Removable fluid reservoir and ultrasonic surgical instrument including the same

Abstract

A fluid reservoir includes a housing having a body, a leading end, and a trailing end enclosing a fluid chamber storing fluid therein, sealed inflow and outflow ports disposed at the leading end of the housing, and a heat exchanger disposed at the trailing end of the housing. An ultrasonic surgical instrument includes a housing defining a barrel portion and a fixed handle portion extending from the barrel portion, an ultrasonic transducer received at least partially within the barrel portion of the housing, a waveguide operably coupled to the ultrasonic transducer and extending distally from the housing to a blade configured to treat tissue with ultrasonic energy produced by the ultrasonic transducer and transmitted along the waveguide, and a fluid management system disposed within the housing. The fluid reservoir is configured for releasable engagement with the fixed handle portion to facilitate cooling of the blade with fluid.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A fluid reservoir configured for releasable engagement with an ultrasonic surgical instrument, the fluid reservoir comprising:
 a housing including a body, a leading end, and a trailing end enclosing a fluid chamber configured for storing fluid therein;   sealed inflow and outflow ports disposed at the leading end of the housing; and   a heat exchanger disposed at the trailing end of the housing.   
     
     
         2 . The fluid reservoir according to  claim 1 , further comprising inflow and outflow shafts operably coupled to the sealed inflow and outflow ports, respectively, and extending into the fluid chamber. 
     
     
         3 . The fluid reservoir according to  claim 2 , wherein the inflow and outflow shafts define different lengths such that open ends of the inflow and outflow shafts are spaced-apart from one another along a length of the fluid chamber. 
     
     
         4 . The fluid reservoir according to  claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger includes a plurality of fins configured to facilitate heat exchange between an exterior and an interior of the housing. 
     
     
         5 . The fluid reservoir according to  claim 1 , wherein the body defines a guide slot along a substantial portion of a length thereof, the guide slot configured to facilitate aligned insertion of the housing into an ultrasonic surgical instrument. 
     
     
         6 . The fluid reservoir according to  claim 1 , wherein the sealed inflow and outflow ports are each configured to be punctured by a needle. 
     
     
         7 . An ultrasonic surgical instrument, comprising:
 a housing defining a barrel portion and a fixed handle portion extending from the barrel portion, the fixed handle portion defining an internal cavity;   an ultrasonic transducer received at least partially within the barrel portion of the housing;   a waveguide operably coupled to the ultrasonic transducer and extending distally from the housing to a blade configured to treat tissue with ultrasonic energy produced by the ultrasonic transducer and transmitted along the waveguide;   a fluid management system disposed within the housing; and   a fluid reservoir releasably engageable within the internal cavity of the fixed handle portion of the housing, the fluid reservoir including a body, a leading end, and a trailing end enclosing a fluid chamber configured for storing fluid therein, the fluid reservoir further including inflow and outflow ports disposed at the leading end and a heat exchanger disposed at the trailing end,   wherein, upon engagement of the fluid reservoir within the internal cavity, the inflow and outflow ports are operably coupled with the fluid management system to enable fluid from the fluid reservoir to be circulated to cool the blade.   
     
     
         8 . The ultrasonic surgical instrument according to  claim 7 , wherein the inflow and outflow ports of the fluid reservoir are sealed and wherein the fluid management system includes inflow and outflow needles configured to puncture the sealed inflow and outflow ports, respectively, to fluidly couple the fluid management system with the fluid reservoir. 
     
     
         9 . The ultrasonic surgical instrument according to  claim 7 , wherein the fluid reservoir further includes inflow and outflow shafts operably coupled to the inflow and outflow ports, respectively, and extending into the fluid chamber. 
     
     
         10 . The ultrasonic surgical instrument according to  claim 9 , wherein the inflow and outflow shafts define different lengths such that open ends of the inflow and outflow shafts are spaced-apart from one another along a length of the fluid chamber. 
     
     
         11 . The ultrasonic surgical instrument according to  claim 7 , wherein the heat exchanger includes a plurality of fins configured to facilitate heat exchange between an exterior and an interior of the fluid reservoir. 
     
     
         12 . The ultrasonic surgical instrument according to  claim 11 , wherein the heat exchange remains external of the housing when the fluid reservoir is engaged within the internal cavity. 
     
     
         13 . The ultrasonic surgical instrument according to  claim 7 , wherein the fixed handle portion includes a guide rail disposed within the internal cavity and wherein the body of the fluid reservoir defines a guide slot configured to receive the guide rail to guide insertion of the fluid reservoir into the internal cavity. 
     
     
         14 . The ultrasonic surgical instrument according to  claim 7 , wherein the fluid management system includes an inflow conduit communicating with a lumen disposed within the waveguide for circulating fluid from the fluid reservoir through the waveguide. 
     
     
         15 . The ultrasonic surgical instrument according to  claim 7 , wherein the fluid management system includes a fluid pump configured to pump fluid at least one of to or from the fluid reservoir.