Smoke Evacuation Pencil

Abstract

A smoke evacuation pencil having an internal smoke evacuation channel with the distal end directly connected to the proximal smoke hose fitting without a proximal seal and the distal end located at or near the distal end of the surgical pencil forming a seamless channel. Said internal smoke evacuation channel having a sufficient length to diameter ratio creating a near friction free rotation of the internal smoke evacuation channel. Said seamless internal channel from proximal end to distal end eliminates the need for seals commonly found on prior art smoke evacuation pencils having multi-seamed smoke evacuation channel components.

Description

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

Prior art surgical pencils use energy during surgical procedures having two modalities: one for cutting and one for coagulation. The energy used by surgical pencils comes from an electrosurgical generator creating high frequency physiological tissue effects resulting in smoke plumes. Two main types of energy based surgical pencils fall into the category of electrosurgical pencils. One type is a foot activated pencil which does not have hand control buttons on the pencil body. Another type is a hand control button pencil. For all electrosurgical pencils an active electrode is attached to the distal end of the surgical pencil as the conductor directing the high frequency energy to the patient site. Concerns by operating room personnel are present as inhaled smoke plumes can have potentially harmful long term health effects. These concerns raise awareness in the use a smoke evacuation means either being attached to or integrated in an electrosurgical pencil to evacuate smoke plumes. Prior art smoke evacuation pencils have incorporated distal end openings and cooperative smoke channels, that are generally hollow for smoke flow; thereby, making the surgical pencil larger compared to a non-smoke evacuating surgical pencil and results in many complaints by surgeons regarding the larger size obstructing the surgeons view of a surgical site. Smoke evacuating pencils also have additional weight at the proximal end which incorporates an electrical wire routed through a flexible smoke evacuation hose attached to the proximal end swivel of a surgical pencil causing discomfort in the retention and manipulation of the surgical pencil. Prior art surgical pencils were typically constructed with multiple components affecting the functional concern of suction loss due to seam leakage within the suction flow channel. Assembly methods have variations; one is a hollow body smoke channel with a swiveling proximal smoke hose fitting with a seal means typically an O ring, which creates friction when swiveling and minimizes suction loss, a two part body housing to seat the O ring seal, an inner hollow channel formed by the two part body that does not rotate which may or may not integrate electrical contact to the active electrode, and a distal nose that may or may not include an extendable telescopic means. The outer body is usually constructed in two halves and must be sealed together to prevent suction loss. A hand controlled surgical pencil must also include a sealing means around the two hand control buttons.

Another method of assembly is the use of an internal channel that mounts the active electrode socket at the distal end. The socket is electrically connected by a wire to the electrosurgical generator. Since the internal channel has a socket for the active electrode it cannot rotate in conjunction with the proximal end swivel fitting. The seam between the internal channel and the proximal end swivel fitting must have a seal or a tight tolerance fit to prevent suction leakage. Also the proximal end swivel fitting must have a seal to the main body of the smoke evacuating pencil. The body of the smoke evacuating pencil is normally firmly held by the surgeons hand. The active electrode may independently rotate within the active electrode socket and once set by the surgeon it will not rotate until the desired tissue effect is obtained.

The pencil position in the surgeons hand is held in place by the index finger and opposing thumb with the main pencil body resting on the crook of the hand. Two major complaints about smoke evacuation pencils are: the proximal end swivel fitting has resistance to pencil rotation about the longitudinal axis of the pencil, and the included weight of a 2 meter long suction hose imposing a force downward, due to gravity, at the proximal end of the surgical pencil causing the distal end to rise out of the surgeons hand pivoting about the crook of the hand acting as a pivot similar to a seesaw. The surgeon must grasp the pencil distally with increasing force to retain the pencil in the surgeons hand. Fatigue in the surgeons grip between the index finger and thumb is a primary cause of hand cramps compared to the less fatiguing non-smoke evacuating pencils which do not have a smoke evacuation hose.

Once the surgical pencil is placed in the hand various anatomical targets of and within a patient's body may cause the surgeons' forearm position and wrist rotation to create acute and obtuse angles to the surgeons' line of sight. In this embodiment the tedious angle changes of the surgical pencil primarily in rotation along the longitudinal axis eventually causes fatigue in the wrist due to the added weight and resistance of a smoke evacuation hose attached at the proximal end of the surgical pencil. The drape of the suction hose creates disadvantageous leverage at an various angles to said longitudinal axis increasing torque against the surgeons grip.

In this novel and new invention the disclosed seamless smoke flow channel from the distal end to the proximal end opening is freely rotatable to allow optimized smoke evacuation without seals to minimize the torque friction and fatigue commonly found on prior art multi-seamed internal channels of smoke evacuation pencils.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A novel invention primarily concerned with smoke evacuation surgical pencils having an internal seamless smoke flow channel from the proximal end to the distal end for a continuous suction pathway thereby eliminating the required seals to prevent suction loss as compared to leakage encountered in a multi-seamed smoke flow channel. The proximal end swivel is press fit directly to an elastomeric smoke evacuation hose that is press fit connected to a suction source and the distal end of the internal smoke channel is at or near the distal end of the surgical pencil for smoke intake. The diameter to distance ratio and elimination of O ring seals allows a near frictionless swivel means of the internal seamless channel. The frictionless swivel means helps reduce the longitudinal axis torque encountered by the hanging smoke evacuation hose. The rotatable seamless internal smoke channel may or may not be connected to electrical connections and is rotatable which may or may not include a telescopic section. All of the components of this new and novel invention is manufactured using common thermoplastic molding techniques familiar to those skilled in the art of manufacturing smoke evacuation pencils. This embodiment does not include the descriptions of the electrical wiring of the smoke evacuation pencil with hand control buttons or foot control means as the circuit connections is typical and readily understood by those skilled in the art.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top view of a surgeon holding a smoke evacuating surgical pencil with a smoke evacuation hose.

FIG. 2 is a top view cross section of a prior art smoke evacuation hollow pencil body with seals.

FIG. 3 is top view cross section of a prior art showing a non-rotating internal channel with seals.

FIG. 4 is top view cross section of the invention showing a seamless rotating internal channel without seals.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a surgeon 5, holding a hand control smoke evacuating surgical pencil 90, having a proximal end smoke evacuating hose 30, depicting an acute angle 100 between the surgeon line of sight 80 and the longitudinal axis 70 of the smoke evacuating surgical pencil 90, as positioned so that the main body of the smoke evacuating surgical pencil 90 is resting on the crook of the hand 10, and depicting the drape of the smoke evacuation hose away from the proximal end of the smoke evacuating surgical pencil 90. The hand control buttons are operated by the surgeons index finger and require a sealing means to prevent suction loss around the two buttons under the index finger.

FIG. 2 is a top view cross section of prior art smoke evacuation pencils showing a typical construction means. The construction as described from distal to proximal end comprising; a metallic conductor called an active electrode 12, an active electrode socket 14 connected to a wire 16 also connected to an energy source generator, a distal end nose 92 typically made of clear material attached to a hollow pencil body 98 of the smoke evacuating pencil 90, a hollow smoke channel 96 formed by the hollow pencil body 98, a proximal end swivel fitting 32 and swivel seal 34 trapped within a groove found on the proximal end swivel fitting 32 outside diameter and an inside diameter groove in the hollow pencil body 98, and attached to the proximal end swivel fitting 32 is the smoke evacuating hose 30. Suction flows from the distal end 92 passed the active electrode 12, and socket 14, into a hollow surgical pencil body 98 through the proximal end swivel fitting 32 and into the smoke evacuating hose 30. The hollow pencil body 98 is usually made of two halves and requires the two halves to be sealed usually by ultrasonic welding to prevent leakage. The proximal swivel end fitting 32 rotates in respect to the smoke evacuating pencil 90 and has an O ring to minimize suction loss but increases swivel friction.

FIG. 3 is a top view cross section of an alternate prior art smoke evacuation pencil showing a another construction means. The construction as described from distal to proximal end comprising; a metallic conductor called an active electrode 12, an active electrode socket 14 connected to a wire 16 also connected to an energy source generator, a distal end nose 92 typically made of clear material attached to a hollow pencil body 98 of the smoke evacuating pencil 90, a non-rotatable internal channel 97 that supports the active electrode socket 14, said non-rotatable internal channel 97 has a seam with the proximal end swivel fitting 32 requiring a seal 38 and said proximal end swivel fitting 32 has a swivel seal 34 trapped within a groove found on the proximal end swivel fitting 32 outside diameter and an inside diameter groove in the hollow pencil body 98, and press fit attached to the proximal end swivel fitting 32 is the smoke evacuating hose 30. Suction flows from the distal end 92 passed the active electrode 12, and socket 14, into the internal channel 97, through the proximal end swivel fitting 32 and into the smoke evacuating hose 30. The hollow pencil body 98 is usually made of two halves and requires the two halves to be sealed usually by ultrasonic welding to prevent leakage. The proximal swivel end fitting 32 rotates in respect to the smoke evacuating pencil 90 and has an O ring to minimize suction loss but increases swivel friction.

FIG. 4 shows the top view cross section of the preferred embodiment of a smoke evacuating surgical pencil 90. The construction as described from distal to proximal end comprising; a metallic conductor called an active electrode 12, an active electrode socket 14 connected to a wire 16 also connected to an energy source generator 18, a distal end nose 92 typically made of clear material attached to a hollow pencil body 98 of the smoke evacuating pencil 90, a seamless internal smoke channel 97, having an integral proximal smoke hose fitting 36 with distal end retaining shoulder 37, and attached to the integral smoke hose fitting proximal end 36 is the smoke evacuating hose 30. The seamless internal channel 97 can rotate because in one embodiment the active electrode socket 14 is not connected or attached to the seamless internal channel 97. In another embodiment obvious to those skilled in the art has the active electrode socket 14 in the normal location with electrical connections exiting the distal end of the seamless internal channel 97 and fixedly attached beyond the distal end of the seamless internal channel 97 making contact with the hand control buttons and active electrode socket 14.

Claims

1. A seamless internal channel comprising: a distal end anda proximal end hose fittinghaving sufficient length to diameter ratio for a near frictionless rotatable meansenclosed in a smoke evacuating surgical pencil housing without seals.

2. As in claim 1 said seamless internal channel having a telescopic extension means.

3. As in claim 1 where said distal end is at or near the distal nose of said surgical pencil.

4. As in claim 1 where said distal end is the distal nose of said surgical pencil.