Sheath assembly and multihole catheter for different fields of endoscopic surgery involving suction, irrigation and material removal

1. A sheath assembly for different fields of endoscopic surgery involving suction, irrigation and material removal comprising:

a tubular sheath including a sheath cannula having an inner open end adapted for introducing into a body region requiring surgery and an outer other open end; and

a suction unit with controllable suction provision operatively connected to said outer other open end of said tubular sheath; comprising a reservoir having;

a reservoir inlet having a central axis parallel to a reservoir central axis, and operatively connected in line with the outer other open end of the tubular sheath;

a reservoir outlet operatively connected to a suction machine for facilitating continuous suction from the reservoir, and said reservoir outlet oriented at an angle of 90°+/−15° relative to the reservoir central axis, and said reservoir outlet facing downwards to enable contents from said body region traveling through the outer other open end of the tubular sheath to fall into the reservoir, the contents are prevented from going back into the tubular sheath;

a releasably attachable sealing assembly, secured to a proximal open end of the reservoir, the releasably attachable sealing assembly when attached forming a proximal end of the reservoir, and operatively connected in line with said reservoir inlet;

the releasably attachable sealing assembly allows passage of the operating endoscope into the reservoir, and enables assembly of the reservoir and the operating endoscope, the releasably attachable sealing assembly forms a water and air tight seal enabling function of the suction unit; and a suction control opening disposed in operative connection with said reservoir outlet, and the suction control opening disposed on said reservoir;

wherein when the suction control opening is open it allows air to enter the reservoir of the sheath assembly, and when the suction control opening is closed it does not allow air to enter reservoir of the sheath assembly;

wherein selective opening and closing of said suction control opening provides alternative suction zones in the sheath assembly and suction of contents from the alternative suction zones during continuous suction, wherein the alternative suction zones are selected from (i) the reservoir and (ii) the tubular sheath, the body region in which the tubular sheath is placed, and the reservoir; the alternative suction zones thereby facilitate suction pressure to alternative suction zone (i) when the suction control opening is open and alternative suction zone (ii) when the suction control opening is closed.

2. The sheath assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the suction control opening is disposed on an opposite side of the reservoir relative to the reservoir outlet.

3. The sheath assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the reservoir outlet is provided facing downwards, to facilitate gravity assisted release of the contents from the reservoir inlet into the reservoir.

4. The sheath assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the sealing assembly comprises

a sealing flap disposed in line with the reservoir inlet which is in turn in line with the tubular sheath passage; and

a sealing cap on an outside of the sealing flap;

said sealing assembly allows releasable passage of the operating endoscope into the tubular sheath cannula through the reservoir inlet, and into the said body region requiring surgery and such that the endoscope can be taken out for creating space for suction of fragments and reintroduced without losing tract.

5. The sheath assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the reservoir inlet is disposed in a distal wall of the reservoir, the distal wall is perpendicular to the central axis of the reservoir and enables collection of the contents from the reservoir inlet and the suction passage, the distal wall prevents the contents from going back into said body region requiring surgery.

6. The sheath assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a diameter of the reservoir inlet is smaller than a diameter of the reservoir outlet, ensuring the contents which are released into the reservoir can be suctioned out through reservoir outlet, the contents are suction out with gravitational assistance by positioning said reservoir outlet facing downwards.

7. The sheath assembly as claimed in claim 1 which is a renal sheath assembly for percutaneous renal surgery.

8. The sheath assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a diameter of the tubular sheath allows passage of a dilator cum obturator, the dilator cum obturator comprising one end tapered for a distance of 4 mm to 8 mm and an inside diameter allows passage of a guide wire.

9. A method for carrying out endoscopic surgery involving suction, irrigation and material removal involving the sheath assembly as claimed in claim 4 comprising:

(i) assembling the sheath assembly by connecting the tubular sheath to suction unit having said sealing assembly;

(ii) connecting the reservoir outlet to suction machine;

(iii) placing the tubular sheath in said body region requiring surgery and passing operating endoscope into said tubular sheath via said sealing cap through the sealing flap through the reservoir through the inlet and into in said body region requiring surgery,

such that the said endoscope can be taken out and reintroduced without losing tract;

(iv) carrying out the endoscopic surgery involving said sheath assembly maintaining the suction machine on during the process and selectively keeping the suction controlling opening (a) open when no suction effect is desired to alternative suction zone (ii), and fluid and particles are allowed to drain out by overflowing from said body region requiring surgery and (b) closed when the suction is desired to alternative suction zone (ii) to allow the operative fragments and the contents to be sucked out of said body region requiring surgery.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the endoscope is taken out from the sheath gradually to provide space in the sheath for larger operative fragments to to drain out and/or be suctioned out.

11. The method as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the fluid and/or fragments that are drained out and/or suctioned out are collected in the reservoir, and then drained out of the reservoir.