US20040102772A1 — Apparatus and method for minimally invasive surge…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 71 words

1 . A surgical instrument comprising: a tube having a distal end and a proximal end, said distal end including a cutting edge; and a shaft within said tube, said shaft having a distal end and a proximal end, said distal end of said shaft including a blade, one of said shaft and said tube being rotatable with respect to the other such that said blade cooperates with said cutting edge.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 71 words

1 . A surgical instrument comprising: a tube having a distal end and a proximal end, said distal end including a cutting edge; and a shaft within said tube, said shaft having a distal end and a proximal end, said distal end of said shaft including a blade, one of said shaft and said tube being rotatable with respect to the other such that said blade cooperates with said cutting edge.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 15 words

2 . The instrument of claim 1 wherein said shaft is coaxial with said tube.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 14 words

3 . The instrument of claim 2 wherein said shaft has an inner lumen.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 23 words

4 . The instrument of claim 2 wherein said shaft has an inner lumen such that an imaging device may be inserted therein.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 24 words

5 . The instrument of claim 2 wherein said shaft has an inner lumen such that a separate surgical instrument may be inserted therein.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 26 words

6 . The instrument of claim 1 wherein said tube has a first axis and said shaft has a second axis displaced from said first axis.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 22 words

7 . The instrument of claim 1 wherein one of said cutting edge and said blade is adapted to be electrically energized.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 21 words

8 . The instrument of claim 1 wherein both said cutting edge and said blade are adapted to be electrically energized.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 67 words

9 . The instrument of claim 1 further comprising an outer electrode on a surface of said tube, said outer electrode being adjacent said cutting edge, and an inner electrode on a surface of said blade, wherein said blade and said cutting edge mechanically cooperate to cut body tissue, and said inner electrode cooperates with said outer electrode to provide electrocautery of the body tissue being cut.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 25 words

10 . The instrument of claim 1 wherein said tube is fixedly attached to a handle and said shaft is rotatable relative to said tube.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 25 words

11 . The instrument of claim 1 wherein said shaft is fixedly attached to a handle and said tube is rotatable relative to said shaft.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 16 words

12 . The instrument of claim 1 wherein said shaft and said tube are both rotatable.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 34 words

13 . The instrument of claim 1 wherein said blade has an elongated portion having two opposing surfaces and a cutting edge between said opposing surfaces, said opposing surfaces having an insulating layer thereon.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 15 words

14 . The instrument of claim 1 wherein said blade includes a serrated cutting edge.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 16 words

15 . The instrument of claim 1 wherein said cutting edge on said tube is serrated.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 88 words

16 . A surgical instrument comprising: a tube having a distal end and a proximal end, said distal end including an outer cutting edge; and a tubular shaft within said tube and coaxial with said tube, said shaft having a distal end, a proximal end, and a blade extending longitudinally from said distal end, said blade including an inner cutting edge, wherein said tube and said tubular shaft are rotatable about a common axis such that said inner cutting edge is operatively associated with said outer cutting edge.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 88 words

16 . A surgical instrument comprising: a tube having a distal end and a proximal end, said distal end including an outer cutting edge; and a tubular shaft within said tube and coaxial with said tube, said shaft having a distal end, a proximal end, and a blade extending longitudinally from said distal end, said blade including an inner cutting edge, wherein said tube and said tubular shaft are rotatable about a common axis such that said inner cutting edge is operatively associated with said outer cutting edge.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 25 words

17 . The instrument of claim 16 wherein at least one of said blade and said outer cutting edge is adapted to be electrically energized.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 69 words

18 . The instrument of claim 16 further comprising an outer electrode on a surface of said tube, said outer electrode being adjacent said outer cutting edge, and an inner electrode on a surface of said blade, wherein said blade and said outer cutting edge mechanically cooperate to cut body tissue, and said inner electrode cooperates with said outer electrode to provide electrocautery of the body tissue being cut.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 21 words

19 . The instrument of claim 16 wherein one of said outer cutting edge and said inner cutting edge is serrated.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 41 words

20 . The instrument of claim 16 wherein said distal end of said tube includes a first outer cutting edge and a second outer cutting edge and said blade includes a first inner cutting edge and a second inner cutting edge.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 35 words

21 . The instrument of claim 20 wherein at least one of said first outer cutting edge, said second outer cutting edge, said first inner cutting edge, and said second inner cutting edge is serrated.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 24 words

22 . The instrument of claim 16 further comprising a handle operatively associated with said proximal ends of said tube and said tubular shaft.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 26 words

23 . The instrument of claim 22 wherein said handle includes a tube controller coupled to said tube and a shaft controller coupled to said shaft.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 39 words

24 . The instrument of claim 23 wherein said handle includes an elongated grip, said tube controller includes a first ring rotatably mounted on said grip, and said shaft controller includes a second ring rotatably mounted on said grip.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 17 words

25 . The instrument of claim 16 wherein said shaft is tubular and defines an inner lumen.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 20 words

26 . The instrument of claim 25 wherein said inner lumen is configured to receive an imaging device inserted therein.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 21 words

27 . The instrument of claim 25 wherein said inner lumen is configured to receive a separate surgical instrument inserted therein.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 111 words

28 . A surgical instrument comprising: a handle; a tube extending from and coupled to said handle, said tube having a distal end and a cutting edge at said distal end, said tube having a proximal end associated with said handle; and a tubular shaft defining a lumen coaxial with said tube, said shaft rotatably disposed within said tube, said shaft having a proximal end adjacent said handle and a distal end adjacent said distal end of said tube, said shaft having a cutting edge at its distal end, wherein one of said cutting edge on said shaft and said cutting edge on said tube is adapted to be electrically energized.

Claim 31

Dependent Claim 111 words

28 . A surgical instrument comprising: a handle; a tube extending from and coupled to said handle, said tube having a distal end and a cutting edge at said distal end, said tube having a proximal end associated with said handle; and a tubular shaft defining a lumen coaxial with said tube, said shaft rotatably disposed within said tube, said shaft having a proximal end adjacent said handle and a distal end adjacent said distal end of said tube, said shaft having a cutting edge at its distal end, wherein one of said cutting edge on said shaft and said cutting edge on said tube is adapted to be electrically energized.

Claim 32

Dependent Claim 41 words

29 . The instrument of claim 28 wherein said handle defines an opening in communication with said lumen of said tubular shaft wherein said opening and said lumen provide access through the instrument to said distal end of said tubular shaft.

Claim 33

Dependent Claim 16 words

30 . The instrument of claim 29 further comprising an auxiliary instrument inserted through said opening.

Claim 34

Dependent Claim 30 words

31 . The instrument of claim 27 wherein said auxiliary instrument is selected from the group consisting of a suction cannula, an irrigation cannula, an imaging device, and a sensor.

Claim 35

Dependent Claim 22 words

32 . The instrument of claim 28 wherein said cutting edge on said tube extends at an angle away from said tube.

Claim 36

Dependent Claim 22 words

33 . The instrument of claim 28 wherein said cutting edge on said shaft extends at an angle away from said tube.

Claim 37

Dependent Claim 52 words

34 . The instrument of claim 28 wherein said distal end of said tube includes a first scoop and said distal end of said shaft includes a second scoop such that said first and second scoops are operatively associated to collect a biopsy sample when said shaft is rotated within said tube.

Claim 38

Dependent Claim 15 words

35 . The instrument of claim 28 wherein said tube and said shaft are telescoping.

Claim 39

Dependent Claim 15 words

36 . The instrument of claim 28 wherein said tube and said shaft are bendable.

Claim 40

Dependent Claim 88 words

37 . A surgical instrument comprising: a handle; a tube having a distal end and an outer blade extending from said distal end, said tube having a proximal end associated with said handle; and a shaft disposed within said tube, said shaft having a distal end adjacent said distal end of said tube, said shaft having an inner blade extending from said distal end, said shaft having a proximal end extending into said handle, wherein said inner blade and said outer blade are adapted to be electrically energized.

Claim 41

Dependent Claim 88 words

37 . A surgical instrument comprising: a handle; a tube having a distal end and an outer blade extending from said distal end, said tube having a proximal end associated with said handle; and a shaft disposed within said tube, said shaft having a distal end adjacent said distal end of said tube, said shaft having an inner blade extending from said distal end, said shaft having a proximal end extending into said handle, wherein said inner blade and said outer blade are adapted to be electrically energized.

Claim 42

Dependent Claim 29 words

38 . The instrument of claim 37 wherein said tube has a first longitudinal axis and said shaft has a second longitudinal axis displaced from said first longitudinal axis.

Claim 43

Dependent Claim 30 words

39 . The instrument of claim 38 wherein said tube is fixedly attached to said handle and said shaft is revolvable about said first longitudinal axis relative to said tube.

Claim 44

Dependent Claim 30 words

40 . The instrument of claim 38 wherein said shaft is fixedly attached to said handle and said tube is rotatable about said first longitudinal axis relative to said shaft.

Claim 45

Dependent Claim 35 words

41 . The instrument of claim 36 wherein said shaft is revolvable about said first longitudinal axis relative to said tube, and said tube is rotatable about said first longitudinal axis relative to said shaft.

Claim 46

Dependent Claim 130 words

42 . A method for cutting body tissue, the method comprising: inserting a surgical instrument comprising a tube having a distal end, a proximal end, a longitudinal axis between said distal and proximal ends, and a cutting edge at said distal end of said tube, said instrument further including a shaft having a distal end, a proximal end, and a blade at said distal end of said shaft, said shaft being rotatably disposed within said tube such that said cutting edge and said blade are rotatably engageable; aligning the body tissue to be cut between said cutting edge and said blade; and rotating at least one of said tube and said shaft about said longitudinal axis such that said cutting edge and said blade engage to cut the body tissue.

Claim 47

Dependent Claim 130 words

42 . A method for cutting body tissue, the method comprising: inserting a surgical instrument comprising a tube having a distal end, a proximal end, a longitudinal axis between said distal and proximal ends, and a cutting edge at said distal end of said tube, said instrument further including a shaft having a distal end, a proximal end, and a blade at said distal end of said shaft, said shaft being rotatably disposed within said tube such that said cutting edge and said blade are rotatably engageable; aligning the body tissue to be cut between said cutting edge and said blade; and rotating at least one of said tube and said shaft about said longitudinal axis such that said cutting edge and said blade engage to cut the body tissue.

Claim 48

Dependent Claim 27 words

43 . The method of claim 42 further comprising electrically energizing at least one of said cutting edge and said blade wherein the body tissue is cauterized.

Apparatus and method for minimally invasive surgery using rotational cutting tool

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