Patent ID: 6776787
Filing Date: 2004-08-17
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
A surgical tissue punch device comprising:a tissue cutting assembly attached to an activation device; said tissue cutting assembly including: (i) a body having a body proximal end portion, a body distal end portion and a longitudinal passageway having a first longitudinal length extending between said body proximal end portion and said body distal end portion, said body distal end portion including a distally facing cutting blade edge adjacent said passageway, and (ii) an elongate core member having a core proximal end portion, a core distal end portion, and a second longitudinal length greater than said first longitudinal length, said elongate core member being disposed in reciprocally movable relationship with said body in said longitudinal passageway, said core member defining a substantially circumferentially oriented recessed tissue engagement portion in closely spaced relation to said core distal end portion; said activation device including means for moving said body and said core reciprocally relative to one another between a first position wherein a distal portion of said core including said recessed portion extends substantially longitudinally and distally of said cutting blade edge, and a second position wherein said distal portion of said core resides within said passageway; wherein said passageway of said body and said core are sized relative to one another such that a portion of at least one bodily tissue layer located in said recessed portion when said tissue cutting assembly is disposed in said first position is sheared away from the tissue adjacent thereto by said cutting blade as said core and said body are moved from said first position to said second position relative to one another; and further wherein said core and said body are attached separately to said activation device such that said body and said core may shift radially and/or longitudinally relative to each other and to said activation device; and wherein at least the portion of the outer surface of said elongate core member that extends outwardly from said distal end of said passageway in said first position of said device is provided with a surgically inert friction reducing coating.