Patent ID: 8608766

Claim:
A rotary powered surgical tissue cutting instrument comprising: an elongate tubular outer member having a proximal end, a distal end, and an internal passage and an exterior surface extending between the proximal end and the distal end, the outer member having a main body length section and a proximal length section, and an annular abutment surface disposed at the exterior surface between the main body length section and the proximal length section; an elongate inner member rotatably disposed within the internal passage, the inner member having a proximal end and a distal end and a cutting element disposed at the distal end; a handpiece comprising a housing having a front end terminating distally at a front end surface and a chamber configured to receive the proximal ends of the inner member and the outer member and maintain the outer member stationary relative to the inner member; and an irrigation system comprising: a first irrigation passage disposed within the handpiece and extending from an inlet port to an exit opening disposed on the front end surface; and a second irrigation passage comprising a groove extending within a wall thickness of main body length section of the outer member, the groove having an entry opening on the abutment surface and an outlet opening on the exterior surface proximal to the distal end of the outer tube.