Device for the removal of the nasal hump

Abstract

The present invention relates to a surgical device for sectioning, removing and in particular modeling bones, cartilage and the like, in particular for performing a nasal hump osteotomy.

Description

[0001] DEVICE FOR THE REMOVAL OF THE NASAL HUMP

[0002] DESCRIPTION

[0003] Field of the invention

[0004] The present invention relates to a surgical device for sectioning, removing and in particular modeling bones, cartilage and the like, in particular to perform a nasal hump osteotomy.

[0005] Background

[0006] The rhinoseptoplasty operation allows to correct the functional respiratory and aesthetic problems of the nose. It is one of the most complex interventions in plastic surgery, for the limited visibility and the required precision of the tissue resections, but it can offer the patient great advantages in terms of quality of life, breathing, night sleep, social functioning, self-esteem and perception of one’s body image.

[0007] The first phase of the rhinoseptoplasty operation is the opening of the osteocartilaginous roof of the nasal pyramid, by removing the hump (the so- called “gibbo”). This surgical phase, called “gibbotomy”, allows to obtain a rectilinear nasal dorsum and to create the space between the nasal bones and the septum, required to correct the functional and aesthetical problems related to the possible nose torsion, deviation of the septum and stenosis of the nasal valve. “Gibbotomy” can be performed with chisels, rasps or manual or electric saws or even with radiofrequency instruments.

[0008] The chisel for gibbotomy is a rectilinear instrument, consisting of a sharp part which is put in contact with the osteocartilaginous hump to be removed, and of a opposite part, where the mechanical energy is applied adapted to make it to advance in the bone cut by hammer blows. Generally, the chisel has the advantage of having a low cost and of creating a net and regular cut of the bone, with a quick execution time. The difficulty linked to the use of the chisel lies in the fact that, being free, hold only by the hands of the operator who holds it at the proximal end whereas the distal end is inserted in the nasal dorsum and since a hard tissue like the bone has to be cut, it is difficult to guide precisely as to the direction to be followed. The main risk is at level of the nose root, where the nasal bone joins with the superior bone nasal spine, creating a very compacted area: in this point the chisel can take a path of less resistance, by removing an excessive amount of bone and creating a problematic depression to be corrected. There is also the risk that the cutting line does not remain perfectly horizontal, by producing different bone resections between the right and left side and by causing asymmetries.

[0009] Some devices of known art combine the chisel to a guide. However, such devices result however difficult to be kept firm during the progression of the chisel, which takes place, as said, with hammer blows. Such blows, in fact, can however cause a lateral tilting that, if not perceived and corrected by the operator, can involve the asymmetric removal of bone, with removal of too much bone from one of the two sides of the nose.

[0010] Summary of the invention

[0011] The technical problem placed and solved by the invention is to obviate the drawbacks mentioned above with reference to the known art.

[0012] Such problem is solved by a device according to claim 1 .

[0013] Additional technical features of the device are set forth in the depending claims.

[0014] The device of the invention, according to its embodiments, associates a straight chisel, similar to the traditional ones, to a guide shaped like a slid provided with vertical handle. Such guide orients the cutting direction and it is shaped suitably to adapt to the shape of the nasal dorsum and to rest upon the root of the nose firmly by a bracket. This resting point on a fixed bone structure, together with the handle of the slide in the operator’s hands on the opposite side of the instrument, keeps the cutting line exactly on the line decided by the operator, by avoiding undesired displacements with respect to the established direction.

[0015] The effect produced by this instrument is to allow the opening of the osteocartilagineous vault of the nose, initial time of the rhinoseptoplasty operation, by eliminating the risk of removing an insufficient or excessive or asymmetric amount of nasal bone. The mechanism with which this instrument guarantees this effect is the presence of the guide, which stabilizes the course thereof in the bone during progression, by avoiding that when cutting a hard tissue as the bone the instrument could take a path or a tilting not established by the operator, but which follows lines of less resistance physiologically present in the nasal bones.

[0016] The vertical handle further allows, remaining outside the nose, to verify visually and constantly that the progression plane of the bone cut remains horizontal and that the instrument does not tilt on one of the two sides.

[0017] Other advantages, features and use modes of the present invention will result evident from the following detailed description of some embodiments, shown by way of example and not for limiting purposes.

[0018] Brief description of figures

[0019] The Figures of the enclosed drawings will be referred to, wherein:

[0020] ■ Figures 1A and 1 B show a top and lateral view of a chisel of the device according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, respectively;

[0021] ■ Figure 1 C shows an enlarged detail of Figure 1 A;

[0022] ■ Figures 2A, 2B and 2C show a top and bottom perspective view and a lateral view of a preferred embodiment of a guide of the device according to the present invention, respectively;

[0023] ■ Figure 2D shows a top view of a distal part of the guide of Figure 2A;

[0024] ■ Figures 3A, 3B and 3C relate to a preferred embodiment of the device of the invention which combines the above-mentioned chisel and guide, by showing respectively a lateral view thereof, a top perspective view thereof in a configuration wherein the chisel engages the guide and another top perspective view thereof in a position preceding said mutual engagement.

[0025] It will be understood that the above-mentioned figures are illustrated by pure way of example, not for limiting purposes.

[0026] Detailed description of preferred embodiments

[0027] With reference to the above-mentioned figures, a surgical device according to a preferred embodiment of the invention is designated as a whole with 1 .

[0028] The device 1 comprises a chisel 2 and a guide 5, configured for the mutual engagement. The device 1 , through its chisel, is configured to section, remove and model bones and cartilage, in particular to perform a nasal hump osteotomy. The chisel 2 has a main body 3 with elongated shape according to a prevailing extension direction L. A blade 4 is arranged at a distal end of the main body 3. In intermediate position on the main body 3 an abutment edge 30 is provided, which acts as limit switch of the guide 5.

[0029] In a preferred embodiment, the chisel 2 has a length h comprised in a range of 20-22 cm.

[0030] In an embodiment, the blade 4 has a thickness s comprised in a range of 0.8- 1.2 mm, preferably 1 mm. This thickness allows, differently from greater thicknesses as commonly used in the prior art, to perform extremely more precise and clean bone resections.

[0031] In an embodiment, the blade 4 has a width a comprised in a range of 1-2 cm, preferably 1 .6 cm.

[0032] The guide 5 is configured so as to be able to receive the chisel 2 in order to keep and guide the blade 4. The guide 5 too has an elongated main body, designated with 50. Near its own proximal end, the main body 50 has a projecting appendix 6 acting as handle, or grasping element, and which, in use arranges substantially vertically.

[0033] At its own distal portion, the guide 5 has a slide 7, implemented by facing engagement surfaces to receive the distal portion of the chisel 2. Distally to the the slide 7, at the end of the main body 50, a resting element shaped with a curvilinear profile 51 is provided. Such element is meant for resting on the patient’s nose.

[0034] In an embodiment, the portion of the guide 5 in which the slide 7 is arranged is at a distance d comprised in a range of 10-14 cm with respect to the proximal end of the guide 5 itself.

[0035] The guide 5, thanks to the presence of the slide 7, allows to guide the cutting direction when the operator hits proximally with a weight, for example a hammer, the chisel 2. Moreover, the curvilinear shape of the distal end 51 of the guide 5, in particular with arched shape, allows to adapt the guide to the shape of the nasal dorsum of the individual undergoing surgery, and then to rest on the root of the nose firmly. In this way it is possible to solve the problem therefore the hammer blows on the chisel can cause the tilting thereof on the right or on the left which, if not perceived and corrected by the operator, can involve the asymmetric removal of the bone, by removing too much bone from one of the two sides of the nose.

[0036] The vertical handle 6, moreover, remaining outside the nose, allows to verify visually and constantly that the progression plane of the bone cut remains horizontal and that the instrument does not tilt on one of the two sides.

[0037] In an embodiment, the vertical handle 6 is arranged preferably at a distance di comprised in a range of 5-10 cm from the proximal end of the guide 5 itself, preferably 7 cm.

[0038] In an embodiment, the handle 6 is arranged orthogonally with respect to a cutting plane defined by the chisel 2 when inserted in the slide 7.

[0039] In an embodiment, the guide 5 has overall length / comprised in a range of 22- 24 cm.

[0040] In an embodiment, the main body 3 of the chisel 2 and / or the guide 5 are made of at least a material with favourably sliding properties, preferably with a low friction coefficient. A not limiting example of low friction coefficient material, with the purposes of the present invention, is stainless steel.

[0041] The present invention has been sofar described with reference to preferred embodiments. It is to be meant that other embodiments belonging to the same inventive core may exist, as defined by the protective scope of the herebelow reported claims.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A surgical guide (5) configured so as to be able to receive a chisel (2) for nasal hump osteotomy operations, which guide (5) comprises an elongated main body (30) having, distally, a longitudinal slide (7) in order to keep and guide a blade (4) of the chisel (2), characterized in that it comprises a grasping element (6) which develops orthogonally to said main body (30) so as to allow, in use, a vertical handle.

2. The surgical guide (5) according to claim 1 , having a shaped distal end (51 ) having a curvilinear profile, in particular an arched profile, to allow to rest said guide firmly on the root of the nose.

3. The surgical guide (5) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said slide (7) is at a distance (d) comprised in a range of 10-14 cm with respect to the proximal end of the guide itself.

4. The surgical guide (5) according to anyone of claims 1 to 3, wherein said grasping element (6) is arranged at a distance (di) comprised in a range of 5-10 cm from the proximal end of the guide itself, preferably 7 cm.

5. The surgical guide (5) according to anyone of claims 1 to 4, having overall length ( / ) comprised in a range of 22-24 cm.

6. The surgical guide (5) according to anyone of claims 1 to 5, wherein said slide (7) has a length comprised in a range of 5-15 cm, preferably 10 cm.

7. The surgical device (1 ) to section, remove and model bones and cartilage, in particular to perform a nasal hump osteotomy, comprising a chisel (2) having an elongated main body (3) bearing distally a blade (4) and a guide (5) according to any one of the preceding claims.

8. The surgical device (1 ) according to claim 7, wherein said grasping element (6) of said guide (5) is configured to arrange, in use, orthogonally with respect to a cutting plane defined by said chisel (2) when inserted in said slide (7).

9. The surgical device (1 ) according to claim 7 or 8 or 1 to 8, wherein said chisel (2) has a length (h) comprised in a range of 20-22 cm.

10. The surgical device (1 ) according to anyone of claims 7 to 9, wherein said blade (4) of said chisel (2) has a thickness (s) comprised in a range of 0.8- 1.2 mm.

11. The surgical device (1) according to anyone of claims 7 to 10, whereinsaid blade (4) of said chisel (2) has width (a) comprised in a range of 1-2 cm, preferably of 1 .6 cm.

12. The surgical device (1) according to anyone of claims 7 to 11 , wherein said main body (3) of said chisel (2) and / or said guide (5) are made of at least a low friction coefficient material, preferably of stainless steel.

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