US4867157A — Surgical cutting instrument

Claim 1

Independent Claim 149 words

A surgical cutting instrument comprising: an outer tube sized for insertion through an opening in a patient, said outer tube having a generally cylindrical peripheral wall and an outside diameter; said outer tube having a plurality of openings arranged generally longitudinally along the outer tube including distal and proximal openings; each of said openings having a cutting edge defining at least a portion of the periphery of such opening; the ratio of the length of the periphery of each of said openings to said diameter of the outer tube is at least 1.5 to 1; an inner cutting member rotatable within said outer tube; and said inner cutting member having a cutting edge cooperable with said cutting edges of the openings of the outer tube for cutting material from within the patient with a shearing action that progresses along both said cutting edges as the inner cutting member rotates.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 149 words

A surgical cutting instrument comprising: an outer tube sized for insertion through an opening in a patient, said outer tube having a generally cylindrical peripheral wall and an outside diameter; said outer tube having a plurality of openings arranged generally longitudinally along the outer tube including distal and proximal openings; each of said openings having a cutting edge defining at least a portion of the periphery of such opening; the ratio of the length of the periphery of each of said openings to said diameter of the outer tube is at least 1.5 to 1; an inner cutting member rotatable within said outer tube; and said inner cutting member having a cutting edge cooperable with said cutting edges of the openings of the outer tube for cutting material from within the patient with a shearing action that progresses along both said cutting edges as the inner cutting member rotates.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 29 words

An instrument as defined in claim 1 wherein the ratio of the length of each of said peripheries of said openings to said diameter is about 2 to 1.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 30 words

An instrument as defined in claim 1 wherein said cutting edge of one of said opening extends circumferentially of said outer tube at an angle relative to a radial plane.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 24 words

An instrument as defined in claim 1 wherein each of said openings extends circumferentially of the outer tube for at least about 90 degrees.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 45 words

An instrument as defined in claim 1 wherein said inner cutting member includes an inner tube rotatable within said outer tube and having an opening therein, and said cutting edge of said inner tube extends along the periphery of the opening in the inner tube.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 17 words

An instrument as defined in claim 1 wherein said opening in said inner tube is generally oval.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 46 words

An instrument as defined in claim 1 including a handle, a motor carried by the handle, means for mounting the outer tube on the handle and means for coupling the inner cutting member to the motor so that the motor can rotate the inner cutting member.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 51 words

An instrument as defined in claim 1 wherein the cutting edge of each of said openings includes first and second cutting edges which intersect to form a corner and said shearing action progresses along both of the first and second cutting edges of all of said openings toward the associated corner.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 77 words

An instrument as defined in claim 8 wherein the outer tube has a longitudinal axis and a first of said openings is formed at least in part by first and second planes which intersect on one side of said axis and form the first and second cutting edges, respectively, of the first opening, said first plane and said second plane enter the outer tube from said one side and the intersection of said planes forms said corner.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 17 words

An instrument as defined in claim 1 wherein said inner cutting member is a helical cutter blade.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 135 words

A surgical cutting instrument comprising; an outer tube sized for insertion through an opening in a patient, said outer tube having a peripheral wall and a longitudinal axis; said outer tube having a plurality of openings arranged generally longitudinally along the outer tube including distal and proximal openings, each of said openings extending circumferentially for at least about 90 degrees; each of said openings having a cutting edge defining at least a portion of the periphery of such opening; an inner cutting member rotatable within said outer tube; and said inner cutting member having a cutting edge cooperable with said cutting edges of said openings of the outer tube for cutting material from within the patient with a shearing action that progresses along said cutting edges of said openings as the inner cutting member rotates.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 135 words

A surgical cutting instrument comprising; an outer tube sized for insertion through an opening in a patient, said outer tube having a peripheral wall and a longitudinal axis; said outer tube having a plurality of openings arranged generally longitudinally along the outer tube including distal and proximal openings, each of said openings extending circumferentially for at least about 90 degrees; each of said openings having a cutting edge defining at least a portion of the periphery of such opening; an inner cutting member rotatable within said outer tube; and said inner cutting member having a cutting edge cooperable with said cutting edges of said openings of the outer tube for cutting material from within the patient with a shearing action that progresses along said cutting edges of said openings as the inner cutting member rotates.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 34 words

An instrument as defined in claim 11 wherein a portion of each of said cutting edges of said openings extends circumferentially of said outer tube at an acute angle relative to a radial plane.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 212 words

A surgical cutting instrument comprising: an outer tube sized for insertion through an opening in a patient, said outer tube having a peripheral wall and a longitudinal axis, said outer tube having a plurality of openings arranged generally longitudinally along said outer tube, each of said openings having first and second cutting edges defining portions of the periphery of such openings; a helical cutter blade extending within said outer tube and being rotatable within said outer tube, said helical cutter blade having at least one cutting edge cooperable with said first and second cutting edges of said openings of said outer tube for cutting material from within the patient with a shearing action that progresses along said first and second cutting edges as said helical cutter blade rotates; each of said openings having a distal edge and a parallel proximal edge each of which is oriented at an acute angle relative to a line perpendicular to said longitudinal axis of said outer tube; and said distal edges and said proximal edges of all of said openings being substantially straight as viewed in a particular direction perpendicular to said longitudinal axis of said outer tube and are positioned at substantially the same acute angle relative to said longitudinal axis of said outer tube.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 212 words

A surgical cutting instrument comprising: an outer tube sized for insertion through an opening in a patient, said outer tube having a peripheral wall and a longitudinal axis, said outer tube having a plurality of openings arranged generally longitudinally along said outer tube, each of said openings having first and second cutting edges defining portions of the periphery of such openings; a helical cutter blade extending within said outer tube and being rotatable within said outer tube, said helical cutter blade having at least one cutting edge cooperable with said first and second cutting edges of said openings of said outer tube for cutting material from within the patient with a shearing action that progresses along said first and second cutting edges as said helical cutter blade rotates; each of said openings having a distal edge and a parallel proximal edge each of which is oriented at an acute angle relative to a line perpendicular to said longitudinal axis of said outer tube; and said distal edges and said proximal edges of all of said openings being substantially straight as viewed in a particular direction perpendicular to said longitudinal axis of said outer tube and are positioned at substantially the same acute angle relative to said longitudinal axis of said outer tube.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 25 words

An instrument as defined in claim 13 wherein each of said first opening extends circumferentially of the outer tube for at least about 90 degrees.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 47 words

An instrument as defined in claim 13 wherein the peripheral wall of said outer tube is generally cylindrical and has an outside diameter and the ratio of the length of the periphery of each of said openings to said diameter is at least about 1.5 to 1.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 13 words

An instrument as defined in claim 13 wherein said openings are substantially identical.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 24 words

An instrument as defined in claim 13 wherein each of said first edges of said openings defines the proximal edge of the associated opening.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 23 words

An instrument as defined in claim 13 wherein said acute angle is in the range of about 5 degrees to about 60 degrees.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 50 words

An instrument as defined in claim 13 wherein said openings are substantially identical, the peripheral wall of said outer tube is generally cylindrical and has an outside diameter and the ratio of the length of each of said peripheries of said openings to said diameter is about 2 to 1.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 46 words

An instrument as defined in claim 13 including a handle, a motor carried by said handle, means for mounting said outer tube on said handle and means for coupling said helical cutter blade to said motor so that said motor can rotate said helical cutter blade.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 24 words

An instrument as defined in claim 13 wherein said helical cutter blade extends through a substantial portion of the length of said outer tube.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 22 words

An instrument as defined in claim 13 wherein said helical cutter blade extends through substantially the entire length of said outer tube.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1992-09-18	1993-03-20	1993-09-19	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1996-09-18	1997-03-20	1997-09-19	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2000-09-18	2001-03-20	2001-09-19	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Surgical cutting instrument

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