Introducer for Inserting a Connecting Rod into a Spine
First Claim
1. An introducer for inserting a connecting rod into tissue of a spine, comprising:
- an elongate hollow outer sleeve having a proximal end and a distal end;
a handle attached to said outer sleeve at the proximal end;
an actuatable rod attachment portion at the distal end of said outer sleeve to releasably pivotally attach to one end of said connecting rod; and
an elongate inner shaft movable translationally within said outer sleeve and having a proximal end and a distal end, said shaft at the proximal end coupled to an actuation mechanism in said handle for selectively translating said inner shaft, said shaft at the distal end including a rod engagement portion including a rod engagement surface, said rod engagement surface being movable distally upon actuation of said actuation mechanism to a first position to place said rod engagement surface in engagement with a cooperative engagement surface on said rod to hold said rod in a selected locked orientation, proximally upon actuation of said actuation mechanism to a second position to space said rod engagement surface a distance from the cooperative engagement surface of said rod to allow pivoting of said rod relative to the axis of said inner shaft, and more proximally from said second position upon actuation of said actuation mechanism to a third position to actuate said actuatable rod attachment portion to release said rod from said outer sleeve.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An introducer is provided for inserting a connecting rod into tissue of a spine that comprises an outer sleeve with an actuatable rod attachment portion at a distal end thereof to releasably pivotally attach to a connecting rod, and an elongate inner shaft movable translationally within the outer sleeve. The proximal end of the shaft is coupled to an actuation mechanism for selectively translating the inner shaft. The distal end of the shaft includes a rod engagement surface that is movable y the actuation mechanism to a first position to engage a cooperative engagement surface on the rod to hold the rod in a selected locked orientation, to a second position to space the rod engagement surface from the cooperative engagement surface of the rod to allow pivoting of the rod, and to a third position to release the rod from the outer sleeve.
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. An introducer for inserting a connecting rod into tissue of a spine, comprising:
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an elongate hollow outer sleeve having a proximal end and a distal end; a handle attached to said outer sleeve at the proximal end; an actuatable rod attachment portion at the distal end of said outer sleeve to releasably pivotally attach to one end of said connecting rod; and an elongate inner shaft movable translationally within said outer sleeve and having a proximal end and a distal end, said shaft at the proximal end coupled to an actuation mechanism in said handle for selectively translating said inner shaft, said shaft at the distal end including a rod engagement portion including a rod engagement surface, said rod engagement surface being movable distally upon actuation of said actuation mechanism to a first position to place said rod engagement surface in engagement with a cooperative engagement surface on said rod to hold said rod in a selected locked orientation, proximally upon actuation of said actuation mechanism to a second position to space said rod engagement surface a distance from the cooperative engagement surface of said rod to allow pivoting of said rod relative to the axis of said inner shaft, and more proximally from said second position upon actuation of said actuation mechanism to a third position to actuate said actuatable rod attachment portion to release said rod from said outer sleeve. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. An apparatus for percutaneously inserting a connecting rod into tissue of a spine, comprising:
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an elongate connecting rod having a distal end contoured for insertion into tissue and a proximal end having a connecting portion including at least one flat connecting surface; and a rod introducer releasably pivotally attached to said rod, including; an elongate hollow outer sleeve having a proximal end and a distal end; a handle attached to said outer sleeve at the proximal end; a rod attachment portion at the distal end of said outer sleeve releasably pivotally attached to said connecting portion of said rod; and an elongate inner shaft movable translationally within said outer sleeve and having a proximal end and a distal end, said shaft at the proximal end coupled to an actuation mechanism in said handle for selectively translating said inner shaft, said shaft at the distal end including a rod engagement portion including at least one flat engagement surface lying in a plane transverse to and crossing the longitudinal axis of said shaft, said flat engagement surface being movable distally upon actuation of said actuation mechanism to a first position to place said engagement surface in engagement with said flat connecting surface on said rod to hold said rod in a selected discrete locked orientation and proximally upon actuation of said actuation mechanism to a second position to space said engagement surface a distance from said flat connecting surface of said rod to allow pivoting of said rod relative to the axis of said inner shaft while being pivotally attached to the rod attachment portion of the outer sleeve. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. An introducer for percutaneously inserting a connecting rod into tissue of a spine, comprising:
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an elongate hollow outer sleeve having a proximal end and a distal end; a handle attached to said outer sleeve at the proximal end; a rod attachment portion at the distal end of said outer sleeve to releasably pivotally attach to one end of said connecting rod; and an elongate inner shaft movable translationally within said outer sleeve and having a proximal end and a distal end, said shaft at the proximal end coupled to an actuation mechanism in said handle for selectively translating said inner shaft, said shaft at the distal end including a rod engagement portion including at least one flat engagement surface lying in a plane transverse to and crossing the longitudinal axis of said shaft, said flat engagement surface being movable distally upon actuation of said actuation mechanism to a first position to place said engagement surface in engagement with a cooperative engagement surface on said rod to hold said rod in a selected discrete locked orientation and proximally upon actuation of said actuation mechanism to a second position to space said engagement surface a distance from the cooperative engagement surface of said rod to allow pivoting of said rod relative to the axis of said inner shaft thereby unlock said rod from said locked orientation. - View Dependent Claims (28)
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Specification