Arthroscopic devices and methods

Abstract

An arthroscopic or other surgical cutter has features which facilitate fabrication by ceramic molding. The arthroscopic cutter includes a cutter body having a longitudinal axis and a window, an interior channel, and a plurality of cutting edges extending radially outwardly from an outer surface thereof. The features include non-helical, longitudinally aligned cutting edges, controlled thicknesses of the cutting edges, controlled heights of the cutting edges, controlled areas of the windows, controlled diameters of the internal channels, controlled rake angles of the cutting edges, and other parameters.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A mold assembly for fabricating a ceramic surgical cutter member including a ceramic body having an outer surface, a longitudinal axis, a distal cutting portion with cutting edges, and a proximal shaft portion with a window that opens to an interior channel, said method comprising:
 a main body mold component having (1) an internal mold cavity configured to receive a flowable material comprising a ceramic to form the outer surface of the ceramic cutter body, (2) a window aperture, and (3) an interior passage aperture;   a first core pin which is configured to pass through the widow aperture in the mold component to form the window of the ceramic cutter body;   a second core pin which is configured to pass through the interior channel aperture in the mold to form the interior channel of the ceramic cutter body;   wherein the interior channel aperture is oriented to align the second core pin axially through the mold component and the window aperture is oriented to align the first core pin laterally through the mold component so that a distal end of the first core pin engages a side of the second core pin to connect the window of the ceramic cutter body to the interior passage of the ceramic cutter body so that tissue may be drawn through the window into the interior passage of a ceramic cutter body formed by the mold assembly.