CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/292,438, filed December 22, 2021, and titled MEDICAL DEVICES AND RELATED METHODS FOR TRANSFORMING BONE, OTHER TISSUE, OR MATERIAL, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The presently disclosed subject matter relates generally to medical devices. Particularly, the presently disclosed subject matter relates to medical devices and related methods for transforming bone, other tissue, or material.

BACKGROUND

[0003] Traditional surgical saws, such as oscillating saws and reciprocating saws, allow users to cut bones (i.e. perform osteotomies) of relatively large diameters, such as the tibia and femur. These types of surgical saws, however, which are similar in many ways to the toothed saws used to cut wood, metal, and plastic, have significant disadvantages with respect to a patient's well-being. Because surgical saws utilize rapid motion of the saw blade to cut biological tissues, such as bone and cartilage, a significant amount of heat is generated along the blade and particularly at the blade and bone interface. This can be harmful to the patient since prolonged exposure of bone cells to temperatures at or in excess of 47° C. leads to necrosis of those osteocytes. Another disadvantage of these oscillating and reciprocating bone saws is that they produce uneven cuts, preventing ideal realignment and reduction of the osteotomy gap, which is detrimental to efficient healing of the bone. Oscillating bone saws, which utilize a number of sharpened teeth along their cutting edges, can tear neighboring soft tissues that are inadvertently caught in the serrations of the rapidly moving blade. Tearing of these soft tissues leads to significant blood loss and potential nerve damage, which undoubtedly hampers the health of the patient. [0004] Traditional oscillating, sideways-moving, and reciprocating bone saws have employed a variety of different measures to address these disadvantages. With respect to the generation of excessive heat, these surgical saws can utilize irrigation systems to flush the surgical site near the blade and bone interface. These irrigation systems can be separate, requiring an additional device at the surgical site, or integrated. Although effective at flushing a surgical site of unwanted sources of added friction, these irrigation systems are relatively ineffective at actually cooling the blade at the blade and bone interface. For example, one design for a surgical saw that incorporates a means for irrigation comprises a channel between otherwise parallel portions of a saw blade through which fluid can flow out into the surgical site (See U.S. Patent No. 5,087,261). This channel, though, can be easily compacted with surgical debris, rendering the integrated irrigation system unusable. In addition, providing a channel between parallel portions of the saw blade necessarily increases the likelihood of a wider, more uneven cut. Other designs for an oscillating bone saw include outlets along the blade's edge to facilitate irrigation along the blade and bone interface (See U.S. Patent Nos. 4,008,720 and 5,122,142). However, these channels can be similarly compacted with surgical debris, rendering them useless. More so, channels along the very blade edge result in a blade edge that is not continuous, which reduces the cutting efficiency of the blade. Despite any potential efficacy in flushing a site of surgical debris, these systems do very little to actually cool the very blade edge, specifically at the blade and bone interface. Additionally, having copious amounts of irrigation fluid in the surgical site can hamper the surgeon’s ability to visualize important anatomic structures.

[0005] Just as with saws used to cut wood, metal, and plastic, a user can avoid rough or uneven cuts by using a saw blade that incorporates more teeth along the edge of the blade and/or teeth having differing angles. While this can produce a relatively finer cut, the resulting cut still leaves much to be desired in terms of producing smooth, even bone surfaces. Cutting guides, which help to stabilize the blade and keep it on a prescribed plane, are often utilized during an osteotomy to improve the precision of the cut. Still, the improvement is not substantial enough to consider these measures a long-term solution with respect to producing smooth bone cuts. In fact, adding teeth or guiding the blade edge have little effect in preventing inadvertent tearing of neighboring soft tissues. Although efforts are taken to protect soft tissues from damage and prevent significant blood loss, the inherently close confines typical in performing any osteotomy make it extremely difficult to completely eliminate such damage, especially to those tissues that are unseen or positioned beneath the bone being cut. This is compounded by the fact that the saw blades used with many oscillating and reciprocating bone saws are relatively large.

[0006] A variety of ultrasonic surgical devices are now utilized in a number of surgical procedures, including surgical blades that are capable of cutting biological tissues such as bone and cartilage. These types of saw blades are powered by high-frequency and high-amplitude sound waves, consequent vibrational energy being concentrated at the blade's edge by way of an ultrasonic horn. Being powered by sound waves, neighboring soft tissues are not damaged by these types of blades because the blade's edge effectively rebounds due to the elasticity of the soft tissue. Thus, the significant blood loss common with use of traditional bone saws is prevented. In addition, significantly more precise cuts are possible using ultrasonic bone cutting devices, in part, because the blade's edge does not require serrations. Instead, a continuous and sharpened edge, similar to that of a typical scalpel, enables a user to better manipulate the surgical device without the deflection caused by serrations, which is common when using oscillating and reciprocating bone saws. Although ultrasonic cutting blades are advantageous in that they are less likely to tear neighboring soft tissues and more likely to produce relatively more even cuts, these types of blades still generate considerable amounts of heat.

[0007] As with traditional bone saws, separate or integrated irrigation systems are often utilized in order to flush the surgical site and generally provide some measure of cooling effect to the blade. However, many of these blades suffer from the same disadvantages as traditional bone saws that have tried to incorporate similar measures. For example, providing openings along the blade's edge through which fluid flows introduces voids in the cutting edge, thereby inhibiting the cutting efficiency of the blade (See U.S. Patent No. 5,188,102). In addition, these fluid openings can be readily compacted with surgical debris, rendering them useless for their intended function. In other blade designs, the continuity of the blade is maintained and a fluid outlet is positioned just before the blade's edge (See U.S. Patent No. 8,348,880). However, this fluid outlet merely irrigates the surgical site since it is positioned too far from the blade and bone interface to actually provide the necessary cooling effect. Also, it irrigates only one side of the blade. Another design for an ultrasonic cutting device, which claims to cool the blade, incorporates an irrigation output located centrally along the longitudinal axis of the blade (See U.S. Patent No. 6,379,371). A recess in the center of the blade tip allows fluid to flow out of this output and toward the blade's edge, flow that is propelled by a source of pressure. However, the positioning of this irrigation output within the contour of the blade tip results in a bifurcation or splitting of the irrigation flow, such splitting tending to distribute fluid at an angle away from the blade's edge. Mentioned above, the excessive heat generated using any cutting blade, including an ultrasonic cutting blade, is focused most significantly at the blade and bone interface. This example for an ultrasonic blade with cooling capabilities, then, does little to actually cool the blade at the blade and bone interface, but instead serves merely to flush debris from the surgical site. Again, having copious amounts of irrigation fluid in the surgical site can hamper the surgeon’s ability to visualize important anatomic structures. Furthermore, this ultrasonic blade is not well-suited to cutting large crosssections of bone and is used almost exclusively in spine, oral or maxillofacial surgeries, which involve cutting of small bones.

[0008] Even assuming that any of the irrigation systems incorporated into the various bone saws provide some measure of cooling, thermal burning of both neighboring soft tissues and bone surfaces remains a significant problem. Because the working surface of the blade also moves rapidly, considerable heat is generated along its length, too. The dynamic motion of the surface of the blade contacts neighboring soft tissues, potentially burning them. With respect to an osteotomy, as the blade passes through the cross-section of bone, the freshly-cut bone surfaces remain in constant and direct contact with the rapidly vibrating shaft of the blade. As a result, it is not uncommon to burn the bone, produce smoke and, more importantly, kill osteocytes. In fact, simply lengthening an ultrasonic blade to accommodate large cross-sections of bone tissue, for example, increases the surface area through which heat can transfer and, thus, is avoided by manufacturers of these types of blades. While irrigation directed specifically toward the blade's leading edge may provide some measure of cooling at the blade and bone interface, irrigation alone is insufficient in trying to avoid prolonged exposure of bone tissue, for example, to temperatures in excess of 47° C. Therefore, there remains a need surgical device that is capable of cutting bones with large cross-sections, such as the femur, while maintaining a working temperature along the entirety of the blade shaft that does not inhibit proper healing of the bone tissue.

[0009] In some applications, there is a need to protect one side of the cutting plane versus another. For example in total shoulder or total knee replacement, a planar cut may be needed to seat an implant on one side. Protecting the viability of the bone can allow for the use of a cementless implant to allow for bone in-growth/osteointegration, where the other side of the cut temperature reduction is not required.

[0010] For at least the aforementioned reasons, there is a need for improved surgical devices and techniques.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] Having thus described the presently disclosed subject matter in general terms, reference will now be made to the accompanying Drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and wherein:

[0012] FIGs. 1 - 4 illustrate a top perspective view, a top view, and another top view of a cutting device in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0013] FIGs. 5 - 14 illustrate views of the static casing and/or the cutting end blade working body without the handle and housing of FIGs. 1 - 4;

[0014] FIGs. 15-17 illustrate various views of the device being operated to cut into bone in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0015] FIGs. 18-25 illustrate different view of a static casing and a cutting end and a blade working body without a handle and housing for ease of illustration;

[0016] FIGs. 26 - 30 illustrate different views of atop static casing and a bottom static casing with a cutting end of a blade working body without a handle and housing for ease of illustration;

[0017] FIGs. 31 - 33 illustrate different views of a cutting device (without the handle for ease of illustration) similar to the cutting device of FIG. 5;

[0018] FIG. 34 is a top perspective view of a cutting device in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure; [0019] FIG. 35 is a top view of the cutting device shown in FIG. 34;

[0020] FIG. 36 is a top perspective view of the blade working body and the static casing of the cutting device shown in FIGs. 34 and 35;

[0021] FIG. 37 is a top view of the blade working body and the static casing of the cutting device with electrical wiring as shown in FIG. 36;

[0022] FIG. 38 is a bottom view of the blade working body and the static casing of the cutting device as shown in FIG. 36;

[0023] FIGs. 39 and 40 are top views of the blade working body of FIGs. 36 - 38 at a far right position and a far left position, respectively;

[0024] FIGs. 41 and 42 are a top perspective view and a top view, respectively, of another example of a blade working body and the static casing with in-situ temperature sensors in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0025] FIGs. 43 and 44 are top views of the blade working body of FIGs. 41 and 42 at a far left position and a far right position, respectively;

[0026] FIG. 45 is an exploded, top perspective view of the blade working body and the static casing shown in FIGs. 41 - 44;

[0027] FIG. 46 is a top perspective view of an ultrasonic static rail, cutting device with temperature sensors in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0028] FIG. 47 is a top view of the ultrasonic static rail, cutting device shown in FIG. 44;

[0029] FIG. 48 is a top perspective view of a cutting device having a drill portion with temperature sensors in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0030] FIGs. 49 and 50 depict a top view and a side view, respectively, of the cutting device shown in FIG. 48.

[0031] FIG. 51 is a top perspective view of a cutting device with a coolant module in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0032] FIG. 52 is a perspective view of the cutting device shown in FIG. 51 with a housing of the coolant module in cut-away form such that internal components of the coolant module can be seen; [0033] FIG. 53 is a perspective view of the cutting device shown in FIGs. 51 and 52 with the housing removed;

[0034] FIG. 54 is a top view of the cutting device shown in FIG. 53 with the housing removed for purpose of illustration;

[0035] FIG. 55 is a cross-sectional top view of the cutting device shown in FIGs. 51-54;

[0036] FIG. 56 is a side, cross-sectional view of the cutting device shown in FIGs. 51-55;

[0037] FIGs. 57 and 58 are a top view and a side view, respectively, of the cutting device shown in FIGs. 51 - 56;

[0038] FIG. 59 is a perspective top view of another example cutting device with a coolant module having cooling fins in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0039] FIG. 60 is a top perspective view of the cutting device without the housing of the coolant module and the coolant;

[0040] FIG. 61 is a front view of the cutting device shown in FIGs. 59 and 60;

[0041] FIG. 62 is a perspective view of an example cutting device (without a handle being shown for ease of illustration) having a drill in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0042] FIG. 63 is a perspective view of the cutting device shown in FIG. 62 with housing cut-away for showing its interior space;

[0043] FIG. 64 is a side view of the cutting device shown in FIG. 62;

[0044] FIG. 65 is a cross-sectional side view of the cutting device shown in FIG. 62;

[0045] FIG. 66 illustrates a cross-sectional side view of the cutting device shown in FIGs. 62-65;

[0046] FIG. 67 is a top perspective view of an example working blade body having a flexible coolant reservoir inlet in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0047] FIG. 68 is a top perspective view of the working blade body of FIG. 67 with internal channels shown in broken lines; [0048] FIG. 69 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the working blade body of FIGs. 67 and 68;

[0049] FIG. 70 is a top perspective view of an example working blade body having a flexible coolant reservoir inlet / outlet in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0050] FIG. 71 is a top perspective view of the working blade body of FIG. 70 with an internal channel shown in broken lines;

[0051] FIG. 722 is a top view of an example working blade body having a looping channel for cooling in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0052] FIG. 73 is a top perspective view of the working blade body shown in FIG. 72.

[0053] FIG. 74 is a top perspective view of a cutting device having a blade working body that defines openings for emitting coolant therefrom in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0054] FIG. 75 is a top perspective view of the blade working body shown in FIG. 74;

[0055] FIGs. 76 and 77 illustrate a cross-sectional, top perspective view and a top view, respectively, of the blade working body shown in FIGs. 74 and 75 with internal channels shown with broken lines;

[0056] FIG. 78 is a cross-sectional, top perspective view of the blade working body shown in FIGs. 74 - 77;

[0057] FIG. 79 is a top perspective view of another example working blade body that defines openings for emitting coolant therefrom in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0058] FIGs. 80 and 81 illustrate a top perspective view and a cross-sectional, top view, respectively, of the blade working body shown in FIG. 79 with an internal channel shown with broken lines;

[0059] FIG. 82 is a zoomed-in, top view of the cutting end of the blade working body;

[0060] FIG. 83 is a side cross-sectional view of the cutting end of the blade working body; [0061] FIG. 84 is a side cross-section view of the cutting end of the blade working body that is more zoom-in than the view of FIG. 83;

[0062] FIG. 85 is a cross-sectional, top perspective view of the blade working body shown in FIGs. 80 - 84;

[0063] FIG. 86 is a top perspective view of a cutting device in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0064] FIG. 87 is a top perspective view of the blade working body and static components shown in FIG. 86;

[0065] FIGs. 88 - 90 depict tops views of the blade working body shown in FIGs. 86 and 87 at different positions of operation for cutting or transforming a material;

[0066] FIG. 91 illustrates a side, cross-sectional view of a portion of the working blade body and one static component as shown in FIGs. 1 - 5; and

[0067] FIGs. 92 - 94 illustrate side views of a blade working body at different positions cutting into a material according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

SUMMARY

[0068] The presently disclosed subject matter medical cutting devices with a static casing and a blade working body of greater width and related methods. According to an aspect, a cutting device includes a static casing having a width of substantially a first distance. The cutting device also includes a blade working body including a first end and a second end. The first end is configured to operatively connect to a source of movement. The second end includes a cutting component. The blade working body has a width of substantially a second distance. The second distance is greater than the first distance.

[0069] According to another aspect, a static casing having a width of substantially a first distance. The cutting device also includes a working body having a first end and a second end. The first end is configured to operatively connect to a source of movement. The second end includes a cutting component. The working body has a width of substantially a second distance. The second distance is greater than the first distance.

[0070] According to another aspect, a cutting device includes a working blade body having a first end and a second end. The first end is configured to operatively connect to a source of movement. The second end defines a blade edge. The cutting device also includes a channel defined within the working blade body for carrying coolant for transferring heat from the second end of the working blade body.

[0071] According to another aspect, a cutting device a static casing. The cutting device also includes a blade working body having a first end and a second end. The first end is configured to operatively connect to a source of movement. The second end includes a cutting component. The blade working body defines an interior channel that extends between the first end and the second end, and defines one or more openings at the second end for emitting coolant moved through the interior channel.

[0072] According to another aspect, a method includes providing a cutting device comprising a blade working body including a first end and a second end. The first end is configured to operatively connect to a source of movement. The second end includes a cutting component, the blade working body defines an interior channel that extends between the first end and the second end, and defines one or more openings at the second end for emitting coolant moved through the interior channel. The method also includes using the interior channel for moving coolant through the interior channel and out the one or more openings.

[0073] According to another aspect, a cutting device includes a working blade body having a top surface and a bottom surface. The working blade body defines a plurality of apertures extending between the top surface and the bottom surface. Further, the cutting device includes a plurality of static components each having a top portion and a bottom portion. Each static component is associated with one of the apertures and has a middle portion that is between the top portion and the bottom portion and positioned within the associated aperture. The top portion and the bottom portion extend past the top surface and the bottom surface, respectively, of the working blade body.

[0074] According to another aspect, a method includes providing a cutting device. The cutting device has a working blade body with static components and related methods of use. According to an aspect, a cutting device includes a working blade body having a top surface and a bottom surface. The working blade body defines a plurality of apertures extending between the top surface and the bottom surface. Further, the cutting device includes a plurality of static components each having a top portion and a bottom portion. Each static component is associated with one of the apertures and has a middle portion that is between the top portion and the bottom portion and positioned within the associated aperture. The top portion and the bottom portion extend past the top surface and the bottom surface, respectively, of the working blade body. The method also includes applying a force to the working blade body for cutting a material.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0075] The following detailed description is made with reference to the figures. Exemplary embodiments are described to illustrate the disclosure, not to limit its scope, which is defined by the claims. Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize a number of equivalent variations in the description that follows.

[0076] Articles “a” and “an” are used herein to refer to one or to more than one (i.e. at least one) of the grammatical object of the article. By way of example, “an element” means at least one element and can include more than one element.

[0077] “About” is used to provide flexibility to a numerical endpoint by providing that a given value may be “slightly above” or “slightly below” the endpoint without affecting the desired result.

[0078] The use herein of the terms “including,” “comprising,” or “having,” and variations thereof is meant to encompass the elements listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional elements. Embodiments recited as “including,” “comprising,” or “having” certain elements are also contemplated as “consisting essentially of’ and “consisting” of those certain elements.

[0079] Recitation of ranges of values herein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range, unless otherwise indicated herein, and each separate value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. For example, if a range is stated as between 1% - 50%, it is intended that values such as between 2% - 40%, 10% - 30%, or 1% - 3%, etc. are expressly enumerated in this specification. These are only examples of what is specifically intended, and all possible combinations of numerical values between and including the lowest value and the highest value enumerated are to be considered to be expressly stated in this disclosure. [0080] Unless otherwise defined, all technical terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs.

[0081] As referred to herein, the term “cutting device” can be any suitable component movable for cutting into or generally transforming a material (e.g., bone). The cutting device can include a blade that operates through large or small (e.g., vibrations) mechanical motion. The motion can be in a specific direction(s). For example, the cutting device can be moved in an oscillating manner, flexing, bending, rotating, torsionally, longitudinally, and the like.

[0082] FIGs. 1 - 4 illustrate a top perspective view, a top view, and another top view of a cutting device 100 in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. Referring to FIGs. 1 - 4, the device 100 includes handle 101, a housing 102, and a static casing 104. Although these components are not shown in FIG. 1, the housing 102 may contain in an interior space therein for components, such as any suitable transducer or motor, to produce a desired mechanical motion with a cutting end, generally designated 106. It is noted that in this example the device 100 is described as being an oscillating saw blade, but it may alternatively be of any other suitable type (e.g., such as an ultrasonic transducer driving the blade through piezoelectric elements and smaller vibrations). The oscillating motor, which may be suitably powered to produce motion through the working surface of the blade to its blade edge, can be operatively attached to an end of a blade working body 108 that is closest to the housing 102. Oscillatory motion produced by the transducer/motor can propagate along a main body of the blade working body 108 towards an end of the blade working body 108 that opposes the end of the blade working body 108 that is attached to the oscillatory transducer/motor. It is noted that any other suitable motion may be produced alternative to mechanical oscillations such as those produced by traditional bone saws (e.g., such as those produced by ultrasonic cutting devices that use smaller scale vibrations). The static casing 104 can sheath and support a lower portion of the blade working body 108. The static casing 104 and the blade working body 108 can be spaced from each other by an air gap or otherwise be in direct contact to support the blade throughout the cutting process separated from each other by a suitable material, such as a lubrication film. The static casing 104 can be stationary or at least substantially stationary with respect to a source of movement. The air gap can reduce transfer of energy from the blade working body 108 and, thus, heat to the static casing 104. It is noted that the casing 104 may be made of any suitable insulative material, such as ceramic/polymer or any other suitable medical grade material, for preventing or minimizing heat transfer to the bone. Air can be present around the casing and/or blade.

[0083] The cutting end 106 can be a blade tip configured to cut, ablate, abrade or otherwise transform, for example, bone or other tissue. The cutting end 106 includes a top surface 110 and an opposing bottom surface. The cutting end 106 defines at least one blade edge 112. In this example, the blade edge 112 has serrations for cutting, ablating, abrading, or otherwise transforming bone or other tissue. In the alternative, the blade edge 112 is a continuous, planar arc, and sharpened along its entirety for cutting, ablating, abrading, or otherwise transforming bone or other tissue.

[0084] The static casing 104 may be made of a material suitable for biomedical applications, such as ceramic, titanium, stainless steel, PEEK, PE, PTFE, or the like. The outer surface of the static casing 104 may be coated with a lubricant, such as a solid film or a fluid film, and/or any other insulative material. The blade working body 108 may be made of a material suitable for biomedical applications, such as titanium, stainless steel or the like. In embodiments, a lubrication film may cover the blade working body 108 and may be made of a solid film lubricant, or other suitable lubricant. Further, for example, static casing 104 may be coated with a lubrication film, such lubrication film being a solid film lubricant suitable for the application. The static casing 104 and the blade working body may be coated with the lubrication film.

[0085] It is noted that alternative to a blade working body 108, this component may be suitably configured as a horn for ultrasonic embodiments. Similar to the aforementioned description of the oscillating saw blade embodiment, an ultrasonic bone cutting device could leverage the same mechanism of preventing temperature from translating to the adjacent bone. The ultrasonic bone cutting device would still include a housing/handpiece that drives the working surface of the blade in a desired motion (e.g., longitudinal). The static casing would be rigidly attached/mounted to the housing which would decouple the dynamic motion of the ultrasonic blade relative to the static casing itself. The working surface of the ultrasonic blade would still be supported by the static casing since they would reside in contact adjacent to one another. The working surface of the ultrasonic blade can oscillate on the static casing, which can be made of an insulative material with material properties that minimize frictional sliding interactions. Similarly, a lubrication boundary may be included between the static casing and working surface of the blade to decrease friction during motion.

[0086] FIGs. 5 - 14 illustrate views of the static casing 104 and/or the cutting end 106 blade working body 108 without the handle 101 and housing 102 of FIGs. 1 - 4. Particularly, FIG. 5 shows a top view, and FIG. 6 is a side view. FIG. 7 shows a zoomedin, side view that includes an example of lubrication film 600 between the static casing 104 and the blade working body 108 for reducing friction. FIG. 8 is a zoomed-in, top perspective view of the cutting end 106 with the static casing 104 shown in phantom, because it is located at different side of the blade working body 108. FIG. 9 shows a top perspective view with the static casing 104 shown in phantom, because it is located at different side of the blade working body 108. FIG. 10 shows a top perspective view of the cutting end 106 and blade working body 108. FIG. 11 shows the static casing 104 and/or the cutting end 106 / blade working body 108 as spaced apart. FIG. 12 shows a top view.

[0087] FIGs. 13 and 14 show the cutting end 106 at a furthest left position and a furthest right position, respectively, during operation of movement. Referring to FIGs. 13 and 14, double-arrow 1300 shows the directions of back-and-forth movement of the cutting end 106 in operation. Referring again to FIGs. 3 and 4, these figures also show the cutting end 106 at a furthest left position and a furthest right position, respectively, during operation of movement.

[0088] In accordance with embodiments, the static casing 104 may be used for receiving a load force applied by bone or other tissue when the blade tip is cutting, ablating, abrading, or otherwise transforming the bone or other tissue. This may be when the cutting end 106 is deflected by force applied to it towards the static casing 104. For example, FIGs. 15-17 illustrate various views of the device being operated to cut into bone 1600 in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. It is noted that FIGs. 16-17 only show an end of the device. Referring to FIG. 15, the figure depicts a side view that shows a point in time just before the blade edge 112 reaches the bone. FIG. 16 shows a point in time at which the blade edge 112 has initially cut into the bone 1600. FIG. 17 is another side view that shows the blade edge 112 having cut deeper into the bone 1600 than shown in FIG. 16.

[0089] FIGs. 18-25 illustrate different view of a static casing 1800 and a cutting end 1802 and a blade working body 1804 without a handle and housing for ease of illustration. It is noted that this application may be oscillatory saw blade or any other suitable application. The cutting end 1802 includes a blade 1806, which extends wider than the static casing 1800. FIG. 18 is a top perspective view. FIG. 19 is a top view with the cutting end 1802 in a furthest left position during operation. FIG. 20 is a top view with the cutting end 1802 in a furthest right position during operation. FIG. 21 is a zoomed-in, top perspective view. FIG. 22 is another bottom view. FIG. 23 shows an exploded view. FIG. 24 is another top view. FIG. 25 is a bottom view.

[0090] With continuing reference to FIGs. 18 - 25, the static casing 1800 defines to protrusions 1808 and 1810 that extend along beside the blade working body 1804. The protrusions 1808 and 1810 extend along respective sides of the blade working body 1804 for supporting the upper part/opposing end/adjacent side of the cutting plane of the blade working body 1804 and/or blade 1806 from contacting bone or other material being cut.

[0091] FIGs. 26 - 30 illustrate different views of a top static casing 2606 and a bottom static casing 2602 with a cutting end 2604 of a blade working body 2600 without a handle and housing for ease of illustration. It is noted that this may be an oscillatory saw blade application or any other suitable application. The cutting end 2604 has a blade 2608. FIG. 26 is a side view. FIG. 27 is another side view in close up. FIG. 28 is a top perspective view. FIG. 29 is a top view. FIG. 30 is an exploded view. The top static casing 2606 and a bottom static casing 2602 operate in the same manner to protect both sides of the cutting plane rather than just one selective side as described in the previous embodiments. The top static casing 2606 and a bottom static casing 2602 can sheath and support the upper / lower portion of the blade working body. The top static casing 2606 and a bottom static casing 2602 and the blade working body 2600 can be spaced from each other by an air gap or otherwise be in direct contact to support the blade throughout the cutting process separated from each other by a suitable material, such as a lubrication film. The air gap can reduce transfer of energy from the blade working body 2600 and, thus, top static casing 2606 and a bottom static casing 2602 and therefore the surrounding bone. It is noted that the top static casing 2606 and a bottom static casing 2602 may be made of any suitable insulative material, such as ceramic/polymer, or medical grade materials for preventing or minimizing heat transfer to the bone. Air can be present around the casing and/or blade.

[0092] FIGs. 31 - 33 illustrate different views of a cutting device (without the handle for ease of illustration) similar to the cutting device of FIG. 5. Referring to FIGs. 31 - 33, the static casing 104, the cutting end 106, blade working surface/body of the blade 108, and blade edge 112 are shown similar to the embodiment of FIG. 5. An opening, generally designated 500, of the static casing 104 of FIG. 5 provides relief for bone debris, bone only supports the lower half of the blade (it is selective to preventing damaging temperatures only on the one side of the cutting plane). The embodiment of FIGs. 31 - 33 provides a protrusion 3100 from the static casing 104 into the opening 500 for supporting the upper part of the blade working surface/body of the blade 108 and/or blade 112 from contacting bone or other material being cut. In the alternative, this device may be ultrasonic. The protrusion 3100 may provide loading sharing support for preventing binding. This may be similar to other described embodiments for providing cutting more efficient in general outside of temperature. The protrusion 3100 may function as a support column or wedge to help with cutting (e.g., although the lower half of the static casing would prevent conduction of heat, the protrusion would support bone on the adjacent side of the cutting plane, therefore, preventing binding of the blade during the cutting process).

[0093] In some applications, there is a need to measure temperature in real time at the working surface of the blade. The present disclosure provides device that position temperature sensors in and around the cutting plane and bone-blade interface. This provides important temperature measurements in-situ on a cutting device. These measurements can be important, because they provide valuable feedback on when temperatures approach or reach the necrotic limit, thereby allowing an action to be performed to prevent thermal necrosis of the surrounding bone. For example, if the necrotic limit is reached during an osteotomy, then the blade could be stopped or a cooling mechanism activated. This could be applicable to manually operated devices or in a robotic setting where feedback can be collected and applied based on the desired outcome. While one feasible application of the technology would be to leverage the technology to prevent thermal necrosis one can envision scenarios where ensuring higher temperatures are met (e.g., heating to prevent blood loss) or potentially leveraging temperature based data to understand differences in bone quality between patient populations, e.g. identifying differences in the rate at which certain types of bone absorb heat. In the context of reducing heat transfer to bone, protecting the viability of the bone is crucial to allow for bone in-growth/osteointegration (e.g., cementless implant applications, union of bone interfaces, etc.).

[0094] FIG. 34 illustrates a top perspective view of a cutting device 3400 in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 34, the device 3400 includes a handle 3401, a housing 3402, and a static component 3404. In this example, the static component 3404 is a static casing. Although these components are not shown in FIG. 34, the housing 3402 may contain in an interior space therein for components, such as any suitable transducer or motor, to produce a desired mechanical motion with a cutting end, generally designated 3406. It is noted that in this example the device 3400 is described as being an oscillating saw blade, but it may alternatively be of any other suitable type (e.g., such as an ultrasonic transducer driving the blade through piezoelectric elements and smaller vibrations). The oscillating motor, which may be suitably powered to produce motion through the working surface of the blade to its blade edge, can be operatively attached to an end of a blade working body 3408 that is closest to the housing 3402. Oscillatory motion produced by the transducer/motor can propagate along a main body of the blade working body 3408 towards an end of the blade working body 3408 that opposes the end of the blade working body 3408 that is attached to the oscillatory transducer/motor. It is noted that any other suitable motion may be produced alternative to mechanical oscillations such as those produced by traditional bone saws (e.g., such as those produced by ultrasonic cutting devices that use smaller scale vibrations).

[0095] The static casing 404 can sheath and support the upper and lower portion of the blade working body 3408. In the particular example, the static casing 3404 includes portions 3409A and 3409B that are positioned on opposing sides of the blade working body 3408 as depicted. The static casing 3404 and the blade working body 3408 can be spaced from each other by an air gap or otherwise be in direct contact to support the blade throughout the cutting process. The static casing 3404 can be stationary or at least substantially stationary with respect to a source of movement. The air gap can reduce transfer of energy from the blade working body 3408 and, thus, heat to the static casing 3404. It is noted that the casing 3404 may be made of any suitable insulative material, such as ceramic/polymer or any other suitable medical grade material, for preventing or minimizing heat transfer to the bone. Air can be present around the casing and/or blade.

[0096] A cutting end 3406 can be a blade tip configured to cut, ablate, abrade or otherwise transform, for example, bone or other tissue. The cutting end 3406 includes a top surface 3410 and an opposing bottom surface. The cutting end 3406 defines at least one blade edge 3412. In this example, the blade edge 3412 has serrations for cutting, ablating, abrading, or otherwise transforming bone or other tissue. In the alternative, the blade edge 3412 is a continuous, planar arc, and sharpened along its entirety for cutting, ablating, abrading, or otherwise transforming bone or other tissue.

[0097] With continuing reference to FIG. 34, portions 3409 A and 3409B of the static casing 3404 include in-situ temperature sensors 3414. The temperature sensors 3414 are configured to detect (or sense) actual temperature and/or temperature fluctuations at their respective locations. The temperature sensors 3414 can be positioned for detecting temperature level(s) of a work space near the blade working body 3408. The temperature sensors 3414 can be attached to portions 3409A and 3409B and/or any other embodiment that decouples the motion of the bone from the blade (e.g., static inserts, static rails, static casings, etc.). By positioning on the portions 3409A and 3409B, motion of the temperature sensors 3414 can be limited to reduce the likelihood of damage. Since the static casing 3404 does not move relative to the motion of the blade working body 3408, they measure temperature based on location within the cutting plane and not based on the rapid/dynamic motion of the blade working body 3408 itself. These ensure results are not biased and locationally remain more consistent relative to their position on the blade. Temperature sensors 3414 can be operably connected via lines or traces to electronic circuitry (not shown) configured to receive electrical signals indicative of the detected temperatures and/or temperature fluctuations.

[0098] The electronic circuitry connected to the temperature sensors 3414 can be used to monitor the cutting temperature in real-time for preventing bone necrosis. The electronic circuitry can be used to provide feedback to stop cutting of a threshold temperature level is reached. The feedback and reach of the threshold temperature level can be determined based on electrical signals received from the temperature sensors 3414. Further, the electronic circuitry can be configured to sense varying bone types and to indicate breaching through a layer, (i.e., if temperature drops on a given sensor it may indicate lack of contact with bone). The electronic circuitry may interface with any number of software, hardware, and/or firmware (e.g., to cut the motor out or provide haptic feedback to inform an operator that a certain threshold is reached), or externally display with a display or LED for notifying the operator that a certain threshold is reached.

[0099] FIG. 35 illustrates a top view of the cutting device 3400 shown in FIG. 34. Referring to FIG. 35, it can be seen that portions 3409A and 3409B are spaced apart from the static casing 3408 as they are closer to blade edge 3412. This provides for spacing for leftward and rightward movement of the blade edge.

[00100] FIG. 36 illustrates a top perspective view of the blade working body 3408 and the static casing 3404 of the cutting device 3400 shown in FIGs. 34 and 35. Referring to FIG. 36, electrical wiring 3600 for connecting temperature sensors 3414 are shown. Ends 3602 of the electrical wiring 3602 can operatively connect to electronic circuitry for receiving temperature readings of the temperature sensors 3414 as described herein. FIG. 4 illustrates a top view of the blade working body 3408 and the static casing 3404 of the cutting device 3400 with electrical wiring 3600 as shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 5 illustrates a bottom view of the blade working body 3408 and the static casing 3404 of the cutting device 3400 as shown in FIG. 36.

[00101] It is noted that FIGs. 36 - 38 depict the blade working body 108 at a neutral position, or a position approximately at a middle of its full range of motion. Particularly, the blade working body 3408 can move rightward and leftward, and FIGs. 36 - 38 show the blade working body 3408 at an approximately mid-way position between the farthest left position and the farthest right position. FIGs. 39 and 40 illustrate top views of the blade working body 3409 of FIGs. 36 - 38 at a far right position and a far left position, respectively.

[00102] FIGs. 41 and 42 illustrate a top perspective view and a top view, respectively, of another example of a blade working body 4100 and the static casing 4102 with in-situ temperature sensors 4104 in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. The blade working body 4100 and the static casing 4102 may be operably attached to other components of a cutting device, such as the handle 3401, housing 3402, and source of movement, as described in the embodiment of FIG. 34 or other such components for cutting material.

[00103] Referring to FIGs. 41 and 42, the temperature sensors 4104 are configured to sense actual temperature and/or temperature fluctuations at their respective locations. The temperature sensors 4104 can each be attached to the static casing 4102 and/or any other embodiment that decouples the motion of the bone from the blade (e.g., static inserts, static rails, static casings, etc.). By position on the static casing 4102, motion of the temperature sensors 4104 can be limited to reduce the likelihood of damage. Since the casing does not move relative to the motion of the blade, they measure temperature based on location within the cutting plane and not based on the rapid/dynamic motion of the cutting device itself. These ensure results are not biased and locationally remain more consistent relative to their position on the blade. The blade working body 4100 is positioned below the temperature sensors 4104 and the static casing 4102. The temperature sensors 4104 can be operably connected via lines 4106 to electronic circuitry (not shown) configured to receive electrical signals indicative of the detected temperatures and/or temperature fluctuations. The blade working body 4100 includes a blade edge 4108.

[00104] The electronic circuitry connected to the temperature sensors 4104 can be used to monitor the cutting temperature in real-time for preventing bone necrosis. The electronic circuitry can be used to provide feedback to stop cutting of a threshold temperature level is reached. Further, the electronic circuitry can be used to sense varying bone types and to indicate breaching through a layer (i.e. if temperature drops on a given sensor it may indicate lack of contact with bone). The electronic circuitry could interface with any number of software (e.g. to cut the motor out or provide haptic feedback to tell the user that a certain threshold is reached) or external displays like a screen or LEDs that notify the user that a certain threshold is reached.

[00105] It is noted that FIGs. 41 and 42 depict the blade working body 800 at a neutral position, or a position approximately at a middle of its full range of motion. Particularly, the blade working body 4100 can move rightward and leftward, and FIGs. 41 and 42 show the blade working body 4100 at an approximately mid-way position between the farthest left position and the farthest right position. FIGs. 43 and 44 illustrate top views of the blade working body 4100 of FIGs. 41 and 42 at a far left position and a far right position, respectively.

[00106] FIG. 45 illustrates an exploded, top perspective view of the blade working body 4100 and the static casing 4102 shown in FIGs. 41 - 44.

[00107] FIG. 46 illustrates a top perspective view of an ultrasonic static rail, cutting device 4600 with temperature sensors 4602 in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 46, a blade working body 4604, a static casing 4606, and a housing 4608 may be operably attached to other components of the cutting device 4600, such as the handle 3401 and source of movement as described in the embodiment of FIG. 34 or other such components for cutting material. The blade working body 4604 can include a curved blade edge 4610 that is operatively connected to a source of movement for rapid oscillation forward and backward.

[00108] FIG. 47 illustrates a top view of the ultrasonic static rail, cutting device 4600 shown in FIG. 44. Referring to FIG. 47, the blade edge 4610 is on an end of the blade working body that extends farther than the static casing 4606. It is noted that during operation for cutting or transforming material, such as bone, only rails 4700 and 4702 of the static casing 4606 contact the material (e.g., bone) when in the cutting plane. Lines 4704 are operatively connected to the temperature sensors 4602 in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.

[00109] FIG. 48 illustrates a top perspective view of a cutting device 4800 having a drill portion 4802 with temperature sensors 4804 in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 48, the drill portion 4802 may be operatively connected to a source of movement for rapidly rotating the drill portion 4802 for drilling into or otherwise transforming a material, such as bone. The drill portion 4802 can be supported by a body 4804. Particularly, a rotatable shaft 4806 attached to the drill portion 4802 may be surrounded and held by the body 4804. The body 4804 may be considered a static casing.

[00110] With continuing reference to FIG. 48, the cutting device 4800 may include temperature sensors 4806 for detecting temperature in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. The temperature sensors 4806 are aligned along the body 4804. Alternatively, the temperature sensors may be any suitable number and in any suitable arrangement. FIGs. 49 and 50 illustrate a top view and a side view, respectively, of the cutting device 4800 shown in FIG. 48.

[00111] FIG. 51 illustrates a top perspective view of a cutting device 5100 with a coolant module 5102 in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 51, the cutting device 5100 is shown without a handle and housing for simplicity of illustration. It is noted that the handle and housing may be similar to the handle and housing of the cutting device of FIG. 51 or any other suitable handle and housing.

[00112] With continuing reference to FIG. 51, the cutting device 5100 may include an end 5104 for connection to the housing. Further, the cutting device 5100 may include a cutting end, generally designated 5106, with an arced or curved blade 5108 for cutting bone or other material as described by example herein. For example, an appropriately-connected piezoelectric transducer can generate and propagate ultrasonic vibrations to the cutting end 5106.

[00113] The coolant module 5102 functions to be a heat sink for the heat generated by operation of the cutting device 5100. Particularly, during operation the cutting by cutting end 5106 can cause a significant amount of heat to be generated. This heat can be transferred along the cutting end 5106 to the coolant module 5102 where it is substantially dissipated, thus significantly reducing the heat at the cutting end 5106. As a result, less heat is adversely applied to bone or other biological material at the point of cutting. One or more of the components of the cutting end 5106 may be made of good conductors of heat.

[00114] Now turning to FIG. 52, this figure illustrates a perspective view of the cutting device 5100 shown in FIG. 51 with a housing 5200 of the coolant module 5102 in cut-away form such that internal components of the coolant module 5102 can be seen. The housing 5200 defines an interior space 5202 for holding the internal components. Particularly, a main body 5203 of the cutting device 5200 can include a structural component 5204 that extends along an axis of the housing 5200 for attaching the cutting end 5106 to the handle and the housing. In this example, the remainder of the volume in the interior space 5202 is filled with a coolant. Examples of coolant includes, but is not limited to, gases such as CO2, liquid nitrogen, cooled water, or any other suitable cooling fluids or material. Thus, the housing 5200 functions as a coolant reservoir. Within the structural component 5204 are defined several channels (not shown) that lead near the cutting end 5106. Openings 5206 defined at ends of the channels such that the coolant contained in the interior space 5202 can reach the cutting end to thereby cool the cutting end 5106 when it becomes heated during operation. The channels may connect internally near the cutting end 5106 or elsewhere between the openings 5206 and the cutting end 5106 such that the coolant may access the full extent of the blade for the purposes of cooling. The coolant module can store and provide a source of coolant to the channels.

[00115] It is noted that the cutting end 5106 may be releasably attachable to the body 5203 by a suitable mechanism. Further, it is noted that the channel(s) fluidly connected to openings 5206 may extend to meet and fluidly connect to an associated set of channel(s) within the cutting end 5106. As a result, the 2 separate components of the body 5203 and the cutting end 5106 may transfer or move fluid from within the coolant module 5102 to the cutting end for removing heat or transferring thermal energy from the cutting end 5106.

[00116] For purpose of illustration, FIG. 53 illustrates a perspective view of the cutting device 5100 shown in FIGs. 51 and 52 with the housing 5200 removed. Arrows 5300 depict a direction of flow of coolant from the interior space (indicated by reference numeral 5202 in FIG. 52) through openings 5206, and to cutting end 5106. FIG. 54 illustrates a top view of the cutting device shown in FIG. 53 with the housing 5200 removed for purpose of illustration.

[00117] FIG. 55 illustrates a cross-sectional top view of the cutting device 5100 shown in FIGs. 51-54. Referring to FIG. 55, this figure shows an internal channel 5500 that extends to multiple channels that connect to openings (e.g., openings 5206 in FIG. 52) at one end. Thus, coolant from the interior space (space 5202 in FIG. 52) can pass into the cutting end 5106. The channel 5500 extends into the cutting end 106 at a farthest extent to end 5502. At end 5502, heat generated within cutting end 5106 can transfer to coolant within end 5502. Coolant within end 5502 can transfer through the channel 5500 into coolant within the interior space (space 5202 shown in FIG. 52).

[00118] FIG. 56 illustrates a side, cross-sectional view of the cutting device 5100 shown in FIGs. 51-55. Referring to FIG. 56, the figure shows multiple openings 5206 being fluidly connected to channel 500 via multiple channels 5600.

[00119] FIGs. 57 and 58 illustrate a top view and a side view of the cutting device 5100 shown in FIGs. 51 - 56. Referring to FIGs. 57 and 58, channel 5500 is shown with broken lines as it is an interior feature.

[00120] FIG. 59 illustrates a perspective top view of another example cutting device 5900 with a coolant module 5902 having cooling fins 5904 in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 59, the cutting device 5900 is shown without a handle and housing for simplicity of illustration. It is noted that the handle and housing may be similar to the handle and housing of the cutting device of FIG. 51 or any other suitable handle and housing. The coolant module 5902 includes the cooling fins 5902 and a coolant 5906 positioned within an interior space 5908 defined within the coolant module 5902. The coolant module 5902 can be configured to seal the interior for holding the coolant 5906 to act as a reservoir. The cooling fins 5902 are operatively connected to a cutting end 5910 for receipt of transferred heat. In this example, there are multiple cooling fins along an axis of the device, but they may be in any suitable arrangement. Further, in this example, the cooling fins 5904 are surrounded by coolant 906 such that the heat at the cooling fins 5904 can be transferred to the coolant 5904. A housing of the coolant module 5902 surrounds the coolant 5906 such that the heat can be transferred from the coolant 5906 through the housing of the coolant module 5902 and to the outside environment. Example coolant includes, but is not limited to, gases such as CO2, liquid nitrogen, cooled water, or any other suitable cooling fluids or material.

[00121] FIG. 60 illustrates a top perspective view of the cutting device 5900 without the housing of the coolant module 5902 and the coolant 5906. FIG. 61 illustrates a front view of the cutting device 5900 shown in FIGs. 59 and 60.

[00122] FIG. 62 illustrates a perspective view of an example cutting device 6200 (without a handle being shown for ease of illustration) having a drill 6202 in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. The cutting device 6200 includes a coolant module 6204. It is noted that this may be an ultrasonic application or any other suitable application. In this example, the drill 6202 is an ultrasonic drill for drilling into or otherwise cutting into bone or other material. The drill 6202 can be suitably rotated at high speed by an ultrasonic mechanism (e.g., torsionally rotated back and forth at a high operating frequency). Alternative to a drill, this component may be any suitable type providing rotary or torsional motion. The coolant module 6204 includes a housing 6206, which may store cooling fins, coolant, or other components for cooling in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.

[00123] The cutting device 6200 includes a temperature sensor 6208 configured to detect a temperature in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. The temperature 6208 may be operatively connected to electronic circuitry for providing feedback about detected temperature in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.

[00124] FIG. 63 illustrates a perspective view of the cutting device 6200 shown in FIG. 62 with housing 1206 cut-away for showing its interior space. Referring to FIG. 63, the housing 6206 defines an interior space 6300 for containing a coolant along with openings 6302 similar to the openings 5206 and other aspects of the coolant module 6102 shown in FIG. 52. Similar to the cutting device 5500 of FIG. 52, internal pathways can merge to a main channel that extends to the drill 6202 or near to the drill 6202 for cooling the drill 6202. Alternatively, the internal pathways can separately extend to the drill 6202 or near the drill. FIG. 64 is a side view and FIG. 65 is a cross-sectional side view of the cutting device 6200.

[00125] FIG. 66 illustrates a cross-sectional side view of the cutting device 6200 shown in FIGs. 62-65. Referring to FIG. 66, a main internal channel 6600 is defined in the interior and extends near a tip 7602 of the cutting device 6200.

[00126] FIG. 67 illustrates a top perspective view of an example working blade body 6700 having a flexible coolant reservoir inlet 6702 in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 67, the coolant reservoir inlet 6702 is located at a center of an axis 6704 of rotation of the working blade body 6700. This is the axis 6704 upon which the working blade body is rotated for cutting with blade end 6706. The inlet 6702 defines an opening 6708 through which coolant may be provided for flow into one or more channels within the working blade body 6700. For example, FIG. 68 is a top perspective view of the working blade body 6700 of FIG. 67 with internal channels 6802 shown in broken lines. [00127] FIG. 69 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the working blade body 6700 of FIGs. 67 and 68. Referring to FIG. 19, a cross section of the internal channels 6802 can be seen.

[00128] FIG. 70 illustrates a top perspective view of an example working blade body 2000 having a flexible coolant reservoir inlet / outlet 7002 in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 70, the coolant reservoir inlet / outlet 7002 is located at a center of an axis of rotation of the working blade body 7000 similar to the working blade body 6700 of FIGs. 67 - 69. The inlet / outlet 7002 defines an inlet opening 7004 through which coolant may be provided for flow into one or more channels within the working blade body 7000. The inlet / outlet 7002 also defines an outlet opening 7006 from which coolant may exit. For example, FIG. 71 is a top perspective view of the working blade body 7000 of FIG. 70 with an internal channel 7100 shown in broken lines. Referring to FIG. 71, a direction of flow of coolant is indicated by arrows 7102.

[00129] FIG. 72 illustrates a top view of an example working blade body 7200 having a looping channel 7202 (shown as broken lines as interior components) for cooling in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 72, the working blade body 7200 defines openings 7204 for entry and exit of coolant in the channel 7202. The channel 7202 has a curved portion 7206 that coincides with a curved blade edge 7208.

[00130] FIG. 73 illustrates a top perspective view of the working blade body 7200 shown in FIG. 72. Referring to FIG. 73, the looping channel 7202 is shown in broken lines again since it is an interior component.

[00131] Gas as a coolant can be emitted from opening in the top surface and/or bottom surface of the working blade body. Coolant can be stored within cutouts, reservoirs, or reliefs where gas can be pressurized into the bone as the blade translates into the cutting plane. This concept would use something like CO2 to help actively cool the blade and bone throughout the cutting process through convention. The gas can be continuously pumped so that there can be a constant flow of the gas along the channels throughout the procedure. In another embodiment, gas can be brought to the front of the blade through an internal channel (as opposed to from the base of the blade and shot forward to the cutting plane- like in the previous concept). This can provide the benefit that the cooling works internal to the blade and is also immediately exposed at the cutting edge. This can provide a more targeted method of cooling the blade from the front edge itself. In a further iteration, the cutting device can be used to deliver therapeutics in a more controlled manner since it works from the blade edge as it cuts through the bone itself.

[00132] FIG. 1 illustrates a top perspective view of a cutting device 7400 having a blade working body 7402 that defines openings 7404 for emitting coolant therefrom in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 74, the cutting device 7400 includes a handle 7403 and a housing 7406. Although not shown, the cutting device 7400 may include a static casing positioned adjacent to the blade working body 7402 (e.g., either to the top or bottom) for supporting the blade working body 7402 as will be understood by those of skill in the art. Although these components are not shown in FIG. 74, the housing 7406 may contain in an interior space therein for components, such as any suitable transducer or motor, to produce a desired mechanical motion with a cutting end, generally designated 7408. It is noted that in this example the device 7400 is described as being an oscillating saw blade, but it may alternatively be of any other suitable type (e.g., such as an ultrasonic transducer driving the blade through piezoelectric elements and smaller vibrations). The oscillating motor, which may be suitably powered to produce motion through the working surface of the blade to its blade edge, can be operatively attached to an end of the blade working body 7402 that is closest to the housing 7406. Oscillatory motion produced by the transducer/motor can propagate along a main body of the blade working body 7408 towards an end of the blade working body 7408 that opposes the end of the blade working body 7408 that is attached to the oscillatory transducer/motor. It is noted that any other suitable motion may be produced alternative to mechanical oscillations such as those produced by traditional bone saws (e.g., such as those produced by ultrasonic cutting devices that use smaller scale vibrations).

[00133] The cutting end 7408 can be a blade tip configured to cut, ablate, abrade or otherwise transform, for example, bone or other tissue. The cutting end 7408 includes a top surface 7410 and an opposing bottom surface (not shown in FIG. 74). The cutting end 7408 defines at least one blade edge 7412. In this example, the blade edge 7412 has serrations for cutting, ablating, abrading, or otherwise transforming bone or other tissue. In the alternative, the blade edge 7412 is a continuous, planar arc, and sharpened along its entirety for cutting, ablating, abrading, or otherwise transforming bone or other tissue.

[00134] The blade working body 7402 may be made of a material suitable for biomedical applications, such as titanium, stainless steel or the like.

[00135] Although not shown in FIG. 74, the blade working body 7402 may define one or more internal channels therein for routing cooling gas or other coolant to the openings 7404. The cooling gas is then emitted from the openings 7404 towards a workspace or other area near the blade edge 7412. For example, the cooling gas can be directed towards an area of bone that is being cut by the blade edge 7412 for cooling of the bone and/or the cutting end 7408.

[00136] FIG. 75 illustrates a top perspective view of the blade working body 7402 shown in FIG. 74. Referring to FIG. 75, the blade working body 7402 includes an attachment end 7500 for releasably attaching to the housing 7406 (shown in FIG. 74) and the source of movement. When the source of movement is activated, the cutting end 7408 can move back-and-forth rotationally about an axis 7502. The rotational movement of the cutting end 7408 is generally in the directions indicated by double arrow 7504.

[00137] With continuing reference to FIG. 75, an inlet component 7506 is positioned along the axis 7502 such that the blade working body 7402 rotates about it. Further, the inlet component 7506 defines an opening 7508 for receipt of the cooling gas. The opening 7508 is fluidly connected to the internal channel. The cooling gas received in the opening 7508 can be moved through the internal channels and out of openings 7404.

[00138] Openings 7404 shown in this embodiment are arranged as an array on the top surface 7410 and also on the bottom surface of the blade working body 7402. Although, it should be noted that the openings may be alternatively positioned, sized, and shape depending on the application. Further, any suitable number of openings may be provided.

[00139] Emission of cooling gas via openings 7404 provides a “gas exchange boundary” for targeting cooling in a released manner depending on the size, shape and positioning of openings 7404 adjacent material (e.g., bone) being transformed or cut. This can occur during cutting for active cooling.

[00140] FIGs. 76 and 77 illustrate a cross-sectional, top perspective view and a top view, respectively, of the blade working body 7402 shown in FIGs. 74 and 75 with internal channels 7600 shown with broken lines. Referring to FIG. 76, internal channels 7600 form a pathway for cooling gas entering the opening 7508 to move through the cutting blade body 7402, and exit openings 7404. FIG. 76 illustrates a top perspective view of the blade working body 7402 shown in FIGs. 74 and 75 with internal channels 7600 shown with broken lines.

[00141] FIG. 78 illustrates a cross-sectional, top perspective view of the blade working body 7402 shown in FIGs. 74 - 77. Referring to FIG. 78, this figure shows a cross-section of one of the internal channels 7600.

[00142] FIG. 79 illustrates a top perspective view of another example working blade body 7900 that defines openings 7902 for emitting coolant therefrom in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 79, the working blade body 7900 can be suitably attached to a housing and a handle (not shown) similar to the working blade body 7402 shown in FIGs. 74 - 78. Further, a proximal end 7904 can be attached to a source of movement, such as a transducer or motor, to produce a desired mechanical motion with a cutting end, generally designated 7906. The cutting end 7906 is a distal end.

[00143] The cutting end 7906 can define a blade edge 7908 that is planar arc in shape. Alternatively, the blade edge 7908 may be any other suitable shape and size.

[00144] Although not shown in FIG. 79, the blade working body 7900 may define one or more internal channels therein for routing cooling gas or other coolant to the openings 7902. The cooling gas can then be emitted from the openings 7902 towards a workspace or other area near the blade edge 7908. For example, the cooling gas can be directed towards an area of bone that is being cut by the blade edge 7908 for cooling of the bone and/or the cutting end 7906. An opening 7910 can be defined on a side of the cutting device 7900 for introduction of the cooling gas into the internal channels.

[00145] FIGs. 80 and 81 illustrate a top perspective view and a cross-sectional, top view, respectively, of the blade working body 7900 shown in FIG. 79 with an internal channel 700 shown with broken lines. Referring to FIGs. 80 and 81, the internal channel 8000 forms a pathway for cooling gas entering the openings 7902 to move through the cutting blade body 7900, and exit openings 7902. FIG. 82 is a zoomed-in, top view of the cutting end 7906 of the blade working body 7900. FIG. 83 is a side cross-sectional view of the cutting end 7906 of the blade working body 7900. FIG. 84 is a side cross-section view of the cutting end of the blade working body 7900 that is more zoom-in than the view of FIG. 83.

[00146] FIG. 85 illustrates a cross-sectional, top perspective view of the blade working body 7900 shown in FIGs. 80 - 11. Referring to FIG. 85, this figure shows a cross-section of the internal channel 8000.

[00147] FIG. 86 illustrates a top perspective view of a cutting device 8600 in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. Referring to FIGs. 86 - 89, the cutting device 8600 includes handle 8601 and a housing 8602. Although these components are not shown in FIG. 86, the housing 8602 may contain in an interior space therein for components, such as any suitable transducer or motor, to produce a desired mechanical motion with a cutting end, generally designated 8606. It is noted that in this example the device 8600 is described as being an oscillating saw blade, but it may alternatively be of any other suitable type (e.g., such as an ultrasonic transducer driving the blade through piezoelectric elements and smaller vibrations). The oscillating motor, which may be suitably powered to produce motion through the working surface of the blade to its blade edge, can be operatively attached to an end of a blade working body 8608 that is closest to the housing 8602. Oscillatory motion produced by the transducer/motor can propagate along a main body of the blade working body 8608 towards an end of the blade working body 108 that opposes the end of the blade working body 8608 that is attached to the oscillatory transducer/motor. It is noted that any other suitable motion may be produced alternative to mechanical oscillations such as those produced by traditional bone saws (e.g., such as those produced by ultrasonic cutting devices that use smaller scale vibrations). A static insert can be stationary or at least substantially stationary with respect to a source of movement since its motion is decoupled from that of the blade working body. The air gap present created by the static insert 8614 can reduce transfer of energy from the blade working body 8608 and, thus, heat to the surrounding bone. It is noted that the static insert may be made of any suitable insulative material, such as ceramic/polymer/rubber or any other suitable medical grade material, for preventing or minimizing heat transfer to the bone. Air can be present around the static insert and/or blade.

[00148] The cutting end 8606 can be a blade tip configured to cut, ablate, abrade or otherwise transform, for example, bone or other tissue. The cutting end 8606 includes a top surface 8610 and an opposing bottom surface (not shown in FIG. 86). The cutting end 8606 defines at least one blade edge 8612. In this example, the blade edge 8612 has serrations for cutting, ablating, abrading, or otherwise transforming bone or other tissue. In the alternative, the blade edge 8612 is a continuous, planar arc, and sharpened along its entirety for cutting, ablating, abrading, or otherwise transforming bone or other tissue.

[00149] With continuing reference to FIG. 86, the cutting device 8600 includes multiple static components 8614 operable to move relative to the motion of the blade working body 8608 in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. The static components 8614 can support load (i.e. to help prevent blade binding), allow for free flow of bone debris, and create an air gap during cutting. The static components 8614 can be positioned as shown or otherwise positioned or in any number along the working surface of the blade to prevent contact with bone or other material being cut or transformed. These components also decouple the motion of the blade working body 8608 from the adjacent bone or other material being cut or transformed. The static components 8614 provide sufficient circumferential clearance that they capture all blade excursion/motion produced by the blade working body 8608. Specifically, the clearance around the static components 8614 are designed to be larger than the desired excursion so as to ensure they can remain static during the cutting process relative to the dynamic motion of the blade working body 8608.

[00150] FIG. 87 illustrates a top perspective view of the blade working body 8608 and static components 8614 shown in FIG. 86. Referring to FIG. 87, as shown an end of the blade working body 8608 that opposes the blade edge 8612 includes a clip portion 8700 for attachment to another component of the cutting device 8600. The clip portion 8700 defines a rounded feature 8702 that can fit to and pivot about a vertical member (not shown) for rotational movement about axis, indicated by a broken line 8704.

[00151] FIGs. 88 - 90 illustrate tops views of the blade working body 108 shown in FIGs. 86 and 87 at different positions of operation for cutting or transforming a material, such as bone. Referring to FIGs. 88 - 90, it can be recognized that the blade working body 8608 is at different positions with respect to static components 8614. The blade edge 8612 can be move back-and-forth generally in the directions indicated by double arrow 8800. This back-and-forth motion occurs when the blade working body 8608 pivot about axis 8704. FIG. 88 depicts the blade working body 8608 in a “neutral” position or approximately midway between an extent of movement to the left and to the right. FIG. 4 depicts the blade working body 8608 at a position farthest to the right. FIG. 5 depicts the blade working body 8608 at a position farthest to the left.

[00152] FIG. 6 illustrates a side, cross-sectional view of a portion of the working blade body 8608 and one static component 8614 as shown in FIGs. 86 - 90. The static component 8614 comprises a flexible perimeter joint 9100 and a load-sharing member 9102. The flexible perimeter joint 9100 encircles and is fitted to the load-sharing member 9102. The flexible perimeter joint 9100 is fitted into an aperture 9104 formed within the working blade body 8608 such that the joint 9100 and the load-sharing member 9102 are planar or substantially planar with respect to the plane of the working blade body 8608. Particularly, the joint 9100 is fitted within the aperture 604 such that the aperture functions as a socket to hold the static component 8614. The static component 8614 is thereby loosely held by the aperture 9104. As a result of this configuration, the flexibile nature of the joint 9100 mechanically separates the load-sharing member 602 from the surrounding blade body 8608.

[00153] It is noted that the load-sharing member 9102 has a height profile greater than the thickness of the blade body 8608, such that the load-sharing member 9102 extends perpendicularly some measure from both the top surface 8610 and a bottom surface 9106 of the blade working body 8608. Although, it is noted that the components may have any other suitable height with respect to each other. In an example, a top end and a bottom end of the load-sharing member 9102 are convex or curved in shape. The load-sharing member 9102 and the flexible perimeter joint 9100 can be one functional unit that move together and are not directly attached to the blade working body 8608. Rather, their motion is constrained by the bounds of the countersunk aperture 9104 in which they reside. Edges 9108 of the aperture 9104 are further countersunk in the surrounding blade body 108 such that the edge of the flexible perimeter joint 9100 is the same height or subflush to the surface of the surrounding blade body 8608. This allows the material being cut to more easily ride up on the static component. Specifically, as the blade working body 8608 moves within the cutting plane the adjacent bone rides up on the static component 8614. This can create an airgap to prevent direct conduction of heat to adjacent bone and allows for bone debris to flow away from the cutting site. It is believed that freely moving bone particulate matter can alleviate a significant amount of frictional forces that would otherwise be generated between the bone surfaces and the blade body 8608. Airgaps are present circumferentially all around the flexible perimeter joint as well. Finally, this mechanism of the bone riding up on the static component 8614 effectively supports loading on the top and bottom of the blade working body, which allows it to continue operation without frictional sliding interactions and prevents it from binding. It should be noted that fitting the flexible perimeter joint 9100 to the load-sharing member 9102 and fitting the flexible perimeter joint 9100 within the aperture 9104 can be accomplished using any variety of press-fit, slip-fit, snap-fit, adhesive, any combination thereof, or other suitable means. The flexible perimeter joint 9100 can be made of a material having a low thermal conductivity including, but not limited to, rubber, silicone, or the like. The load-sharing member 9102 can be made of a high strength medical grade material like stainless steel, cobalt chrome, and the like.

[00154] FIGs. 92 - 94 illustrate side views of a blade working body 8608 at different positions cutting into a material 9200 (e.g. bone) according to embodiments of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 7, the blade working body 8608 is at an initial position for cutting into the material 9200. At this position, the blade edge 8612 has cut into the material to a distance such that the most distal static casing 8614 has not reached the material 9200.

[00155] Now turning to FIG. 93, the blade edge 8612 has cut farther into the material 9200 such that a portion 9300 of the static casing 8614 is within a gap 9302 cut into the material 9200. At the position shown in FIG. 93, the static casing 8614 is carrying load from contact with the material 9200 for alleviating strain on the blade working body 8608. FIG. 94 shows the blade edge 8612 having farther cut into the material 9200 such that a large portion 900 of the static casing 8614 is within the gap 9302. In this position, a greater portion of the static casing 8614 is carrying the load of the material 9200.

[00156] It is noted that embodiments of the present disclosure are described as producing or having oscillatory saw blade movement or any other suitable source for motion. It is noted that in the alternative the movement may be any suitable type of movement produced by any suitable source (e.g., such as an ultrasonic transducer driving the blade through piezoelectric elements and smaller vibrations)). Further, cutting may be applied to any suitable material or technical field. Suitable mechanical sources could include anything from piezoceramics, electro-mechanical motors, user generated hand motion, etc. However, its important to note that all types of mechanisms can produce equivalent types of movements. These could include, but are not limited to, axial motion, bending motion, torsional motion, flexural motion, etc. It is also feasible that the source of mechanical motion can combine all of these modes of motion to create more complex movements. Regardless of the motion and/or the manner in which it is produced, there would be a resultant motion at the end of the functional device/blade edge. This motion would, under the claims of this patent, be captured within the bounds of the static casing which function to share load, decouple motion, and prevent heat transfer to the functional working surfaces. Examples include oscillating/sagittal/reciprocating medical bone cutting saws, medical rotary drills, medical rotary burs, construction hammer drills, construction rotary hammer, wood cutting axes, construction oscillating multi-tools, oscillating medical cast saws, cutting saws, etc. The principles of the claims presented in this patent could be applied to all of these devices with equivalently realized benefits.

[00157] While the embodiments have been described in connection with the various embodiments of the various figures, it is to be understood that other similar embodiments may be used, or modifications and additions may be made to the described embodiment for performing the same function without deviating therefrom. Therefore, the disclosed embodiments should not be limited to any single embodiment, but rather should be construed in breadth and scope in accordance with the appended claims.