Abstract: A tissue cutting probe includes an outer sleeve assembly, an inner sleeve assembly, a burr and an electrode. Each of the inner and outer sleeves has a proximal end, a distal end, and central passage extending therebetween. The inner sleeve assembly is coaxially and rotatably received in the central passage of the outer sleeve assembly, and the burr has a plurality of metal cutting edges carried on a first side of the distal end of the inner sleeve assembly. The electrode is carried a second side of the distal end of the inner sleeve assembly.

Abstract: A medical device for cutting bone and soft tissue includes a shaft having a rotating component with a distal working end. A cutting member is carried on the working end of the rotating component and a motor rotates the rotating component. The cutting member has a ceramic body with cutting edges, and the ceramic body is formed of a ceramic composite including alumina and zirconia, wherein the alumina has a grain size ranging between 0.5-1.5 microns and the zirconia has a grain size ranging between 0.1-1.0 micron. The alumina grain shape and zirconia grain shape are non-elongated.

Abstract: An arthroscopic system includes a hand piece with a motor drive. an elongate shaft assembly is detachably secured to a distal end of the hand piece, and the elongate shaft assembly includes an outer sleeve and an inner sleeve rotatably mounted in the outer sleeve. The inner sleeve couples to the motor drive when the elongate shaft assembly is attached to the hand piece, and an inner distal cutting window on the inner sleeve moves in and out of alignment with an outer distal cutting window on the outer sleeve as the motor drive rotates the inner sleeve.

Abstract: A tissue resecting device includes an outer sleeve having an axial bore extending along a longitudinal axis from a proximal end to a distal end and opening to an outer window near the distal end. An inner sleeve is rotatably received in the axial bore of the outer sleeve and has an axial channel adapted for communication with a negative pressure source. A distal housing is attached to a distal end of the inner sleeve and has an annular dielectric portion and a circumferentially adjacent annular metal portion having an inner window with circumferentially spaced-apart sharp cutting edges that opens to the axial channel. An active electrode is carried by the annular dielectric portion, and the inner window is circumferentially spaced-part from the active electrode so that the inner window and the active electrode rotate alternately into alignment with the outer window as the inner sleeve is rotated within the outer sleeve.

Abstract: A fluid management system includes a pump connectable to a fluid source. An inflow line removably connects to a cannula for delivering a fluid flow from the pump into a surgical site, such as a joint cavity. A flow pressure sensor is coupled to measure flow pressure in the inflow line and produce a measured pressure value, A controller is connected to the pump and the flow pressure sensor, and the controller maintains a pressure set point by controlling a pump speed based on a backpressure-adjusted pressure value calculated by subtracting a backpressure value selected from a backpressure table from the measured pressure value. The BAPV is monitored to determine whether the BAPV deviates outside an initial BAPV range, and corrective measure are taken should such deviations occur.

Abstract: Hysteroscopic system includes a hysteroscope having a main body coupled to an extension portion. The extension portion may be a shaft configured to extend transcervically to a patient's uterine cavity. First, second, and third channels extend from the main body to a distal end of the extension portion. A fluid source is coupleable to a proximal end of the first channel, and a pressure sensor is coupleable to a proximal end of the second channel. A tissue resecting probe is configured for introduction through the third channel. At least one resistance feature is included which is configured to provide a selected level of resistance to axial sliding of the probe through the third channel while permitting rotation of the probe within the third channel.

Abstract: An arthroscopic or other medical device includes an elongate shaft having a proximal end and a working end. At least one electrode for treating tissue is located at the working end of the shaft, and a fluid outflow path extends proximally from the working end through a first channel portion in the shaft. A handpiece is coupled to the proximal end of the shaft and has a body with a second channel portion formed along an axis therein. The second channel is receives a heated or other outflow from a proximal end of the first channel in the shaft, and the second channel runs along an axis of the handpiece. A thin wall sleeve is located in the handpiece so that it surrounds at least a portion of the second channel. The thin wall sleeve is surrounded by an air gap or otherwise provides a thermal barrier between an exterior surface of the thin wall sleeve and an inner surface of the body of the handpiece in order to limit heat transfer from the heated or other fluid outflow through the second channel.

Abstract: A fluid management system includes a pump connectable to a fluid source. An inflow line removably connects to a cannula for delivering a fluid flow from the pump into a surgical site, such as a joint cavity. A flow pressure sensor is coupled to measure flow pressure in the inflow line and produce a measured pressure value, A controller is connected to the pump and the flow pressure sensor, and the controller maintains a pressure set point by controlling a pump speed based on a backpressure-adjusted pressure value calculated by subtracting a backpressure value selected from a backpressure table from the measured pressure value. The BAPV is monitored to determine whether the BAPV deviates outside an initial BAPV range, and corrective measure are taken should such deviations occur.

Abstract: A medical device includes an elongated sleeve having a longitudinal axis, a proximal end and a distal end. A cutting member extends distally from the distal end of the elongated sleeve and has sharp cutting edges. The cutting head is formed from a wear-resistant ceramic material, and a motor coupled to the proximal end of elongated sleeve rotate the cutting member. The cutter is engaged against bone and rotated to cut bone tissue without leaving any foreign particles in the site.

Abstract: Tissue may be cut and extracted from an interior location in a patient's body using a probe or tool which both effects cutting and causes vaporization of a liquid or other fluid to propel the cut tissue through an extraction lumen of the cutting device. The cutting may be achieved using an electrosurgical electrode assembly, including a first electrode on a cutting member and a second electrode within a cutting probe or tool. Thus, over a first cutting portion, radio frequency current may help cut the tissue and over a second or over transition region, the RF current may initiate vaporization of the fluid or other liquid to propel the tissue from the cutting device.

Abstract: A medical device includes an elongated sleeve having a longitudinal axis, a proximal end and a distal end. A cutting member having a plurality of sharp edges is formed from a wear-resistant ceramic material is carried at the distal end of the elongated sleeve. A motor drive is coupled to the proximal end of the elongated sleeve to rotate the sleeve at cutting member at high RPMs to cut bone and other hard tissue. An electrode is carried in a distal portion of ceramic cutting member for RF ablation of tissue when the sleeve and cutting member are is a stationary position. In methods of use, (i) the ceramic member can be engaged against bone and then rotated at high speed to cut bone tissue, and (ii) the ceramic member can be held in a stationary (non-rotating) position to engage tissue and RF energy can be delivered to the electrode to create a plasma that ablates tissue.

Abstract: Hysteroscopic system includes a hysteroscope having a main body coupled to an extension portion. The extension portion may be a shaft configured to extend transcervically to a patient's uterine cavity. First, second, and third channels extend from the main body to a distal end of the extension portion. A fluid source is coupleable to a proximal end of the first channel, and a pressure sensor is coupleable to a proximal end of the second channel. A tissue resecting probe is configured for introduction through the third channel. At least one resistance feature is included which is configured to provide a selected level of resistance to axial sliding of the probe through the third channel while permitting rotation of the probe within the third channel.

Abstract: A tissue resection device comprises inner and outer coaxial sleeves. The outer sleeve has a cutting window formed therein, and the inner sleeve has a distal cutting end that can be reciprocated past the cutting window. The sleeves comprise electrodes to provide electrosurgical cutting, and an edge portion of the window includes a dielectric material.

Abstract: Tissue may be cut and extracted from an interior location in a patient's body using a probe or tool which both effects cutting and causes vaporization of a liquid or other fluid to propel the cut tissue through an extraction lumen of the cutting device. The cutting may be achieved using an electrosurgical electrode assembly, including a first electrode on a cutting member and a second electrode within a cutting probe or tool. Thus, over a first cutting portion, radio frequency current may help cut the tissue and over a second or over transition region, the RF current may initiate vaporization of the fluid or other liquid to propel the tissue from the cutting device.

Abstract: An arthroscopic system includes a re-useable, sterilizable handle integrated with a single umbilical cable or conduit. The single umbilical cable or conduit carries electrical power from a power and/or control console to the handle for operating both a motor drive unit within the handle and delivering the RF power to a disposable RF probe or cutter which may be detachably connected to the handle. The RF power delivered to the handle and on to the probe or cutter is typically bi-polar, where the handle includes first and second electrical bi-polar contacts that couple to corresponding bi-polar electrical contacts on a hub of the disposable RF probe or cutter is connected to the handle.

Abstract: An arthroscopic or other surgical system includes a handpiece and a probe. The handpiece carries a motor drive, and the probe has a proximal hub and an elongate shaft which extends about a longitudinal axis to a working end of the probe. The hub is configured for detachably coupling to the handpiece, and the motor drive is configured to couple to a rotating drive coupling in the hub when the hub is coupled to the handpiece. A first magnetic component is carried by the hub, and a second magnetic component is coupled to rotate with the rotating drive coupling.

Abstract: The tissue cutting device comprises an elongated assembly including both an outer sleeve and an inner sleeve. The outer sleeve has a tissue-receiving window, and the inner sleeve has a distal end which cuts tissue as the inner sleeve is advanced past the window. The tissue is received into a lumen of the inner sleeve, and the inner sleeve lumen is typically enlarged in a proximal direction to reduce the tendency of resected tissue to lodge therein. The tissue displacement member is optionally provided at a distal end of the outer sleeve to further aid in dislodging tissue which becomes captured in a distal end of the inner sleeve of the lumen.

Abstract: A resecting probe includes a shaft assembly having an outer sleeve and an inner sleeve. The outer sleeve has an axial bore and an outer window in a distal side thereof, and the inner sleeve has an axial extraction channel and inner window in a distal side thereof. The inner sleeve is rotationally disposed in the axial bore of the outer sleeve to allow the inner sleeve window to be rotated in and out of alignment with the outer sleeve window, and the shaft assembly forms a flow aperture in a distal portion when the inner cutting window and the outer cutting window are out of alignment. An electrode is carried on the inner sleeve, and a motor drive is coupled to rotate the inner sleeve relative to the outer sleeve.

Abstract: A probe for ablating tissue comprises an electrosurgical working end configured to provide a first plasma about a first surface location and a second plasma about a second surface location, the first plasma having first ablation parameters and the second plasma having second ablation parameters. The probe has a working end with a thickness below 3 mm and produces a low temperature plasma.

Abstract: A tissue resecting system includes an assembly having first and second tubular members. An electrical motor drive and controller moves the second member to resect tissue received in a window of the first member. A tachometer sends motor drive rotational signals to the controller, and the controller modulates a motor voltage in response to the signals from the tachometer both to drive the second member at a predetermined speed and to calculate resistance to driving the second member at the predetermined speed.