Symbiosis Corporation

Lionel Gillespie

Joe Kopp

Matthew S Solar

Thomas O Bales, Jr

Kirk William Charles

Kevin W Smith

Charles R Slater

Devin Lee Moore

Saul Gottlieb

David S Rowley

Jurgen A Kortenbach

David H Turkel

Dana W Ryan

Gregory J Murphy

Endoscopic electrosurgical suction-irrigation instrument

An endoscopic suctioning instrument with variable suction is disclosed. The instrument has a hollow cannula having a proximal end and a distal end, and sliding sleeve having a proximal end and a distal end and a longitudinal axis, with the sliding sleeve being coaxial to and closely surrounding and slidingly engaging the hollow cannula. The sliding sleeve has a plurality of lateral holes at its distal end with the lateral holes being spaced along the longitudinal axis. A valve is provided for selectively coupling a suction source to the proximal end of the cannula, and a sleeve actuation mechanism is provided for sliding the sliding sleeve from a first position where the distal end of the sliding sleeve extends beyond the distal end of the cannula such that a first number of the lateral holes are unblocked by said cannula, to a second position where the distal end of the sliding sleeve extends beyond said distal end of the cannula such that fewer lateral holes are unblocked by said cannula, to a third position where the cannula blocks all of said lateral holes of the sliding sleeve. Various embodiments are described with different mechanisms for causing the sleeve to slide, including mechanisms linking the valve to the sleeve.

Endoscopic suction instrument having variable suction strength

A pinch valve for a flexible conduit is provided. The pinch valve has an arcuate rigid hook, an arcuate rigid pincher, and an actuator. The arcuate rigid hook has an inner surface of a diameter substantially equal to outer diameter of the flexible conduit, wherein the inner surface receives the conduit. The arcuate rigid pincher has an outer arcuate surface with a diameter at least as small as the inner diameter of the flexible conduit, and the flexible conduit is located between the arcuate hook and the arcuate rigid pincher. The actuator is coupled to either the hook or the pincher, and moves the hook relative to the pincher relative from a first position to collapse and pinch the flexible conduit therebetween to a second position where said flexible conduit is not collapsed and pinched. Preferably, the actuator is spring loaded so that the conduit is pinched. By providing the flexible conduit with a thick wall, the actuator may be actuated a small distance without permitting fluid flow through the flexible conduit. The pinch valve finds particular use in an endoscopic suction/irrigation instrument.

Pinch valve

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Atlanta, GA, United States of America

Lionel Gillespie