Patent Description:
Cutting instruments used in certain surgical procedures, such as biopsy punches or laparascopic scissors, have a sharp cutting tip to allow for the cutting of tissues and/or removal of tissue samples from patients. Needlestick and other sharps injuries are a serious hazard to health professionals, particularly once the equipment has been contaminated with potentially hazardous biological material.

It would be desirable to provide a cutting instrument which includes an integrated safety sleeve to shield the cutting tip after use. <CIT>, <CIT> and <CIT> discloses devices of the prior art.

Claim <NUM> defines the invention and dependent claims disclose embodiments. No surgical methods are claimed. According to a first aspect of the disclosure there is provided a surgical cutting instrument comprising a handle portion and an elongate shaft, the shaft having a distal end and a proximal end and a longitudinal axis extending therebetween, the shaft mounting a cutting element at the distal end, wherein the shaft is rotatably mounted onto the handle portion at the proximal end, allowing for rotation of the shaft about the longitudinal axis, the instrument further comprising a safety sleeve including a substantially cylindrical channel through which the elongate shaft extends, wherein the safety sleeve is moveable axially along the shaft between the proximal end and the distal end of the shaft, and wherein the instrument further comprises locking means for preventing further axial movement of the safety sleeve with respect to the elongate shaft when the safety sleeve is in the extended position; The locking means comprises first and second cooperating elements each located on a respective one of the distal end of the shaft and the safety sleeve.

The surgical cutting instrument may be selected from the group comprising: biopsy apparatus and laparoscopic scissors.

The locking means automatically engages when the safety sleeve is moved over the cutting tip. Once the locking means has engaged the safety sleeve cannot then be retracted to expose the cutting tip. The locking means is engaged when the first and second cooperating elements interact.

Preferably, when the safety sleeve is in the retracted position, rotation of the safety sleeve is configured to rotate the elongate shaft.

Preferably the instrument further comprises means for maintaining a static connection between the safety sleeve and the elongate shaft when the safety sleeve is in the retracted position, and preferably the means for maintaining a static connection comprises third and fourth cooperating elements each located on a respective one of the proximal end of the shaft and the safety sleeve.

Preferably, the third and fourth cooperating elements comprise male/female cooperating elements. More preferably, one of the third and fourth cooperating elements is a protrusion and the other of the third and fourth cooperating elements is a slot shaped to accommodate the protrusion.

The first cooperating element may comprise a collar located at the distal end of the elongate shaft, adjacent the cutting tip and the second cooperating element may comprise at least one resilient tab located on the safety sleeve and an annular channel shaped to receive the collar located within the cylindrical channel of the safety sleeve.

Preferably the safety sleeve includes a plurality of resilient tabs.

Preferably, the at least one resilient tab includes a protrusion and one edge of the annular channel is defined by the protrusion.

Alternatively, the first cooperating element may comprise at least one resilient clip including a protrusion located on the safety sleeve and biased towards the elongate shaft; and the second cooperating element may comprise at least one aperture for receiving the or each protrusion located at the distal end of the elongate shaft, adjacent the cutting tip, such that in the extended position the or each protrusion locates within the or each aperture preventing further axial movement of the safety sleeve with respect to the elongate shaft.

Preferably, the safety sleeve includes a plurality of resilient clips, each including a protrusion.

Preferably, the safety sleeve further comprises a portion of increased diameter located adjacent the proximal end of the elongate shaft. Preferably, the portion of the safety sleeve with increased diameter is configured to be gripped and includes a plurality of ridges. Preferably, the surgical cutting instrument is for extracting a biopsy sample. According to a second aspect of the disclosure, there is provided an exemplary method of using a surgical cutting instrument as hereinbefore defined, with the safety sleeve located in the retracted position, the method comprising the steps of:.

The elongate shaft may be rotated to orient the cutting tip in the desired direction before operating the cutting tip.

Where the instrument is for extracting a biopsy sample the method includes the step of removing a tissue sample after step b).

The invention provides an improved surgical cutting instrument which includes an integrated locking safety sleeve to protect users from accidental sharps injuries. By integrating the safety sleeve into the apparatus, the risk of injury through accidental contact with the used cutting tip is minimized.

In the Drawings, which illustrate preferred embodiments of cutting apparatus, are by way of example:.

Referring now to <FIG> and <FIG>, a biopsy apparatus is shown generally at <NUM> comprises a handle portion <NUM> and an elongate shaft <NUM> connected to the handle <NUM> at the proximal end of the shaft <NUM>. A cutting tip <NUM> is mounted at the distal end of the shaft <NUM>. The distal end of the shaft <NUM> is the end of the shaft <NUM> that is furthest away from the handle. The proximal end of the shaft <NUM> is the end of the shaft <NUM> that is closest to the handle. The elongate shaft <NUM> is rotatably mounted on the handle portion <NUM> so that it may be rotated about its longitudinal axis (labelled 'A' in <FIG>) as shown generally by the arrow marked B in <FIG>. Rotation of the elongate shaft <NUM> allows the health professional to correctly orient the cutting tip <NUM> of the apparatus <NUM> during the biopsy procedure. The cutting tip <NUM> is operated using the trigger <NUM> on the handle portion <NUM>. The mechanism for operation of the cutting tip <NUM> does not form part of the current invention and would be well known to the skilled person.

The apparatus further comprises a safety sleeve <NUM> which includes a substantially cylindrical channel through which the elongate shaft <NUM> is mounted. The safety sleeve <NUM> can be moved axially along the longitudinal axis of the shaft <NUM> between the proximal and distal ends of the shaft <NUM>. <FIG> illustrates the safety sleeve <NUM> in a retracted position, located at the proximal end of the shaft <NUM>. <FIG> illustrates the safety sleeve <NUM> in an extended position, covering the cutting tip <NUM> at the distal end of the shaft <NUM>. The safety sleeve <NUM> is moved between the retracted and extended position manually.

As shown in <FIG>, the safety sleeve <NUM> and base of the shaft <NUM> include cooperating means, in the illustrated example the cooperating means is in the form of a slot <NUM> on the safety sleeve and a correspondingly shaped protrusion <NUM> at the proximal end of the shaft <NUM>. The cooperating means ensures a static connection between the shaft <NUM> and the safety sleeve when the safety sleeve <NUM> is in the retracted position, and this allows the shaft <NUM> to be rotated by a user manually gripping and rotating the safety sleeve <NUM>. An alternative combination of male/female connectors could be used to achieve the same result. Preferably, as shown in the figures, the safety sleeve <NUM> include a base portion <NUM> of increased diameter, and preferably includes a ribbed surface <NUM> for enhanced grip. The increased diameter of the base portion <NUM> provides an easily grippable portion of the sleeve <NUM> that can be used to rotate the shaft <NUM>, and also serves as a shield to protect the fingers of the user when the safety sleeve is moved along the shaft towards the cutting tip.

The apparatus <NUM> further includes a locking mechanism to prevent retraction of the safety sleeve <NUM> once it has been moved to the extended position, covering the cutting tip, as shown in <FIG>.

<FIG> illustrates a cross-section through the safety sleeve <NUM> in the retracted position. Internally, the safety sleeve <NUM> comprises a substantially cylindrical channel <NUM> shaped to accommodate the elongate shaft <NUM>, along with plurality of resilient clips <NUM> which are biased towards the shaft <NUM> when the safety sleeve <NUM> is in the retracted position. As shown in <FIG>, the distal end of the elongate shaft <NUM> includes a collar <NUM> which has increased diameter compared to the remainder of the shaft <NUM>. The collar <NUM> is located adjacent the cutting tip. The clip or clips <NUM> have an enlarged end in the form of a lip <NUM>. After the apparatus <NUM> has been used to remove a biopsy sample from a patient, the health professional slides the safety sleeve <NUM> along the elongate shaft <NUM> towards the cutting tip <NUM>. The resilient clips <NUM> ride over the collar <NUM>, coming to rest on the distal side of the collar <NUM>. As shown in <FIG>, the lip <NUM> of the clip then rests on the distal side of the collar <NUM>, preventing retraction of the safety sleeve back along the elongate shaft. The collar <NUM> also prevents complete removal of the safety sleeve <NUM> from the elongate shaft, since the base of the sleeve butts up against the other side of the ridge. By locking the safety sleeve <NUM> in position over the cutting tip, the health professional is protected from any accidental contact with the cutting tip.

Any means allowing cooperation between the distal end of the elongate shaft and the safety sleeve which enables the sleeve to be locked into position over the cutting tip fulfills the object of the invention. This could include a combination of resilient clips on the sleeve and an aperture on the shaft into which the clips, or protrusions on the clips locate.

<FIG> illustrates a cross-section through an alternative embodiment of the invention with the safety sleeve <NUM> in the retracted position. As with the previous example, internally, the safety sleeve <NUM> comprises a substantially cylindrical channel <NUM> shaped to accommodate the elongate shaft <NUM>, however in this example the locking mechanism comprises a plurality of resilient tabs <NUM> which are biased towards the shaft <NUM> when the safety sleeve <NUM> is in the retracted position. As shown in <FIG>, the distal end of the elongate shaft <NUM> includes a narrow collar <NUM>' which has increased diameter compared to the remainder of the shaft <NUM>. The collar <NUM>' is located adjacent the cutting tip. Internally, as shown in <FIG>, the safety sleeve <NUM> also comprises an annular groove or channel <NUM> shaped to receive the collar <NUM>' of the shaft <NUM>. After the apparatus <NUM> has been used to remove a biopsy sample from a patient, the health professional slides the safety sleeve <NUM> along the elongate shaft <NUM> towards the cutting tip <NUM>. The resilient tabs <NUM> ride over the collar <NUM>', coming to rest on the distal side of the ridge <NUM>'. The collar <NUM>' then comes to rest in the channel <NUM>, as shown in <FIG> and the safety sleeve <NUM> is now prevented from axial movement along the shaft <NUM> in either direction. By locking the safety sleeve <NUM> in position over the cutting tip, the user is protected from any accidental contact with the cutting tip and subsequent injury.

Claim 1:
A surgical cutting instrument comprising a handle portion (<NUM>) and an elongate shaft (<NUM>), the shaft having a distal end and a proximal end and a longitudinal axis extending therebetween, the shaft mounting a cutting element (<NUM>) at the distal end, the instrument further comprising a safety sleeve (<NUM>)
including a substantially cylindrical channel through which the elongate shaft extends, wherein the safety sleeve is moveable axially along the shaft between a retracted position in which the cutting tip is exposed, and an extended position in which the cutting tip is located within the cylindrical channel of the safety sleeve;
wherein the instrument further comprises locking means (<NUM>,<NUM>) for preventing further axial movement of the safety sleeve with respect to the elongate shaft when the safety sleeve is in the extended position; wherein the locking means automatically engages when the safety sleeve is in the extended position, and the locking means prevents movement of the safety sleeve from the extended position to the retracted position; and wherein the locking means comprises first and second cooperating elements (<NUM>,<NUM>) each located on a respective one of the distal end of the shaft and the safety sleeve.