As an alternative to the traditional surgery, which requires a relatively wide incision to access to the surgical site inside the human body, the endoscopic procedures utilize natural accesses or as an alternative the creation of small portals (minimal tissular incisions); therefore often reference is made to the endoscopic surgery with the term of mini-invasive surgery. The two main advantages of the endoscopic surgery are the more rapid healing of the tissues after the surgical operation and the lesser exposition of internal tissues to the risk of an infection. The technological developments in this surgical field, also defined “closed”, have led to the realization of many minimally invasive instruments, as the access to the surgical site is made through one or more portals. Such instruments must be sufficiently elongated and smooth to permit the entrance and the use with a minimum trauma for the surrounding tissues. A portion of the instrument, usually indicated as “distal portion”, is so conceived in order to have access to the surgical site; the opposite portion, usually indicated as “proximal portion”, remains at the outside of the body of the patient. The distal portion of the instrument is typically provided for treating the tissue with which it comes in contact, its shape and dimensions being therefore properly studied in function of the particular surgical operation to which it is destined.
The proximal portion is instead provided with a mechanism to control from the outside of the body of the patient the above function. The motorized endoscopic surgical instruments, used in the “closed” surgery, often identified as endoscopic “shavers”, are typically made by a pair of coaxial tubular concentrically disposed elements: an external element ending distally with an aperture or “cutting window” and a rotary internal element having a sharp surface at the cutting window. The rotary action of the internal tubular element produces by abrasion the removal or the finishing of the tissue, this process being defined as “resection”.
As in each surgical action, also in the endoscopic surgery the presence of two well distinct fields is provided: the sterile field, the one in close contact with the patient, whereby the surgeon will perform his operation, and the one definitely separated from the patient and from any object coming in contact with it. Only suitably treated personnel and instruments can access to the sterile field (sterilization processes for the instruments, washing pre-operatory processes and adoption of protective aids for the personnel, as gloves and coats); all that can not enter in contact with the sterile field must rigorously remain outside it.
US2007/0010823 describes a “shaver” for arthroscopic operations and a system for performing the suction and the irrigation during a medical procedure with the above “shaver”.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,669,921 describes a cutting device comprising:                an elongated external having a proximal end, a distal end and at said proximal end a bushing to permit the attachment of the external tube to an electrically fed sleeve; and        an elongated internal tube apt to be received in said external tube, having a proximal end, a distal end, an internal aperture at said distal end, a cutting tip and a bushing disposed at the proximal end, the bushing permitting the connection of the internal tube to guide means for the cutting device.        
The Applicant has noted that in the endoscopic “shavers” actually existing and/or in those described above the internal tubular element is brought in rotation and controlled by a handpiece having internally a small electric motor: the actuation and control are made either by pushbuttons positioned on the sleeve itself or by pushbuttons positioned on a pedal board. In both cases the power and the control signals arrive at the sleeve through a wire connected with an external bracket. This “bracket” is usually disposed on a trolley sufficiently distant from the operation field in order not to contaminate the sterile field. The handpiece (which comes in contact with the sterile field) undergoes a sterilization treatment before each surgical operation; the bracket having to remain out of each contact with the sterile zone, is housed out of the aforesaid field; in the actually existing systems, a connection wire is provided between handpiece and “bracket”. Such connection wire before each use is treated in order to render it completely sterile and at the preparation of the surgical operation it is assembled from one side with the (sterile) handpiece and from the other side with the (non sterile) bracket. In the actually existing “shavers” the handpiece is made of a metallic material, so it has a not negligeable weight, and the connection wire has a weight and encumbrance such to limit the handling of the operator.
The personnel of the operation room which is responsible for the treatment and the management of the instrument at the end of each operation has to perform the washing (with suitable disinfectants and detergents) and then the sterilizing of the resterilizable parts (handpiece and wire); the cleaning and the sterilization negatively affect the useful life of the sterilizable components.
The personnel of the operation room must further perform the storing in suitable containers which guarantee the sterility, with a consequent waste of time and space consumption.
Nevertheless the personnel of the operation room must perform the maintenance of the non sterilizable components, i.e. the bracket and the pedal board if present, by making periodical inspections which can require more complex technical interventions by qualified personnel.
The Applicant has also noted that in the present technological solutions in the market or for example described in the aforesaid documents, some non satisfied needs remain and some limits not yet overcome; man maneuverability, ergonomics, safety referring to sterility, simplification of management and maintenance.