Suction dissector

Claim 2

In a hand-held surgical device having an elongated housing defining a passageway between open-ended proximal and distal end portions; a suction connecting means disposed at said proximal end portion of the housing for applying suction to the passageway; a rectangular platform disposed at the proximal end portion of said housing and distal to the suction connecting means; said platform having a substantially flat upper surface, a bottom surface, side walls depending downwardly from said upper surface and extending to the bottom surface, and forward and rearward end walls depending downwardly from said top surface through which the passageway extends; and a suction adjusting means disposed in said platform, said adjusting means comprising an opening in the upper surface of said platform, and a second passageway extending from the opening in the surface of the platform to the passageway of the elongated housing, said opening communicating with the interior of the suction housing such that the reversible occlusion of said opening proportionately adjusts the magnitude of suction within the passageway of the housing; the improvement comprising a means for controlling the bi-directional movement of a surgical instrument longitudinally along the elongated housing, said controlling means comprising: a recess in the forward upper surface of said platform adapted to receive a portion of the surgical instrument, said recess having an upper surface substantially parallel to the upper surface of the platform, a forward end adjacent the forward wall of the platform, and a downwardly depending rear wall extending from the upper surface of the platform to the upper surface of the recess; and a guide member disposed adjacent the forward end of the recess in the platform, said guide member having a passageway for allowing longitudinal movement of the surgical instrument therethrough, and a retaining means for preventing the outward deviation of said instrument from the platform.

Claim 3

The surgical device of claim 1 further comprising an elongated sheath disposed on the elongated housing, said sheath extending along a major portion of the distal end of the housing to the platform.

Claim 4

The surgical device of claim 1 wherein said housing is substantially cylindrical, and has an arcuate portion intermediate a straight distal end portion and the proximal end portion containing the platform.

Claim 5

The surgical device of claim 3 further comprising an elongated sheath disposed on the elongated housing, said sheath extending along a major portion of the distal end of the housing to the platform.

Claim 6

The surgical device of claim 4 wherein the guide member comprises a hook projecting upwardly from the forward end wall of said platform.

Claim 7

A hand-held surgical device having an elongated housing defining a passageway between open-ended proximal and distal end portions; a suction connecting means disposed at said proximal end portion of the housing for applying suction to the passageway; a rectangular platform disposed at the proximal end portion of said housing and distal to the suction connecting means; said platform having a substantially flat upper surface, a bottom surface, side walls depending downwardly from said upper surface and extending to the bottom surface, and forward and rearward end walls depending downwardly from said top surface through which the passageway extends; a suction adjusting means disposed in said platform, said adjusting means comprising an opening in the upper surface of said platform, and a second passageway extending from the opening in the surface of the platform to the passageway of the elongated housing, said opening communicating with the interior of the suction housing such that the reversible occlusion of said opening proportionately adjusts the magnitude of suction within the passageway of the housing; a surgical instrument having an elongated shaft having distal and proximal ends, a means disposed at the distal end of said shaft for performing surgical functions, and a means disposed at the proximal end of the shaft for actuating the movement of the instrument along the housing; and a means for controlling the bi-directional movement of the surgical instrument longitudinally along the elongated housing, said controling means comprising: a recess in the forward upper surface of said platform receiving a portion of the surgical instrument, said recess having an upper surface substantially parallel to the upper surface of the platform a forward end adjacent the forward wall of the platform, and a downwardly depending rear wall extending from the upper surface of the platform to the upper surface of the recess; and a guide member disposed adjacent the forward end of the recess in the platform, said guide member having a passageway allowing longitudinal movement of the surgical instrument therethrough, and a retaining means for preventing the outward deviation of said instrument from the platform.

Claim 8

A hand-held surgical device having an elongated housing defining a passageway between open-ended proximal and distal end portions; a suction connecting means disposed at said proximal end portion of the housing for applying suction to the passageway; a rectangular platform disposed at the proximal end portion of said housing and distal to the suction connecting means; said platform having a substantially flat upper surface, a bottom surface, side walls depending downwardly from said upper surface and extending to the bottom surface, and forward and rearward end walls depending downwardly from said top surface through which the passageway extends; a suction adjusting means disposed in said platform, said adjusting means comprising an opening in the upper surface of said platform, and a second passageway extending from the opening in the surface of the platform to the passageway of the elongated housing, said opening communicating with the interior of the suction housing such that the reversible occlusion of said opening proportionately adjusts the magnitude of suction within the passageway of the housing; a surgical instrument having an elongated shaft having distal and proximal ends, a means disposed at the distal end of said shaft for performing surgical functions, and a means disposed at the proximal end of the shaft for actuating the movement of the instrument along the housing; and a means for controlling the bi-directional movement of the surgical instrument longitudinally along the elongated housing, said controling means comprising: a recess in the forward upper surface of said platform receiving a portion of the surgical instrument, said recess having an upper surface substantially parallel to the upper surface of the platform a forward end adjacent the forward wall of the platform, and a downwardly depending rear wall extending from the upper surface of the platform to the upper surface of the recess; and a guide member disposed adjacent the forward end of the recess in the platform, said guide member having a passageway allowing longitudinal movement of the surgical instrument therethrough, and a retaining means for preventing the outward deviation of said instrument from the platform.

Claim 9

The surgical device of claim 6 further comprising an elongated sheath disposed on the elongated housing, said sheath extending along a major portion the distal end of the housing to the platform.

Claim 10

The surgical device of claim 7 wherein said housing is substantially cylindrical, and has an arcuate portion intermediate a straight distal end portion and the proximal end portion containing the platform.

Claim 11

The surgical device of claim 6 wherein the actuating means is rectangular and is substantially complementary to said recess; said actuating means having a substantially flat bottom surface slidably positioning the surgical instrument along said housing, and an upper surface having a plurality of detents therein.

Claim 12

The surgical device of claim 9 wherein said housing is substantially cylindrical, and has an arcuate portion intermediate a straight distal end portion and the proximal end portion containing the platform, said housing further comprising an elongated sheath disposed thereon, said sheath extending along a major portion of the distal end of the housing to the platform.

Claim 13

A surgical instrument for use in the hand-held surgical device of claim 1 wherein said instrument comprises: an elongated shaft having distal and proximal ends; a means disposed at the distal end of said shaft for performing surgical functions; and a means disposed at the proximal end of the shaft for actuating the movement of the instrument along said housing; wherein the actuating means is rectangular and has a substantially flat bottom surface for slidably positioning the proximal end of said surgical instrument along the upper surface of said recess, an upper surface having a plurality of detents threin, and having overall dimensions substantially complimentary to said recess with the provision that the actuating means may move longitudinally between the downwardly depending rear wall and the guide member of said surgical device.

Claim 14

The surgical instrument of claim 11 wherein said surgical function means is a knife blade.