VERTEBRAL SURFACE PREPARATION INSTRUMENT

• US 20100274299A1
• Filed: 04/23/2009
• Published: 10/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ranier Limited
• Original Assignee: Ranier Limited
• Inventors: Johnson, Scott, Lawson, Jonathan, Snell, Robert A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,876,828 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/86.R
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1659 Surgical rasps, files, planes, or scrapers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1671 for the spine
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320028 with reciprocating movements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/034 abutting on parts of the device itself

Abstract

An instrument for preparing a surface of a vertebra, such as a vertebral endplate, for receipt of a spinal disc implant. The instrument includes a working tool with implements on one or more surfaces of the working tool that act on the vertebral surface. The instrument includes a rotary-to-linear translation system to cause the working tool to move; for example, from side-to-side, top-to-bottom, or along a path that includes side-to-side and top-to-bottom aspects. The rotary-to-linear translation system may include a drive shaft having a cam pin at a distal end, and a cam follower slot at an anterior end of the working tool.

Claims

1. A surgical instrument for preparing the surface of a vertebra, comprising

a working end including a working tool configured for insertion between adjacent vertebra, said working tool being moveable and having working implements for preparing the vertebral surface;

and

a rotary to linear translation system to cause said working tool to move.

2. The surgical instrument recited in claim 1, wherein said rotary to linear translation system includes a cam and a cam follower.

3. The surgical instrument recited in claim 2, wherein said cam is a pin at a distal end of a drive shaft and said cam follower is a slot provided in said working tool.

16. The surgical instrument recited in claim 1, wherein said working tool is moveable from side-to-side.

17. The surgical instrument recited in claim 1, wherein said working tool is moveable from top-to-bottom.

18. The surgical instrument recited in claim 1, wherein said working tool is moveable about a path that includes side-to-side and top-to-bottom aspects.

4. The surgical instrument recited in 3, wherein said working tool includes an elongated slot that is counter-bored with respect to said cam follower slot and is adapted to receive said distal end of said drive shaft.

5. The surgical instrument recited in 4, wherein said working tool includes an anterior end and said counter-bored elongated slot is located at said anterior end.

6. The surgical instrument recited in 1, wherein said working end further includes a frame which mounts said working tool.

7. The surgical instrument recited in 6, wherein a pivot pin extends between said working tool and said frame.

8. The surgical instrument recited in 7, wherein said frame and said working tool are removable as a unit from said instrument.

9. The surgical instrument recited in 8, wherein said working tool includes a recess for receiving a portion of said frame, at least one interior surface of said working tool being exposed by said recess, and said pivot pin extends from said at least interior surface.

10. The surgical instrument recited in 9, wherein opposed interior surfaces of said working tool are exposed by said recess, and said pivot pin extends between said opposed interior surfaces.

11. The surgical instrument recited in 6, wherein said working tool has a farthest extent of sweep in a first direction and in a second direction, and said working tool projects beyond said frame when said working tool is in its farthest extent of sweep in said respective direction.

12. The surgical instrument recited in 3, further including a tube, wherein said drive shaft extends within said tube.

13. The surgical instrument recited in 12, further including a frame which mounts said working tool, and a mount associated with said tube which supports said frame.

14. The surgical instrument recited in 13, wherein said frame is removably engaged to said tube associated mount.

15. The surgical instrument recited in 14, further including a handle coupled to said drive shaft.

19. A vertebral surface preparation unit for use in a surgical instrument, comprising:

a frame removable from and reattachable to a surgical instrument body;

a working tool configured for insertion between adjacent vertebra, said working tool including at least a first surface with one or more working implements for preparing the vertebral surface;

said working tool being mounted to said frame and moveable relative thereto, said working tool including an anterior end and an aspect of a rotary to linear translation system that is accessible at said anterior end.

20. The vertebral surface preparation unit recited in claim 19, wherein said rotary to linear translation system aspect includes a cam follower.

21. The vertebral surface preparation unit recited in claim 20, where said cam follower includes a slot.

22. The vertebral surface preparation unit recited in claim 21, further including an elongated slot counter-bored with respect to said cam follower slot.

23. The vertebral surface preparation united recited in claim 22, wherein said elongated slot is sized to receive a distal end of a rotatable drive shaft of the surgical instrument.

24. The vertebral surface preparation unit recited in claim 23, wherein a direction of said cam follower slot is normal to a direction of said elongated slot.

25. The vertebral surface preparation unit recited in claim 19, wherein said working tool includes a recess that receives a portion of said frame.

26. The vertebral surface preparation unit recited in claim 25, wherein said working tool has a farthest extent of sweep in a first direction and in a second direction, and said working tool projects beyond said frame when said working tool is in its farthest extent of sweep in said respective direction.

27. The vertebral surface preparation unit recited in claim 19, wherein said frame has a planar form and a U-shape.

28. The vertebral surface preparation unit recited in claim 19, wherein said frame includes a pair of legs, each leg having a proximal segment including a latch for engaging with a compatible frame mount on the surgical instrument body.

29. The vertebral surface preparation unit recited in claim 28, wherein each of said pair of legs further includes a second latch in opposition to said proximal segment latch.

30. The vertebral surface preparation unit recited in claim 19, wherein said frame includes a pair of legs, each of said pair of legs including proximal segment, a first converging segment and a second acutely converging segment, and said pair of legs coincide at a junction of said second acutely converging segments along which is located a sweep axis for said working tool.

31. The vertebral surface preparation united recited in claim 19, wherein said at least first surface includes a top surface.

32. The vertebral surface preparation unit recited in claim 31, wherein said at least first surface includes a top surface and a bottom surface.

33. The vertebral surface preparation unit recited in claim 19, in combination with the surgical instrument.

34. The surgical instrument recited in claim 19, wherein said working tool is moveable from side-to-side.

35. The surgical instrument recited in claim 19, wherein said working tool is moveable from top-to-bottom.

36. The surgical instrument recited in claim 19, wherein said working tool is moveable about a path that includes side-to-side and top-to-bottom aspects.

37. A vertebral surface preparation unit for use in a surgical instrument, comprising:

a U-shaped frame including a pair of resilient, inwardly compressible legs that are adapted to releasably engage with a compatible frame mount on a surgical instrument body; and

a working tool configured for insertion between adjacent vertebra, said working tool being mounted to said frame and moveable relative thereto, said working tool including at least a first surface with one or more working implements for preparing a vertebral surface.

38. The vertebral surface preparation unit recited in claim 37, wherein each of said pair of legs has a proximal segment including a cam feature to facilitate inward compression of said proximal segment during entry into the compatible frame mount on the surgical instrument body.

39. The vertebral surface preparation unit recited in claim 37, wherein each of said pair of legs has a proximal segment including a latch for engaging with the compatible frame mount on the surgical instrument body.

40. The vertebral surface preparation unit recited in claim 39, wherein each of said pair of legs further includes a second latch in opposition to said proximal segment latch.

41. The vertebral surface preparation unit recited in claim 37, wherein each of said pair of legs further includes a first converging segment and a second acutely converging segment, with said pair of legs coinciding at a junction of said second acutely converging segments along which is located a sweep axis of said working tool.

42. The vertebral surface preparation unit recited in claim 41, wherein said frame includes an inwardly extending shoulder proximal of said first converging segment.

43. The vertebral surface preparation unit recited in claim 37, wherein each of said pair of legs includes an outwardly bowed proximal segment.

44. The vertebral surface preparation unit recited in claim 37, wherein said working tool has a farthest extent of sweep in a first direction and in a second direction, and said working tool projects beyond said frame when said working tool is in its farthest extent of sweep in said respective direction.

45. The vertebral surface preparation unit recited in claim 37, wherein said frame has a distal end that defines a compound opening including a distal triangular shape and a proximal quadrilateral shape.

46. The vertebral surface preparation unit recited in claim 37, wherein said working tool includes a recess defining a standoff, said standoff having a compound shape including a distal triangular shape and a proximal quadrilateral shape.

47. The vertebral surface preparation unit recited in claim 37, wherein said frame is in planar form.

48. The vertebral surface preparation unit recited in claim 37, wherein said frame includes a centerline and a sweep axis of said working tool is normal to and aligned with said centerline.

49. The vertebral surface preparation unit recited in claim 37, in combination with the surgical instrument.

50. The surgical instrument recited in claim 37, wherein said working tool is moveable from side-to-side.

51. The surgical instrument recited in claim 37, wherein said working tool is moveable from top-to-bottom.

52. The surgical instrument recited in claim 37, wherein said working tool is moveable about a path that includes side-to-side and top-to-bottom aspects.

53. A surgical instrument for preparing the surface of a vertebra, comprising:

an elongated tube;

a rotatable drive shaft having a proximal end and a distal end;

a cam pin at said drive shaft distal end;

a working tool configured for insertion between adjacent vertebrae and having at least one surface with a working implement for preparing a surface of a vertebra, said working tool being moveable and including an anterior end and a cam follower slot accessible at said anterior end;

a frame connected to said tube and mounting said working tool;

a mount supported by said tube for engaging with said frame, said cam pin and said cam follower slot being couplable when said mount and said frame are engaged.

54. The surgical instrument recited in claim 53, wherein said working tool includes an elongated slot that is counter-bored with respect to said cam follower slot and is adapted to receive said distal end of said drive shaft.

60. The surgical instrument recited in claim 53, wherein said frame has a planar form and a U-shape.

61. The surgical instrument recited in claim 60, wherein said frame includes a pair of legs, each leg having a proximal segment including a latch for engaging with said frame mount.

62. The surgical instrument recited in claim 61, wherein each of said pair of legs further includes a second latch in opposition to said proximal segment latch.

63. The surgical instrument recited in claim 53, wherein said frame includes a pair of legs, each of said pair of legs including a proximal segment, a first converging segment and a second acutely converging segment, and said pair of legs coincide at a junction of said second acutely converging segments along which is located a sweep axis of said working tool.

64. The surgical instrument recited in claim 61, wherein each of said pair of legs has a proximal segment including a cam feature to facilitate inward compression of said proximal segment during entry into the compatible frame mount on the surgical instrument body.

65. The surgical instrument recited in claim 61, wherein each of said pair of legs further includes a first converging segment and a second acutely converging segment, with said pair of legs coinciding at a junction of said second acutely converging segments along which is located a sweep axis of said working tool.

66. The surgical instrument recited in claim 65, wherein said frame includes an inwardly extending shoulder proximal of said first converging segment.

67. The surgical instrument recited in claim 61, wherein each of said pair of legs includes an outwardly bowed proximal segment.

68. The surgical instrument recited in claim 53, wherein said frame has a distal end that defines a compound opening including a distal triangular shape and a proximal quadrilateral shape.

69. The surgical instrument recited in claim 53, wherein said working tool includes a recess defining a standoff, said standoff having a compound shape including a distal triangular shape and a proximal quadrilateral shape.

70. The surgical instrument recited in claim 53, wherein said frame includes a centerline and a sweep axis of said working tool is normal to and aligned with said centerline.

71. The surgical instrument recited in claim 53, wherein said working tool is moveable from side-to-side.

72. The surgical instrument recited in claim 53, wherein said working tool is moveable from top-to-bottom.

73. The surgical instrument recited in claim 53, wherein said working tool is moveable about a path that includes side-to-side and top-to-bottom aspects.

55. The surgical instrument recited in 53, wherein said frame and said working tool are removable as a unit from said instrument.

56. The surgical instrument recited in 53, wherein said working tool includes a recess for receiving a portion of said frame, at least one interior surface of said working tool being exposed by said recess, and a pivot pin extending from said at least one interior surface.

57. The surgical instrument recited in 56, wherein opposed interior surfaces of said working tool are exposed by said recess, and a pivot pin extends between said opposed interior surfaces.

58. The surgical instrument recited in 53, wherein said working tool has a farthest extent of sweep in a first direction and in a second direction, and said working tool projects beyond said frame when said working tool is in its farthest extent of sweep in said respective direction.

59. The surgical instrument recited in 53, her including a handle coupled to said drive shaft.