Electrocauterizing tool for orthopedic shave devices

Abstract

Disclosed is a surgical apparatus including a surgical instrument including a housing and a cannula, and a surgical tool including a shaft and a tip, and a drive interface and an electrical interface, and the drive interface producing a surgical motion of the tip, and the electrical interface producing a cauterizing action of the tip. Also disclosed is a cutting and cauterizing device for connection to a surgical instrument. Additionally, methods for using both the surgical apparatus and the cutting and cauterizing device are disclosed.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A surgical apparatus, comprising: 
 a surgical instrument including a housing and a cannula, and the cannula attached at a proximal end to the housing and defining at a distal end thereof an opening and the housing containing a drive interface; and    a surgical tool including a shaft and a tip, and the tip located in the opening, and the shaft contained within the cannula and the shaft mechanically and electrically coupled at a distal end to the tip, and at a proximal end, to the drive interface and an electrical interface, and the drive interface producing a surgical motion of the tip, and the electrical interface producing a cauterizing action of the tip.    
     
     
         2 . The surgical apparatus of    claim 1   , wherein the surgical instrument further comprises: 
 a first electrical member suitable for switchable coupling to a power supply; and    wherein the surgical tool further comprises; 
 a second electrical member, located at the proximal end of the shaft and electrically coupling the first electrical member to the shaft to form the electrical interface.  
   
     
     
         3 . The surgical apparatus of    claim 2   , wherein the first electrical member further comprises a switch, located on the housing.  
     
     
         4 . The surgical apparatus of    claim 2   , wherein the surgical instrument further comprises: 
 an interconnector including the first electrical member, and the interconnector located between the housing and the cannula for coupling the housing and the cannula.    
     
     
         5 . The surgical apparatus of    claim 2   , wherein the first electrical member includes a brush and the second electrical member includes a commutator electrically coupled to the shaft.  
     
     
         6 . The surgical apparatus of    claim 2   , wherein the second electrical member includes the proximal end of the shaft.  
     
     
         7 . The surgical apparatus of    claim 1   , wherein the tip includes at least one conducting portion and at least one non-conducting portion, and wherein the shaft is electrically coupled to the at least one conducting portion.  
     
     
         8 . The surgical apparatus of    claim 7   , wherein the at least one conducting portion defines at least one exposed convex tip surface and the non-conducting portion defines at least one concave tip surface.  
     
     
         9 . The surgical apparatus of    claim 7   , wherein the at least one conducting portion defines at least one exposed concave tip surface and the non-conducting portion defines at least one convex tip surface.  
     
     
         10 . The surgical apparatus of    claim 7   , wherein the at least one non-conducting portion defines a first exposed surface of the tip, and the at least one conducting portion extends from at least one location internal to the tip through the at least one non-conducting portion to define a second exposed surface of the tip.  
     
     
         11 . The surgical apparatus of    claim 10   , wherein the at least one conducting portion extends from a single location internal to the tip.  
     
     
         12 . The surgical apparatus of    claim 10   , wherein the at least one conducting portion extends from multiple locations internal to the tip.  
     
     
         13 . The surgical apparatus of    claim 10   , wherein the at least one conducting portion extends at an angle to a longitudinal axis of the tip to define at least one disk.  
     
     
         14 . The surgical apparatus of    claim 10   , wherein the second exposed surface extends in a diametric arc about a longitudinal axis of the tip.  
     
     
         15 . The surgical apparatus of    claim 10   , wherein the second exposed surface extends in an arc along a longitudinal axis of the tip.  
     
     
         16 . The surgical apparatus of    claim 10   , wherein the second exposed surface defines at least one point source.  
     
     
         17 . The surgical apparatus of    claim 10   , wherein the second exposed surface defines at least one cutting edge of the tip.  
     
     
         18 . The surgical apparatus of    claim 1   , wherein a substantial portion of a surface of the shaft is conductive, thus forming an electrical coupling between the electrical interface and the tip.  
     
     
         19 . The surgical apparatus of    claim 1   , wherein a substantial portion of a surface of the shaft is non-conductive, and a portion of the shaft, running along a longitudinal axis of the shaft, is conductive, thus forming an electrical coupling between the electrical interface and the tip.  
     
     
         20 . A cutting and cauterizing device for connection to a surgical instrument, and the surgical instrument including a drive interface and a first interconnector, and the cutting and cauterizing device comprising: 
 a cannula defining at a distal end thereof an opening;    a second interconnector, suitable for switchably coupling to a power supply, and the second interconnector located at the proximal end of the cannula and shaped to couple to the first interconnector; and    a surgical tool including a shaft and a tip, and the tip located in the opening, and the shaft contained within the canula, and the shaft coupled at a distal end to the tip and at a proximal end mechanically coupled to the drive interface to permit a surgical motion of the tip, and electrically coupled to the second interconnector to permit a cauterizing action of the tip.    
     
     
         21 . The cutting and cauterizing device of    claim 20   , wherein the second interconnector further comprises: 
 a first electrical member suitable for switchably coupling to the power supply; and    wherein the surgical tool further comprises: 
 a second electrical member, located at the proximal end of the shaft and electrically coupling the first electrical member to the shaft.  
   
     
     
         22 . The cutting and cauterizing device of    claim 21   , wherein the first electrical member includes a brush and the second electrical member includes a commutator electrically coupled to the shaft.  
     
     
         23 . The cutting and cauterizing device of    claim 21   , wherein the second electrical member includes the proximal end of the shaft.  
     
     
         24 . The cutting and cauterizing device of    claim 20   , wherein the tip includes at least one conducting portion and at least one non-conducting portion, and wherein the shaft is electrically coupled to the at least one conducting portion.  
     
     
         25 . The cutting and cauterizing device of    claim 24   , wherein the at least one conducting portion defines at least one exposed convex tip surface and the non-conducting portion defines at least one concave tip surface.  
     
     
         26 . The cutting and cauterizing device of    claim 24   , wherein the at least one conducting portion defines at least one exposed concave tip surface and the non-conducting portion defines at least one convex tip surface.  
     
     
         27 . The cutting and cauterizing device of    claim 24   , wherein the at least one non-conducting portion defines a first exposed surface of the tip, and the at least one conducting portion extends from at least one location internal to the tip through the at least one non-conducting portion to define a second exposed surface of the tip.  
     
     
         28 . The cutting and cauterizing device of    claim 27   , wherein the at least one conducting portion extends from a single location internal to the tip.  
     
     
         29 . The cutting and cauterizing device of    claim 27   , wherein the at least one conducting portion extends from multiple locations internal to the tip.  
     
     
         30 . The cutting and cauterizing device of    claim 27   , wherein the at least one conducting portion extends at an angle to a longitudinal axis of the tip to define at least one disk.  
     
     
         31 . The cutting and cauterizing device of    claim 27   , wherein the second exposed surface extends in a diametrical arc about a longitudinal axis of the tip.  
     
     
         32 . The cutting and cauterizing device of    claim 27   , wherein the second exposed surface extends in an arc along a longitudinal axis of the tip.  
     
     
         33 . The cutting and cauterizing device of    claim 27   , wherein the second exposed surface defines at least one point source.  
     
     
         34 . The cutting and cauterizing device of    claim 27   , wherein the second exposed surface defines at least one cutting edge of the tip.  
     
     
         35 . The cutting and cauterizing device of    claim 1   , wherein a substantial portion of a surface of the shaft is conductive, thus forming an electrical coupling between the electrical interface and the tip.  
     
     
         36 . The cutting and cauterizing device of    claim 1   , wherein a substantial portion of a surface of the shaft is non-conductive, and a portion of the shaft, running along a longitudinal axis of the shaft, is conductive, thus forming an electrical coupling between the electrical interface and the tip.  
     
     
         37 . A method of performing a surgical procedure, comprising using the surgical apparatus of    claim 1    in the course of performing the surgical procedure.  
     
     
         38 . A method of performing a surgical procedure, comprising using the cutting and cauterizing device of    claim 20    in the course of performing the surgical procedure.