1
METHOD FOR HARVESTING AND
PROCESSING CELLS FROM TISSUE
FRAGMENTS
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED
APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/044,388, filed Jan. 11, 2002, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,543,455 which in turn is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/483,676, filed Jan. 14, 2000 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,468,289. The aforementioned application Ser. No. 09/483,676 is itself a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/323,326, filed Jun. 1, 1999 (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,174,313 Bl). The aforementioned application Ser. No. 09/323,326 is itself a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/834,835, filed Apr. 11, 1997 (now U.S. Pat. No. 5,935,131). The aforementioned application Ser. No. 08/834,835 is itself a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/695,274, filed Aug. 9, 1996 (now U.S. Pat. No. 5,694,951). The aforementioned application Ser. No. 08/695,274 is itself a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/353,494, filed Dec. 9, 1994 (now U.S. Pat. No. 5,577,517). The aforementioned application Ser. No. 08/353,494 is itself a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/134,914, filed Oct. 12, 1993 (now U.S. Pat. No. 5,403,317). The aforementioned application Ser. No. 08/134,914 is itself a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/545,908, filed Jun. 28, 1990 (now U.S. Pat. No. 5,269,785).
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to the field of tissue removal and tissue grafting. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus and method for the percutaneous cutting and removal of selected portions of tissue from a patient and the possible harvesting and implantation of the tissue portion in the donor.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are various known methods and apparatus for the cutting and removal of tissue fragments from a human. Each of these, however, suffers from one or more deficiencies.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,832,683 shows an instrument for ultrasonic cutting of bones, with irrigation or suction. However, there is no suction while cutting, no removal of the cut bone or tissue, and no flexibility in the instrument.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,265,231 shows apparatus for drilling a curved hole having a flexible shaft confined in a rigid tubular sheath, but which shows no removal of cut bone or tissue.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,541,423 shows apparatus for drilling a curved hole having a flexible shaft confined in a semi-rigid tubular sheath, but which shows no removal of cut bone or tissue.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,589,414 shows a surgical cutting instrument with a reciprocatory cutting motion, but which has no removal of cut bone or tissue, and no flexibility in the instrument.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,603,694 shows a rotating arthroscopic shaver with suction, but which is not flexible and which has no removal of cut bone or tissue.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,751,922 shows a flexible medullary reamer with a plastic shaft and a guide rod, but which has no suction and no removal of the cut bone or tissue.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,798,213,4,649,918, and 4,142,517 show various apparatus for bone coring.
2
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a percutaneous tissue removal apparatus including a flexible drill shaft and means for
5 transmitting motion to the shaft. A cutting tip is mounted on the shaft to cut tissue fragments from the tissue. The tissue fragments are removed by suction along the flexible drill shaft to a location outside the body while cutting. One or more selected components of the removed tissue fragments
10 may be collected for implantation, preferably into the body of the patient from whom they were removed. Because the drill shaft is flexible, the surgeon can guide the cutting tip into various locations within the tissue from a small (percutaneous) incision. The surgeon can cut around arcs or
15 angles, rather than only being able to go in a straight line, to reach any desired location, and to avoid vital tissue which would otherwise be in the cutting path. For example, when removing unwanted tissue inside a knee joint the drill shaft can deform, and is therefore less likely to damage normal
20 tissue or joint surfaces. None of these functions is possible with a straight line system.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
25 The present invention is a percutaneous tissue removal device and method. In the preferred embodiments described below, the apparatus and method are illustrated as used for removal of bone tissue, but such description is for illustrative purposes only. The invention is not limited to the
30 removal of bone tissue and may be used for removal of cartilage, muscle, fetal tissue, etc. It may be used to break up and remove kidney stones, in the gall bladder for a stone or tumor, in the stomach, in the colon to remove a polyp or tumor, etc. It can reach spaces not currently available with
35 the straight line systems currently available.
A percutaneous tissue removal apparatus in accordance with the present invention includes a flexible drill shaft for insertion inside a tissue. A cutting tip is mounted on the drill shaft for cutting the tissue. Either rotating motion or recip
40 rocating motion is transmitted to the drill shaft to move the cutting tip against the tissue to cut tissue fragments from the tissue. While cutting, the tissue fragments are removed by suction to a location outside the body. The drill shaft and cutting tip are small enough to be usable percutaneously.
45 They may also be used for endoscopic, arthroscopic or fiberoptic or open surgery.
Because the drill shaft is flexible, the surgeon can guide the cutting tip into various locations within the tissue from one percutaneous incision. The surgeon can cut around arcs
50 or angles, rather than only being able to go in a straight line, to reach any desired location, and to avoid vital tissue which would otherwise be in the cutting path. The flexible drill shaft also allows the surgeon when working inside a bone, for example, to keep the cutting tip away from the harder
55 outer cortical bone and to remove only the softer inner cancellous bone. None of these features is available with the current straight line cutting devices.
The drill shaft may be made of metal, of polymeric material to reduce friction, or of a composite material.
60 Extensive use of polymers in the drill shaft, its housing if provided, and the cutting tip area reduces friction substantially, thus requiring less energy and generating less heat within the tissue. The drill shaft is drivable by hand (for improved feel) or by motor, at variable speeds based on the
65 need for the tissue removed.
To provide for the collection of the tissue fragments to be harvested, the removal apparatus has an axially extending
