U.S. patent application number 09/765949 was filed with the patent office on 2002-03-07 for surgical cutting instrument and method of use.
Invention is credited to Hogendijk, Michael.
Application Number | 20020029060 09/765949 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 22415442 |
Filed Date | 2002-03-07 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020029060 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Hogendijk, Michael |
March 7, 2002 |
Surgical cutting instrument and method of use
Abstract
A surgical cutting instrument adapted for percutaneous insertion
into a body cavity to facilitate a minimally invasive surgical
procedure. The surgical cutting instrument includes a shaft having
a proximal end, an open distal end, and an axial lumen
therebetween. An inlet opening may be fluidly coupled to the lumen
at a proximal end of the shaft, for connection to a vacuum source
for creating a suction force sufficient to retain the distal end of
the shaft adjacent to a surface of a body structure within the body
cavity. A cutting element is disposed within the lumen of the shaft
near the distal end of the shaft, and is operable to cut the body
structure without removing any substantial portion of the body
structure when the shaft is held adjacent to the surface of the
body structure.
Inventors: |
Hogendijk, Michael; (Palo
Alto, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Sanjay S. Bagade
Morrison & Foerster LLP
755 Page Mill Road
Palo Alto
CA
94304-1018
US
|
Family ID: |
22415442 |
Appl. No.: |
09/765949 |
Filed: |
January 19, 2001 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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09765949 |
Jan 19, 2001 |
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09505242 |
Feb 16, 2000 |
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09505242 |
Feb 16, 2000 |
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09124534 |
Jul 29, 1998 |
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6080175 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
606/185 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61B 17/32053 20130101;
A61B 2017/00243 20130101; A61B 17/320016 20130101; A61B 17/221
20130101; A61B 2017/1107 20130101; A61B 17/3478 20130101; A61B
2017/306 20130101; A61B 17/30 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
606/185 |
International
Class: |
A61B 017/34 |
Claims
1. A surgical cutting instrument comprising: an elongate shaft
having a proximal end, a distal end adapted for percutaneous
insertion into a body cavity within a patient, and an axial lumen
therebetween; a stabilizing element associated with said distal end
of said shaft; and a cutting element disposed within said lumen of
said shaft near said distal end; wherein said cutting element and
said shaft are relatively moveable between a first position and a
second cutting position, said cutting element being adapted to cut
a body structure within the body cavity when said cutting element
and said shaft are in said second cutting position; and wherein
said stabilizing element, upon actuation, is adapted to maintain
the body structure in a stable position adjacent said distal
end.
2. The surgical cutting instrument of claim 1, wherein said
instrument is adapted to cut the body structure without removing a
substantial portion of the body structure.
3. The surgical cutting instrument of claim 1, wherein said distal
end has an outside diameter of less than about 5 mm.
4. The surgical cutting instrument of claim 1, wherein said cutting
element comprises at least one blade which has a substantially
straight cutting edge.
5. The surgical instrument of claim 4, wherein said cutting edge is
displaced at an angle of between about 15 to 30 degrees relative to
a vertical axis through the blade.
6. The surgical cutting instrument of claim 1, wherein said cutting
element is movably disposed within said lumen of said shaft.
7. The surgical cutting instrument of claim 6, wherein said cutting
element comprises at least one blade fixed to a distal end of an
actuator push rod located within said lumen of said shaft.
8. The surgical cutting instrument of claim 7, further comprising
an actuator button coupled to said actuator push rod at a proximal
end of said rod which is operable to move said rod with respect to
said shaft to position said cutting element between said first
position and said second cutting position.
9. The surgical cutting instrument of claim 1, wherein said cutting
element comprises at least one blade which is operably coupled to a
source of ultrasonic energy.
10. The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein said stabilizing
element comprises a vacuum line fluidly coupled to said lumen of
said shaft and adapted to connect to a vacuum to effect a suction
force at said distal end.
11. The surgical cutting instrument of claim 1, wherein said body
structure is selected from the group consisting of a heart, a
coronary artery, a coronary vein, an aorta, and a peripheral
vessel.
12. The surgical cutting instrument of claim 11, wherein said
peripheral vessel is selected from the group consisting of a
saphenous vein, a radial artery, a brachial artery, a
gastroepiploic artery, and a subclavian artery.
13. The surgical cutting instrument of claim 1, wherein the body
cavity comprises a thoracic cavity.
14. The surgical cutting instrument of claim 1, further comprising
at least one electrode disposed near said distal end of said
shaft.
15. The surgical cutting instrument of claim 14, further comprising
a connector associated with said proximal end of said shaft for
electrically coupling said electrode to an electrosurgical power
supply.
16. The surgical cutting instrument of claim 1, wherein said
stabilizing element comprises a gripper assembly associated with
said distal end of said shaft and configured to grip a portion of
the body structure.
17. The surgical cutting instrument of claim 1, further comprising
a handle connected to said proximal end of said shaft and adapted
to be held by at least one hand of a user.
18. The surgical cutting instrument of claim 1, further comprising
an irrigation port fluidly coupled to said lumen near said proximal
end of said shaft, said irrigation port being connectable to a
source of irrigation fluid for clearing debris away from the body
structure.
19. The surgical cutting instrument of claim 8, further comprising
a biasing element engaging said actuator button.
20. The surgical cutting instrument of claim 19, wherein said
biasing element comprises a spring.
21. The surgical cutting instrument of claim 1, wherein said shaft
is movably disposed with respect to said cutting element.
22. The surgical cutting instrument of claim 21, further comprising
a handle disposed at said proximal end of said shaft, said shaft
being slidably mounted to said handle.
23. The surgical cutting instrument of claim 22, further comprising
an anchor fixedly connecting said cutting element to said
handle.
24. The surgical cutting instrument of claim 23, wherein said
anchor comprises a rod coaxially disposed within said shaft.
25. The surgical cutting instrument of claim 21, further comprising
an actuator member mounted to said shaft.
26. The surgical cutting instrument of claim 25, wherein said
actuator member is mounted near said proximal end of said
shaft.
27. The surgical cutting instrument of claim 25, further comprising
a biasing element engaging said actuator member.
28. The surgical cutting instrument of claim 27, wherein said
biasing element comprises a spring interposed between said actuator
member and said handle, wherein said spring biases said shaft to
said first position.
29. The surgical instrument of claim 1, further comprising an
electrode operatively coupled to said cutting element.
30. The surgical instrument of claim 5, further comprising an
electrode substantially colinearly coupled to said cutting
edge.
31. The surgical instrument of claim 10, further comprising a
control mechanism positionable to block flow between said vacuum
source and said lumen.
32. The surgical instrument of claim 31, wherein said control
mechanism comprises a slide valve.
33. The surgical instrument of claim 31, wherein said control
mechanism comprises an on/off button.
34. The surgical cutting instrument of claim 21, further comprising
a handle disposed at said proximal end of said shaft, said proximal
end of said shaft being slidably mounted within said handle.
35. The surgical cutting instrument of claim 34, further comprising
an anchor fixedly connecting said cutting element to said
handle.
36. The surgical cutting instrument of claim 35, wherein said
anchor comprises a rod coaxially disposed within said shaft.
37. The surgical cutting instrument of claim 25, further comprising
a lever mounted to said handle and movable to engage said actuator
member to move said shaft between said first position and said
second cutting position.
38. A surgical cutting instrument adapted for percutaneous
insertion into a body cavity within a patient comprising: an
elongate shaft having a proximal end, a distal end, and an axial
lumen therebetween; means for retaining the distal end of the shaft
adjacent to or near a surface of a body structure within said body
cavity; a cutting element disposed within said lumen of said shaft
near the distal end of the shaft; and an actuator member disposed
near the proximal end of the shaft which is operable to position
the cutting element in contact with said body structure for cutting
said body structure without substantially removing any portion of
said body structure when said retaining means holds said shaft
adjacent to or near said body structure.
39. The surgical cutting instrument of claim 38 wherein said shaft
is moveable between a first position and a second position and is
adapted to substantially cover the cutting element when in said
first position and to expose at least a portion of the cutting
element when in said second position.
40. The surgical cutting instrument of claim 38 wherein said
cutting element is moveable between a first position and a second
position, said shaft substantially covering said cutting element in
said first position, and at least a portion of said cutting element
extending from said distal end of said shaft in said second
position.
41. The surgical cutting instrument of claim 39, wherein said
actuator member includes an actuator body fixed to said shaft near
said proximal end of said shaft and operable to move said shaft
between said first position and said second position.
42. The surgical cutting instrument of claim 41 further including a
spring coupled to said actuator body for biasing said shaft into
said first position.
43. The surgical cutting instrument of claim 38, wherein said
retaining means comprises a vacuum source fluidly coupled to said
lumen of said shaft and operable to produce a suction force at the
distal end of the shaft which is sufficient to retain the distal
end of the shaft adjacent to or near the surface of the body
structure.
44. The surgical cutting instrument of claim 38, wherein said
retaining means includes a gripper assembly at said distal end of
said shaft which is configured to grip a portion of the body
structure to retain the body structure adjacent to said distal
end.
45. The surgical cutting instrument of claim 38, further comprising
an irrigation port fluidly coupled to said lumen near said proximal
end of said shaft.
46. A surgical cutting instrument comprising: a shaft having a
proximal end, an open distal end, and an axial lumen therebetween;
an inlet opening, fluidly coupled to said lumen at said proximal
end of said shaft, connectable to a vacuum source for creating a
suction force sufficient to retain said distal end of said shaft
adjacent a surface of a body structure within the body cavity; and
a cutting element disposed within said lumen near said distal end;
wherein said shaft is movable between a first position, in which
said shaft substantially covers said cutting element, and a second
position, in which at least a portion of said cutting element is
exposed beyond said open distal end of said shaft.
47. A surgical cutting instrument comprising: a shaft configured
for percutaneous insertion into a body cavity of a patient having a
proximal end and a distal end; a cutting element disposed near the
distal end of the shaft; a retention mechanism coupled to the shaft
which is configured to retain the distal end of the shaft adjacent
to or near a surface of a body structure within the body cavity;
and actuating means disposed near the proximal end of the shaft for
positioning the cutting element in contact with a body structure
within said body cavity for cutting said body structure when said
shaft is held adjacent to or near the body structure.
48. A method for cutting a body structure within a body cavity
without removing any substantial portion of the body structure, the
method comprising: introducing a distal end of a surgical cutting
instrument through a percutaneous opening in the body cavity;
retaining said distal end of said shaft relatively immobile with
respect to a surface of the body structure; and manipulating the
surgical instrument from outside the body cavity to position a
cutting element of said surgical cutting instrument in contact with
the body structure to cut the body structure.
49. The method of claim 48, wherein said retaining comprises
retaining said distal end in abutting engagement with the surface
of the body structure.
50. The method of claim 49 wherein said retaining comprises
applying a suction force to the surface of the body structure.
51. The method of claim 50, wherein said retaining comprises
applying a suction force through said distal end.
52. The method of claim 48 wherein said manipulating comprises
actuating an actuator body, externally of said percutaneous
opening, to move a cutting element disposed near a distal end of
the shaft from a first position to a second, cutting position.
53. The method of claim 48 wherein said manipulating comprises
actuating said shaft to move from a first position, in which said
shaft substantially covers said cutting element, to a second
position in which at least a portion of said cutting element is
exposed for cutting the body structure.
54. The method of claim 48 further comprising applying
radiofrequency energy to the body structure to facilitate making a
cut in the body structure.
55. The method of claim 54 wherein said applying radiofrequency
energy includes applying energy to an electrode disposed at or near
a distal end of the surgical cutting instrument.
56. The method of claim 48 further comprising applying ultrasonic
energy to said cutting element to effect or enhance cutting.
57. A method for endoscopically cutting a body structure within a
body cavity, the method comprising: introducing a distal end of a
surgical cutting instrument through a percutaneous opening in the
body cavity; applying a suction force to a surface of the body
structure to retain the surface of the body structure adjacent to a
distal end of the surgical cutting instrument; and positioning a
cutting element disposed near the distal end of the surgical
cutting instrument in contact with the body structure to cut the
body structure.
58. The method of claim 57, wherein said positioning comprises
actuating an actuator body externally of said percutaneous opening,
to move said cutting element from a first position to a second,
cutting position.
59. The method of claim 57, wherein said positioning comprises
moving a shaft included as a portion of said surgical cutting
instrument, from a first position in which said shaft substantially
covers said cutting element, to a second position in which at least
a portion of said cutting element is exposed for cutting the body
structure.
60. The method of claim 57, further comprising applying
radiofrequency energy to the body structure to facilitate making a
cut in the body structure.
61. The method of claim 60, wherein said applying radiofrequency
energy includes applying radiofrequency energy to an electrode
disposed at or near said distal end of said surgical cutting
instrument.
62. The method of claim 57, further comprising applying ultrasonic
energy to said cutting element.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates generally to instruments for
performing minimally invasive surgery, such as minimally invasive
cardiac bypass surgery, and more specifically to a surgical cutting
instrument adapted for percutaneous insertion into a body cavity of
a patient and useful for cutting a body structure within the body
cavity, such as a thoracic organ or an artery, vein, or other
vessel, without substantially removing any portion of the body
structure.
BACKGROUND ART
[0002] Minimally invasive surgical techniques have revolutionized
cardiac surgery. Minimally invasive cardiac surgery enjoys the
advantages of reduced morbidity, quicker recovery times, and
improved cosmesis over conventional open-chest cardiac surgery in
which the surgeon "cracks" open a patient's chest by sawing through
the breastbone or sternum. Recent advances in endoscopic
instruments and percutaneous access to a patient's thoracic cavity
have made minimally invasive surgery possible. Reduction in
morbidity, lower cost, and reduced trauma has made minimally
invasive surgery desirable.
[0003] One approach to minimally invasive cardiac surgery is an
endoscopic procedure in which access to the heart is gained through
several small openings, or ports, in the chest wall of a patient.
The endoscopic method allows surgeons to stop the heart without
cracking the chest by utilizing a series of internal catheters to
stop blood flow through the aorta and to administer cardioplegia
solution to facilitate stopping the heart. The endoscopic approach
utilizes groin cannulation to establish cardiopulmonary bypass
(CPB) which takes over the function of the heart and lungs by
circulating oxygenated blood throughout the body. After CPB is
started, an intraaortic balloon catheter that functions as an
internal aortic clamp by means of an expandable balloon at its
distal end is used to occlude blood flow in the ascending aorta
from within. A full description of an example of one preferred
endoscopic technique is found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,452,733, the
complete disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein. A
primary drawback of endoscopic cardiac surgery procedures, however,
is that such procedures do not avoid the damaging effects of CPB.
CPB has been shown to be the cause of many of the complications
that have been reported in conventional coronary artery bypass
graft (CABG) procedures, such as stroke. The period of
cardiopulmonary bypass should be minimized, if not avoided
altogether, to reduce patient morbidity.
[0004] An approach to minimally invasive cardiac surgery that
avoids CPB is minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass
grafting (MIDCAB) on a beating heart. Using this method, the heart
typically is accessed through a minithoracotomy (i.e., a 6 to 8 cm
incision in the patient's chest) which also avoids the sternal
splitting incision of conventional cardiac surgery. The anastomosis
procedure is then performed under direct vision on the beating
heart. However, there are many obstacles to precise coronary
anastomosis during MIDCAB. In particular, the constant
translational motion of the heart and bleeding from the opening in
the coronary artery hinder precise suture placement in the often
tiny coronary vessel.
[0005] In response to problems associated with the above-described
minimally invasive surgical techniques, a new surgical platform
known as the TRANSARREST.TM. platform has been developed to
minimize the cardiac motion of the beating heart. The
TRANSARREST.TM. platform employs a novel pharmaceutical approach to
stabilizing the heart. This revolutionary pharmaceutical approach
to cardiac stabilization is fully described in co-pending
provisional patent application for Compositions, Apparatus and
Methods For Facilitating Surgical Procedures, Serial No.
60/055,127, filed Aug. 8, 1997 and invented by Francis G.
Duhaylongsod, M.D, the entire contents of which are expressly
incorporated by reference herein. As described therein,
pharmaceutical compositions, devices, and methods are provided
which are useful for medical and surgical procedures which require
precise control of cardiac contraction, such as minimally invasive
CABG procedures. Generally, the TRANSARREST.TM. platform involves
the intracoronary administration of a novel drug composition which
provides for precise heart rate and rhythm control management while
maintaining the ability of the heart to be electrically paced.
Electrical pacing wires are connected to the right ventricle and/or
left ventricle and/or atria and are used to pace the heart using a
novel foot-actuated pacer control system to maintain the patient's
blood circulation during the periods in which the surgeon is
temporarily not performing the surgical procedure. Thus, for
example, in a CABG procedure, the surgeon can control the pacing of
the heart with a convenient foot pedal and can controllably stop
the heart as sutures are placed in the vessel walls. The
pharmaceutical compositions, devices and methods for drug delivery,
and systems for pacing the heart, give a surgeon complete control
of the beating heart.
[0006] The TRANSARREST.TM. procedure described above can be used to
facilitate any surgical procedure within the thoracic cavity or
other body cavity which requires intermittent stoppage of the heart
or elimination of movements caused by pulsatile blood flow, whether
access is gained to the body cavity via a partial or median
sternotomy incision, via a mini-thoracotomy incision, or via one or
more small incisions or ports in the chest wall. Ideally, the least
invasive manner in which to perform the surgical procedure is
through small incisions and/or trocar sleeves disposed in the chest
wall, which avoids the morbidity and reduces the pain and trauma
associated with open surgical procedures. However, in order to
perform the TRANSARREST.TM. surgical procedure, or any other
thoracoscopic procedure, least invasively, new highly specialized
microsurgical instruments and methodologies are required since the
minimally invasive cardiac surgery field is relatively new and
evolving. In particular, a microsurgical cutting instrument is
needed which preferably can be inserted into a body cavity
percutaneously via a small port incision, accurately manipulated
from outside the body cavity, and adapted to be used for extremely
small scale microsurgical cutting procedures within the body
cavity. Preferably, the surgical cutting tool should be adapted to
perform the fine incisions required for an arteriotomy, aortotomy,
atriotomy or other similar incision in the tiny coronary vessels,
other great vessels of the heart, or peripheral vessels, to
facilitate coronary anastomosis, for example. The instrument
preferably should be used in concert with remote viewing devices,
such as an endoscope, thoracoscope, and the like that can be
inserted through small incisions and used to view the operative
site.
[0007] Over the past decade, cutting instruments have been
developed to facilitate minimally invasive surgical techniques,
particularly in the areas of arthroscopy, laproscopy, pelviscopy,
and the like. Such procedures typically target large internal body
structures and involve both the excision and removal of large
masses of body tissue during the surgery. The cutters used for such
procedures typically employ some form of rotary or linearly
reciprocating device to cut the tissue and vacuum means to remove
the tissue from the body cavity, such as in arthroscopic joint
procedures. An example of a rotary device used for tissue excision
and removal is U.S. Pat. No. 4,203,444 to Bonnell et al. The
Bonnell device utilizes an outer tube having a side-facing, axially
extending cutting port and an internal rotary blade. A vacuum
conduit draws the tissue to be sheared into the cutting port while
the rotary blade is driven in shearing relation to the external
tube. The vacuum further draws the cut body tissue through a tube
lateral to the handle and out of a side port of the instrument for
disposal. An example of a linearly reciprocating tissue cutter for
excising and removing body tissue during surgery is found in U.S.
Pat. No. 5,527,332 to Clement. These cutting instruments, and other
similar morcellator-type instruments used for minimally invasive
arthroscopic and laproscopic procedures, lack the high degree of
precision and control necessary for microsurgical cutting
procedures on very small body structures, such as the tiny coronary
vessels, and particularly are not well suited for cutting
procedures in which it is damaging to remove any substantial
portion of the body structure.
[0008] Instruments have been developed to facilitate thoracoscopic
CABG and other minimally-invasive microsurgical cutting procedures
on small body structures within the thoracic cavity, such as the
microsurgical devices described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,501,698. The
endoscopic surgical cutting instruments described therein have an
end-effector for cutting tissue in the form of forward or
rearward-cutting scissors disposed at the distal end of an extended
shaft. The scissors are manipulated from the proximal end of the
shaft outside the body cavity to make small incisions in a target
coronary artery or other vessel or small body structure, which is
typically several inches away from the actuating mechanism at the
proximal end of the device. The drawback of such cutting devices is
that it is difficult to precisely control the cutting motion of the
distal end-effector. Because the vessel is several inches away from
the proximal end of the device, any slight movement at the proximal
end of the tool will cause the distal, cutting end of the tool to
jump or bounce, i.e., move in an exaggerated manner. Such surgical
cutting tools provide no mechanism to stabilize the distal, cutting
end of the tool to precisely control the location, depth, and
length of the cut in the target vessel or other small body
structure.
[0009] A need therefore exists for a surgical cutting instrument
and method to facilitate the performance of minimally-invasive
microsurgical procedures, and particularly, the performance of
thoracoscopic CABG and other procedures on the heart and coronary
and/or peripheral vessels. The surgical cutting instrument
preferably should be adapted to be percutaneously inserted into a
body cavity, such as the thoracic cavity, through small incisions
or trocar sleeves in the chest wall, and simply, quickly, and
precisely manipulated from outside the body cavity to make very
fine incisions in the coronary vessels (or other small body
structure) without substantially removing any portion of the
vessels. The surgical cutting instrument must have a length
sufficient to reach the heart and other thoracic organs and vessels
from various percutaneous access points. Preferably, the surgical
cutting instrument should have the capability to stabilize the
distal end of the instrument to minimize any unwanted movements of
the device during the actual cutting operation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] The above mentioned drawbacks of the prior art are overcome
by the provision of a surgical cutting instrument ideally suited
for minimally invasive surgery, and particularly to minimally
invasive CABG procedures on the heart and great vessels. Although
features of the present invention have particular utility for
minimally invasive cardiac surgery procedures, where access is
gained to the heart via small ports in the chest wall, the
instruments described herein can be advantageously used in any
other cardiac or other surgical procedures, such as conventional
open-chest procedures. According to one aspect of the present
invention, a surgical cutting instrument is provided which includes
an elongate shaft having a proximal end, a distal end adapted for
percutaneous insertion into a body cavity within a patient, and an
axial lumen therebetween. A stabilizing element is associated with
the distal end of the shaft , and a cutting element disposed within
the lumen of the shaft near the distal end. The cutting element and
the shaft are relatively moveable between a first position and a
second cutting position. The cutting element is adapted to cut a
body structure within the body cavity when the cutting element and
the shaft are in the second cutting position. The stabilizing
element, upon actuation, is adapted to maintain the body structure
in a stable position adjacent the distal end of the shaft.
[0011] Preferably, the distal end of the shaft has an outside
diameter of less than about 5 mm, and the cutting element comprises
at least one blade which has a substantially straight cutting edge.
Preferably, the cutting edge is displaced at an angle of between
about 15 to 30 degrees relative to a vertical axis through the
blade.
[0012] The cutting element may be movably disposed within the lumen
of the shaft. In this case, the cutting element is fixed to an
actuator push rod located within the lumen of the shaft, and
connected to an actuator, preferably an actuator button, at a
proximal end thereof.
[0013] Alternatively, the shaft may be movably disposed with
respect to the cutting element. In this case, the shaft is slidably
mounted to a handle of the cutting instrument. An anchor,
preferably a rigid rod coaxially disposed within the shaft, fixes
the cutting element to the handle. An actuator member mounted to
the shaft, and biased by a biasing element, preferably a spring,
may be actuated to slide the shaft between first and second
positions with respect to the cutting element.
[0014] The cutting element may include at least one blade which is
operably coupled to a source of ultrasonic energy. The stabilizing
element preferably comprises a vacuum line fluidly coupled to the
lumen of the shaft. The vacuum line is adapted to connect to a
vacuum source to effect a suction force at the distal end of the
shaft. A control mechanism is provided to selectively block flow
between the vacuum source and the lumen. The control mechanism may
include a slide valve, an on/off button, or other equivalent
mechanism for selectively closing and opening the vacuum
pathway.
[0015] Alternatively, the stabilizing element may include a gripper
assembly associated with the distal end of the shaft and configured
to grip a portion of the body structure.
[0016] Additionally or alternatively, at least one electrode may be
disposed near the distal end of the shaft to effect or enhance
cutting. An electrode may be operatively coupled to the cutting
element, preferably substantially colinearly coupled to the cutting
edge. A connector is associated with the proximal end of the shaft
for electrically coupling the electrode(s) to an electrosurgical
power supply.
[0017] An irrigation port may be fluidly coupled to the lumen of
the shaft and connectable to a source of irrigation fluid for
clearing debris away from the body structure.
[0018] According to a further aspect of the invention, a method for
cutting a body structure within a body cavity without removing any
substantial portion of the body structure is provided, which
includes percutaneously introducing a distal end of a surgical
cutting instrument through a percutaneous opening in the body
cavity; retaining the distal end relatively immobile with respect
to a surface of the body structure; and manipulating the surgical
instrument from outside the body cavity to position a cutting
element of the surgical cutting instrument in contact with the body
structure to cut the body structure.
[0019] Preferably, the retention is accomplished by applying
suction through the distal end of the instrument. The manipulation
may include actuating an actuator body, externally of the
percutaneous opening, to move a cutting element disposed near a
distal end of the shaft from a first position to a second, cutting
position. The manipulation may include actuating the shaft to move
from a first position, in which the shaft substantially covers the
cutting element, to a second position in which at least a portion
of the cutting element is exposed for cutting the body
structure.
[0020] Additionally, radiofrequency energy may be applied to the
body structure to facilitate making a cut in the body structure.
Ultrasonic energy may be applied to the cutting element to effect
or enhance cutting.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0021] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a surgical cutting
instrument constructed in accordance with the principles of the
present invention.
[0022] FIG. 2A is a sectional view of the proximal portion of the
surgical cutting instrument of FIG. 1.
[0023] FIG. 2B is a sectional view of the proximal portion of a
variation of the surgical cutting instrument of FIG. 2A, further
including an irrigation feature.
[0024] FIG. 3A is a schematic view of the distal portion of the
surgical cutting instrument of FIG. 1 showing the cutting element
in a retracted position within the shaft of the instrument.
[0025] FIG. 3B is a schematic view of the distal portion of the
surgical cutting instrument of FIG. 1 showing the cutting element
extending a short distance beyond the distal end of the shaft in a
cutting position.
[0026] FIGS. 4A-4C are side elevational views of three alternative
embodiments of the distal portion of the surgical cutting
instrument of FIG. 1.
[0027] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a patient during minimally
invasive surgery.
[0028] FIG. 6 is a side view of the patient of FIG. 5 prior to
insertion of the surgical cutting instrument into the patient's
thoracic cavity through one of the percutaneously positioned trocar
sleeves.
[0029] FIG. 7 is an illustration of a patient's heart illustrating
the use of the instrument of FIG. 1 inserted through a trocar
sleeve, and illustrating a transillumination catheter for
identifying the blockage in a coronary vessel.
[0030] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a
surgical cutting instrument.
[0031] FIG. 9 is a side cross-sectional view of the proximal
portion of the surgical cutting instrument of FIG. 8.
[0032] FIG. 10 is a schematic view of the distal portion of the
surgical cutting instrument of FIG. 8 showing the cutting element
extending a short distance beyond the distal end of the shaft after
the shaft has been moved axially over the cutting element.
[0033] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a further embodiment of a
surgical cutting instrument.
[0034] FIG. 12 is a side cross-sectional view of the proximal
portion of the surgical cutting instrument of FIG. 11.
[0035] FIG. 13 is a side cross-sectional view of the vacuum control
assembly of the surgical cutting instrument of FIG. 11.
[0036] FIG. 14A is a schematic view of the distal portion of
another embodiment of the surgical cutting instrument according to
the present invention which employs an ultrasonic transducer.
[0037] FIG. 14B is a partial perspective view of the embodiment of
FIG. 14A, which shows the proximal portion of the embodiment.
[0038] FIG. 15 is a block diagram showing an interconnection of
elements in the embodiment of FIGS. 14A-B.
[0039] FIG. 16 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the
present invention which employs a gripper.
[0040] FIG. 17 is a partial sectional view of a proximal portion of
the embodiment shown in FIG. 16.
[0041] FIG. 18 is a partial sectional view of a distal portion of
the embodiment shown in FIG. 16.
[0042] FIG. 19 is a partial sectional view of a vessel as gripped
by the grippers of the embodiment partially shown in FIG. 16.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0043] The devices and methods of the present invention for cutting
a body structure such as a blood vessel will now be described in
detail. The surgical cutting instruments and methods of the present
invention are particularly well-suited for thoracoscopic CABG
procedures, in particular for making precise arteriotomy incisions
in a diseased coronary vessel, such as a stenosed left anterior
descending artery downstream from the stenosis. Although the
present invention is particularly well-suited to minimally invasive
thoracoscopic procedures, it is to be understood that the invention
can be used in any procedure where a fine incision needs to be made
with precision and control in any internal body structure,
including conventional, open procedures, mini-thoracotomy
procedures, and pure endoscopic minimally invasive procedures. For
example, the instrument of the present invention may be used for
MIDCAB procedures on a beating heart wherein the retention
mechanism described below can be used to minimize the motion of the
heart to facilitate the cutting procedure.
[0044] A first embodiment of the surgical cutting instrument 10 of
the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 1. Surgical cutting
instrument 10 includes an outer shaft 20 having a proximal end 22,
an open distal end 24, and an axial lumen 26 between the proximal
and distal ends of the shaft 20 (see FIG. 2A). Preferably, the
distal end 24 of the shaft 20 includes a rounded or blunt cap 25
made from a clear plastic material to minimize trauma during the
introduction of the cutting instrument 10 into the body cavity and
to allow for visual confirmation of the position of the cutting
element 48 within shaft 20. Shaft 20 is integrally connected within
an axial bore 29 to a handle 30 at the proximal end 22 of the shaft
20. Handle 30 is configured to be grasped by the surgeon to allow
the surgeon to grip and support the surgical cutting instrument 10
during surgery. Shaft 20 is preferably a rigid, metal or plastic
tube having an outer diameter of between about 3 and 10 mm, and
preferably between about 3 to 5 mm, so as to fit within a trocar
sleeve percutaneously positioned in a patient's chest wall, as will
be explained in greater detail below. Shaft 20 can also be
introduced directly through a percutaneous incision in the chest.
Shaft 20 must have a sufficient length to reach a target site
within a body cavity, such as the heart, from a position outside of
the body. Typically, shaft 20 will have a length of between about
10 and 30 cm. Shaft 20 is shown in the drawings as having a
generally circular cross-sectional configuration. However, it is
within the scope of the invention for shaft 20 to have other
configurations, including, but not limited to, square, rectangular,
oval, or channel or any other cross-sectional configuration.
Additionally, shaft 20 could be curved or angled.
[0045] Referring now to FIG. 2A, a push-button actuated inner
cutting assembly 40 is shown which is movably disposed within shaft
20. Cutting assembly 40 includes a cutting element 48 in the form
of a sharpened blade located within shaft 20 at the distal end of
the shaft 20. As shown in FIG. 3A, blade 48 is shielded by rounded
cap 25 in the retracted position of the blade 48 to prevent injury
to surrounding tissues and internal body structures during
insertion of the instrument 10 into a body cavity. Blade 48 is
fixed to an actuator button 44 by a push rod 42. A spring 46 is
located within handle 30 between inner support 31 and an inner
surface 44a of button 44, to bias the actuator button 44 into the
retracted, closed configuration of FIG. 3A in which cutting element
48 is covered by the distal end of shaft 20. Actuation of button 44
by the surgeon will cause blade 48 to move axially within shaft 20
to protrude a slight distance beyond the cap 25 of the shaft 20 for
cutting a body structure, as shown in FIG. 3B and as will be
explained in greater detail below.
[0046] A vacuum control assembly 50 is mounted to the handle 30 by
threading, welding, brazing or other equivalent mounting method,
for creating a suction holding force at the distal end of the shaft
20. The handle 30 is provided with an internal vacuum lumen 52
which connects the vacuum control device 54 to the shaft lumen 26.
The vacuum control device 54 is preferably a vacuum "on/off"
mechanism, but may be any other equivalent mechanism that operates
to selectively open and close the vacuum pathway provided by
internal vacuum lumen 52. A CLIPPARD MINIMATIC.RTM. three way
poppet valve, Model No. MAV-3, Cincinnati, Ohio, is a preferred
vacuum control device for use in the vacuum control assembly, and
threadably engages with the handle 30. A vacuum hose 56 connects
the vacuum control device 54 with an external vacuum source (not
shown).
[0047] Vacuum applied from the vacuum source is then effectively
applied at the distal end of the lumen 26 via the pathway provided
by components 56, 54, 52 and 26. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2,
the application of vacuum to the distal end of the lumen 26 is
initiated by pressing "on/off" button 51 of the vacuum control
device 54, and discontinued by releasing the button. Thus, the
vacuum "on/off" button 51 is operable to connect the vacuum conduit
52 to the vacuum source to create a suction force within shaft
lumen 26 when the button 51 is actuated by the user, as will be
explained in greater detail below. The suction force created within
lumen 26 by actuation of vacuum "on/off" button 51 is sufficient to
retain a surface of the body structure, such as a blood vessel,
adjacent (e.g., in contact with or near) the distal, open end 25 of
shaft 20 to facilitate the cutting procedure.
[0048] Although one configuration of a vacuum control assembly has
been disclosed, it is to be understood that other configurations
are within the scope of the present invention. For example, a
vacuum control valve, such as a "trumpet"-type valve or slide
valve, described below in connection with the embodiment of FIGS.
11-13, or other similar valve mechanism, could be coupled to or
incorporated into handle 30 to control the pressure within shaft 20
of surgical cutting instrument 10.
[0049] The surgical cutting instrument 10 may further include an
irrigation control assembly 350 mounted to the handle 30', by
threading, welding, brazing or other equivalent mounting method, as
shown in FIG. 2B, for providing an irrigation fluid at the distal
end of the shaft 20. The handle 30' is provided with an internal
irrigation lumen 352 which connects the irrigation control device
354 to the shaft lumen 26. The irrigation control device 354 is
preferably an "on/off" mechanism, but may be any other equivalent
mechanism that operates to selectively open and close the
irrigation fluid pathway provided by internal irrigation lumen 352.
A CLIPPARD MINIMATIC.RTM. three way poppet valve, Model No. MAV-3,
Cincinnati, Ohio, is a preferred irrigation control device for use
in the irrigation control assembly, and threadably engages with the
handle 30'. An irrigation hose 356 connects the irrigation control
device 354 with an external source that provides irrigation fluid
under pressure (not shown).
[0050] Irrigation fluid applied from the external source is then
effectively applied at the distal end of the lumen 26 via the
pathway provided by components 356, 354, 352 and 26. In the
embodiment shown in FIG. 2B, the application of irrigation fluid to
the distal end of the lumen 26 is initiated by pressing "on/off"
button 351 of the irrigation control device 354, and discontinued
by releasing the button. Thus, the irrigation "on/off" button 351
is operable to connect the irrigation conduit 352 to the external
source to create a pressurized flow of irrigation fluid within
shaft lumen 26 when the button 351 is actuated by the user. The
irrigation fluid can be used to clear debris away from the body
structure to keep the operative field clear during use of the
device.
[0051] Although one configuration of an irrigation control assembly
has been disclosed, it is to be understood that other
configurations are within the scope of the present invention. For
example, an irrigation control valve, such as a "trumpet"-type
valve or slide valve, or other similar valve mechanism, could be
coupled to or incorporated into handle 30' to control the pressure
within shaft 20 of surgical cutting instrument 10.
[0052] FIGS. 4A-C show various embodiments of the distal end of the
cutting assembly 40. As shown in FIG. 4A, blade 48 preferably has a
sharpened cutting edge 47 along an inner edge thereof. To optimize
the cutting action of cutting edge 47, cutting edge 47 is
preferably angled from between about 15 and 30 degrees relative to
the vertical axis of the blade. As shown in FIG. 4B, an active
electrode 49 electrically connected to an electrosurgical power
supply (not shown), such as an RF energy power supply, can be
soldered, glued or otherwise affixed alongside the back edge of
blade 48. Active electrode 49 will facilitate making an incision in
a body structure by making a small point incision, i.e., a pilot
hole, in the body structure when activated by the energy supply. In
such a configuration, a return, ground electrode in the form of a
dispersive electrode pad (not shown) can be connected to an
external surface of the patient's body to provide an electrically
conductive path from the active electrode to the return electrode,
as would be conventional in the art of electrocautery. The pilot
hole made by the energized active electrode 49 can then be expanded
by the shearing action of cutting blade 48 to make a precise cut in
the desired body structure, such as a blood vessel 43. As
illustrated in FIG. 4C, the distal end of shaft 20 may have various
configurations to facilitate the cutting action of blade 48. For
example, as shown in FIG. 4C, the cap 25 at the distal end of shaft
20 can have a notched head configuration 21 which is configured to
pinch or squeeze the body structure into shaft 20 adjacent blade
48. The squeezing action of notched head 21 brings the desired
tissue segment into close proximity to blade 48, which can then be
plunged into the pinched tissue segment to facilitate the cutting
operation.
[0053] Although a few various configurations of the cutting element
48 and the distal end 24 of shaft 20 have been disclosed in the
drawings, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited
to the foregoing configurations. For example, the shaft 20 could be
provided with an integral gripping element, such as, for example,
that described below with regard to the embodiment shown in FIGS.
16-19. In addition, cutting element 48 can have various
configurations. For example, the cutting element can be in the form
of an ultrasonic scalpel 448, as shown in FIG. 14A.
[0054] The ultrasonic scalpel 448 is energized by a tool tip
ultrasonic transducer 450 which is electrically connected to an
ultrasonic generator 452 (shown schematically in FIG. 15) that is
external of the tool. The ultrasonic transducer 450 vibrates
(preferably longitudinally) to transmit the vibration to the
ultrasonic scalpel 448 at a controlled ultrasonic frequency. The
ultrasonic transducer 450 may include a piezoelectric crystal or a
magneto-restrictive transducer that is capable of being
electromagnetically excited. The ultrasonic transducer 450 is
electrically connected to the ultrasonic generator 452 through the
shaft 20 and handle 430. An electrical line 434 leads from handle
430 to connect with the ultrasonic generator 452 (not shown in FIG.
14B). The ultrasonic generator contains a switch (not shown) that
allows the operator to "on/off" control the application of
ultrasonic vibrations to the ultrasonic scalpel 448. Such a
configuration could allow division of tissues with low heat,
producing minimal vaporized tissue compared with the electrocautery
approach of FIG. 4B.
[0055] Although an actuator in the form of a sliding push button
(44, 44') has been described in representative embodiments, various
types of actuator mechanisms may be used to slide cutting element
48 with respect to shaft 20 and handle 30, including, for example,
a plunger mechanism, a rotatable knob that converts rotational
motion into axial motion, or a motor-driven linear actuator
mechanism.
[0056] FIGS. 5 through 7 illustrate a representative thoracoscopic
cutting procedure according to the present invention. While a
preferred method of performing a coronary artery anastomosis in a
thoracoscopic CABG procedure will be described below, it is to be
understood that the principles of the present invention may be
applied to a wide variety of surgical procedures, both
conventional, open procedures, as well as minimally invasive
procedures. After placing a patient under general anesthesia, the
patient's left lung is deflated using conventional techniques.
Multiple small percutaneous incisions are made in the chest wall
for the receipt of surgical instruments. As used herein, the term
"percutaneous" refers to any penetration through the skin of the
patient, whether in the form of a small cut, incision, hole,
cannula, trocar sleeve or the like, which is preferably made in an
interstitial space between the ribs of the patient. For example,
two small incisions are made in the chest wall 60 of a patient 62
at different interstitial positions between the patient's ribs,
while a third incision is made just below the sternum. A first
trocar 64 or other access device is inserted into the first
incision at one of the interstices and a second trocar 66 is
inserted into the second incision. A third trocar 68 is inserted
into the third incision just below the sternum. Each trocar is
conventional and includes a central conduit (not shown) for the
insertion of surgical instruments, tubes, etc. An example of a
trocar which can be used in the present invention is a
"THORACOPORT".TM. 5 mm trocar manufactured by United States
Surgical Corporation of Norwalk, Conn. Once the trocars are
installed, a conventional viewing device such as an endoscope,
thoracoscope or other viewing instrument is inserted into one of
the trocars for viewing of the operative site within the internal
thoracic cavity during the surgical procedure.
[0057] The invention will now be described in reference to making
an arteriotomy incision in a diseased right coronary artery
downstream from a blockage, or stenosis, in the artery during a
coronary anastomosis procedure. The heart is schematically
represented in FIG. 7. Very generally, the heart includes an aorta
79 which supplies blood to the major organs of the body, left and
right subclavian arteries 76 and 77, respectively, which supply
blood from the aorta to the arms and other upper portions of the
body, a left 71 and right coronary artery 72 which provide blood to
the heart itself, as well as marginal branches off of the left and
right coronary artery, such as marginal branch 78 shown with a
blockage 80. Conventional coronary bypass graft procedures first
require that a source of arterial blood be prepared for subsequent
bypass connection to the diseased artery. An arterial graft can be
used to provide a source of blood flow, or a free graft vessel can
be used and connected at the proximal end to a source of blood
flow. Preferably, the source of blood flow is any one of a number
of existing arteries that are dissected in preparation for the
bypass graft procedure. In many instances, it is preferred to use
either the left or right internal thoracic artery (not shown). In
multiple bypass situations, it may be preferable to use free graft
vessels such as the saphenous vein, gastroepiploic artery in the
abdomen, and other arteries harvested from the patient's body. If a
free graft vessel is used, the upstream end (proximal) of the
dissected vessel is connected to the aorta 79 to provide the
desired bypass blood flow, and the downstream end (distal) of the
dissected vessel will be connected to the diseased target vessel in
a distal anastomosis.
[0058] The target bypass graft vessel can be dissected and prepared
for coronary anastomosis using a conventional electrosurgical
instrument (not shown) and a viewing scope introduced through any
one of the trocars in the chest wall 60 of the patient 62 (FIGS. 5
& 6). A transillumination catheter 70 (see FIG. 7) and method
such as fully described in co-pending application Ser. No.
09/042,433 filed on Mar. 13, 1998, for "Transillumination Catheter
and Method" and invented by Francis G. Duhaylongsod, M.D. and Hugh
Narciso, Jr., which is fully incorporated by reference herein, can
be used to facilitate the process of locating and manipulating the
target bypass graft vessel to identify the vessel prior to
dissecting it.
[0059] After the bypass graft vessel has been prepared for coronary
anastomosis, the heart can be arrested and intermittently
electrically paced using the novel TRANSARREST.TM. system which is
fully described in co-pending provisional patent application Serial
No. 60/055,127, for "Compositions, Apparatus, and Methods For
Facilitating Surgical Procedures," filed on Aug. 8, 1997, and
invented by Francis G. Duhaylongsod, M.D., the entire contents of
which are fully incorporated by reference herein.
[0060] Subsequently, an arteriotomy incision is required in the
diseased vessel downstream from a blockage in the vessel to
facilitate the anastomosis procedure. As shown in FIG. 7, to
facilitate locating the blockage 80 in one of the marginal branches
78 of the right coronary artery 72 downstream from which an
arteriotomy incision is needed, the transillumination catheter 70
described above and in co-pending patent application Ser. No.
09/042,433 can be used. The transillumination catheter 70 is
percutaneously inserted into a peripheral vessel, such as a
brachial artery or a femoral artery (not shown), and advanced with
the aid of x-ray fluoroscopy or other guidance means, such as
transesophageal echocardiography, into the diseased right coronary
artery 72 and/or its marginal branch 78 to provide illumination of
the artery. Alternatively, the transillumination catheter 70 can be
placed directly in the right coronary artery 72 by a surgical
technique using surgical cutting instrument 10 introduced through a
trocar sleeve to make an insertion incision in the vessel. Once the
catheter 70 is properly positioned in the stenosed marginal branch
78 of right coronary artery 72, the lateral diffusion of light from
the distal end of the catheter will help the surgeon to identify
the location of the blockage 80. The thicker wall associated with
the diseased, calcified portion of the vessel will diminish the
amount of light that passes through the vessel to help the surgeon
locate where in the vessel to make the arteriotomy incision.
[0061] Once the proper location for making the arteriotomy incision
is found, the surgical cutting instrument 10 is used to make an
incision in the artery downstream from the stenosed region.
Preferably, the surgical cutting instrument 10 is introduced into
the thoracic cavity through one of the trocar sleeves of FIGS. 5
and 6. Alternatively, the surgical cutting instrument 10 can be
inserted directly through a percutaneous incision in the chest wall
without using a trocar sleeve or other similar introducer device.
The use of a trocar sleeve, however, is preferred to provide an
open passage into the thoracic cavity and to prevent injury to
adjacent tissues and the like during insertion of the instrument.
With the surgical cutting instrument 10 positioned adjacent the
external surface of a vessel as shown in FIG. 7, the surgeon can
push the vacuum "on/off" button 51 to create a vacuum within shaft
lumen 26. The resultant suction force created at the open, distal
end 24 of the shaft 20 will cause the vessel to be held or retained
adjacent (in contact with or near) the distal end of the shaft.
[0062] With the vessel so held by the surgical cutting instrument
10, the surgeon can then press on the actuator push button 44 to
cause cutting element 48 to move axially within shaft lumen 26
along the longitudinal dimension of the shaft. This will cause
blade 48 to protrude a short distance beyond the distal end of the
shaft 20 as shown in FIG. 3B. Blade 48 will make contact with the
wall of the target vessel and thereby make a fine cut in the wall
of the vessel. After a cut has been made in the vessel, the surgeon
can then release the vacuum "on/off" button 51 to turn off the
vacuum and release the vessel from engagement with the surgical
cutting instrument 10. Subsequent release of the actuator push
button 44 by the surgeon will cause the cutting element 48 to be
retracted back into the shaft 20. This procedure can be repeated
one or more times to make an incision of a desired depth and length
in the diseased vessel. It is to be understood that the one or more
incisions in the vessel can be made with the heart arrested or
beating. In the latter case, the suction force created at the
distal end of the shaft helps to compensate for and minimize the
movement of the target area to be incised.
[0063] After the arteriotomy incision is made in the diseased
vessel, the bypass graft vessel can be anastomosed to it at the
site of the arteriotomy incision using conventional suturing
techniques and microsurgical working instruments introduced through
the trocar sleeves. Alternatively, the coronary anastomosis
procedure can be performed using any one of the novel anastomosis
devices and methods described in co-pending patent application Ser.
Nos. 09/037,109; 09/037,113 and 09/037,216 for "Anastomosis Device
and Method", each filed on Mar. 9, 1998, the entire contents of
which are incorporated by reference herein.
[0064] FIGS. 8-10 illustrate another embodiment of a surgical
cutting instrument 100 constructed in accordance with the
principles of the present invention. The distal, cutting end
portion 124 of instrument 100 has generally the same structure as
end structure 24 of instrument 10, with the main difference being
that the cutting element 148 is stationary in this embodiment, with
the shaft 120 being configured to move in relation to cutting
element 148 upon actuation of the device. With regard to the
cutting assembly actuating mechanism located at the proximal
portion 122 (FIG. 9), the cutting assembly 140 in this embodiment
is fixed to handle 130. Specifically, the cutting element, or
blade, 148 is fixed to a rigid rod 142 at a distal end of the rod.
The rod 142 is rigidly connected to handle 130 at a proximal end of
the rod via locking pin 145.
[0065] An actuating assembly 160 is connected to shaft 120 to
position cutting element 148 in contact with a body structure to be
cut. Actuating assembly 160 includes an annular actuator body 162
which is secured about shaft 120 near the proximal portion 122 of
the shaft 120. A spring 164 biases the actuator body 162 into a
closed, retracted position of the device in which cutting element
148 is shielded by the distal end of shaft 120, as shown in FIG. 8.
A pair of slots 165 are provided within the proximal end of the
shaft 120 to enable the shaft to move back and forth within handle
130 and over rod 142. Locking pin 145 is inserted through slots 165
to movably secure the shaft 120 to handle 130.
[0066] A vacuum control assembly 150 is provided in the handle 130
to controllably connect the lumen of shaft 120 with an external
vacuum source, for creating a suction holding force at the distal
end of the shaft 120. The handle 130 is provided with an internal
vacuum lumen 159 which is connected to a vacuum source (not shown)
at the proximal end of the handle via a vacuum hose 156, and which
is fluidly coupled to shaft lumen 126 at its other end. To fluidly
couple the vacuum source to shaft lumen 126, a spring-biased vacuum
"on/off" button 151, which is preferably a slide valve or
equivalent "on/off mechanism, is located in handle 130 and
interposed between the vacuum lumen 159 and shaft lumen 126. A
spring 158 biases vacuum "on/off" button 151 into a closed, "off"
configuration, as shown in FIG. 9, for example.
[0067] When button 151 is actuated by the surgeon, a channel 152
formed in the on/off mechanism 154 is brought into alignment with
vacuum lumen 159 to fluidly connect the vacuum source to shaft
lumen 126. The resultant suction force created within lumen 126 at
the distal end of the shaft 120 is sufficient to retain a surface
of the body structure, such as a blood vessel, adjacent to (e.g.,
in contact with or near) the distal, open end 125 of shaft 120 to
facilitate the cutting procedure. Additionally, the surgical
cutting instrument 100 can further include an irrigation port
similar to that shown in FIG. 2B fluidly coupled to the shaft lumen
126 near the proximal end of the shaft 120. Alternatively, a
valving mechanism similar to on/off mechanism 154 may be employed
for control of irrigation fluids through the irrigation port. The
irrigation port can be configured to be connected to a source of
irrigation fluid for clearing debris away from the body structure
to keep the operative field clear during use of the device.
[0068] In operation of the device 100, with the surface of a body
structure retained by the distal end of shaft 120 using vacuum
control assembly 150, a user can then manipulate actuating assembly
160 to position the cutting element 148 in cutting contact with a
body structure, as shown schematically in FIG. 10. Specifically, to
expose the cutting element 148 beyond the open, distal end of shaft
120, a user, while holding handle 130, can place his or her fingers
about annular button 162 and pull the button towards the handle 130
and against the action of spring 164. This will cause the shaft 120
to move axially over rod 142 to expose the cutting element 148 a
short distance beyond the distal end of the shaft. The device can
now be used for a surgical cutting procedure similar to the
embodiment of FIGS. 1-3, for example, to make a precise incision in
a coronary vessel to facilitate a thoracoscopic anastomosis
procedure or other cardiac surgical procedure.
[0069] FIGS. 11-13 illustrate another embodiment of a surgical
cutting instrument 200 constructed in accordance with the
principles of the present invention. Again, the distal, cutting end
portion 224 of instrument 200 has generally the same structure as
the distal cutting end portion 24 of the surgical instrument 10,
with the main difference being that the cutting element 248 is
stationary in this embodiment, with the shaft 220 being configured
to move in relation to cutting element 248 upon actuation of the
device. The cutting assembly actuating mechanism located at the
proximal portion 222 of the instrument 200, however, is different.
Similar to surgical cutting instrument 100, surgical cutting
instrument 200 includes a main shaft 220. Shaft 220 is connected to
a clear cap member 225 at the distal end of the shaft which is
sized to shield blade 248 upon insertion of the device into a body
cavity, and is connected to a spring-biased annular end member 243
at the proximal end of the shaft 220. Shaft 220 is slidably coupled
to handle 230 and is configured to move in a longitudinal path
relative to handle 230 upon actuation by actuator assembly 240, as
is described below in connection with FIG. 12.
[0070] As shown in FIG. 12, actuator assembly 240 includes an
actuator lever arm 241 which is rotatably connected to handle 230
at the proximal end of actuator arm 241 via a push pin 245 provided
in the proximal portion of handle 230. A pair of actuating rods 247
are fixedly connected to lever arm 241 at the distal end of arm 241
and are located on either side of the proximal position of shaft
220. Rods 247 are configured to engage a push pin 249 which is
rigidly connected to shaft 220. Push pin 249 is adapted to slide
within a slot 244 located through the proximal portion of rod 242.
Rod 242 is connected to cutting element 248 at the distal end of
rod 242, and is fixedly press-fitted into handle 230 at the
proximal end of the rod 242. In this way, shaft 220 is axially
movable with respect to both rod 242 and cutting element 248. For
example, as the actuator arm 241 is depressed by a surgeon,
actuating rods 247 force push pin 249 to move backwards within slot
244. This will cause the shaft 220 to move axially over rod 242 to
expose the cutting element 248 a short distance beyond the distal
end of the shaft. The device can now be used for a surgical cutting
procedure similar to the embodiment of FIGS. 1-3, for example, to
make a precise incision in a coronary vessel to facilitate a
thoracoscopic anastomosis procedure or other cardiac surgical
procedure. When the lever arm 241 is released by the surgeon, a
spring 246 biases the annular end member 243 connected to the
proximal end of shaft 220 into a closed, retracted position of the
device in which cutting element 248 is shielded by the distal end
of shaft 220, as shown in FIG. 11. The device can now safely be
removed from the body cavity or positioned at another location
within the body cavity to make subsequent incisions.
[0071] Alternatively, the actuator assembly 240 can be configured
without push pin 249 and slot 244. Instead, the inner surfaces 247a
of each of rods 247 act as a camming surface which abuts surface
243a of end member 243. Thus, when a user presses on actuator arm
241, camming surfaces 247a abut surface 243a and force end member
243 along with shaft 220, backward to exposed cutting element 248
at the distal end of shaft 220.
[0072] Rod 242 is hollow and defines an inner lumen 253 which is
fluidly coupled to a vacuum lumen 252 in handle 230 to allow a
suction force to be transmitted to the distal end of shaft 220, as
will be explained hereafter. A vacuum control assembly 250 is shown
in FIGS. 12 and 13 for retaining a body structure adjacent to the
distal end of shaft 220 in operation of instrument 200. Vacuum
control assembly 250 is operably coupled to handle 230 and shaft
220 for creating a suction holding force at the distal end of the
shaft 220. The handle 230 is provided with an internal vacuum lumen
252 which is connected to a vacuum source (not shown) near the
proximal end of the handle 230 via a vacuum hose 256, and which is
fluidly coupled to axial lumen 253 in rod 242 at its other end. As
best seen in FIG. 13, to fluidly couple the vacuum source to lumen
243, a spring-biased vacuum "on/off" button 251 located in handle
230 is interposed between the vacuum lumen 252 and lumen 253. A
spring 255 biases vacuum "on/off" button 251 into a closed, "off"
configuration. In the closed, "off" configuration of vacuum button
251 shown in FIG. 13, tubular portion 257 of control device 254
substantially impedes the transmittal of a suction force generated
by the vacuum source through lumen 252.
[0073] When button 251 is actuated by the user into an open, "on"
configuration, however, a smaller diameter portion 258 of vacuum
control device 254 is brought into alignment with vacuum lumen 252
to fluidly connect the vacuum source to shaft lumen 253. The
smaller diameter portion 258 allows the suction force generated by
the vacuum source to be transmitted past portion 258 and into and
along lumen 253 in rod 242. The resultant suction force created
within lumen 253 is transmitted to the distal end of shaft 220 and
is sufficient to retain a surface of the body structure, such as a
blood vessel, adjacent to the distal end of shaft 220 to facilitate
the cutting procedure. Additionally, the surgical cutting
instrument 200 can further include an irrigation port which may be
similar in configuration to the vacuum port of the present
embodiment or to that of FIG. 2B. Also, any of the previously
described valve mechanisms may be used to control the irrigation
fluid flow through the irrigation port and ultimately, through the
lumen 253 and shaft 220. The irrigation port can be configured to
be connected to a source of irrigation fluid for clearing debris
away from the body structure to keep the operative field clear
during use of the device.
[0074] FIGS. 16-19 illustrate another embodiment of a surgical
cutting instrument 500 constructed in accordance with the
principles of the present invention. The distal, cutting end
portion 524 of instrument 500 includes gripper assembly 536. The
gripper assembly 536 preferably includes a pair of gripper elements
538 in the form of flanged armor or other gripping element sized
for grasping a body structure, such as a blood vessel, although the
invention is not to be so limited. That is, a different number of
gripper elements may be employed, e.g., three, two pair, etc.,
without departing from the inventive concept thereof.
[0075] The shaft 520 is configured to move in relation to the
handle 530 as shown in FIG. 17. A spring 546 is located within
handle 530 between inner support 531 and an inner surface 522a of a
shoulder 522 that extends from shaft 520, to bias the shaft 520
into the retracted position with respect to the handle 530, as
shown in FIG. 17. The gripper elements are spaced by a distance "d"
from one another that is greater than the inside diameter of shaft
520 when shaft 520 is in the retracted position shown in FIGS. 16
and 17. The gripper elements are fixed (FIG. 18) to an inner shaft
560 that is immovably mounted with respect to the handle 530 (FIG.
17). A gripper actuator 550 is pivotally mounted to handle 530 by
pivot mount 552. The gripper actuator includes a camming surface
554 which abuts surface 522b of shoulder 522 that is opposite
surface 522a. The gripper actuator 550 is configured so that an
operator can squeeze the gripper actuator 550 and handle 530
together to pivot the gripper actuator 550 toward the handle 530,
causing the camming surface 554 to force the shoulder 522 and hence
the shaft 520 forward to an extended position with respect to the
handle 530.
[0076] In the meantime, the distal end 520a of the shaft 520 abuts
the gripper elements 538 and forces them closer to one another so
that they can slide within the inside diameter of the shaft 520,
thus causing the gripper elements to assume a "gripping
configuration" as shown in FIG. 19. In the "gripping configuration,
the gripper elements 538 are separated by a distance "g" which is
significantly smaller than the distance "d".
[0077] In use, the instrument 500 is inserted into a body cavity
with the gripper elements 538 acting to shield the blade 548 from
accidental cutting or other damage to body tissues. Once in
position, such that gripper members locate on opposite sides of a
vessel to be operated upon, the gripper actuator is squeezed by the
operator as described above, thereby causing the gripper elements
538 to grip the vessel 43 as shown in FIG. 19. At this time, the
vessel 43 is held in a relatively immobile condition with respect
to the blade 548, at least in the location of the vessel where the
operation is intended to be performed.
[0078] The blade 548 is movably mounted with respect to the inner
shaft 560 by a mechanism very similar to that described in the
first embodiment and shown in FIG. 2B. Although the actuator button
44" is shaped somewhat differently in FIG. 17, it functions the
same as buttons 44 and 44' described above. Thus, once the gripper
members have been engaged with the tissue to be operated upon as
shown in FIG. 19, for example, the operator may then press the
actuator button 44" to extend the blade 548 and advance it into the
tissue to be cut. When the lever button 44" is released by the
operator, the spring 46 biases the blade 548 away from the tissue
and into the retracted position shown in FIG. 16. At this time, the
instrument 500 can safely be removed from the body cavity or
positioned at another location within the body cavity to make
subsequent incisions.
[0079] Although the gripper assembly 536 is designed to replace the
function of the vacuum described above, this embodiment may further
include vacuum as described above for purposes of suctioning, etc.
Further, the instrument 500 may include irrigation capability using
any of the previously described mechanisms for delivering
irrigation fluids.
[0080] It should be understood that while the above is a complete
description of the preferred embodiments of the invention, various
alternatives, modifications, and equivalents may be used. For
example, the surgical cutting instrument of the present invention
can be used to make an incision in any body structure located
within the body cavity of a patient, including, but not limited to,
a heart, a coronary artery, a coronary vein, an aorta, and any
peripheral vessel. The surgical cutting instrument can be adapted
to make an incision thoracoscopically or otherwise in any
peripheral vessel such as, for example, a saphenous vein, a radial
artery, a brachial artery, a gastroepiploic artery, and a
subclavian artery, to facilitate a coronary anastomosis procedure
and/or the surgical introduction of instruments such as drug
delivery catheters, intraluminal shunts, electrical pacing wires,
and other similar devices into these and other vessels during
surgery.
[0081] Therefore, the above description should not be taken as
limiting the scope of the invention which is defined by the
following claims.
[0082] All references cited herein are incorporated by
reference.
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