Insertion Handle For Surgical Implants
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An insertion handle for medical implants includes a handle with an elongate shaft extending therefrom and connection means for the implant disposed at the end of the shaft opposite the handle. The connection means includes a pivotable attachment for the implant that is controlled remotely from the handle. Both angle of the implant with respect to the handle and shaft as well as the attachment may be separately controlled and adjusted. Remote angular adjustment facilitates insertion of implants in to small surgical sites because the orientation of the implant may be repeatedly, remotely adjusted as the implant is inserted. Connectors may also be provided at the engagement surface between the handle and implant in order to provide communication with the implant or surgical site. The connectors also may serve as torque bearing members to avoid the need for separate torque bearing means such as keyways and the like.
44 Citations
31 Claims
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1. (canceled)
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2. An apparatus for inserting a medical implant, comprising:
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a handle; an outer shaft extending from the handle along a shaft axis; an inner control shaft extending through the outer shaft along the shaft axis; an actuator disposed with the handle and cooperating with the inner control shaft to move the inner control shaft within the outer shaft in response to user manipulation of the actuator; and pivotable connection means disposed on the outer shaft opposite the handle and cooperating with the inner shaft to engage or release an implant, and to angularly position the implant with respect to the shaft axis in response to movement of the inner control shaft, said pivotable connection means including user selectable lock means for selectively locking an implant engaged thereon at a fixed angle relative to the shaft axis; wherein the inner control shaft is axially translatable in response to user manipulation of the actuator and the pivotable connection means comprises; a grip cage mounted on the outer shaft opposite the handle and defining a distally facing pocket; two opposed implant engaging grips pivotably attached to each other and slidingly disposed in the grip cage pocket; and a pivot tensioning member operatively linked to the opposed grips to translate said grips in and out of the grip cage pocket, said pivot tensioning member also operatively linked to the inner control shaft for translation therewith. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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3. An apparatus for inserting a medical implant, comprising:
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a handle; an outer shaft extending from the handle along a shaft axis; an inner control shaft extending through the outer shaft along the shaft axis; an actuator disposed with the handle and cooperating with the inner control shaft to move the inner control shaft within the outer shaft in response to user manipulation of the actuator; and pivotable connection means disposed on the outer shaft opposite the handle and cooperating with the inner shaft to engage or release an implant, and to angularly position the implant with respect to the shaft axis in response to movement of the inner control shaft, said pivotable connection means including user selectable lock means for selectively locking an implant engaged thereon at a fixed angle relative to the shaft axis; wherein the inner control shaft is rotatable in response to user manipulation of the actuator and the pivotable connection means comprises; a pivot cage mounted on the outer shaft having an annular wall defining a central opening transverse to the outer shaft and a window opening in line with the outer shaft; a pivot head disposed within the central opening of the pivot cage, the pivot head being rotatable within the pivot cage central opening about an axis transverse to the outer shaft; and an attachment screw rotatably mounted in the pivot head and extending through said window opening along a screw axis, said attachment screw operatively connected to the inner shaft to permit rotational drive of the attachment screw through variable angles between the screw axis and shaft axis. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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20. An apparatus for inserting a medical implant, comprising:
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a handle; an outer shaft extending from the handle along a shaft axis; a rotatable inner shaft extending through the outer shaft along the shaft axis; an actuation member disposed with the handle and cooperating with the inner shaft to permit user rotation of the inner shaft; a distal end member mounted on the outer shaft opposite the handle, the distal end member having an annular wall defining an opening in a direction transverse to shaft axis with an inner engagement surface, and defining a window opening through said annular wall substantially in line with the outer shaft; a pivot member disposed within the opening defined by the annular wall of the distal end member, the pivot member having an outer engagement surface facing at least a portion of said inner engagement surface and being rotatable within said opening about an axis transverse to the shaft axis; and an attachment screw rotatably mounted in the pivot member and extending through said window opening along a screw axis, said attachment screw operatively connected to the inner shaft to permit rotational drive of the attachment screw through variable angles between the screw axis and shaft axis; wherein the annular wall is deformable at least in part in response to a medical implant being tightly threaded onto the attachment screw to force engagement between said engagement surfaces to selectively lock the pivot member at a fixed angle with respect to the shaft axis. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. (canceled)
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27. (canceled)
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28. (canceled)
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29. (canceled)
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30. (canceled)
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31. (canceled)
Specification