The field of this invention is related to instrumentation and devices for surgery and especially, interventional, cardiovascular, general or peripheral vascular surgery.
During surgical procedures such as placement of a ventricular assist device, blood vessel anastomosis, aortotomy, gastrotomy, enterotomy, or access to other hollow organs and vessels, it is useful to have a specialized tool to create a circular opening or fenestration in the wall of the vessel or organ. Punches have been developed for use in surgery that create such fenestrations. Examples of the prior art include U.S. Pat. No. 3,776,237 to Hill, U.S. Pat. No. 3,949,747 to Hevesy, U.S. Pat. No. 4,018,228 to Goosen, U.S. Pat. No. 4,122,855 to Tezel, U.S. Pat. No. 4,216,776 to Downie et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,129,913 to Ruppert, U.S. Pat. No. 5,403,338 to Milo, U.S. Pat. No. 5,868,711 to Kramer et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,827,316 to Young et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,910,153 to Mayenberger, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,972,014 to Nevins. More recent patents include U.S. Pat. No. 6,033,419 to Hamblin, Jr. et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,080,173 to Williamson IV et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,080,176 to Young, U.S. Pat. No. 6,176,867 to Wright, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,187,022 to Alexander Jr. et al.
Problems with the current punches or coring devices occur both when the punch is positioned and actuated. With current systems, the cutting occurs by application of manual force by the surgeon. By requiring manual force to punch the hole in the organ or vessel wall without an adequate point of reference, the surgeon is not able to ascertain that the hole will be created along the correct path and at the selected location, prior to actually punching the hole. In addition, the current punches operate by means of a die without opposing back-up-plate cutting members. Examples of current punch mechanisms are similar to scissors where the cutting blade passes by an opposing brace or other cutting blade. These systems all create sub-optimal openings and leave ragged tissue edges.
New devices and methods are needed which facilitate creation of a hole in the hollow organ or vessel and allow confirmation of proper location, orientation, and coring path prior to actual creation of the hole in the hollow organ or vessel wall. In addition, devices are needed to make more precise, cleaner holes in the tissue. Such cleaner holes allow for more precise surgery, more controlled placement of anastomoses, more control over surgically created geometry, reduced blood loss and resultant improved patient outcome.
This invention relates to a trephine, coring tool, or punch for creating a hole or stoma at a precise, desired location in a hollow organ or body vessel. The present invention is a cutting surface or edge that is opposed by an anvil to create a clean cut. The anvil comprises a tapered nose to facilitate penetration into the organ or vessel once a preliminary incision has been performed. The cutting surface or edge is spring loaded to perform the actual cutting under pre-assigned force. The system allows for location reference by allowing the punch to rest, under spring, or otherwise generated, force, against the tissue to be cut while final alignment is completed, thus allowing a more accurate cut. The system further provides for rotation of the cutting surface or edge as it approaches the anvil. Preferably, the cutting edge rotation is substantial, and greater than ¼ revolution (90 degrees) as it approaches, or is approached by, the anvil. The anvil in this type of system may be described as a Hammer Anvil since the face of the anvil that faces the cutting surface serves as a stop for the cutting surface as the distance between the anvil and the cutting surface or edge is reduced to zero.
In the prior art previously cited, including U.S. Pat. No. 4,018,228 to Goosen, U.S. Pat. No. 4,216,776 to Downie et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,129,913 to Ruppert, U.S. Pat. No. 5,827,316 to Young et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,910,153 to Mayenberger, U.S. Pat. No. 5,972,014 to Nevins, U.S. Pat. No. 6,080,173 to Williamson IV et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 6,080,176 to Young use a shearing or scissoring action between two blades to cut tissue. U.S. Pat. No. 3,949,855 to Hevesy, U.S. Pat. No. 4,122,855 to Tezel, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,187,022 to Alexander et al. use a knife or single sharpened edge with no opposing blade or surface to cut tissue. Both of these methods produce a ragged cut. The invention distinguishes over the cited prior art because the tissue is cut between a sharp edge and an opposing, flat, anvil-like surface to produce a clean cut. The embodiments of the punch disclosed herein provide further advantages over the prior art in that they create a hole that is closer to the diameter of the cutting edge than the holes made by the prior art punches.
The invention is most useful in cardiac surgery to create an opening or channel for cannula access to the ventricles of the heart or blood vessels near the heart. It is also useful for vascular surgery where side-to-side or end-to-side anastomoses need to be made. Alternatively, the system allows for general tissue biopsies and other general surgical applications on hollow organs or vessels such as a tracheostomy. Another aspect of the invention includes a method for creating a hole in a body vessel via an endovascular or interventional approach. Access to the vessel is created using a percutaneous approach such as the Seldinger technique. The method consists of creating an incision in the body vessel with a sharp object, inserting a sheath having a fluid-tight seal into the body vessel, and advancing a punch, further comprising a cutting blade and an anvil located at the distal end of a catheter, through the lumen of the sheath and extending out the distal end of the sheath into the body vessel until the distal end of the punch has reached a target location within the body vessel. The method further comprises advancing a sharp tip, affixed to the distal end of the punch, through the body vessel at the target site to create a puncture in the vessel wall. Next, an anvil with a tapered tip is advanced through the puncture in the body vessel at the target site and a circular cutting blade is located so that the cutting blade is positioned with the wall of the body vessel between the anvil and cutting blade. Next, the cutting blade is advanced through said body vessel wall under controlled force until the cutting blade fully rests against a distal surface of the anvil whose outside diameter is no less than the outer diameter of said cutting blade so that a hole is cut in the body vessel from the inside. The method further includes removing the cutting blade and excised tissue from the body vessel. It is advantageous that the cutting blade is rotated at least one revolution while said cutting blade is being advanced toward said anvil. It is further advantageous that a hemostatic plug or closure be provided to seal the vessel, generally on a temporary basis, immediately following creation of the punch hole and prior to further procedures on the vessel that require the presence of the punch hole.
For purposes of summarizing the invention, certain aspects, advantages and novel features of the invention are described herein. It is to be understood that not necessarily all such advantages may be achieved in accordance with any particular embodiment of the invention. Thus, for example, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention may be embodied or carried out in a manner that achieves one advantage or group of advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving other advantages as may be taught or suggested herein. These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
A general architecture that implements the various features of the invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. The drawings and the associated descriptions are provided to illustrate embodiments of the invention and not to limit the scope of the invention. Throughout the drawings, reference numbers are re-used to indicate correspondence between referenced elements.
The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is therefore indicated by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description. All changes that come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.
The invention, which is generally termed a surgical instrument, can be described as being an axially elongate structure having a proximal end and a distal end. The axially elongate structure further has a longitudinal axis. As is commonly used in the art of medical devices, the proximal end of the device is that end that is closest to the user, typically a surgeon. The distal end of the device is that end closest to the patient or that is first inserted into the patient. A direction being described as being proximal to a certain landmark will be closer to the surgeon, along the longitudinal axis, and further from the patient than the specified landmark.
In another embodiment, the cutter 12 may be an electrocautery or electrocutting device consisting of an electrode. The electrode is electrically connected to a cable leading to one pole of an external electrocautery power supply. Another electrical pole of the power supply is an electrically conducting grounding pad electrically affixed to the patient's skin or other body organ, often with the aid of electrically conducting gel.
In a further embodiment, the cutter 12 may be rotationally vibrated using an electrical motor or one or more electrical actuators. Examples of electrical actuators include those fabricated from shape-memory nitinol with or without an elastic substrate. Ohmic heating of the nitinol actuators by application of electrical current causes reversible length change in said actuators. Opposably mounted actuators, energized one at a time, provide torque to rotationally vibrate the cutter 12 about the shaft 14. The actuators and cutter 12 operate at frequencies up to about 200 Hz. Electrical current is provided through an electrical cable leading to an external set of batteries and a controller. Alternatively, said controller and batteries could be mounted integral to the coring tool 10, such as in the knob 24, for example. Such rotational vibration makes the cutter 12 function like an electric bread knife with enhanced cutting capability over a stationary knife-edge. In another embodiment, however, a circumferential vibrational, reciprocating, or reciprocal motion using microactuators affixed at or near the distal end of the punch 10 can be performed. An electrical switch on the handle 20 or knob 24 (not shown) cause the microactuators to alternately pull the cutter 12 in one direction and then the other direction. The microactuators can be located at the distal end of the punch 10 and serve to vibrate or oscillate the cutter 12 circumferentially relative to the shaft 14. A description of the microactuators can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,405,337 to R. S. Maynard, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference. The vibrational motion generated by these microactuators is small and generally less than ¼ of a rotation. Further application of such actuators to cause rotational vibration of a device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,110,121 to Lenker, the entirety of which is included herein by reference.
In a preferred embodiment, the handle 20 is affixed to the cutter 12. The handle 20 provides rotational force to the cutter 12 to assist in tissue penetration. The optional setscrew 30 may be used to attach the handle 20 to the cutter 12. Other ways to attach the handle 20 to the cutter 12 are the use of a rolled-pin, adhesives or over-molding. Mechanical advantage for manual rotation is derived from the wide flange like members or wings 26 on the handle 20 that allow increased moment arm to be applied to the handle 20 by the fingers of the surgeon. The handle 20 is preferably made from polymers such as but not limited to polycarbonate, acetal copolymers, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, polyvinyl chloride and the like. The handle 20 optionally is provided with holes or openings that communicate with the optional holes 28 in the cutter 12 to allow for air and fluid escape from the interior of the cutter 12 through the handle 20 to the external environment during the coring process.
Optionally, the handle 20 comprises a latch or lock to maintain its position on shaft 14 in the retracted position under force of the spring 22. To move the handle 20 distally, the optional lock is released allowing the handle 20 to be advanced along the shaft 14 toward the anvil 16. The handle 20 further optionally comprises a damper or shock absorber to prevent the high velocity accidental release of the handle 20 and cutter 12 into the tissue.
Alternatively, as illustrated in
In another embodiment, as illustrated in
In yet another embodiment, as illustrated in
The central shaft 14 maintains axial and longitudinal orientation of the punch 10 components. The shaft 14 is preferably fabricated from metals such as stainless steel, cobalt-nickel-chrome alloys, titanium alloys and the like. The shaft 14 may also be fabricated from hardened polymers such as glass-filled polycarbonate and the like. Holes or circumferential depressions in the shaft 14 permit attachment of components using setscrews or over-molding techniques. The shaft 14 geometry allows for expeditious replacement of optionally disposable components such as the cutter 12, anvil 16 and tip 18. The central shaft 14, optionally, comprises one or more circumferential alignment marks to confirm the position of the cutter 12 from the proximal end of the punch 10.
The tapered tip 18 is affixed to the distal end of the shaft 14 in a stationary manner. Fixation of the tip 18 to the shaft 14 is accomplished by over-molding, a setscrew or by internal threads on the trocar or tapered tip 18 engaging male threads on the shaft 14. The trocar or tapered tip 18 has a conical configuration and allows penetration of the hollow organ or vessel by the entire tip 18 anvil 16 assembly following an initial incision with a sharp surgical instrument. The distal end of the trocar 18 may be either sharp or rounded. Use of the sharp end on the trocar 18 permits use of the coring tool 10 without first making a separate surgical incision in the tissue. Longitudinal edges or ridges 102 are optionally disposed on the conical surface of trocar or tip 18 to enhance tissue penetration. Alternatively, the tip 18 may be oscillated or vibrated with an electrical actuator or motor to facilitate penetration into the tissue. The oscillation is useful for either blunt dissection or sharp dissection of the tissue.
The anvil 16 is a flat surface disposed distally to the cutter 12 and aligned in a plane generally perpendicular to the axis of the shaft 14. The anvil 16 is at least as wide as the largest exterior cutting dimension of the cutter 12. In this way, the anvil 16 serves to positively stop the cutter 12. The cutter 12 is advanced against the anvil 16 during the cutting procedure. The cutter 12 does not pass beyond the proximal surface of the anvil 16. In its lowest energy or inactive state, the cutter 12 rests against the anvil 16 with a net compressive force and the spring 22 expanded to its maximum allowable amount. The compressive force between the closed cutter 12 and the anvil 16 serves to maintain contact between the surfaces and promote cutting at the end of the stroke.
The anvil 16 and the tapered tip 18 are, preferably fabricated from the same piece of material for economy and ease of fabrication. Alternatively, the anvil 16 and the tapered tip 18 may be separate components and may be longitudinally disconnected or they may be longitudinally connected. Both the anvil 16 and the trocar or tapered tip 18 are radially constrained by the shaft 14. The anvil 16 is attached to shaft 14 by a setscrew, internal threads for engagement with male threads on the shaft 14, adhesive bonding or over-molding. The anvil 16 and the trocar or tapered tip 18 are, preferably, fabricated from polymeric materials such as but not limited to polyvinyl chloride, acetal copolymers, polycarbonate, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene and the like. They may alternatively be fabricated from metals such as stainless steel, cobalt-chrome-nickel alloys, titanium alloys and the like.
The anvil 16 optionally comprises pre-placed attachment devices, such as staples, sutures or posts that remain in the tissue around the coring site to facilitate subsequent placement of anastomotic devices.
The knob 24 terminates the proximal end of the shaft 14 and allows for positioning of the punch 10 by the surgeon. The knob 24 is blunt and preferably is fabricated from the same materials as the trocar or tip 18 or the anvil 16. The knob 24 is affixed to the shaft 14 with setscrews, adhesives, or over-molding or the knob 24 is affixed by female threads that engage male threads on the shaft 14.
Referring to
Complete penetration and cutter 12 to anvil 16 contact may be confirmed by placement of a plurality of alignment marks on the shaft 14. The alignment marks become visible once the cutter 12 and handle 20 have been advanced sufficiently. The punch 10 is next withdrawn proximally, removing the cored-out piece of tissue from the organ as shown in
Typically, the surgeon manually cores the patient's hollow organ or vessel using the punch or coring tool 10. The coring tool 10 can alternatively, be held and manipulated by a robotic arm, endovascularly routed device such as a catheter, or a laparoscopic instrument. The laparoscopic instrument is generally placed through a sheath or trocar that has been inserted into the body through a percutaneous puncture site. In a laparoscopic embodiment, the shaft 14 is extended in length, relative to the device shown in
An endovascular, interventional, or endoluminal device embodiment comprises a flexible shaft 14 that is capable of being routed through a sheath into a body vessel or lumen. The punch in this embodiment is affixed to a catheter. A hemostasis valve, fluid-tight seal or other gasket is provided at the proximal end of the sheath to prevent loss of blood, or body fluids, or the retrograde flow of air into the body. Typical cardiovascular access sheaths known in the art of endovascular access are appropriate for this application. The cutter 12 and anvil 16 reside at the distal end of the shaft 14. The shaft 14 is a torqueable axially elongate structure that also has column strength. The region between the handle 20 and the cutter 12 is generally very long in this embodiment. This length and the corresponding length of the shaft 14 may range from 10-cm to over 200-cm depending on the distance between the access site and the treatment site. The diameter of the cutter 12 is small enough to fit through the sheath, generally less than 24 French, or 8 mm in diameter. The cutter 12 and the anvil 16 can also be fabricated from structures that are radially expandable to allow them to fit through small diameter sheaths and then be enlarged to perform their coring function. The endovascular embodiment can also comprise a guidewire lumen (not shown) which is a central lumen extending from the proximal end of the knob 24 to the distal end of the tapered tip 18 so that the device can be routed over a guidewire, a slideable fit with a lumen diameter of 0.010 inches to 0.042 inches. All rotational operations and cutter 12 to anvil 16 closure operations are performed from the proximal end of the punch 10.
The cutter 12, the handle 20, the spring 22, and the knob 24 are disposed concentrically on the axially elongate outer shaft 34. The anvil 16 and the trocar or tip 18 are both disposed concentrically on the axially elongate inner shaft 32. The inner shaft 32 is slideably disposed inside the outer shaft 34 and the inner shaft 32 extends beyond the outer shaft 34 at least the thickness of the vessel or organ to be cored.
The handle 20 is not affixed to the cutter 12. Instead, the handle 20 is affixed to the inner shaft 32 by the pin 36 through the axial slot 40 in the outer shaft 34. The cutter 12 is affixed to the distal end of the outer shaft 34. The handle 20, which is affixed to the inner shaft 32, sets above the cutter 12, which is affixed to the outer shaft 34.
The knob 24 is affixed to the proximal end of the outer shaft 34. The anvil 16 is affixed to the proximal end of the trocar or tip 18 and the tip 18 is affixed to the distal end of the inner shaft 32.
The spring 22 sets around the outer shaft 34, between the knob 24 and the handle 20. The spring 22 forces the tip 18 and anvil 16 distally away from the cutter 12. Manual retraction of the handle 20 proximally causes proximal retraction of the anvil 16 toward the cutter 12. The spring 22 becomes increasingly compressed as the handle 20 is moved proximally toward the knob 24.
Referring to
The handle 20 or the knob 24 optionally comprise a lock that is manually operated and selectively prevents movement of the inner shaft 32 relative to the outer shaft 34.
Referring to
In an embodiment, as illustrated in
In an embodiment, as illustrated in
In an embodiment, the cutter 12 is rotated by the motor 110. The cutter 12 is advanced toward the anvil 16, or the anvil retracted toward the cutter 12 by being biased by a spring 22. The cutter 12 can be retracted away from the anvil 16, or the anvil 16 advanced away from the cutter 12 by applying manual force to the handle 20 relative to the knob 24. It is beneficial that the cutter 12 be rotated substantially, in excess of ¼ revolution while approaching the anvil 16. Preferably, the cutter 12 is rotated in excess of 1 revolution as it approaches the anvil 16. Most preferably, the cutter 12 rotates two (2) or more times while approaching the anvil 16. This substantial rotation is beneficial in making the cleanest cuts in soft tissue. The substantial rotation is easily accomplished with a motor 110 or gear-motor. The substantial rotation can also be accomplished by manually turning the handle 20 or by a lever-ratchet assembly (not shown) with gearing to provide large rotational motion for a small amount of linear motion in the lever-ratchet assembly.
The procedure for hollow organ coring or trephination is accomplished by first creating a small incision at the desired penetration location using a sharp surgical instrument such as a scalpel. The tapered tip 18 and anvil 16 assembly is advanced into the incision until the anvil 16 has passed beyond the interior surface of the hollow organ or vessel and the cutter 12 rests on the exterior of the hollow organ or vessel. Once position has been confirmed or adjusted, the handle 20 is pulled toward the knob 24 to initiate cutting of the tissue by the circular cutter 12. The handle 20 is pulled until the distal edge of the cutter 12 rests against the anvil 16 and the organ has been cored. Complete penetration and cutter 12 to anvil 16 contact may be confirmed by placement of a plurality of alignment marks on the outer shaft 34. The alignment marks become visible once the anvil 16 and the handle 20 have been retracted sufficiently. The punch 38 is next withdrawn proximally, removing the cored-out piece of tissue from the organ.
The hollow organ coring tool, trephine, or punch 38 is fabricated from the same materials as the hollow organ coring tool, trephine, or punch 10 and comprises the same or similar options as the hollow organ coring tool, trephine, or punch 10. In an embodiment, the cutter 12 of the punch 38 can be rotated by a motor or actuator to facilitate tissue penetration.
The punch, in another embodiment, can comprise elements that plug or close the hole left behind following the coring procedure. The plug (not shown) can be a cylindrical or other axially elongate structure, affixed distal to the anvil such that it can be detached from the anvil 16. The plug is detached by actuation of a lever or other control element a the proximal end of the punch with the energy being mechanically, electrically, hydraulically, or pneumatically transmitted down the shaft 14 of the punch to the distal end, where a coupler is released to detach the plug. The plug can optionally comprise a line, tether, or string, routed out the proximal end of the punch, so that it can be removed from the tissue after a period of temporary placement. The punch, in another embodiment, can comprise suture elements that are routed through the tissue surrounding the punch hole. These suture elements, optionally tipped with needles or other sharp tissue penetration devices, can be captured and withdrawn from the proximal end of the punch to temporarily or permanently close the punch hole on itself or around a cannula or other axially elongate tube or vessel, placed therethrough. The needles or tissue penetration devices can be “J” shaped to permit easy recapture of the sharp distal end by mechanical motions generated within the punch. In yet another embodiment, the punch can comprise injection ports at its distal end for delivering adhesives to the punch hole site for the purposes of closure or enhanced anastomosis at the punch hole site. Adhesives, such as cyanoacrylate or other biological adhesives known in the art, can be stored in the shaft and injected by actuation at the proximal end, or they can be injected from the proximal end and delivered down the shaft 14 and exit at the injection ports at the distal end of the punch. Such adhesives can include single and multi-part adhesives that require mixing.
The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is therefore indicated by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description. All changes that come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/938,428, filed Aug. 23, 2001, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,863,677.
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 09938428 | Aug 2001 | US |
Child | 11075268 | Mar 2005 | US |