US5395312A — Surgical tool

Claim 1

Independent Claim 286 words

A handheld surgical instrument comprising: (i) a housing capable of being hand held and including a front end; (ii) a first connector formed in the housing and adapted for communicating with a source of fluid; (iii) a second connector formed in the front end of the housing; (iv) an elongated surgical tool removably attached to the second connector and including a conduit axially formed within said tool and adapted for communicating with the second connector, the conduit being based for irrigating and evacuating an interior portion of the body of a patient; (v) an elongated chamber disposed within the housing and having a distal end and a proximal end, the distal end being in communication with the second connector and the proximal end being in communication with the first connector, the chamber having at least one sidewall resiliently deflectable between a first undeflected state and a second deflected state; (vi) drive means disposed within the housing for alternatingly engaging with and disengaging from the sidewall of the chamber such that when the drive means is engaged with the sidewall the sidewall is in the second state and when the drive means is disengaged from the sidewall, the sidewall is in the first state whereby, when the source is in communication with the first connector and the conduit is in communication with the second connector, disengaging the drive means from the sidewall increases the volume of the chamber thereby drawing fluid into the chamber from the source, and engaging the drive means with the sidewal decreases the volume of the chamber thereby expelling fluid therefrom and into the conduit and the fluid is moved from the source, along the conduit to irrigate the body of the patient.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 286 words

A handheld surgical instrument comprising: (i) a housing capable of being hand held and including a front end; (ii) a first connector formed in the housing and adapted for communicating with a source of fluid; (iii) a second connector formed in the front end of the housing; (iv) an elongated surgical tool removably attached to the second connector and including a conduit axially formed within said tool and adapted for communicating with the second connector, the conduit being based for irrigating and evacuating an interior portion of the body of a patient; (v) an elongated chamber disposed within the housing and having a distal end and a proximal end, the distal end being in communication with the second connector and the proximal end being in communication with the first connector, the chamber having at least one sidewall resiliently deflectable between a first undeflected state and a second deflected state; (vi) drive means disposed within the housing for alternatingly engaging with and disengaging from the sidewall of the chamber such that when the drive means is engaged with the sidewall the sidewall is in the second state and when the drive means is disengaged from the sidewall, the sidewall is in the first state whereby, when the source is in communication with the first connector and the conduit is in communication with the second connector, disengaging the drive means from the sidewall increases the volume of the chamber thereby drawing fluid into the chamber from the source, and engaging the drive means with the sidewal decreases the volume of the chamber thereby expelling fluid therefrom and into the conduit and the fluid is moved from the source, along the conduit to irrigate the body of the patient.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 49 words

A handheld surgical instrument according to claim 1, wherein the chamber includes at least one one-way valve to ensure that the direction of fluid movement is from the chamber to the patient, said one-way valve being disposed at either said distal end or said proximal end of said chamber.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 29 words

A handheld surgical instrument according to claim 2, wherein the drive means includes a plunger restrained to reciprocate within the housing to act on the sidewall of the chamber.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 90 words

A handheld surgical instrument according to claim 3, further comprising an evacuation valve disposed in the conduit and adapted for communicating with a receiver of fluid, said evacuation valve being positionable between a first position and a second position such that in said first position fluid is blocked from said receiver and the chamber is in communication with a body cavity of the patient, and in said second position fluid is blocked from the chamber and the body cavity of the patient is in communication with said receiver of fluid.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 19 words

A handheld surgical instrument according to claim 4, wherein the conduit is a bore formed in the surgical tool.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 31 words

A handheld surgical instrument according to claim 5, wherein the housing includes a receiving bore and the chamber is defined by a cartridge which is removably retained in the receiving bore.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 52 words

A handheld surgical instrument according to claim 5, wherein the surgical tool includes an operational tip at the end of the conduit for insertion into the body of the patient and a connecting end for connection to the housing and wherein the chamber is located at the connecting end of the tool.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 27 words

A handheld surgical instrument according to claim 7, wherein the drive means further includes an electric motor which operates to reciprocate the plunger laterally within the housing.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 261 words

A handheld surgical instrument comprising: (i) a housing capable of being hand held and including a front end; (ii) an elongated surgical tool including a free end for insertion into the body of a patient and a secure end removably attached to the front end of the housing; (iii) a conduit formed within and aligned along the longitudinal axis of the surgical tool, for irrigating and evacuating an interior portion of the body of a patient; (iv) a chamber disposed within and adjacent to the secure end of the surgical tool and in communication with the conduit, the chamber having at least one resilient wall that is deflectable between a first undeflected state and a second deflected state; (v) a first connector formed in a wall of the chamber and adapted for communicating with a fluid source; (vi) drive means disposed within the housing for alternatingly engaging with and disengaging from the resilient wall of the chamber when the tool is attached to the front end, such that when the drive means is engaged with the resilient wall the resilient wall is in the second state, and when the drive means is disengaged from the resilient wall the resilient wall is in the first state; (vii) whereby disengaging the drive means from the resilient wall increases the volume of the chamber thereby drawing fluid into the chamber from the fluid Source, and engaging the drive means with the resilient wall decreases the volume of the chamber thereby expelling fluid therefrom into the conduit and into the body cavity of the patient.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 261 words

A handheld surgical instrument comprising: (i) a housing capable of being hand held and including a front end; (ii) an elongated surgical tool including a free end for insertion into the body of a patient and a secure end removably attached to the front end of the housing; (iii) a conduit formed within and aligned along the longitudinal axis of the surgical tool, for irrigating and evacuating an interior portion of the body of a patient; (iv) a chamber disposed within and adjacent to the secure end of the surgical tool and in communication with the conduit, the chamber having at least one resilient wall that is deflectable between a first undeflected state and a second deflected state; (v) a first connector formed in a wall of the chamber and adapted for communicating with a fluid source; (vi) drive means disposed within the housing for alternatingly engaging with and disengaging from the resilient wall of the chamber when the tool is attached to the front end, such that when the drive means is engaged with the resilient wall the resilient wall is in the second state, and when the drive means is disengaged from the resilient wall the resilient wall is in the first state; (vii) whereby disengaging the drive means from the resilient wall increases the volume of the chamber thereby drawing fluid into the chamber from the fluid Source, and engaging the drive means with the resilient wall decreases the volume of the chamber thereby expelling fluid therefrom into the conduit and into the body cavity of the patient.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 90 words

A handheld surgical instrument according to claim 9, further comprising an evacuation valve disposed in the conduit and adapted for communicating with a receiver of fluid, said evacuation valve being positionable between a first position and a second position such that in said first position fluid is blocked from said receiver and the chamber is in communication with a body cavity of the patient, and in said second position fluid is blocked from the chamber and the body cavity of the patient is in communication with said receiver of fluid.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 25 words

A handheld surgical instrument according to claim 10, wherein the drive means includes a plunger restrained to reciprocatingly engage the resilient wall of the chamber.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1998-03-06	1998-09-05	1999-03-07	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2002-03-06	2002-09-05	2003-03-07	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2006-03-06	2006-09-05	2007-03-07	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Surgical tool

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