Magnetic positioner arrangement for locking screws for orthopedic hardward
First Claim
1. A positioning arrangement for positioning locking screws or pine relative to screw holes in an orthopedic implant in the limb of a patient, said arrangement including a first permanent magnet positioned in alignment with a said hole in a said orthopedic implant and providing a directional magnetic field, a further permanent magnet providing a directional magnetic field, and positioning means, including means defining a pivot axis, for mounting said further magnet so as to freely pivot about said pivot axis so as to enable the magnetic field of said further magnet to align with the magnetic field of the first magnet and thus provide alignment of the further magnet with the screw hole in the orthopedic implant at which said first magnet is positioned, thereby determining the path along which a locking screw or pin is to be advanced in order to engage in said screw hole in the implant.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus are provided for rapidly and precisely positioning locking screws or pins into corresponding screw holes in a orthopedic aid such as an intramedullary interlocking rod implanted in a long bone of the limb of a patient, so as to lock the rod in place in the bone. A first magnet is positioned at the location of a screw hole in the rod and an aiming device, comprising a second magnet pivotably mounted so as to be able to be brought in alignment with the first magnet, is used to locate the first magnet and hence enable a screw or pin to be guided into place through the bone into the screw hole in the rod to lock the rod in position. In one embodiment, an elongate insertion member which carries the first magnet at the distal end thereof is used to position the first magnet at the level of the hole in the rod while in a second embodiment, a solid rod is used and the magnet is removably disposed within the hole in the rod prior to implantation of the rod.
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Citations
25 Claims
- 1. A positioning arrangement for positioning locking screws or pine relative to screw holes in an orthopedic implant in the limb of a patient, said arrangement including a first permanent magnet positioned in alignment with a said hole in a said orthopedic implant and providing a directional magnetic field, a further permanent magnet providing a directional magnetic field, and positioning means, including means defining a pivot axis, for mounting said further magnet so as to freely pivot about said pivot axis so as to enable the magnetic field of said further magnet to align with the magnetic field of the first magnet and thus provide alignment of the further magnet with the screw hole in the orthopedic implant at which said first magnet is positioned, thereby determining the path along which a locking screw or pin is to be advanced in order to engage in said screw hole in the implant.
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12. A method for inserting a locking screw or pin into a screw hole in an orthopedic aid implanted in a bone of a patient, said method comprising
disposing a first permanent magnet within the bone at the location of the screw hole in the orthopedic aid within the bone; -
bringing a further permanent magnet, mounted so as to freely pivot about a pivot axis of a positioning device, into a position externally of the patient close to the location of said first magnet so that the magnetic fields of the magnets interact to cause the further magnet to freely pivot about said pivot axis so that the axis of said further magnet aligns with the axis of said first magnet; and inserting a locking screw or pin through the bone into said screw hole based on the orientation of the further magnet when aligned with said first magnet. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification