Surgical implants implanted into patients during orthopedic surgeries sometimes require removal, for example, when an implant breaks or an infection sets in. Removal of an implant may require removal of cement used to affix the implant to bone. Surgeons have access to a wide variety of tools for removing cement, including surgical osteotomes, gouges, hooks, taps, drills, rongeurs and chisels. There is a need for an ergonomic and light-weight surgical tool and handle for a surgical tool for use in orthopedic surgeries and, particularly, for use in chipping away cement from implants to be removed from a patient.
In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the subject disclosure, a handle for a surgical tool is provided. The handle includes a grip with a proximal end, a distal end and a through-bore, a coupler coupled to the distal end of the grip, a plunger slidably positioned within the through-bore of the grip, and a biasing member in the through-bore of the grip to bias the plunger. According to an aspect, the handle further comprises a quick connect about its distal end.
In accordance with another exemplary embodiment of the subject disclosure, a surgical tool is provided. The surgical tool comprises the aforementioned handle and a bit releasably coupled to the coupler of the handle.
According to an aspect, the bit is a chisel bit. According to another aspect, the coupler comprises a longitudinal bore and the bit includes a key releasably lockable in the longitudinal bore. According to another aspect, the longitudinal bore has a cross-section sized to substantially match that of the key. According to another aspect, the longitudinal bore and the key are substantially oval-shaped in cross-section. According to another aspect, the key includes a proximal end, a distal end, and a mid-portion circumscribed by a locking channel. According to another aspect, the coupler further comprises a button slidably positioned in the coupler. According to another aspect, the button includes a bore alignable with the longitudinal bore of the coupler and a locking tab releasably engageable with the locking channel. According to another aspect, the surgical tool further comprises a second biasing member for biasing the locking tab into engagement with the locking channel. According to another aspect, wherein, when the bit is inserted and locked within the coupler, the first biasing member biases the plunger to exert force against the bit.
According to an aspect, the surgical tool further comprises a cap coupled to the distal end of the grip. According to another aspect, the cap includes a strike plate. According to another aspect, the cap includes threads for threadedly engaging threads provided on the grip.
The following detailed description of an exemplary embodiment of the subject disclosure will be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the present disclosure, there is shown in the drawings an exemplary embodiment. It should be understood, however, that the subject application is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.
Reference will now be made in detail to an exemplary embodiment of the subject disclosure illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same or like reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like features. It should be noted that the drawings are in simplified form and are not drawn to precise scale. In reference to the disclosure herein, for purposes of convenience and clarity only, directional terms such as upper, lower, top, bottom, above, below and diagonal, are used with respect to the accompanying drawings. Such directional terms used in conjunction with the following description of the drawings should not be construed to limit the scope of the subject disclosure in any manner not explicitly set forth. Additionally, the term “a,” as used in the specification, means “at least one.” The terminology includes the words above specifically mentioned, derivatives thereof, and words of similar import.
“About” as used herein when referring to a measurable value such as an amount, a temporal duration, and the like, is meant to encompass variations of ±20%, ±10%, ±5%, ±1%, or ±0.1% from the specified value, as such variations are appropriate.
“Substantially” as used herein shall mean considerable in extent, largely but not wholly that which is specified, or an appropriate variation therefrom as is acceptable within the field of art.
“Exemplary” as used herein shall mean serving as an example.
Throughout the subject application, various aspects thereof can be presented in a range format. It should be understood that the description in range format is merely for convenience and brevity and should not be construed as an inflexible limitation on the scope of the subject disclosure. Accordingly, the description of a range should be considered to have specifically disclosed all the possible subranges as well as individual numerical values within that range. For example, description of a range such as from 1 to 6 should be considered to have specifically disclosed subranges such as from 1 to 3, from 1 to 4, from 1 to 5, from 2 to 4, from 2 to 6, from 3 to 6 etc., as well as individual numbers within that range, for example, 1, 2, 2.7, 3, 4, 5, 5.3, and 6. This applies regardless of the breadth of the range.
Furthermore, the described features, advantages and characteristics of the exemplary embodiments of the subject disclosure may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more exemplary embodiments. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize, in light of the description herein, that the subject disclosure can be practiced without one or more of the specific features or advantages of a particular exemplary embodiment. In other instances, additional features and advantages may be recognized in certain exemplary embodiments that may not be present in all exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.
Referring now to the Figures, there is shown a surgical tool 100 in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the subject disclosure. Surgical tool 100 may be used during an orthopedic surgery, for example, to chip away bone cement used in a shoulder, elbow or other implant. Surgical tool 100 includes a handle 200 and a bit 400 releasably coupled to handle 200. In the embodiments depicted in the Figures, bit 400 is a chisel bit 400 for use in orthopedic surgery, though it should be appreciated that handle 200 may couple to other types of bits, e.g., osteotomes, and that various embodiments described and claimed herein are not intended to be limited to any particular type of bit or use of surgical tool 100.
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Cap 225 includes a disk-shaped strike plate 245, a cylindrical stop 250 extending distally and coaxially from strike plate 245 and having an outer surface provided with threads 255 and a distally facing annular face 260, and a smooth and cylindrical alignment post 262 extending distally from annular face 260 of stop 250. The cap includes threads 255 for threadedly engaging threads 222 provided on the grip 205. That is, threads 255 of stop 250 engage with threads 222 of grip 205 in screw-like fashion to secure cap 225 to proximal end 210 of grip 205, though it should be appreciated that cap 225 may be secured to grip 205 in other ways. For example, with respect to some embodiments, cap 225 is both screwed and welded to grip 205, whereas in other embodiments, cap 225 is only welded to grip 205. It should be appreciated, however, that various embodiments described and claimed herein are not intended to be limited to any particular method or manner of securing cap 225 to grip 205. The cap has a planar distally facing end and an overall width greater than an overall width of the handle.
Coupler 230 includes a quick connect including a button 270, second biasing members 280, a longitudinal bore 305 in the coupler, and a bore 330 in the button for easily connecting with a corresponding male quick connect. The coupler includes a main body 265, the button 270 slidably positioned within main body 265, stop posts 275 for limiting movement of button 270 within main body 265 and the second biasing members 280 for biasing button 270. Coupler 230 further comprises the longitudinal bore 305 and the key 440 of the bit 400 is releasably lockable in the longitudinal bore 305.
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Longitudinal bore 305 of main body 265 has a cross-section sized to substantially match that of key 440 of bit 400 to allow bore 305 to closely receive bit 400 when surgical chisel 100 is fully assembled. In the embodiments described herein, for example, longitudinal bore 305 has a substantially oval shape with opposed flat side surfaces 310 for closely receiving guide surfaces 470 of key 440. In this manner, side surfaces 310 ensure that bit 400 (and, in particular, tapered blade 420) is properly aligned rotationally with respect to handle 200 when bit 400 is coupled thereto. Longitudinal alignment of bit 400 is maintained by a close fit between longitudinal bore 305 and key 440, as well as by annular face 435 of disk 430 which closely engages flat distal end 290 of main body 265 to ensure that shaft 405 of bit 400 is maintained in proper longitudinal orientation relative to handle 200. Of course, it will be appreciated that bore 305 and key 440 may be provided with differently shaped cross-sections and alignment features, and that various embodiments described and claimed herein are not intended to be limited to any particular cross-section(s) or other features for receiving, aligning and/or orientating bit 400 relative to handle 200.
Button 270 is slidably positioned within button receptacle 315 of coupler 230 and includes a curved top surface 325, the bore 330, a locking tab 335 adjacent to a side of bore 330 opposite the curved top surface 325 of the button 270, grooves 342 on opposed sides of the button, and downwardly facing lower flat surfaces 340. The bore 330 is alignable with the longitudinal bore 305 of the coupler and the locking tab 335 is releasably engageable with the locking channel 465 of bit 400 when assembled together. Stop posts 275 are positioned within post bores 320 of main body 265 and communicate respectively with grooves 342 of button 270 to limit movement of button 270 within main body 265 between an unlocked position, at which bore 330 of button 270 aligns with longitudinal bore 305 of main body 265 to permit free insertion/removal of bit 400 into/from coupler 230 (see
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It should also be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made to the exemplary embodiments described above without departing from the broad inventive concept thereof. It is to be understood, therefore, that this disclosure is not limited to the particular exemplary embodiments disclosed, but it is intended to cover modifications within the spirit and scope of the claims defined herein.
This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/320,020, filed Mar. 15, 2022, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes.
Number | Date | Country | |
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63320020 | Mar 2022 | US |