Medical device

Abstract

The medical device, suitable for cutting and/or coagulating portions of human and animal tissues, comprises sheath means; cutting means slidingly insertable into said sheath means and defining a proximal extremity and an opposing distal extremity, said cutting means further comprising cannula means which have longitudinal passage means and administration means for administration of substances, placed on said distal extremity.

Description

Further features and advantages will become clearer from the description of one embodiment of a medical device, suitable for cutting portions of human and animal tissues, illustrated by way of non-limitative example in the attached sheets of drawings in which:

Figures from 1a to 1d are enlarged, detailed and interrupted views of a distal portion of a medical device, suitable for cutting portions of human and animal tissues, in four consecutive steps of use;

FIG. 2 is an overall view of a medical device, suitable for cutting portions of human and animal tissues;

FIG. 3 is an interrupted longitudinal-section view of an endoscope inside which the medical device of FIG. 2, in a configuration of use is inserted.

With reference to FIG. 2, 1 indicates a medical device, suitable for cutting portions or excrescences 2 of human and/or animal tissues 3.

The medical device 1 comprises a flexible external sheath 4, through which a cavity 5 extends longitudinally in which can be inserted and moved by sliding a cannula 6, which is also flexible, and which is equipped with a handle 7 to allow the cannula 6 to be maneuvered and to slide the latter inside the external sheath 4 in a controlled manner.

The cannula 6 defines a proximal extremity 6A and an opposing distal extremity 6B which ends in a tip 8.

The cannula 6 is made of a flexible metallic material, specifically a material of the kind having a memory, i.e. that has the possibility to assume a configuration and to spontaneously return to said configuration after it is temporarily modified; also the cannula 6 is axially provided with a further cavity 9, which extends, on one end, up to the tip 8 and, on the other end, up to the proximal extremity 6A making the cannula 6 completely open for the administration of substances such as, for example, anesthetizing substances.

The distal extremity 6B of the cannula 6 defines an end segment which is shaped so as to form a loop 6C, designed to be placed near the excrescence 2 to be cut.

The shape of the loop 6C is maintained elastically straightened when the cannula 6 is inserted into the cavity 5 of the sheath 4, as can be seen in FIG. 1a.

When the cannula 6 is pushed toward the excrescence 2 to be cut, as illustrated in FIGS. 1b, 1c, and 1d, the end segment of the distal extremity 6B, protruding from the sheath 4, progressively regains its shape of a loop 6C, shaped and memorized in advance by the metallic material with which the cannula 6 is made of: this material comprises, for example, Nitinol.

The proximal extremity 6A of the cannula 6 is equipped with electrodes 10 (or with a connector) that can be connected by means of their respective cables 11, to an electric current generator 12 which, when the medical device 1 is in a suitable position to begin a cut, is activated to heat the cannula 6 to a temperature that will allow it, or more precisely will allow the loop 6C, to cut an excrescence 2 that protrudes from the tissue 3. After the cut is completed, the doctor modifies the intensity of the electric current supplied by the electric current generator 12 and, by maneuvering the cannula 6 through the proximal extremity 6A, places the loop 6C, in contact with the cut blood vessels, thereby cauterizing them.

The method for cutting portions of human and/or animal tissues comprises an initial step in which the sheath 4 and the cannula 6, which is inserted in its longitudinal cavity 5, are both positioned, by means of an endoscope “EN” that was placed in advance in an endocavity where a cut is required, so that the distal extremity 6B is located near an excrescence 2, or another portion of tissue, that is to be cut.

The doctor then uses the handle 7, causing the cannula 6 to slide into the cavity 5 of the sheath 4, pushing the tip 8 out of the sheath 4 for a first, short segment, so that the cannula 6 maintains substantially straight, or with a very limited curvature, its distal extremity 6B.

By keeping temporarily stationary this configuration between the sheath 4 and the cannula 6, the doctor introduces the tip 8 into the tissue 3, in an area surrounding the excrescence 2 to be cut and injects through the further cavity 9 and the tip 8 an anesthetizing substance, connecting, for example, the proximal extremity 6A of the cannula 6 to a syringe “S” that has been previously filled with this substance: in this way, the doctor administers local anesthesia.

Subsequently the doctor slightly pulls the sheath 4 toward the proximal extremity 6A, causing it to slide along the cannula 6 and uncovering the end segment of the distal extremity 6B.

Due to the memory of the metal (Nitinol) of which the cannula 6 is made, this distal extremity spontaneously regains the shape of a loop 6C which was given in advance to the distal extremity 6B.

In a subsequent step, the doctor places the loop 6C near the excrescence 2 to be cut and activates the electric current generator 12, causing the cannula 6 to be heated up to a temperature that allows, upon placing the loop 6C in contact with the excrescence 2, the latter to be cut.

Subsequently the doctor adjusts the intensity of the current to a suitable value and, by maneuvering the cannula 6 and its loop 6C, completes the operation by coagulating and cauterizing the cut blood vessels, by means of placing the loop 6C repeatedly in contact with them.

Claims

1) Medical device, medical device, suitable for cutting and/or coagulating portions of human and animal tissues, comprising sheath means; cutting means slidingly insertable into said sheath means and defining a proximal extremity and an opposing distal extremity, characterized in that said cutting means comprises cannula means which have longitudinal passage means and administration means for administration of substances, placed on said distal extremity.

2) Medical device according to claim 1, wherein said cannula means includes: a long thin metallic body made of heatable material; shaped means partially and/or completely wrappable around said portions, located at said distal extremity; connecting means for connecting said proximal extremity to a source of heating energy.

3) Medical device according to claim 2, wherein said heatable material is a flexible metallic material.

4) Medical device according to claim 3, wherein said flexible metallic material includes Nitinol.

5) Medical device according to claim 1, wherein said longitudinal passage means comprises a conduit that passes through said long thin metallic body and that has opposing extremities defining corresponding apertures that lead, respectively, to said distal extremity (6B) and to said proximal extremity.

6) Medical device according to claim 2, wherein said shaped means comprises a distal segment of said long thin metallic body, partially curved upon itself so that to shape a loop.

7) Medical device according to claim 2, wherein said shaped means includes a distal segment of said long, thin metallic body, completely curved upon itself so that to shape a substantially closed ring.

8) Medical device according to claim 1, wherein said administration means includes a tip that extends from said distal extremity, said tip having a longitudinally passage which extends from said conduit and is designed to be introduced into a portion of tissue into which must be administered a substance.

9) Method for cutting and/or coagulating portions of human and animal tissues comprising: positioning sheath means near said portions of tissues; inserting and sliding cutting means into said sheath means for a first segment until a distal extremity of said cutting means provided with a tip, protrudes from said sheath means; heating said cutting means to activate them; cutting said portions, characterized in that after said sliding for a first segment, injecting substances into said portions through said tip of said cutting means is provided for.

10) Method according to claim 9, wherein said substances comprise anesthetizing substances.

11) Method according to claim 9, wherein said cutting means includes thin cannula means equipped with a longitudinal cavity that extends through the entire length and that forms at a distal extremity a tip equipped with an opening toward the outside and connected to said longitudinal cavity.

12) Method according to claim 9, wherein after said injecting, protruding said distal extremity of said cannula from said sheath means for a further second segment beyond said initial segment, is provided for.

13) Method according to claim 9, wherein before said inserting, shaping said distal extremity of said cutting means according to a curved shape, thereby obtaining a shaped distal extremity, is provided for.

14) Method according to claim 13, wherein said shaped distal extremity shapes a loop curved according to a substantially semicircular profile.

15) Method according to claim 13, wherein said shaped distal extremity shapes a loop curved according to a substantially circular ring profile.

16) Method according to claim 12, wherein in which after said protruding, positioning said distal extremity in contact with said portions, is provided for.