Arthroscopic devices and methods

Abstract

An arthroscopy system includes both a motorized handpiece and a detachable probe. The motorized handpiece includes a rotating driver which is configured to engage a rotatable drive coupling within a hub of the probe. The probe has a shaft with an articulating distal region, and the rotatable drive coupling is configured to convert the rotary motion of the rotating driver to an articulating motion within the articulating region of the probe.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A device for use with a motorized handpiece having a rotating driver, said device comprising:
 a shaft having a proximal end and an articulating distal region;   a hub attached to the proximal end of the shaft, said hub adapted for detachable connection to the motorized handpiece; and   a rotatable drive coupling within the hub configured to detachably engage the rotating driver when the hub is connected to the handpiece, wherein rotation of the drive coupling by the driver causes the articulating distal region of the shaft to articulate.   
     
     
         2 . The medical device of  claim 1  wherein the shaft comprises outer and inner concentric sleeves, wherein a proximal end of the outer sleeve is fixed in the hub and a proximal portion of the inner sleeve is axially moveable in the interior bore of the outer sleeve in response to rotation of the driver. 
     
     
         3 . The medical device of  claim 2  wherein the shaft has at least one distal component that maintains the distal ends of the outer and inner sleeves in a fixed relationship. 
     
     
         4 . The medical device of  claim 3  further comprising a first collar on a proximal end of the inner sleeve, wherein the rotatable drive coupling engages the first collar to longitudinally drive the collar as the rotatable drive coupling is rotated by the rotating driver of the handpiece. 
     
     
         5 . The medical device of  claim 4  wherein the first collar is threaded and the rotatable drive coupling threadably engages the collar to longitudinally drive the first collar to articulate the distal region of the shaft. 
     
     
         6 . The medical device of  claim 4  wherein the first collar has an engaging surface and the rotatable drive coupling rotates a pin against the engaging surface to longitudinally drive the first collar to articulate the distal region of the shaft. 
     
     
         7 . The medical device of  claim 6  further comprising a reciprocatable electrode at a distal end of the articulating distal region of the shaft. 
     
     
         8 . The medical device of  claim 7  further comprising a third concentric sleeve having a distal end and a proximal end, wherein the distal end is attached to the reciprocatable electrode and a proximal end is attached to the drive coupling, the rotatable drive coupling being configured to rotate the pin in an opposite direction against a cam surface on the first collar to longitudinally drive the third sleeve to reciprocate the reciprocatable electrode. 
     
     
         9 . The medical device of  claim 3  wherein the at least one distal component includes a ceramic member. 
     
     
         10 . The medical device of  claim 2  wherein rotation of the drive coupling moves the inner sleeve axially relative to the outer sleeve. 
     
     
         11 . The medical device of  claim 2  wherein the articulating region includes a series of slots in the outer and inner sleeves. 
     
     
         12 . The medical device of  claim 11  wherein the slots in the outer sleeve are radially offset from the slots in the inner sleeve. 
     
     
         13 . The medical device of  claim 9  further comprising a first polarity electrode carried at a distal end of the shaft. 
     
     
         14 . The medical device of  claim 13  wherein the first polarity electrode is carried by the ceramic member. 
     
     
         15 . The medical device of  claim 13  wherein a surface of outer sleeve comprises a second polarity electrode. 
     
     
         16 . The medical device of  claim 2  further comprising an insulation layer disposed between the outer and inner sleeves. 
     
     
         17 . The medical device of  claim 15  further comprising first and second electrical contacts in the hub connected respectively to the first and second polarity electrodes. 
     
     
         18 . The medical device of  claim 1  wherein the rotatable drive coupling is configured to rotate clockwise to bend the articulating region in a first direction and to rotate counter-clockwise to bend the articulating region in a second direction. 
     
     
         19 . The medical device of  claim 1  wherein the motorized handpiece comprises an electric motor. 
     
     
         20 . The medical device of  claim 19  wherein the handpiece has an actuator on an outer surface thereof for manually activating the motor to bend the articulating region. 
     
     
         21 . The medical device of  claim 17  wherein the handpiece has an actuator on an outer surface thereof for controlling delivery of RF energy to the first and second polarity electrodes. 
     
     
         22 . The medical device of  claim 17  wherein the inner sleeve has an interior passageway extending to an open termination in a distal region of the shaft. 
     
     
         23 . The medical device of  claim 22  wherein the interior passageway is adapted to connect to a negative pressure source. 
     
     
         24 . An arthroscopy system, comprising:
 a motorized handpiece having a motor shaft;   a probe having (a) a proximal hub adapted for detachable connection to the motorized handpiece and (b) a shaft having an articulating distal region; and   a rotatable drive coupling within the hub adapted for coupling to the motor shaft, wherein rotation of the drive coupling by the motor shaft causes articulation said articulating region.   
     
     
         25 . The arthroscopy system of  claim 24  wherein the shaft comprises outer and inner concentric sleeves, wherein a proximal end of the outer sleeve is fixed in the hub and a proximal end of the inner sleeve is driven by the rotatable drive coupling in a first direction to articulate the articulating distal region. 
     
     
         26 . The arthroscopy system of  claim 24  wherein a proximal potion of the inner sleeve is axially moveable in the interior bore of the outer sleeve. 
     
     
         27 . The arthroscopy system of  claim 24  further including a ceramic member that connects the distal ends of the outer and inner sleeves. 
     
     
         28 . The arthroscopy system of  claim 24  further comprising a first polarity electrode carried by the ceramic member. 
     
     
         29 . The arthroscopy system of  claim 28  wherein a surface of outer sleeve comprises a second polarity electrode. 
     
     
         30 . The arthroscopy system of  claim 29  further comprising an insulation layer disposed between the outer and inner sleeves. 
     
     
         31 . The arthroscopy system of  claim 30  further comprising electrical contacts in the handpiece that are adapted for coupling with cooperating electrical contacts in the hub to energize the first and second polarity electrodes. 
     
     
         32 . The arthroscopy system of  claim 25  further comprising a reciprocatable electrode at a distal tip of the articulating distal region of the shaft. 
     
     
         33 . The arthroscopy system of  claim 32  further comprising a third concentric sleeve having a distal end and a proximal end, wherein the distal end is attached to the reciprocatable electrode and the proximal end is driven by the rotatable drive coupling in an opposite direction to longitudinally drive the third sleeve to reciprocate the reciprocatable electrode. 
     
     
         34 . An arthroscopy system, comprising:
 a motorized handpiece having an electronic display; and   a probe having a hub connected to a shaft having an articulating distal region, the hub adapted for detachable connection to the motorized handpiece, wherein the motor is configured to articulate the articulating region of the probe shaft;   wherein the display provides a visual indication showing a shape of the articulating region induced by the motorized handpiece.   
     
     
         35 . The arthroscopy system of  claim 34  wherein the visual indication on the visual display can vary between between a linear shape and a fully articulated shape. 
     
     
         36 . An arthroscopy system, comprising:
 a motorized handpiece having a motor actuator button;   a probe having a hub connected to a shaft having an articulating distal region, the hub adapted for detachable connection to the motorized handpiece wherein the motor is configured to articulate the articulating region of the probe shaft; and   wherein the actuator button is configured such that continued pressure on the actuator button continuously articulates the articulating region between a linear shape and a fully articulated shape or vice versa, and wherein release of pressure on the actuator button stops the articulating region in a selected shape.   
     
     
         37 . An arthroscopy system, comprising:
 a motorized handpiece having a motor actuator button;   a probe having a hub connected to a shaft having an articulating distal region, the hub adapted for detachable connection to the motorized handpiece wherein the motor is configured to articulate the articulating region of the probe shaft; and   wherein the actuator button is configured such that pressure and release of pressure on the actuator button articulates the articulating region from a linear shape to a fully articulated shape or vice versa.   
     
     
         38 . An arthroscopy system, comprising:
 a motorized handpiece having a motor actuator button;   a probe having a hub connected to a shaft having an articulating distal region, the hub adapted for detachable connection to the motorized handpiece wherein the motor is configured to articulate the articulating region of the probe shaft; and   wherein the actuator button is configured such that pressure and release of pressure on the actuator button articulates the articulating region a selected number of degrees from a linear shape to a fully articulated shape or vice versa.   
     
     
         39 . An arthroscopy system, comprising:
 a motorized handpiece having at least one actuator button;   an RF probe having a hub connected to a shaft having an articulating distal region, the hub adapted for detachable connection to the motorized handpiece wherein the motor is configured to articulate the articulating region of the probe shaft; and   wherein an actuator button is configured to select different modes of RF current delivery to bi-polar electrodes carried by the probe shaft.   
     
     
         40 . The arthroscopy system of  claim 39  wherein a mode of RF current delivery comprises delivering an ablation waveform to the electrodes. 
     
     
         41 . The arthroscopy system of  claim 39  wherein a mode of RF current delivery comprises delivering a coagulation waveform to the electrodes.