ATTACHABLE INSTRUMENT GUIDE WITH DETACHABLE HANDLE

• US 20130023889A1
• Filed: 03/21/2012
• Published: 01/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Spinal Elements, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Spinal Elements, Inc.
• Inventors: Blain, Jason, Martin, Greg
• Granted Patent: US 8,764,762 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/96
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1728 for holes for bone plates or plate screws
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1757 for the spine
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/7059 Cortical plates A61B17/7007, A61B17/7058 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/8875 Screwdrivers, spanners or wrenches

Abstract

An instrument guide with device coupler, a handle and one or more instrument guide lumens is detachably coupled to an orthopedic implant to facilitate drilling of the fastener holes or to facilitate insertion of self-tapping or self-dripping fasteners. The handle is preferably detachable to facilitate access to the instrument guide lumens. The device coupler detachably engages the implantable device and aligns the instrument guide lumens with the fastener openings on the device.

Claims

1. An instrument guide, comprising:

a releasable lock assembly comprising a lumen;

a shaft having a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the shaft is partially in the lumen of the releasable lock assembly;

a handle at the proximal end of the shaft;

a means for detachably coupling an implantable device; and

at least one drill guide member joined to the means for detachably coupling an implantable device;

wherein the releasable lock assembly is configured to releasably lock the distal end of the shaft to the means for detachably coupling an implantable device.

2. An instrument guide, comprising:

a releasable lock assembly comprising a lumen;

a shaft having a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the shaft is partially in the lumen of the releasable lock assembly;

a handle at the proximal end of the shaft;

a device coupler comprising a coupling base with a through lumen and an elongate coupling member comprising a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the distal end is configured with a least one mechanical interfit structure, wherein at least a portion of the elongate coupling member is configured so as to move in the through lumen of the coupling base; and

at least one drill guide member joined to the device coupler;

wherein the releasable lock assembly is configured to releasably lock the proximal end of the elongate coupling member of the device coupler to the distal end of the shaft.

3. The instrument guide as in claim 2, wherein the mechanical interfit structure comprises helical threads.

4. The instrument guide as in claim 2, wherein the releasable lock assembly comprises an outer tubular member having a proximal end and a distal end.

5. The instrument guide as in claim 2, further comprising at least one fixed coupling member extending from the coupling base.

6. The instrument guide as in claim 2, wherein the distal end of the shaft comprises a distal receiving lumen having a lumenal surface, an ablumenal surface, and a lock lumen between the lumenal surface and the ablumenal surface.

7. The instrument guide as in claim 6, wherein the distal receiving lumen of the shaft comprises a non-circular cross-sectional shape.

8. The instrument guide as in claim 7, wherein the proximal end of the elongate coupling member has a configuration that forms a mechanical interfit with the distal receiving lumen of the shaft.

9. The instrument guide as in claim 6, wherein the lock lumen has a luminal opening and an ablumenal opening.

10. The instrument guide as in claim 9, wherein the luminal opening of the lock lumen has at least one dimension that is smaller than the ablumenal opening of the lock lumen.

11. The instrument guide as in claim 10, wherein the releasable lock assembly further comprises a movable lock element having a locking position wherein the lock element protrudes through the lumenal opening and a releasing position wherein the lock element does not protrude through the lumenal opening.

12. The instrument guide as in claim 4, wherein the lumen of the releasable lock assembly has an enlarged cross-sectional area about the distal end of the shaft.

13. The instrument guide as in claim 11, wherein the lock element is a ball bearing.

14. The instrument guide as in claim 2, further comprising a bias member within the distal receiving lumen of the proximal tubular shaft.

15. The instrument guide as in claim 14, wherein the bias member is configured to bias the lock element in the lock position.

16. The instrument guide as in claim 2, wherein the coupling base comprises a distal concave surface.

17. The instrument guide as in claim 2, wherein the shaft and the releasable lock assembly are configured to permit at least some relative rotational movement between the shaft and the releasable lock assembly.

18. The instrument guide as in claim 2, wherein the shaft and the releasable lock assembly are configured to permit at least some relative axial movement between the shaft and the releasable lock assembly.

19. The instrument guide as in claim 2, further comprising a distal tubular shaft joined to the coupling base, the distal tubular shaft having a proximal end, a distal end and a lumen therebetween in which at least a portion of the elongate coupling member movably resides.

20. The instrument guide as in claim 19, wherein the elongate coupling member has a proximal position and a distal position.

21. The instrument guide as in claim 20, further comprising a distal bias member between a surface of the elongate coupling member and a surface of the distal tubular shaft.

22. The instrument guide as in claim 21, wherein the distal bias member is configured so as to bias the elongate coupling member to the proximal position.

23. The instrument guide as in claim 21, wherein the distal bias member is configured so as to bias the elongate coupling member to the distal position.