inventors

• Casey Jay A
• Edwards Kevin C

Classifications

• A61B17/32002 Primary

  with continuously rotating, oscillating or reciprocating cutting instruments · CPC title

• A61B2017/00464

  for use with different instruments · CPC title

• A61B17/1631

  Special drive shafts, e.g. flexible shafts (A61B17/1642, A61B17/164 take precedence) · CPC title

• A61B17/1615

  Drill bits, i.e. rotating tools extending from a handpiece to contact the worked material · CPC title

• A61B2017/00477

  Coupling (A61B2017/0046 takes precedence) · CPC title