Abstract: A cutting instrument comprising: an outer tube comprising a distal end and a proximal end; an inner tube rotatably disposed within said outer tube, said inner tube comprising a distal end, a proximal end and a region intermediate said distal end and said proximal end, said region comprising a plurality of slits formed in said inner tube so as to render said region of said inner tube flexible; and a bellows disposed adjacent to said plurality of slits so as to render said region of said inner tube fluid-tight.

Abstract: A surgical apparatus which includes a handpiece having a passage. The retention assembly includes a pair of radially movable buttons, aligned in axially extending passages in communication with the passage and can engage with and cause rotational movement of a collet member assembly rotatably supported in the passage. The collet assembly includes rolling lock members which can be moved by the collet member from a lock position, in which the lock members are forced by the wall of the passage to extend inwardly of the collet member and an unlocked position, in which the lock members are aligned with a recess in the wall of the passage and are not forced to extend inwardly of the collet member. The surgical apparatus may find particular use with irrigation fluid, suction, and powering of a surgical tool. The passage may include a cutting blade retention assembly integrated in the passage.

Abstract: A surgical instrument includes a hollow cylindrical member having a flexible region along at least a part of the hollow cylindrical member and a malleable tubing disposed over at least an outer surface of the flexible region of the hollow cylindrical member. The flexible region and the malleable tubing disposed over the flexible region can bend multiple times. The malleable tubing can maintain a bent orientation until the malleable tubing is re-bent by a user. The surgical instrument also includes connections that prevent the malleable tubing from moving longitudinally relative to the hollow cylindrical member. The malleable tubing may be made of various materials, one example of which is anodized, annealed aluminum.

Abstract: An interchangeable tip comprising: a stylet; a blade module including: an enclosure that electrically connects, signally connects, or both the interchangeable tip to a power source, a signal source, or both; and blade circuitry having: one or more control buttons, one or more switches, or both for controlling operation one or more functions of the interchangeable tip.

Abstract: A cutting instrument comprising: an outer tube; an inner tube rotatably disposed within the outer tube; the inner tube comprising an opening having a leading edge and a trailing edge; and the outer tube comprising a window having a leading edge and a trailing edge; at least one of the leading edge of the opening, the trailing edge of the opening, the leading edge of the window and the trailing edge of the window comprising a canted edge; and the window of the outer tube being adapted to be completely blocked by the inner tube during a phase of the rotation of the inner tube within the outer tube.

Abstract: A surgical device comprising: a handle assembly; a locking collar; and a set of replaceable bits that load along an axis into the handle assembly; wherein the locking collar is fully removable from the handle assembly, the locking collar loads axially to a first position, and the locking collar rotates between the first position and a second position; wherein, in the first position, the locking collar is free to be axially removed from the handle assembly and the replaceable bits are free to be loaded or unloaded from the handle assembly; wherein, in the second position, the locking collar is prevented from axial movement relative to the handle assembly and the replaceable bits are prevented from being received within, or removed from, the handle assembly; and the locking collar is guided to the first position and between the first position and the second position by a groove in the handle assembly mating with a member carried by the locking collar.

Abstract: A surgical device comprising: a handle assembly; a locking collar; and a set of replaceable bits that load along an axis into the handle assembly; wherein the locking collar is fully removable from the handle assembly, the locking collar loads axially to a first position, and the locking collar rotates between the first position and a second position; wherein, in the first position, the locking collar is free to be axially removed from the handle assembly and the replaceable bits are free to be loaded or unloaded from the handle assembly; wherein, in the second position, the locking collar is prevented from axial movement relative to the handle assembly and the replaceable bits are prevented from being received within, or removed from, the handle assembly; and the locking collar is guided to the first position and between the first position and the second position by a groove in the handle assembly mating with a member carried by the locking collar.

Abstract: An interchangeable tip comprising: a stylet; a blade module including: an enclosure that electrically connects, signally connects, or both the interchangeable tip to a power source, a signal source, or both; and blade circuitry having: one or more control buttons, one or more switches, or both for controlling operation one or more functions of the interchangeable tip.

Abstract: A surgical instrument includes a hollow tubular member having a closed distal working end, a proximal end and an outer surface, with an opening in a side wall at or adjacent the distal working end. The instrument includes a first electrical insulation layer disposed on at least part of the outer surface of the hollow tubular member, a first electrode disposed on an outer surface of the first electrical insulation layer, and a second electrode disposed on the outer surface of the first electrical insulation layer. The first and second electrodes are electrically isolated from each other, and each includes an active segment and an inactive segment. The active segments of the first and second electrodes are disposed respectively on opposing sides of the hollow tubular member preferably within about 3.0 mm of the opening in the side wall of the hollow tubular member.

Abstract: A device comprising: a handpiece having one or more attachment ports; a tubeset having one or more attachment features for connecting the tubeset to the one or more attachment ports in the handpiece; a removable tip having an attachment arm for attaching to the one or more attachment ports in the handpiece; wherein the device comprises one or more of the following: the handpiece includes an attachment port that attaches the handpiece to an active lead and a return lead and the device is adapted to use only the active lead or both leads so that the device can switch between bi-polar energy and mono-polar energy; the tubeset has one or more fluid conduits that are in fluid communication with the removable tip, wherein the removable tip is located at a distal end of the device; and the handpiece connects to one or more electrical input lines; the tubeset connects to one or more fluid lines, and the removable tip is free of direct connection to both the one or more electrical input lines and the one or more fluid

Abstract: An interchangeable tip comprising: a stylet; a blade module including: an enclosure that electrically connects, signally connects, or both the interchangeable tip to a power source, a signal source, or both; and blade circuitry having: one or more control buttons, one or more switches, or both for controlling operation one or more functions of the interchangeable tip.

Abstract: A surgical instrument has a hollow tubular member, and a pressurization unit that has an outer valve portion, a pressurization device having a movable part configured to generate pressurized fluid when the movable part is moved, and an inner valve portion. The inner valve portion includes a first flow passage that is configured to fluidically connect a first port and a second port of the outer valve portion to each other when the inner valve portion is in a first position, and a second flow passage that is configured between the inner valve portion and the outer valve portion to fluidically connect the first port and a third port when the inner valve portion is in a second position. A sealing system fluidically isolates the second port and the third port from each other at any position of the inner valve portion.

Abstract: A device comprising: a handpiece having one or more attachment ports; a tubeset having one or more attachment features for connecting the tubeset to the one or more attachment ports in the handpiece; a removable tip having an attachment arm for attaching to the one or more attachment ports in the handpiece; wherein the device comprises one or more of the following: the handpiece includes an attachment port that attaches the handpiece to an active lead and a return lead and the device is adapted to use only the active lead or both leads so that the device can switch between bi-polar energy and mono-polar energy; the tubeset has one or more fluid conduits that are in fluid communication with the removable tip, wherein the removable tip is located at a distal end of the device; and the handpiece connects to one or more electrical input lines; the tubeset connects to one or more fluid lines, and the removable tip is free of direct connection to both the one or more electrical input lines and the one or more fluid

Abstract: An interchangeable tip comprising: a stylet; a blade module including: an enclosure that electrically connects, signally connects, or both the interchangeable tip to a power source, a signal source, or both; and blade circuitry having: one or more control buttons, one or more switches, or both for controlling operation one or more functions of the interchangeable tip.

Abstract: A flexible-shaft surgical instrument has a compression member that is distally movable to provide a compression force between the compression member and a distal compression bearing to compress a plurality of links and rigidly lock a semi-rigid tube formed by those links at any of a variety of user-selectable predetermined positions. The semi-rigid tube is configured to be bent and locked at the user-selectable predetermined position and, upon proximal movement of the compression member, returned to an unlocked state without significant plastic deformation of the semi-rigid tube.

Abstract: A device comprising: a handpiece having one or more attachment ports; a tubeset having one or more attachment features for connecting the tubeset to the one or more attachment ports in the handpiece; a removable tip having an attachment arm for attaching to the one or more attachment ports in the handpiece; wherein the device comprises one or more of the following: the handpiece includes an attachment port that attaches the handpiece to an active lead and a return lead and the device is adapted to use only the active lead or both leads so that the device can switch between bi-polar energy and mono-polar energy; the tubeset has one or more fluid conduits that are in fluid communication with the removable tip, wherein the removable tip is located at a distal end of the device; and the handpiece connects to one or more electrical input lines; the tubeset connects to one or more fluid lines, and the removable tip is free of direct connection to both the one or more electrical input lines and the one or more fluid

Abstract: A surgical instrument having a first cutting blade and a second cutting blade that rotates within the first cutting blade during a cutting operation to cause cutting windows of the cutting blades to remove tissue from a patient also includes a suction passage forming member disposed over a suction aperture of the first cutting blade. The suction passage forming member includes an inlet, an outlet and a passage between the inlet and the outlet, the outlet communicating with the suction aperture. The surgical instrument can be used as a suction tool by applying a vacuum through an internal bore of the second cutting blade while the second cutting blade is stopped from rotating with the cutting windows of the first and second cutting blades misaligned with each other so that the vacuum is applied through the suction aperture and the suction passage forming member.

Abstract: A blade assembly comprising: a tip including two or more tubes, wherein the two or more tubes include at least: an outer tube and an inner tube; and a mechanical enclosure including: a locking spline having a longitudinal axis; and a slide lock; wherein the slide lock slides along the longitudinal axis of the locking spline and over the locking spline forming a locked state so that rotational movement of the locking spline, around the longitudinal axis of the locking spline, is prevented; and wherein the outer tube is coupled to the locking spline so that rotational movement of the outer tube, around the longitudinal axis of the locking spline, is prevented during the locked state.

Abstract: A mechanical cutting device that makes use of mechanical (rotary) motion and suction to engage tissue also applies a cutting energy sufficient to vaporize the tissue. The rotation and suction are used to engage the tissue (sucking tissue into cutting windows when the cutting windows of inner and outer blades are aligned), and then the cutting member(s) function as an electrode(s) by having an electrical cutting signal applied thereto so that the cutting member(s) electrically cut the tissue as the cutting members relatively rotate. The electrical cutting signal is only applied as the windows become aligned up until the cutting of the tissue is completed. The cutting signal preferably is stopped after the cutting windows become misaligned. While the cutting windows are misaligned, a coagulation signal can be supplied to the cutting member so that the device functions as an electrocautery device.

Abstract: A surgical instrument having a first cutting blade and a second cutting blade that rotates within the first cutting blade during a cutting operation to cause cutting windows of the cutting blades to remove tissue from a patient also includes a suction passage forming member disposed over a suction aperture of the first cutting blade. The suction passage forming member includes an inlet, an outlet and a passage between the inlet and the outlet, the outlet communicating with the suction aperture, and the inlet facing distally. The surgical instrument can be used as a suction tool by applying a vacuum through an internal bore of the second cutting blade while the second cutting blade is stopped from rotating with the cutting windows of the first and second cutting blades misaligned with each other so that the vacuum is applied through the suction aperture and the suction passage forming member.