Patent attributes
A handpiece (20) for actuating a surgical cutting accessory (24). The handpiece has a housing (22) with a bore (46) through which a suction is drawn. A valve (50) regulates the suction flow. The valve (50), formed of metal, has an barrel (60), formed of rubber, that surrounds the rotating valve stem (56). The barrel defines a non-circular openings (96) through which there is suction flow. The openings are shaped to have small diameter sections (104) that initially come into registration with the suction bore when the stem is rotated to the open state. This ensures that, when the valve is open, there is only a relatively small surgeon-selected suction flow through the handpiece. The barrel is formed with ribs (94, 106) the serve as seals between the valve and the adjacent surface of the housing. A suction fitting (49) is rotatably fitted to the proximal end of the handpiece.
