Claims
- 1. An apparatus for inserting a fiducial marker component into a patient, comprising:
- a housing that is generally cylindrically shaped and which has a bore provided therein, said housing having a proximal end and a distal end, at least a portion of the proximal end of the housing flaring outward from the body of the housing so as to provide an area for stably supporting the housing against a surface on a patient;
- a cannula guide tube assembly that has a proximal end and a distal end and which contains a bore;
- a drill for forming a bore hole at an implantation site; and
- an inserter for inserting a fiducial marker component in the bore hole at the implantation site;
- wherein the cannula guide tube is shiftable within said bore of said housing and the drill and inserter are each separately insertable into said guide tube and shiftable therein.
- 2. The apparatus for inserting a fiducial marker component according to claim 1, wherein the housing has a longitudinal axis and wherein the portion of the cylindrical housing that flares outward forms a flange at the housing than extends in a perpendicular direction away from the longitudinal axis of the housing.
- 3. The apparatus for inserting a fiducial marker component according to claim 1, wherein said guide tube is provided with teeth.
- 4. The apparatus for inserting a fiducial marker component according to claim 1, wherein said guide tube has an outer surface on which is provided at least one abutment surface near said distal end of the guide tube to contact the housing and thereby limit movement of the guide tube with respect to the housing.
- 5. The apparatus for inserting a fiducial marker component according to claim 1, further comprising a spring disposed within the bore of said housing such that said guide tube fits within said housing and is shiftable therein against a force provided by said spring.
- 6. The apparatus nor inserting a fiducial marker component according to claim 1, further comprising an obturator assembly that is separately insertable into the guide tube and shiftable therein separately from the drill and the inserter.
- 7. The apparatus for inserting a fiducial marker component according to claim 6, wherein said obturator assembly further comprises a handle and an obturator shaft that has a smaller diameter than the bore of the guide tube, wherein the obturator shaft is affixed to said handle.
- 8. The apparatus for inserting a fiducial marker component according to claim 1, wherein said drill comprises a handle and a drill bit having a smaller diameter than the bore of the guide tube, said drill bit being disposed in said handle.
- 9. The apparatus for inserting a fiducial marker component according to claim 1, wherein said inserter comprises a driver shaft and a handle to which the driver shaft is attached, wherein the diameter of the shaft is smaller than the diameter of the housing bore.
- 10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a cylindrically-shaped clip that is sized to grip the shaft of the driver.
- 11. The apparatus for inserting a fiducial marker component according to claim 1, further comprising a trocar assembly that is insertable into the guide tube and shiftable therein.
- 12. The apparatus for inserting a fiducial marker component according to claim 11, wherein said trocar assembly further comprises a handle and an trocar shaft that has a smaller diameter than said guide tube bore, one end of said trocar shaft terminating in a sharp point and wherein the other end of the trocar shaft is affixed to said handle.
- 13. An apparatus for inserting a fiducial marker component, comprising:
- a housing defining an axially disposed bore, wherein the diameter of the bore is stepped so as to define a shoulder, said housing having a proximal end and a distal end, at least a portion of the proximal end extending laterally away from the bore so as to provide an area for stably supporting the housing against a surface;
- a cannula, said cannula having a proximal end, a distal end, an exterior surface and a shoulder attached to the exterior surface of the cannula between the proximal and distal ends of the cannula; and
- a spring located within the bore of the housing and bound at its ends by the bore shoulder and the cannula shoulder, wherein the cannula is freely shiftable within the bore so as to limit the length of the spring.
- 14. The apparatus for inserting a fiducial marker component of claim 13, further comprising an insertion tool that is separately insertable into the cannula and shiftable therein, said insertion tool comprising a metal shaft.
- 15. The apparatus for inserting a fiducial marker component of claim 14, wherein the insertion tool further includes a clip for affixing a cylindrical object to the terminus of the shaft.
- 16. The apparatus for inserting a fiducial marker component of claim 14, wherein the insertion tool includes a handle at one end of the shaft and a drive element at the tip of the other end of the shaft.
- 17. The apparatus for inserting a fiducial marker component of claim 13, further comprising a drill having a shaft that is insertable into the cannula and shiftable therein.
- 18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the drill is a hand drill.
- 19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the drill is a power drill.
- 20. The apparatus for inserting a fiducial marker component of claim 18, wherein the cannula has an upper external surface that defines an abutment surface, the drill has a facing abutment surface, and wherein the drill can be inserted into the cannula up to the point at which the abutment surface of the drill contacts the abutment surface of the cannula, thereby limiting the depth of hole that can be made by the drill.
- 21. The apparatus for inserting a fiducial marker component of claim 13, wherein the housing has an annular flange at one of its ends.
- 22. The apparatus for inserting a fiducial marker component of claim 13, wherein the cannula has means for gripping an underlying surface at one of its ends.
- 23. The apparatus for inserting a fiducial marker component of claim 13, wherein the cannula is affixed to a knob containing a bore.
- 24. The apparatus for inserting a fiducial marker component of claim 23, further comprising a clip having attachment means to affix a fiducial marker component with respect to the terminal portion of the shaft of an insertion tool, and wherein the bore in the knob of the cannula includes a seat for the clip.
- 25. The apparatus for inserting a fiducial marker component of claim 24, wherein the clip comprises:
- a cylindrical portion defining a bore; and
- means distributed along the outer circumference of the clip for seating with the bore in the knob of the cannula.
- 26. The apparatus for inserting a fiducial marker component of claim 25, wherein the cylindrical portion of the clip further includes a plurality of inwardly directed prongs that are elastically displaceable with respect to each other.
- 27. The apparatus for inserting a fiducial marker component of claim 26, wherein the prongs of the clip terminate in an inwardly directed projection.
- 28. The apparatus for inserting a fiducial marker component of claim 25, wherein a series of inwardly directed hubs are circumferentially arrayed along the interior of the cylindrical portion of the clip.
- 29. The apparatus for inserting a fiducial marker component of claim 13, wherein the housing is made of plastic.
- 30. The apparatus for inserting a fiducial marker component of claim 13, wherein the cannula is made of metal.
- 31. The apparatus for inserting a fiducial marker component of claim 13, further including a fiducial marker component comprising a fiducial marker base that is adapted to be inserted through the cannula.
- 32. The apparatus for inserting a fiducial marker component of claim 31, wherein the fiducial marker base has self tapping threads.
- 33. The apparatus for inserting a fiducial marker component of claim 13, further including a fiducial marker component comprising a fully implantable fiducial marker that is adapted to be inserted through the cannula.
- 34. The apparatus for inserting a fiducial marker component of claim 13, wherein the cannula shoulder is in the form of a ring.
- 35. A tool kit for facilitating the insertion of a cylindrical object into a hole in a portion of anatomy of a patient, comprising:
- a housing having two ends, one of which extends from the housing an amount sufficient to provide an area for stably supporting the housing against a surface on the patient;
- a spring-loaded cannula that is shiftable within the housing;
- a drill for forming a hole, said drill being shiftable within the cannula; and
- an insertion tool for driving a cylindrical object into the hole formed by the drill.
- 36. The tool kit of claim 35, further comprising an obturator that is separately shiftable within the cannula.
- 37. The tool kit of claim 35, further comprising a trocar that is separately shiftable within the cannula.
- 38. The tool kit of claim 35, further comprising a tool for removing the cylindrical object from the hole.
- 39. The tool kit of claim 35, further including a cylindrical object comprising a fiducial marker.
- 40. The tool kit of claim 35, further including a cylindrical object comprising a temporary marker base.
Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 08/017,167 filed Feb. 12, 1993 now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (28)
Foreign Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Date |
Country |
WO8802246 |
Jul 1985 |
EPX |
0427358 |
May 1991 |
EPX |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
17167 |
Feb 1973 |
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