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US5669876A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Method for minimally invasive tissue removal

Assignee: SDGI Holdings Inc
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Filing: 1994-10-06
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Granted: 1997-09-23
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Expires: 2014-10-06
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Abstract

Abstract A method and apparatus minimally invasive tissue removal contemplates a system including a tissue cutting tool having a motor driven cutting blade reciprocating within a percutaneously introducable cannula. In accordance with one method of the invention, the frequency of reciprocation of the cutting blade is tuned to a characteristic frequency of the target tissue to be excised, which frequency is a function of certain properties of the target tissue and the surrounding tissue. Cutting at the characteristic frequency of the target tissue not only enhances the speed and efficiency of the tissue excision, but also minimizes the risk of cutting surrounding tissue. Another aspect of the system includes feedback control of both aspiration and irrigation circuits of the system. With the feedback control, coupled with user settable inputs, the surgeon can control the system to "tease" tissue into the cutting opening to provide more manageable bite sizes of the excised tissue. Controllable valves and pressure transducers allow the operator to set and maintain the aspiration vacuum and irrigation pressure at optimum levels. In other aspects of the invention, other cutting heads, such as a rasp and a tissue morcelator, are disclosed which take advantage of the integrated feedback control system of the invention.

Inventors

  • 👤 Alan M. Schechter
  • 👤 Joseph L. Mark

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-22 22:01
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B17/00; A61B17/32; A61B17/320016; A61B17/32002; A61B18/00; A61B18/04; A61B18/12; A61B18/14; A61B18/1482; A61M; A61M1/00; A61M1/71; A61M1/77; A61B17/00234; A61B2017/00017; A61B2017/0023; A61B2017/00238; A61B2017/00261; A61B2017/00367; A61B2017/00371; A61B2017/00535; A61B2017/00544; A61F; A61F9/00; A61F9/007; A61F9/00736; A61F9/00763

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 30
Claim 1
Independent Claim 116 words
A method for excision of target tissue from the body using a cutting tool having a reciprocating motor driving a cutting blade across a cutting opening in a percutaneously introduced cannula, comprising: determining the properties of the target tissue and the surrounding tissue, the properties including the elasticity and strength of the target tissue and the surrounding tissue; determining a characteristic frequency of the target tissue and the surrounding tissue based upon the properties of the respective tissues; controlling the cutting tool motor to reciprocate the cutting blade across the cutting opening at the characteristic frequency of the target tissue to thereby cut the target tissue drawn at the cutting opening without cutting the surrounding tissue.
Claim 2
Independent Claim 116 words
A method for excision of target tissue from the body using a cutting tool having a reciprocating motor driving a cutting blade across a cutting opening in a percutaneously introduced cannula, comprising: determining the properties of the target tissue and the surrounding tissue, the properties including the elasticity and strength of the target tissue and the surrounding tissue; determining a characteristic frequency of the target tissue and the surrounding tissue based upon the properties of the respective tissues; controlling the cutting tool motor to reciprocate the cutting blade across the cutting opening at the characteristic frequency of the target tissue to thereby cut the target tissue drawn at the cutting opening without cutting the surrounding tissue.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 51 words
The method for excision of target tissue of claim 1, in which the cutting tool includes an aspiration circuit having its inlet adjacent the cutting opening, the method including the further step of providing vacuum suction to the aspiration circuit as the cutting blade cuts target tissue for removing excised tissue.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 38 words
The method of excision of target tissue of claim 2, wherein the step of providing vacuum suction includes variably controlling the vacuum in the aspiration circuit to controllably draw tissue into the cutting opening of the cutting tool.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 29 words
The method of excision of target tissue of claim 1, wherein said controlling step includes: adjusting stroke length of the cutting blade; and adjusting size of the cutting opening.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 40 words
The method of excision of target tissue of claim 1, further comprising: providing an irrigation circuit with an irrigation orifice adjacent the cutting opening; and providing pressurized fluid to the irrigation circuit to irrigate the target tissue and surrounding tissue.
Claim 7
Independent Claim 129 words
A method for excision of target tissue from the body using a cutting tool having a reciprocating motor driving a cutting blade across a cutting opening in a percutaneously introduced cannula, comprising: determining the properties of the target tissue and the surrounding tissue, the properties including the elasticity and strength of the target tissue and the surrounding tissue; determining a characteristic frequency of the target tissue and the surrounding tissue based upon the properties of the respective tissues; controlling the cutting tool motor to reciprocate the cutting blade across the cutting opening at the characteristic frequency of the target tissue to thereby cut the target tissue drawn at the cutting opening without cutting the surrounding tissue, wherein said controlling step includes adjusting the stroke length of the cutting blade.
Claim 8
Independent Claim 129 words
A method for excision of target tissue from the body using a cutting tool having a reciprocating motor driving a cutting blade across a cutting opening in a percutaneously introduced cannula, comprising: determining the properties of the target tissue and the surrounding tissue, the properties including the elasticity and strength of the target tissue and the surrounding tissue; determining a characteristic frequency of the target tissue and the surrounding tissue based upon the properties of the respective tissues; controlling the cutting tool motor to reciprocate the cutting blade across the cutting opening at the characteristic frequency of the target tissue to thereby cut the target tissue drawn at the cutting opening without cutting the surrounding tissue, wherein said controlling step includes adjusting the stroke length of the cutting blade.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 40 words
The method of excision of target tissue of claim 6, further comprising: providing an irrigation circuit with an irrigation orifice adjacent the cutting opening; and providing pressurized fluid to the irrigation circuit to irrigate the target tissue and surrounding tissue.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 42 words
The method of excision of target tissue of claim 6, further comprising: providing an aspiration circuit with an inlet adjacent the cutting opening; and providing vacuum suction to the aspiration circuit as the cutting blade cuts target tissue for removing excised tissue.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 36 words
The method of excision of target tissue of claim 8, wherein said providing vacuum suction includes variably controlling the vacuum in the aspiration circuit to controllably draw tissue into the cutting opening of the cutting tool.
Claim 12
Independent Claim 128 words
A method for excision of target tissue from the body using a cutting tool having a reciprocating motor driving a cutting blade across a cutting opening in a percutaneously introduced cannula, comprising: determining the properties of the target tissue and the surrounding tissue, the properties including the elasticity and strength of the target tissue and the surrounding tissue; determining a characteristic frequency of the target tissue and the surrounding tissue based upon the properties of the respective tissues; controlling the cutting tool motor to reciprocate the cutting blade across the cutting opening at the characteristic frequency of the target tissue to thereby cut the target tissue drawn at the cutting opening without cutting the surrounding tissue, wherein said controlling step includes the adjusting size of the cutting opening.
Claim 13
Independent Claim 128 words
A method for excision of target tissue from the body using a cutting tool having a reciprocating motor driving a cutting blade across a cutting opening in a percutaneously introduced cannula, comprising: determining the properties of the target tissue and the surrounding tissue, the properties including the elasticity and strength of the target tissue and the surrounding tissue; determining a characteristic frequency of the target tissue and the surrounding tissue based upon the properties of the respective tissues; controlling the cutting tool motor to reciprocate the cutting blade across the cutting opening at the characteristic frequency of the target tissue to thereby cut the target tissue drawn at the cutting opening without cutting the surrounding tissue, wherein said controlling step includes the adjusting size of the cutting opening.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 40 words
The method of excision of target tissue of claim 10, further comprising: providing an irrigation circuit with an irrigation orifice adjacent the cutting opening; and providing pressurized fluid to the irrigation circuit to irrigate the target tissue and surrounding tissue.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 42 words
The method of excision of target tissue of claim 10, further comprising: providing an aspiration circuit with an inlet adjacent the cutting opening; and providing vacuum suction to the aspiration circuit as the cutting blade cuts target tissue for removing excised tissue.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 36 words
The method of excision of target tissue of claim 12, wherein said providing vacuum suction includes variably controlling the vacuum in the aspiration circuit to controllably draw tissue into the cutting opening of the cutting tool.
Claim 17
Independent Claim 137 words
A method for excision of target tissue from the body using a cutting tool having a reciprocating motor driving a cutting blade across a cutting opening in a percutaneously introduced cannula, comprising: determining the properties of the target tissue and the surrounding tissue, the properties including the elasticity and strength of the target tissue and the surrounding tissue; determining a characteristic frequency of the target tissue and the surrounding tissue based upon the properties of the respective tissues; controlling the cutting tool motor to reciprocate the cutting blade across the cutting opening at the characteristic frequency of the target tissue to thereby cut the target tissue drawn at the cutting opening without cutting the surrounding tissue, wherein the cutting tool includes an electrical controller, and said controlling step is at least partially performed using the electrical controller.
Claim 18
Independent Claim 137 words
A method for excision of target tissue from the body using a cutting tool having a reciprocating motor driving a cutting blade across a cutting opening in a percutaneously introduced cannula, comprising: determining the properties of the target tissue and the surrounding tissue, the properties including the elasticity and strength of the target tissue and the surrounding tissue; determining a characteristic frequency of the target tissue and the surrounding tissue based upon the properties of the respective tissues; controlling the cutting tool motor to reciprocate the cutting blade across the cutting opening at the characteristic frequency of the target tissue to thereby cut the target tissue drawn at the cutting opening without cutting the surrounding tissue, wherein the cutting tool includes an electrical controller, and said controlling step is at least partially performed using the electrical controller.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 18 words
The method for excision of target tissue of claim 14, wherein said electrical controller includes a foot pedal.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 29 words
The method of excision of target tissue of claim 14, wherein said controlling step includes: adjusting stroke length of the cutting blade; and adjusting size of the cutting opening.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 40 words
The method of excision of target tissue of claim 14, further comprising: providing an irrigation circuit with an irrigation orifice adjacent the cutting opening; and providing pressurized fluid to the irrigation circuit to irrigate the target tissue and surrounding tissue.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim 42 words
The method of excision of target tissue of claim 14, further comprising: providing an aspiration circuit with an inlet adjacent the cutting opening; and providing vacuum suction to the aspiration circuit as the cutting blade cuts target tissue for removing excised tissue.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim 36 words
The method of excision of target tissue of claim 18, wherein said providing vacuum suction includes variably controlling the vacuum in the aspiration circuit to controllably draw tissue into the cutting opening of the cutting tool.
Claim 24
Independent Claim 123 words
A method for excision of target tissue from the body, in which the target tissue has a characteristic cutting frequency that is different from the characteristic cutting frequencies of surrounding tissues, the method comprising the steps of: providing a cutting tool having a reciprocating motor driving a cutting blade within a cannula sized for percutaneous introduction, the cannula defining a cutting opening across which the cutting blade reciprocates; introducing the cannula into the patient with the cutting opening adjacent the target tissue; and controlling the reciprocating motor of the cutting tool to reciprocate the cutting blade across the cutting opening at the characteristic frequency of the target tissue to thereby cut the tissue drawn into the cutting opening without cutting the surrounding tissue.
Claim 25
Independent Claim 123 words
A method for excision of target tissue from the body, in which the target tissue has a characteristic cutting frequency that is different from the characteristic cutting frequencies of surrounding tissues, the method comprising the steps of: providing a cutting tool having a reciprocating motor driving a cutting blade within a cannula sized for percutaneous introduction, the cannula defining a cutting opening across which the cutting blade reciprocates; introducing the cannula into the patient with the cutting opening adjacent the target tissue; and controlling the reciprocating motor of the cutting tool to reciprocate the cutting blade across the cutting opening at the characteristic frequency of the target tissue to thereby cut the tissue drawn into the cutting opening without cutting the surrounding tissue.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim 22 words
The method of excision of target tissue of claim 20, wherein said controlling step includes adjusting stroke length of the cutting blade.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim 21 words
The method of excision of target tissue of claim 20, wherein said controlling step includes adjusting size of the cutting opening.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim 39 words
The method of excision of target tissue of claim 20, further comprising: providing an irrigation circuit with an irrigation orifice adjacent the cutting-opening; and providing pressurized fluid to the irrigation circuit to irrigate the target tissue and surrounding tissue.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim 42 words
The method of excision of target tissue of claim 20, further comprising: providing an aspiration circuit with an inlet adjacent the cutting opening; and providing vacuum suction to the aspiration circuit as the cutting blade cuts target tissue for removing excised tissue.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim 36 words
The method of excision of target tissue of claim 24, wherein said providing vacuum suction includes variably controlling the vacuum in the aspiration circuit to controllably draw tissue into the cutting opening of the cutting tool.

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 2000-09-22 2001-03-24 2001-09-23 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2004-09-22 2005-03-24 2005-09-23 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2008-09-22 2009-03-24 2009-09-23 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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