Patent ID: 6346107
Filing Date: 2002-02-12
Classification: A61B,A61M

Abstract:
A powered liposuction device comprising:a hand-holdable housing provided with a reciprocation means reciprocatable within said hand-holdable housing and a pair of power supply terminals for supplying a radio-frequency (RF) power signal to an electro-cauterizing cannula assembly during liposuction operations, said electro-cauterizing cannula assembly being operably connectable to said hand-holdable housing and including a hollow inner cannula having a distal end and a proximal end and an inner suction aperture about said inner cannula distal end, said inner cannula proximal end further including an outlet port and a continuous passageway which communicates said inner suction aperture with said outlet port, a hollow outer cannula having a distal end and a proximal end and an outer suction aperture about said outer cannula distal end, said hollow inner cannula being disposed within at least a portion of said hollow outer cannula while permitting aspiration of tissue through said outer and inner suction apertures, along said continuous passageway and out of said outlet port, said hollow inner cannula being operably associatable with said reciprocation means, and said hollow outer cannula being essentially stationary with respect to said hand-holdable housing, so as to effectuate relative sliding movement between said hollow inner and outer cannulas when said reciprocation means reciprocates, so that the location of said aspiration through said outer and inner suction apertures is periodically displaced, and electro-cauterizing means associated with said hollow inner and outer cannulas, for conducting said RF power signal along said hollow inner and outer cannulas and effecting coagulation of protein molecules within the tissue being aspirated through said outer and inner suction apertures, wherein said hollow outer cannula further comprises an outer cannula base extending from said outer cannula proximal end and being adapted for releasably connecting with said hand-holdable housing, wherein said hollow inner cannula further comprises an inner cannula base which is operably associatable with said reciprocation means by way of an actuation means disposed in said hand-holdable housing and reciprocatable by said reciprocation means, and wherein said hollow inner cannula base further includes said outlet port and said continuous passageway, wherein said hollow outer cannula is electrically non-conductive and said electro-cauterizing means includes a cauterizing electrode provided about said hollow outer suction aperture; and wherein said hollow inner cannula is electrically conductive and the outer cannula base of said hollow inner cannula includes electrical means for conducting said RF power signal from a first one of said power supply terminals provided in said powered liposuction device to said hollow inner cannula.