Patent ID: 6152941
Filing Date: 2000-11-28
Classification: A61B,A61M

Abstract:
A powered surgical handpiece for actuating a cutting attachment having an outer hub, an inner hub and a rotatable inner tube that is connected to the inner hub, said handpiece comprising:a housing having a proximal end with a proximal end port and a distal end with a distal end port, the distal end port being axially aligned with the proximal end port;a stator fixedly mounted in said housing, said stator having a passageway located between the proximal end and the distal end of the housing;a rotor disposed in the passageway of said stator so as to form a motor with said stator, said rotor having a hollow shaft that is rotatably mounted to said housing, said shaft having a longitudinal axis that is axially aligned with the proximal end port of said housing, a head end located in said distal end port of said housing, the head end being sleeve-shaped, and an open proximal end in fluid communication with the proximal end port; anda suction fitting attached to the proximal end port of said handpiece through which a suction is drawn through said rotor shaft;a coupling member movably mounted to the distal end of said housing for releasably holding the outer hub of the cutting attachment in a static position in the distal end port; andan inner hub coupling assembly for releasably holding the inner hub of the cutting attachment to said rotor shaft so that the inner hub and inner tube rotate in unison with said shaft, said inner hub coupling assembly including:a coupling ring that is disposed over said rotor shaft that has at least one tooth for engaging a complementary notch formed in the inner hub and that is fitted to said shaft to rotate in unison with said shaft and to move longitudinally relative to the head end of said shaft; anda biasing member that extends between said handpiece housing and said coupling ring for urging said coupling ring towards said inner hub so that said at least one tooth is urged into the complementary notch formed in said inner hub.