Angled rotary tissue cutting instrument and method of fabricating the same

(i9) United States (12) Reissued Patent

Anctil et al.

(54) ANGLED ROTARY TISSUE CUTTING INSTRUMENT AND METHOD OF FABRICATING THE SAME

(75) Inventors: Stephanie B. Anctil, Jacksonville, FL (US); Gary Peters, Jacksonville, FL (US)

(73) Assignee: Medtronic Xomed, Inc., Jacksonville, FL (US)

(21) Appl. No.: 09/799,898

(22) Filed: Mar. 7, 2001

Related U.S. Patent Documents

Reissue of:

(64) Patent No.: 5,922,003

Issued: Jul. 13, 1999

Appl. No.: 09/074,739
Filed: May 8, 1998

U.S. Applications:

(60) Provisional application No. 60/046,112, filed on May 9, 1997.

(51) Int. CI.7 A61B 17/32

(52) U.S. CI 606/170; 606/180; 285/381.5;

285/908; 403/273; 403/270; 464/88; 464/181; 464/903; 156/293; 156/85; 156/309.6; 604/22

(58) Field of Search 606/170, 171,

606/180, 159; 604/22; 464/88, 181, 903; 156/293, 85, 309.6; 285/381.5, 908; 403/273,

270

(56) References Cited

U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS

745,722 A 12/1903 Freeman

285/381.4

American V. Mueller, "The Surgical Armamentarium", (1980) pp. 723-724.*

"Linvatec Flexes Ability With ENT Shavers", article by Troy Cozad, 1 page, published 1994 or prior thereto.

Primary Examiner—Michael H. Thaler

(57) ABSTRACT

The present invention is generally characterized in an angled rotary tissue cutting instrument including an outer blade assembly, having a rigid tubular member with proximal and distal portions connected by a bead, and an inner blade assembly rotatably disposed within the outer blade assembly and including a tubular drive shaft at a proximal end, a cutting tip at a distal end, and a flexible coupling disposed between the drive shaft and the cutting tip. The drive shaft and cutting tip include neck portions which are disposed telescopically within proximal and distal ends of the coupling. The flexible coupling is formed of a flexible polymeric material, and each of the neck portions includes a lateral opening defining a predetermined flow path for the polymeric material during fabrication so that the flexible polymeric coupling includes flow portions extending into the openings in the neck portions of the drive shaft and the cutting tip to form permanent, interlocking mechanical joints therewith capable of receiving and transmitting torque.

34 Claims, 7 Drawing Sheets