Irrigating/aspirating shaver blade assembly

Abstract

A shaver blade assembly useable in either an irrigation-only mode, an aspiration-only mode or an irrigation/aspiration mode. The shaver blade assembly has a stationary elongated outer tube and a movable (e.g. rotatable) elongated inner tube, both inner and outer tubes having hubs attached to their proximal ends for attachment to a handpiece which provides power to move the inner blade relative to the outer blade. The inner and outer tubes are provided with cutting windows at their distal tips and the relative movement between these cutting windows acts to cut tissue during surgical procedures. The outer tube is provided with a fluid inlet port at the proximal end of its tubular surface and a fluid adapter is selectively attachable to the outer tube so as to provide a means for introducing irrigating fluid into the fluid port. The adapter is integrally formed with sealing surfaces which obviate the need for O-rings and the like. A longitudinally extending irrigating channel is provided between the inlet fluid port at one end of the irrigating channel and the outlet fluid port at the distal end of the irrigating channel by which fluid is communicated to the vicinity of the cutting windows when the shaver blade is used in the irrigation-only mode or the irrigation/ aspiration mode. The channel may be either the annular clearance space itself or a separate, dedicated groove or channel formed in the mating surfaces of the tubular members. Removing the adapter and the fluid supply enables the shaver to continue being used in an aspiration-only mode.