This patent application relates to arthroscopic shavers and, more particularly, to arthroscopic shaver cleaning devices and methods for cleaning arthroscopic shavers.
Arthroscopic shavers are used to abrade and/or cut tissue or bone with a blade or burr (hereinafter collectively and individually referred to as “blade/burr”) attachment in arthroscopic surgeries. The blade/burr attaches to an arthroscopic shaver handle that provides mechanical motion to the blade/burr and suction to excise tissue and bone and remove loose fragments and debris. This suction pulls the excised tissue/bone into a lumen (typically 2-4 mm in diameter) while the blade/burr oscillates and cleaves. On occasion, tissue, bone, and/or other debris becomes lodged or stuck in the blade/burr lumen. If such an event occurs, the surgical assistant may remove the blade/burr from the arthroscopic shaver handle, disassemble the blade/burr, and attempt to clear the blockage in the lumen by either using a sharp instrument (such as a spinal needle) to scoop out or clear the obstruction, or by striking the blade/burr on a hard surface within the surgical sterile field to dislodge and remove the obstruction. Such clearance methods waste the valuable time of the surgical team, require disassembly of the blade/burr components, can be dangerous, and can be damaging to the arthroscopic shaver. Further, the blade/burr must be reassembled, re-attached to the arthroscopic shaver handle, and tested to determine whether the blockage has been cleared, thereby further wasting valuable time. If the blockage has not been cleared, the process must be performed again.
Therefore, there exists a need in the art for an arthroscopic shaver cleaning device and a method of cleaning an arthroscopic shaver that reduces waste of surgical team time, eliminates disassembly of the blade/burr, and provides a more certain indication of clearance of the blockage. Further, there exists a need in the art for an arthroscopic shaver cleaning device and a method of cleaning an arthroscopic shaver that provides a sterile and safer method of clearing the blockage without risk of damage to the arthroscopic shaver.
In one embodiment, a cleaning device for a blade/burr of an arthroscopic shaver is disclosed, the cleaning device comprising: a sleeve portion configured to interface with a proximal portion of the blade/burr; and a fluid connection portion operably coupled to the sleeve portion and having a fluid passageway disposed therethrough and configured to direct fluid supplied to the fluid connection portion toward the proximal portion of the blade/burr.
In another embodiment, a method of cleaning a blade/burr of an arthroscopic shaver is disclosed, the method comprising: providing an arthroscopic shaver cleaning device having a sleeve portion and a fluid connection portion; positioning a proximal portion of the blade/burr within the sleeve portion of the arthroscopic shaver cleaning device; and supplying a fluid from a fluid source through the fluid connection portion toward the proximal portion.
Other embodiments are also disclosed.
The embodiments and other features, advantages and disclosures contained herein, and the manner of attaining them, will become apparent and the present disclosure will be better understood by reference to the following description of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the present disclosure, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings, and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of this disclosure is thereby intended.
Referring now to
In the illustrated embodiment, the fluid passageway 18 is configured to direct the fluid 20 toward the end 22 of the proximal portion 14 of the blade/burr. The fluid 20 may be water, saline, or any fluid operative to flush or clean a surgical instrument as described herein, including a liquid and/or gas substance. The device 10 of an embodiment includes a fluid source 28 coupled to the fluid passageway 18. In an embodiment, the fluid source 28 is configured to pressurize the fluid 20 and/or supply the pressurized fluid 20 through the fluid passageway 18 toward the proximal portion 14 of the blade/burr. In an embodiment, the pressurized fluid source 28 is or includes a syringe. In another embodiment, the pressurized fluid source is or includes a container holding a quantity of fluid under pressure. In one or more additional embodiments, the pressurized fluid source 28 is any other volume of the fluid 20 capable of being propelled through the fluid passageway 18. In an embodiment not illustrated, the fluid 20 may be supplied via a non-pressurized fluid source, such as delivering via gravity a fluid operative to dissolve debris in the proximal portion 14 without pressure, to name one non-limiting example.
In an embodiment, the fluid source 28 is configured to pressurize the fluid 20 and/or supply the pressurized fluid 20 through the fluid passageway 18 toward the proximal portion 14 and into a blade/burr lumen 26 extending from the proximal end 22 to a distal end of the blade/burr. In such embodiments, the fluid 20 flushes, dissolves, ejects, or otherwise removes debris and/or other objects from the lumen 26 and expels them from the distal end of the lumen 26. Seeing the fluid 20 freely expelled from the distal end of the lumen 26 provides visual feedback that the obstruction has been cleared.
Referring now to a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the device 10 depicted in
In the illustrated embodiments, the fluid connection portion 16 includes a connector 32 configured to connect the fluid connection portion 16 to the pressurized fluid source 28. As best shown in the enlarged side view of the embodiment of the device 10 of
Referring to
Referring now to
In particular embodiments, the method 100 further includes sealing the arthroscopic shaver cleaning device 10 against the seal 33 at the sealing portion 30. The method 100 may further include pressurizing the fluid 20 from the fluid source 28 such that the fluid 20 is delivered to the proximal portion 14 under pressure. The method 100 may further include impinging upon the end 22 of the proximal portion 14 with the fluid 20. The method 100 may further include directing the fluid 20 through the end 22 of the lumen 26. The method 100 may further include connecting the sleeve portion 12 to the fluid source 28 with a connector 32 of the fluid connection portion 16.
It will be appreciated that the device 10 and method 100 embodiments disclosed herein assure clearing of tissue, bone, and other debris blockages during arthroscopic surgery. The device 10 and method 100 reduce waste of operating room time, such as by quickly providing pressurized fluid 20 to or against the end 22 of the lumen 26 and eliminating the need to disassemble the blade/burr. In a non-limiting example, the device 10 including a syringe to supply pressurized fluid 20 may be easily stored, retrieved, and deployed within the surgical sterile field in the event of a blockage during use of the arthroscopic shaver. Further, the device 10 and method 100 embodiments disclosed herein maintain the sterile environment of the operating room while the fluid 20 safely flushes the lumen 26 and clears the blockage without risk of damage to the blade/burr.
While the disclosure has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only certain embodiments have been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the disclosure are desired to be protected.
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