Stryker Corporation

Braden M Robison

Andrew J Hamel

Michael G Hilldoerfer

Kurt M Deutmeyer

Alan Ackley

Nathan A Swain

A surgical tool arrangement including a powered handpiece which cooperates with a combined electrosurgical and mechanical cutting instrument. The electrosurgical and mechanical cutting instrument includes an outer static housing element which defines an electrode for delivering electrical energy to the surgical site, and a cutting element disposed within the outer housing and movable relative thereto for manipulating patient tissue. The electrosurgical and mechanical cutting instrument is an integral component attachable to the surgical tool to provide multiple functions in a single instrument, such as cauterization, ablation and mechanical cutting, without the need for attachment of additional housing structures or other adapters. The tool arrangement also includes a universal handpiece which is capable of accepting and operating a number of different surgical instruments, each having one or multiple functions.

Surgical tool arrangement

A surgical instrument, suitable for endoscopic surgery has a first member and a movably driven second member movable in such first member. One such member comprises a generally tubular proximal member and a tissue working tip which are relatively telescoped and have opposed surfaces. A projection protrudes from such tip surface through such generally tubular member surface to fixedly secure same together.

Surgical instrument

A cutting accessory ( ) for use with powered surgical tools. The cutting accessory has a hub ( ) for coupling the accessory to the output shaft of a handpiece. A drive shaft ( ) formed of stainless steel or other relatively rigid material extends forward from the hub. A head ( ) formed from nickel titanium alloy or other metal that is more flexible than the material forming the drive shaft is attached to the distal end of the drive shaft. The head is shaped to form the cutting edges of the cutting accessory. In some versions of the invention, intermediate sections ( ) of the drive shaft are formed from the flexible metal or metal alloy.

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Fremont, CA, United States of America

Braden M Robison