HEAT PIPE COOLED BURR INCLUDING SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS EMBODYING SAME

摘要

Featured is a surgical instrument including a rotating cutting implement and a heat transfer mechanism configured to absorb heat energy during the use of such a rotating cutting implement. The heat transfer mechanism is configured so the absorbed heat energy is communicated to an external heat sink. Such a heat transfer mechanism includes a heat pipe, e.g., a scintered or wick type heat pipe. The heat energy is absorbed at one end of the heat pipe to minimize the potential for damage to the tissue and the like at and/or about the surgical site. Also featured are a surgical apparatus embodying such a surgical instrument and surgical or medical methods or procedures for manipulating, rotatably cutting, grinding, abrading or debriding tissue, bone or other structures or components of a mammalian body using such surgical instruments or surgical apparatus.

主权项

1. A surgical instrument comprising:
a rotating cutting implement for use in processing a part of a mammalian body; a heat pipe being arranged so as to absorb heat energy at one end thereof and dissipate the heat energy at least at a second end thereof; and wherein the rotating cutting implement and heat pipe are arranged so that the heat pipe first end is thermally coupled to the rotating cutting implement so that at least some heat energy being developed by the rotating cutting implement when in use is absorbed by the heat pipe first end and is communicated in the direction of the heat pipe second end.