Ultrasonic surgical instrument and cartilage and bone shaping blades therefor

Abstract

An ultrasonic surgical blade that includes a blade body that has a treatment region. At least one indentation can be formed in the treatment region of the blade body wherein each indentation forms a tissue cutting edge with an outer surface of the blade body. The indentation may comprise one or more holes, lumens, grooves or dimples or a combination of such structures. In various embodiments, one or more aspiration lumens are provided in the surgical blade which may ultimately communicate with an aspiration lumen or passage in an ultrasonic surgical instrument.

1 . An ultrasonic surgical blade comprising:
 a blade body having an treatment region; and   at least one indentation formed in said treatment region of said blade body wherein each said indentation forms a tissue cutting edge with an outer surface of said blade body.   
   
   
       2 . An ultrasonic surgical blade according to  claim 1  wherein said at least one indentation is selected from the group consisting of holes, lumens, grooves, and dimples. 
   
   
       3 . An ultrasonic surgical blade according to  claim 2  wherein said grooves comprise a series of groove segments. 
   
   
       4 . An ultrasonic surgical blade according to  claim 1  wherein said treatment region is substantially spherically-shaped. 
   
   
       5 . An ultrasonic surgical blade according to  claim 1  wherein said at least one indentation comprises a hole that has a tapered portion that forms said tissue cutting edge with said outer surface of said blade body. 
   
   
       6 . An ultrasonic surgical blade according to  claim 5  wherein said blade body is fabricated from a first material and wherein said tapered portion is fabricated from a second material that differs from said first material. 
   
   
       7 . An ultrasonic surgical blade according to  claim 1  wherein said at least one indentation comprises a lumen extending through said blade body, said lumen forming an opening through an outer surface of said blade body such that a perimeter of said opening forms said tissue cutting edge. 
   
   
       8 . An ultrasonic surgical blade according to  claim 1  wherein said at least one indentation comprises a lumen extending through said blade body, said lumen having a tapered distal end that forms an opening in said treatment region that forms said tissue cutting edge with said outer surface of said blade body. 
   
   
       9 . An ultrasonic surgical blade according to  claim 1  further comprising:
 a neck portion protruding from a portion of said treatment region along a longitudinal axis;   a first lumen extending through a portion of said blade body and said neck portion; and   at least one second lumen extending through another portion of said blade body and intersecting said first lumen for fluid communication therewith, each said second lumen forming at least one opening through an outer surface of said blade body, each said opening forming a tissue cutting edge with said outer surface.   
   
   
       10 . An ultrasonic surgical blade according to  claim 9  wherein said at least one second lumen forms diametrically opposed openings through said outer surface of said blade body. 
   
   
       11 . An ultrasonic surgical blade according to  claim 9  wherein said at least one indentation comprises at least one groove in said outer surface of said blade body and wherein said groove communicates with at least one said opening. 
   
   
       12 . An ultrasonic surgical blade according to  claim 9  wherein said at least one second lumen extends along an axis that is substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis. 
   
   
       13 . An ultrasonic surgical blade according to  claim 1  wherein said at least one indentation comprises at least one lumen formed in said blade body and forming at least one opening through an outer surface of said blade body such that a perimeter of said opening forms said tissue cutting edge, said at least one lumen forming a primary imbalance in said blade body. 
   
   
       14 . An ultrasonic blade according to  claim 13  further comprising a second imbalance formed in said blade body offsetting said primary imbalance. 
   
   
       15 . An ultrasonic surgical blade according to  claim 7  further comprising an aspiration member communicating with said at least one lumen. 
   
   
       16 . An ultrasonic surgical blade according to  claim 7  wherein said at least one lumen is in fluid communication with at least one of an aspiration module and an irrigation module. 
   
   
       17 . A method for processing an ultrasonic surgical blade for surgery, the method comprising:
 obtaining the ultrasonic surgical blade of  claim 1 ;   sterilizing the ultrasonic surgical blade; and   storing the ultrasonic surgical blade in a sterile container.   
   
   
       18 . An ultrasonic surgical blade comprising:
 a blade body having a substantially spherically-shaped treatment region; and   at least one substantially sharp edge formed on at least a portion of said spherically-shaped treatment region.   
   
   
       19 . An ultrasonic surgical blade according to  claim 18  wherein said at least one substantially sharp edge comprises at least one endless sharp edge formed by a groove in said substantially spherically-shaped treatment region. 
   
   
       20 . An ultrasonic surgical blade according to  claim 18  further comprising at least one lumen passage in said blade body. 
   
   
       21 . An ultrasonic surgical blade according to  claim 20  wherein said at least one lumen passage forms an imbalance in said blade body. 
   
   
       22 . An ultrasonic surgical blade according to  claim 21  further comprising an aspiration member communicating with said at least one lumen passage. 
   
   
       23 . An ultrasonic surgical blade according to  claim 22  wherein said at least one lumen passage is in fluid communication with at least one of an aspiration module and an irrigation module. 
   
   
       24 . An ultrasonic surgical blade according to  claim 21  wherein said at least one lumen passage opens into said groove. 
   
   
       25 . An ultrasonic surgical blade according to  claim 18  further comprising at least one lumen passage in said substantially spherically-shaped treatment region and wherein said at least one substantially sharp edge is formed wherein a tapered portion of said lumen passage opens through a distal end of said substantially spherically-shaped treatment region. 
   
   
       26 . An ultrasonic surgical blade according to  claim 18  further comprising at least one hole in said substantially spherically shaped treatment region wherein said at least one substantially sharp edge is formed by a tapered portion of said hole that opens through an outer surface of said substantially spherically-shaped treatment region. 
   
   
       27 . An ultrasonic surgical instrument comprising:
 an ultrasonic transmission member having a proximal end and a distal end; and   an ultrasonically actuated blade attached to the distal end of the ultrasonic transmission member, wherein the blade comprises:
 a blade body having an treatment region; and 
 at least one indentation formed in said treatment region of said blade body wherein each said indentation forms a tissue cutting edge with an outer surface of said blade body. 
   
   
   
       28 . An ultrasonic surgical instrument according to  claim 27  wherein said at least one indentation is selected from the group consisting of holes, lumens, grooves, and dimples. 
   
   
       29 . An ultrasonic surgical instrument according to  claim 27  wherein said treatment region is substantially spherically-shaped. 
   
   
       30 . An ultrasonic surgical instrument according to  claim 27  wherein said ultrasonic transmission member is configured to transmit at least one of a longitudinal motion, transverse motion and torsional motion from a corresponding source of said longitudinal motion, transverse motion, and torsional motion communicating therewith to said ultrasonically actuated blade. 
   
   
       31 . The ultrasonic surgical instrument according to  claim 30  wherein said ultrasonic transmission member is configured to transmit a combination of said longitudinal motion, transverse motion and torsional motion to said ultrasonically actuated blade. 
   
   
       32 . A method for processing an ultrasonic surgical instrument, the method comprising:
 obtaining the ultrasonic surgical instrument of  claim 27 ;   detaching the ultrasonically actuated blade from the distal end of the ultrasonic transmission member of the ultrasonic surgical instrument; and   performing one of the following actions:
 reforming at least one of the indentations in the blade body, resterilizing the ultrasonically actuated blade and reattaching the resterilized blade to the distal end of the ultrasonic transmission member; or 
 attaching another sterilized ultrasonically actuated blade to the distal end of the ultrasonic surgical instrument. 
   
   
   
       33 . A method of mounting an ultrasonic surgical blade according to  claim 1  onto a distal end of an ultrasonic transmission member, said method comprising one of the actions selected from the group of actions consisting of welding, threading and gluing.