1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to medical devices and, more particularly, to improvements in a Power Assisted Lipoplasty (PAL) instrument.
2. Background Description
Lipoplasty is a surgical procedure in which fat is removed by first inserting a small, hollow tube, called a cannula, through one or more tiny incisions near an area to be suctioned. The cannula is connected by tubing to a vacuum. Guided by the surgeon, the suction device literally vacuums away unwanted fat.
Power Assisted Lipoplasty (PAL) is a technique for liposuction approved by the FDA in December of 1998. With Power Assisted Lipoplasty, the cannula is powered by gas or electricity. The cannula is able to power through tissue and vacuum out the fat and fibrous or scared tissue with less effort than without the power. In traditional lipoplasty, a risk of bruising, swelling and discomfort can accompany the surgery because the surgeon is required to use his/her own strength to move the cannula back and forth.
One of the issues with a Power Assisted Lipoplasty (PAL) instrument is the vibration of the suction tubing due to the reciprocation movement of the cannula. This vibration can be a cause of fatigue for the surgeon during a protracted procedure. Such fatigue is due to the fact that the surgeon grips the handpiece of the device with his or her index finger extending along the front edge of the handpiece. The index finger is very sensitive to this vibration since there are more nerve endings in this finger than in the other fingers.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a way to isolate the vibration before it gets to the handpiece therefore making the handpiece more comfortable to hold for the surgeon.
According to the invention, there is provided an energy absorption tubing between the cannula and the suction tubing connected to the vacuum. The energy absorption tubing isolates the vibration or keeps the motion away from the handpiece. In the alternative, the entire length of the suction tubing can be made of an energy absorption tubing.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a disposable package or packages containing either in combination or separately the cannula and the energy absorption tubing.
The foregoing and other objects, aspects and advantages will be better understood from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention with reference to the drawings, in which:
Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to
In use, the surgeon typically holds the handpiece 14 with his or her index finger laying along the front edge of the handpiece. Vibration from the suction tubing 16 is transmitted to the surgeon's index finger. This vibration can be the source of a certain level of fatigue for the surgeon, particularly during protracted surgical procedures.
The solution to this problem is generally illustrated in
While the invention has been described in terms of a single preferred embodiment, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
This application claims priority to provisional application Ser. No. 60/661,014 filed Mar. 14, 2005.
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
60661014 | Mar 2005 | US |