Boring sensor for intramedullary nail and corresponding intramedullary nail
First Claim
1. A boring sensor for use with an intramedullary nail having a wall defining an internal cavity, a screw hole in the wall and a longitudinal axis, for drilling a passage in the cortical wall of a bone, said boring sensor comprising:
- a guiding and positioning unit axially movable in said internal cavity of the nail, said unit including a passage extending therethrough, said passage including a first portion substantially parallel with the axis of the nail and a second portion forming an angle with the first portion, said second portion terminating in a distal orifice on a surface of the unit;
a sheath having a proximal end exiting the internal cavity of said nail substantially parallel to the axis of said unit and a distal end connected with said unit and in open communication with said passage, said sheath including a bore extending therethrough from said proximal end to said distal end thereof;
a flexible shaft rotatably positioned in said sheath and said passage, said flexible shaft having a distal end with a boring head thereat and a proximal end adapted to be coupled to a rotary motor; and
positioning means on said unit for cooperating with positioning means of said nail to position the distal orifice of said unit in line with said screw hole in the wall of said nail.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention concerns a guiding, positioning and boring sensor, comprising a flexible shaft mounted in rotation and axially displaceable in a flexible sheath presenting an external diameter substantially smaller than the minimum diameter of the transverse cross section of the cavity defined in the intramedullary nail, the flexible shaft bearing at a distal end a boring head and at its proximal end a connecting device to a rotary motor whereas the sheath is integral through its distal end to a guiding and positioning unit provided with an internal passage that is connected to the bore of the sheath and presents a transverse cross-section identical to that of the bore.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A boring sensor for use with an intramedullary nail having a wall defining an internal cavity, a screw hole in the wall and a longitudinal axis, for drilling a passage in the cortical wall of a bone, said boring sensor comprising:
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a guiding and positioning unit axially movable in said internal cavity of the nail, said unit including a passage extending therethrough, said passage including a first portion substantially parallel with the axis of the nail and a second portion forming an angle with the first portion, said second portion terminating in a distal orifice on a surface of the unit; a sheath having a proximal end exiting the internal cavity of said nail substantially parallel to the axis of said unit and a distal end connected with said unit and in open communication with said passage, said sheath including a bore extending therethrough from said proximal end to said distal end thereof; a flexible shaft rotatably positioned in said sheath and said passage, said flexible shaft having a distal end with a boring head thereat and a proximal end adapted to be coupled to a rotary motor; and positioning means on said unit for cooperating with positioning means of said nail to position the distal orifice of said unit in line with said screw hole in the wall of said nail. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. Apparatus for drilling a passage in the cortical wall of a bone, comprising:
- an intramedullary nail having a wall defining an internal cavity, said nail presenting a substantially constant transverse cross-section tubular form and having aligned inlet and outlet screw holes in said wall, said nail having a slightly pointed distal end and a proximal end provided with at least one screw passage in the wall thereof which is inclined with respect to a longitudinal axis of said nail, said nail further including, adjacent said slightly pointed distal end at least two pair of holes transversely aligned with respect to the longitudinal axis of the nail for permitting fixation screws to pass through the nail into the bone and to also define positioning means; and
a boring sensor intended to be housed within said intramedullary nail for drilling a passage in the cortical wall of a bone that bears the nail, said boring sensor comprising; a guiding and positioning unit axially movable in said internal cavity of the nail, said unit including a passage extending therethrough, said passage including a first portion substantially parallel with the axis of the nail and a second portion forming an angle with the first portion, said second portion terminating in a distal orifice on the surface of the unit; a sheath having a proximal end exiting the internal cavity of said nail substantially parallel to the axis of said unit and a distal end connected with said unit and in open communication with said passage, said sheath including a bore extending therethrough from said proximal end to said distal end thereof, and a portion of said sheath adjacent said guiding and positioning unit including a substantially rigid wall; a flexible shaft rotatably positioned in said sheath and said passage, said flexible shaft having a distal end with a boring head thereat and a proximal end adapted to be coupled to a rotary motor; and positioning means in said unit for engaging the positioning means of said nail to position said unit in said nail such that the distal orifice of said unit is positioned in line with the screw hole in the wall of said nail. - View Dependent Claims (12)
- an intramedullary nail having a wall defining an internal cavity, said nail presenting a substantially constant transverse cross-section tubular form and having aligned inlet and outlet screw holes in said wall, said nail having a slightly pointed distal end and a proximal end provided with at least one screw passage in the wall thereof which is inclined with respect to a longitudinal axis of said nail, said nail further including, adjacent said slightly pointed distal end at least two pair of holes transversely aligned with respect to the longitudinal axis of the nail for permitting fixation screws to pass through the nail into the bone and to also define positioning means; and
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13. Apparatus for drilling a passage in the cortical wall of a bone, comprising:
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an intramedullary nail having a wall defining an internal cavity, said wall including a non-circular cross-sectional configuration which is constant along a major portion of the length thereof, said wall including at least one inlet screw hole and at least one outlet screw hole in a distal portion of said wall, said at least one inlet screw hole and said at least one outlet screw hole aligned along a common axis which is inclined with respect to a longitudinal axis of said nail at a predetermined angle; a guiding and positioning unit axially movable in said internal cavity of the nail, said unit including a passage extending therethrough, said passage including a first portion substantially parallel with the axis of the nail and a second portion extending at said predetermined angle with respect to said first portion, said second portion terminating in a distal orifice on the surface of the unit; a sheath having a proximal end exiting the internal cavity of said nail substantially parallel to the axis of said nail and a distal end connected with said unit and in open communication with said passage, said sheath including a bore extending therethrough from said proximal end to said distal end thereof; a flexible shaft rotatably positioned in said sheath and said passage, said flexible shaft having a distal end with a boring head thereat and a proximal end adapted to be coupled to a rotary motor; and positioning means in said unit for engaging with the positioning means in said nail such that the distal orifice of said unit is positioned in line with said screw holes in the wall of said nail, said positioning means of said nail including a positioning recess and said positioning means of said unit including a recess in said unit, a ball movable in said recess and spring means for biasing said ball out of said recess into engagement with said positioning recess. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification