Title of Invention

APPLICATOR FOR WATER-JET SURGERY

Abstract

Customary applicators for water-jet surgery comprise a handle, a pressure conduit to supply a working fluid from a pressure source and a nozzle at the end of the pressure conduit to generate a fluid jet with specified properties. To simplify its use during operations and also reduce costs, it: is proposed to provide a set of molded parts that differ fron one another in size and/or shape, can be reversibly connected to the handle and comprise guide devices with which ~o guide the elastically deformable pressure conduit from the handle tc the nozzle along a course predetermined by the relevant molded part:.

Full Text

Applicator for water-jet surgery DESCRIPTION The invention relates to an applicator for water-jet surgery according to the precharacterizing clause of Claim 1. For the dissection of parenchymal tissue it is becoming increasingly common to employ water-jet surgery. An appliance for this purpose is known, for example, from the document US 6,216,57 3; it comprises a hand-held instrument in which a distally disposed orifice is connected by way of a coupling to a pressure-resistant delivery tube through which a working fluid, in particular a Ringer solution, can be conducted from a pressure source with a very high pressure. Because of the extremely high working pressure (up to several hundred bar), coupling of this appliance is extremely problematic. Other appliances for water-jet surgery are known in which the pressure conduit extends from the pressure source to the outlet nozzle, so that no separate coupling is needed.In view of the fact that it is impossible to sterilize the pressure tube after it has been used, operations with such an appliance are very expensive, especially when during the operation appliances with different applicators-must be used in order to treat sites that are not readily accessible. Starting from the state of the art as described above, it is the objective of the present invention to disclose an applicator for water-jet surgery such that, in "a simple and economical manner, the number of ways in which 'the applicator :can be employed is increased. This objective is achieved in the case of an applicator for water-jet surgery that comprises a handle, a pressure conduit for supplying a working fluid from a pressure source and a nozzle at the end of the pressure conduit to produce a jet of fluid, by providing a set of molded parts that differ from one another in size and/or shape and can be reversibly connected to the handle, as well as guide devices to guide the elastically deformable pressure conduit from the handle to the nozzle along a course predetermined by the respective molded part. It is thus an essential idea of the invention that during an operation the pressure tube is continuously connected to the pressure source and only the molded part is exchanged, to reconfigure the applicator so that its shape is suitable for the momentary operation step; hence this alteration is performed simply by changing to another molded part during the operation, while the pressure tube is retained. The guide device is preferably constructed such that the pressure conduit attached to the handle can be removed from the guide device while the molded part is being exchanged and can then be inserted again. This makes it easy to exchange the guide device. In one embodiment of the invention the molded parts are constructed in tubular form, so that the guide devices consist of the lumen of nhese tubes. This embodiment is particularly easy tc manufacture. Preferably suction devices are provided, to aspirate working liquid and also blood or other body liquids. This is especially simple when the molded parts are tubular and the lumen can be attached to a suction device. 'The set of molded parts preferably comprises at least one straight molded part and one molded part that is curved or bent .at an angle. With these two embodiments, most applications can be performed. It is advantageous for these molded parts to 1 available in various sizes, to meet the demands of all operational conditions. In an especially preferred embodiment the molded part comprises at least at its distal end, directed away from the handle, electrode devices that can be connected to a HF surgical generator for the coagulation of tissue. With this embodimer therefore, another substantial problem encountered in such operations is solved, as follows. In order to expose and take care of vessels or bile ducts (in the case of the liver) ligatures, clips or high-frequency current have so far been used, and whenever this occurs it has been necessary to exchange instruments. The time thereby consumed is extraordinarily stressful, for the patient as well as for tl" person doing the operation. This applicator design in accordance with the invention can eliminate the need for such an instrument exchange. Electrode devices of this kind can be designed in various ways For instance, it is possible to allow a coagulation current flow by making direct contact between the electrode and the rissue. In another preferred embodiment the molded part comprises a device, in particular a tubular probe, to supply noble gas, as well as an electrode preferably disposed within the probe to supply a HF current; thus it forms a noble-gas-plasma coagulation device, such as is known per se. The molded part further preferably comprises a conduit extending to the nozzle in order to supply or remove fluids, that it is possible to rinse the operation area and clear it suction- The suction conduit preferably comprises a suction opening, which preferably is deflected in a direction determined by the nozzle. As a result, suction and applicati of the water jet can occur simultaneously, without disruptir the jet. Preferably the pressure conduit with nozzle, in some cases together with the handle, is intended to be used only once, whereas the molded part is designed to be sterilizable. Thus the operation costs can be kept low. The molded part and/or the pressure conduit preferably comprise adjustment devices, designed to enable the nozzle to be placed in a specific position relative to the molded part. In this way the attainable precision of the operation is increased. In this embodiment the adjustment devices can comprise a pressing device with which to push the pressure conduit in the direction of the fluid j et so that it comes into contact with a stop formed on the molded part. By this means not only the direction but also the "end position" of the nozzle is specified relative to the handle. The pressure conduit can comprise a deformable end section containing the nozzle, which can be connected by way of a coupling to a supply section that leads to the pressure source. In this way, especially when the molded parts are of different lengths, a better match between pressure tube and molded part can be achieved. This also makes it possible for the end section to be exchanged together with the molded part, which in some circumstances can simplify the exchange of molded parts. In the following, preferred embodiments of the invention are explained in greater detail with reference to drawings, wherein Fig. 1 shows a handle with pressure conduit, Fig. 2 shows one embodiment of a molded part, Fig. 3 shows a partial longitudinal section of the connection site between molded part and handle, Fig. 4-1 to Fig. 4-5 show various preferred shapes of molded parts, Fig. 5 shows a handle with molded part attached, Figs. 6 to 8 show sections through the region VI-VIII of Fig. 5, related to various embodiments, Fig. 9 shows a partial longitudinal section through the handle end on the supply side, Fig. 10 shows another embodiment of a handle in a drawing like that in Fig. 9, Fig. 11 shows another embodiment of the invention in a drawing corresponding to that in Fig. 1, Fig. 12 shows a molded part for use with the handle according to Fig. 11, Fig. 13 is an enlarged sectional drawing of the coupling region between handle and molded part according to Figs. 11 and 12, and Fig. 14 is a schematic drawing of another molded part with HF-coagulation devices. In the following description, the same reference numerals are used for identical parts or parts with identical actions. As can be seen in Figs. 1 to 3, the applicator comprises a handle 10 through which a pressure conduit 20 passes from a pressure source P to a nozzle 21. So that a molded part 30 can be attached, the distal end of the handle 10 is provided with a screw thread 11 onto which a correspondingly configured thread in a coupling cap 37 can be rotated. Although the coupling cap 37 is rotatably seated on a tube 38, it is fixed in position in the longitudinal direction. The pressure conduit 20 passes through the lumen 40 of the tube 38 and at its distal end, in the embodiment shown here, comprises a centering spiral 36. This centering spiral or wave is — as shown in Figs. 6 and 7 — dimensioned such that the end of the pressure conduit 20 is firmly held within the lumen 40 of the tube 38 and the nozzle 21 can be positioned substantially in the center of the tube 38, just ahead of its end. At the distal end 31 of the tube 38, i.e. of the molded part 30, there is an end piece 32 with laterally positioned suction openings 33. In this case the lumen 40 simultaneously constitutes a conduit 22 that can be connected to a suction device. As shown in Figs. 4-1 to 4-5, the molded parts 30 can be constructed with different lengths (30-1, 30-2) and can be bent into various shapes (30-3 to 30-5), and in the latter case can also vary in length. These shapes and lengths correspond to the requirements associated with the various operations. During use, the pressure tube 20 is connected to the pressure source. Then the operator selects the particular molded part . 30-1 to 30-5 that is to be used for the first steps in the operation and attaches this molded part 30 to the handle 10, by inserting the pressure tube 20 into the molded part 30, through the lumen 40 of the tube 38, and screwing the coupling cap 37 onto the thread 11 of the handle 10 so that it is fixed in position, with the nozzle 21 at the distal end 31 of the molded part 30. If the operator wants, to employ another molded part, for instance one that is bent as shown in Fig. 4-5, then he unscrews the previously used molded part 30-1 and replaces it by a molded part 30-5 by carrying out the steps previously described. After the end of the operation the molded parts 30 can be sterilized and made available for a new operation; the pressure tube 20, in some cases together with the handle, is not used again, as it cannot be sterilized because of the small diameter of its lumen and nozzle. So that the nozzle 21 can be centered within the distal end 31 of the molded part 30, it is possible, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, to mount an adjustment stop 34 within the end piece 32 in such a way that during assembly of handle 10 and molded part 30, the end of the pressure conduit 20 with the nozzle 21 is inserted into the adjustment stop 34, which preferably has a conical structure, and is fixed there in a final position; thus the situation of the nozzle 21 is precisely specified, in both the longitudinal direction of the tube 38 and the radial direction of the lumen 40. Differences in length can be compensated either by the centering spiral 36 or — as shown in Fig. 9 — by means of a spring 35 that bears against a spring seating 12 in the handle and pushes an end section 20' of the pressure conduit 20 toward the nozzle, by way of a holder 25 that is fixed to the pressure conduit 20. The holder 25 can also be simultaneously constructed as a coupling, as shown in Fig. 10, by way of which a thinner, distal end section 20' of the pressure conduit 20 is connected to a thicker supply section 20". The embodiment of the handle according to Fig. 10 also differs from that in Fig. 9 in that the suction conduit 22 does not surround rhe pressure tube 20 coaxially, but rather is designed as a separate conduit, while the pressure tube 20, or its supply section 20", emerges through another (sealed) opening in the handle 10. The embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 11 to 13 differs from that previously described in that when a molded part 30 is being exchanged, the end section 20! of the pressure conduit is exchanged along with it. For this purpose a coupling 25 is positioned in the handle 10 in such a way that as the molded part 30 is being put into place and screwed on, the end of the end section 20' that is opposite the nozzle 21 is inserted into the coupling 25 fixed within the handle 10 and, because of the elastic structure of the coupling 25, is then connected in a List of reference numerals 1 Handle 11 Screw thread 12 Spring seating 20 Pressure conduit 20, End section 20" Supply section 21 Nozzle 22 Conduit 2 3 Probe 24 Electrode 25 Holder 30 Molded part 31 Distal end 32 End piece 33 Suction opening 34 Adjustment stop 35 Spring 36 Centering spiral 37 Coupling cap 38 Tube 39 Holder 4 0 Lumen 41 HF connector 42 Insulating layer 50 HF generator 51 APC generator P Pressure source E Suction device CLAIMS 1. Applicator for water-jet surgery, comprising a handle (10), a pressure conduit (20) to supply a working fluid from a pressure source (P), a nozzle (21) at the end of the pressure conduit (20) to generate a fluid jet with specified properties, characterized by a set of molded parts (30) that differ from one another in size and/or shape, can be reversibly connected to the handle (10) and comprise guide devices [40, 34) with which to guide the elastically deferrable pressure conduit (20) from the handle (10) to the nozzle (21 along a course predetermined by the relevant molded parn(30). 2. Applicator according to Claim 1, characterized in that the guide if loes 41 are constructed in such a way that the pressure conduit (20) fixed to the handle (10) can be molded from. and reinserted into the guide devices (40, 34' was the molded part (30) is being exchanged. 3. Applicator according to one of me preceding claims, characterized in that the guiae devices ;3J consist of a lumen \4Z) in the tubular molded re^ms II . 4. Applicator according to Claim 3, characterized in that the lumen ;4C cf ~he molded parts (30) can be connected to a suction device. 5. Applicator according to one of rhe preceding claims, characterized in that the set comprises at least one straight molded part (30-1; 30-2; and one curved or angled molded part (30-3 to 30-5). 6. Applicator according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the molded part (30) comprises, at least at its distal end directed away from the handle (10), electrode devices (32) that can be connected to a HF surgical generator (50, 51) for the coagulation of tissue. 7. Applicator according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the molded part (30) comprises a conduit (22/40) that preferably extends to the nozzle (21) and serves to supply or remove fluids. 8. Applicator according to Claim 7, characterized in that the conduit (22) comprises at least one suction opening (33), which preferably is deflected in a direction predetermined by the nozzle 11 . 9. Applicator according to Clai characterized in that the monprises a device, in particular a tubu: supply noble gas as well as an electrode=rably disposed within the probe (2T current in order to form a noble-gas-plapparatus. 10. Applicator according to onerlaims, characterized in that the pr;' with nozzle (21) together with the handli -c be used only once, and ~he molded pa =rd to be sterilizable. 11. Applicator according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the molded part(-3) and/or the pressure conduit (20) comprise an adjustment device (34, 36) so constructed that the nozzle {21} can be placed in a specified position with respect to the molded part (30). 12. Applicator according to Claim 11, characterized in that the adjustment device comprises a pressing device (35) to push the pressure conduit (2 0) in the direction of the fluid jet, against a centering stop (34) formed on the molded part. 13. Applicator according to Claim 12, characterized in that the pressure conduit (20) comprises a deformable end section (201) that contains the nozzle (21) and can be connected by way of a coupling {25} to a supply section (20") that leads to the pressure source (P). 14. Applicator according to Claim 13, characterized in that the end section 20; can be exchanged together with the molded part (30) . Dated this 2o day of November 2006

Documents:

4377-CHENP-2006 AMANDED CLAIMS 25-08-2010.pdf

4377-CHENP-2006 CORRESPONDENCE OTHERS 07-06-2010.pdf

4377-CHENP-2006 EXAMINATION REPORT REPLY RECEIVED 25-08-2010.pdf

4377-chenp-2006 form 3 25-08-2010.pdf

4377-CHENP-2006 OTHER DOCUMENT 25-08-2010.pdf

4377-CHENP-2006 OTHER PATENT DOCUMENT 25-08-2010.pdf

4377-CHENP-2006 POWER OF ATTORNEY 25-08-2010.pdf

4377-CHENP-2006 AMANDED PAGES OF SPECIFICATION 08-10-2009.pdf

4377-CHENP-2006 CORRESPONDENCE PO.pdf

4377-CHENP-2006 FORM-13.pdf

4377-CHENP-2006 FORM-18.pdf

4377-chenp-2006-abstract.pdf

4377-chenp-2006-claims.pdf

4377-chenp-2006-correspondnece-others.pdf

4377-chenp-2006-description(complete).pdf

4377-chenp-2006-drawings.pdf

4377-chenp-2006-form 1.pdf

4377-chenp-2006-form 3.pdf

4377-chenp-2006-form 5.pdf

4377-chenp-2006-pct.pdf