CIRCULAR BONE TUNNELING DEVICE

• US 20130178854A1
• Filed: 07/11/2011
• Published: 07/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mininvasive Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Mininvasive Ltd.
• Inventors: Sholev, Mordehai, Lavi, Gilad
• Granted Patent: US 9,770,248 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/79
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0469 Suturing instruments for use in minimally invasive surgery, e.g. endoscopic surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0482 Needle or suture guides guides for drills, pins or wire A61B17/17; for puncturing needles A61B17/3403
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/06066 Needles, e.g. needle tip configurations making needles B21G1/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/062 Needle manipulators
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0625 the needle being specially adapted to interact with the manipulator, e.g. being ridged to snap fit in a hole of the manipulator A61B17/06109 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/16 Bone cutting, breaking or removal means other than saws, e.g. Osteoclasts; Drills or chisels for bones; Trepans arthroscopic bone cutters A61B17/320016; dental implant drills potentially for other surgical use A61C8/0089; bone grinders A61F2/4644, A22C17/06; A61B17/1662 takes precedence over all other subgroups except A61B17/17
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3472 for bones, e.g. intraosseus injections
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00398 using powered actuators, e.g. stepper motors, solenoids
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00477 Coupling A61B2017/0046 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/06042 located close to needle tip
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/061 hollow or tubular
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2931 with releasable head

Abstract

An adjustable suture passer for use in arthroscopic surgery is disclosed. In a preferred embodiment, the adjustable suture passer comprises a head that describes a semicircular arc, an elongate body, a support element, and driving and control mechanisms. The head is adapted to accommodate a surgical needle and a guide wire. When the adjustable suture passer is activated, the needle is driven with sufficient force to penetrate bone. Use of the adjustable suture passer thus enables surgical attachment of soft tissue to bone without any necessity for a separate anchor.

Claims

1. A circular bone tunneling device, for use in arthroscopic surgery, comprising:

a hollow elongate body comprising a hollow elongate body head, said hollow elongate body head enclosing a surgical needle adapted to tunnel through a bone along a circular path defined as a rigid circular arc; and

an extendable and retractable support element, movable between at least one extended configuration and at least one retracted configuration;

said support element including a portion which is adapted to be located along said path defined by said rigid circular arc,

said support element and said hollow elongate body head being adapted to engage said bone at at least two points along the circumference of said bone.

2. The circular bone tunneling device according to claim 1, wherein said surgical needle is a rigid surgical needle.

6. The circular bone tunneling device according to claim 1 additionally comprising a rigid circular hollow tube adapted to be reversibly attached to said needle and to carry at least one guide wire, said rigid circular hollow tube movably disposed at least partially within said hollow body such that said rigid circular hollow tube can move through an orifice in said hollow elongate body head.

7. The circular bone tunneling device according to claim 1, wherein said surgical needle is sufficiently rigid so that its shape is maintained as it penetrates said bone along said circular arc.

8. The circular bone tunneling device according to claim 1, additionally comprising a support element driving mechanism, adapted, upon activation of a support element control, to drive the motion of said support element.

9. The circular bone tunneling device according to claim 1, additionally comprising a surgical needle driving mechanism operative to control the motion of said surgical needle.

10. The circular bone tunneling device according to claim 9, wherein said surgical needle driving mechanism is operated independently of said support element.

11. The circular bone tunneling device according to claim 9, wherein upon activation of said surgical needle driving mechanism, said surgical needle is moved along said circular path to penetrate said bone.

12. The circular bone tunneling device according to claim 1, wherein the extendable and retractable support element is adapted to reach, upon extension, a predetermined location at which it intersects said circular path.

18. The circular bone tunneling device according to claim 1, additionally comprising a handle adapted for driving said surgical needle to tunnel through said bone along said circular path.

19. The circular bone tunneling device according to claim 8, additionally comprising at least one support element control adapted to control the movements of said support element driving mechanism.

20. The circular bone tunneling device according to claim 6, additionally comprising:

a rigid circular hollow tube driving mechanism operative to control the motion of said rigid circular hollow tube; and

at least one rigid circular hollow tube control adapted to control the movements of said rigid circular hollow tube driving mechanism.

27. The circular bone tunneling device according to claim 1, further incorporating an indicator for indicating the extent of travel, along said arc, of said surgical needle.

30. The circular bone tunneling device according to claim 19, wherein said support element control comprises:

a threaded rod;

a rotatable handle with a threaded orifice through which said threaded rod passes;

a quick release pin having an engaged configuration and a disengaged configuration, adapted to permit motion of said threaded rod when in said engaged configuration and to prevent motion of said threaded rod when in said disengaged configuration; and

,

a slider.

72. The circular bone tunneling device according to claim 30, wherein said slider comprises:

a cylindrical orifice of internal diameter greater than the external diameter of said threaded rod, said cylindrical orifice disposed about said threaded rod distally relative to said rotatable handle;

a tab physically connected to said support element driving mechanism, adapted to slide along the proximal-distal axis of said body, and disposed partially within and partially without said body; and

rigid connecting means physically connecting said tab to said cylindrical orifice.

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28-29. -29. (canceled)

31-45. -45. (canceled)

46. A method for tunneling through a bone during arthroscopic surgery, said method comprising:

providing a curved bone tunneling device comprising;

a hollow elongate body including a hollow elongate body head defining a rigid circular arc;

said hollow elongate body head enclosing a surgical needle adapted to tunnel through a bone along a path defined by said rigid circular arc and, an extendable and retractable support element;

positioning said hollow elongate body of said device adjacent to the circumference of a bone;

extending said retractable support element to a location along the path defined by said circular arc;

thereby engaging said bone with said support element and said hollow elongate body at two points along the circumference of said bone; and

displacing said needle along said path, thereby tunneling through said bone along said circular arc path,

wherein said step of tunneling through said bone along said circular arc path is performed without drilling.

47. The method for tunneling through a bone during arthroscopic surgery according to claim 46 and also comprising attaching a tissue, muscle or a ligament to said bone without the use of an anchor

by retracting said surgical needle,

thereby pulling a suture and attaching soft tissue to said bone via said suture.

56. The method according to claim 46, wherein said surgical needle and said support element are operated independently.

57. The method according to claim 46, wherein the extendable and retractable support element reaches, when extended, a predetermined location along said path.

71. The method according to claim 46 and also comprising passing a suture through a tunnel in said bone formed by said tunneling through said bone.

48-55. -55. (canceled)

58-70. -70. (canceled)